Well, it’s April 2020 and we are still in COVID-19 lockdown. While this is a hard time for many, it’s been a great time for me to work on re-vamping Chthonia.net, and get all aspects of the site working as advertised. I have a few thoughts, and then a few updates.
Our recent Chthonia podcast series has been on the Das Mahavidyas, usually seen as ten (das) manifestations of the goddess Kali, or of Parvati or Shakti/Sati. “Mahavidya” literally means “great knowledge”—all the truths of the universe are manifest in these complex manifestations of the supreme Consciousness.
In the midst of this pandemic, it’s hard not to reflect on Kali. There are many stories about her origins and roles, but my mind goes back to the Durga Saptashati. I discussed this epic in the podcast on the second introduction to Tantric goddesses. Durga is called by the gods when the world has been taken over by the Mahisasura (great demon, sometimes translated as “great ego”). Mahisasura’s great generals are Shumba (Too Much) and Nishumba (Too Little). The Mahisasura sees Durga, and wants to possess her. So, he sends an ambassador to persuade her.
To the surprise of the ambassador, Durga just smiles and says that “without thinking” she has made a promise that she will never marry unless she is taken by force. He tells her she is foolish; she says that may be so, but what can she do?
“Without thinking.” Thinking, rationalizing, and analyzing are very Yang/Masculine activities. They are what we identify with Consciousness—our thoughts and reason. But Durga is beyond rationality. The Mahisasura sends his armies, but she defeats each of them in turn, destroying them. Humans have long taken the Biblical view that humans are set over Nature by God, and the Platonic view that our ability to reason makes us greater than the animals, and the rest of Nature.
In the midst of this crisis, it occurs to me that Durga is facing the Mahisasura again. She is smiling, and shrugging—“what can I do?” The world has been taken over by selfish forces, ones that take and never give back, that take the Earth for granted. And we are surprised when there are consequences. That’s how it goes. We have never been in control of Nature; anyone who has lived through a hurricane, tornado, or tsunami can attest to this firsthand. We might be able to prepare to some degree if we see it coming. But we can’t stop it. All we can do is yield—take the Feminine approach.
I have more thoughts on all of this—I’ll be sharing at least some of them in the podcasts, and in my new video series, Liminal Tarot. Here are all the latest updates:
- This website is now up to date. I still want to make changes to the swag shop, but for now it works.
- I created a new website, Liminal Reiki and Guidance. Go to the “Related Other Services” page listed along the top, or visit liminalreiki.com.
- I hope to keep this blog updated at least a couple of times a week, so check here for the latest on podcasts, publications, and my video channel.
Everyone stay healthy and safe!