Awakening the Divine Feminine 

As yet another year unfolds in front of us, it is important to remember the sacred cycles that our lives take.  With the end of any cycle comes a rebirth, an emergence into a new cycle of life.  With this rebirth comes a shift in perspective; a shift from how we have seen the world, to embracing new ways of being.  Honoring the divine feminine that lies within each of us is essential at any time of great change.  This is because, as humans, when things are uncertain in our lives, we feel the need to push, to ask for more answers and to try to do more.  When in actuality,  the exact opposite is the most beneficial path to take.  It is during these times of uncertainty that we need to embrace our feminine receptive nature like no other time.  It is the time to slow down, to listen, observe, and to allow ourselves to be led by the inner voice, instead of trying to find the voices on the outside to lead us.  It is in this spirit that I share with you my ways of connecting to the Goddess.  Through sharing my connection with opening to my feminine energy, I hope to inspire the same awakening and connection within you.  These are the strategies that I have used, they are by no means comprehensive, and should just serve as a starting point to connecting to your own feminine goddess energy.  I hope that you find your inspiration here to begin a year of embracing the divine feminine energy within yourself!

 

1. Meditation

 

Yes, I know you have heard it before; meditation is the key to cultivating your spiritual connection.  But this is especially so when awakening the divine feminine within yourself.  Spirit speaks to us in the space between our thoughts.  When our minds are too full with thoughts and chatter, it is impossible to connect deeply to our spiritual center.  Meditation does not have to another task that you add to your list.  There are many                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           simple ways to integrate meditation into your daily activities, here is one simple meditative practice that you can fit into even the busiest day:

 Dedicate a day to practicing mindful meditation.  Mindful Meditation is the Buddhist practice of becoming aware of each moment you are in and staying centered in that moment.  This is done by keeping your focus on your breath, becoming aware of your body and your surroundings.  You do not need to put aside any time to practice mindful meditation – it can be done during routine activities like washing the dishes, walking to the bathroom or brushing your teeth.  It is simply a time of a clear mind and attention to the present moment.  Dedicate time everyday to practice.  Begin by focusing on your breath and the action your body is performing. When you notice your mind drifting off in another direction, gently bring your awareness back to the present moment.  Slowly try to incorporate more and more segments of mindful meditation into your day.  The practice is the most rewarding I can suggest – it will help your mind to slow down and your connection to spirit to become clearer.  It helps to dedicate a specific part of every day to the things that you normally worry or think about throughout your day.  For example, instead of going through your morning routine with a mind full of your ‘to do’ list for the day, dedicate 10-15 minutes every morning, both when you wake, and then again when you get to work to write all of your things to do in a small journal.  This way your mind will be clear when completing your morning routine, and you can bring clarity into your day before if even officially ‘begins’!  This practice is so valuable, I cannot recommend it enough.  Your insight and clarity into questions in your own life will begin to heighten once your mind is clear and open to receiving the inspiration and insight that flows from the divine stillness in our days.  

1. Create an Alter to the Goddess

 

No matter how much you plan to meditate and stay connected to spirit, life often pulls us in different directions.  Alters are places that we can create within our everyday environments (most often our homes and offices) that allow us to reconnect to spirit.

 

Alters are sacred places that you create with the intention of bringing spirit into your everyday life.  They do not cost any money to make, and can bring immense depth into your daily spiritual practice and connection to the divine feminine.

 

To create an alter choose a place in your home or on your desk at work that will be undisturbed, it may be a corner, or a place that previously held clutter.

 

First clear this space completely, with the empty space in front of you, close your eyes and say a silent prayer, asking that this space be infused with only the highest energy.  If you are home you may want to light a candle or clear the space by burning some sage.  Then spend a few moments in meditation, asking your highest self, what spiritual energy that you most need to connect to.  When you have completed this meditation, you will have an idea of what you would like this alter to focus on.  Then spend a day or two collecting special, sacred items to place on your alter.  Below I have listed some suggestions of alters that may spark your interest, and specific practices and goddesses to invoke with each one.  Allow these alters to act as jumping off points for creating your very own alter, I often have several alters in different parts of my home at once, because I need many reminders to stay centered, and I love the feeling that a continued spiritual connection throughout my day brings me!!:

 Abundance 

Many of us at this time need to focus on the abundance that already exists in our lives, in order to keep from focusing on the lack that we have.  No matter how dire our situation may be, bringing our attention to the abundance that is present in our lives, and practicing gratitude for this will always bring more peace and will align us with bringing more and more abundance into our lives.  Select several items that are meaningful reminders of the abundance that already exists in your life.  Place these items on your cleared alter space. 

