The magic of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is upon us! Sirius is a star of legends, known for bestowing wealth, honor, devotion, passion, and powerful creative talent. Stargazers have sought the favor of Sirius for centuries, believing it to be lord of earth-nurturing rain and enhanced harvest. On July 4 this year, the Zoroastrian Festival of Rain, also known as Tirgan, is celebrated in ancient Iran to honor Archangel Tishtrya. Tishtrya is the deity of the star Sirius and keeper of rain. On this day, people celebrate, splashing one another with water, joyfully singing and dancing in the rain. In the sky at this time, Sirius lines up with our Sun at 14 zodiacal degrees Cancer. Cancer is a cardinal water sign, the perfect cosmic host for the Festival of Rain: Water from the Stars.
Legend has it that Tishtrya, in the form of a white horse, fought his antithesis, the demon Apaosha in his form of a black horse during the dry and hot summer month of July. If Tishtrya brought healing rains, Apaosha brought drought. As faith in Archangel Tishtrya diminished amongst the people, their prayers also faltered, giving Apaosha strength as Tishtrya weakened. Upon his last plea, in his most vulnerable state, Tishtrya appealed to Creator Ahura Mazda. Creator Ahura Mazda then offered him a sacrifice, and Tishtrya won the battle against Apaosha.
What does sacrifice mean to you? Do you make offerings of gratitude? The word sacrifice comes from the Latin sacer, meaning sacred or holy. Sacrifice is the act of offering something precious to or for something sacred. Sacred can refer to something considered a deity or god, or a spiritual or higher purpose. In what ways do you give for the Greater Good? And, do you realize how often, as part of the Greater Good, you are a recipient of sacrifices and blessings?
The Zoroastrian Festival of Rain honors the importance of offerings and sacrifice for our own faith and spiritual practices. It highlights the importance of giving as well as receiving – to always practice gratitude and pay it forward. There are so many small things – beautiful sacrifices – we can do every day. The Festival of Rain celebrates these sacrifices and the outpouring of blessings in perfect reciprocity.
This is the last push of energy for prosperity for the whole year. Fall is approaching and with it the end of growth and the beginning of harvest. Now is the time to call in the abundance of water and rain to ensure the healthiest and fullest fruition of all we will soon reap. Water, in Feng Shui, is connected with the manifestation of money. Water blessings also come in the form of the Divine Feminine and nourishment.
This is one of the most powerful times to work with water and emotion. If you are a water sign, you can more deeply connect with your element, tapping into the life-giving and sustaining flow. All of us can use this energy to get in touch with our emotions, to heal and harmonize on a soul level. If you need to release emotional memory, patterns, or trauma, surrender them to the rain fail. One of the greatest blessings water offers is purification – it washes us clean – like a baptism without any religious attachment. It simply rinses away anything we are ready to let go and carries it back to the great Sea where it is transformed into pure Love.
Through A World of Magic, my 2018 class curriculum, we are exploring the spirituality of ancient civilizations. Under the Full Moon each month we enter the gateway into the next culture on our list. This July, we are immersing ourselves in ancient Persia and we will cross the threshold with the illumination of the Capricorn Moon. Join us for our FREE online and in-person Full Moon Event on June 28, as we invoke the abundance of Tishtrya, the deity of the star Sirius and bringer of rain. We will send forth a burst of rainfall prosperity energy to the planet – to bless your harvest in the season ahead and benefit the whole planet.
For our final prosperity blessing ritual for 2018, I created a Persia Full Moon: Festival of Rain Set. The tools in this set are designed to call in the full blessings of water, rain, and the star Sirius.
May the abundance of the stars, of which you are made, shine in your heart and light the way.