Sophia's Children: Goddesses of Now: Durga & Akhilandeshwari

In these times of transformation, the Divine Feminine is re-emerging.

She calls to us, and re-emerges in and through us, sometimes taking us on quite the adventures of transformation.

Have you noticed?

How can we invoke, call upon, and open to the Divine Feminine -- the Goddess -- to help us as we navigate change, transform old beliefs, and deal with fear and uncertainty ... among other things?

What Goddesses or aspects of the Feminine do we call upon?   And how?

I've been exploring just these questions for the last seven years, and what a journey it's been!

Since the turn of the year, I was guided to explore the energies, symbolism, and guidance of the Goddess in her Maha Durga and Akhilandeshwari expressions. And I've been working with the sacred vibration of the Durga mantra for my recent 40-Day Sadhana (mantra yoga practice).

I shared a bit of what I learned in the audio program, Goddesses of NOW: Durga & Akhilandeshwari. (You'll find that here.)

Maha Durga first introduced herself in 2005 or 2006, when I was visiting a friend in Southern California. On the way out of a boutique in Santa Barbara, the proprietor invited me to choose a card from a bowl she had on the counter. I did: Maha Durga, with her eight arms and her trusty lion companion. I realized I'd met her before in my experience, but hadn't known her name.

Akhilandeshwari started 'popping up' several years ago, and then again starting a few months ago.

Both convey the power of the Feminine through their stories, energy vibration, and guidance. That's why I called them Goddesses of NOW.

Have you met the Goddess in her Durga and Akhilandeshwari expressions?

Maha Durga is a fierce, feisty and protective aspect of the Divine Feminine. She's a lion or tiger-riding demon slayer with an unshakeable sense of resourcefulness, confidence ... and humor, too.

Because she is an embodiment of the Feminine creative power, Shakti, she is fearless, and gets plenty pissed off when her children are threatened by 'demonic' or sociopathic forces.

The thing is, while Maha Durga has plenty of cool, handy weapons, and she can use them effortlessly, she ultimately conquered the uber-Demon by the sheer power of her Divine Light -- perfect Light (like perfect Love) casts out all fear and fearsome energies.

Akhilandeshwari is known mostly as "the Goddess who is never not broken."

But she's more than that, too. She tells us that fear is just powerful creative life-force energy that's been misdirected (or appropriated ... see 'demon' above!).

A 'wabi-sabe' Goddess, She surfs the waves of Life on the back of a crocodile, and KNOWS there is strength in imperfection, vulnerability, and change, and transmutes fear into creativity.

What's even more interesting, is that there are some real similarities in the myth-stories of Durga and Akhilandeshwari -- and that tells us something, too.

When we work or practice with these energies and archetypes, we (or they!) nurture and awaken their gifts within us. With these two Goddesses, that comes in handy right about now.

Learn more about the Goddesses of Now: Durga & Akhilandaswari audio program.

My conversations with and mentoring from Maha Durga and Akhilandeshwari continues (and the Goddess has invited the Black Madonna and other of her 'faces' to this party as well). I'll share more as the adventure continues.

Love,

Jamie