(100694,2,'2013-10-15 12:27:36','2013-10-15 19:27:36','<h4>Eastern Teacher to The West</h4>\r\n<em>by Chandra Alexandre</em>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright  wp-image-99968 imgborder=0\" alt=\"chamundafire\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/chamundafire.gif\" width=\"250\" height=\"278\" style=\"width:250px;\" /><br>\r\n\r\nThis article tells the story of my own exploration into the mysteries of the Goddess as manifested within the Hindu pantheon as Chamunda, the fierce, emaciated and terrifying Dark Mother. She is a goddess who is particularly revered among Shaktas (believers in the primacy of the Divine Feminine), and she has historically found favor within all strata of Indian society, from the village shudras (lowest caste) to the rulers of India. Temples to her exist throughout the country: from the forts of Rajasthan to the highlands of Himachal Pradesh, to the adavasi (tribal) lands of Orissa.\r\n\r\nIn Orissa, where I was blessed to spend five months exploring, she appears primarily in two forms: i) as one of the Matrikas (Mothers), and ii) as one of the sixty-four yoginis (witches) who are themselves daughters of the Asta Matrikas (Eight Mothers). From my exploration into Chamunda I have gained an understanding of the ways in which the Goddess teaches through one of her manifest forms, and this article is an attempt to share some of what I have discovered with you.\r\n\r\nBut here, I can only hope to present my learnings as shrouded with the veil of perception I carry as a western woman. However, I share my interpretation of the mysteries as revealed to me by Her so that Her name may be invoked and Her presence asked to help banish the ignorance and prejudice of our time. I do not pretend to fully understand Chamunda (within her original context or otherwise) or for that matter, the great mystery of the Goddess; but rather I claim to appreciate Her because of my resonance with the form and symbols offered to us from India.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Image of Chamunda</strong>\r\n\r\nFrom an 8th century stone statue originally found in Dharmasala (Cuttack, Orissa) and now located at the Orissa State Museum in Bhubaneswar, I learned to see for the first time through this image what the power of the Divine Feminine can be through a figure that could (and does) readily inspire fear in both Western and Eastern onlookers. Chamunda appears to penetrate the manifest world through this sculpture of grey-black chlorite stone. She is chiseled with her most readily recognizable features: sunken eyes, sagging breasts and skeletal body; but the obvious attention and carefully-detailed precision with which she was created belie a profound respect and/or love on the part of the sculptor that is perhaps not readily understandable from our current vantage point.\r\n\r\nComing across her image amidst myriad sculptures on the floor of the museum is like dropping into a cold pool after a 20-minute steam bath. Upon first seeing her, I was instantly astounded and shocked by her presence until the realization set in that encountering Her was making my insides tingle in ways suggestive of Her great power. She is an awesome figure, with third-eye and navel raised out of the stone, veins defined over the course of her entire body, no teeth, heavily hanging earlobes and snake-entwined arms - one of which holds in its long hand a severed human head, which she grasps with finger nails that come to a point. In her other partially-intact arm she holds a skull cup or kapala at the level of her heart. She is garlanded with skulls, wears ouroboric anklets, and is seated on a corpse with her right foot on the ground and her left leg bent at the knee, foot turned, its sole to the sky. Her hair is aflame and pulled upwards, wrapped and held in place by a snake-band tiara, the center of which bears a skull.\r\n\r\nAlthough my initial contact with the fierce form of the Goddess had come to me through a dream image as Kali, both she and Chamunda are alike in many respects, related by their transformative abilities and their stature as Crones. While Kali manifests the power of time and of death, Chamunda too holds infinity and eternity. Both can be intensely frightening images of divine, feminine power especially to those unaccustomed to dealing with the Dark Goddess. Both are often similarly depicted: in the cremation ground, often seated upon a corpse or engaging in Tantrick rituals involving sex, blood and death. In this, they explicitly manifest antinomian characteristics within mainstream Hindu tradition, and they become by this provkers of (r)evolution from the inside, and transformers of worlds from the outside as they reach westerners.\r\n\r\nChamunda\'s intensity through the vehicle of the statue in Bhubaneswar shook me deep inside and stunned me. And I was nevertheless drawn to her and mystified by what she had to offer. Somehow, I could not help but feel her incredible power through the skeletal form, while at the same time, I became immediately and especially aware of how at odds with this impression and indeed terrifying she would appear to most westerners. Rationally, I wondered how in the world this figure could be known as one of the matrikas when she seemed so very far from western, as well as the traditional Hindu conception of mother, either literal or archetypal. Mother in any sense is most generally normalized to mean nurturing and life-giving. Chamunda appears to be everything but this, and I had to work to see the interconnections. On another, non-rational level, however, I could immediately feel that there was a mystery of fecundity held within those bones. I was, of course, feeling in my own bones something very old and true about her.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nWhile within both Eastern and Western contexts mothers are seen as caretakers and life givers, understanding the Devi as matrika (mother) is another story. Within the world of Indian Goddess theology at least from Vedic times (circa 1,500 BCE), it seems that the devi as a mother who nourishes the world is understood as someone who must herself be replenished in order to continue to sustain life. \"If she were only to give birth and to nourish her creatures she would soon grow weak, and creation would cease.\" [1]\r\n\r\nBecause her life-generating and sustaining aspect is so powerful, she carries an insatiable hunger that is equally great. This hunger is often represented in images by showing an emaciated figure. Thus understood, the fierce devi is integral to understanding the birth/death aspect of the cycle of life in India, which makes possible the whole of manifest existence. She is obviously the living Crone, a Dark Goddess who functions as a gateway between the realms of this world and the next. Recognition of this leads to liberation; and images containing within them the fullness of samsara, as Chamunda does, serve as gateways to simultaneous embracement of life and death, duality and oneness, a holistic future and personal enrichment through the suffering of life. They hold the key to embracing the walk of the heart, where sadness and joy, pain and elation ever co-mingle.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding the goddess as both life-giver and destroyer manifests in symbolic form as a circle, or chakra within the Indian context. This chakra is reflective of the cycles of life apparent, for example, in the waxing and waning of the moon and those other cycles tied to this one, such as menstruation and the ebb and flow of the tides. A circle is the form taken by the temples dedicated to the yoginis, or sixty-four derivations of the Asta Matrikas mentioned previously who include Chamunda among them. It is therefore perhaps no coincidence that the goddess as yogini would be configured for worship by the tantricks in circular temples, since their tradition is infused with reverence for the Goddess as containing the mystery of She who is both of the source of all life and the fount of death; the One who contains All. In addition, the yoginis are also linked to yaksis (nature spirits), and they, as well as those who worshipped them, were called witches and magicians. As yogini, Chamunda and her sixty-three sisters were said to have the power to fly, to become invisible, turn humans into animals, and other such things. In many ways, these traits and the correspondence of female deities with witchcraft again brings together East and West through demonization of the Feminine.\r\n\r\nBut much like the Indo-European demonization of the pre-Christian Death/Regeneratirx aspect of the Goddess into Witch, Chamunda too was demonized and subordinated by patriarchal traditions in India. She was linked to Yama, Lord of Death, becoming less than he in Vedic hymns. An interesting suggestion, however, of her ties to pre-patriarchal roots may be found by looking at her vahana (mount), the owl. Even today in the west, this bird may still be found carrying the messages of the Dark Goddess, of the Feminine Divine who holds the mysteries of life, death and rebirth. A friend found a link between east and west on pilgrimage to the Black Madonna Notre Dame de Bon Espoir (Our Lady of Good Hope) in Dijon France. She writes of her experience,\r\n<blockquote>The oldest of the Black Madonnas...Notre Dame de Bon Espoir was yet another Black Madonna who made a tremendous impact on me. Interestingly, there is an owl carved into the side of the church where She is housed.</blockquote>\r\nTherefore, understanding the origins of the witch in prehistory and her later modifications to more fierce/violent characterizations at the hands of patriarchal peoples will perhaps help to heal some of the ills caused by misrepresentations of the Feminine while eradicating some causes of Devi’s (and by extension women’s) subordination. It might be said that if we come to understand the full nature of Her, we would see that all Her forms are those of beauty within the divine creation.\r\n\r\nWhile the term witch is in the eastern context used with negative connotation, it is important to understand that the yoginis of the temples were not demons to the tantricks. Given the tantrick insistence on reverence for the immanence of the divine and the sacredness of nature, of maniest reality, yoginis are understood as affirmations of the multifarious aspects of the Goddess. While some of these aspects can be very violent or fierce, with the goddess often depicted with sword in hand, blood and human flesh dripping from her mouth, severed heads around her waist, and other gruesome adornment, understanding her and her relationship to patriarchy over time is interesting. Such depictions, on the one hand, are likely overlays onto an ancient Crone/Death-Regeneratrix deity whose original association with death was severed from her link to life because of a dualistic patriarchal worldview that failed to recognize, for example, the interconnectedness of life and death and instead demonized women and nature as expressions of that relationship.\r\n\r\nIn contrast to gruesome depictions of the goddess Chamunda and those associated with Her, patriarchal Hinduism has begun, within the last century, to sweeten the fierce goddesses. Perhaps this is a tell-tale sign that the power of the feminine is being responded to a new and different way. That is, first, She was representative of the power of Oneness and, simply put, patriarchal consciousness (as manifested in the social, political and other realities millennia ago that have created today’s normative Hindu consciousness) sought to (and managed to) break that monopoly by rendering Her as fierce so as to facilitate specific ends, which were to carve out dualistic territory (for some reason). After supression in very specific ways for those millennia, however, She has sought to bring balance to a dichotomous worldview. In response to Her presence now, instead of the fierceness previously required to serve the purposes of a patriarchal worldview, the institutions today that which to retain power have rendered her sweet and submissive, now, to serve their ends of maintaining the status quo. Were patriarchal powers to allow Her fierceness, their reign might quickly come to an end, and this, of course, is exactly the point of honoring and remembering Her as all that She is while concurrently utilizing the power that Her fierce characteristics contain.\r\n\r\nFurther, while the word witch today still reverberates strongly with anti-God-loving sentiment for some people, to call oneself a witch as I do is an act of resistance to patriarchal obfuscation of the truth, and reclamation of women’s power within any tradition (as well as outside them). In the west, it is an appellation that is taking on an entirely new meaning, particularly with the resurgence of the goddess in the discipline known as Women’s Spirituality, through Wicca (a reclamation of indigenous European earth-based traditions) and through other forms of earth-based religion, that hold within them both the pre-historical notion of goddess as life-giver/destroyer and the more patriarchal characterization of the goddess as violent warrior, from which many, nevertheless are able to find powerful tools for creating life-affirming change.\r\n\r\nAgain before what I now call my statue of Chamunda, this time recording notes and impressions while interposing photographic moments until the museum’s 4 o’clock closing time, I eventually come to be alone with her. I am alone in that statue-filled room mesmerized, or very likely in trance, feeling as though some incredibly magical force surrounds the two of us. From my spot on the floor, I watch her watching me and ask her to teach me Her secrets. That evening, I wrote in my journal:\r\n<blockquote>From where did the ancient Saktas get her image? What are her myths and associations? How and when does she manifest? Why? What are the psychological implications of her presence as a Goddess and what do they tell us about the people who created her? Why does she exist in this fierce form that was obviously so loved (feared?) by those who worshipped her? Can she help us in the west better understand the nature of the Divine Feminine; and if so, can we find ways through her to promote self-understanding? She is starved; does she link us psychically to the root cause of/cure for anorexia? Can she help western women in the throes of addictions, especially eating disorders, with their own reclamation process? How does understanding Chamunda help me to better understand myself?</blockquote>\r\nMy questions only began to touch the surface of her depth. As a western woman living today I can never know her true or intended purpose, although I can make an educated guess informed by my academic pursuits as well as my bodily knowings and intuitions.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nEven so, Chamunda through my eyes is not Chamunda in any fully Indian sense, even though I have explored her on her own ground (literally, as well as through her myths, philosophies, symbols, and worship). Rather, for me, Chamunda is an exploration into the depths of personal, and perhaps more generally the question of women’s, spirituality. Particularly within the western context of women’s spiritual development, the importance of Chamunda as a teacher can be grasped when it is understood that she holds within herself the tension of embracing both Mother and Witch archetypes; two aspects of the Feminine that have long been used to subordinate rather than empower women. Chamunda illustrates that these aspects ever inter-related, constantly situated within a flux of interchangeability that she herself manifests.\r\n\r\n<b>Chamunda and Kali: Blood Sisters</b>\r\n\r\nMy initial contact with the <i>raudra</i> or fierce form of the Goddess, as mentioned above, had come to me years earlier through a dream image as Kali, a Hindu goddess representative of the power of time and of death. In many respects, Chamunda and Kali are alike. Indeed, both are initiators into the fullest spectrum of life, and both serve to awaken us to the value of impermanence and cyclical time. Some Shakta practitioners understand both goddesses to be manifest aspects of the same ontological truth; nevertheless, both can be intensely frightening images of feminine power to those unaccustomed to dealing with the Dark Mother.\r\n\r\nIconographically, Chamunda and Kali are often similarly depicted: in the cremation ground, seated upon a corpse and engaging in practices involving sex, blood and death. At the Chamunda-Devi temple [<a href=\"/mandala/chamunda-devi-eastern-teacher-to-the-west/4/#ref\">4</a>] outside of Dharmasala (Himachal Pradesh), Chamunda is plainly understood to be a form of Kali and the ten <i>mahavidyas</i> are depicted at her shrine. The Devi as Chamunda-Kali is also mentioned in the <i>Tantrasara</i>, <i>Shaktapramoda</i> and <i>Pranatosini</i>. [<a href=\"/mandala/chamunda-devi-eastern-teacher-to-the-west/4/#ref\">5</a>]\r\n\r\nChamunda-Kali provides a gateway to: i) understanding of the Goddess in the Western psyche for juxtaposition with the Eastern manifestations of Her; ii) how Western vs. Eastern conceptions of reality play a role in determining the images of the Divine Feminine that abound in each context; and iii) the potential power of reclaiming the Dark Mother in the West with the help of images from the East.