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Timely rain.

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We had a proper tropical shower last week. I hadn’t seen such joy, relief and excitement from this simple act of nature before. The magic was in the timing of it. It came just when the coffee plants were thirsting to come into full blossom and release their fragrance to fill the atmosphere with Jasmine. Only in films had I seen one single rain shower give rise to such elation.

Yes. Coffee is in bloom. But I’m sick of my yo-yoing fever and this unpleasant cough. My body keeps stretching out to do all the things it wants to but it keeps getting pulled back into itself because it doesn’t have the strength. Maybe I need to raise my aspirations, then the Universe will provide more energy. Maybe I need to increase my desire to move and dance and sing and travel and trust that the body will be supported in that. Maybe I need to keep writing more of the nonsense I write so that I’m out there in the world of words and the right ones can find me. Maybe I need to keep showing up for myself and nicely saying NO to unnecessary stuff when I need to. Maybe I need to sit still and rejoice in the breeze that’s dancing with the trees. Maybe I should simply tune into the voice of the birds resonating with excitement. Maybe I need to be fully present in my body, a 100% here, unconditionally.

Before all of that, maybe I need to give my body the permission to fall ill, offer myself the care I would give someone I love, be patient and breathe with myself as though I was my own child. Excuse me, I need to make myself another cup of ginger tea.

Everything living on Earth is food for the Moon.

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So much of everyday life, including the innumerable religious festivals in India are dominated and determined by the lunar calendar. While the gross impact of the moon on water, especially the tidal waves is well known, the more subtle effects on humans and plants, less so. Biodynamic methods of farming acknowledge the cycles of the moon as fundamental to a good harvest as they incorporate cosmic energy to minimise disease and aid growth.  

At a recent Biodynamic meeting, I was fascinated to see a Planting Calendar based on the 6 cycles of the moon. I thought there was only one – Full to New and back.

Every 27.3 days, the Moon and Saturn are on opposite sides of the Earth. This is a great time for planting as their forces synergise to produce strong plants of high quality. Organic wine growers have been using this technique for a long time.

Like inhalation and exhalation, the Moon ascends and descends. The ascending phase is great for harvesting as the natural flow of energy is upward and the descending phase is a good time for transplanting saplings as the downward energy helps them take root.

Apogee is when the Moon is furthest from the Earth, a great time to sow potatoes. Perigee is the point in the orbit of the moon when it is nearest to the Earth. This means there is more moisture in the soil, making the plants more prone to fungus and insect attacks.

Nodes occur when the Sun-Earth-Moon are in line. It happens twice every month. It’s a bad time for any horticultural activity as the Sun’s beneficial influence is negated on these days.

As the Moon passes through various Zodiac constellations, it exerts different influences on different types of plants. At this point, my cognitive abilities were saturated, and I had to leave the rest for later.

I shall have mercy on you and stop here.

Splendiferousness from last night. I am sure Saagar would say something like,”Big-ass Moon. Innit?”

Let there be joy, peace and colour!

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Mandalas draw me into their whorls. A casual glance is never enough. My gaze gets fixated on each one and I lose myself in the movement and the stillness in that form. The patterns seem to be spontaneous and well thought through, calm and dynamic, chaotic and yet, organised. The literal meaning of the word is, a sacred circle and it feels like one.

A random advert on YouTube and I was at the local stationery shop buying a geometry box. I needed a compass and a protractor for the Mandala Workshop I had signed up for. I was excited at the prospect of making one but also worried about making a mess of it. My artistic abilities are fairly limited but I am a good doodler. Many a lengthy-phone-call have produced intricate henna-esque patterns on the handiest bit of paper loitering on my table.

The first thing the facilitator said was, today you will draw your Universe. Don’t erase anything. There are no mistakes. You will see, everything has a place, even the so called ‘mistakes’. So, erase nothing. It’s not about producing a beautiful piece of art. It’s about the process. After making the grid, she had us light a candle and guided us through a grounding exercise. Then she played a mellow piano tune and asked us to start from the centre of the circle and work outwards with a black uniball pen. No rules. No meaning. No right. No wrong. No special colours or materials. Just allow whatever wants to appear on the page to appear.

She said this practice can heal us as it opens the heart, takes place in the moment and is non-judgemental. Watch your inner critic coming at you pointing its index finger. Ignore it and carry on. Smile 🙂

Work. Work. Work.

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She was new in the office. Enthusiastic and hard-working. She wanted to prove herself. This was her first job. She held the belief that hard work and perseverance were essential to success. She was a 26 years old Chartered Accountant and had left her hometown and family behind for the first time, for a fancy job at a big company in a big city.

Four months into this job, she was dead.

No one from her place of work attended her funeral. Her name was Anna.

Her mother, Anita wrote a letter to the CEO of the company, with the hope that this does not happen to other young people. She urged him to change the poisonous work culture that pushes young employees to the limit, chasing unrealistic expectations. Like many other mothers, I am sure through a river of tears, she wrote hoping to make a difference.

All she has had so far are denials. It wasn’t us. We did nothing wrong. On linked-in, one business Psychologist remarked on the lack of resilience in the young and commented on what Anna’s mother should have done for her daughter’s well-being. She went on to boast about how high the Happiness index amongst the students in her organisation was. Whatever the hell that means.

I feel sickened by this. Is this typical of India? Is it all corporations? Or just the Big 4? Or is it human beings and their lack of compassion?

The fact that Anita’s letter has created massive waves and generated big discussions makes me feel a bit better. We, as humans, are about compassion. It is as essential to us at every stage of our lives, as water. There is hope. As for Anna’s parents, my heart weeps for you. Thank you for raising your voice on behalf of Anna, to wake us up. Let us actively look after ourselves and each other. We are strong yet fragile. Let us open our eyes.