Kali, the Hindu goddess of many things, has gained popularity, even with non-Hindus in modern times. Find out all about Kali Maa, the goddess of death and creation, and how communication with her can empower your spirituality.
Long, flowing hair like black silk, radiant blue skin, eyes and a tongue like fire, and a focus on battling malevolence so powerful, nothing can break it describe the magnificent mother goddess, Kali. Born out of sheer necessity to protect the gods, Kali is one of the most loved, feared, and worshipped goddesses in the world. Far from a grim specter of murder and rage, this goddess is called upon for strength, protection, and wisdom. Join SpiritualBlossom to read all about Kali, the great Hindu goddess of many things, many forms, and with many names. Find out just who she is through stories about her and discover surprising ways that you can build a powerful relationship with her. Be aware that this goddess comes on string and isn’t for the faint of heart. Ready? Read on!
Who is Kali?
Kali is a powerful Hindu goddess who is the ultimate form of Shakti. Shakti is the power that is behind all existence and sustains it. She is a goddess who has multiple names and has multiple forms and is the goddess of death, destruction, and time itself. She is a protective goddess who liberates human beings from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The name comes from the word “Kala”, which means time or black. She is known as the ruler of time and the dark mother. She is believed to have originated as a tribal goddess of South Asia and to have been transformed over time into the powerful goddess that she is now.
She is an incarnation of the goddess Parvati or Durga, and she is depicted as either having 9 or 12 different forms. In many of her forms, she has a terrifying appearance. She has either blue or black skin and wears a necklace of severed human heads or skulls and human arms around her waist. The necklace or garland of heads around her neck represents the cycle of life, and death that she controls. She is also portrayed as having her tongue out and as having long wild hair. She protects all of creation from malevolent creatures and energies, but is also deeply devoted and loving. She destroys things, but new things cannot be created until old things are done away with. Some people would think of Kali as a war goddess, but she is also a goddess of love and peace. Read about more deities of peace here: Athena and Other Gods and Goddesses of Peace
Stories About Kali
Perhaps the best way to get to know this goddess is through the legends about her. Since she is a goddess who takes so many different forms, she is very complex. Different people view her differently, and perhaps that's just different people venerating different aspects of her. She is well known as a mother goddess, as a lover, and as a protector. However, she also grants people liberation from the endless cycling of death and rebirth, which many of her devotees pray to her for.
Kali and Lord Shiva
Mother Kali and Lord Shiva are consorts, and believed to combine to bring about creation perfectly. He is a god of creation, protection, and he transforms the whole universe. She destroys evil, and Lord Shiva is the only one who has the power to stop Kali when she goes into destructive mode. This is seen when nobody can stop her in her rage. In a battle between the devas, or gods, and asuras, or demons, the battle was over who would control the world. The asuras were winning, and the goddess Durga stepped in to help, but she could not defeat them. She furrowed her eyebrows, and from her forehead emerged Kali, who slew the asuras, and was so enraged, she could not stop fighting, even when she slew them all. She is one of the most protective goddesses. Read how to make your own protection magic here: Magic for Self-Defense
She was out of control and would have completely destroyed all the world, but Lord Shiva stepped onto the battlefield and lay down at her feet. He knew she would stop when she saw him. She did not see him, but her foot fell on his chest, and it brought her out of her rage. In some stories, she killed him in her rage, but resurrected him. This story serves to be a lesson to devotees about balancing anger with love and compassion. Read about how you can tell if someone loves you here: How Do I Know if He Loves Me?
Kali and Raktabija
Raktabija is the strongest asura that was fighting the gods. He had managed to find favor with the god Brahma with the correct prayers, and Brahma gave him an astounding ability. Raktabija was able to reproduce himself when he shed blood. Specifically, every drop of his blood that was shed would make a new form of himself. So each time the gods wounded him on the battlefield, more of him sprang up. This is how he was able to overwhelm them in battle! Kali knew exactly how to defeat him. She drank every last drop of blood as it fell, basically devouring him inside and out! She drank blood, but she’s not a vampire- you can read all about the truth about vampires here: Are Vampires Real?
