I'm admittedly a half-assed pagan at best these days, much less actually Hindu (holy appropriation, Batgirl!) but I do know this much:
"Kali is not your personal army."
The Dark Mother, Devourer of Time, Destroyer of Worlds, bloody goddess of Chaos who tears away all illusions? Pretty much not a good idea to invoke unless you really know what you're asking for. Because, if you're the sort of person who wilts when someone you've been flaming on the Internets returns fire? I don't think you're quite ready for that kind of blowback.
Just saying.
20 comments:
So which of the usual suspects invoked Her for a frivolous reason TODAY?
*grump*
eh, bunch of 'em are doing it, just thought it was time to say something finally.
if you link me, I promise not to stir shit...
I know you're not one to joke about this sort of stuff... They are doing this on a new moon?
I think that they are in for one tough lesson if they continue.
And what Trin said about the link. Me too.
Oh and BTW you should have recieved two e-mails, one from kyle and one from Lynda. If you didn't get them I can forward.
Oh my. Don't those poor naive maroons realize that Kali-Ma don't play?
If they don't realize it now, they will eventually.
/me shakes her head sorrowfully
I got the Kyle one -shudder- haven't finished checking email, Lynda's might be in there later.
Kali links: sort of die a little every time I go to the ongoing wankage, i'll see if I can find the latest in a bit; just, like I said, ongoing wankery. here's a choice example from a while back:
http://womensspace.word press.com/2007/03/28/women-and-men-say-no-to-
porn-report-on-the-feminist-anti-pornography-conference-at-wheelock-
college/#comment-86654
#
Judy Best
As a woman who had worked long to overcome the mind-and-body bindings of a Baptist/Catholic/US military upbringing, it was not at first easy for me to appreciate the evil of porn. In order to see (and believe) the jagged knife against womankind’s throat that porn has become, I not only had to read everything Andrea Dworkin wrote but also view some images for myself. This may not be a fit for everybody, but it was what I had to do, in order to end my denial about how completely the men who make porn hate all women.
[blah blah terrible terrible pr0nz shocked and such small portions]
...We need womankind’s meme of our own to combat this. Porn is only getting bigger, and more evil in its hatred of women, day by day. Great Creator, She Who Appears as the Dark Mother, Kali, Wisdom/Sophia, Whatever Name of the Strong Infinite You Choose, let us invoke Her Power on Our Behalf. I’ll do this tonight before I lay me down to sleep. You?
#
on May 25, 2008 at 11:11 pm75 Mary Sunshine
Kali tells me that the human male is a scab that is about to fall off the Female Body.
That’s what I get when I ask the Goddess for an interpretation of the uber-porn phenomenon.
#
on May 26, 2008 at 12:04 am76 Judy Best
Thanks for joining in with Kali, Mary Sunshine. Always enjoy your consistent passion and pithy comments about the cause of womankind ^-^
I keep wondering what would happen, and how soon, if more and more of us consistently invoked Her, the Infinite, to stop the horrors, bring more joy and effectuate our liberation from patriarchy.
For those from the Christian heritage, I have a viable theory of historicity, translation and biblical redaction to postulate the true “Christ” teaching as a restoration of Divine Wisdom (She who admonishes men, and is justified of Her children, see proverbs and gospels), also called Great Mother. But not everybody needs to unravel what I had to unravel coming from the double whammy of Baptists and Catholics. Some women can more easily disengage than I could from the He, Him and Hymn of a trinity never attributed to any gospel character.
I remember being astonished, just a few years ago, to learn that Goddesses had existed in trinitarian form long before Roman emperors and theologians stole the idea and reversed it into maledom’s imperial christianity. The things you don’t learn in Sunday School, or college history class, for that matter … … (Big surprise, patriarchy controls the texts.)
Ah, well… Kali bless us, Wisdom and Divine Mother, too.
It’s been my great joy to read and see the creativity pouring forth into the women-loving blogs this weekend, after some time away. It matters that we connect consciously. I’m glad we’re together in the realm of our ideas being demonstrated for the greater good. Even when we’re not posting a lot, just by caring that we exist, we make our spirits soar.
***
long ago, also, on this vc I belonged to, there was some poor addlepated twit who was a Nader fan, sincerely believed he could win, and would write things like,
"Kali Ma bring him in..."
which: Kali: Nader. Kali: Nader.
I DON'T think so, honey.
which: Kali: Nader. Kali: Nader.
I DON'T think so, honey.
Bad news!--There is no more word on earth because I am about to use it all up to agree with this. WORD.
