Kali-Ma – the Terrible Mother

After a rather impromptu rite to Kali-Ma undertaken this week, I thought I would share part of an article that I had written about Kali-Ma for "Insight" magazine (either in 2009 or early 2010).

The Hindu religion has a myriad of Gods and Goddesses that are openly revered and worshipped, and within this religion, the Goddesses fall into not only the nurturing side of the Divine Feminine (as we are used to in the West), but also into the destroyer aspect.  The most revered Goddess is Kali.  She is usually pictured wearing a necklace of skulls and girdle of human hands, dancing on the body of her consort, Shiva. 

With her dishevelled hair and protruding tongue, Kali does not portray the demure image of the Divine Feminine that we in the West are comfortable with, such as the Virgin Mary found within Christianity. 

In Hindu mythology Kali emerged from the brow of the Goddess Durga when, during a battle, the demon Raktabija threatened to destroy all life.  It was believed that if one drop of Raktabija’s blood was split, from it millions of demons would spring to life.  Kali therefore sucked all the blood from the demon, and as a consequence, she developed a blood lust and started to dance.  As her dance grew more frenzied, it was realised that Kali would soon destroy all that had been created in the world.  The only way to stop her was for Shiva to sacrifice of his own life.  When Kali realised that she was dancing on the body of her consort, she stopped, and all harmony was restored.

Durga and Kali-Ma

Kali is usually depicted as having four arms.  In her left hand she is usually holding a sword (representing divine knowledge) and severed head of a slain demon (signifying the human ego that must be slain by divine knowledge).  Her other two hands are said to be blessing her worshippers.  Kali can however also be depicted having two arms or even ten.

Altar to Kali-Ma
(November 2010)

Her necklace made up of 51 or 52 skulls, representing the letters of the ancient Sanskrit alphabet.  This indicates that Kali is a repository of all knowledge and wisdom.  The skulls also are said to represent the fundamental vibrations that make up the Universe.  This indicates that the terrifying Kali is the creator of all that is around her.  The girdle made up of human hands that she wears represents work and liberation from the cycle of karma, whereas her three eyes indicate the past, present and the future.

Kali is the powerful Goddess of creation, preservation and radical transformation.  She is raw female instinct, always changing, yet always changeless.  She teaches that pain, sorrow, decay, destruction and death is not overcome by denial or explaining them away. Pain and sorrow are woven into our lives and to deny them is futile.  For us to realise to fullness of our being, we must accept this dimension of existence.