The Moon’s Relationship with Lord Shiva

In popular iconography, a crescent moon shines like an ornament on Lord Shiva’s matted locks. The Moon is regarded as a symbol of time’s cyclical nature, which maintains a balance between creation and destruction.

In the Hindu view of the cosmos, the nature of time is cyclical. Creation, preservation, and destruction go on in an endless loop. The universe is created and destroyed in recurring cycles, mirroring the process of life itself, which comprises birth, death, and rebirth. It has a resonance with Shiva’s roles of destruction and transformation. It is he who oversees the transition between life and death and renewal. The Moon that adorns his head signifies the balance between these processes. Thus, Shiva represents balance and equilibrium. The contrast between the Moon’s soft light and Shiva’s destructive power suggests that destruction and creation should balance each other, and light follows darkness.

The Moon’s connection with Shiva finds expression in many ways.

Shiva’s calm nature

The Moon signifies Shiva’s ability to bring serenity to his devotees and his calm nature. When he is in deep meditation, he is untouched by the chaos in the world. Thus, the Moon represents his calm and tranquil nature even in the midst of chaos. The Moon also has a cooling effect on the fiery energy of Shiva.

Shiva's control over the mind

The crescent Moon adorns Shiva's head. The Moon waxes and wanes every month, causing changes in mood and emotion. But Shiva controls the Moon, which gives him the power to control his mind, emotions, and desires.

Astrological meaning

The Moon is associated with the mind. This indicates that worshipping Shiva on Maha Shivaratri, an important festival that honors Shiva, can strengthen the Moon in your birth chart.

Planetary alignments

The waning lunar phase and the Sun’s position in Aquarius on the day of Maha Shivaratri are believed to create favorable conditions for pursuing spiritual practices.

Stories related to Shiva and the Moon

During Samudra Manthan, Shiva swallowed the deadly Halahala poison produced during the churning process to save the world. The poison turned his throat blue and burned it. To cool his throat, Shiva wore the crescent Moon on his head. This helped cool his body, and thus, the Moon relieved him from the poison's toxic effects.

Soma and Rudra are two deities often invoked in Rig Vedic hymns. Soma represents the Moon god, while Rudra refers to Shiva. Later, they came to be regarded as the same entity. Both symbolize purity, nourishment, and rejuvenation. The cyclical phases of the Moon evoke the cycles of life and death that Shiva is in charge of. Thus, it is both a divine and cosmic bond that Shiva and the moon share.

Shiva also saved the Moon from a curse. According to mythology, Chandra (Moon) began to lose his radiance and fade away due to his father-in-law Daksha's curse. It was only after he did penance to Shiva that the Moon got relief from the curse. After this, the Moon began to wax for one-half of the lunar month and wane for the next half.

Waning Moon and Maha Shivaratri

There is a close association between the waning Moon and Shiva. Maha Shivaratri, a major festival dedicated to Shiva, is celebrated on the night of the waning or new Moon. This lunar phase marks the end of the old and the beginning of a new cycle. During Maha Shivaratri, devotees observe fast and stay awake all night, offering prayers, singing hymns, chanting Mantras, and meditating for spiritual awakening and renewal. The waning Moon, therefore, mirrors Shiva’s role as the overseer of destruction and renewal.

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