Lakshmi

Lakshmi goddess

I’ve never been drawn to Lakshmi as I am to Durga and Kali. Lakshmi is more widely known as the goddess of abundance, fertility and the ‘ideal wife’. Unlike Durga and Kali who are fierce warriors who step in when the going gets tough, pretty much kicking butt wherever they go, Lakshmi is a bit too demure…or so I thought. I came across this and my thoughts of this archetype have shifted. It’s always nice to have a shift of perspective…I thought I’d share. 🙂

 

“Lakshmi is the goddess energy who preserves life. In Tantric nature cosmology, she is the nourishing, cooling power of soma, or moon-nectar, that balances the fiery, lightning-like Shakti of Kali and the blazing solar energy of Durga. Soma was the drink of the gods, and supposedly it contained the power to give immortality. It was one of the substances churned up from the Milky Ocean, along with Lakshmi herself. According to Ayurveda, the traditional medical science of India, soma appears in the body as ojas, a vital essence found in bone marrow. Ojas conveys vitality. Sexuality and meditation both draw their power from ojas. It’s connected with rejuvenation (interestingly, the bone marrow is where stem cells are found); it’s also the subtle substance that can cool the body when kundalini Shakti is manifesting in a fiery, Kali-like fashion. Lakshmi’s Shakti is life sustaining both in the physical and subtle realms. She is, subtly speaking, the water of life and the subtle nectar that moistens the heart.

Lakshmi is an ancient goddess. The Vedic singers praised her under her most ancient name, Shri, and sang the ‘Hymn of Shri’ (Shri Sukta) to bring forth whatever is glorious and beautiful in the natural world. Besides being a name of Lakshmi, shri is an abstract noun that signifies all the qualities associated with auspiciousness: good fortune, lovingkindness, material prosperity, physical health, beauty, purity of motive, well-being, authority, energy, vitality, and every kind of radiance.”

—Sally Kempton, Awakening Shakti

 

 

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clararobertsoss

Kali Morning Thought

Kali morning thought

The stories of Hindu Gods and Goddesses are so fascinating that you would be surprised by every deity and every event in the scriptures. The goddess Kali is one of the strongest Hindu goddesses. Being the destroyer of evil, Kali is worshipped by different tantric sets. Kali bestows liberation to the world and she is the one who is the protector of the world. The goddess Kali is worshipped by all Hindus and the idol shows that she is standing on Lord Shiva who is prostrating beneath her. There are many legends about Kali and all of them are of valour and protection.

One legend states that Kali killed an entire group of thieves on her own. These thieves found a Brahmin monk and wanted to sacrifice her to Kali. However, the monk had so much radiance on his face that it burned Kali’s image. Kali then took human form and killed all the thieves and drank their blood.

Kali’s Forms

Kali has two most portrayed forms. One of them is the four-armed form which is most popular. The Mahakali form of Kali is the one with ten arms. In some art, she is blue while in others, she is black in color. In all images, her eyes are red and filled with rage. Sometimes, she is shown naked while at other times, she is shown wearing a skirt that is made up of human arms.

The garland that she is wearing is made of human heads. She stands on a calm Shiva and there are serpents around her. In her ten-armed for, she has ten feet, ten faces and three eyes on each head. She is wearing ornaments on all her limbs. According to Kalika Purana, Kali has a dark complexion and is riding a lion. She holds a sword and is extremely beautiful.

Kali as God

Even though her physical appearance might seem a bit terrible, Kali is very kind at heart. She is one of the most loving of all the goddesses. Her devotees call her ‘Ma’ or the other of everything in the whole universe. Since she is so fearless, she also seems as the protector of the universe.

Kali

 

Endings and Beginning

 

“I sing praises to those whose hearts accept the universal order, which only appears to be chaotic and ever-changing. In actuality, everything is designed down to the smallest detail, to be in perfect operation. The dance of the universe is a happy one, with energy swirling and twirling in a never-ending celebration of life itself. Join this dance, dear one, and enjoy the remarkable journey of the weavings of the story of your life. Do not fear what appears to be change or loss. It’s only the transitioning orbit of energy interplaying with you and your loved ones. Embrace it as evidence that you’re alive! Embrace your deepest emotions as a signal of your true human essence!”

 

Sooooo nice to be back in front of my altar. Picked this gem this morning from #goddessguidance. Thought I’d share.

#lilavinyasa #kalisisters