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Opening the door for Petitioning Ganesha
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I am opening this for a few days, maybe until Wednesday 5th of April. Ganesha is known for being lord of obstacles and remover of obstacles both mundane and spiritual, a cross-road god and a gatekeeper, if anything he's a very benevolent god. I have a small ganesha Murti at home, and I welcome everyone to come and write their petition here, as a reblog, or through the ask, or they can send it to me to my discord in my profile. You can add your initials or something to identify you when I write it for him. The door is open for everyone and it is a free service. I will personally write the petition, seal it, and offer date, rose, and rose water alongside of it. I am going to perform a small puja for Ganesha alongside the offered paper, after the petition if there's any signs I might post it/repost it for people to know if there's a sign. You can ask in your petition if you have any inquiry from Ganesha for him to answer you in your dreams or through another method. Hail to the Lord of Vows, hail to Ganapati, hail to the First Lord, hail unto you, to the Big-Bellied, One-tusked, Obstacle-destroyer, the Son of Shiva, to the Boon-Giver, Hail, hail.
Image: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/GwHNAXXj4tZz7A?childAssetId=cAHOkedSIjT_qA
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witches-bottle · 1 year
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Ma Kali: Notes
Om Gan Ganapataye Namah Om Aing Ma Saraswati Namah
May the Divine Remover of Obstacles, alongside Ma Saraswati, prepare and cleanse my mind of all impurity that I may write this in a fashion most suited towards the cultivating of inward knowledge and teaching. May it be so. Amen
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Om Klim Kalika-Yei Namaha Hail to Ma Kali, Bearer of All Knowledge Hail to Ma Kali, Most Auspicious Hail to Ma Kali, bestowing of Boons Hail to Ma Kali, who gives Moksha
Study Notes
It goes without saying that in the western world, Ma Kali is interpreted as an evil, blood-drinking being and has been interpreted even more so in the left hand path community. I have come to the realization that in order to fully understand something, you must dissolve yourself in the culture of the subject you are trying to understand. You cannot look at all the symbology of Ma Kali through western eyes but you must look at it through the eyes of those who have worshippered her, those who know her as the Compassionate Mother of All. Then, one can begin to unlock the knowledge of Divine Ma Kali.
I am well sure that the bloodthirsty aspect of Ma Kali is often intepreted in her main legend but there is more to this than one might see or think.
Many years ago, the Demon Raktabija did severe penance and upon being given the boon, he wished for immortality. He asked Lord Brahma for immortality but Lord Brahma could not give him it, rather - he gave Raktabija a boon that each drop of blood that touched the earth would create another form of him, a thousand times more power, than Raktabija could consistently be present, never dying and rebirthing.
This gave him an advantage and thus he took fight to the Devas. Ma Parvati assumed the form of Goddess Durga to fight but no matter how she fought, the blood will spill and many more forms of Raktabija would appear. This angered Ma Durga so that the sheer rage manifest within her appeared as Divine Mother Kali, who killed Raktabija, eating all his clones and drinking his blood before it fell to the floor.
That is where many obtain the understanding that Ma Kali is a bloodthirsty goddess, which is only one facet for she came as to defeat the asura Raktabija, not for bloodlust, but to save the worlds. From my studies in Dravidian Aaiyyanism, I can only put forward the idea that the negative tala energy in the blood of Raktabija caused a highly destructive stupor for Ma Kali, thus leading to her dance of destruction.
This is often where many people end the story, using it to justify the idea of Ma Kali being a goddess of such darkness. There is, however, a later part and two forms thereof. In the Dance, Ma Kali threatened to destroy the three worlds and thus the devas went to Lord Mahadev and prayed for his aid. He decided to what to do and thus we come to our first variation in the story:
The First is that Mahadev laid down upon the floor in front of Ma, and when she stepped on him, she realized that she was stepping on Her Beloved, Her Consort, Her Divine Partner, and thus came to filled with shame, represented by the sticking out of her tongue, although some attest this to be another sign of her powerful nature.
The Second form that appears is that Mahadev took the form of a child and cried on the battlefield. This immediately awakened Ma Kali, who ran immediately to soothe the Child Mahadev. This shows that Ma is indeed a Mother, and despite her warlike appearance, she is still the Divine Sakti, the Mother Eternal.
Another story comes when thieves kidnap a Brahmin to make a human sacrifice. The divine radiance of the Brahmin burned the Muurti of Ma Kali who came forward to kill the thieves. This is interesting because it shows Ma Kali as the protector of Holiness, Wisdom and Saints. She appears in the Devi Mahatmyam, or the Chandi Paat, as well as the Durga Saptashati.
