The sky will darken, the world will hold its breath, and a portal will open. Solar eclipses compress time and amplify what has long been building beneath the surface — endings, revelations, and the clarion call to step forward differently. In this sacred intensity, Durga rises: heart-centered, fierce, and wise. Her power does not crush; it clarifies. Her sword is love sharpened into courage.
Why Durga, now?
Durga is the Mother who enters the battlefield when the old structures can no longer hold life. She does not fight from fury alone—she fights from the heart. The solar eclipse is a cosmic invitation to expose anything that has been binding your voice, your boundary, or your capacity to act in love. Durga offers a path: to face what must be met with steady courage and to transform chaos into focused action.
What “courage” means here
Courage in Durga’s language is not bravado. It is a heart-centered steadiness that:
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meets fear without denying it,
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sets clear boundaries out of love (not reactivity),
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acts when the field needs a protective, tender strength.
This is the bravery of a woman who knows how to protect what matters — herself, her sisters, the vulnerable — and to do so with compassion.
A short practice to steady the nervous system
(3–5 minutes — do before the eclipse peak or whenever anxiety rises)
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Sit with feet grounded. Place right hand over heart, left hand on belly.
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Inhale for 4 counts — feel the chest lift. Hold 2. Exhale for 6, visualizing light forming a shield around your ribcage.
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Repeat 6×. End with a soft Om Dum Durgayei Namaha (1–3×), feeling each syllable settle like armor made of love.
Mantra + Mudra
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Mantra: Om Dum Durgayei Namaha — chant 3, 9 or 27 times. Let the sound vibrate in the chest.
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Mudra: Abhaya-Varada hybrid — right palm outward at shoulder height (Abhaya for protection), left palm facing up at heart (Varada for generosity/receiving). Hold for the mantra.
Ritual: Durga’s Fire Blessing (simple + safe)
Purpose: to burn what constricts the heart and seal in fortified devotion.
You will need: a small fireproof dish (ceramic), a piece of paper, a pen, and a grounding stone (hematite, red jasper, or black tourmaline). Optional: Durga's Crystal Altar Candle.
Steps
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Write one fear, habit, or contractive belief you’re ready to release. Keep it brief.
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Place the grounding stone beside the dish. Light Durga's candle if using.
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With reverence, hold the paper to your heart and say: “I offer this to Durga. Transform it into the courage to love.”
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Burn the paper carefully in the dish (or fold and place under stone if you cannot safely burn) while chanting Om Dum Durgayei Namaha 3×. Safety note: only burn in a safe, ventilated place with water nearby.
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When finished, hold the stone and feel the steadiness of your heart. Breathe. Ground.
The Pancha Kosha — Durga’s Courage in Five Layers
To make courage sustainable, we bring it into all five koshas (sheaths):
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Annamaya (body): power stance, feet rooted; feel the legs as support.
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Pranamaya (energy): kapalabhati (short breaths) or strong exhale-narrow inhale to stoke inner power.
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Manomaya (mind): replace “I can’t” with “I will hold this with love.” Practice one shift each day.
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Vijnanamaya (wisdom): ask, “What action, held in love, does this moment truly require?” Wait for quiet guidance.
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Anandamaya (bliss): let courage be joyful — the relief of truth expressed; the uplift of being fully present.
Contemplation questions (journal)
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What in my life requires protection from my softer voice, not my hardest reaction?
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Where have I mistaken reactivity for courage? How would I choose differently?
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If I dared to act from my heart, what is one small step I could take this week?
For sisters in the field
Durga’s power becomes exponentially more potent when we stand together. Courage is contagious. Offer to witness one another’s small brave acts this eclipse week — call it a pact: I will name one fear; you will hold space. You do not have to do it alone.
Join us
If you are called to move through this portal with ritual, movement, mantra, and a field of sisters, join Durga — Courage in the Chaos on Sunday, 9/21 at 10am MT (solar eclipse). We’ll practice together, hold ritual, and leave with simple actions you can use after the portal fades. $44 per class | All three classes (Bhuvaneshvari + Lalita + Durga) for $99 — replays available. Register & details: https://mindy-arbuckle.mykajabi.com/3-part-goddess-reset-series
Want the medicine of Durga to continue beyond the eclipse?
Shakti Rising Women is a container of ongoing practice, mentorship, and ceremony where we integrate these practices across months — ritual, embodiment, and group witnessing so the courage holds in everyday life. If you felt held here today, this is the next tender, powerful step.
Explore Shakti Rising Women & apply →
P.S.: Apply now to be considered for our next intake — we hold a limited, intimate circle.
Closing blessing
May the steel of your heart be softened by love, may your courage be a shelter for those who need it, and may this eclipse reveal your next true step. Jai Ma Durga. So be it.
With love,
Mindy Arbuckle
