By Jen Watts
In times of profound transformation, I find myself drawn to the Hindu goddess Kali – the Divine Mother in her fierce aspect, the destroyer of illusions, the one who dances in cremation grounds and wears a garland of skulls.
Kali terrifies many who first encounter her. She represents everything our comfortable lives try to avoid – death, destruction, chaos, the stripping away of all that is false. But to those who understand her, Kali is the ultimate liberator. She destroys what must die so that truth can be revealed and new life can emerge.
Kali doesn't ask permission before dismantling what no longer serves. She doesn't wait for us to be ready. She comes when transformation is necessary, wielding her sword of truth, cutting away illusions whether we want to release them or not.
But here's what many miss about Kali: her destruction is always in service of creation. She is both the death and the birth, the ending and the beginning. She destroys the false self so the true self can emerge. She burns away what is toxic so what is sacred can flourish.
Qualities of Kali to call upon in your transformation:
Kali Ma, Dark Mother, Destroyer of Illusions,
I call upon your fierce grace in this time of transformation.
Grant me courage to release what must be released,
Strength to stand in the liminal darkness without fear,
And trust in the sacred cycle of death and rebirth.
Cut away all that is false within me.
Destroy the illusions that keep me small.
Clear the path for my truest self to emerge.
I surrender to your wild wisdom.
I trust your terrible love.
Guide me through the fire and out the other side,
Transformed, renewed, and free.
With love,
Jen
In times of profound transformation, I find myself drawn to the Hindu goddess Kali – the Divine Mother in her fierce aspect, the destroyer of illusions, the one who dances in cremation grounds and wears a garland of skulls.
Kali terrifies many who first encounter her. She represents everything our comfortable lives try to avoid – death, destruction, chaos, the stripping away of all that is false. But to those who understand her, Kali is the ultimate liberator. She destroys what must die so that truth can be revealed and new life can emerge.
Kali doesn't ask permission before dismantling what no longer serves. She doesn't wait for us to be ready. She comes when transformation is necessary, wielding her sword of truth, cutting away illusions whether we want to release them or not.
But here's what many miss about Kali: her destruction is always in service of creation. She is both the death and the birth, the ending and the beginning. She destroys the false self so the true self can emerge. She burns away what is toxic so what is sacred can flourish.
Qualities of Kali to call upon in your transformation:
- Fierce courage to face what must be faced, to see what must be seen, to acknowledge truth even when it's uncomfortable
- Ruthless compassion that knows sometimes the most loving thing is to let something die rather than prolonging its suffering
- Wild freedom from social conditioning, others' expectations, and the need for approval or comfort
- Protective ferocity toward your authentic self and your sacred becoming
- Trust in destruction as part of the creative cycle, knowing that death always serves rebirth
Kali Ma, Dark Mother, Destroyer of Illusions,
I call upon your fierce grace in this time of transformation.
Grant me courage to release what must be released,
Strength to stand in the liminal darkness without fear,
And trust in the sacred cycle of death and rebirth.
Cut away all that is false within me.
Destroy the illusions that keep me small.
Clear the path for my truest self to emerge.
I surrender to your wild wisdom.
I trust your terrible love.
Guide me through the fire and out the other side,
Transformed, renewed, and free.
With love,
Jen
RSS Feed