Pulling an all-nighter because of Shivarathri

Mokona

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Apparently there's astrological reasons why it's a good idea to stay up all night on Shivarathri. Anyway, traditionally there would be festivities and things to help people collectively stay awake, but this time due to Covid there's nothing like that happening. We're all staying up on our lonesome.
And I'm here staring at my computer screen in hopes it will make me less sleepy lol. Here to chat so keep me company while I keep my eyes open

Totalanimefan

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@Whimsy: I just googled what that was. I think that's cool! Do you stay up for it every year?

sunny

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Good luck with that! Hopefully the blue light will keep you awake.

Mokona

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@Totalanimefan: Before this, I would be at college when it happened, and before that, I was considered a child (too young to take part in fasting and staying up lol). I heard stories about what my family would do at this time but this is the first time I'm participating!

@sunny: Thank you! It's currently 3.30 A.M. here, so far so good. Also your avatar is absolutely adorbs

sunny

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@Whimsy: oh thanks <3
you're almost there! 3am is usually the time I give up on all nighters lol.

milkshake

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:::ʚ♡ɞ:::
oh thats awesome!
im a night owl so ill be up if you get bored lol
:::ʚ♡ɞ:::

Please ping me!

Mokona

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@sunny: Thank you TT I went to bed when I remembered that I have a full college day today with a meeting in the afternoon, so I couldn't just nap today. Sigh. I was so close too.
@koneko: I went to sleep close to 5 AM after I remembered all the shit I have to do today that will prevent me from just napping to make up for last night ;_;
@milkshake: I feel like last night wasn't lonesome thanks to you all

thank you uwu

Mokona

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@Nephila: Ooh, I've heard of Ostara. That's beautiful. I love how deities and festivals are associated with changing seasons or changing planets. It feels very real; and for me paganism is partly the acceptance of the earth and physical reality as a part of spirituality instead of something to be ascended from, you know?
Shiva is the deity this festival is for, Shivarathri translated to 'Shiva's Night'. It's supposed to be the night that Shiva dances the taandav all night, shaking up the world energetically. So people stay up, fast by eating no grains (fruits and stuff like tapioca is okay). Some of them chant, some of them do yoga, and we give offerings too. I found out this Shivarathri that one of the offerings is bilva leaves (Indian bael). My father told me the story of a hunter who climbed a tree to escape from a tiger. The tiger waited and prowled under the tree and as night fell, the hunter decided he had to stay awake. He couldn't risk falling asleep and falling off the tree into the tiger's jaws. So he kept tearing off leaves and dropping them, to stay awake. There was a Shiva linga (a very simple, abstract idol) under the tree and the hunter was unwittingly dropping the bilva leaves on it all night. In the morning, the hunter attained enlightenment

Mokona

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@Nephila: Shiva devotee stories are typically more entertaining than ones involving other deities. My dad told me other stories; in one, a hunter/forager asks sages how he's supposed to worship a Shiva linga. They tell him pour water over it, and offer flowers and food. To transport all of that in one go he holds the water in his mouth, fruit in one hand, meat in the other. Then he goes to the linga, spits out the water on it, then drops the flowers and puts the meat in front of it. The sages are all scandalised and then Shiva basically tells them, "I don't care." Shiva's got a 'you do you' attitude

I think most of our male gods, in paintings or depictions, would look kind of androgynous to western eyes lol. 'Jolly drunk and Super Angry' is spot on for depictions of western men in paintings

this stuff is pretty revealing about what a culture thinks of divine masculinity to be like. Shiva does get angry and open his third eye, but even that doesn't look like any western men portraits.
So one of the goddesses I'm particularly drawn to is Kali, and when I heard Alana Fairchild was making a Kali oracle I got excited. But then I looked at pictures of the cards, and while 'objectively' the art is beautiful, Kali was drawn way too much the way Western women who are considered attractive are drawn: tall and voluptuous and leanly muscular. Even her facial features were made attractive by Western standards. Indian women don't commonly look like that and I've seen many Kali shrines; never have I seen her body sculpted like that. The artist is a Western artist so I was disappointed but not surprised.

Totalanimefan

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@Whimsy: Wow cool that this is your first year! I know for a lot of fasting events in many religions children don't take part because it's not good for them until they are adults. ^^; Did you end up staying up? ^^
I read your stories about Shiva. They are cool.

By Ghost
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sunny

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@Whimsy: oh dear! Try again next time?

currently: new novel who dis?

q u e s t i n g :
beanie doll! thank u cookie

Mokona

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@Totalanimefan: Yep, fasting should be for adults only. I feel like aged people shouldn't take part either, like grandparents, cause they get pretty weak. But they're often the most religious-minded so they're stubborn on fasting.
Yeah those stories are fun hehe.

@sunny: Yep! There's always next time :D

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Forums General Chit-Chat Pulling an all-nighter because of Shivarathri

Mokona

Totalanimefan

sunny

Mokona

sunny

milkshake

Mokona

Mokona

Mokona

Totalanimefan

sunny

Mokona

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