Kali and Liberation
Kali is believed to liberate people. She frees people from the bonds of materialism and our own egos. Some people say that veneration of her can create hardship, but this can be very helpful in overcoming our overreliance on the material world. She also helps people overcome fears. One of the ways of getting to know her is on the grounds where cremations are done. Coming face to face with the ugly reality of the impermanence of our own lives through accepting death, Kali teaches fearlessness. Being a goddess of destruction, she also creates change in people's lives so that we may transform and grow. When we are liberated from old ways that no longer serve us, we become better versions of ourselves. Read about becoming your best self here: How to Be Your Best Self
Kali and Female Empowerment
Shakti is a powerful thing that is possible through the divine feminine. Some say it is the goddesses becoming the embodiment of what their husband gods represented. Others say the gods had no power without their wives at all. Shakti is a power that creates, sustains, and destroys in the universe. In a way Shakti can be considered responsible for everything. Kali was created to save the universe from the asuras and she had the highest form of power of any other being in creation. A lot of women take these beliefs as a testament to the power of the feminine divine and the power of her daughters- human women. Some feminists and modern goddess worshipers find empowerment from Kali. You can read about more goddesses of the sea here: The Folklore, Myths, and Gods of the Sea
Kali as a Mother Goddess
Some people venerate Kali as a mother goddess. She is sometimes depicted as a kind mother, embracing a child, rather than in her terrifying warrior goddess form. Some images of her show her gesturing in a way that means “fear not”, reassuring her children. Some aspects of her are called to protect against plague and to heal. Some images of her have special earrings that represent human embryos because the goddess wants her devotees to have a childlike innocence. Not only does she reassure, protect, and heal, but she teaches. As a teacher, she doesn’t bestow all her devotees would want, but difficulties in life can make the best lessons. Difficulties in life can create crippling grief. Find out how facing grief helps: Conscious Grieving: Why Facing It Matters
Kali and Sacrifices
While some of Kali’s devotees do animal sacrifices to her, one group of her devotees took it a step farther. Between the 14th and 19th century, if you wanted to travel through some parts of India, you should make sure you had plenty of companions, or an organized robber band called the thugges could have robbed and killed you. They killed in service to Kali, they said, so she would spare humanity. However, the thugges had a strict set of rules to follow. Women, holy people, the poor, the sick and disabled, children and other groups of people were completely off limits. If a thugge harmed any of these people, they believed they would be punished by the goddess. No meant to to the thugges, and they took the goddess’ commandment that they not harm certain people very seriously. Learn the magical power of the word no here: How to Say No: Reclaim Your Power
Communication with Kali
How can you get in touch with this powerful ancient goddess? There are three very simple ways. You can simply call to the goddess and ask her for help. You can use traditional chants to contact her. You can also give the goddess offerings. All three of these methods of communication will help you to establish a relationship with the goddess. Some people like the idea of “working with" a god or a goddess temporarily to get benefits for themselves. However, despite what some people will tell you, Kali is not a goddess who you should temporarily reach out to just to get something for yourself. She is a powerful goddess who helps her devotees, not curious people who think it would be fun or exciting to temporarily make contact and she should be respected.
Calling Kali for Help
One way to reach out to Kali is to ask her for strength when you need it. Call her name loudly and with passion by saying “Kali!” and she will answer with her presence. It really is that easy to call her, and making a long, verbal explanation of what you need her to help with isn’t necessary. If the goddess chooses to answer you, she will know what is in your heart and mind and what you need. Calling to Kali can open you up to a spiritual awakening. Read all about spiritual awakenings here: Your Personal Spiritual Awakening Guide
Prayers to Kali
Prayer is just talking to a deity. One way to pray to her is to do one of her chants. One chant is “Om Kreem Kalikayai Namah.” This powerful chant calls upon the protective energy of the goddess, asks for emotional strength, empowerment, and to be freed from all negativity. Each of the words of the chant has their own meaning. “Om” represents the ultimate reality and the word “Kreem” is the sound of transformational energy and the work that creates it. “Kalikaye” addresses Kali, and “ Namah” means that you are bowing to the goddess humbly. You can learn that mantra here: Om Kreem Kalikayai Namah 108 Times | Powerful Kali Mantra With Lyrics | Durga Mantra For Protection
Offerings to Kali
You can find numerous suggestions online from new age websites about what they say would be good offerings to the goddess Kali. However, the best place to find reference to what pleases Kali is in Hinduism. Shyama Puja is a festival dedicated to Kali. It is celebrated on the new moon day of the Hindu month of Ashwayuja. The goddess is worshiped in devotees' homes and she's given offerings of sweets, fruit, lentils, rice, and red hibiscus flowers. Some people conduct animal sacrifices in her honor. Devotees meditate throughout the night until the dawn comes. Some people have clay images of her indoors or temporary altars set up. She is a goddess of changes, but you can manifest your own changes too. Learn how here: How to Manifest Your Life After Changes
Multiple other new moon celebrations throughout different parts of the world exist for the goddess, and some people set off fireworks during them. Some people worship Kali at her events on the grounds where human cremations are done, because she is a goddess of death and liberation from the sufferings of life. For non Hindus, offerings at the same things that Hindus would give her are appropriate. Things like scented oils and crystals may not appeal to that goddess because historically she was not offered those things. Some modern people say that the ancient gods and goddesses graciously accept any gift that modern devotees can give them, but does such a powerful goddess require things from people? Considering the fact she helps humanity in so many ways, perhaps it is people who need things from her. So, when selecting offerings for her, it is wise to stick with what she has always loved to receive.
A popular goddess like Kali might get a lot of attention from people, whether they are Hindus or not, but she is so much more than just a popular figure everyone recognizes today. She is believed to be partially responsible for the very power Lord Shiva holds, and she not only creates, but she changes things, maintains things, and destroys when she believes it is necessary. She can be gentle or terrifying, and if you ask her to teach you, be prepared, the lessons will be difficult- but she will grant you the knowledge or personal growth that you seek. Reach out to the goddess Kali using the traditional chants that Hindus are kind enough to share instead of offering her things she has never accepted or cherished.
If you decide to walk with Kail, your road may be difficult at times, but you will never question whether it is worth it. May you seek her and find her in the silence of your heart and in the moments you are most afraid, when you find your greatest strength and courage.
Would you like to get in touch with the strength that lies within you? Reach out to one of our psychics to find out how to be the most powerful version of yourself.
About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today she is a High Priestess for The Temple of the Goddess, she is a psychic advisor and spiritual counselor, she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for Mysticsense and SpiritualBlossom, and she writes for The Green Egg Magazine and PaganPages.Org emag.
