When someone speaks about a goddess, the typical image that comes to mind is one of a serene, beautiful, and calm woman. This is not what you should expect when it comes to the goddess Kali.
The goddess Kali is almost terrifying to look at. She has a long curling tongue, fangs dripping with blood, a necklace of skulls, wild matted hair, multiple arms, and perhaps most scary of all, a skirt made of severed arms. Kali is not soft and gentle, instead she is wild and powerful.
Even though she is wild and looks terrifying, the goddess Kali only has your best interests at heart. As women, we are often expected to be small, quiet, and nice. The patriarchy tries to take away our primal power and innate wildness but the goddess Kali helps us to say NO! and demand more for ourselves.
Are you looking to break out of the mold society has made for you and embrace your inner wildness? Then read on because I am going to explain just how the goddess Kali can help you access your primal power.
The Hindu goddess Kali
Kali is the Hindu goddess of time, darkness, death, and destruction. But, she is also the goddess of creation.
In one of her earliest appearances, Kali is the ultimate force against demons in a battle of gods. The demon Raktabija was wreaking havoc on the world and the other gods and goddesses were powerless to stop him. Every time they cut him down, the drops of blood that hit the ground just formed new demons.
Durga, goddess of strength and justice who brings calm and order to chaos and conflict, became frustrated. Through her frustration, she manifested Kali to help deal with the situation.
Kali manages to turn the battle around by devouring Raktabija’s blood before it hits the ground. This means that no more demons can arise. Kali and the rest of the gods and goddesses then defeat the remaining demons and become victorious in the battle.
Since the late 20th century, the goddess Kali has been seen as a symbol of feminine empowerment by many Western feminist scholars and writers.
Also, New Age movements and Tantric practitioners have found inspiration in her liberating sexual nature.
Kali: The great mother
Although associated with destruction, the goddess Kali is also known as the divine mother. She is often referred to as Kali Maa. This means the dark mother.
Before the creation of the universe, when there was no sun, moons, or planets, there was only darkness. From that darkness, everything was created.
Kali Maa is a symbol of Mother Nature – creative and nurturing but also devouring when needed.
Ultimately, she is loving and benevolent. All she does, she does for the greater good. Think of Mother Nature, there is peace and beauty, like a gentle breeze or a beautiful sunset. But there is also a wildness that cannot be contained, like earthquakes and thunderstorms. Her destruction allows for rebirth.
Kali Maa represents nature at its rawest and most untamed.
She is a mother who will do terrible things to protect those that cannot protect themselves. She does not harm for the sake of harming but rather so that those weaker than their opponents may prosper.
Although the goddess Kali Maa can be depicted as terrifying and cruel, she is really very compassionate. She is committed to freeing humans and her fellow gods and goddesses from what binds them and protecting them from harm.
The qualities of the goddess Kali
The goddess Kali embodies the boundless freedom to simply be without seeking permission. Something that women have been trained not to do in our patriarchal society.
She is the embodiment of Shakti – female power and energy. To learn more about Shakti, you can read my blog post here.
Kali can not be tied to one type of quality. She has many contrasting traits. She is destruction, chaos, unbridled sexuality, and violence. But she is also creation and motherly love. All of which are equally worthy expressions of the female character. Society has taught us to value some of these traits over other ones.
Ultimately, the goddess Kali is unapologetic.
As women, we often feel pressure to be perfect and we have been trained to apologize for pieces of ourselves that do not fit the patriarchal mold. We should aim to embody Kali. She is simply herself and does not apologize for other people not liking that. If people don’t like her, that is their problem, not hers.
How Kali can help you face challenges
Just as Kali drinks the blood of demons on the battlefield, thereby vanquishing them, so can the goddess Kali drink the demons in your life.
We all have demons in our life, whether that be shame, doubt, unworthiness, or anything else we find ourselves suffering from. There is nothing too big, too terrible, or too shameful for her to bear.
If you feel you cannot handle something in your life, offer it to Kali and she will take it away for you.
If there is any part of you that you feel is unlovable, offer it to her and she will soothe you. Kali will drink away your pain. She wants nothing but for you to discover your wisdom and power and to do that you have to dig deep within yourself and unearth things that may not be easy to find.
You may have to offer her things you thought were essential to your being but in reality are holding you back. This may be a hard process but like a mother comforts and holds her child, Kali will comfort you and hold you throughout the whole process.
Kali works through tough love and truth. The process may not be easy but it will be worth it. If you have challenges to face, picture the goddess Kali there with you, she will help you overcome them. She is not afraid. Are you?
Embracing the spirit of the goddess Kali
Embracing the spirit of Kali will help you to access your primal power and innate wildness. You will also be able to reclaim your truth.
Om Namo Kali chant
One way to embrace the spirit of Kali is by using one of my favorite chants: Om Namo Kali. I absolutely love it and often use it in my women’s circles. You can find the song here. These words have a powerful vibrational energy and charge and every time I listen to it, I get goosebumps all over my body and can feel the presence of Kali.
You can learn more about chanting in my The Magic of Mantras blog post.
Journaling
You can also journal with the goddess Kali. Ask her questions and journal whatever comes to mind. It is likely that some powerful answers will arise.
Some questions you can ask Kali are:
- How do you express yourself in my life?
- How are you suppressed in my life?
- What are you trying to teach me?
- What do I need to destroy in my life?
- How can I take my power back?
- How can I be more truthful with myself?
Embrace your wild side
You can embrace your wild and primal side when you are feeling restricted in your life. Simply let out some powerful roars from your belly. Feel your power. This might feel silly at first but sit with that discomfort and see what emerges. This is an easy way to reclaim your power.
Choosing to embrace the spirit of Kali is choosing to embrace freedom and truth.
Another great way to connect with your wild side is by working with female archetypes. If you would like to dive deeper into the topic, check out this blog post: The Wild Woman Archetype.
Reclaim your power
If you choose to embrace the spirit of Kali, it may not always be easy. Kali wants you to discover the hard truths and grow from them into your full power. When it feels overwhelming, remember that although Kali expects hard things from us, she is a loving force and is constantly there to guide you toward your most truthful self.
For so many of us women, our inner voice and primal power has been restricted again and again by our modern world and the patriarchal society we live in. But embracing Kali will help you to break free of those binds, speak your truth, and claim your power.
Do you wanna learn more about goddesses, the divine feminine and female archetypes? Then check out my other blog posts and dive deeper into the mythology of goddesses: The Greek goddess Artemis and The wild woman archetype.
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