Celebrated twice a year, Navratra is meant to bring back attention to tap into the natural source of energy. It is designed in such a way that all astrological conditions such as alignment of stars and planets fall into place and it becomes easier for seekers to align their chakras (Microcosm) with the Macrocosm.
It is excellent period to heal the chakras. They have given us all tools – Saptashati, fasting, posture while praying and 9 days to activate and intensify devotion and raise Shakti from the lowest to the highest chakra. Strict practice ensures that one can initiate his own spiritual awakening while staying active in the material world. And in time, the Goddess reveals the meaning of the stories in Saptashati (700 verses) and the realization of the mantras.
Shadow work and healing have been two conscious practices that have formed the basis of spiritual growth in all ancient spiritual civilizations. One might argue that these concepts were given by new age spiritual gurus. But that would mean lack of research and knowledge. In fact whatever new age spiritual gurus preach is all ancient wisdom which got lost or ignored because of the religion preached by fallen priests. Process of healing was a significant step to activate the light body in the psychic communities all around the world whether it be the Celtics in Europe, Shamans in Native Americans, or monks in Hindu and Buddhist monasteries.
So is the shadow work for achieving wholeness. This makes sense because it was THE GODDESS herself who created Tamas (darkness), Sattva (light) and Rajas (passion). The goddess MahaLakshmi created MahaKaali and MahaSaraswati, the former is goddess of Tamas and latter is the Goddess of Sattva. Then MahaLakshmi asked both of them to create a couple each – a male and a female. And she herself did the same. Thus, came in being Vishnu and Gauri from MahaSaraswati, Rudra & Trayi (Saraswati) from MahaKaali, Brahma & Lakshmi from MahaLakshmi. The birth of first divine masculine and divine feminine energy (or twin flames) – who were Gods of Sattva, Rajas & Tamas; Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer. Twin flames are two expressions of the same soul – masculine and feminine energy which for creation must work together, in rest they unite to bring the soul back to the state of Shiv or zero point.
From Autobiography of a Yogi –
Shiv is inactive and all transcendent and its his Shakti that is engaged in creation.
From Saptashati –
Gods created the Goddess by projecting their energies and creating a being who had all skills to fight the demons. Also, the Goddess projects her energies through devis to accomplish mission and then pulls them back when she wills. She is addressed as Narayani multiple times which is female for Narayan. The Goddess, is everyone and everything in creation, its her energy that creates both light and darkness.
Just as a tree is formerly a seed, and a seed grows up to be a tree; so is the Goddess, she is the seed and from her everything has emerged and everything is her energy, or its She herself (reference of seed: The Complete Book of Yoga). It is that Shakti which makes us start with little and small, that makes us perform miracles by making that possible which earlier looked impossible. It is the same Pranic energy that makes us come alive with every breath and body movement, that awakens God consciousness and unites us with Spirit.
At the highest level of spiritual evolution, the soul wakes up to realize – She is the one who created the veil of Maya and all creation is, in fact, her MayaNagri, an illusion.
However, in all the dimensions, one force that keeps all the energies together is love. No wonder that to raise the collective consciousness, all the incarnations of GOD have represented the highest versions of The Goddess which is love and righteousness.