Kali the Hindu Goddess of Creation and Destruction

Kali is a powerful Hindu Goddess known for her fierce and protective nature. She is often depicted with dark skin, wild hair, and multiple arms holding weapons. Kali is associated with destruction, time, and change, but also with motherly love and protection. In Hindu mythology, she is often seen as the consort of Lord Shiva. The culture of the Hindu people is incredibly diverse and rich, encompassing a wide range of beliefs, practices, traditions, and rituals. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world and has a profound influence on the cultural fabric of India and other countries where Hinduism is practiced. Hindu culture is a vibrant tapestry of traditions, beliefs, and practices that have evolved over thousands of years, reflecting the diversity and complexity of Hinduism as a religion. Hindu culture is characterized by a deep reverence for nature, spirituality, and the interconnectedness of all living beings. It includes a wide variety of religious practices, such as puja (worship), meditation, yoga, and pilgrimage to sacred sites. Hindu festivals, such as Diwali, Holi, Navaratri, and Durga Puja, are celebrated with great enthusiasm and are an integral part of Hindu culture life. Hindu art, music, dance, and literature are also important aspects of Hindu culture with classical Indian dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Odissi, and classical music traditions like Hindustani and Carnatic music being highly revered. The caste system, although controversial and often misunderstood, has historically played a significant role in shaping Hindu society. However, efforts are being made to promote equality and social justice within the Hindu community.

The Origins of Kali 

Kali is a powerful and complex goddess in Hindu mythology with origins dating back to ancient texts such as the Devi Mahatmya. She is often associated with destruction, time, and change, but also with motherly love and protection. Kali is believed to have emerged from the forehead of the goddess. Durga during a battle against the demon. Raktabija. In this form, Kali is depicted as a force of nature, a fierce warrior goddess with dark skin, wild hair, and multiple arms holding weapons. She is often portrayed wearing a garland of skulls and a skirt made of severed arms, symbolizing her role as a destroyer of evil forces. Kali's existence is deeply rooted in Hindu cosmology and mythology, where she is seen as a manifestation of the divine feminine energy or Shakti. She is considered a primordial force of nature, representing the power of creation, preservation, and destruction. Kali is also associated with time and the eternal cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. (I view this as another face of Hekate).

Throughout history, Kali has been worshipped by devotees seeking protection, empowerment, and liberation from worldly attachments. Her worship is often intense and ritualistic, with offerings of blood, meat, and alcohol symbolizing the sacrifices of the ego and worldly desires. Overall, Kali's existence is a complex and multifaceted aspect of Hindu mythology, embodying both the destructive and nurturing aspects of the divine feminine. She continues to be a revered and powerful figure in Hindu culture inspiring devotion, awe, and reverence among her followers.

The Darkness of Kali

Kali is often depicted with dark and fierce characteristics in Hindu mythology. She is associated with destruction, time, and change, and is often portrayed as a fearsome warrior goddess who wields weapons and wears a garland of skulls. Kali's dark appearance symbolizes her role as a destroyer of evil forces and ignorance. She is also sometimes depicted with a tongue sticking out, symbolizing her thirst for blood and her role as a fierce protector of her devotees. Kali's association with death and destruction can be seen as a reflection of the impermanence and transitory of life. While Kali's dark characteristics may seem intimidating, they are also seen as a necessary aspect of the divine feminine energy that she embodies. In Hindu mythology, Kali's fierce form is believed to help destroy negative energies and obstacles to pave the way for new beginnings and transformation. It is important to understand that Kali's dark characteristics are not meant to be interpreted as purely evil, but rather as a representation of the complex and multifaced nature of the divine feminine in Hindu culture.

The Four Pillars of Witchcraft

When a witch knows it is time to appeal to a higher court, then it is time for serious ritual, and the "Four Pillars of Fire", must be used during these sacred rites. The "Four Pillars of Witchcraft" represent, metaphorically, the fundamental, intentions of a witch brings when approaching Magic. When a Witch has finally determined that it is time to make an appeal to the higher Powers and cast a spell, what are the ultimate motives behind employing Witchcraft? Each pillar represents a strategy for advancing change with which a witch engages across most, if not all, of magic. These strategies are "Prognostication", Obstruction, Conversion, and Transposition. These four pillars embody our needs and wishes as deliberate, conscious beings in a universe not always kind to our existence. Three of the four pillars within them are two Schools of Magic, further decomposed into their two Maledictions. The Pillar of Prognostication is the exception: It is the singular School of Divination and the various methods by which a Witch can achieve this feat of bridging time. All avenues of Divination accomplish the same goal to ascertain specific information and so they all reside under the lone branch of this pillar.

The Pillar of Prognostication represents our flexible, cognizant relationship to the perception of Time. Our minds are certainly not limited to the banal present before us. Many of us Witches know that the mind can reach across distances and even peer into different modes of time. Whether it is visions of the future or holding an object to ascertain its past owner, these are all manifestations of a power that the human mind can and does perform. This phenomenon is contextualized in ritual practices as Divination. The four most common techniques of Divination are Claircognizance - Clairsentience - Clairaudience - Clairvoyance because certain senses, such as sight and hearing, are naturally better apt to receive messages than others, such as taste and smell. These are claircognizance (knowing). These methods are within the same school of Magic because the same information can be received through any of these channels. 

The Pillar of Conversion - a Pillar that represents the very human desire to alter what is already there to better suit us. Magic within this vein change minds objects and even the weather. Such spellwork demands much Volition on the Witch's part to overcome the energetic convictions already in place. Witches who are of strong character will find this pillar easier to master. 

The Pillar of Obstruction - a Pillar of repudiating the entropy inherent in the universe. The efforts of such Magics stave off undesirable occurrences and individuals that introduce misfortunate, illness, and even death. Such spells require energies so characteristics of Abjuration and Necromancy.

The Pillar of Transposition - a Pillar concerned with the maneuvering and the conveyance of physical and spiritual entities, weaving two corridors into one or disparate fates. Magic that attracts or repels objects and spirits requires a good deal of Ascensum during spellcasting to connect to and affect the greater designs of the universe. Transferring matter across the Demiurgia or the consciousness of the deceased into the Prime Material demands more of the Witch than what is merely earthly to the physical body.

Naturally sensitive witches to someone's aura and ethereal energies should have an easier time achieving the transcendental states crucial for the magical acts found along this Pillar of Witchcraft. These Pillars should serve as a guide for you to reflect upon the energies and impacts you are endeavoring to muster. Experimentations, reflection, and strategy are key to mastering any craft, especially ours the most peculiar of the Arts.