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“It is in our nature to always seek more growth, expansion, joy and evolution. In the absence of healthy archetypes, we take on unhealthy archetypes, like popular culture celebrities. As a collective, we are looking for something or someone to raise ourselves towards. The yogis recognized that and therefore shared the sacred archetypes of Shiva, Kali, Durga, Lakshmi, Ganesha [and others].”
What is a Deity?
A deity is a god or goddess, a sacred archetype, with divine status, quality or nature. These sacred archetypes offer a doorway to the infinite, through their different qualities. They represent perfection of the human spirit, and when we work with their energy, it allows us to tune into principles that inspire us. It also gives us a sense of belonging to something greater than ourselves.
I love working with the deities from the Indian tradition. Some of these deities, such as Durga, have been worshipped for over 10,000 years! These deities are depicted in various forms, but ultimately they are all expressions of Brahma (the absolute/infinite).
Why Work with a Deity?
While the energy and qualities we invoke from deities already reside within each of us, sometimes they lay dormant and need to be activated.
There is so much value in choosing, studying and invoking the presence of a particular deity. Each deity has different values, mantras and practices to invoke their values or qualities. We can use sound and mantra to activate the qualities.
When you tune into the qualities of the different deities, you begin to invoke those qualities within you. You begin to embody the qualities of the deity, and then ultimately vibrate at the deity's higher frequency. When we are working even with just one deity, we start to naturally embody qualities of other deities as well, continuing to keep us moving in the direction of higher consciousness. How to Work with a Deity One of my favorite ways to work with the energy of deities is through mantra. Using a deity's mantra calls upon their specific energy and helps us tune into the Great Mystery within and without. Here are some common Gods and Goddesses that people like to work with: Lakshmi - The Goddess of Beauty, Abundance and Grace Ganesha - The Lord of Success, Knowledge and Wealth.
Krishna - The Lord of Love and Compassion Durga - The Divine Mother and Protector
Agni - The God of Fire
Surya - The Lord of Light and Power
Shiva - The God of Pure Consciousness For an example of a practice that invokes the energy of a deity, check out my post on activating the energy of Shiva, which helps us connect with our center. In the wake of the pandemic and the violence happening in the world right now, the more people coming to their center and finding that peace within the better.
“ESTABLISH PEACE WITHIN AND THEN RADIATE IT OUT INTO THE WORLD. If we really want peace then we must start with ourselves. As long as there is no peace within our hearts and minds there cannot be any peace in the world, for we are the world.” - Anand Mehrotra Work with Deity Energy Live this March If you are local to the Jackson, Wyoming area, join me for three Tuesdays in March to work with the energy of three goddesses: Durga (Strength), Kali (Fearlessness) and Tara (Compassion) ~ through a Japa Meditation practice. What is Japa Meditation? In Sanskrit, Japa means "to repeat" prayers or mantras ~ so a Japa meditation practice is a meditative repetition of reciting a mantra or even the divine names of gods or goddesses (known as deities). The mantra or god/goddess is chosen based on the qualities you are wishing to invoke. Oftentimes, a Japa meditation practice will be accompanied by a mala ~ prayer beads~ although you do not need a mala to perform a Japa practice. Learn more or sign up here.
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