\r\n\r\n<b>Western Appreciation for the Goddess</b>\r\n\r\nFrom this brief discussion in conjunction with other goddess tales, perhaps a vision of the goddess who relates to the emotional, physical, and psychic bodies of women and men, regardless of their country of origin, by virtue of the human condition, is becoming apparent. Woven here is the notion that where women in particular are being drawn to Devi’s symbolism for its promotion of, at the very least, what may appear to be a feminist ethic, those who are attracted to her in their spiritual longing (in any of her forms) necessarily cross lines of demarcation whether social, political, or geographical—and so too does Devi. Goddess worship and feminism too needs to be able to create a container for dialogue, with both arenas developing cross-cultural methodologies that can facilitate the creation of safe space in which to then make discussions happen that relate the spiritual realities with the economic, social, and political ones. From within that space, the hope would be to generate a metaphorical fire from which truth based on a process of coming to agreement can be born. Only then can we empower women and men to be all of who and what they are, no matter what the context in which they find themselves.\r\n\r\nGiving a historicity to Indian images of the divine may help those non-Hindus interested in appreciating her from within western contexts to make informed statements and educated assertions (based upon contextual understanding) about their own uses of/for her while providing a ground for possible adaptations of Devi within a new environment. For just as the goddess centuries ago crossed from India to neighboring lands, our technological advancements today have moved us all towards a global community, which has indeed also helped to shape the transportation of Devi across oceans and continents.\r\n\r\nFor western women, images of the goddess as whole, as containing paradox, and particularly as embracing sexuality and other aspects generally suppressed under patriarchy, are healing. In the western context where transcendent male gods (or more specifically, one male god of generally Jewish or Christian disposition) dominate and no female/feminine is accorded divine status (despite the high status imparted to Mary, as discussed in the last chapter), the need for a Divine Feminine who recognized, honored and is both immanent as well as transcendent is glaring. Perhaps this is one reason why the Indian conception of goddess captures the fervor of western feminists and those seeking alternate visions of the divine that are more inclusive. Devi seems approachable in the sense that she, as her myths and iconography at the very least portend, undergoes and is much of what women recognize to be their individual truths. In her, every woman finds a piece of herself; and every man, perhaps, can learn a little more about the heart of his essential nature.\r\n\r\nThe mainstream Western images of the Divine Feminine in a contemporary context where the Abrahamic faiths prevail have largely been limited to the Virgin Mary, and perhaps if one is generous, to Sophia, the Black Madonna and Lilith. These last three however, represent an undercurrent of the Christian and Judaic faiths, and they are not recognized by many practitioners; at least not with full awareness of their power and connection to pre-patriarchal religion.\r\n\r\nIn any case, it is apparent that the Divine Feminine within our context as represented in Her most ubiquitous aspect as the Virgin Mary has little but a \"soft\" or benevolent and nurturing side. She is holy and untouchable, even by her husband; she is vehicle for the avatar Christ, but not God herself; she is incapable of engaging the more uncomfortable aspects of life; she listens and conveys the message of her followers, but does not have the power to act directly for those who worship her.\r\n\r\nThis image of Mary is put in juxtaposition within Christianity to the one God, who is All. Her place is marginal in relationship to His magnificence, and reflects the Western/patriarchal schism typified by Descartes’ mind/body duality (God as transcendent mind, Mary as earth-bound body) or more simply, the valuing of men over women and heaven over earth. Further, it underscores that the religious traditions of patriarchal cultures have unfortunately tended to pathologize the relationship of dualistic principles. In life, dualities abound, but their representation in the West has long since posed them as warring opposites where the position of the Divine Feminine (and women) is relegated to minority status.\r\n\r\nThe patriarchal worldview, particularly as expressed in the powerful \"First World\" nations of the West, has manifested skewed valuations of dualities in other spheres of life as well. It has done so to the point of ignoring (or largely ignoring) the inherent worth and wisdom of the Feminine principle and has created an urgent need for crisis prevention in the environmental, developmental, psychological and social arenas. Further, if we accept that the project of patriarchy has been based on the scientific and philosophical deconstruction of life (through exploitation of resources and peoples by Western science and paradigms supported by such traditions) and on the establishment of dualistic categories formed from reductionistic tendencies (in order to propagate the favoritism of man and culture over women and nature, e.g.), then we understand how dichotomization destroys relatedness, promotes homogenization, and makes subjugation the norm for half the population the world over.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately in both the East and West, the archetypal Feminine principle, which in India is called <i>pakriti</i>, has often been associated only with women and with nature, to the detriment of both men, women and the planet. For to deny that the Feminine has value is to deny more than gender or population; it is to deny half of the entire spectrum of life. It relegates all that is receptive, open, life-generating and nurturing to the margins of society, and it is there that we can look to find the festering sores of all the various crises of our time.\r\n\r\nFortunately, particularly within the past ten years, writers, thinkers, theologians and others across the globe in fields as diverse as the sciences, religion and women’s studies have explored the dance of life beyond the confines of duality. There, many have found that the \"opposing\" forces of life are in a play of complementarities, where tension makes growth, change, and transformation possible. In understanding that life is more of an ever-shifting dynamic balance of energetics where opposing forces create an existence filled with variety, spontaneity, laughter and music in which the soul may rejoice, a new vein of consciousness has been born in our time.\r\n\r\nThe impact of the Goddess archetype upon women and men as She re-emerges into consciousness has profound ramifications upon all aspects of life. In the East, many have been called to re-examine their relationships to the manifest Divine Feminine in actual women. On the individual as well as the collective level, She reminds us that women too are powerful, worthy of respect in this world; She teaches that respect for our bodies helps us to respect the Earthbody; She tells us that all things ugly and beautiful are Her creation. She is a \"creative trinity;\" [<a href=\"/mandala/chamunda-devi-eastern-teacher-to-the-west/4/#ref\">6</a>] serving as a gateway to simultaneous embracement of <i>both</i> duality and oneness, a symbol of integrated duality and the unconditional love that binds them. With this, many in the West have been drawn to remembering the Goddess as a potent symbol of wholeness. Many have turned to Her myths, rituals and traditions of pre-patriarchal times in order to quench their personal longing for \"something else.\" I believe that Chamunda helps to bring a special dimension to understanding the fullest sense of what that wholeness means.\r\n\r\n<b>Eastern Goddesses, Patriarchal Cultures, and a Vision from the West</b>\r\n\r\nWhile the West has tended to infuse its traditions with a dualistic split, the Eastern traditions of India have tended to concern themselves with a monological \"One\" in the realm of spirit while an overlay of patriarchal duality has settled into the societal sphere. This has wrought a complexity of contradictions in Indian society. For example, the Ganges River, sacred sphere of the Goddess Ganga who manifests through and as its waters, is the most polluted and yet simultaneously the holiest river on Earth for devout Hindus. Similarly, while the Divine Feminine is recognized and worshipped through myriad images of Goddesses (Ganga, Kali and Chamunda among them), women still occupy a marginal position in traditional Indian society.\r\n\r\nAs David Kinsley has noted: \"In the Hindu tradition a woman is taught to understand herself primarily in relation to others…It is society that puts demands on her primarily through the agents of relatives and in-laws, and not she who places demands on society that she be allowed to develop a unique, independent destiny. A central demand placed on women, particularly vis-à-vis males, is that they subordinate their welfare to the welfare of others.\" [<a href=\"/mandala/chamunda-devi-eastern-teacher-to-the-west/4/#ref\">7</a>]\r\n\r\nWhile attempts have been made to reconcile patriarchal duality at the level of society with a philosophical and religious spiritual unity, the fact of the matter is that such discontinuity invalidates and undermines both. Little progress has been made in this regard within the Indian context. But it is from within this struggle that ways of thinking that seek to heal the split of culture from embodied/immanent spirituality have more recently emerged. Many writers, but most prominently the Indian physicist and ecofeminist, Vandana Shiva, have made a case for recognizing the Divine Feminine/Goddess in order to ameliorate tension and diffuse the boundaries of derision caused by the patriarchal paradigm.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nIn her book, <i>Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development</i>, Shiva explores one way of looking at the Divine Feminine through lenses that appreciate both transcendent as well as immanent manifestations. She proposes fully embracing the notion of <i>Pakriti</i> as a \"spiritual\" discipline rather than simply as \"nature,\" so that a more balanced worldview can be achieved. This new worldview takes into account the marginalized position of women while de facto promoting environmental sustainability and the wellbeing of diverse, autonomous communities focused on the sacredness of relationships rather than on their destruction.\r\n\r\nAccording to Shiva, Pakriti means not just the traditional counterpart to Purusa (the Divine Masculine, or the Masculine Principle of manifest culture and society), but instead the<i>entirety</i> of nature with its ability to create, sustain and destroy in order to continue the cycle of life in all its aspects. Thus, Shiva’s position asserts \"both a <i>holistic</i> perspective and an<i>inclusive</i> agenda of concerns based on its considerable respect for diversity—both in turn being principles of nature.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">8</a>]\r\n\r\nOn another level, such thinking shows that the construct of <i>maya</i> (illusion) as found in many Indian philosophical systems is not required to solve the corundum of how manifest reality (difference) can be reconciled with the unitive One. Instead, maya can be understood as the human resistance to holding the tension of paradox in life. In this way, perhaps the women of manifest nature can reclaim their right as beings who are living testament to the power of the Goddess and be honored as such. And the \"One\" can take on new meaning as a \"dynamic system of relations wherein any particular manifestation functions simultaneously as a distinct part and the unbroken whole. The parts are not derivative of the whole, or vice versa, [nor are the parts dissolved into one another to become the whole, or vice versa.] Each aspect constitutes the other.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">9</a>]\r\n\r\nIt is with this idea in mind that the Goddesses of East and West need to be (re)evaluated. Unfortunately, however, as we saw earlier in this article, the Western Goddess(es) of mainstream contemporary manifestation and interpretation provide little by way of role model to help us accomplish the task of aware integration of spheres on both the intra- and inter- (as well as micro- and macrocosmic) levels that permeate the realms of mind, body and spirit. Therefore, if we are to move beyond our present embeddedness in the philosophical systems of our respective contexts, any divine teacher thus considered must be a manifestation of reality that lies beyond duality while embracing of it, and must be a penetrator/trix of all worlds, symbolic and otherwise.\r\n\r\nChamunda and her sister Kali, in my opinion, represent an understanding of the limitations of a dualistic worldview while simultaneously embracing duality as facilitator for self-awareness—-the manifest universe and the physical form being vehicles for the exploration of consciousness into itself. Further, they allow communication and representation among each and every sphere of life as well as among worlds, much like the Hermes Trismegistus of Greek mythology and later hermetic philosophy who not only facilitated communication between Gods; between Gods and men; but also between the worlds of Heaven and Hell. In this way, the Divine Feminine as manifest from within the Eastern psyche serves the required purpose; for as C. MacKenzie Brown notes: \"In the Devi-Bhagavata…the goddess is both male and female, and transcends the two, but without devaluing either the transcendent or <i>samsaric</i>[earthly or immanent]<i> </i>dimensions.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">10</a>]\r\n\r\nFurther, it may be noted that from a perspective focused on the dynamics of inter-relationship rather than the intra-relationships of East and West, the Western relationship to \"God\" and the Eastern understanding of non-duality as a quality of \"God\" is typified by the following story:\r\n<blockquote>A Western reporter and an Indian devotee of the Goddess come across a statue of Kali. She has her four arms: the upper right raised in blessing, the lower right offering a boon (wish), the upper left holding a machete dripping with blood and the lower left gripping a severed human head by the hair. Seeing this split, the Westerner immediately asks: \"So how do you get the blessing and avoid the machete?\" The Eastern devotee angrily replies, \"That\'s not it at all...The blessing is only won when you accept both sides of her, including pain, sorrow, decay, death, and destruction. Run from her horrors, and you run from her blessings. To deny death, to act as if your little self is the center of things and must be protected from pain and preserved as long as possible—this is the real death. But embrace Kali as she is—kiss her bloody tongue and feel all four arms caress you at once—then you have life, you have freedom.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">11</a>]</blockquote>\r\nIn this story, the boon for the Western mind would be to get beyond dualistic thinking; and the boon for the Eastern mind would be to allow this non-dualistic perspective to integrate into all spheres of life, not simply the spiritual one.\r\n\r\nBut working with images such as Chamunda and Kali, I believe, is one way to begin transforming traditional perspectives. Although a re-visioning of these goddesses in the East to include a mandate for social reform might be a worthwhile endeavor, I can only mention here the potential impact that working with them might have upon Western consciousness were, for example, a fully developed program inclusive of yoga, ritual, meditation and contemplation, etc. to be implemented by those wishing to break free of the limiting constructs of our time.\r\n\r\n<b>Revisiting the Goddess</b>\r\n\r\nTherefore, I hold that those wishing to reach beyond the schisms of Western thought (and beyond the hypocrisy of Eastern practice if one is from that context and so inclined) need to welcome a teacher capable of fully embodying both sides of duality; for one must be willing to embrace death if seeking to fully enjoy life (as the story above pointed out). The extremely intense presence of Chamunda when brought into contemplation by a seeking mind can indeed be a call to wake up to the vibrancy of life; to the reason behind the ephemeral nature of things; and indeed to the fullest sense oneself and one’s purpose in the world.\r\n\r\nFor as told in the Upanishads when Sanatkumara says to the young Narada: \"One who meditates upon and realizes the Self discovers that everything in the cosmos—energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantram and meditation—all come from the Self.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">12</a>] The Self is therefore the embracing One and that which enables human beings to comprehend the infinite diversity of the world. The manifestations of the macrocosmic world can be easily understood in terms of the microcosmic Self and vice versa; or again in the words of Hermes Trismegistus, \"as above, so below.\"\r\n\r\nIn meditating upon the image of Chamunda and asking questions as I did about the reasons behind her powerful presence, one may be forced to ask too exactly what this Goddess desires us to see and to ultimately understand about our presence in the world: What is my role here? Why is there suffering? What is the purpose of life? Why has Patriarchy been a part of our human experience? As it says in the Chandogya Upanishad, \"You are that.