In the Vedic tradition, a homam consists of mantra repetition while offerings of grain, ghee, dried herbs, and other items are made into the sacred fire, so that Agni, the vedic god of fire, can consume them and convey them to intended deity, in this case Subramanyam and Angaraka (Mars).
The Rig Veda begins with the words "agnim elai purohitam" which expresses appreciation for the role that both the fire (agni) and the priest (purohitam) play in linking us with the divine. That is of course, a reference to the fire yagya and the priest's skill with the various mantras.
This yagya was performed at a time when Saturn and Mars combined along with Rahu/Ketu. The priests made a beautiful image of a snake out of colored rice flour. This is so that Rahu/Ketu, which are two parts of a mythological snake will be honored and will spare us the negative side of their influence.
Here is the diagram on one day...
And the next...
Of course, as is true of all yagyas and pujas, the kalasha pots are decorated with beautiful fresh flowers for the pujas and mantra japa.
It was a very good four days of yagyas that combined both the abishekam and homam temple functions with our own private yagyas.
These yagyas are very protective and calming at a time when two very powerful planets are together. Already we have seen a couple of sizable earthquakes, a pretty good sized volcano, and widely reported increased violence and unrest both domestic and international. But in the personal lives of the participants there have also been many reports of peacefulness, smooth transitions, protection, and a more optimistic outlook on life.
The intention of a yagya is to link the divine with the material. By tradition, the yagya honor and "feed" the divine and they return the favor by removing obstacles to our material and spiritual success. It has been a good month!
