Removing Obstacles with Ganesha

originally published January 1, 2010

Ganesha is an Indian God with the body of a man and the head of an elephant. The God of wisdom and prudence, he is sometimes called Ganapati, Ganesa or Gajani and he is known as the God of Scribes and Merchants as well as the Lord of Obstacles. For the purposes of January, we will use Ganesha to help us make wise decisions for the coming year (it is the time to make New Year’s Resolutions after all!) as well as to help to clear the obstacles that lie in the way of getting our goals accomplished. But before we get to work, let’s take a longer look at Ganesha. Ganesha has an interesting “parentage”. I say this because Shiva is his father, but it seems that Shiva had no part in his creation. Ganesha’s mother is Parvati and there are two legends that explain how she brought him to life. One is where she used flakes of her skin and the other is where she formed Ganesha form her sweat mixed with dust. Although now he is depicted with an elephant’s head, this was not how Parvati originally created him. Ganesha is the only Indian god with an elephant’s head and the story behind this is an interesting one. Or should I say “three” as there are three legends as to how Ganesha’s head was replaced by that of an elephant’s. Sometimes he is depicted as having up to five elephant heads, but this is usually not the case. Ganesha rides a rat and he also has one trunk and four arms holding a shell, a mace, a discuss and a water-lily. But back to how he got his head… Both of these legends basically start out the same. Parvati, Ganesha’s mother, appointed him to be the guardian of the gate to her abode, most notably when she was taking a bath. Like a good son, Ganesha took his job very seriously and when Parvati said she wanted to see no one, he turned everyone away, including his father Shiva. As you can imagine, Shiva didn’t want to be told “no” by his son, but Ganesha flatly refused. Now, here is where the story starts to waver. Shiva either lost his temper and accidentally decapitated him, or, he lost his temper and he ordered the decapitation himself. Regardless as to which version of the story you hear, Parvati was furious by what Shiva did to her son/servant. In one story, Parvati told Shiva that she wanted nothing to do with him until the situation was rectified, and in the other version, she took actions into her own hands. In the fist version, Shiva relented to his wife and he said that Ganesha could have the head of the first animal to pass by, which happened to be an elephant. In the second version, Parvati was the one to secured the head form the first passing creature. Either way, Ganesha ended up with an elephant’s head. In the third account, after creating him, Parvati took Ganesha to the other gods to show him off. Sani (Saturn), didn’t seem to be impressed and burned his head to ashes and it was the compassionate Vishnu that saved him by providing the elephant’s head. Maybe this is how Ganesha came to be known as the god to call upon when needing to overcome obstacles. Beloved by the Hindu people, Ganesha is the benign deity to invoke to overcome your difficulties, before going on a journey, moving into new house or starting a new business. You can see how he can be a great ally when starting new beginnings, especially at the New-Year. But don’t feel as though you can only call upon him at this time as Ganesha is also the god of wisdom, art, guarding households and fertility (he may have originated as the local forest deity which is a “yaksa”). Representing both force and cunning; Ganesha rules over good luck, successful enterprises, worldly success and prosperity, writing, literature and books, beginnings and journeys, peace, building and taming dangerous forces. In India, there are little statues of Ganesha everywhere as he remains one of the most popular Hindu deities. You can see how popular he is due to his frequent appearances in other deity’s temples. Sometimes his sculptures are painted red but his offerings are always flowers and dishes of rice. When worshipped during his August festival, it is said that your wishes will come true. You to can tap into his wisdom and compassion to set your New Year’s intentions off to the right start. To get started, you can set up your altar with Sandalwood incense, a bouquet of fresh flowers, a red candle, a bowl of rice and a statue or picture of Ganesha (you can substitute a picture of an elephant if you are lacking a picture of Ganesha). You will also need a pen and a piece of paper to make out your “wish list” for the coming year. You can choose to either create Sacred Space or cast a Magick Circle in the manner or your tradition, whichever works better for you. Place the statute/picture of Ganesha upon your altar and say: “Ganesha, both man and elephant, God of scribes and merchants; Tonight I call upon your prudence So I start my year with success.” Now place the offerings of rice flowers before the picture/statue and say: “Tonight I make a list of goals, And I ask you to remove all obstacles; Please grant me financial fertility, So I know prosperity.” Light the incense and the red candle and say: “Lord of Obstacles, share your wisdom So I can make wise decisions. As my prayers rise, please light my way As I step onto this journey.” Now for the work on your part. Get out the pen and paper and if you haven’t already prepared a list, brainstorm now as to what you want to bring into your life this coming year. Also make sure to list what things are obstacles to reaching your goals, especially the things that you will do to sabotage your own success. Ask yourself what needs to be guarded, where you need to apply force, which situations require cunning, where you can start new beginnings and what areas of your life need more peace. Make a plan as to how to “stay on track” throughout the year to ensure your prosperity and happiness. To close your spell, in your own words ask Ganesha to stay with you on your journey and then thank him for his help. If possible, let the candle burn out and then bury the leaving on your property. Dispose of the rice in the morning (after the essence has been removed). Replace the flowers when needed and whenever you feel the need, light another stuck of incense and ask Ganesha for an extra “boost” of wisdom when things get “sticky”. SOURCES:

• Encyclopedia of the Gods by Michael Jordan

• Moon Magick: Myth & Magic, Crafts & Recipes, Rituals & Spells by D.J. Conway