This is the Amvasya (dark Moon) of Mauni (silence).
The Mauni is the silent teacher, ‘one of silence’ or ‘wise sage’.

A Mauni is a Wisdom Teacher who practices and teaches through silence. The wisdom of Mauni is an inner tuition that opens the doors of innate intuitive wisdom. The Yogins and ancestors passed on wisdom through oral traditions it must be remembered.

This is an ancient ritual day in the Tantric calendar known as Mauni Amvasya. It is a time of discovering the power of speech, sound and silence… A time-honoured Tantric night of sacred silence that is kept to this day by Yogins in the ritual of working with sound and silence.

This ritual will be an initiation into working with Mauna. Mauna is the Tantric wisdom of silence as a healing tool. Little known techniques of working with speech and silence will comprise this ritual night. Such techniques of speech and silence can quicken profound processes in our psychic world, such practices can also be applied to broader fields of our lives.

The Stars

The Moon on this night is in the Nakshatra (Lunar house) of Shravan. This Nakshatra signifies the art of hearing and the wisdom that is received by listening. Shravan is symbolised as the ear of listening. The lunar mansion of Shravan Nakshatra is made of the three stars Altair, Alshain, and Tarazed. These three stars cluster together in the constellation of Makara (Capricorn).

Shravana Nakshatra is the star of listening and learning. Shravana means ‘to hear’ and is symbolised as an ear.

Shravan Nakshatra is also symbolised by 3 footprints. These 3 steps correspond to this Nakshatra’s 3 stars of Altair, Alshain, and Tarazed which relate to the 3 smallest bones in the human body, which are located in the ear. These bones are known as the hammer, anvil and the stapes.

The 3 steps that symbolize this Nakshatra, further unfold their symbolism in the story of the smallest dwarf god incarnation of Vaman. who famously took 3 steps through space and time. Vaman is known as Trivikram, which means 3 footsteps. Vaman is an incarnation of Vishnu, who is the Deity of Shravan Nakshatra. The annual festival of Vaman Jayanti that commemorates the Dwarf god Vama also falls later in the year when the Moon is in the constellation of Shravan. The cosmic symphony of synchronicity is hidden in the Yogic symbols and rituals.

The Ritual

In this ritual, we will be working predominantly with the Throat Chakra. The third ear of psychic sensitivity and Clairaudience. At the Throat Chakra we find the blue lunar flame of the subtle element of Akash (space) This fire rules our sensitivity to sound and the power it has over the spirit.

The Throat Chakra
is the expression of sexual energy
at a more subtle expression,
by working with the Throat Chakra
we engage the sexual energy.

In this ritual we will practice Asan, Munda and Mantra to access the physical and psychic channels of sound. During the Hatha Tantric ritual we will move very much within and towards silence. Internal and external Mantra and Mudra techniques will guide this process.

Vaak Siddhi is the magical power of speech. This awakens when the psychic faculty within us becomes pregnant with power – when the word becomes imbued with magical life. This is known to Tantrics, who honour deeply the Mauna practices Tantra.

‘Mau’ means ‘mouth’. Mauna is commonly understood as simply ‘not talking’. While this is certainly part of the practice of Mauna, there are many more practices of working with speech. In fact, the second part of the word Mauna, ‘Na’, means ‘without’. What is often overlooked is that Na is a double word that also means ‘with’.

For those interested to learn about the practice of working Yogicly with speech and silence ritualisticaly and within their daily lives are invited to join this circle of silent power.