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">13</a>] And so for the individual contemplating the nature of non-dual reality while trying to reconcile manifest existence and personal experience, Chamunda can function as a portal to understanding.\r\n\r\nIt also seems appropriate that as we today search to give a meaning to our lives in these times of planetary crisis, turning to different ways of knowing and of experiencing reality may assist us in our struggles to ‘make sense of it all.’ This introduction of Chamunda as a teacher to the West is again not an attempt to co-opt or misrepresent a Hindu deity; it is simply a suggestion to be aware of more than those things with which we are readily familiar in our quest.\r\n\r\nDone with honor, respect, and with no claim at contextual understanding, opening to the patterns of collective thought that made the Goddess Chamunda a part of human reality may be a way to break the hard lines of Western dichotomy. It may help us reconnect to the ancient roots of many of the symbols, myths and traditions that have sprung from our collective human history, and it may help us connect to something deeper from within our own Western psyche. It may help us to eventually reclaim the power inherent in both Mother and Witch for the betterment of humanity.\r\n\r\nThus Chamunda-Devi may be a kind of key - not to unlocking the past, but to helping us ‘re-find’ the awareness most important for us today. Perhaps she can help us to dive into the primordial well of remembrance that exists within each of us in order to help surface feelings and intuitions that are particularly important for the creation of human as well as Gaian wholeness.\r\n\r\nAs the last line of the <i>Creed of the Star Goddess</i> tells us, \"I [the Goddess], have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.\"  [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">14</a>] We need only wish to remember in our hearts, with all of our heart, and She will reveal Her reality no matter where we live, what language we speak or what traditions we follow. As we move forward along our collective path in this evolutionary spiral we call life, may we seek always to know the truth of our past, so that we may all move together towards tomorrow. In this project, Chamunda is certainly qualified to be our guide.\r\n\r\nThe rest of my stay in India continued to be filled with Chamunda’s presence, and I began to affirm as I learned more about her that she was unknowable in any purely historical or religious sense but for my own cellular memories perhaps and more recent experiences of her. By Chamunda’s grace, however, I find that as I deepen into her mysteries and continue to invoke her in my life, I am drawn back in time so that I may discover not only her truth, but also the truth of how the track of recorded history both reveals and obscures truth. As much contemporary feminist scholarship reveals, much of recorded history obscures. By Chamunda’s grace, however, the path towards greater self-awareness was presented to me, and I continue to ask the above-mentioned questions, slowly gaining insight into her potential role as a teacher of the West.\r\n\r\nThe path towards greater self-awareness therefore has very large implications, and I continue to ask the above-mentioned questions to gain insight into Chamunda in all manifestations so that she may ultimately teach her secrets to all those willing to learn. I for one, am realizing that the mysteries of the Goddess reveal themselves to me though my personal experience, and as I open to trusting that my spirituality in this vein contains the greatest wisdom of all, the circle is closed and I am before Her once again.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a name=\"ref\"></a>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1. Kinsley, David. <i>Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition</i> (University of California Press: Berkeley) 1986 p. 149\r\n2. Dehejia, Vidya. <i>Yogini Cult and Temples: A Tantric Tradition</i> (The National Museum: New Delhi) 1986, p. 187\r\n3. The Matrikas first appear in the <i>Mahabharata</i> and have collectively been dated to about the first century A.D. Their manifestations in the literature of the epic - and post-epic periods seem to be characterized as malevolent, blood-drinking and demonic; but worship is also directed to them for protection. The Matrikas are notably a group of goddesses, the number of which becomes somewhat standardized at seven or eight in the postepic period. They are given in the <i>Visnudharmottara-purana</i> as: Yogisvari, Mahesvari, Vaisnavi, Kaumari, Brahmani, Chamunda and Varahi.\r\n4. I have visited this temple and seen these images. David Kinsley also makes mention of this fact in his work,<i>Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine: The Ten Mahavidyas</i> (University of California Press: Berkeley) 1997, p. 16\r\n5. Kinsley, David. Ibid., p. 75\r\n6. Sheldrake, Rupert. <i>The Rebirth of Nature: The Greening of Science and God</i> (Park Street Press: Vermont) 1991 pp. 196 - 199\r\n7. Kinsley, David. <i>Hindu Goddesses</i>, ibid<i>. </i>p. 77\r\n8. Kothari, Rajni. Foreword in <i>Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development</i> by Vandana Shiva, (New Jersey: Zed Books) 1989, p. X. (Original italics.)\r\n9. Spretnak, Charlene. \"Radical Non-duality in Ecofeminist Philosophy\" essay <i>in Metis: A Feminist Journal of Transformative Wisdom</i>, Spring, 1996; Vol 1, No. 1., p. 11\r\n10. Brown, C. MacKenzie. <i>The Triumph of the Goddess: The Canonical Models and Theological Visions of the Devi-Bhagavata Purana</i> (SUNY Press: New York) 1990, p. 216\r\n11. Reported by Tim Ward in <i>Common Boundary</i>, March/April, 1997, p. 34\r\n12.<i> Chandogya Upanishad, </i>translated by Eknath Easwaran (Nilgiri Press: Berkeley) 1987, p. 190\r\n13. <i>Chandogya Upanishad</i>, ibid<i>.</i>, p. 183\r\n14. Adapted from the traditional (oral) poem by Doreen Valiente, British witch. Traditional.','Chamunda-Devi','','inherit','open','open','','99967-revision-v1','','','2013-10-15 12:27:36','2013-10-15 19:27:36','',99967,'<h4>Eastern Teacher to The West</h4>\r\n<em>by Chandra Alexandre</em>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright  wp-image-99968 imgborder=0\" alt=\"chamundafire\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/chamundafire.gif\" width=\"250\" height=\"278\" style=\"w',0,'revision','',0),(100695,2,'2013-10-15 13:52:28','2013-10-15 20:52:28','A celebration honoring the cycle of life, the Great Mystery and all things on the margins. Join us as we come together in community to welcome in the new year at this time of Kali Puja and Divali, the Festival of Lights, and honor Goddess manifest in the whole of creation. \r\n\r\nAs the darkness closes in, we offer our prayers to Maa Kali, Mother of the Universe. Together we will honor Her in Her many forms through the Sha\'can tradition of Shakta Tantra. With your help, we are planning to fill the temple with chant, song, dance, devotion, and celebration.\r\n\r\nWhat to bring... Offerings for the main altar are welcome. It is customary to bring flowers, fruit, wine, vegetarian offerings, or sweets and to refrain from wearing black to our public rituals. If you wish to wear a special color for Kali, we invite you to don red, a color associated with Her power in the phenomenal world as shakti, the activating force and the energy of creation. You are also invited to bring an object you would like to have blessed.\r\n\r\nA sliding scale donation of $21-11 is also suggested to cover the cost of the space, puja supplies and prasad (blessed food); however, no one is ever turned away for lack of funds, and any donation is graciously accepted; we appreciate so much the offerings you make to support our work and the community.\r\n\r\nAll lovers of the Divine are welcome! Doors open at 5:30PM, ritual begins promptly at 6:00PM.\r\n\r\n<b>Location:</b> 2650 Fulton Street (at 3rd Avenue), San Francisco, CA 94118\r\n\r\n<b>R.S.V.P.</b>: <a href=\"https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2= 94-3334334\">Make a donation to attend</a> (note Kali Puja Festival).\r\n\r\n<b>Questions?</b> Email us at <a href=mailto:info@sharanya.org>info@sharanya.org</a><br><br>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://mapsengine.google.com/map/embed?mid=z31HImSkDDrM.kHtJeWlN3KjQ\" width=\"100%\" height=\"480\"></iframe>','10th Annual Kali Puja Festival','','inherit','open','open','','100438-autosave-v1','','','2013-10-15 13:52:28','2013-10-15 20:52:28','',100438,'A celebration honoring the cycle of life, the Great Mystery and all things on the margins. Join us as we come together in community to welcome in the new year at this time of Kali Puja and Divali, the Festival of Lights, and honor Goddess manifest in the ',0,'revision','',0),(100696,2,'2013-10-15 21:58:57','2013-10-16 04:58:57','[two_third]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75840774\r\n[/two_third] \r\n[one_third last=last] \r\n<h1>Yoni Puja</h1>\r\nEach year we gather to celebrate Ambubachi Mela and the power of Goddess through Earth, women, the Female, the Feminine, and all things of Nature. A special part of our ceremony is the anointing of the yoni with kumkum powder and the receiving of <I>yoni tattva</I> the essence of Devi. This video captures a moment of worship for two of our devotees and the sacred imbibing of the nectar of Maa.  \r\n[/one_third] \r\n\r\n<div style=\"clear:both\"></div>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[one_half]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75836707\r\n\r\n<h3>Tantric Teachings</h3>\r\nEach month we gather for teachings and discussion on the tantras, yoga sutras and mysticism. In prior years, we have invited all those seeking initiation to commit a year-and-a-day to Daughters of Kali. This video segment is from one of the DoK teaching circles. \r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n[one_half last=last]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75838844\r\n\r\n<h3>Chandi Recitation</h3>\r\nJoin us for a beautiful recitation in Sanskrit of a portion of the Chanti Path, 700 sacred verses in honor and praise of Goddess, presented in front of Maa Batakali. The offering of these divine hymns is being made by Shyam Sundar Dash, pujari of our home temple, the Maa Batakali Cultural Mission temple in Puri (Orissa), India, at the intersection of Ganamal Sahi and Bali Sahi. \r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n\r\n[clear]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[one_half]\r\n<h3>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.</h3>\r\nLorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam fringilla orci sed est bibendum, vitae venenatis neque pulvinar. Phasellus ante lorem, tristique ac dictum sed, vulputate quis quam. Suspendisse dapibus posuere scelerisque. Suspendisse ultricies congue mi non suscipit. Suspendisse rhoncus ac est sit amet bibendum. Mauris vulputate id odio nec fermentum.\r\n\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/71501308\r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n\r\n[one_half last=last]\r\n<h3>Removing Curses from Devi</h3>\r\nAt each puja, the Shappodhara Mantra is a key component of worship prior to our invocation of the Divine Mother. Join us as we chant and offer sandalwood incense to the fire. This video segment of Removing Curses from Goddess was taken at our 2010 Yoni Puja Festival. We gather to offer the Shapodhara Mantra from the Chandi for the removal of curses from Goddess, as well as from the Feminine and any internalized or external expressions of female subjugation. \r\n\r\nOM HRIM KLIM SHRIM KRAM KRIM CHANDIKA DEVYAI SHAPANASHANUGRAHAM KURU KURU SVAHA!\r\n\r\n\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/77018735\r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n[clear]','Videos','','inherit','open','open','','99156-revision-v1','','','2013-10-15 21:58:57','2013-10-16 04:58:57','',99156,'[two_third]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75840774\r\n[/two_third] \r\n[one_third last=last] \r\n<h1>Yoni Puja</h1>\r\nEach year we gather to celebrate Ambubachi Mela and the power of Goddess through Earth, women, the Female, the Feminine, and all things of Nature. A special',0,'revision','',0),(100697,2,'2013-10-15 22:00:28','2013-10-16 05:00:28','[two_third]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75840774\r\n[/two_third] \r\n[one_third last=last] \r\n<h1>Yoni Puja</h1>\r\nEach year we gather to celebrate Ambubachi Mela and the power of Goddess through Earth, women, the Female, the Feminine, and all things of Nature. A special part of our ceremony is the anointing of the yoni with kumkum powder and the receiving of <I>yoni tattva</I> the essence of Devi. This video captures a moment of worship for two of our devotees and the sacred imbibing of the nectar of Maa.  \r\n[/one_third] \r\n\r\n<div style=\"clear:both\"></div>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[one_half]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75836707\r\n\r\n<h3>Tantric Teachings</h3>\r\nEach month we gather for teachings and discussion on the tantras, yoga sutras and mysticism. In prior years, we have invited all those seeking initiation to commit a year-and-a-day to Daughters of Kali. This video segment is from one of the DoK teaching circles. \r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n[one_half last=last]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75838844\r\n\r\n<h3>Chandi Recitation</h3>\r\nJoin us for a beautiful recitation in Sanskrit of a portion of the Chanti Path, 700 sacred verses in honor and praise of Goddess, presented in front of Maa Batakali. The offering of these divine hymns is being made by Shyam Sundar Dash, pujari of our home temple, the Maa Batakali Cultural Mission temple in Puri (Orissa), India, at the intersection of Ganamal Sahi and Bali Sahi. \r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n\r\n[clear]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[one_half]\r\n<h3>The Heart of Tantra</h3>\r\nWatch some of the footage from a July 26, 2009 talk by Chandra Alexandre, \"The Heart of Tantra: Theory & Practice on the Path of Spiritual Awakening,\" at the Cultural Integration Fellowship in San Francisco.\r\n\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/77018733\r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n\r\n[one_half last=last]\r\n<h3>Removing Curses from Devi</h3>\r\nAt each puja, the Shappodhara Mantra is a key component of worship prior to our invocation of the Divine Mother. Join us as we chant and offer sandalwood incense to the fire. This video segment of Removing Curses from Goddess was taken at our 2010 Yoni Puja Festival. We gather to offer the Shapodhara Mantra from the Chandi for the removal of curses from Goddess, as well as from the Feminine and any internalized or external expressions of female subjugation. \r\n\r\nOM HRIM KLIM SHRIM KRAM KRIM CHANDIKA DEVYAI SHAPANASHANUGRAHAM KURU KURU SVAHA!\r\n\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/77018735\r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n[clear]','Videos','','inherit','open','open','','99156-revision-v1','','','2013-10-15 22:00:28','2013-10-16 05:00:28','',99156,'[two_third]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75840774\r\n[/two_third] \r\n[one_third last=last] \r\n<h1>Yoni Puja</h1>\r\nEach year we gather to celebrate Ambubachi Mela and the power of Goddess through Earth, women, the Female, the Feminine, and all things of Nature. A special',0,'revision','',0),(100698,2,'2013-10-15 22:01:59','2013-10-16 05:01:59','[two_third]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75840774\r\n[/two_third] \r\n[one_third last=last] \r\n<h1>Yoni Puja</h1>\r\nEach year we gather to celebrate Ambubachi Mela and the power of Goddess through Earth, women, the Female, the Feminine, and all things of Nature. A special part of our ceremony is the anointing of the yoni with kumkum powder and the receiving of <I>yoni tattva</I> the essence of Devi. This video captures a moment of worship for two of our devotees and the sacred imbibing of the nectar of Maa.  \r\n[/one_third] \r\n\r\n<div style=\"clear:both\"></div>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[one_half]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75836707\r\n\r\n<h3>Tantric Teachings</h3>\r\nEach month we gather for teachings and discussion on the tantras, yoga sutras and mysticism. In prior years, we have invited all those seeking initiation to commit a year-and-a-day to Daughters of Kali. This video segment is from one of the DoK teaching circles. \r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n[one_half last=last]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75838844\r\n\r\n<h3>Chandi Recitation</h3>\r\nJoin us for a beautiful recitation in Sanskrit of a portion of the Chanti Path, 700 sacred verses in honor and praise of Goddess, presented in front of Maa Batakali. The offering of these divine hymns is being made by Shyam Sundar Dash, pujari of our home temple, the Maa Batakali Cultural Mission temple in Puri (Orissa), India, at the intersection of Ganamal Sahi and Bali Sahi. \r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n\r\n[clear]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[one_half]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/77018733\r\n\r\n<h3>The Heart of Tantra</h3>\r\nWatch some of the footage from a July 26, 2009 talk by Chandra Alexandre, \"The Heart of Tantra: Theory & Practice on the Path of Spiritual Awakening,\" at the Cultural Integration Fellowship in San Francisco.