Durga The Invincible

Durga (Sanskrit) दुर्गा

Where the Wild Things Are by Brooke Morgan 

Embody the Goddess Durga 

when you need to summon a fierce protector, 

or the power of a serene, beautiful presence. 

Do not fear Her darkness, nor Her dreadfulness. Embrace Her. 

Allow Her to intervene and bring new energy and awareness. 

Trust that She offers gifts that will sustain you.

Durga 

(speaks)

Beloved daughter, sister, mother, mine ―

 

Within you is the power I possess. 

Within you are energies 

which may frighten you, 

they are so strong. 

Do not push them down or silence their expression. 

You must give them voice.

This is my gift to you; A resource: 

When you feel overwhelmed with powerful emotion, 

return to Me, 

to the still darkness 

within you 

and I will reveal places that still hurt 

and have not 

yet healed. 

Listen. 

Be brave, my darling and compassionate 

with yourself 

- body and spirit. 

Know that I am here to guide you. 

Channel your emotions to purge yourself of negativity 

and 

use their positive power for good in your life. 

Manifest your true desires.

Maa Durga by Soumen Saha

The Goddess Durga embodies the divine feminine creative force, known as Shakti. Allow Her to flow through you and assist you in giving birth to and manifesting you dreams. Call on Her when you are in distress. She redeems.

My prayer:

Durga,

Divine Goddess

Hear our prayers when we are troubled.

Hear our prayers when we are stressed.

Hear our prayers when we are afraid.

Redeem us.

Durga Power Yantra

Infinite blessings.

The Goddess Hidden and Revealed

“In the beginning there was only Darkness.” 

― Karen Azinger, The Steel Queen

(What does this quote mean for you?)

by Michal Mozolewski

The first time I read it, I instantly thought: WOW! (a 'light bulb' moment).

You may be wondering why I was amazed at such a simple statement. I will tell you. In that moment, I realized the deeper wisdom contained in the words. Though the words themselves were not new to me, suddenly, as if reading them for the first time, they revealed a truth that has been hidden for such a terribly long time in history. 

As with all 'realizations', new awareness comes like a brilliant flash of light - like so many little star bits of collected wisdom suddenly bursting, creating a truth so bright, one wonders how it was not seen before....

Darling, my realization was actually a validation of what I have long known to be true concerning the Goddess - the Divine Feminine. All my life I have felt Her presence. Yet, as a girl, I was told that She was not, but rather, He was... and thus began my journey of self doubt, and a secret longing and need to find and know the truth of Her.

Well over twenty years ago, I did extensive research and discovered that SHE was before language, SHE was before religion, and especially, SHE was before all the dominance and supremacy that mankind claimed to have over Her. Though I knew of the many lies that had been told and written regarding Her, and though I pulled away many of the veils that were used to cover Her face and even, Her very existence, still, I found myself making it more complicated than it actually is.

I was still, somehow, allowing myself to become entangled in the Patriarchy thought process of how it all began...  (It is ingrained so deeply on cellular levels that it requires constant attention to not be deceived further.) Meaning, that though I know the truth of Her, I still find myself defending Her existence. I still find myself attempting to justify my adoration of Her wisdom, Her beauty, Her mystery, and especially Her being-ness. 

Yet, all along, there it was, in 'His' own words, Her truth!

"In the beginning there was only darkness." ― 

Darkness being YIN - the feminine essence of nothingness and everything ― Darkness being the creative potential held in sacred womb space; where all is nurtured, fed, protected and allowed to form and grow until the ripe moment of birth. 

In the beginning there was only the Great Goddess, the Void. The 'Darkness' was and is the Great Goddess, the Mother of us all.... She was before all else! She created light. She created the divine masculine. From Her the Earth and Water, the Moon and Stars and Heavens were created.

unfound

In the Beginning: 

How the Goddess Nammu created the world and then was forgotten.

The first written tales of creation were recorded by the Sumerians and who did they say created the worlds? A goddess. Nammu, the mother of all things, Goddess of the Primordial Sea, created the heavens and earth from her own body long before Yahweh had ever been heard of. Eventually, when the priests of Judah rewrote teh tale, the Goddess would disappear altogether from the narrative. Well, almost disappear. She is traceable still by linguistics, for when God hovers over "the deep" in the opening scene of Genesis (Chapter 1, Verse 2), the word translated here is tehom, meaning the deeps, the abyss, and linguistically the Semitic form of Tiamat, the name of the Babylonian Goddess. In time, Nammu would be forgotten, but now, thanks to archaeologists, we can remember the Goddess who came before Heaven and Earth, before the sky gods ascended the throne of history, before even the Bible, before even the priest put pen to scroll to write the words. 

