How to Honour Goddess Kali

Kali Blog Series

I have been working on a series of blog articles that arose as a result of a beautiful Q&A session around the Kali Oracle. We are creating this series of articles so you can dig even deeper into your practice and dance, revel and rejoice in the presence of the Great Mother, learn to see her and connect with her and now find new soul-expanding ways to honour her.

Honouring goddess Kali brings enduring benefits for your life. With good intentions and soulful connection you can attain liberation and protection that will assist you on your life and soul journey.

How to Honour Goddess Kali

Acknowledge her presence

You can show Kali you love her and honour her energy and presence in your life by being like the child bringing home the finger painting or the homemade Mother’s Day card. It is less about what you do and more about the simple acts of acknowledging her presence and loving her.

You are honouring goddess Kali by telling her about your day and offering up the beauty and the challenges to her in prayer. You could turn this into a daily ritual by taking a few minutes at the close of each day to do so.

Choose a point of focus for your practice

In India, the statues of Kali are often bathed and dressed and talked to as if they were the actual goddess incarnate. This is a charming practice that strengthens ‘bhakti’, or devotion.

If this is something that appeals to you, I would suggest that you create a point of focus for your offerings – an altar, an image or a statue – and recognise it as a symbolic portal for connection with her. That point of focus could also simply be the seat where you meditate regularly and where you sit to pray to the Divine Mother. Perhaps utilise that same spot to conduct your personal oracle card readings, or to engage in some contemplation on your blessings from time to time.

You can then intend to offer up your experience to honour goddess Kali with a view that the merit benefits all beings. This is a very positive action for you to do, which will benefit you and contribute to the relief of suffering in our world.

Work on yourself

I would say that our greatest offering to the Divine Mother is to work on our own ‘stuff’. Then when we do offer our presence, talents and insights for others, we are doing so with the least possible amount of distortion or agenda. Following your purpose in life, and growing your own self-empowerment, will let her work within you and shows that you are honouring goddess Kali, her changing perspective and transformative nature.

Any work that you are doing on yourself she will be proud of, of course. And you will be in a position for her to create within you a role for the Universe.

Help others

One of the absolute best ways you can show the Divine Mother – or any enlightened holy being that you feel connected to personally – that you love them, is to honour their purpose.

Kali Ma’s purpose, for example, is to liberate all beings. So consider how you can help others become liberated. This is the simple act of doing what you can to alleviate their suffering. Utilise your talents – whatever those may be for you – to work on yourself, to relieve your own suffering, and to become a source of steadiness, love, peace and, most of all, compassion – as much as you can for others.

Work on your judgements as much as you can as well, recognising your own projections rather than letting them fly and land upon others without thought or consideration. This is something we need to tend to daily (often many times in a day). Be gentle with yourself and aim to be consistent in your practice. That is a great sign of love to the Divine Mother, and you can know that she sees, knows and takes delight every time you do such activity with her in mind (and in your heart).

Nurture your relationship with her

The best way to honour Kali is to acknowledge the connection that you share. That you are reading this blog article is a sign that you have a connection with her. You know her name. She is in your awareness. A connection is already there.

How much you want to nurture that relationship depends on you. She will never abandon you. She will always embrace you and be there for you. However deep you want to go with her, she will delight in that.

Some simple ways to further foster your relationship with goddess Kali include:

• Study and learn more about her.
• Think upon her.
• Pray to her.
• Make her offerings that express the truths of your heart (especially auspicious are offerings with an intention that positive energy be created to benefit all beings).
• When you enjoy something in your life, take a moment to offer the pleasure of that to her, for the benefit of all beings
• Have memory prompts to remind you of the goddess Kali such as images, an altar, a spiritual tool or crystal skull. Feel love and gratitude in your heart when you see these prompts and imagine sharing that good feeling with all beings who need her.
• Use the Kali Oracle. I created this deck as my love letter to Kali Ma. It includes teachings, healing processes and mantras so you can feel closer to her, understand her nature and feel empowered as to how to honour her in very specific and practical ways. The practices in the deck are short and accessible, yet also effective and connected to the spiritual teachings of the culture from which she arises.

How I personally honour Kali

When I go walking, I note the red hibiscus flowers and think of the Goddess with love. She is part of my being, in my awareness and her mantras show up in my dreams when I need her. I may do a ritual or deeper healing with her when I feel called to. She is there and I feel a belonging to her. You can feel this too if you wish.

Recently I did a bit of a mantra blast and guidance session with our Community of the Sacred students and graduates in our online training programs. I felt it was necessary for the focus to be on her – that was fierce but loving!

Yet not every gesture has to be a grand gesture. The small, simple ways of loving and acknowledging the divine mean a lot. It all accumulates. It all lightens your heart and opens your mind to greater understanding and peace.

Read Next: Exploring Kali, Chamunda and Athena