Known as The Cosmic Madonna, Kuan Yin’s archetype has been present for thousands of years amongst many traditions and cultures. The energy she represents has been interpreted and named many things over the years, but fundamentally she represents our sacred feminine energies and can help birth the soul, the authentic self beneath any social conditioning. She represents the heart chakra, the Anahata, and she can help us transmute stagnation or injury to such. It is said to be the journey of a lifetime, this movement from the head to the heart. To be present, without the endless chatter and worry of the mind trying to control and protect. It is in this peace, presence, and trust that we can sense our lives unfolding in the perfection of our own soul’s plan. Much like a tapestry, as it is being weaved and constructed, it simply feels like a mess of tangled and knotted strings. It is not until we turnover the completed piece, that we see the beauty and absolute intricate perfection in which each connection, each knot and color comes together. It is our faith in the divine, whatever that means to you, that can help us push through any darkness or uncertainty. Often, in the moment we can’t always understanding ‘why’ things happen but are fortified by our trust in the cosmic play.
Recently, The Starlight House, held a gathering to “Honor the Goddess Within” where we learned about four of Kuan Yin’s manifestations, the goddesses Isis, Tara, Kali, and Kuan Yin herself. My goal in sharing these manifestations is to demystify them as they are often foreign to our Western culture. Working with a goddess doesn’t have to be religious but is spiritual. It can simply mean learning more about the archetype, what she represents, and thus awakening this universal part of ourselves to assist us with our struggles. We learn through practicing these qualities which aid us in moving closer to the authentic self and releasing limiting beliefs, patterns, or relationships. So, I encourage you to read through these brief descriptions and see if you can identify a trait or quality that would assist you on your current life path.
Tara
Tara is known as a bodhisattva, an enlightened being whom postpones their own attainment of nirvana to compassionately assist the sentient beings of the world. Tara is known to be a manifestation of Kuan Yin and her name translates from Sanskrit to “star” or also “crossing or bridge”. The crossing of realms or from one chapter of our life to the next as a guiding star in our life. Some of the names for Tara include Wisdom Goddess, the Embodiment of Perfected Wisdom, the Goddess of Universal Compassion, and the Mother of all Buddhas and is also depicted in many color representing different qualities. These include Green Tara (the source of all Taras), White Tara (often compared to Saraswati and is serene and loving), Yellow Tara (increasing our prosperity and abundance known as Laksmi in Hinduism), Red Tara (controlling negative forces and magnetism), Black Tara (known as Kali in Hindu Tradition whom is demon conquering, eliminating negative forces and purification). In that statue here, you see Green Tara often depicted with right foot extended, ready to leap into action when called. She can help us to live from our true, authentic nature and by her divine will this empowers others to do the same.
Isis or Auset
The Egyptian goddess is known as the mother goddess as well as for her powers of magic, death and rebirth. The legendary tale of her husband/ brother destruction by their evil brother Set (the shadow architype), tells of the resurrection of Osiris and the immaculate conception of their son Horus, the sun god (sound familiar). Isis uses her magic to re-member the scattered pieces of Osiris and reassemble him, representing her ability to help us all remember the splintered parts of our soul which we can reclaim to become whole. Isis’s following is legendary, and her representation and power have been used in ritual and magic for thousands of years. Her name literally translates as “throne” and she is often depicted on one, or as a winged goddess.
Kali
Kali is Hindu goddess who is said to have originated out of the mother goddess Durga and is the consort, or other side of Shiva. Kali is the cosmic void and is depicted with many arms, wild hair and a red protruding tongue. She is the raw, real, unapologetic divine feminine power. She is the source of sacred revolution and can help release us from people or experiences we have outgrown. She IS the energy that something must die before there is space for something new to be born. Her medicine can appear fierce and chaotic, but it is from a higher spiritual perspective in which she liberates in harmony with the greater cycles of the Universe. She is the force that can emancipate us from limiting patterns, beliefs and behaviors with her unwavering love to push us toward evolution.
Kuan Yin
Kuan Yin, known as the female Buddha, is the cosmic Madonna whose mother energy has been adopted over many different culture and religions. She is the goddess of the heart and a bodhisattva, an enlightening being who has chosen to stay back in this realm to assistance in alleviating the cries of the world. Kuan yin is said the grant 10 sacred protections when she is called upon. The mantra “Om Mani Padme Om” can be chanted or sung to call in such protections, divine grace and acceptance when in need. Her protections include: protection from dangerous fire (purification without negativity), dangerous water (detoxing the body and emotions), dangers of falling (physical and symbolic), dangers of politics, deliverance from prison (from a state of mind or literal), deliverance from curses or poisons (from projection and toxic influences, deliverance from demons (transforming lower vibrations into a higher octave and tool for transformation), deliverance from evil beasts (safeguards our mind from negativity), protection during disputes or war, and bestowing good fortune.
As we collectively and individually navigate our evolution and these challenging times, I invite you to welcome one of these goddesses into your life. Listed below you will find some key words or themes where these goddesses can offer divine assistance. The idea is that by sitting with a goddess, for say 40 days (like the retrograde journey of Venus), you can learn more about her mythology, perhaps learn mantras dedicated to her and use that in meditation or when you are feeling stressed. When we practice this, we are harnessing the power of sound and vibration. It is the power of the word, which invokes divine assistance to our life. Or if that isn’t resonating, come up with your own ritual based on your research, to honor and awaken this part of yourself. Perhaps you write a letter to her, or a list of ‘I am’ statements. An alter dedicated to the goddess can be beautiful or do a creative project like drawing or painting her. If you need to move, create a yoga flow that embodies the goddess’s divine protections or weapons. Let go of their being a “right way” and find something that resonates with you. You will be surprised at how powerful these conscious acts can have on our everyday relationship with life.
Key Themes for Each Goddess
Tara:
- Moving from one chapter or life to the next
- Understanding our life purpose or path
- Calling in abundance
- Living in authenticity
Isis
- Rebirth and Transformation
- Reclaiming your power
- Calling back lost parts of self
- Assistance in ritual or sacred arts
Kali:
- Releasing old patterns, relationships, or parts of self
- Assistance release addictive behaviors or substances
- Waiting in the void before something new is born
Kuan Yin:
- Unconditional love and acceptance
- Releasing judgement
- Protection from lower vibrational beings, thoughts or disturbances
- Cleansing and purifying our hearts, mind and body