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n\r\n[one_half last=last]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/77018735\r\n\r\n<h3>Removing Curses from Devi</h3>\r\nAt each puja, the Shappodhara Mantra is a key component of worship prior to our invocation of the Divine Mother. Join us as we chant and offer sandalwood incense to the fire. This video segment of Removing Curses from Goddess was taken at our 2010 Yoni Puja Festival. We gather to offer the Shapodhara Mantra from the Chandi for the removal of curses from Goddess, as well as from the Feminine and any internalized or external expressions of female subjugation. \r\n\r\nOM HRIM KLIM SHRIM KRAM KRIM CHANDIKA DEVYAI SHAPANASHANUGRAHAM KURU KURU SVAHA!\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[/one_half]\r\n[clear]','Videos','','inherit','open','open','','99156-revision-v1','','','2013-10-15 22:01:59','2013-10-16 05:01:59','',99156,'[two_third]\r\nhttp://vimeo.com/75840774\r\n[/two_third] \r\n[one_third last=last] \r\n<h1>Yoni Puja</h1>\r\nEach year we gather to celebrate Ambubachi Mela and the power of Goddess through Earth, women, the Female, the Feminine, and all things of Nature. A special',0,'revision','',0),(100699,2,'2013-10-16 09:49:56','2013-10-16 16:49:56','[one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/th_event/10th-annual-kali-puja-festival/\" title=\"Kali Puja Festival\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Blessed-Altar-Web-e1380257091912.jpg\" ]Join us on Nov 2nd![/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n[one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/the-path/commitment/\" title=\"Curious?\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DSC_0313-e1381818563636.jpg\" ]Learn more...[/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n[one_third last=last] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/events/\" title=\"Puja Dates\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/0311-e1381818979184.jpg\" ]Visit the calendar[/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<h3>Reflections &amp; News</h3>\r\n[blog category=\"7\" perpage=\"3\" pagination=\"\" ]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"matrikas\" time=\"10\" randomize=\"on\" effect=\"fade\" ]','Homepage','','inherit','open','open','','99117-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 09:49:56','2013-10-16 16:49:56','',99117,'[one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/th_event/10th-annual-kali-puja-festival/\" title=\"Kali Puja Festival\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Blessed-Altar-Web-e1380257091912.jpg\" ]Join us on Nov 2nd![/teaser] [/one_third]\r',0,'revision','',0),(100700,2,'2013-10-16 09:50:27','2013-10-16 16:50:27','[one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/th_event/10th-annual-kali-puja-festival/\" title=\"Kali Festival\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Blessed-Altar-Web-e1380257091912.jpg\" ]Join us on Nov 2nd![/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n[one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/the-path/commitment/\" title=\"Curious?\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DSC_0313-e1381818563636.jpg\" ]Learn more...[/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n[one_third last=last] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/events/\" title=\"Puja Dates\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/0311-e1381818979184.jpg\" ]Visit the calendar[/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<h3>Reflections &amp; News</h3>\r\n[blog category=\"7\" perpage=\"3\" pagination=\"\" ]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"matrikas\" time=\"10\" randomize=\"on\" effect=\"fade\" ]','Homepage','','inherit','open','open','','99117-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 09:50:27','2013-10-16 16:50:27','',99117,'[one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/th_event/10th-annual-kali-puja-festival/\" title=\"Kali Festival\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Blessed-Altar-Web-e1380257091912.jpg\" ]Join us on Nov 2nd![/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n[o',0,'revision','',0),(100701,2,'2013-10-16 09:57:42','2013-10-16 16:57:42','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. \r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  \r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><strong><i>Objective:</i></strong> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja - I </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.  \r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<strong><i>Objective:</i></strong> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual. The primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja - II</li>\r\n	<li>Yantras - I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<i><a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><strong>Objective:</strong></i> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsiblity for public monthly puja ceremonies. Individuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male / Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Sanskrit (for those wishing to do so)</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa, and other practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra - II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 09:57:42','2013-10-16 16:57:42','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100702,2,'2013-10-16 10:22:28','2013-10-16 17:22:28','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. \r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  \r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><strong><i><span style=\"color: #9c1601\">Objective:</i></strong> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</span>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja - I </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.  \r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<strong><i>Objective:</i></strong> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual. The primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja - II</li>\r\n	<li>Yantras - I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<i><a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><strong>Objective:</strong></i> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsiblity for public monthly puja ceremonies. Individuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male / Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Sanskrit (for those wishing to do so)</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa, and other practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra - II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 10:22:28','2013-10-16 17:22:28','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100703,2,'2013-10-16 10:24:30','2013-10-16 17:24:30','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. \r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  \r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</i></strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja - I </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.  \r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<strong><i>Objective:</i></strong> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual. The primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja - II</li>\r\n	<li>Yantras - I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<i><a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><strong>Objective:</strong></i> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsiblity for public monthly puja ceremonies. Individuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male / Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Sanskrit (for those wishing to do so)</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa, and other practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra - II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 10:24:30','2013-10-16 17:24:30','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100704,2,'2013-10-16 10:30:25','2013-10-16 17:30:25','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. \r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  \r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</i></strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja - I </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.  \r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</i></strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual. \r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja - II</li>\r\n	<li>Yantras - I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></i></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. \r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra - II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 10:30:25','2013-10-16 17:30:25','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100705,2,'2013-10-16 10:31:03','2013-10-16 17:31:03','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. \r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  \r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</i>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja - I </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.  \r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</i></strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual. \r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja - II</li>\r\n	<li>Yantras - I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></i></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. \r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra - II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 10:31:03','2013-10-16 17:31:03','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100706,2,'2013-10-16 10:32:15','2013-10-16 17:32:15','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. \r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  \r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</i>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja - I </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.  \r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.</i>\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual. \r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja - II</li>\r\n	<li>Yantras - I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.</i>\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. \r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra - II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 10:32:15','2013-10-16 17:32:15','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100707,2,'2013-10-16 10:34:01','2013-10-16 17:34:01','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. \r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  \r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</i>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja (first level) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.  \r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.</i>\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual. \r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja (second level)</li>\r\n	<li>Yantras - I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.</i>\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. \r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra - II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 10:34:01','2013-10-16 17:34:01','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100708,2,'2013-10-16 10:35:26','2013-10-16 17:35:26','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. \r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  \r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</i>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja (first level) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.  \r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.</i>\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual. \r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja (second level)</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.</i>\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. \r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 10:35:26','2013-10-16 17:35:26','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100709,2,'2013-10-16 20:05:01','2013-10-17 03:05:01','<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Maa-072212.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-107 alignright\" title=\"Maa 072212\" alt=\"Kali Puja Altar 072212\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Maa-072212-e1343014356681-278x300.jpg\" width=\"278\" height=\"300\" /></a>Kali Puja in July at our temple is special because it precedes initiation for those who have journeyed with Daughters of Kali. Today\'s puja felt energized with the excitement of uncertainty as well as the blessings of Maa\'s mysteries because of this. Adding to the deepened awareness of our footfalls on the spiritual path were the sounds of Anga Puja, worship of the Divine Mother\'s body as our own.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Anga-Puja.mp3\">Listen to Anga Puja</a>.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Anga-Puja.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-104\" title=\"Anga Puja\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Anga-Puja-226x300.jpg\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAn excellent resource for this worship is Swami Satyananda Saraswati\'s <em>Shiva Puja</em> book, where you will find the whole of the Sanskrit, plus transliteration and translation. Simply, the puja offers worship to Maa\'s body in their various parts, extolling Her virtues as the devotee does so.\r\n\r\nAfter our individual sadhana and internal worship, we praised Maa in our sanctuary with <a title=\"Aarati\" href=\"http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/tools/view_newsletter.php?newsletter_id=1409952411#article_7\" target=\"_blank\">aarati</a> and personal devotions. The circle was opened with gratitudes and a final offering of thanks to all the spirits, guides, ancestors and deities who had joined in the rites.\r\n\r\nWe will meet again in August, but our rituals will be for our soon-to-be initiates and our elders who choose to rededicate to Her for another year and a day. Blessings to all those who have and who continue to travel the path. Jai Maa!','Kali Puja: The Body of the Divine Mother','','inherit','open','open','','102-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 20:05:01','2013-10-17 03:05:01','',102,'<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Maa-072212.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-107 alignright\" title=\"Maa 072212\" alt=\"Kali Puja Altar 072212\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Maa-072212-e134301',0,'revision','',0),(100710,2,'2013-10-16 20:06:13','2013-10-17 03:06:13','<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Maa-072212.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-107 alignright\" title=\"Maa 072212\" alt=\"Kali Puja Altar 072212\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Maa-072212-e1343014356681-278x300.jpg\" width=\"278\" height=\"300\" /></a>Kali Puja in July at our temple is special because it precedes initiation for those who have journeyed with Daughters of Kali, our training circle, the past year and chosen to continue on the path. Today\'s puja felt energized with the excitement of uncertainty as well as the blessings of Maa\'s mysteries because of this. Adding to the deepened awareness of our footfalls on the spiritual path were the sounds of Anga Puja, worship of the Divine Mother\'s body as our own.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Anga-Puja.mp3\">Listen to Anga Puja</a>.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Anga-Puja.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-104\" title=\"Anga Puja\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Anga-Puja-226x300.jpg\" width=\"226\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAn excellent resource for this worship is Swami Satyananda Saraswati\'s <em>Shiva Puja</em> book, where you will find the whole of the Sanskrit, plus transliteration and translation. Simply, the puja offers worship to Maa\'s body in their various parts, extolling Her virtues as the devotee does so.\r\n\r\nAfter our individual sadhana and internal worship, we praised Maa in our sanctuary with <a title=\"Aarati\" href=\"http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/tools/view_newsletter.php?newsletter_id=1409952411#article_7\" target=\"_blank\">aarati</a> and personal devotions. The circle was opened with gratitudes and a final offering of thanks to all the spirits, guides, ancestors and deities who had joined in the rites.\r\n\r\nWe will meet again in August, but our rituals will be for our soon-to-be initiates and our elders who choose to rededicate to Her for another year and a day. Blessings to all those who have and who continue to travel the path. Jai Maa!','Kali Puja: The Body of the Divine Mother','','inherit','open','open','','102-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 20:06:13','2013-10-17 03:06:13','',102,'<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Maa-072212.