Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

A Witch's Ashram

Home
Pagan
Kali Puja

Kali Puja

Last updated on: March 21, 2014 at 7:00 am by Niki Whiting

Kali Puja 2014-03-20T19:31:02-08:00 Niki Whiting

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Several people for the last year or two have asked me to write about how I do devotions to Kali. Here is what I do. It is a combination of rituals I have gleaned online and in books, and elements of my Feri practice.

Kali in Skanda Vale, Wales. I wish I had an altar like this – or anywhere near me!

Background

I honor Kali just about any time I sit down at my altar and light incense. Ganesh always gets the first wave of incense and prayer: “Jai Ganesh. May my worship be acceptable.” Then I wave the incense before Kali and say “Jai Ma!”

From there I may go into devotions for Shiva or Kali or other deities, I may do a working of some kind, I may honor my ‘gurus,’ or I may just sit in meditation.

However on Tuesdays I honor Kali in a special way: I perform puja. I also use general correspondences and try to weave them into my day. Mostly this involves wearing red of some sort, keeping Her fierceness in mind, thinking on Her throughout the day, and wearing a perfume I have that is set aside for Her.

Preparation

I try to perform puja in the mornings: after yoga and breakfast, when the house is more quiet. If that doesn’t work out for whatever reason, I will perform it when space is available – or I will get up extra early to make sure it happens. I prepare by cleaning myself. If I don’t shower that morning, I at least make sure to wash my face and hands and clean my teeth (pretty standard twice daily routine anyway). If puja happens later and I’m hours away from having washed my face and brushed my teeth, I will wash my hands and rinse out my mouth.

Next, I clean up my altar. I remove old offerings, replace the incense, refill my special pitcher of water, etc. I gather other supplies: new candles if I need them, new incense, whatever offerings I’m giving, flowers if I have them, and water for kala/purification.

Once I’ve gathered everything I light my candles: a candle that represents my Self, one for Kali, one for Durga. I light my incense, waving it before Ganesh and Kali, around all the other stations in my altar, and finally around myself. I honor my teachers with a prayer. Then I sit and breathe to get centered, usually aligning my souls as taught to me by my Feri teachers.

Purification

In this spot I use the kala rite that my witchcraft tradition uses for purification. It involves meditation, breath work, chanting, emptying the blockage into a cup of water, and offering up the cup. I chant “Ma.” Then I drink down the water and let it wash through me. “For my eternal purification,” I pray.

Invocation

I greet Kali, speaking her praises. I offer up several prayers.

“Oh Kali Ma, slay the fears that limit my spirit. Oh Kali Ma, dance upon the grave of my iniquities. Oh Kali Ma, lead me darkness to light, from ignorance to truth, from death to immortality.”

If I have any special requests, personal prayer needs, or feel the need to just talk, I do it here.

I chantOm krim Kali, both vocally and in silence, for a bit and then sit in mediation on Her.

A portion of my altar in the evening sun: Ganesh to the left, pictures of Kali (and some of Saraswati showing), the top of my pitcher, a black mother, my Kali and Durga candles flanking the pitcher.

Service

I pick up my pitcher of water and chant Om krim Kali over it. I dip my fingers in it and flick the water around the altar, blessing the space, and finally I anoint myself. I ring my singing bowl.

In honor of the Great Womb, I pray over the pitcher. I use the Holy Mother prayer: “Holy Mother, in whom we live, move, and have our being, from you all things emerge and unto you all things return.”

Joyful chanting goes here: “Jai jai Kali, jai Shiva Kali, Shiva Kali, Kali Durga, Ma Ma go Ma, jai Ma!” I don’t know what this chant is supposed to sound like, so I’ve created my own. I chant this at least three times, sometimes more.

I anoint myself with the flame of my red Kali candle by picking it up and waving it in front of me. I use my hands to wash in the incense.

Here is where I place offerings on the altar – either flowers in the pitcher or in a special cup or fruits, chocolate, or other candies into the big clam shell I have set aside for this purpose.

Ending

I ring the singing bowl, bow, and sit in silence. I then align my souls as per my Feri teachings and go about my day.

As I’ve gotten more pregnant I have started anointing my belly with the water from the pitcher at the time of flicking, and I wave the red candle in front of my belly as well.

This puja can be as long or as short as needed. It usually takes me 20 minutes. If I’ve got a lot of time and space and I can meditate and chant for extended periods of time I often go 40 minutes (it could certainly be longer). That doesn’t happen very often. I have also done this ritual with my son present. I recently did so, and I got the distinct impression that Kali was pleased. It wasn’t my ‘holiest’ puja or deepest meditation, but She was definitely present. Sometimes I find that She is present, other times She’s not present at all! What’s important to me is that I do this regularly. I am not focused on the technicalities of this puja, rather I take comfort that the basics of ritual are present, and I can focus more on the relationship building aspects of the puja.

I use this outline as a basis for much of my personal puja practices, altering words, chants, prayers, offerings as needed. But the structure is sound, I think. At the very least: this will do until I know better!

Previous Post

March 19, 2014

Birth as Edge Walking

Next Post

March 24, 2014 Maxim Monday: Flee a Pledge

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Alaska altar altars Ana Ancestors Anderson witchcraft Arddu Bhairava Biography bodies books Christianity Christmas community current events death Delphic Maxims Dhumavati dual observance Durga Faery family life feminism Feri Feri tradition Feri witchcraft food ganesha gratitude Guest Post guru health Hinduism holidays Jesus Kali Lakshmi land links magic Many Gods West movie review movies music my heart mystery myth Navratri Orthodoxy pagan pagan culture paganism pantheacon parenting Place politics polytheism practice pratice prayer Red Goddess review ritual sacred arts Samhain Saraswati Shinto Shiva singing Star Goddess Tantra tarot the Gods theory Uncategorized values virgin mary wales washington winter witchcraft year in review yoga

Select a Month September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

How did God speak to Moses at the burning bush?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Through lightning Symbols from the fire By name Through wind