By understanding Ma Kali, one begins to understand the entirety of Ma Shakti, the Destroying and the Nurturing aspects of Divine Mother, showing then the beauty of all aspects of existence. Ma Kali is said to be willingly and compassionately bestow Moksha upon all her devotees. Alongside her Vedic Orthodox Worship, Ma Kali also appeared in Tantra with a specific note made in the Dus Mahavidyas, the Ten Great WIsdoms. Her symbolism is thus deeply varied, but is indeed something that one should meditate upon to come to an understanding of the Divine Mother.
Her dishevelled her represents the unrestrained bloodlust but also the metaphysical mystery of death, of loss, of impernance. She has three divine eyes which represent her power and presence through all three worlds. Her breasts symbolize sexual lust and power but also her nurturing and motherly aspect. Her nakedness is often representative of carnality but of purity as well, as a child is born into the world naked, for example. She has a necklace of severed heads, representing the destruction of the false ego, of illusion and a girdle of severed arms which, amongst practitioners, is said to signify creative power, and freedom or purification of Karma.
Ma Kali, with her right foot placed upon the chest of Mahadev, is representative of the Dakshinamarga, the Right Hand of Tantra. The left foot forward is representative of the Vamamarga. She is often featured with weapons, each one showing a different aspect of the Divine Mother. The Sword often represents the higher knowledge and the head representing the ego which is cut away from the self allowing for higher knowledge to permeate the self.
Ma is the Divine Protector of the World. Her name is the feminine version of Kala, an epithet of Lord Shiva, and thus represents time. change, creation, preservation and destruction, showing how she pervades all things and is present always.
Two forms of her are mainly found, the four armed version and the ten armed version. In the Four Armed Version, Ma's right hands hold the Abhaya (Fearlessness) and the Varada (Boon or Blessing) mudras which show that she will always guide, protect and nurture those who are good and compassionate and honour her.
The Ten-Armed Aspect of Ma Kali represents her as Maha Kali (The Great Kali), who has in her hands, ten weapons of each of the Devas which shows her as the Shakti that pervades all things.
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beyondwenet · 2 years
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[06.09.22] 11:11
I'm starting my second year as a theological student.
The last year was so intense, but I knew where my road would lead me. I'm so glad I could make it, I'm counting my blessings and my heart is fulfilled with a serene gratitude.I'm so fascinated about the origins of sprituality, and excited about discovering the voice of many pathways of souls. I can't help but thinking that the coldness that surrounds us all is connected to all of our deep misunderstanding our inner lights, which is the reflexion of the power of the sun which eternally extract thousands of forms from itself that they may on earth, live, and grow towards it.I'm continuing my journey throught faith, beliefs, and sacred cults. Hoping to find answers and enlightment through all of the pain and neglect that religious societies has brought to their holy mother Africa, Kemet, Alkebulan. And I swear to my ancestors to continue their fight, to show loyalty toward the principles of Maat, to share and learn so much, that my heart at the end of my life should be purified by the holy fire of Râ, so i could embrace the Great All without ever being separate again.
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caputvulpinum · 1 year
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yeah we might be brothers in christ but so were cain and abel so shut the fuck up before i decide to find a rock about it
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rescatada · 10 months
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“The human heart plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.”
Proverbs 16:9
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eddis-not-eeddis · 9 months
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In my early twenties I know more theology than most men in the churches I've attended who are twice my age. This isn't a boast, I am no scholar. I say this in abject horror and despair.
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psalmlover · 5 months
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by r_varashe on pinterest
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agender93discordian · 6 months
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I really do quite like Christians so long as: a. they get a little weird with it and also b. are gay
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comtesseducringe · 28 days
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have gained a yearning interest into researching Christianity from a historical/archeological perspective and how it grew into what we know today. really curious as to how Christianity looked like pre- Charlemagne and before the traditions of the Catholic church. If anyone has some great resources for a history nerd who hasn't done any scholarly reading or so much as a wikipedia search on the subject matter please let me know.
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eesirachs · 3 months
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i know that this is a wide scope question but what philosophy books/authors do you think are necessary for a theological self study with a liberation slant?
if i were composing an undergraduate intro class to liberation theology i would include gutierrez, romero, cone, gaudium et spes, ateek, dolores williams, wariboko, khumalo’s chapter in life under the baobab tree, althaus-reid, saidiya hartman, grace cho, and hortense spillers. this covers liberation theology done from the following frameworks: black theology, womanism, latin american theology, palestinian theology, african theology, korean feminist theology, and generally, post-colonialism
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jesusfreakspeaks · 17 days
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The people who live in darkness have seen a great light, and for those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.
Matthew 4:16
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witches-bottle · 1 year
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Some Books to Read
Journey to the West: One of the Four Classical Novels of Chinese Literature, has been ascribed to the Great Scholar Wu Cheng'En. Spiritual Allegory for the process of attaining enlightenment, gives a good and strong view of Taoist and Buddhist Beliefs at the time by showing Jade Clarity, the Jade Emperor, the Queen Mother of the West and Boddhisattavas such as Kuan Yin.
