In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti is the primordial cosmic energy, and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the universe. This energy is thought of as creative, sustaining, as well as destructive, and is sometimes referred to as auspicious source energy. The word “Shakti” means energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability, and comes from the Sanskrit word shak—“to be able”.
Shakti is personified as the Creatrix, Divine Mother or Goddess, and is known as Adi Shakti, Adi Para Shakti (i.e., Primordial Inconceivable Energy), as well as Devi or Mahadevi (lit., “the Goddess”). Shakti is associated with the feminine principle, and embodies the dynamic, creative and proactive principles of feminine power.
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In Shaktism, one of the major denominations of Hinduism, Shakti is worshipped as the Supreme Being or Divine Mother. The metaphysical reality itself is considered metaphorically a woman, represented by Shakti, and all other forms of divinity are considered to be merely Her diverse manifestations. On every plane of creation, energy manifests itself into all forms of matter; these are all thought to be infinite forms of Shakti. However, the true form of Shakti is unknown, and beyond human understanding. She is described as Anaadi (with no beginning, no ending) and Nitya (forever).
The term “Shakti” refers to multiple ideas. Its general definition is dynamic energy that is responsible for creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe. It is identified as female energy because Shakti is responsible for creation, as mothers are responsible for birth. Without Shakti, nothing in the universe can exist. The entire universe is seen as a manifestation of Shakti.
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Shakti also refers to the manifestations of this energy, namely goddesses. Shaktism includes many goddesses, all considered aspects, personalities or incarnations of the same supreme goddess. The most common aspects of Shakti include Durga, Kali, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Parvati and Tripurasundari (or Lalita). Some goddesses embody the destructive aspects of Shakti, such as death, degeneration, and illness, while other goddesses embody the creative and auspicious powers of Shakti, such as nature, the elements, music, art, dance, and prosperity. Shakti may be personified as the gentle and benevolent Uma, consort of Shiva, or Kali, the terrifying force destroying evil, or Durga, the warrior who conquers forces that threaten the stability of the universe. The Shakti goddess is also known as Amma in South India, where most of the villages have several temples devoted to various incarnations of Shakti.
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The Hindu tradition also considers women the vessels of Shakti. This identification with Shakti acknowledges women as the vessels of both creative and destructive power. The sacred Tantra text Shaktisangama Tantra states: “Woman is the creator of the universe, the universe is her form; woman is the foundation of the world, she is the true form of the body. In woman is the form of all things, of all that lives and moves in the world. There is no jewel rarer than woman, no condition superior to that of a woman.”
In the details of its philosophy and practice, Shaktism resembles Shaivism—another major Hindu tradition focused on the worship of Shiva, one of the main masculine deities of Hinduism. However, Shaktas (practitioners of Shaktism), focus most or all worship on Shakti, as the dynamic feminine aspect of the Supreme Divine. Shiva, the masculine aspect of divinity, is considered solely transcendent, and Shiva’s worship is usually secondary.
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In the Tantric cosmology, the whole universe is perceived as being created, penetrated and sustained by two fundamental forces, which are permanently in a perfect, indestructible union. These forces or universal aspects are called Shiva and Shakti. They are the mirror images of each other.
From a metaphysical point of view, the divine couple Shiva-Shakti corresponds to two essential aspects of the One: they are the masculine and feminine energies that are present in each and every individual and the cosmos as a whole. If Shakti is the feminine principle representing life force and energy, Shiva is the masculine principle representing consciousness and awareness, personified by the masculine deity Shiva. Shiva represents the constitutive elements of the universe, while Shakti is the dynamic potency, which makes these elements come to life and act.
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In Tantric thought and eastern philosophical traditions, the feminine and masculine are not seen as gendered physical entities but as the two polarities of absolute consciousness, the pure creativity and love that’s at the heart of everything.