— "in the Beginning..." Carisa, Queen of Heaven

unfound

According to the Hesiod's Theogony (around 700 BC), in the beginning there was Chaos as a primeval state of existence. Chaos was the primal emptiness - a dark, silent, formless and infinite oddity with no trace of life. Out of Chaos, Mother Earth, Gaea first came to existence. Full of life and power, Gaea created....

So, for me, this quote "In the beginning there was only darkness." ― means everything, because it silently speaks of that which births everything!

The Great Mystery — SHE. The She I knew then, and remember now from my early childhood, is SHE. She is the one others couldn't see in the darkness... but I could.

Somehow, this feels like an ancient blessing bestowed upon me. Perhaps, upon us all, if we are only willing to surrender to the dark unknown, trusting that there is divine presence of unfathomable depth with us, within everything, and within the entire cosmos, and it is holy and She.

In the beginning there was nothing but soft darkness.

And, she held me. She knew me. She gave birth to my light.

....words spoken by my Lakota grandmother, Hazel.

Dreams of Death and Wholeness

Soul Collage card by Glenda Cedarleaf
"It was inspired by a dream I had several years ago (during an especially difficult time in my life)
in which my crone came to bring me back to life."

What message does this image speak to you?

To me it speaks in the voice of the crone... it hints at death and the unknown... 
Though it could illicit fear, I feel the beauty... 
the poetic blossoming of wisdom deeper than words and explanation. Can you?

The word crone means 'crown', and contrary to modern, negative connotations (such as hag, old, ugly, etc.) it symbolizes a wise woman. A crone is wise in the ways of 'ebb and flow': the cycles of life, death and rebirth.

Yes, mystery enshrouds these cycles and they are imbued with aspects of magick, but the crone, or wise woman steps behind the veils of mystery and enters into the realm of magick where she becomes empowered in ways she never before imagined... True, she had to let go of some precious people, places and things before she could embark upon her destined journey, but she does so, even if not so willingly or lacking great courage...

Perhaps, we all, to some extent, fear death... 

Yet, when we embrace the hidden, we pass through the veil of fear and discover meaningful truths, blessings, grace, and treasured gifts waiting for us in the realm of the unknown.

The Dark Mother, the Wise Crone is the Goddess in her hidden fullness. She is adorned in the mysterious shades of new moon energies, blood, roots and bones, but She is also the keeper of the sacred keys which with unspoken voice, promises to open doors to light, growth and rebirth, if we will but follow Her within.

For eons the Goddess was worshiped for both Her life-giving and death imposing forces, as the ancients knew these aspects of Her being could not exist one without the other. Yet, somehow, through the ages, we have divided Her and split Her in two - life or death, good or bad, and it is this illusion of separation, of duality which allows fear to enter our consciousness. Like birth, there is no reason, in and of itself, to fear death. Both are a holy rite of passage, both are part of the whole.

In order to empower ourselves as women, we must experience the mysterious power of our divine feminine wholeness. Next month, on the spring equinox, She Who Is and I will be offering an online new moon ritual embracing the dark aspects of the feminine for wholeness. 

Watch our facebook pages - The Gypsy Priestess and She Who Is, as well as our website in early March for details.

Illness, Dragons, Death, Gifts and Blessings

When Lisbeth (She Who Is) arrived on New Years Eve, I knew she had just 
three days before come down with an exhausting bout of upper respiratory flu. 
That did not hinder me, I was not going to get sick, and daily, did all in my 
power to further strengthen my already strong immune system.

Yet, last Tuesday evening, while we were out picking up the amazing low 
round table I had just purchased the day before, (and still awaits me in the 
back of my Jeep), my throat began to feel scratchy. So, when we returned 
home, I took special care of my body by taking a healing bath and going to 
bed early.

