For months now, I have been fascinated by the goddess Kali. She has has been showing up in unexpected places. She definitely challenges me. As a Libra, it is my inherent nature to suppress Kali's energy, to avoid conflict and confrontation. The more I learn about her, the more I understand why she is appearing to me and the more I desire to surrender to her.
It can be challenging to understand Kali and at times, even difficult to look at her. Her fierce appearance sometimes blinds us from seeing her beauty. She is very dark blue, nearly black in color which symbolizes space and eternal time - death. She wears a necklace of skulls which symbolizes our assumptions (which are bound to death). One hand holds a sword, another a severed head. The sword is used to chop off the ego and the severed head is a reminder that we are so much more than our body (she is really a very loving goddess). She is usually depicted dancing wildly on or sitting upon her companion, Shiva. Kali is the life-giver and provider of energy for Shiva to also create and destroy in his own way. With her wild hair and tongue hanging out, she is so beautiful.
Kali is translated as the feminine word for beauty and time - the leading forces which control the universe. Time, like beauty, is the force which drives things to change, to grow, to develop. Kali is the goddess who symbolizes our personal evolution. Kali gives us the experience of being purely present - not pursuing or possessing or clinging to attachments. She liberates that which binds us from exposing our natural beauty.
Dr. David Frawley describes Kali as the feminine aspect of beauty and time like this, "
Time is the great womb and hence has a beautiful feminine quality. Time is the working out of cosmic intelligence. It is the very breath of the cosmic spirit. Time is not a mere mathematical concept but the very stuff of our experience, the rhythm and beauty of our lives. What are we apart from time? Time is our mother and origin, as well as our final abode. Time is the allure of the mother that eats her own children, which is one of the terrible aspects of Kali. Yet in devouring her own children she is also returning them to her wholeness, grace, and delight".
Because Kali is associated with the life force, she destroys and creates simultaneously - with every breath, every sensation, and every thought. She drinks our blood (that's why you'll see her depicted with blood dripping from her lips or with fangs). In this blood feast, she provides an ending (death) to that which no longer has substance in our lives and in doing so, that which
is essential appears. Frawley says,
"Kali is the life that exists in death and the death which exists in life".
To me, Kali is a symbol for living passionately! When the inner Kali awakens, we work to dissolve our limitations and anything that is restraining our spirit. Kali's energy awakens the call within that is screaming to say, "WHEN!!" Kali will catalyze a radical change if we are brave enough to set her free. She teaches us to know how, and to know when, and to know where to give voice to the fear of speaking out on creating the life that we desire.
Need more encouragement (or am I the only one)??? Here are VERY wise words from the Hopi Elders. To me, this another description of the energy that is Kali. I was introduced to this piece by the truly inspirational Gurmukh, at a large teacher training in July:
You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour. Now you must go back and tell the people that this is The Hour. Here are the things that must be considered:
- Where are you living?
- What are you doing?
- What are your relationships?
- Are you in right relation?
- Where is your water?
- Know our garden.
- It is time to speak your Truth.
- Create your community.
- Be good to each other.
- And do not look outside yourself for the leader.
- This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel like they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off toward the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.
See who is there with you and celebrate.
At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally, least of all ourselves! For the moment we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lonely wolf is over. Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
The Elders, Oraibi, Arizona Hopi Nation
Om krim! Kali Ma!
