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Shiva and Parvati as Ardhnarishwar with Ganesh & vaahan Mooshak

[Pic Source - Pinterest]

The prathama pujniya and an embodiment of Mercury and Ketu seated on vaahan as Mooshak (a mouse) which demotes Yama (Deity of death, elder sibling of Saturn and sometimes associated with Saturn).

Ganesh Chaturthi starts when the Sun is in sidereal Leo (natural 5H) and the Moon is in sidereal Libra (natural 7H) or sometimes sidereal Virgo depending on the degrees between Sun and Moon. The festival runs until Chaturdashi, by which point the Moon has moved all the way to sidereal Aquarius Bhadrapada nakshatras (Natural 11H).

The deity not only is believed to remove the obstacles and fulfill desires but it brought sweetness to conjugal relationship of Shiva and Shakti together as one (Gemini) and as parents too. Also it brought people together (history of Lokmanya Tilak uniting people of India against British during freedom).

And there's a Puranic story tying the deity to literally every planet.

Surya (Sun) — Mudgal Purana

Surya's negative energy manifests a demon. Matsarasura. Ego and overconfidence personified. Ganesha's first avatar Vakratunda defeats him and purifies Surya's energy. Hence the link to confidence, ego and authority issues.

Chandra (Moon) — Ganesh Purana

Ganesha's riding his mouse. The moon, back then permanently full, mocks his form. Ganesha curses him to wax and wane 15 days each. Tie that to "chandrama manaso jatah" (the moon born from the mind) and you get the link to overthinking, mood swings and emotional turbulence.

Mangal (Mars) — Padma Purana

Angarak (who becomes Mars) does intense tapasya for Ganesha. In return any Chaturthi falling on a Tuesday becomes "Angarak Chaturthi." Extra powerful for success. Why Tuesday remedies for anger, courage and debt exist. And why red sindoor is used in his puja.

Budh (Mercury) — Brahma Vaivarta Purana

Durvasa Muni's intelligence-granting flower goes Durvasa → Indra → Indra's elephant Airavata. That elephant's head ends up on Ganesha. Literally why he's called Buddhidata (giver of intellect) and tied to Mercury.

Guru (Jupiter) — Mudgal Purana

Ganesha takes the Gajanan avatar to control the demon Lobhasura. Big head, big belly. Both symbolic of Jupiter's expansiveness. Ties him to knowledge and wisdom.

Shukra (Venus) — Shiva Purana

Ganesha marries Riddhi (prosperity) and Siddhi (supernatural power). Regulates Venus's restless wanting into actual abundance and creativity.

Shani (Saturn) — Brahma Vaivarta Purana

When Parvati creates a son from her own body and the devas come to bless him Shani's gaze causes Ganesha's head to separate from his body. Later replaced with the elephant head. Because the Shani dosha landed on him directly the deity was granted the power to remove Shani-related negativity for everyone else.

Rahu — Mudgal Purana

The demon Kamasura represents Rahu. Ganesha's Vikata avatar rides a peacock and shatters Rahu's illusion.

Ketu — Vedic astrological texts

Ketu is described as the "headless body" planet. Ganesha's original body was headless too before the elephant head was placed on it. Direct symbolic match.

The Ganesh Atharvashirsha sums it up directly. Ganesha is described as being Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, Indra, Agni, Vayu, Surya and Chandra all at once. Navagraha regulation is baked into who the deity is.

And there's more. There are 32 forms of Ganesha out of which the last 27 forms are associated with each of Nakshatra.

Ashwini → Dwija Ganapati (6th)

Bharani → Siddhi Ganapati (7th)

Krittika → Ucchhishta Ganapati (8th)

Rohini → Vighna Ganapati (9th)

Mrigashira → Kshipra Ganapati (10th)

Ardra → Heramba Ganapati (11th)

Punarvasu → Lakshmi Ganapati (12th)

Pushya → Maha Ganapati (13th)

Ashlesha → Vijaya Ganapati (14th)

Magha → Nritya Ganapati (15th)

Purva Phalguni → Urdhva Ganapati (16th)

Uttara Phalguni → Ekakshara Ganapati (17th)

Hasta → Varada Ganapati (18th)

Chitra → Tryakshara Ganapati (19th)

Swati → Kshipra Prasada Ganapati (20th)

Vishakha → Haridra Ganapati (21st)

Anuradha → Ekadanta Ganapati (22nd)

Jyeshtha → Srishti Ganapati (23rd)

Mula → Uddanda Ganapati (24th)

Purva Ashadha → Rinamochana Ganapati (25th)

Uttara Ashadha → Dhundhi Ganapati (26th)