Shakti stands for the immanent aspect of the Divine, that is active participation in the act of creation. This Tantric view of the Feminine in creation contributed to the orientation of the human being towards the active principles of the universe, rather than towards those of pure transcendence. Shakti is associated with matter, nature, immersion, receiving, life force, energy, chaos, form, the body, cyclicality, interconnectivity, presence, liminality and impermanence. By contrast, Shiva defines the traits specific to pure transcendence, witness consciousness, formlessness, structure, stability, order, focus, linearity, detachment, the mind, and stillness.
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One of the most significant aspects of Shakti as a primordial cosmic energy is Kundalini Shakti. The Sanskrit term “Kundali Shakti” translates to “Serpent Power”. The word kundalini is derived from the Sanskrit word kundal, meaning “coiled up.” In Tantra Yoga, kundalini is an aspect of Shakti. It is a power associated with the divine feminine or the formless aspect of the Goddess. Kundalini is thought to be an energy released within an individual using specific meditation techniques. It is generally defined as an essential potentiality of our being which, when cultivated and awakened through tantric practice, is believed to lead to spiritual liberation. It is represented symbolically as a serpent coiled at the base of the spine, around the muladhara chakra.
There are many references to the power, grace, and importance of kundalini in the traditional texts of yoga. In the Gheranda Samhita, kundalini is likened to a serpent lying coiled in muladhara chakra: “In the muladhara is kundalini, having the form of serpent.”
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Kundalini Shakti is the Universal Sacred Power, even though it is connected with the finite body-mind. Kundalini is sometimes misinterpreted as meaning mere “force.” But, as Sir John Woodroffe noted, Shakti is “Power,” and as such, is ananda (Bliss), chit (Pure Awareness), and prema (Love). Kundalini Shakti is the very energy of consciousness, which, when aroused, brings higher states of awareness, including samadhi—blissful, meditative consciousness.
The term Kundalini, along with practices associated with it, was adopted into Hatha Yoga in the 9th century. It has since then been adopted into other forms of Hinduism as well as modern spirituality and New age thought.
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In her book Awakening Shakti, Sally Kempton discusses eleven goddesses that represent the different facets, energies and manifestations of Shakti.
Some of these goddesses are warriors, while others are lovers. Some have maternal energy, others are dedicated to opening us to mystical realms. Every one of them can be a portal into the deepest realms of the soul, and a guide to the skills of living as an empowered feminine lover of life. Most of us have an inner affinity to one or another of the goddesses. And this can change as we move through our lives.
Artwork by Ekabhumi, for Awakening Shakti
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Parvati—Goddess of the sacred marriage, love, beauty, purity, fertility and devotion, the divine yogini, who embodies the power of creative will. She is the benevolent aspect of the archetypal mother goddess.
Durga—the Unconquerable form of Devi, the warrior, cosmic protector mother of the Universe. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction and wars. Her name means “the Inaccessible Fortress”, “Invincible” or “Hard to Conquer”. Virginal and sublime, containing within her the power of all the Hindu gods combined, she is the invincible power of Nature who triumphs over those who seek to subjugate her.
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Kali—Goddess of time, destruction, death, change and transformation. Her name means “She Who Is Black” or “She Who Is Death”. She is the mysterious terrifying, fiercely loving goddess who brings radical change into our lives, and ultimately dissolves all forms into the Void. She is a symbol of Mother Nature herself—primordial, creative, nurturing and devouring in turn, but ultimately loving and benevolent. She symbolizes the death of the ego. Among her forms are Tara and Bhairavi.
Laksmi—Goddess of good fortune, wealth, prosperity, and inner and outer abundance. She is the divine power that transforms dreams into reality.
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Saraswati—Goddess of creative intuition, knowledge, music, arts, wisdom and learning, eloquence and speech.
Lalita Tripura Sundari—Goddess of sacred sexuality as well as the highest form of mystical experience, whose blessing unites the energy of the body with the energy of spirit.
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Dhumavati—the Crone goddess, the widow goddess, the Grandmother spirit who teaches us how to turn disappointment into spiritual growth. She is the primordial darkness and ignorance, from which rises the world of illusion. She represents the darkness/ignorance before creation and after decay. This ignorance, which obscures the ultimate reality, is necessary because, without the realization of this ignorance, true knowledge cannot be achieved.
