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To: alt.fan.kali.astarte.inanna,alt.pagan,alt.magick.tyagi 
Subject: Kali Ritual (Starck/Stern)
Summary: Starck and Stern Rite from _The Dark Goddess..._
Date: 49950330
 
The following ritual was taken from _The Dark Goddess: Dancing With the
Shadow_, by Marcia Starke and Gynne Stern, copyright 1993 Crossing Press:
 

Ritual for Working with Kali
 
It is a good idea to do the Kali ritual, as well as many others in this bookk,
during the Dark Moon phase when there is little light in the sky.
 
Women should come dressed in saris or any other Indian clothes or ornaments
they have, and with any swords or instruments tht would be appropriate to
Kali-Ma.
 
The altar could be decorated with skulls and bones, a brazier or incense
burner with some joss sticks or other sweet incense, red and black candles,
pictures of the Mother in both her benevolent and terrible aspects, and a
small bowl with some menstrual blood.
 
Background music can be sitars or flutes when Kali is invoked.  Women can
also bring rattles and drums of any kind to use during the ritual.
 
The High Priestess or four different women invoke Kali through four
Hindu goddesses:
 
[indented sections in italics - nagasiva]

	In the East we call in Ushas, Goddess of the Dawn, to begin
	this new cycle and help us see through our illusions and
	seek the truth.
 
	In the South we call in Parvati to bring us the fires of
	purification so we may be cleansed.
 
	In the West we invoke Durga to teach us to look into the
	dark places in our beings so tht we may not be afraid.
 
	In the North we call in Sarasvati to bring us the wisdom
	of India, her music and dance, so we may be wise in the
	traditions of the Goddess.
 
	And now, we call in Kali-Ma, Dark Mother and Goddess,
	Creatress of all there is.
 
Before beginning the ritual it is important for the women to discuss
which aspect of Kali they want to work with.  Trying to increase one's
warrior energy is a very different undertaking than attempting to
isolate and communicate with the "terrible mother within" oneself.
Also, in the spring (perhaps at the new moon when the Sun and the Moon
are both in the sign of Taurus), one may do a celebratory ritual honoring
life and the Divine Mother, for Kali is the creator as well as the
destroyer.  A special ritual honoring one's own mother and grandmothers
is a beautiful way to honor the loving mother inside each of us.
 
For a warrior ritual, one woman at a time goes up the altar and takes an
object such as a sword or skull, that exemplifies her interpretation of
the warrior energy.  With this object, she tells of her need for Kali's
energy, her work with bringing forth her aggressive side, and her desire
to go forth into the world and slay whatever demons of injustice and
oppression burden her.  Then she chants and dances out her feelings
while the rest of the women drum or play other instruments.
 
Each woman is encouraged to take her turn.  When all the women have
finished, the High Priestess dances among the women, blessing them,
and putting a drop of menstrual blood on each of them to show that
they have been purified through Kali's energy.  The women then sit in
a circle and discuss ways of being in the world that will encourage
their warrior side.  If the women meet regularly, there is a chance to
discuss working in unison for a cause.  Finally, all the women chant
and sing to Kali.
 
	Kali Durga, Na Mo, Na Mo
	Kali Durga, Na Mo, Na Mo
 
Repeat eight times
 
Women who are working on enhancing their warrior side would find it
helpful to dress in red.
 
When works with the "terrible mother", black is the color most
conducive to delving deep into one's feelings.  In the Kali ritual for
the "terrible mother", noises are muted.  After calling the directions,
the women can begin to drum softly.  At this point, the women all sit
down and the High Priestess passes the talking stick.  Each woman in
the circle takes turns talking about her ownmother and the ways in
which she felt stifled, neglected and abused as a child.  Then, if she
has children, she can turn her attention inward and see if she can find
some of these traits in herself.  Is she like her mother?  Or does she,
on the other hand, see herself as her mother's opposite?  She can share
ways in which she resents or is angry with her children or envious of
them.
  
If we share any negative feelings we have toward our own children with
other women, we will find Kali grants us an enormous release of guilt.
Kali is not a goddess who encourages guilt.  She expresses the principle
of being aware of one's own feelings and acknowledging them openly.  In
Kali lies indentification [sic] with the birth-giving female, with death
and destruction, and with the hope of rebirth.  For Kali, all stages of
existence are a celebration of life.
 
pp. 95-96.
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[Additional quotes to round out the "terrible mother" rite:]
 
Working with the Goddess Kali [excerpts]
 
Kali is one of the most frightening goddesses to work with when we seek
to express our shadow side.  No woman wants to think of herself as the
"terrible mother."  And it can be very difficult to see one's own mother
as terrible....
 
The "terrible mother" is the shadow side of almost all women.  Even
childless women carry this archetype and try to distance themselves
from it.  For a mother to recognize that she feels rage towards her
child, to act on that rage is truly frightening....  Many women avoid
motherhood out of the fear of the "terrible mother" that resides
within themselves.  Kali's presence can help us to come to terms
with the angry nurturer within us all.
 
Kali-Ma, the Dark Mother, holds the two edged sword; she has the power
to slay the demons as well as the ability to be compassionate.
Sometimes the demons are our own illusions and fantasies about life.
Sometimes we are not seeing things for what they really are; ....  Or we
want to disguise from ourselves our own destructive anger toward
people we perceive as helpless, particularly children.  For many women,
being the victim has become a career; it is more difficult for them to
take up their weapons, acknowledge their own anger, and fight for what
they want than blame others.  At a certain point it becomes necessary
to take Kali's sword and cut through the illusions that protect us from
seeing and acting on the truth.  Doing this is like shedding the snake's
skin; we let go of old beliefs and come closer to our own reality.  It is
not always easy to do this and many go through years of therapy to be
able to make significant changes.
 
 
Men and Kali [again, excerpts]
 
Men, as well as women, naturally fear the "terrible mother."   Men who,
as children, were pushed out of the nest too early resent the power of
the mother and feel abandoned by her.  Men who were encouraged to stay
too long within the maternal nest and forbidden to bond with their
fathers resent maternal influence.  While "big mama" is a term of
admiration in Black culture, it is one more of fear and dislike in White
society....
 
Ibid, pp. 92-3
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nagasiva, tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com