 

Lakshimi is the Goddess to call upon to assist you with energetically connecting to abundance.  Find a picture or statue (I often go online and print pictures on glossy paper to place in my alter areas), and place it in the alter.  Also place a symbol of the abundance that you would like to attract, be it money, time or wisdom (or all three if you are feeling ambitious!).  Finally, place a candle or incense on the alter, every time you walk by this alter take a moment to stand in front of it and give thanks for the abundance that is currently in your life, then call upon Lakshimi to assist you in bringing more abundance to you in the future. 

 

When you have some quiet time, light the candle or incense and take the picture or statue down from the alter.  Place it in front of you and silence your mind, spend 15-30 minutes in a quiet meditative state.  I often ask Lakshimi to send me any insights that may help me to attract more abundance into my life and to release any worries that may be plaguing me.  I would have a journal ready to write down any thoughts that come to mind.  When you have finished meditating and recording any insights that come through, blow out your flame and place Lakshimi back upon the alter. (Do not worry if you do not receive insights right away, often it takes several sittings to connect to any spiritual energy, practice patience with the process!) 

 Strength 

Whether it be inner or outer strength that you are seeking (or both!) creating an alter to bring strength can be a powerful way to focus on bringing more strength into your life and remind yourself daily of the strength that already lies within you.  You may want to focus on strength in a particular area, strength within a relationship, physical strength, or strength within your profession.  Whatever your focus is, select several items that remind you of strength that you already hold in your life.  These items may be pictures, symbols, words, or certain books that have brought you strength in the past…. There is no ‘wrong’ item to place in your alter, the most important thing to remember is that you are bringing inspiration to yourself, so whatever items have inspired strength in you in the past will work!

 

Athena or Brigit are the Goddesses to call upon for strength.  Brigit is a triple goddess. This means that she embodies qualities of the maiden (the spirited young & beautiful girl), the matron (the nurturer, mother) and the crone (the wise elder).  The worship of Brigit has been suppressed for 1600 years, but she still continues to have devotees visit her well in Ireland and she is still honored in spirit thousands of years after she lived.  She epitomizes a woman who can survive it all, and still hold true to her authentic self.  We can call on Brigit when we feel overwhelmed or need transformation in some aspect of our lives.  Brigit is often associated with water, which holds the healing properties of transformation.  Therefore, it is suggested to place small dishes of water in any alter in which you wish to honor or call upon the energies of Brigit. 

 

Athena was the ruler of Athens, the city of the goddess, according to ancient Greek mythology.  She was originally a household goddess, and we can call on her to assist us with matters of family and home.  Athena is often seen with an owl on her shoulder, a symbol and reminder that we must always turn to the wisdom that lies within us to balance the strength we call upon.  You may want to place an image of an owl on your alter, if you wish to balance your strength with a heightened inner wisdom.  Athena represents our ability to stand our ground, to defend ourselves and our ideals, and is therefore an energy we can call upon when we feel that we need assistance in holding true to our ideals.

 

You can include Brigit or Athena in your alter, or both, if you feel that you resonate with both of them.  You can perform the same quiet meditative ritual that is described above for Lakshimi for with Brigit or Athena as well.  Ask for insights that may help you to stay connected to your strength through out the day.  Invoking the presence of these goddesses in your meditation time will help you to connect to their energy and bring even more meaning to your alters and the quiet moments you spend throughout the day at them.

 Balance 

In our hectic lives today, balance is something we often strive for, but never feel that we completely achieve.  It is more important now than ever to balance the masculine and feminine energies in our lives.  What does this mean in practical terms?  It means that we need to balance our propensity to go, do, think, and act, with a time of intentional reception.  To create time to receive, practice observing, listening and tuning into the stillness between your thoughts.  Collect several items that reflect the things you want to balance in your life and place them on your clear alter.

 

Isis is not traditionally called upon for balance, however she does represent a woman who held the strength of a man and the gentle compassion of a woman.  Isis is known in Egyptian mythology as the daughter of sky and earth, she was worshipped for thousands of years in cultures across the globe.  Isis wears the enormous outstretched wings of a bird, and carries a symbol called an ankh, an oval shape that ends in a cross that means simply ‘life’.  Isis supports us in our search for wholeness, in our search for balance in life and in our quest to soar above obstacles to find a new wholeness, a new way of being in our lives.

 

Once you have brought all the items of your alter together, you can sit in meditation as is described above.  The energy of Isis is quite strong, and you may feel that you need to sit with her several times before you are able to connect to any guidance coming through.  The quest for balance is a lifelong journey, and Isis helps us to appreciate this journey as the goal, and to release the destination of perfect balance for the moment, for in our quest to find balance, we often get sidetracked with our disappointment in ourselves.  She brings unconditional acceptance for all mistakes, and an unrelenting focus on what can be done in the present moment.

