Goddesses in Plain View: Listen To Your Mother and Grandmother Too! (New Essay)

Goddesses in Plain View: Listen To Your Mother and Grandmother Too (an essay from the heart) by Tim Kavi

Long-time readers and new readers, I hope too, realize that I write a lot about Goddesses and that I am writing in reverence, about archetypes (in a mythological and Jungian perspective) that can empower men and women alike, (as well as all persons), respecting mythology, and the tradition and empowerment of matriarchy over patriarchy.

Thus, I come before you with an essay that reminds us that goddesses are not as distant in history and development as one might think. Indeed, there is a strong mother goddess tradition in many traditions, as well as the older woman as a wise and guiding spirit. But these are not just abstractions or archetypes of the realization of potential. They are lived out realities manifesting themselves in personality cores and collective memories as long as there has been storytelling and nurturing.

Likewise, local manifestations of many goddesses may be much nearer than you think, perhaps embodied in your own mother, grandmother, mother-in-law,  wife, or a woman who is special to you, including heroines. But it is the mothering goddess I emphasize today. And as you might know, my own mother and grandmother are very, very, special to me. I have often written about my grandmother and mother, who penned poems about family life as an inspiration. And in many ways, they have instructed me throughout my life, even though they have both passed, their goddess natures and guidance still speak to me. When they do, I must listen with careful attention! Sometimes they are at the seashore, sometimes in the mountains, sometimes in a quiet whisper, sometimes in a heart tug of direction, and sometimes even in my dreams.

The following list shows how the mother goddess can be Jungian archetypes:

Psychological Meaning (Carl Jung Archetypes)

The following goddesses represent deep universal patterns:

Creation instinct

Maternal protection

Life–death cycles

Emotional nurturing

Cosmic origin

These appear independently across cultures because they reflect fundamental human experience of motherhood and existence itself.

The next few charts outline many mother-type goddesses. (Forgive me for exclusions, as there are many more than I can list here.

Archetypes of the Divine Mother

Archetype	Goddess	Culture	Role	Symbols
🌍 Earth Mother	Gaia	Greek	Primordial Earth, mother of all life	Earth, fruit
	Pachamama	Andean/Inca	Sustains crops and humanity	Mountains, soil
	Demeter	Greek	Agriculture and maternal grief	Wheat, torch
	Ninhursag	Sumerian	Creator of humans and nature	Omega symbol, womb
	Nerthus	Germanic	Sacred earth mother	Cart, earth
	Jord	Norse	Mother of Thor, embodiment of Earth	Land, fertility
🌌 Cosmic/Primordial Mother	Isis	Egyptian	Universal mother, resurrection	Throne crown, wings
	Aditi	Vedic Hindu	Mother of gods and cosmos	Sky, infinity
	Tiamat	Babylonian	Chaos mother, creator of gods	Serpent, ocean
	Eurynome	Greek	Creator goddess of the universe	Cosmic dance
	Coatlicue	Aztec	Mother of gods, life and death	Serpents, skulls
	Papa	Māori	Earth mother of all beings	Earth, embrace
❤️ Compassionate/Protective Mother	Parvati	Hindu	Universal mother and protector	Lotus, lion
	Tara	Buddhist	Compassion and salvation	Lotus
	Guanyin	Chinese Buddhist	Mercy and maternal compassion	Vase, willow
	Hathor	Egyptian	Motherhood, love, joy	Cow horns, sun disk
	Frigg	Norse	Protector of children and family	Spindle
	Yemaya	Yoruba	Mother of oceans and humanity	Ocean, moon
⚔️ Warrior Mother	Durga	Hindu	Cosmic protector	Weapons, lion
	Kali	Hindu	Destroyer of evil, liberator	Skull garland
	Sekhmet	Egyptian	Divine vengeance and protection	Lioness
	Anat	Canaanite	Fierce protector and mother	Weapons
	The Morrigan	Celtic	War, fate, sovereignty	Crow
	Cybele	Anatolian	Wild nature and protector	Lions

The most important mothering goddess is the one you are "listening" to right now; (or need to listen to), whenever you have need, and long to make a difference, in a world that truly needs care and nurturance, not to mention yourselves, and those around you! Namaste~~TK

MORE ABOUT GODDESSES: Kali and Artemis Contrasted: Fierce Protectors of Their Daughters (New Essay)

MORE ABOUT GODDESSES: Kali and Artemis Contrasted: Fierce Protectors of Their Daughters (New Essay) by Tim Kavi

In the mythological landscapes of ancient India and Greece, two formidable goddesses emerge as fierce protectors—Kali and Artemis. Though they arise from vastly different cultural contexts, both embody primal, protective power and the unyielding love of a mother or sister figure toward vulnerable femininity. Whether severing heads or unleashing arrows, Kali and Artemis are united in their guardianship of women, particularly daughters—whether literal or symbolic.

