Happy Deepam!

What a glorious holiday! Beautiful candles inserted in the more elaborate than usual kolam designs at each threshold and candles on every flat space along windowsills and doorways created a magical fairytale ambiance. Then there was the river of people circumambulating Mt. Arunachala. They started yesterday morning and it built up all day. After dinner, the three of us held hands and were literally pushed along as we crossed the road. People are still walking, although the crowd is *much* thinner today, over 24 hours later.

They set the top of the mountain on fire using ghee, or clarified butter, at 6pm. It was intense and could be seen for miles. Beautiful displays of fireworks could be seen in every direction. There were far less (fire)crackers, the cannon kind, than I experienced at Diwalli.

I didn't circumambulate the mountain this month. I started out at 2am with my teacher and friends and got very clear there was absolutely no need. I walked to where my road turned off and went back home to bed. The nicest thing is that I didn't feel like I was missing a thing, and that is huge for me.

I moved through the fear of my last post. I feel more centered and grounded in Who I Am than I have in my entire life. There is nowhere to go, and nothing to do. Truly.

Namasté.