Shahnameh: The Persian Epic of Kings, shows the cultural and religious aspects of Zoroastrianism. Written by Abloqasem Ferdowsi, Epic of Iran.
The Large Pureland Sutra: The Major School started by Honen, Pureland Buddhism, from the Large Pureland Sutra. The Nembutsu Mantra.
The Sruti and Smriti Texts; formed a basis for the tradition of Shaktism, the Devi Mahatmya and the Devi Upanishad.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, attributed to Padmasambhava in the 8th Century, who is credited with established Tantric Buddhism in Tibet (The Vajrayana School? Further research required)
Dante's Divine Comedy, I'm pretty damn sure that Dante had some divine influence. I still believe in the process of using Purgatorio as a sort of framework for developing the Seven Holy Virtues and overcoming or reconciling the Seven Deadly Sins.
The Four Vedas with particular focus on the Atharva Veda which gives a glimpse into the more metaphysical aspects of Hinduism.
The Devi Gita, for studies in Shaktism.
Kundalini, the Mother of the Universe - the Lalita Sahasranama, the Thousand Names of the Goddess (the presence of Ma Lalita would attribute this text to Ma Lalita Tripurasundari but again, I still aim to read it so I may be mistaken).
The Teachings of Zoraster; S.A Kapadia, a collection of Zoroastrian Texts for study.
The Wisdom of the Talmud, by Ben Zion Bokser
Notes for those wondering:
Yes, I work with demons, yes I study and honour the Boddhisattvas, the Buddhas, the Devas, the Asuras, the Saints, the Taoist Immortals because I understand that me trying to split them apart based on "Christianity Bad" is based on personal indoctrination and religious trauma that I am working through. I believe that all religions have truth and that it is within my personal ability to read through, study and learn. I am saying this because I have encountered many pagans and followers of the Abrahamic Faiths that have judged me on this and ironically, on the Dharmic Faiths have been accepting of this so long as i respected the traditions, studied and didn't do anything stupid. Says a lot, but moving on. I will be looking to read through these, draw wisdom, meditate and I will be making small posts so I can give the wisdom that I have learnt. Much peace.
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wrestlingwithtorah · 8 months
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All are welcome! Jewish! Not Jewish! Kind of Jewish! Jewish-adjacent! All are welcome!
Financially Accessible Option Available via the Wrestling with Torah Discord.
Contribute and Register here!
In Jewish Tradition, the concept of 'sin' doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means: and it can be a transformational concept that helps us to become better versions of ourselves.
In Hebrew, the words often translated as "sin" does mean all of the negative things our culture associates with the word, but it also means so much more. Everything from a "misstep" or an "oops," to a spiritual moment to make amends and learn from this particular experience.
Come join Rabbi Gischner as we begin the spiritual process of reflecting on our year as we celebrate the first of Elul together, to reflect on who we have been and who we are becoming as we enter the new year of 5784 together.
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thurifer-at-heart · 8 months
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Rachel Held Evans on "reading Scripture with the prejudice of love"
The truth is, you can bend Scripture to say just about anything you want it to say. You can bend it until it breaks. For those who count the Bible as sacred, interpretation is not a matter of whether to pick and choose, but how to pick and choose. We’re all selective. We all wrestle with how to interpret and apply the Bible to our lives. We all go to the text looking for something, and we all have a tendency to find it. So the question we have to ask ourselves is this: are we reading with the prejudice of love, with Christ as our model, or are we reading with the prejudices of judgment and power, self-interest and greed? Are we seeking to enslave or liberate, burden or set free? If you are looking for Bible verses with which to support slavery, you will find them. If you are looking for verses with which to abolish slavery, you will find them. If you are looking for verses with which to oppress women, you will find them. If you are looking for verses with which to honor and celebrate women, you will find them. If you are looking for reasons to wage war, there are plenty. If you are looking for reasons to promote peace, there are plenty more. If you are looking for an outdated and irrelevant ancient text, that’s exactly what you will see. If you are looking for truth, that’s exactly what you will find. This is why there are times when the most instructive question to bring to the text is not, What does this say? but, What am I looking for? I suspect Jesus knew this when he said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
If you want to do violence in the world, you will always find the weapons. If you want to heal, you will always find the balm. With Scripture, we’ve been entrusted with some of the most powerful stories ever told. How we harness that power, whether for good or evil, oppression or liberation, changes everything.
—Rachel Held Evans, Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again, p.56-67
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rescatada · 6 months
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“And we have this confidence in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
1 John 5:14
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averlym · 8 months
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Hi! Would you maybe be willing to draw Fluff, 1 for platonic Kat and Cathy, please? No pressure if not obv!
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"wait is that my book" "you mean our book?" (prompt list here)
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