Kali, a fearsome Hindu goddess often depicted with a garland of skulls and a tongue dripping with blood, embodies divine wrath and maternal ferocity. Emerging in texts like the Devi Mahatmya and Kalika Purana, Kali is not simply a destroyer; she is a protector of righteousness (dharma), annihilating demons that threaten the cosmic order. But her most intimate and emotional portrayals are as the mother who defends her children—particularly her spiritual daughters, women who embody or seek liberation (moksha). In the Chandi Path, when the gods are overrun by the demon Raktabija, Kali is called upon because only she can protect the divine feminine from desecration. In these moments, she becomes the ultimate maternal warrior—not gentle, but necessary.

Her protection of daughters extends metaphorically to devotees, especially women seeking empowerment. In Tantric traditions, Kali is not only feared but adored as a guide for women breaking societal boundaries. Her wrath is not chaos but a tool for liberation. She tears down illusions and ego, especially those that oppress feminine power.

Across the seas in ancient Greece, Artemis, the virgin huntress and daughter of Zeus and Leto, holds a different but equally potent archetype. In Homeric hymns and classical myths, Artemis is the protector of young women, midwives, and animals. As kourotrophos (nurturer of the young), Artemis oversees the transition of young women into full womanhood, fiercely guarding their purity and independence. She is not a maternal figure in the way Kali is, but she is more of a sister-goddess, defending the sanctity of female autonomy.

With Artemis, a similar protective instinct turns violent when violated. In the myth of Actaeon, the hunter stumbles upon Artemis bathing—an act of voyeurism—and is transformed into a stag, devoured by his own hounds. In another tale, she demands the sacrifice of Iphigenia to punish Agamemnon for slaying a sacred deer. While brutal, these acts demonstrate Artemis’s strict moral code: to harm her daughters is to incur her wrath.

Where Kali's protection is all-consuming and often cosmic in scale, Artemis's is more socially grounded—focused on boundaries, chastity, and the sacred rites of passage for women. Kali tears through demonic armies; Artemis ensures no man transgresses female space unpunished.

What binds them is their refusal to yield. They are guardians of feminine power—not as passive virtue but as dynamic, dangerous energy. In a world where female safety and autonomy are still contested, Kali and Artemis remind us that to protect daughters may require fierceness, not softness. Their myths endure because they offer not only fearsome warnings but fierce hope—for the right to exist, grow, and be protected in one’s own strength.~~TK

gentle crossings (new poem)

 

gentle crossings (Poem)
by Tim Kavi

oceans apart

with undersea caverns

and trenches of hope

breaking through

to the surfaces

woke up

I searched for the radiance

of understanding

compassionate dreams

a beam in darkened night

beckoning, no, calling

across the tides

of recognition

I am seeking Her

She that guides me

prayers, mudras

esteeming my quest

my heart turns West

where it seems She

is not present

will it be Kali or Aphrodite?

no, it is a gentle one

touching my heart

healing my soul

in her shy, healing light. 

Tim Kavi's Essay Collection: More About Goddesses has NOW Been Published in Paperback!

 

Some of my most popular and highly visited columns on this blog have been my entries about various goddesses and goddess mythology from a variety of traditions. These have finally been collected in one read, along with some columns never before published for your reading pleasure.  Available as an eBook for quite some time, it has just NOW also been published in paperback! You can get a paperback edition of my essays: MORE ABOUT GODDESSES by clicking here. Happy reading and just in time for any Holiday reading and learning!  Thanks for supporting my work!~~TK

More About Goddesses: The Hindu Goddess Kali (New Essay)

More about Goddesses: The Hindu Goddess Kali

By Tim Kavi

Kali, also known as the Dark Mother, is a ferocious form of the mother goddess which can be quite fearful as well. Those who are devoted to this goddess can form a very deep and intimate bond despite the fearful and intense appearance of this goddess. Kali takes her followers in, assuming the mother role and treating them as her children.