My dreams were strange and circular. They spiraled and I felt off center, not 
knowing if I was awake or asleep. When I awoke I was so cold, so heavy, so 
befallen with illness that I could scarcely move. I slept almost every moment 
of those 24 hours. I simply couldn't 'wake up'... 

The following day was the same blur. I lay beneath so many layers of blankets, 
wrapped up in my thickest, warmest robe, slippers, and yet, I could not get 
warm. I have vague memories of our beloved Lisbeth attending to me: her 
strong, but gentle voice speaking words of comfort, rest — bringing healing
tea, water, Emergen-C and toast, yet I never recall taking more than a sip 
before the dark mistress of sleep stole me away again. 

Guardian Birds by Jackie Morris

Friday I awoke able to sip more and eat a bite or two of oatmeal, but my 
energy level was so low, and every simple act was such an effort that I did 
very little but listen to meaningless lines from an old movie and gaze out
the window.... Winter hues, naked branches and big empty skies mirroring 
me on so many levels. My hair was a wild, tangled web. When I got up to 
bathe, I seriously frightened myself when I saw my face in the mirror! I 
looked so gray, dull and far from even the poorest vibrant hope I had ever 
been! I stared at myself in disbelief. I napped often during the day, but still 
went to bed at 8pm. At 11pm the phone ring... it was my long time soul 
sister Sandra, but I was too sleepy to even imagine slipping from the 
warmth I found encircling me... closing my eyes again, I willingly 
disappeared into the mystery.

Saturday, I awoke feeling like a ray of light might have been dimly shining 
from my eyes, but my body was still wrapped in such a heavy shroud of 
lethargy that it was hard to know for sure. Before traversing down the stairs, 
I returned Sandra's call, only to find out that our beloved and darling little 
treasure Kalah had died. So many emotions. Too many to feel... I slept 
much of the day away. 

Kalah Selby (2 years ago; age 22) 

At death she was but a ghost of her former self.

By afternoon, the mailman delivered a most amazing package from Alaska, 
sent by one of our sistars, Lisa J. Connolly Smith! It was overflowing with 
every healing gift my body had secretly prayed for. Lisbeth opened it as I 
lay draped over a chair too weak to hold anything, except the little bag of 
a tea so pretty it reminded me of wild gathered potpourri. (Truly the most 
gorgeous tea I have ever seen). 

Lisbeth continued to open each precious and lovingly wrapped gift within 
that box. She showed me every beautiful hand-drawn flower illustration 
before she read the label of each hand crafted salve, tincture, jelly, syrup, 
and jam. It was truly delightful. Immediately afterward, I was given a small 
glass of the healing tinctures, which so reminded me of ones that I have 
made in the past that I knew they were true healers. Later, I sipped tea and 
spent well over an hour slowly brushing my hair in an attempt to restore 
some order and beauty to my neglected tresses. I imagine I was as effective 
as a three year old maiden, but my spirit granted her tenacity. Thankfully, 
later, when Lisbeth came back to check on me, she sat beside me and set 
free the final few confused strands. I braided it loosely and let them fall 
over my shoulders like my Cherokee grandmothers must have done many, 
many moons ago... 

That evening I treated all my aching places with the Poplar Bud salve with 
Devils Club root bark and instantly felt no pain! Though I no longer felt 
cold, I had a temperature of 103.7 (In that moment I knew that during those 
sleep-filled days, it must have been close to 105!) For protecting me from 
coma, brain damage or worse, I gratefully wrapped my arms around my 
body, closed my eyes and silently spoke words of love and thanksgiving to 
my beloved body for wisely leading me through the depths of the unknown 
realms and back again.) I took a homeopathic remedy (Ferum Phos) and was 
able to get it down to 102.5 before bed. Early evening, I suddenly felt four 
little itchy places on my chest. Thinking a spider must have bit me, I got up 
to look at them. That is when I discovered that I had somehow broke out in 
a patch of what felt like chicken pox, all over my chest, neck, up and down 
the length of my back, my upper right arm (inside) and my outer right thigh. 
I don't know what they are for sure, but some are like little blisters, some 
crusty little scabs and others innocent little pink dots flush with my skin - 
but they all itch like mad! Shingles? (I felt no pain).