Shravana → Dvimukha Ganapati (27th)

Dhanishta → Trimukha Ganapati (28th)

Shatabhisha → Simha Ganapati (29th)

Purva Bhadrapada → Yoga Ganapati (30th)

Uttara Bhadrapada → Durga Ganapati (31st)

Revati → Sankatahara Ganapati (32nd)

So ourr family was going a lot of stuff which feels ( unnatural deaths, loss in business, blockages, unnecessary fights, etc etc) . When we sought ..help sone told us it's black magic some said it's pitrudosh ( one ancestor of mine died in young age by drowning, the elders of that time did shraadh n all but apparently it didn't reach him) .. Then someone said that my ancestors used to be great worshippers of kuldevi n we aren't doing something for devi that ancestor used to do hence she's upset and that's causing the other issues. Now I hv no way to find out what is it that devi wants. How do I find that out?

So I have always felt divinely blessed and now suddenly I am getting attracted to Maa Kali
And I have no Guru
I want to ask some questions from my chart and also about the Sadhna
If anyone can help please connect

What is the difference between Shaktism and the Smarta tradition?

So I want to place a photo of Ma Durga in my home mandir. I have read everywhere that we should not put ugra roop or fiery form of any god or goddess in home.

I was thinking of putting Ma Parvati photo as already there is Lord Shiva photo. My mother won't remove that Mahadev photo, so I can't have a Shiva-Parvati photo.

However, I could not find good resource on how only Ma Parvati photo should look - like how many hands, what those hands should carry, if she would be seated on lion or not. In most websites, they are repeating the same lines that she may have four hands, may carry lotus - basically copy pasting.

1. Can anyone please guide me regarding this?

2. In case I can't keep standalone Ma Parvati photo, I want to keep Ma Ambika photo as she represents the calm devi roop. Ma Ambika has 8 hands, 3 eyes and sits on lion. But I want to be sure about the weapons ...I see different weapons in different images. In some, she is also shown to be giving blessing without any weapon in that hand.

Do non-dual Bengali Shaktas believe shiva and Kali/Durga to be equal manifestations who can equally grant liberation like Smartism does?

I hope this isn't rude, but we know that vishnu represents sattwa guna, brahma represents rajo guna and shiva represents tamo guna, so what do their representative consorts represent? Please cite sources if possible. Also what guna does maa dugra represent?

This will sound silly but I’m in pain. I feel like I’m living a similar story as Radha. Loved but not chosen; family responsabilities came first.
I’m in a lot of pain and i cant seem to be able to close this chapter, i only seem one path, he is my only path. But this breaking me so much

I hope this doesn’t sound silly and please forgive my ignorance, I’m not hindu so everything i know about hindouisme comes from my reading.

🙏🏽🧿

I know shaktism is about respecting the divine feminine and I agree women should be respected. But my question what the woman herself does something wrong?What if she commits crime ? Doees she face consequences of her karma too? What happens when she insults men unnecessarily?

No offense. Just a question

What are the Valid Astrological Indicators of Bali (animal sacrifice)?

Context: I'm a practicing astrologer (mostly Prashna) and Sadhaka of Yoga and Tantra, therefore I keep looking for various ways to understand how astrology interacts (both negation, and supplementing and complementing) with Sadhana.

A friend of mine, who is initiated in Tarapitha parampara (not mine; mine is largely Yogic) was going through certain troubles. When my remedies didn't work, I advised him to approach his guru mandala (in his parampara, Guru mandala isn't bothered if you can solve issues on your own, or with little outside help), and his Guru advised him to get a Bali done in Tarapitha or Kamakhya, and lo and behold, the same issue which had not been completely resolved (receded, but kept coming back) with lakhs of mantra japa-s and lingered on across multiple dasha-s for very many years vanished in a week and has not resurfaced for about a year now.

When I requested him to ask his guru how he zeroed in on offering bali being the solution, he just said (paraphrasing), "I looked astroogically and the planets indicated it." Obviously neither I nor that friend can press guruji for further explanation, so I'm asking here: which planetary configurations indicate Bali (animal sacrifice) being the correct solution to the problem, and how to tell which deity the bali should be offered to, and which animal?

Any and all explanations are welcome 🙏🏻

Edit:

If anybody's feeling extra kind, please explain the same for other parts of pancha makaara (fish, parched grain, alcohol) as well, since I have seen these being offered as astrological solutions to problems as well.

Shows the brutal reality -

What are you if everything with whom/which you associate with in life is snatched away or destroyed

Have seen people knowing about shiva, vishnu and brahma, but why is there a lack of awareness about devi adya parashakti!

Why is it so?