I dropped a new pod today—a conversation with a beautiful group of women who call themselves the Goddess Wisdom Council (GWC).
You may have heard people tell you to “embrace your inner goddess” before.
Hell, I’ve probably said that dozens of times.
This pod actually explores what that looks like IRL.
GWC gives examples of working with, or “braiding,” the energy of a goddess with your own.
One of the goddesses mentioned is Kali, a Hindu goddess who represents both the forces of creation and destruction. Associated with fertility, time, and death, she is known for embodying shakti, or feminine energy.
In essence, Kali is about divine feminine power.
I was researching her to share more information in this email for you, and it’s incredible how drawn in I felt.
Kali is Mama Bear energy.
She is the goddess of the kind of power we need to bring new life into this world.
Traditional statues feature her wearing a necklace of severed heads and a skirt of severed limbs.
She’s not the pink feminine we are accustomed to, nor the peaceful flow we associate with the feminine.
Indeed, she is the warrior of birth. The one who risks death in order to bring in new life.
It made me think of my own labor stories.
36 hours for the first.
17 for the second.
Kali is there with us in that portal. She is the “midwife into the unknown.” (Bhakti White)
And I believe she holds a significant role for us now, as we embody the midlife phase.
For make no mistake, it takes a warrior to thrive through perimenopause.
Kali guides us through the darkness to the other side.
She is, indeed, an integral part of the Wild Woman.
In today’s pod, Cora (or Coco, as friends know her), talks about calling on Kali to help her set boundaries.
Kali takes no shit. She is the fierce fire within us.
Kali represents facing your fears, shedding the egoic demands of the everyday in honor of our true selves. She encourages us to let go of rigid ideas about who we are and who others are, trading them for liberation by expanding our minds and emotions.
So, some things you can do to work with Kali, to “braid” her into your own identity, as GWC calls it:
Find an image of Kali that draws you in. You may feel all sorts of feels when looking at her, but don’t let the ick factor dissuade you. Feel which image calls to you and print it out. Set it somewhere you can see her often (perhaps your altar, if you have one), and when she catches your eye, feel into the emotions you experience when looking at her image.
Sit with Kali in meditation. Imagine her before you. Hear what wisdom she has to share about how you might navigate the darkness of your current struggles. Ask for her love, guidance, and strength to guide you.
When you are in a situation that requires strength, simply invoke her name. Whether it be aloud or in your head, call on her for help. Maybe you are learning to set boundaries yourself. Maybe you’re hearing a call for Mama Bear to make an appearance in your children’s lives. Kali has your back if you call on her.
I hope the pod and this blog post help you to begin experimenting with goddess archetypes. It’s just one more way to find the support you need as you embrace your own inner wild woman.
And for my Line 1's: two articles I found most helpful in researching Kali:
Comments