When I awoke Sunday morning with my Rose Quartz heart in hand, I smiled 
and lay still for a while breathing in healing and exhaling love. This inspired 
me to perform a simple chakra cleanse. I held the stone to my crown chakra, 
and imagined love flowing in restoring it to perfect balance. Next, I held the 
heart stone to my third eye, throat, heart, navel, sacral and yoni; keeping it 
at each location until I felt the energies shift free and fill with love. 

Not surprisingly, I found that it wanted to be at my throat the longest. 
(Perhaps, this was in preparation/protection for the gut wrenching coughs 
that would follow.).

When I finally arose, I felt better than I had since this sickness first cast a 
veil over me and set me on fire. Throughout the day, I continued to use the 
tinctures, the salve, the tea and the homeopathic remedies, and by days end 
my temperature had steadied at 100.4 where it remained until I went to bed 
for the night. My colour improved greatly. Most likely, this was due to fully 
hydrating, as this was the first day I could drink water instead of just taking 
a few tiny sips. Though I felt weary in body, I felt perfectly normal in every 
other regard. 

Yesterday, I took the entire day to witness myself and my energy. When I 
checked my temperature it was normal! Though I still have absolutely no 
appetite, I'm choosing healthy things to take bites of. For breakfast I had a 
slice of 7 sprouted grains raisin and cinnamon toast with some of Lisa's 
Fireweed jelly (My new favorite! It also has amazing healing properties.). 
As I tore off a piece to eat, I realized it was in the shape of a dragon, so I 
set it back on the plate to contemplate, and ate the rest of it. Once I was 
finished, I noticed that some of the Fireweed jelly looked like fire from the 
dragons mouth (this must speak of the four major coughing fits I have 
experienced which took my breath away... I imagine a powerful new ability 
to speak my truth will be granted this year.).

Delighted, I consulted two of my favorite books on animals (Animal Speak 
by Ted Andrews and Animal Spirit Guides by Steven D.Farmer). 
This is the oracle message from my dragon:

Dragon:  

Guardian of Treasures (hidden wisdom)

Emerging into a new phase of my life,

where I'll be taking more risks, and being more vulnerable.

(I was assured there will be protection for both.)

&

Entering into a period of considerable prosperity.

(I can't tell you how welcome this is, as I have been scrimping by for years)

Dragon also reminded me to do more of what brings passion; 

to meditate or contemplate with regularity; 

and to carry myself with an air of dignity and regality 

(which I have been told that I do naturally...)

Inspired, I wrote down some appointments and dates for January in my new 
calendar agenda for 2015, and some creative business notes, as well. I spent 
unmeasured moments gazing out the window, with no thought, care or 
obligation in mind. It was truly a lovely day. 

By evening I was able to eat the largest portion of nourishment since this 
sickness began: an entire organic navel orange! Weak, I had some trouble 
peeling it, but once complete, I ate each juicy sweet section and felt disbelief 
when I realized I had eaten them all and didn't even feel full!

I share this tale to demonstrate that declaring a thing is powerful and good,
but ultimately we do not know what will happen. Surrendering to the dark
unknown I realized that though others may see my sickness as a time of
being curtailed and an unwelcome experience of physical trauma, pain and
death, (true, it was!), yet, it was also so much more!

It was a gift of Transformation: A new beginning. By allowing the Wise
Dark Goddess of this season to have Her way with me, I have been purged.
My daily agenda, routine and habits were abruptly taken from me, but oh,
sistar! What I received in return was abundantly more wise, beautiful,
meaningful, precious, and better than I could have imagined.

I feel as if I have been cleansed of the past and divinely prepared for what
is to come. I am so truly grateful. I feel joyful to have passed through this
experience. Though I am still exhausted physically, I know my vitality will
be fully restored. Though I have been pulled away from my community,
my work, every outward expression, I now come back with renewed passion,
inspiration and purpose. I know that the slate has been washed clean and I
am now free to begin this year as I am divinely guided.

Though my heart breaks for the loss, and for all of us who will miss Kalah,
I know that she was ready to go, and I honor her sacred choices. She
brought such beauty, magick, and wisdom into this world and to our lives,
and she will never be forgotten. I have learned that wanting someone or
something to remain as is, we deny them/it the opportunity to be divinely
transformed. We all must follow the uneasy call of transformation no
matter how scary it may be. It's the gift of wings! Just ask my dragon!

Even unwanted experiences offer unexpected gifts and beautiful blessings.