Radha—the goddess of erotic devotional love and passion, who carries the gift of divine longing and mystical surrender. She is also considered the internal potency of her consort, the god Krishna. Radha has always been a part of the bhakti movement symbolizing “yearning of human soul drawn to Krishna”.
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Sita—The faithful wife, guardian of the womb, goddess of the earth and its mysteries. She is acknowledged for her courage, purity, dedication, loyalty, and sacrifice.
Chinnamasta—The Headless Tantric Goddess of Transformation. She is depicted holding her own head, which she has just cut off. She is known as the self-decapitated Goddess and also as Prachanda Chandika. She is a form of Shakti with ferocious power.
Bhuveshwari—Goddess of sacred and infinite space, who dissolves all limitations into herself, and then creates new forms out of the space. She is mother of the solar systems. She creates the space so that all the things in the manifested world can exist.
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Here, you will find simple practices, prompts and rituals that will help you connect with Shakti, and get in contact with the dynamic, creative feminine principle.
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Shakti is power in all forms; she is the energy or active power of the divine. She is the power of generation and creativity, the power of words, the energy of mantras, and the creative power of imagination. Shakti is the life-force expressing herself as the flow of energy through the body. Shakti is Mother Nature. Meditate on Shakti as the dynamic breath of life within you. In the middle of the motion of breathing, delight in the splendor of life. Attend to breath as play, enjoy the rushing motion toward the end of the exhalation and inhalation, and savor the tiny movements as the flow reverses from one to the other.
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There are little moments at the end of the exhale and again at the end of the inhale when the air is not moving in a specific direction. It is not still; it is like a river, with eddies and swirls, and the blood is absorbing oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide. A lot is happening, but it’s a quiet space of refreshing calmness. You can rest your attention in these turnings. A thoughtlessness opens up. In these moments, life is twiddling its thumbs, rebooting. In this quiet swirling, you can say to yourself: “I am filled with the power of life.” Or you could use a prayer or verse from your native religion to say something like, “God is breathing in me the breath of life.” You could think the word Shakti as a mantra, uttering it as an inner expression of awe. Whenever you use a Sanskrit word as a mantra, whisper it softly for a couple of minutes as you are getting used to the word. If you really like the word, it will continue to resonate in your awareness. From there, you can follow it into silence and spaciousness.
Practice by Lorin Roche, in The Radiance Sutras
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From Holy Darkness: A Tantric Opus
Poetry by Maya Luna, Music by Pattern Disrupt
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“Whales and redwoods both make us feel small and I think that's an important experience for humans to have at the hands of nature," says Roger Payne in Jonathan White’s Talking on the Water. He continues: “We need to recognize that we are not the stars of the show. We’re just another pretty face, just one species among millions more.” Purposefully seek out some places of grandeur in the natural world. Acknowledge your smallness in the vast scheme of things.
Philosophers describe this experience as the sublime. In The Art of Travel, Alain de Botton writes: “The sublime is a feeling provoked by certain kinds of landscape that are very large, very impressive and dangerous. Places like the wide-open oceans, the high mountains, the polar caps. The Sinai Desert, the Grand Canyon. These places do all sorts of things to us. Around the end of the 18th century, philosophers started saying that the feeling these places provoke in us is a recognizable one and universal one—and a good one. It was described as the feeling of the sublime. What lies at the center of the experience of the sublime is a feeling of smallness. You are very small and something else is very big and dangerous. You are very vulnerable in the face of something else.
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Nature puts us all in our places. Being made to feel small isn't something we welcome when it's done to us by another person, but to be apprised of our essential nothingness by something so much greater than ourselves is in no sense humiliating. Our egos, exhaustingly aware of every slight they receive and prone relentlessly to compare their advantages with those enjoyed by others, may even be relieved to find themselves finally humbled by forces so much more powerful than any human being could ever muster.