And, shit, I don't think I ever even worked up the nerve to invoke Hecate, never mind Kali. Sense, can we have some?
I gather that most of this particular variety of addlepated twit think that because she's the Dark -Mother-, that can only be good for -women;- i.e. She will only smite teh Menz in Her Righteousness.
I wrote a poetical type poeme on this onc't:
gather, dear sisters
Kali brings us peace and joy
gentle, loving--CHOMP
And then, on another note, or rather the flipside, there was this observation (thanks for finding it, E):
http://zooeylive. blogspot.com/2006/12/of-cultural-appropriation-and-
white.html
"A day after landing in Eugene, Oregon I walked into the feminist
bookstore of the town. I was intrigued by the idea of a “feminist” bookstore and was keen to experience first hand what kind of cultural work they do. But I must admit that I was even more intrigued by the name—Mother Kali’s Bookstore. Who is this Kali? Is this Mother Kali the same as Ma Kali every Bengali child is familiar with even if you grow up as non-religious as me?
On entering the store, I was greeted by an all too familiar image of Kali. You know, if you ever visit Kolkata you will always see them selling on the streets. What these days people in American academia call “Indian Calender Art.” I still remember that I bought a copy of Edwidge Danticat’s Krik!Krak! from Mother Kali’s on that day.
And while checking out, I asked the person at the counter, “Why Mother Kali?”
She said, “It’s after the goddess.”
“Which goddess?” I asked again.
She gave me the look which said, “You should be the one to know it better, I guess” and said, “Well, the Indian Goddess.”
“There is nothing called “Indian Goddess”,” I persisted, “And if you are talking about Hindu goddesses, why Kali? Why not Durga, Parvati, Manasha, Annada, Shashti and millions of others?”
She said, “ I don’t know.” And friends, I wish language would
translate her tone of voice! But it won’t."
gather, dear sisters
Kali brings us peace and joy
gentle, loving--CHOMP
*dies of joy (also teeth)*
gather, dear sisters
Kali brings us peace and joy
gentle, loving--CHOMP
*is killed ded from lol*
Kali tells me that the human male is a scab that is about to fall off the Female Body.
*nostril flare of perturbation*
Oh, how vile. Appropriation of one of the world's major religions AND hatred of half the human race, all wrapped up in one nice, neat little gag-inducing package. I forgot how truly vile Mary Sunshine is.
orn is only getting bigger, and more evil in its hatred of women, day by day. Great Creator, She Who Appears as the Dark Mother, Kali, Wisdom/Sophia, Whatever Name of the Strong Infinite You Choose, let us invoke Her Power on Our Behalf. I’ll do this tonight before I lay me down to sleep. You?
Back away slowly.
Oh in the name of all that is holy, that is NOT what you invoke Ma for. WTF is this? Watered-down "let's make Ma cute for the white American chicks who need a goddess!" Bah!
Kali is *dangerous* even when She's on *your* side.
Just think about it. She slays illusion. How much of human life is all about keeping ourselves comfy through denial. It's part of how we work.
She cuts that up. That's what She's FOR.
She doesn't join your womb-moon circle with other watered down, defanged goddesses. More likely She'll chop your head off for the slight to Her and others.
Bleah.
*retch*
And yeah, if these vile people masquerading as radical feminists expect Her to spare them and smite perfectly good members of Dude Nation just because She's a woman and patriarchy is bad... they have a rude awakening in store for them.
Respect? Anyone? Beuller? Beuller?
All goddesses are about peace and love, haven't you heard?
Especially the ones who dance on dismembered bodies.
Oh yeah, and BDSM is bad, mkay; but we're still paying sappy homage to a Goddess with a necklace of skulls around her neck, who dances joyfully on the prone body of her consort (who in many renderings also has a peaceful smile on -his- face; what -could- that be about?), who bites and rends and drinks blood and ENJOYS it...
-whistles-
"and BDSM is bad, mkay; but we're still paying sappy homage to a Goddess with a necklace of skulls around her neck, who dances joyfully on the prone body of her consort (who in many renderings also has a peaceful smile on -his- face; what -could- that be about?), who bites and rends and drinks blood and ENJOYS it..."
Got it in one.
Brilliant!
shrug. there's a reason I have a tattoo of her...and yeah, it fucking HURT.
I've wanted a tattoo of her for years.
I don't know when or if I'll get one, but hope springs eternal.
Thought you'd enjoy:
http://violentsound.deviantart.com/art/Kali-94249985
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