Liturgy to the Moon: Zoroastrianism at its poetic best part 2

Dear Parviz

This is a perfect ritual practice that works in a modern society too.
Anything that is contemplative and keeps our minds on the right mind is good for us.
And if it is also a practice going back thousands of years - then why not connect with that tradition?

Ushta
Alexander

2009/8/8 Parviz Varjavand



Dear Hamdins,

I love the Mah Niyayesh too. The moon is strongly associated with Cow and the Waters. We do not eat meat on the days of Bahman, Good Mind, Mah, Moon, Goosh, Cow, and Ram, Peace and Harmony. They all have very beautiful and profound concepts attached to them and they are all on the feminine side of the spectrum of creation.

Bah-Man or Good- Mind (Vohoo Mana) is what combats Ahri-Man or the Angy-Mind (Angra-Meynoo). It is also the soul of the animal kingdom as it is Bahman who protects all animals (man included).

Mah or the Moon relates to the feminine cycles of growth and fertility, waxing and waining, up and down of the tides and the growth of plants. My grandfather (on my mothers side) was a very rich merchant and powerful master of the household and his many servants. Yet the same man would cook food and take it to my grandmother on the days of her menses when she would not approach the fire to cook. We saw nothing dirty or humiliating in this as many Zoroastrians try to present those old customs now. We saw it as the woman having a special status because of her cycles of fertility and that the most powerful man of the tribe would go out of his routine of power to show respect towards her mate on those special days by cooking for her and taking the food to her.

Goosh or Gavoush or Gaw means the Cow. The Cow represents the soul of the Earth. When Zarathustra wants to compose the Gathas, first it is the Cow that has to sanction it. This is very important, the animal soul of the earth has to approve and validate the work of Zarathustra and Ahoora Mazda has to listen to the laments of the Cow as it is not happy with what men are doing to it!

Ram or Ramesh means Peace, Harmony, and Prosperity. Music is the soul of Ram and Musicians are called Rameshgar or those who usher in Ram. AryaRamna was the title of ancient Aryan kings as those who brought forth Ram to the Aryans.

As it is hard for my family now to observe the Zoroastrian calender with its thirty different names for the days of the month, so we have decided to not eat meat on Mondays as it is the day of the Moon. This custom is called Nabor or days of not killing and thinking upon The Mind without Anger (Bahman), The Moon (Mah), The Soul of the Animals (Goosh), and Harmony (Ram).

May Bahman and Mah and Goosh and Ram be with you,
Parviz Varjavand