From darkness to light

The waxing and waning phases of the moon teach us some important life’s lessons; no day is similar to another and life is cyclical. We have our own shares of ups and downs, highs and lows in the roller-coaster of life.

There are nights of dreary darkness with no sign of a single star in sight but we should remember that the light of day is around the corner, followed by nights of increasing light and brightness. Moonlight – that lights up half the world in its nights of existence is illusionary; despite its romantic symbolism, it could well be an oxymoron actually, as the moon has no light of its own but reflects and basks in the brightness borrowed from the sun, miles away. And this reflected light illuminates and makes visible the millions of stars all around.

The moonless, dark night of Mahalaya Amavasya is all about looking back and revering dear, departed souls of the family. Its connection with death makes the darkness appear even more dreary and desolate. And yet, two fortnights of the moon’s cycles following it, lead to the next Amavasya that is very different. It is a festive night that celebrates the homecoming of Lord Rama after his long exile of 14 years and his victory in the war with Ravan. It is a night that we choose to dispel darkness by lighting hundreds of bright lamps. It is the time that looks forward to new beginnings, prosperity and well-being. Amavasya – the dark state sans the moonlight can have two opposing facets depending on the time we are going through. We can make a conscious choice to either wait patiently for things to brighten up in time, focusing on the light at the end of the dark tunnel or to convert the dark period to a well-lit Deepavali in our lives and look ahead.