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-107 alignright\" title=\"Maa 072212\" alt=\"Kali Puja Altar 072212\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Maa-072212-e134301',0,'revision','',0),(100711,2,'2013-10-16 20:08:40','2013-10-17 03:08:40','For thousands of years, yantras have been used in the Tantric tradition as visual metaphors for the body of the divine. As expressions of devotion and contemplation, they are similar to Tibetan mandalas in that meditation upon them is tantamount to returning to the primordial fiat of one’s being. Because yantras are comprised of archetypal geometric forms and shapes, they are believed to offer liberation from bondage. There are many different yantras, all of which have specific intentions and meanings. For instance, the sri yantra (believed to be the mother of all yantras) is made up of nine interlacing triangles, five inverted ones which represent Shakti and four upright ones which represent Shiva. As a symbolic map of a human being’s spiritual journey, the sri yantra describes nine different routes (from the center, or bindu, to the outer plane) that represent a different stage in the process. <img class=\"alignleft\" style=\"color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0.4em;\" title=\"Kali Yantra\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" src=\"http://media.jbanetwork.com/image/cache/8/6/5/9/3/6_w220_h214_s1_PT0_PR15_PB0_PL0_PCffffff.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"214\" /> As a geometric symbol, the yantra represents everything that can be internalized in our consciousness. Ma Kali, the mother of time (and its destruction), is also the progenitor of breath, divine love, and transformation. The elegant Kali yantra can thus be understood as a signifier of transformation and healing. To meditate upon it is to surrender totally to the energy of spiritual growth, and to turn emotional catharsis to one’s spiritual advantage. The 36 centers of the Kali yantra correspond to the 36 principles of creation. The central bindu itself is the elemental aspect of the soul, and of Kali, from which everything in the material world emanates<strong>.</strong> The five inverted triangles of the yantra represent the sheaths of human consciousness: physical, life force, mental/emotional, wisdom, and bliss. And the inverted position of the triangles symbolize the regenerative power of the divine feminine. The two circles represent life and death. The eight lotus petals that surround the bindu represent the eight tattvas of nature: earth, water, fire, air, ether, the lower mind, the higher mind, and the ego. The colors of the yantra are also, of course, symbolic. Red represents the life blood and energy of the manifested world, black represents the eternal mystery of the void from which creation ensues, and gray represents the liminal space between realms. To meditate on the Kali yantra, simply do the following:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Gaze at the bindu of the yantra, being sure to concentrate on your third eye, or Ajna chakra.</li>\r\n	<li>Experience and relish the exchange of energy between the yantra and your heart center, which is where Ma resides.</li>\r\n	<li>Let the colors of the yantra infuse your consciousness.</li>\r\n	<li>Silently call forth on the regenerative power of Kali, which has the power to transform the deepest suffering into the deepest bliss and wareness.</li>\r\n	<li>Close your eyes now, but let the image of the yantra remain with you.</li>\r\n	<li>Chant the sacred breath of Ma Kali, “sa’ham,” and stay relaxed and peaceful.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">  <strong><em>Jai Kali Maa!</em></strong></p>\r\nContributed by Nirmala Nataraj for the SHARANYA <a title=\"SHARANYA\'s May Newsletter\" href=\"http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1411330215\" target=\"_blank\">May newsletter</a>. Read it to learn more about our work in the world and the Summer Solstice Festival of <a title=\"Yoni Puja (6/17)\" href=\"/events/festivals/\" target=\"_blank\">Yoni Puja</a>.','Kali Yantra','','inherit','open','open','','62-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 20:08:40','2013-10-17 03:08:40','',62,'For thousands of years, yantras have been used in the Tantric tradition as visual metaphors for the body of the divine. As expressions of devotion and contemplation, they are similar to Tibetan mandalas in that meditation upon them is tantamount to return',0,'revision','',0),(100712,2,'2013-10-16 20:08:59','2013-10-17 03:08:59','For thousands of years, yantras have been used in the Tantric tradition as visual metaphors for the body of the divine. As expressions of devotion and contemplation, they are similar to Tibetan mandalas in that meditation upon them is tantamount to returning to the primordial fiat of one’s being. Because yantras are comprised of archetypal geometric forms and shapes, they are believed to offer liberation from bondage. There are many different yantras, all of which have specific intentions and meanings. For instance, the sri yantra (believed to be the mother of all yantras) is made up of nine interlacing triangles, five inverted ones which represent Shakti and four upright ones which represent Shiva. As a symbolic map of a human being’s spiritual journey, the sri yantra describes nine different routes (from the center, or bindu, to the outer plane) that represent a different stage in the process. <img class=\"alignleft\" style=\"color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0.4em;\" title=\"Kali Yantra\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" src=\"http://media.jbanetwork.com/image/cache/8/6/5/9/3/6_w220_h214_s1_PT0_PR15_PB0_PL0_PCffffff.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"214\" /> As a geometric symbol, the yantra represents everything that can be internalized in our consciousness. Ma Kali, the mother of time (and its destruction), is also the progenitor of breath, divine love, and transformation. The elegant Kali yantra can thus be understood as a signifier of transformation and healing. To meditate upon it is to surrender totally to the energy of spiritual growth, and to turn emotional catharsis to one’s spiritual advantage. The 36 centers of the Kali yantra correspond to the 36 principles of creation. The central bindu itself is the elemental aspect of the soul, and of Kali, from which everything in the material world emanates<strong>.</strong> The five inverted triangles of the yantra represent the sheaths of human consciousness: physical, life force, mental/emotional, wisdom, and bliss. And the inverted position of the triangles symbolize the regenerative power of the divine feminine. The two circles represent life and death. The eight lotus petals that surround the bindu represent the eight tattvas of nature: earth, water, fire, air, ether, the lower mind, the higher mind, and the ego. The colors of the yantra are also, of course, symbolic. Red represents the life blood and energy of the manifested world, black represents the eternal mystery of the void from which creation ensues, and gray represents the liminal space between realms. To meditate on the Kali yantra, simply do the following:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Gaze at the bindu of the yantra, being sure to concentrate on your third eye, or Ajna chakra.</li>\r\n	<li>Experience and relish the exchange of energy between the yantra and your heart center, which is where Ma resides.</li>\r\n	<li>Let the colors of the yantra infuse your consciousness.</li>\r\n	<li>Silently call forth on the regenerative power of Kali, which has the power to transform the deepest suffering into the deepest bliss and wareness.</li>\r\n	<li>Close your eyes now, but let the image of the yantra remain with you.</li>\r\n	<li>Chant the sacred breath of Ma Kali, “sa’ham,” and stay relaxed and peaceful.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">  <strong><em>Jai Kali Maa!</em></strong></p>\r\nContributed by Nirmala Nataraj for the SHARANYA <a title=\"SHARANYA\'s May Newsletter\" href=\"http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1411330215\" target=\"_blank\">May newsletter</a>. Read it to learn more about our work in the world and the Summer Solstice Festival of <a title=\"Yoni Puja (6/17/12)\" href=\"/events/festivals/\" target=\"_blank\">Yoni Puja</a>.','Kali Yantra','','inherit','open','open','','62-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 20:08:59','2013-10-17 03:08:59','',62,'For thousands of years, yantras have been used in the Tantric tradition as visual metaphors for the body of the divine. As expressions of devotion and contemplation, they are similar to Tibetan mandalas in that meditation upon them is tantamount to return',0,'revision','',0),(100713,2,'2013-10-16 20:10:00','2013-10-17 03:10:00','For thousands of years, yantras have been used in the Tantric tradition as visual metaphors for the body of the divine. As expressions of devotion and contemplation, they are similar to Tibetan mandalas in that meditation upon them is tantamount to returning to the primordial fiat of one’s being. Because yantras are comprised of archetypal geometric forms and shapes, they are believed to offer liberation from bondage. There are many different yantras, all of which have specific intentions and meanings. For instance, the Sri Yantra (believed to be the mother of all yantras) is made up of nine interlacing triangles, five inverted ones which represent Shakti and four upright ones which represent Shiva. \r\n\r\nAs a symbolic map of a human being’s spiritual journey, the sri yantra describes nine different routes (from the center, or bindu, to the outer plane) that represent a different stage in the process. <img class=\"alignleft\" style=\"color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0.4em;\" title=\"Kali Yantra\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" src=\"http://media.jbanetwork.com/image/cache/8/6/5/9/3/6_w220_h214_s1_PT0_PR15_PB0_PL0_PCffffff.jpg\" width=\"235\" height=\"214\" /> \r\n\r\nAs a geometric symbol, the yantra represents everything that can be internalized in our consciousness. Ma Kali, the mother of time (and its destruction), is also the progenitor of breath, divine love, and transformation. The elegant Kali yantra can thus be understood as a signifier of transformation and healing. To meditate upon it is to surrender totally to the energy of spiritual growth, and to turn emotional catharsis to one’s spiritual advantage. The 36 centers of the Kali yantra correspond to the 36 principles of creation. The central bindu itself is the elemental aspect of the soul, and of Kali, from which everything in the material world emanates.\r\n\r\nThe five inverted triangles of the yantra represent the sheaths of human consciousness: physical, life force, mental/emotional, wisdom, and bliss. And the inverted position of the triangles symbolize the regenerative power of the divine feminine. The two circles represent life and death. \r\n\r\nThe eight lotus petals that surround the bindu represent the eight tattvas of nature: earth, water, fire, air, ether, the lower mind, the higher mind, and the ego. The colors of the yantra are also, of course, symbolic. Red represents the life blood and energy of the manifested world, black represents the eternal mystery of the void from which creation ensues, and gray represents the liminal space between realms. To meditate on the Kali yantra, simply do the following:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Gaze at the bindu of the yantra, being sure to concentrate on your third eye, or Ajna chakra.</li>\r\n	<li>Experience and relish the exchange of energy between the yantra and your heart center, which is where Ma resides.</li>\r\n	<li>Let the colors of the yantra infuse your consciousness.</li>\r\n	<li>Silently call forth on the regenerative power of Kali, which has the power to transform the deepest suffering into the deepest bliss and wareness.</li>\r\n	<li>Close your eyes now, but let the image of the yantra remain with you.</li>\r\n	<li>Chant the sacred breath of Ma Kali, “sa’ham,” and stay relaxed and peaceful.</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">  <strong><em>Jai Kali Maa!</em></strong></p>\r\nContributed by Nirmala Nataraj for the SHARANYA <a title=\"SHARANYA\'s May Newsletter\" href=\"http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1411330215\" target=\"_blank\">May newsletter</a>. Read it to learn more about our work in the world and the Summer Solstice Festival of <a title=\"Yoni Puja (6/17/12)\" href=\"/events/festivals/\" target=\"_blank\">Yoni Puja</a>.','Kali Yantra','','inherit','open','open','','62-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 20:10:00','2013-10-17 03:10:00','',62,'For thousands of years, yantras have been used in the Tantric tradition as visual metaphors for the body of the divine. As expressions of devotion and contemplation, they are similar to Tibetan mandalas in that meditation upon them is tantamount to return',0,'revision','',0),(100714,2,'2013-10-16 23:39:51','2013-10-17 06:39:51','[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Contact Us\"]Fill out this form to be in touch with us and share comments or ask questions. We look forward to hearing from you. <br><br>\r\n[th-contact-form subject=\"Email from SHARANYA.org\" to=\"info@sharanya.org\" button_text=\"Send\"] [th-contact-field label=\"Name\" type=\"name\" required=\"true\" /] [th-contact-field label=\"Email\" type=\"email\" required=\"true\" reply=\"true\" /] [th-contact-field label=\"Website\" type=\"url\" /] [th-contact-field label=\"Comment\" type=\"textarea\" required=\"true\" /] [/th-contact-form]\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Info\"]\r\n\r\nEmail: <a title=\"Inquiry\" href=\"mailto:info@sharanya.org\" target=\"_blank\">info@sharanya.org</a>\r\nTel: (415) 505-6840 (<I>for services inquiries only</I>)<br>\r\n\r\n<b>Mail Only:</b><br>\r\n270 Upland Drive<br>\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94127<br>\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','Contact Us','','inherit','open','open','','99158-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 23:39:51','2013-10-17 06:39:51','',99158,'[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Contact Us\"]Fill out this form to be in touch with us and share comments or ask questions. We look forward to hearing from you. <br><br>\r\n[th-contact-form subject=\"Email from SHARANYA.org\" to=\"info@sharanya.org\" button_text=\"Send',0,'revision','',0),(100715,2,'2013-10-16 23:40:37','2013-10-17 06:40:37','[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Contact Us\"]Fill out this form to be in touch with us and share comments or ask questions. We look forward to hearing from you. <br><br>\r\n[th-contact-form subject=\"Email from SHARANYA.org\" to=\"info@sharanya.org\" button_text=\"Send\"] [th-contact-field label=\"Name\" type=\"name\" required=\"true\" /] [th-contact-field label=\"Email\" type=\"email\" required=\"true\" reply=\"true\" /] [th-contact-field label=\"Website\" type=\"url\" /] [th-contact-field label=\"Comment\" type=\"textarea\" required=\"true\" /] [/th-contact-form]\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Info\"]\r\n\r\nEmail: <a title=\"Inquiry\" href=\"mailto:info@sharanya.org\" target=\"_blank\">info@sharanya.org</a><br>\r\nTel: (415) 505-6840 (<I>for services inquiries only</I>)<br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>Mail Only:</b><br><br>\r\n270 Upland Drive<br>\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94127<br>\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','Contact Us','','inherit','open','open','','99158-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 23:40:37','2013-10-17 06:40:37','',99158,'[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Contact Us\"]Fill out this form to be in touch with us and share comments or ask questions. We look forward to hearing from you. <br><br>\r\n[th-contact-form subject=\"Email from SHARANYA.org\" to=\"info@sharanya.org\" button_text=\"Send',0,'revision','',0),(100716,2,'2013-10-16 23:41:52','2013-10-17 06:41:52','[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Contact Us\"]Fill out this form to be in touch with us and share comments or ask questions. We look forward to hearing from you. <br><br>\r\n[th-contact-form subject=\"Email from SHARANYA.org\" to=\"info@sharanya.org\" button_text=\"Send\"] [th-contact-field label=\"Name\" type=\"name\" required=\"true\" /] [th-contact-field label=\"Email\" type=\"email\" required=\"true\" reply=\"true\" /] [th-contact-field label=\"Website\" type=\"url\" /] [th-contact-field label=\"Comment\" type=\"textarea\" required=\"true\" /] [/th-contact-form]\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Info\"]\r\n\r\nEmail: <a title=\"Inquiry\" href=\"mailto:info@sharanya.org\" target=\"_blank\">info@sharanya.org</a><br>\r\nTel: (415) 505-6840 (<I>for offerings and puja inquiries only</I>)<br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>Mail Only:</b><br><br>\r\n270 Upland Drive<br>\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94127<br>\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','Contact Us','','inherit','open','open','','99158-revision-v1','','','2013-10-16 23:41:52','2013-10-17 06:41:52','',99158,'[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Contact Us\"]Fill out this form to be in touch with us and share comments or ask questions. We look forward to hearing from you. <br><br>\r\n[th-contact-form subject=\"Email from SHARANYA.org\" to=\"info@sharanya.org\" button_text=\"Send',0,'revision','',0),(100717,2,'2013-10-17 00:25:19','2013-10-17 07:25:19','\"Iconography\" from Kali: Goddess of Social Justice by Chandra Alexandre. Released: 2008. Genre: Interview.','Kali\'s Iconography','','inherit','open','open','','iconography','','','2013-10-17 00:25:19','2013-10-17 07:25:19','',99123,'\"Iconography\" from Kali: Goddess of Social Justice by Chandra Alexandre. Released: 2008. Genre: Interview.',0,'attachment','audio/mpeg',0),(100718,2,'2013-10-17 00:27:09','2013-10-17 07:27:09','','DSC_0783','','inherit','open','open','','dsc_0783','','','2013-10-17 00:27:09','2013-10-17 07:27:09','',99123,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100719,2,'2013-10-17 00:44:47','2013-10-17 07:44:47','','Kali Skull','','inherit','open','open','','dscn1214','','','2013-10-17 00:44:47','2013-10-17 07:44:47','',99123,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100720,2,'2013-10-17 00:47:39','2013-10-17 07:47:39','Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origins are rooted in a commitment to social justice and to the (r)evolution of consciousness across space-time realities that we might transform increasingly toward peace.