See how small you are next to the mountains. Accept what is bigger than you and what you do not understand. The world may appear illogical to you, but it does not follow that it is illogical per se. Our life is not the measure of all things: consider sublime places a reminder of human insignificance and frailty.” (Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel)
—Spiritual practice by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat in Summertime and Living Takes Practice
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Ground and center, and visualize a round full moon. She is the mother, the power of fruition and of all aspects of creativity. She nourishes what the New Moon has begun. See her open arms, her full breasts, her womb burgeoning with life. Feel your own power to nurture, to give, to make manifest what is possible. She is the sensual woman; her pleasure in union is the moving force that sustains all life. Feel the power and generative life-force in your own pleasure. Feel the nurturing, unconditionally loving, all-encompassing, all-allowing mother in you.
Meditation from The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk
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Ground and center. Take a deep breath. Feel the blood flowing through the rivers of your veins, the liquid tides within each cell of your body. You are fluid, one drop congealed out of the primal ocean that is the womb of the Great Mother. Find the calm pools of tranquility within you, the rivers of feeling, the tides of power. Sink deep into the well of the inner mind, below consciousness.
Meditation from The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk
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Ground and center. Take a deep breath. Be conscious of the electric spark within each nerve as pulses jump from synapse to synapse. Be aware of the combustion within each cell, as energy releases and moves throughout your body. Let your own fire become one with candle flame, bonfire, hearth fire, lightning, starlight and sunlight, one with the bright spirit of the Goddess.
Fire teaches us that power results from combining and integrating, rather than fighting and dominating. Remember, there is ease and grace in true power. And you are powerful beyond measure.
Meditation from The Spiral Dance, by Starhawk
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While seated, move your body as if you're seaweed flowing in the ocean. Fluid but rooted. Watch the surface of your body from the inside. See how the inner surface changes as you move. Repeat as needed to connect to your inner-witness, inner-shapeshifter and your innate fluidity.
Practice by Che Che Luna
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Dive deeper into the world of Shakti and the power of the Feminine, with these books, talks, podcasts, videos and courses.
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✎ Book
‘Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga’
by Sally Kempton -
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‘Shakti: Realm of the Divine Mother’
by Vanamali -
✎ Book
‘Shakti: Tales of the Mother Goddess’
by Amar Chitra Katha -
✎ Book
‘Shakti Rising: Embracing Shadow and Light on the Goddess Path to Wholeness’
by Kavitha M. Chinnaiyan MD -
✎ Book
‘The Power of Shakti: 18 Pathways to Ignite the Energy of the Divine Woman’
by Padma Aon Prakasha -
☾ Talk
‘Shakti: Awaken The Power Within ’
by Raja Choudhury -
☾ Talk
‘Shakti: The Feminine Power’
by Srividya Nagaraju -
✎ Book
‘Shakti Woman: Feeling Our Fire, Healing Our World - The New Female Shamanism’
by Vicki Noble -
✎ Book
‘Shakti Mantras: Tapping into the Great Goddess Energy Within’
by Thomas Ashley-Farrand -
✎ Book
‘The Radiance Sutras: 112 Gateways to the Yoga of Wonder and Delight’
by Lorin Roche -
✤ Podcast
‘For the Divine Mother of the Universe’
by The Emerald -
✎ Book
‘The Return of the Feminine and the World Soul’
by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee -
✎ Book
‘Shakti: The Ultimate Guide to Tapping into the Divine Feminine Energy’
by Mari Silva -
☾ Talk
‘Feminine for a Gentler Economy’
by Sadhguru, HRH Princess Noor of Jordan & Harjinder Kaur Talwar -
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‘Sadhguru on the Power of Feminine Energy’
by Shekhar Kapur with Sadhguru -
✦ Course
‘The Inner Goddess Activation: Awaken your Kundalini with Shakti Energy’
with Raja Choudhury -
✦ Course
‘The Dance of Shiva & Shakti’
with Raja Choudhury -
✶ Coloring Book
‘The Shakti Coloring Book: Goddesses, Mandalas, and the Power of Sacred Geometry’
by Ekabhumi Charles Ellik -
✽ Video
‘The Hindu Interpretation of Creation | The Story of God’
by National Geographic