Goddess Guidance - SARASVATI

Here is our next Goddess, Sarasvati.

The Arts
"Express yourself through creative activities"

Sarasvati is a Hindu Goddess who encourages people to grow not only spiritually but also creatively. She is holding a guitar of some sort so music is important because it will help you tap into your connections. You can do this through other creative activity and they can be used to express your emotions, thoughts, dreams and desires. Creativity can take many forms such as painting, writing, drawing, scuptures, pottery, dancing, singing, playing a musical instrument. Maybe it's time to learn a new creative activity that allows you to be happy and be yourself.

Sarasvati has her foot on a lotus blossom and the lotus blossom means growth because it grows from mud, up through the water and appears as a beautiful flower. Ask Sarasvati to guide you in your creativity because she would love to help.

The first thing I thought when I looked at this card was to play a musical instrument. It is a wonderful way to express yourself and its good for the mind and the soul too.

The duck is on the water in front of her. Duck means 'person of many resources', so this is a good way to say that there are many ways to express creativity.

I like what you said Colby about the lotus flower. I didnt really know that it grew from mud. Thats pretty amazing.

Saraswati usually is seen riding a swan, although you will also see peacocks by her side. Swans play a prominent part in religious iconography - the "hamsa" breath meditation is based on the swan (Sanskrit: hamsa). The peacock is the national bird of India and long ago, only royalty were allowed to own peacocks (also true with ownership of elephants, but that's another story).

I've not heard of any ducks... that isn't standard iconography for Saraswati.

Saraswati is the wife of Brahma - the all-God, or creator - and her own creative influence upon one's life is evidenced through the more feminine art forms (music, words, art). She is a figure of creative intelligence.

edited to add: Saraswati is often pictured in white, or with a white lotus, symbolizing her purity. In traditional Hindu thought, the lotus is believed to represent the soul rising through the "mud" of the physical body, just as the bloom must push through the muck to reach the surface where the Light resides.

Alissa said:

I've not heard of any ducks... that isn't standard iconography for Saraswati.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info on the swan... I didn't know about that and can see how Geministar viewed it as a duck. The neck of swan in the picture is too short so it's been interpreted as a duck.

I apologize myself since I don't have the illustration, but oh my... poor Saraswati with a duck-like swan... it makes me giggle.

It *really* makes me giggle... is this the reverse of the ugly duckling tale? A swan who turns into a duck? Poor Saraswati, but she is so gracious and kind, she would probably play a song on her veena and make him feel like a peacock....

Hmm this is funny... look what I just found on wikipedia on Saraswati... scroll down to the 2nd picture with the "hamsa mount" and tell me that doesn't look like a giant golden chicken!

Thanks for joining in Alissa.

I did consider that it may be a swan but thought it to be too small so interpreted it to be a duck.

Thanks for adding the weblink. The first picture is great. I can understand more about her now. She is also worshipped as the Goddess of thoughts of truth and forgivings. It was likely that She originated as a river Goddess because Her name in Sanskrit means "she who has lakes or pools". In the card she is seated next to a river/lake. The peacock is with her in the picture from the weblink which isnt shown in the card. Also, in the web picture she has 4 arms.

The second picture does make me giggle though too. A giant chicken??? I wonder if the artist had a reason for this?

Goddess Guidance-Sarasvati.....

Sarasvati is playing a Vina .......

Sitting on a bank of flowers With foot sitting on a lotus flower within the lake....on the water is a swan....

Full moon behind her......

Full Moon- cycles.... acknowledging where you are at at this time and how music will allow creative freedom.....

just some further thoughts...

Vesta