<br><br>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Temple in India\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-99537 imgborder\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri)\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\" /></a>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Constitution of Maa Batakali Sanskrutika Parisada</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission\r\n</span><br>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Balisahi, Puri Town, Puri  752 001 Orissa</span><br>\r\n\r\nRegistration Number: 2802/211/91-92<br>\r\nFiled and Certified by the Audit Superintendent District Panchayat Office, Puri<br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>Mission Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>To create and nurture a community of life-affirming individuals devoted to Mother Worship and to developing an understanding of how such devotion can positively transform our global community.</ul>\r\n<b>Vision Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission is dedicated to promoting the vision of the world as a global community in Her divine name.</ul>\r\n<b>Aims and Objectives:</b>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>To maintain this Mission as a nonprofit public-benefit organization, not organized for the private gain of any person.</li>\r\n	<li>To foster awareness of Goddess worship as a life-affirming path among the global community; and to eradicate erroneous and superstitious beliefs in this regard.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, develop and execute recreational, cultural and spiritual activities for the community.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake programs for the establishment of community housing, social forestry and environmental sanitation; et alia.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, fund and promote Mission Centers for community gatherings, social welfare programs and adult education, including the establishment of a library with emphasis on educational activities for community youth; and to develop various pilot projects to meet the needs of community members.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize outreach programs for those not in or around Mission Centers.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake projects expressly designed to promote the welfare of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and other economically \"backward\" classes of people, and to promote the development of cooperative ideas and enterprise among them and the community at large.</li>\r\n	<li>To draw up schemes for the rehabilitation of antisocial persons; i.e., those with problems related to alcohol and drug abuse, and to assist their families as required.</li>\r\n	<li>To educate about and mobilize peacefully against sati, dowry, beggary, caste crime and similar social ills.</li>\r\n	<li>To publish a monthly newsletter, community bulletin and other educational materials for the promotion of the spiritual and cultural philosophy of the Mission.</li>\r\n	<li>To help provide relief, through community efforts, for those effected by natural calamities and other emergencies.</li>\r\n	<li>To promote cultural exchange of ideas and beliefs throughout India and the world.</li>\r\n	<li>To assist in providing legal aid to the needy and the poor.</li>\r\n	<li>To establish sister organizations, in the United States and elsewhere, in order to promote the vision of the Mission worldwide.</li>\r\n	<li>To develop fundraising schemes for the future growth and maintenance of the Mission and its associations.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part I\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99541 imgborder\" alt=\"Shyam Sundar Dash at Maabatakali Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>August 2, 1998</em><br><br>\r\nIt\'s summer in India, the time when the air is thick, sweat plentiful, and the monsoon\'s rains swell the skies and the streets. I have come here, to this land of spice, spirit and the sacred, to further my work in ecofeminism by looking at women\'s spiritual connections to social justice and activism on behalf of the environment. I am not here long, however, before Maa, the Divine Mother, shows me that there\'s more to my quest than I originally thought.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSpeaking to a guide at my hotel, I tell him, \"I need to find a temple to the Goddess.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Which one,\" he asks. \"Which goddess?\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Well, Kali,\" I state hesitatingly, unsure of how my request will be received.  The man looks me up and down, trying to determine where I fit within the spectrum of visitors from whom he makes his livelihood.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Wouldn\'t you rather visit Lord Jaganath?\" he inquires. Lord of the Universe, Jaganath is honored at this time in Puri (the eastern <i>dham</i>, one of the sacred compass points in India) in a huge festival to which hundreds of thousands flock each year. Together with his brother and sister, this is the only time the Lord leaves the <I>mandir</I> (temple). He\'s on a family outing to his summer home across the town, and everyone comes out to get a glimpse of the royal family.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I respond quickly. I\'m restless and on a mission. It is Kali I need to see and no one else. That She is responsible for my getting through a political uprising in Digha at the southern end of West Bengal unscathed is apparent to me. I have come here therefore to give thanks and need to be at her feet in a temple soon. Sensing my urgency, the gentleman kindly calls to an auto-rickshaw driver with a shrug, not wanting to engage me further about goddesses. The driver arrives.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Kali mandir,\" I say to him as he pulls up alongside us. At this point, I have no idea how many homes Maa has here in Puri. After receiving no further instructions, the driver takes off towards the center of town. I later find out (after several unsuccessful attempts to again visit the place to which I am now heading) that there are at least four Kali temples accessible to visitors. Reaching our destination, I buy a hibiscus mala, a garland of her sacred flower, and add that to my <I>puja</I> (worship) basket. Into it too go coconut, juicy betel nut and other sweets to delight Her. My offering is noteworthy at this temple for its size; but I am generous as I feel a strong need to show my appreciation to Goddess for getting me out of Digha alive. <br><br>\r\n\r\nThe pujari at Maa Batakali Mandir, Shyam Sundar Dash, is a Brahmin priest with two sons. In his devotion and gratitude for the goddess having given him these sons, Shyam has built this temple. A small roadside mandir, passersby usually drop rupees on the temple steps on their daily rounds. It is nothing too fancy, but Maa here is absolutely resplendent.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIn his time, Shyam has doubled as a government worker, making regular trips back and forth from his office to tend to Maa and her devotees. Now retired, he tends to the temple and its congregation of worshipers every day for morning prayers and evening <i>aarati</i> (a beautiful celebration with lights and offerings). As Shyam sees me approach for the first time, he stares. He asks me directly why I am there, and although he is not angry, his disposition and directness can easily be mistaken for exactly that at first. Truly, he\'s just curious, but I am startled by his question.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Are you ISKON?\" he demands.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSuspense broken, I let out a nervous laugh. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (a.k.a. Hare Krishnas) has never drawn me, but Puri is full of Western devotees. Lord Jaganath, I learn is, like Krishna whom those in ISKON worship, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the God of Preservation, and one of the main Hindu deities.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I reply, \"I came to thank Maa.\"  After a few more words, Shyam accepts my offering basket, performing puja on my behalf. He asks my name in order to conduct the rites. When we\'re through, he asks why I\'m there. But my eyes are transfixed on Maa\'s image as it transforms before me, and I can only point to my heart by way of explanation. \"She\'s here,\" I manage to say. Then, everything that has been kept inside until now in this challenging land of contrasts streams out through my eyes in hot tears.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFrom June through the end of August 1998, I live in Puri. My friends up north forgive me for not coming back. My field work on is put on hold. It was my pause when Shyam asked after the ritual, \"Will you come visit my house?\" that changed not only the course of my research, but also my life. Aware of India\'s potential for surprises, I held a moment of silence before responding and internally questioned his invitation and motivations.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFeeling inside, I sensed that this was an offering, and a door was opening to me that might never open again. In the pause, I could see Her face dimly, and I wondered in my rational mind about my work and Shyam\'s intentions. It took me three days to surrender to the feeling and my vision of Her beckoning. After careful thought and some time meditating with the ocean\'s wisdom, I said yes. I returned to meet my new teacher and his family.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe more time I spend in Puri, the more I realize that Goddess is working in quite mysterious ways and that Shyam is no typical Brahmin priest.  As time passes, I learn the extent to which She is working through him, and I absorb many levels of Her teachings. Some are straightforward and harsh; others are more obtuse and delightful.<br><br>\r\n\r\nAfter much work, <I>diksha</I>, or initiation into Kali\'s mysteries is the next profound unfolding of my spiritual journey. The day comes on the August new moon, and I am thrilled when I realize it will be August 2nd, the festival of the harvest often called Lughnasad (or Lammas) in the earth-based Western calendar. It is as though Maa has answered my burning question: Can I do this? The synchronicity of timing does not escape me, and I feel She is telling me that I can have it both ways: I can be Her priestess in more than one way, walking as a Goddess worshiper wherever I may be in the world. To Her, I learn, there is no distinction.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe initiation is radical by most Hindu standards. Shyam is a Brahmin priest, and I am not only a Westerner but also a woman; and women in India are not initiated by Brahmins. Following the Vedas in his public work, Shyam also practices Tantra, and this is the in-road to Maa that is clearly appropriate for my circumstances. Tantrics care not of my birth, only my longing. But perhaps there would be less to explain and fewer staring eyes as we sit working together at the temple were Shyam to be more public about the various faces of his devotion.<br><br> \r\n\r\nAs Shyam manages to satisfy people\'s natural curiosity with his answers to their queries and suspicious looks, I pretend not to notice the robust number of visitors to the temple in the evenings after the gates have closed and we have begun our private work and evening prayers together.<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-99707 imgborder alignright\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre and Shyam Sundar Dash at Puri Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\" width=\"228\" height=\"246\" /></a>\r\n\r\nMy practice deepens after initiation, and on Her sacred day of Kali Puja some months later in October, I sit at the feet of the goddess in the temple, a spot that locals cannot come near. It is nearing midnight and the heat of the day lifting off the earth combined with the hot lamps that light Her image makes the sweat drip down my arms, makes my sari blouse feel even tighter than it already is, and makes me wish I couldn\'t see the large number of bugs and ants crawling on my feet and ankles in search of food. I honor Her by pouring <i>ghee</i> (clarified butter) for the <i>homa</i> (fire offering) ceremony, and I honor the fact that I am Shyam\'s first <i>chela</i> (student), a position of honor in this lineage tradition.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI tend to my responsibilities dutifully as the <I>Chandi Path</I> verses resonate off the temple walls and expand into the night air. In moments of quiet, I think about the day Shyam said he\'d been waiting for me, how he said his own guru had told him that one day, he would be bringing someone other than his sons to the path. I remember how Shyam said he had found the signs in my face the very first day we had met at the temple; signs telling him that I was the student to which his guru had referred. We finish our time together and he tells me the most important thing: \"Go! Go back to your home land, America, and spread Mother Worship!\"<br><br>\r\n\r\nUpon my return to the States, SHARANYA is born and my dedication to Kali Maa takes root with the formation of community on Western shores. The wisdom of the ocean is remembered and I am home.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Chandra Alexandre</strong> is the founding director of SHARANYA. She received <i>namakarana samskara</i> and her first <em>diksha </em>from Shyam Sundar Dash (founder of the Maa Batakali Mandir in Puri; Bharadvaja gotra) in 1998. \r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part II\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Kamakhya Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>June 26, 2003</em><br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Babaji wants to see you.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> I’m walking barefoot down the muddy side of Nilachal Hill at Kamakhya in northeastern India after witnessing one of the most beautiful Sanskrit recitations I have ever heard. The white kurtas of the Brahmin men gathered in a circle around a sacred fire stand in marked contrast though to the throngs of red-clad women waiting in long lines to see their Mother. Both, I imagine, receive Her blessings. I am in northeastern India, in Assam, participating in an annual Tantrick pilgrimage to the seat of the goddess’ power, the place where her <i>yoni</i>, or sexual organ, resides on Earth.  It’s a powerful place, a place of contrasts where all come together, whether Vaishnava, Shaivite or Shakta, to honor Maa. It\'s a place, one might say, where all unites in Her name.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Babji, I learn, is a 400-year old Aghori. A believer in the preeminence of the divine as Shiva, pure consciousness, he is a practitioner of the non-dualistic or \"left-hand\" Tantric rites. In short, this means that he adheres to a rather literal interpretation of what other Tantrics might do symbolically in ritual and devotion on the path to enlightenment. He meditates, for example, not only on <i>yantras</i> (sacred diagrams), but on yantras in cremation grounds on top of corpses; he drinks wine and liquor; he smokes hash and takes in other natural mind-altering substances. He believes that the pathway to the divine is through the body, through this world, through all of creation. His accepts it all, the pure and impure, the wicked and sane, as sacred. He is a radical non-dualist—one who believes in the One as well as in the reality of the phenomenal world. His path is fast and furious, sweet and sublime, potentially off-putting at the same time that it attracts wonder, excitement, and awe.  He loves Maa. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> The three black-clad initiates standing outside his cave-like shelter on the hillside welcome me in. I meet Babji. He’s old but looks young, his face the only give-away that he’s been around the block a few times. His body, otherwise, is baby-like. He looks pregnant, a little round belly on a very thin frame. I sit cross-legged in front of him. To his left, the fire pit. To his right, a <i>kapala</i>, or human skull cup from which wine and other mind-altering substances are drunk, sits upturned. He calls me \"Beti,\" or daughter. Two followers of his are there; his initiates have left us alone. The woman wipes the snot dripping from Babaji\'s nose with a handkerchief and then moves to mop sweat from his forehead. No one, it appears, is immune to this sweltering summer heat. The Indian devotee next to her, perhaps her husband, has had far too much <i>bhang</i> (Cannabis) or something; his eyes have trouble steadying on me. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">My Sanskrit is better than my Hindi at this point. Fortunately, I can make out meaning from of the ritual language Babaji is using. The man helps a little, but his English is as poor as my Hindi. We quiet. Suddenly, Babaji grabs me. He pulls me to him with unsuspected strength. Face against face, I feel the bristles of his long beard against my cheek, and I feel coolness where the snot has been touching. I am startled, but now I’m held. I am held firmly, with apparent intention. The touch is not violent or inappropriate. The strength is deep and calming. I stay quiet and listen inside to my belly and instincts. Presence prevails, and I allow myself to trust the moment. Just then, Babaji begins. His mouth now pressed to my ear, he sounds an ancient mantra. My heart trembles, my eyes close, and I go inward. I surrender to these sounds, soaking in the ancient reverberations, feeling in them the voices of the lineage, the guttural utterances of vibrations across time and space. All enter my ear. All penetrate my soul.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Moments pass and I eventually sit back upright in silence. One moment, then two. From deep inside, the sobbing begins. There’s no rational thought, no rhyme or reason, just the moment and my feeling of tremendous love and connection to all that is…I recognize a touch of <i>sat chit ananada</i>: being, consciousness, bliss. My forehead now on Babji\'s knee, he pats my head and strokes my hair. I sit back upright. Silence. One moment, then two. Babaji reaches to his left where a rusty knife about four inches long sits waiting. I follow his motion with my eyes. Instantly, I am terrified. I have visions of blood. Stop! One moment, then two. Stop! This time, it’s an admonition to remember. Allow yourself to be taken, it says. You’ve been here before; you know what\'s happening. It\'s safe. Breathe. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Babaji lowers my head with his hand and takes a fist-full of hair from my crown. He pulls hard enough to undo strands from my braid. Close to the scalp he cuts with the knife. Old and well-used, it doesn’t cut very well.  He pulls harder to get through the thickness of my mane and it hurts for an instant. I deepen my surrender. He cuts. He finishes, and I sit back up. Dazed, with my awareness in another place, I still must know.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"What,\" I ask, “are you going to do with it?\"  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"A sacrifice,” he says, \"will be offered in the fire tonight.\" He holds up my hair.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"It’s an equal exchange,\" he says. \"The price you pay for being welcomed into the family.”</span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<em>By: Chandra Alexandre</em>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Founder\'s Biography\" active=\"\"]<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DSC_0731-e1378968031852.jpg\" /> Chandra Alexandre is a Tantric Bhairavi, an initiator in the tradition of Kali, serving SHARANYA as clergy. She is a householder and a regular pilgrim to the birthplace of Tantra in northeastern India, where she studies and practices with her teachers. Chandra was first initiated into the mysteries of the dark goddess in 1998 in Puri, Orissa on the dakshinacara path, and then, five years later, she accepted the non-dualistic path of vamacara Tantra at Kamakhya outside of Guwahati in Assam. Her maternal grandmother was her first guide into the ways of spirit in the world.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOn her initial return from India, Chandra founded SHARANYA to serve those committed to embodied and engaged spirituality for social justice and transformation. This was the birth of Sha’can, an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra contextualized and made relevant for people and lands distant from the source. Chandra and community complement San Francisco Bay Area worship, events and services with an online mystery school, Kali Vidya, to serve an international community of spiritual seekers and lovers of Maa.<br><br>\r\n\r\nChandra is known for her passionate engagement of theory and practice. She holds a PhD in Asian & Comparative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies, a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wisdom University (formerly the University of Creation Spirituality), and an MBA in sustainable management from Presidio Graduate School. In addition to SHARANYA, she engages her commitment through several community-based nonprofit organizations working for educational equity, poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women and girls.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOriginally from New York, Chandra has, since 1995, called San Francisco home. She is a devoted wife and mother and also conjurer of <i>The Aghori Bakery: Everyday Spiritual Conversations</i> (forthcoming).[/toggle]\r\n\r\n<h5>Kali: Goddess of Social Justice</h5>\r\n<img src=\"<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Skull\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100719 imgborder\" /></a>\" \r\n<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n[thaudio href=\'http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Kali-Maa-Iconography.mp3\']Interview excerpt: <i>Chandra Alexandre</I> (Interviewed by Karen Tate) December 31, 2008[/thaudio]\r\n\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"origins\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Origins','','inherit','open','open','','99123-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 00:47:39','2013-10-17 07:47:39','',99123,'Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origi',0,'revision','',0),(100721,2,'2013-10-17 00:49:21','2013-10-17 07:49:21','Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origins are rooted in a commitment to social justice and to the (r)evolution of consciousness across space-time realities that we might transform increasingly toward peace.<br><br>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Temple in India\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-99537 imgborder\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri)\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\" /></a>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Constitution of Maa Batakali Sanskrutika Parisada</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission\r\n</span><br>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Balisahi, Puri Town, Puri  752 001 Orissa</span><br>\r\n\r\nRegistration Number: 2802/211/91-92<br>\r\nFiled and Certified by the Audit Superintendent District Panchayat Office, Puri<br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>Mission Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>To create and nurture a community of life-affirming individuals devoted to Mother Worship and to developing an understanding of how such devotion can positively transform our global community.</ul>\r\n<b>Vision Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission is dedicated to promoting the vision of the world as a global community in Her divine name.</ul>\r\n<b>Aims and Objectives:</b>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>To maintain this Mission as a nonprofit public-benefit organization, not organized for the private gain of any person.</li>\r\n	<li>To foster awareness of Goddess worship as a life-affirming path among the global community; and to eradicate erroneous and superstitious beliefs in this regard.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, develop and execute recreational, cultural and spiritual activities for the community.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake programs for the establishment of community housing, social forestry and environmental sanitation; et alia.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, fund and promote Mission Centers for community gatherings, social welfare programs and adult education, including the establishment of a library with emphasis on educational activities for community youth; and to develop various pilot projects to meet the needs of community members.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize outreach programs for those not in or around Mission Centers.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake projects expressly designed to promote the welfare of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and other economically \"backward\" classes of people, and to promote the development of cooperative ideas and enterprise among them and the community at large.</li>\r\n	<li>To draw up schemes for the rehabilitation of antisocial persons; i.e., those with problems related to alcohol and drug abuse, and to assist their families as required.</li>\r\n	<li>To educate about and mobilize peacefully against sati, dowry, beggary, caste crime and similar social ills.</li>\r\n	<li>To publish a monthly newsletter, community bulletin and other educational materials for the promotion of the spiritual and cultural philosophy of the Mission.</li>\r\n	<li>To help provide relief, through community efforts, for those effected by natural calamities and other emergencies.</li>\r\n	<li>To promote cultural exchange of ideas and beliefs throughout India and the world.</li>\r\n	<li>To assist in providing legal aid to the needy and the poor.</li>\r\n	<li>To establish sister organizations, in the United States and elsewhere, in order to promote the vision of the Mission worldwide.</li>\r\n	<li>To develop fundraising schemes for the future growth and maintenance of the Mission and its associations.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part I\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99541 imgborder\" alt=\"Shyam Sundar Dash at Maabatakali Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>August 2, 1998</em><br><br>\r\nIt\'s summer in India, the time when the air is thick, sweat plentiful, and the monsoon\'s rains swell the skies and the streets. I have come here, to this land of spice, spirit and the sacred, to further my work in ecofeminism by looking at women\'s spiritual connections to social justice and activism on behalf of the environment. I am not here long, however, before Maa, the Divine Mother, shows me that there\'s more to my quest than I originally thought.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSpeaking to a guide at my hotel, I tell him, \"I need to find a temple to the Goddess.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Which one,\" he asks. \"Which goddess?\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Well, Kali,\" I state hesitatingly, unsure of how my request will be received.  The man looks me up and down, trying to determine where I fit within the spectrum of visitors from whom he makes his livelihood.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Wouldn\'t you rather visit Lord Jaganath?\" he inquires. Lord of the Universe, Jaganath is honored at this time in Puri (the eastern <i>dham</i>, one of the sacred compass points in India) in a huge festival to which hundreds of thousands flock each year. Together with his brother and sister, this is the only time the Lord leaves the <I>mandir</I> (temple). He\'s on a family outing to his summer home across the town, and everyone comes out to get a glimpse of the royal family.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I respond quickly. I\'m restless and on a mission. It is Kali I need to see and no one else. That She is responsible for my getting through a political uprising in Digha at the southern end of West Bengal unscathed is apparent to me. I have come here therefore to give thanks and need to be at her feet in a temple soon. Sensing my urgency, the gentleman kindly calls to an auto-rickshaw driver with a shrug, not wanting to engage me further about goddesses. The driver arrives.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Kali mandir,\" I say to him as he pulls up alongside us. At this point, I have no idea how many homes Maa has here in Puri. After receiving no further instructions, the driver takes off towards the center of town. I later find out (after several unsuccessful attempts to again visit the place to which I am now heading) that there are at least four Kali temples accessible to visitors. Reaching our destination, I buy a hibiscus mala, a garland of her sacred flower, and add that to my <I>puja</I> (worship) basket. Into it too go coconut, juicy betel nut and other sweets to delight Her. My offering is noteworthy at this temple for its size; but I am generous as I feel a strong need to show my appreciation to Goddess for getting me out of Digha alive. <br><br>\r\n\r\nThe pujari at Maa Batakali Mandir, Shyam Sundar Dash, is a Brahmin priest with two sons. In his devotion and gratitude for the goddess having given him these sons, Shyam has built this temple. A small roadside mandir, passersby usually drop rupees on the temple steps on their daily rounds. It is nothing too fancy, but Maa here is absolutely resplendent.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIn his time, Shyam has doubled as a government worker, making regular trips back and forth from his office to tend to Maa and her devotees. Now retired, he tends to the temple and its congregation of worshipers every day for morning prayers and evening <i>aarati</i> (a beautiful celebration with lights and offerings). As Shyam sees me approach for the first time, he stares. He asks me directly why I am there, and although he is not angry, his disposition and directness can easily be mistaken for exactly that at first. Truly, he\'s just curious, but I am startled by his question.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Are you ISKON?\" he demands.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSuspense broken, I let out a nervous laugh. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (a.k.a. Hare Krishnas) has never drawn me, but Puri is full of Western devotees. Lord Jaganath, I learn is, like Krishna whom those in ISKON worship, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the God of Preservation, and one of the main Hindu deities.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I reply, \"I came to thank Maa.\"  After a few more words, Shyam accepts my offering basket, performing puja on my behalf. He asks my name in order to conduct the rites. When we\'re through, he asks why I\'m there. But my eyes are transfixed on Maa\'s image as it transforms before me, and I can only point to my heart by way of explanation. \"She\'s here,\" I manage to say. Then, everything that has been kept inside until now in this challenging land of contrasts streams out through my eyes in hot tears.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFrom June through the end of August 1998, I live in Puri. My friends up north forgive me for not coming back. My field work on is put on hold. It was my pause when Shyam asked after the ritual, \"Will you come visit my house?\" that changed not only the course of my research, but also my life. Aware of India\'s potential for surprises, I held a moment of silence before responding and internally questioned his invitation and motivations.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFeeling inside, I sensed that this was an offering, and a door was opening to me that might never open again. In the pause, I could see Her face dimly, and I wondered in my rational mind about my work and Shyam\'s intentions. It took me three days to surrender to the feeling and my vision of Her beckoning. After careful thought and some time meditating with the ocean\'s wisdom, I said yes. I returned to meet my new teacher and his family.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe more time I spend in Puri, the more I realize that Goddess is working in quite mysterious ways and that Shyam is no typical Brahmin priest.  As time passes, I learn the extent to which She is working through him, and I absorb many levels of Her teachings. Some are straightforward and harsh; others are more obtuse and delightful.<br><br>\r\n\r\nAfter much work, <I>diksha</I>, or initiation into Kali\'s mysteries is the next profound unfolding of my spiritual journey. The day comes on the August new moon, and I am thrilled when I realize it will be August 2nd, the festival of the harvest often called Lughnasad (or Lammas) in the earth-based Western calendar. It is as though Maa has answered my burning question: Can I do this? The synchronicity of timing does not escape me, and I feel She is telling me that I can have it both ways: I can be Her priestess in more than one way, walking as a Goddess worshiper wherever I may be in the world. To Her, I learn, there is no distinction.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe initiation is radical by most Hindu standards. Shyam is a Brahmin priest, and I am not only a Westerner but also a woman; and women in India are not initiated by Brahmins. Following the Vedas in his public work, Shyam also practices Tantra, and this is the in-road to Maa that is clearly appropriate for my circumstances. Tantrics care not of my birth, only my longing. But perhaps there would be less to explain and fewer staring eyes as we sit working together at the temple were Shyam to be more public about the various faces of his devotion.