There are many different stories about the Hindu goddess Kali Ma, and she is often thought of as something to be afraid of: a goddess of death and violence.

Kali isn’t about death or evil. She is about transformation, and as the counterpart of Shiva the destroyer she brings death to ego and attachment, not physical death or war.

She brings death and transformation that creates enlightenment and freedom. She can also be seen as the fierce, divine feminine, warrior energy, a manifestation of Shakti.

She can be scary because she brings change. She’s asking you to up-level, to evolve. And your ego never wants to be released. It wants to stay in control and run the show.

She reminds us that everything in life is a cycle: the old must be cleared out for the new to come in. Change brings your evolution. Birth and death are natural cycles of life, and we must allow them to happen.

When to Connect with Kali

When you’re stuck in fear and attachment, call on Kali.

When you’re afraid to move out of your comfort zone, to step into the unknown and into the mystery, she’s your goddess.

When you’re afraid to stand in your power, call on Kali.

When you’re struggling to release that which you know you need to release, call on Kali.

How to Connect with Kali

Mantra

Om krim kalikayai namah is the Kali mantra, meaning I bow my head to the Goddess Kali. It’s even more powerful if you chant it each day for several days in a row.

Meditate with her image

You can simply print her picture out from the internet, buy a small statue of her, or you can click here to receive a free printable coloring page of Kali. Click here to get your free Kali coloring page. If you don’t want to do any of those things, you can also hold her image in your mind.

Bring one palm to your heart center and one palm to your belly, and ask yourself what message Kali has for you today.

Sit in silence, breathing deeply and holding her image in your mind, and allow any messages to come through.

Create a Kali altar

Make an altar dedicated to Kali (a perfect place to chant your Kali mantra and meditate with her image!) to create a physical representation of what she means to you. Some things you might like to include are:

  • Physical symbols of what you’re ready to release

  • The Wheel of Fortune tarot card

  • The Death tarot card

  • An image of Kali

  • The 4 Queen tarot cards

  • Snowflake obsidian, smoky quartz, or petrified wood to release old belief systems and thought patterns

  • Rutilated quartz to facilitate change

  • Tree agate to help you stay calm and grounded

Tarot spread

Use this tarot spread to understand your relationship with Kali. Draw 1-3 cards for each of the questions below, and note down your interpretations.

  • What holds me back from embracing change?

  • What does my ego tell me about change?

  • What can I do right now to create space for change in my life?

  • What message does my highest self have for me about embracing Kali’s energy?

  • What might I experience if I embrace Kali’s energy?

  • What might I experience if I don’t embrace Kali’s energy?

Journaling

Break out your journal and free-write to these questions:

  • How do you feel about change right now?

  • Think about a time when you resisted change. What happened? How did you feel?

  • Think of a time when you listened to your intuition and allowed change to flow. What happened? How did you feel?

  • Where are you being invited to release and evolve?

  • What makes you feel safe to evolve? What other things have to be happening in your life to make you feel okay to release?

Intuitive movement

I recommend putting on your favorite music, whatever it is, and letting loose. Try shaking every part of your body, flexing your spine, swaying your hips, and maybe flowing through some yoga poses.

Go into this without an agenda, and ask Kali to guide your movement. As you move, notice how each sensation feels in your body.

What other ways do you connect with Kali? Let us know on Instagram!

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