 Clarity 

In times of such great uncertainty, all of us could use some extra clarity right now.  Whether it be clarity in our relationships, career, or inner most selves, an alter that allows us to spend time each day centered in clarity can do nothing but good!  Collect items around your home and within nature that represent or symbolize the areas of your life that you would like to gain some additional clarity into.  Place these in your alter space.

 

Amaterasu is a sun god and is currently worshipped in Japan by those practicing the pre-Buddhist religion of Shinto.  She is represented in the simple circle on the Japanese flag, which is also symbolic of a mirror, central to gaining clarity is truly being able to see yourself, as a great Japanese proverb states, “When the mirror is dim, the soul is not pure” This means that the world that we see around us is always a mirror for what we hold within us.  Therefore, when the world around us seems dim in any way, we first need to examine the dimness that exists within ourselves that is reflecting out to the world.  Placing blame on our outside circumstances will never bring clarity, clarity can only emerge from within.  Therefore, in any alter in which you wish to gain clarity it would be beneficial to place a small mirror as a reminder of this proverb, you may also want to include the proverb as another reminder to look within first. 

 

Sitting before your alter, you can call upon Amaterasu by thinking or saying her name three times.  Ask for help to restore balance to your life.  Sit quietly and wait for any thoughts or insights to come that shed light on any areas of darkness or cloudiness that presently exist in your life.  I call on Amaterasu whenever I need clarity in any situation, simply sitting in front of your alter with an open mind can often spark clarity later in the day or week.  Do not worry if you walk away from your alter just as cloudy as when you approached it.  Spiritual guidance does not appear on demand, and we often have to simply wait trust and practice patience when working with goddess energy or any other spiritual energy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 Passion 

Ahhhh, Passion.  At times it can come oh so easily, and other times we can feel as though our wells have dried up completely.  Passion is not something you can simply call upon, instead it describes a state of mind that you need to cultivate on a daily basis.  The bedroom is an excellent space for a passion alter, and any surface will do.  Collect items around your home that invoke a sense of passion within you.  I like to surround this alter with several candles, often the presence of many candles lit invokes a romantic feeling, one that can lead to passion when the environment is right.  A beautiful simple piece of fabric or picture of someone or something that inspires passion in your life is also appropriate for this alter.  Although we typically think of passion in reference to romance, we can also build a passion alter for something in our life that we would like to reignite passion for.  Is your passion for your work or home dwindling?  You may want to devote a passion alter to one of these areas.  In these cases, it may be more appropriate to place this alter on your desk or in your living room. 

 

Aphrodite is the goddess of love.  However, she more specifically governs physical attraction.  Physical passion does not only refer to sex, but also to the feelings that stir within your body when you appreciate a majestic sunset or walk through an awe inspiring art gallery.   Aphrodite is often surrounded by flowers, symbolizing the blooming, flourishing, growing movement of our passion within us.  She was also born of the water, and water, as another sacred symbol of femininity is often found surrounding Aphrodite.  The color gold is most often found alongside Aphrodite.  When we are filled with the color gold we glow, we shimmer, we sparkle, we are filled with passion and desire.  Bringing these elements into your alter will only increase the power of your intention for passion and the honoring of Aphrodite.

 

When creating an alter to honor the and invoke passion, it can not be left unattended, but needs to be replenished (flowers replaced regularly) in order to keep this energy fresh within yourself as well.  Also, remember that passion needs to be balanced as well with wisdom and discernment, as passion unchecked can be dangerous, so practice caution when invoking passion into any area of your life. 

 

When spending meditative time with you passion alter, music helps to bring in a passionate energy.  Focus on what you would like to bring passion into your life for and play the music while visualizing a passionate encounter with this person or thing.  You may want to select music that inspires passion.

  Compassion 

Compassion is a quality that we often neglect in our busy lives.  It is perhaps the most important to begin to develop and cultivate compassion towards ourselves, this is the area that many of us are lacking in.  We are often our own worst critics, and when we can learn to practice compassion for ourselves, this will naturally spread to others, and will bring more grace and ease into our everyday lives. 

 

Kuan Yin was one of the first goddesses that I connected with.  Today I know that she is not technically a goddess, but a bodhisattva. A bodhisattva is an individual who had attained Buddha hood, but decided to stay with the human race in order to bring enlightenment to every human being.  Therefore, Kuan Yin is here for us, she is a messenger of self-love and love for all of man kind.  You can call on her when you want to awaken compassion within your own heart, and she is always ready to assist.  Kuan Yin knows the difficulties of the earthly plane, because she was born onto earth as a girl named Miao Shan. Kuan Yin is often depicted emerging from the lotus flower.  The lotus flower is a symbol of purity, it is one of the most beautiful flowers in the world that grows from the muddy swamps, therefore symbolizing our own journey from ordinary reality into divine purity and grace.  She is also always depicted near a body of water, therefore incorporating these two symbols into an alter dedicated to awakening compassion will strengthen your intention.

