Navaratri 2026 – Saptami: Animal Spirits

Navaratri 2026  ·  Saptami  ·  October 17, 2026

Today my day started with the alarm buzzing in my ears at 6:00 am, disturbing my sleep, but I was too tired, and after shutting off the alarm I continued my beauty sleep. I woke up refreshed at 8 am. It was a cloudy day, still good for a morning walk. I like to walk in the morning when the sky is dark and it turns light in front of my eyes. I certainly don’t like to go for a morning walk after sunrise. I enjoy seeing the sky turning from dark to light, seeing the resplendent colors in the sky and then seeing the magnificent sunrise. That is a perfect day for me.

Today started with imperfection, because it was essentially required for me to catch up on my beauty sleep for my good health, but as the day progressed, it became more and more exciting and exhilarating.

Greeting My Fellow Brooklynites

During my morning walk beat, I greet all the passers-by. Some respond in kind, some don’t, but it is my way of connecting with fellow Brooklynites. This is an old habit of mine since I used to walk with my de facto husband Melvin Bark. When I complained to him, “Look at these people, I greet them and they don’t even respond in kind,” he gave me a good tip for greeting people. He said, “Greet only those who are looking into your eyes.” But did I ever listen to him? I’ve made it the motto of my life that I will do what pleases me regardless of others’ reaction. So I greet everyone I come across on my morning walk.

Goddess Durga Connects Me with Animal Spirits

I had a beautiful walk in the park, crossed Avenue U and walked over to the Nature Center and meditated at the back patio facing the creek. Today, Goddess Durga was connecting me with animal spirits. I go there every day, but never before noticed the bird pasted on the window in the back room of the Nature Center.

A Putty Tat with a Hat

In the grocery store, as I came to the self-checkout counter to pay for my groceries, I found a new buddy, a stuffed toy adorned with a hat. A putty tat! The first time I met Melvin in the subway, he was wearing a fedora hat. I believe Melvin in spirit came to greet me. I inquired with the cashier about putty tat’s price, because I was trying to be cautious about splurging money in my extravaganza mood. But it was reasonably priced, so I decided to purchase it. Now it is giving me company on my living room couch for binge TV watching.

I have two buddies now: my rag doll sent by my mom and the new putty tat with a hat sent by Melvin to give me company for telly watching at night. See, who says I am alone? I’m never alone.

A White Dinosaur and the Tigers Poem

Then as I was getting back from the grocery store, I was greeted by a white dinosaur that some kid had left on the sidewalk. And during my subway ride coming back after a fun-filled day with my friends at a restaurant in Coney Island, I came across the poem titled Tigers on my Q train subway ride. Now you may not know, but Goddess Durga’s mount is the lion-tiger. Goddess Durga blessed my whole day and finally sent her mount to shower me with her blessings. That’s how fortunate I am.

After all, I am God’s child. My name is Vandana, and in my Satya Narayan temple everyone chants Shri Ram Vandana. I am so delighted that my name is mentioned in Lord Rama’s prayer.

The subway poem’s last lines are:

There are tigers above
And below. Let us love
One another and let go.

Eliza Griswold, Poetry in Motion, Poetry Society of America