A tale of the inspiration to host international New Moon Zoom gatherings.
At the onset of stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in March 2020, I found myself feeling hopeless and helpless in the tragedy unfolding all around the globe, with millions infected and dying, not to mention the frontline workers literally risking their lives to assist. It was all too unimaginable and I wanted to do *something* other than “shelter-in-place” …
Soooo, being healthy, safe and secure at home, thank you, it dawned on me I had “at hand” the Heart Sutra Mantra and utilizing the Zoom platform, I invited my friends around the world to join me in syncing up our intentions and utilizing the chant to invoke healing for those afflicted and vibrant good health, peace, love & harmony for all.
Below is a recording of my first attempt, which despite enjoying a beautiful response from friends various and sundry points from up and down the US East Coast, out to the West Coast, Barbados, Australia, Britain and the Netherlands, something was amiss with the recording of the session so I re-recorded myself under the dark of the New Moon March 2020. (Unfortunately, my internet connection that night was ‘patchy’ but you’ll get the gist of it …)
Each month I made an effort to consider what might be happening either astrologically and/or cosmically and speak for a few moments about those implications along with an invitation to consider our heart’s desire before ultimately chanting the Heart Sutra Manta in a kind of round….
Three years later, after hosting monthly New Moon Gatherings, I recognized I have been juggling one too many things and decided as much as I 💞love💞 hosting this gathering, for the foreseeable future I need to release this from my purview. Below is a recording of the February 2023 gathering under the auspices of auspicious Shivaratri, the annual Hindu festival when Lord Shiva is invoked. Shiva who is known as the destroyer of fears and attachments, and the liberator of the soul.
It is said that a glance from Lord Shiva reduces all negative karma to ashes, and that the power of meditation and prayer is multiplied 1000-fold. May the blessings be.
Om Nama Shivaya
Svãhã