 

The use of sound to invoke the spirit of Kuan Yin is the traditional method of connecting to her.  The chant that has been used to invoke the spirit of Kuan Yin for centuries is called the Dharani of Great Compassion.  A simple piece of the chant to remember for daily use is Namo Kuan Shi Yin P’u Sa (Which loosly translates into, “I Bow to you Kuan Yin, divine compassionate goddess mother)  Because these chants have been repeated by millions all over the globe for centuries, the words themselves contain a very powerful and magical energy to them..  Write them out and speak them slowly, concentrating on the sounds that emanate from within yourself as a physical connection to divine energy that has been utilized for centuries.  Many have experienced the presence of Kuan Yin enter there physical space or their thoughts and third eye chakra after such an invocation. 

 Inspiration 

One of the strongest energies that the goddess can bring into our lives is that of inspiration.  When we are feeling as though we need to awaken the latent muse that lies within us, the goddess is always here to help.  No matter what it is that you may need inspiration with; writing, art or even what to make for dinner, no job is too small or insignificant to call upon the goddess for help.  To create your Inspiration alter, collect several items that currently inspire you, it may be a quote, a book, a scent or a picture.  Place these items together on your alter and call in the Muses to help you invoke inspiration.

 

The Muses are a group of energies often revered as goddesses that do not hold a definitive place in mythological history.  The Muses have been many different things to different people, but they are widely known as wilderness goddesses, each with her own spring or mountain.  We can then relate the Muses most closely to mother earth, to the purist form of energy.  They have no thoughts that cloud their mind, they are simply divine energy  – much like a mountain, a spring, or a flower.  Ancient peoples thought of the Muses as a natural force; in their wisdom they considered inspiration as the wellspring that sprouted from the divine stillness of nature.  The Muses are often represented by a freshwater spring that bubbles.  It is simply in listening to our own internal springs that inspiration has the ability to spring forth into our lives.  It is the most powerful then to invoke the power of inspiration at your alter with some fresh water and a natural object; be it a flower, plant or even small collection of stones.  Anything that can remind you of the inspiration that innately lies within you and all things of this earth.

 

In order to harness the full power of your alter, you do not want to let it sit dormant.  The Muses require creative acts in order to stay alive within you.  Change this alter often to suit you mood.  The easiest practice is to keep fresh flowers or a plant at this alter.  This will require that you tend to it daily.  Each time you water the flowers or plant, or tend to them in any way silent your mind and spend time listening to that spring that bubbles up from within your own psyche. 

 

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I recommend that you create an alter in each one of your major living spaces, and where you work.  In order for these energies to come alive within your life, you need to tend to them.  Creating a space in your home dictates that you regularly attend these alters.  Take time each day to walk by the alter and spend a few moments sitting or standing in silence with the energies that you have invoked.  Care for them, rearrange or refresh them when you feel drawn to.  Playing inspirational music while you dust or care for your alters is a powerful way to awaken the energies within yourself and within the alter.  It is in this regular practice of connecting that you will find these qualities begin to come more alive within yourself.  For just as the energies of the Goddesses lie outside of us, each of us also holds each of the energies of these goddesses within us.  We are all one, and contain small divine sparks of every part of the universe.  So, we are not only calling on a power outside of ourselves, but we are simultaneously awakening that same power that is lying dormant within us. 

 

This combination of practicing daily mindful meditation and creating small alters in my home dramatically shifted my world.  I moved from a cluttered mind, one that was always trying to figure out what to do next, moving from one area of ‘doing’ to another – to more of a state of grace within my life.  Connecting with the goddess energy within myself has given me a renewed balance in my life.  I still invoke the different goddesses depending on what I need in my life, and it has been a practice that has been invaluable in my daily living and with the major decisions that I need to make.  I can only hope that I have awakened some of that same goddess energy within you.  Often, it is just by reading about the goddesses, that their energy already begins to awaken in our lives.  If you don’t know where to begin, take a couple days and see which goddesses stay with you.  You can ask the goddesses to present themselves to you, there are here to help you, just as the masculine God has been here to guide you.  Pay attention to your dreams, daydreams, and any symbols that may appear in your life.  They will speak to you when you are ready to hear their still small voice that they whisper with.

 Aimee R. Shea, M.A., CCHt is a Holistic Counselor and Healer in Southern California helping children, teens and adults come into alignment with the live they were meant to live.  Visit www.indigorisingonline.com for a complete description of services and classes available.