She is one of the first of ten Mahavidyas in the Hindu tradition. Others include Shodashi, Bhuvaneshwari, Tara, Chinnamasta, Bhairavi, Matangi, Dhumavati, Bugala Muki and Kamala. Due to this association, Kali is also known as Adya in her firstborn form. These goddesses represent the ten essential energies that bring about the ten essential insights sought through the main paths of Tantra Yoga. Kali, the first of these goddesses teaches that life seems temporary, but in reality both time and life are endless. Death is merely an illusion that the Kali mantra can be used to overcome. Those that choose to follow this mantra must be willing to give up their attachment to the body. This helps her followers remove the insecurity associated with the first Chakra, or fears located in the primitive brain and brain stem.

Kali is the consort of Lord Shiva, and is often depicted standing on Shiva’s form. Placing her foot on Shiva subdues her anger. Her name translates to “the black one,” referring to the fact that she is an entity that is beyond time. Kali is depicted with black coloring as a contrast to Shiva, symbolizing the time that was created with her manifested in her creation.

The Dark Mother is most well-known for sending the Mother Gauri Shakti to free the other gods from the demonic clutches of Nishumbh and Shumbh when these forces conquered the celestial plane, astral plane and earth, establishing her place as one of the foremost goddesses in Hindu culture.

Poet's Afterword:  At the time of the initial publication of this column in 2013, we are on the eve of the third day of Navratri.  Maa Durga has her nine Avatars during the nine nights of this Hindu festival. On the seventh day of Navratri, it is sometimes viewed as the time of worshiping the Hindu goddess Kali. (In this case, Maa Durga's incarnation as Kali). ~~TK

If you liked this column you will like my eBook Collection, More About Goddesses, even more! You can order it here! Also, don't forget it's simple to view a Kindle ebook on any device with an App (or even in a web browser), the FREE apps for doing so are here.  My kids and I appreciate the support, you see, they need me home, and I'm trying to get there!  Thanks!~~TK

Special Shout Out to my Readers from India (blog entry)

For years, my readers from India have been strong supporters of this blog and my writing.  They have enjoyed and supported my works, and many have become online friends and among them also are fellow poets, seekers, and mystics.

I am honored by their attentions, and kind words.  Indians are among the kindest, most spiritual, and friendliest readers of them all. Now, I don't mean to exclude any of my readers from elsewhere, as this blog gets visitors from all over the world. As you will see below, Amazon has made a special announcement that finally makes my work available in India.


I also wanted to mention my Indian readers, because they often read my blog and make comments to me both here and at Facebook. I appreciate that very much! My friend Shefali, deserves special mention and thanks in this regard!

India is after all, the land of spiritual traditions that honors many different Goddesses, including Parvati, Ma Durga, Kali, and others.  One of their sacred landmarks, Mt. Kailash, is featured on one of  my book covers and is often mentioned in my poems. Many of the Hindu goddesses are mentioned or at least influential to my Goddess poetry as well.  I hope that all my Indian readers know that I have nothing but deep respect for them, their country, and their traditions.  I feel that way about all the countries of my readers in the world as well.

I was very pleased to see that Amazon (as of yesterday) has finally opened up both the Kindle store and the Kindle Direct Publishing platform to readers and authors from India.  This means that my Indian readers and friends can purchase (in Rupees) my two Goddess collections: Emerging Goddess, and Ascending Goddess as well as download many other Kindle works. Although you can still download apps for Kindle Ebooks that work on PC, laptop, cloud internet, IPad, Iphone and Android devices, the Kindle reader family is also available all over India at Croma stores.

So, I was very happy to see the following announcement by Amazon yesterday:

"Amazon launches the India Kindle Store with the biggest selection and lowest prices in India. You can now pay in Indian Rupees to get access to a vast selection of titles, new releases, bestsellers, and works from a range of Indian and international authors. Readers will also find exclusive Kindle books, as well as over one million free classics available to download and read on Kindle."

You can visit the India Kindle store by clicking here.

You can see my Goddess collections here.

I know this sounds like a shameless plug for Amazon (and my Goddess poems),  but I hope you will see that it is also a plug for India and Indian fans.  They are among the most faithful readers of my poems. I will say I do appreciate India, Indians, and also what Amazon has done for writers all over the world through their Kindle publishing program.

Thank you once again to India, Indians, and to the rest of my readers from all over the world! You are the best.  Namaste! ~~TK

Update:  I am also happy to report that as of early 2014, my books are also available on the Indian platform Flipkart !~~TK