Natarajxt

Sanatana Dharma, the proper name of the religion practiced by Hindu people, acknowledges that there is only One Deity. That Deity is so powerful and diverse that many different forms are perceived by mankind, and each of these "gods" and "goddesses" are merely aspects of that One Deity.

The concept of "gender" with regards to a Deity is, perhaps, folly and very likely a purely human construct. However, those of us who choose to recognize that One Deity as essentially more Feminine than Masculine call Her by the name "Shakti," and refer to ourselves as "Shaktas." As the Womb from which All Creation sprang, Shakti can represent All Women.

"Shakti" is also a term used to describe the feminine energy that empowers a masculine God to be able to act, to do anything at all. In Hindu thought, every God must have a Goddess, his muse, his energy, which inspires and moves him to act.

Another aspect of the One Deity is that of Shiva, commonly called "The Destroyer," a decidedly masculine personification of the One God. His consort was Parvati, a decidedly feminine personification of the One God, representing the power of Lord Shiva. It is said, by some, that Shiva represents all God-forms, just as Parvati/Shakti represents all Goddess-forms.

Among the many "roles" of Lord Shiva is to preside over the process of Death and subsequent Rebirth — the Death and Rebirth of all humans, all animals, all plants, and even this World, itself. When Lord Shiva is in his role of orchestrating Death and Rebirth, he is called Nataraj, and is usually depicted as having two legs and four arms, dancing within a circle that represents the Universe.

Don was my Shiva, and I was his Shakti. He danced Death into being, achieving Rebirth in another realm where I shall be, one day. Thus, I felt "Nataraj" as an appropriate name for this blog that will be a collection of old photos and sentiments from northeastern Tennessee — from Kingsport to Flag Pond, from Knoxville to Bristol. I will include photos made in/around the house in Kingsport, photos from Johnson City, Clear Branch, Flag Pond, Baileyton, Knoxville, and perhaps other Tennesee locations as well.

This is not to be construed as my "living in the past." It is a Remembering, however bittersweet. It is also an attempt to collect all my "Tennessee" photos into one place, and to share them with those who might appreciate them.

There is also a jazz-fusion troupe named Nataraj-XT, which Don and I both enjoyed. Since the simpler "nataraj.blogspot.com" was already taken, "natarajxt.blogspot.com came to mind as the name of this blog. I might even include some of their music here, as well as music from other artists that Don and I both enjoyed.

So...

Come, hold my hand as we
stroll down Memory Lane,
lined with Jazz Clubs and Blues Bars,
where the coffee is always fresh
and the starlight trickles down
in golden drops.

Yes, in golden drops.


©2011 Tiffany Reed