<br><br> \r\n\r\nAs Shyam manages to satisfy people\'s natural curiosity with his answers to their queries and suspicious looks, I pretend not to notice the robust number of visitors to the temple in the evenings after the gates have closed and we have begun our private work and evening prayers together.<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-99707 imgborder alignright\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre and Shyam Sundar Dash at Puri Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\" width=\"228\" height=\"246\" /></a>\r\n\r\nMy practice deepens after initiation, and on Her sacred day of Kali Puja some months later in October, I sit at the feet of the goddess in the temple, a spot that locals cannot come near. It is nearing midnight and the heat of the day lifting off the earth combined with the hot lamps that light Her image makes the sweat drip down my arms, makes my sari blouse feel even tighter than it already is, and makes me wish I couldn\'t see the large number of bugs and ants crawling on my feet and ankles in search of food. I honor Her by pouring <i>ghee</i> (clarified butter) for the <i>homa</i> (fire offering) ceremony, and I honor the fact that I am Shyam\'s first <i>chela</i> (student), a position of honor in this lineage tradition.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI tend to my responsibilities dutifully as the <I>Chandi Path</I> verses resonate off the temple walls and expand into the night air. In moments of quiet, I think about the day Shyam said he\'d been waiting for me, how he said his own guru had told him that one day, he would be bringing someone other than his sons to the path. I remember how Shyam said he had found the signs in my face the very first day we had met at the temple; signs telling him that I was the student to which his guru had referred. We finish our time together and he tells me the most important thing: \"Go! Go back to your home land, America, and spread Mother Worship!\"<br><br>\r\n\r\nUpon my return to the States, SHARANYA is born and my dedication to Kali Maa takes root with the formation of community on Western shores. The wisdom of the ocean is remembered and I am home.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Chandra Alexandre</strong> is the founding director of SHARANYA. She received <i>namakarana samskara</i> and her first <em>diksha </em>from Shyam Sundar Dash (founder of the Maa Batakali Mandir in Puri; Bharadvaja gotra) in 1998. \r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part II\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Kamakhya Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>June 26, 2003</em><br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Babaji wants to see you.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> I’m walking barefoot down the muddy side of Nilachal Hill at Kamakhya in northeastern India after witnessing one of the most beautiful Sanskrit recitations I have ever heard. The white kurtas of the Brahmin men gathered in a circle around a sacred fire stand in marked contrast though to the throngs of red-clad women waiting in long lines to see their Mother. Both, I imagine, receive Her blessings. I am in northeastern India, in Assam, participating in an annual Tantrick pilgrimage to the seat of the goddess’ power, the place where her <i>yoni</i>, or sexual organ, resides on Earth.  It’s a powerful place, a place of contrasts where all come together, whether Vaishnava, Shaivite or Shakta, to honor Maa. It\'s a place, one might say, where all unites in Her name.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Babji, I learn, is a 400-year old Aghori. A believer in the preeminence of the divine as Shiva, pure consciousness, he is a practitioner of the non-dualistic or \"left-hand\" Tantric rites. In short, this means that he adheres to a rather literal interpretation of what other Tantrics might do symbolically in ritual and devotion on the path to enlightenment. He meditates, for example, not only on <i>yantras</i> (sacred diagrams), but on yantras in cremation grounds on top of corpses; he drinks wine and liquor; he smokes hash and takes in other natural mind-altering substances. He believes that the pathway to the divine is through the body, through this world, through all of creation. His accepts it all, the pure and impure, the wicked and sane, as sacred. He is a radical non-dualist—one who believes in the One as well as in the reality of the phenomenal world. His path is fast and furious, sweet and sublime, potentially off-putting at the same time that it attracts wonder, excitement, and awe.  He loves Maa. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> The three black-clad initiates standing outside his cave-like shelter on the hillside welcome me in. I meet Babji. He’s old but looks young, his face the only give-away that he’s been around the block a few times. His body, otherwise, is baby-like. He looks pregnant, a little round belly on a very thin frame. I sit cross-legged in front of him. To his left, the fire pit. To his right, a <i>kapala</i>, or human skull cup from which wine and other mind-altering substances are drunk, sits upturned. He calls me \"Beti,\" or daughter. Two followers of his are there; his initiates have left us alone. The woman wipes the snot dripping from Babaji\'s nose with a handkerchief and then moves to mop sweat from his forehead. No one, it appears, is immune to this sweltering summer heat. The Indian devotee next to her, perhaps her husband, has had far too much <i>bhang</i> (Cannabis) or something; his eyes have trouble steadying on me. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">My Sanskrit is better than my Hindi at this point. Fortunately, I can make out meaning from of the ritual language Babaji is using. The man helps a little, but his English is as poor as my Hindi. We quiet. Suddenly, Babaji grabs me. He pulls me to him with unsuspected strength. Face against face, I feel the bristles of his long beard against my cheek, and I feel coolness where the snot has been touching. I am startled, but now I’m held. I am held firmly, with apparent intention. The touch is not violent or inappropriate. The strength is deep and calming. I stay quiet and listen inside to my belly and instincts. Presence prevails, and I allow myself to trust the moment. Just then, Babaji begins. His mouth now pressed to my ear, he sounds an ancient mantra. My heart trembles, my eyes close, and I go inward. I surrender to these sounds, soaking in the ancient reverberations, feeling in them the voices of the lineage, the guttural utterances of vibrations across time and space. All enter my ear. All penetrate my soul.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Moments pass and I eventually sit back upright in silence. One moment, then two. From deep inside, the sobbing begins. There’s no rational thought, no rhyme or reason, just the moment and my feeling of tremendous love and connection to all that is…I recognize a touch of <i>sat chit ananada</i>: being, consciousness, bliss. My forehead now on Babji\'s knee, he pats my head and strokes my hair. I sit back upright. Silence. One moment, then two. Babaji reaches to his left where a rusty knife about four inches long sits waiting. I follow his motion with my eyes. Instantly, I am terrified. I have visions of blood. Stop! One moment, then two. Stop! This time, it’s an admonition to remember. Allow yourself to be taken, it says. You’ve been here before; you know what\'s happening. It\'s safe. Breathe. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Babaji lowers my head with his hand and takes a fist-full of hair from my crown. He pulls hard enough to undo strands from my braid. Close to the scalp he cuts with the knife. Old and well-used, it doesn’t cut very well.  He pulls harder to get through the thickness of my mane and it hurts for an instant. I deepen my surrender. He cuts. He finishes, and I sit back up. Dazed, with my awareness in another place, I still must know.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"What,\" I ask, “are you going to do with it?\"  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"A sacrifice,” he says, \"will be offered in the fire tonight.\" He holds up my hair.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"It’s an equal exchange,\" he says. \"The price you pay for being welcomed into the family.”</span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<em>By: Chandra Alexandre</em>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Founder\'s Biography\" active=\"\"]<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DSC_0731-e1378968031852.jpg\" /> Chandra Alexandre is a Tantric Bhairavi, an initiator in the tradition of Kali, serving SHARANYA as clergy. She is a householder and a regular pilgrim to the birthplace of Tantra in northeastern India, where she studies and practices with her teachers. Chandra was first initiated into the mysteries of the dark goddess in 1998 in Puri, Orissa on the dakshinacara path, and then, five years later, she accepted the non-dualistic path of vamacara Tantra at Kamakhya outside of Guwahati in Assam. Her maternal grandmother was her first guide into the ways of spirit in the world.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOn her initial return from India, Chandra founded SHARANYA to serve those committed to embodied and engaged spirituality for social justice and transformation. This was the birth of Sha’can, an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra contextualized and made relevant for people and lands distant from the source. Chandra and community complement San Francisco Bay Area worship, events and services with an online mystery school, Kali Vidya, to serve an international community of spiritual seekers and lovers of Maa.<br><br>\r\n\r\nChandra is known for her passionate engagement of theory and practice. She holds a PhD in Asian & Comparative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies, a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wisdom University (formerly the University of Creation Spirituality), and an MBA in sustainable management from Presidio Graduate School. In addition to SHARANYA, she engages her commitment through several community-based nonprofit organizations working for educational equity, poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women and girls.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOriginally from New York, Chandra has, since 1995, called San Francisco home. She is a devoted wife and mother and also conjurer of <i>The Aghori Bakery: Everyday Spiritual Conversations</i> (forthcoming).[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<h5>Kali: Goddess of Social Justice</h5>\r\n<img src=\"<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Skull\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100719 imgborder\" /></a>\" \r\n<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n[thaudio href=\'http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Kali-Maa-Iconography.mp3\']Interview excerpt: <i>Chandra Alexandre</I> (Interviewed by Karen Tate) December 31, 2008[/thaudio]\r\n\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"origins\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Origins','','inherit','open','open','','99123-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 00:49:21','2013-10-17 07:49:21','',99123,'Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origi',0,'revision','',0),(100722,2,'2013-10-17 00:50:22','2013-10-17 07:50:22','Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origins are rooted in a commitment to social justice and to the (r)evolution of consciousness across space-time realities that we might transform increasingly toward peace.<br><br>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Temple in India\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-99537 imgborder\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri)\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\" /></a>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Constitution of Maa Batakali Sanskrutika Parisada</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission\r\n</span><br>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Balisahi, Puri Town, Puri  752 001 Orissa</span><br>\r\n\r\nRegistration Number: 2802/211/91-92<br>\r\nFiled and Certified by the Audit Superintendent District Panchayat Office, Puri<br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>Mission Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>To create and nurture a community of life-affirming individuals devoted to Mother Worship and to developing an understanding of how such devotion can positively transform our global community.</ul>\r\n<b>Vision Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission is dedicated to promoting the vision of the world as a global community in Her divine name.</ul>\r\n<b>Aims and Objectives:</b>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>To maintain this Mission as a nonprofit public-benefit organization, not organized for the private gain of any person.</li>\r\n	<li>To foster awareness of Goddess worship as a life-affirming path among the global community; and to eradicate erroneous and superstitious beliefs in this regard.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, develop and execute recreational, cultural and spiritual activities for the community.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake programs for the establishment of community housing, social forestry and environmental sanitation; et alia.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, fund and promote Mission Centers for community gatherings, social welfare programs and adult education, including the establishment of a library with emphasis on educational activities for community youth; and to develop various pilot projects to meet the needs of community members.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize outreach programs for those not in or around Mission Centers.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake projects expressly designed to promote the welfare of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and other economically \"backward\" classes of people, and to promote the development of cooperative ideas and enterprise among them and the community at large.</li>\r\n	<li>To draw up schemes for the rehabilitation of antisocial persons; i.e., those with problems related to alcohol and drug abuse, and to assist their families as required.</li>\r\n	<li>To educate about and mobilize peacefully against sati, dowry, beggary, caste crime and similar social ills.</li>\r\n	<li>To publish a monthly newsletter, community bulletin and other educational materials for the promotion of the spiritual and cultural philosophy of the Mission.</li>\r\n	<li>To help provide relief, through community efforts, for those effected by natural calamities and other emergencies.</li>\r\n	<li>To promote cultural exchange of ideas and beliefs throughout India and the world.</li>\r\n	<li>To assist in providing legal aid to the needy and the poor.</li>\r\n	<li>To establish sister organizations, in the United States and elsewhere, in order to promote the vision of the Mission worldwide.</li>\r\n	<li>To develop fundraising schemes for the future growth and maintenance of the Mission and its associations.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part I\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99541 imgborder\" alt=\"Shyam Sundar Dash at Maabatakali Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>August 2, 1998</em><br><br>\r\nIt\'s summer in India, the time when the air is thick, sweat plentiful, and the monsoon\'s rains swell the skies and the streets. I have come here, to this land of spice, spirit and the sacred, to further my work in ecofeminism by looking at women\'s spiritual connections to social justice and activism on behalf of the environment. I am not here long, however, before Maa, the Divine Mother, shows me that there\'s more to my quest than I originally thought.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSpeaking to a guide at my hotel, I tell him, \"I need to find a temple to the Goddess.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Which one,\" he asks. \"Which goddess?\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Well, Kali,\" I state hesitatingly, unsure of how my request will be received.  The man looks me up and down, trying to determine where I fit within the spectrum of visitors from whom he makes his livelihood.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Wouldn\'t you rather visit Lord Jaganath?\" he inquires. Lord of the Universe, Jaganath is honored at this time in Puri (the eastern <i>dham</i>, one of the sacred compass points in India) in a huge festival to which hundreds of thousands flock each year. Together with his brother and sister, this is the only time the Lord leaves the <I>mandir</I> (temple). He\'s on a family outing to his summer home across the town, and everyone comes out to get a glimpse of the royal family.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I respond quickly. I\'m restless and on a mission. It is Kali I need to see and no one else. That She is responsible for my getting through a political uprising in Digha at the southern end of West Bengal unscathed is apparent to me. I have come here therefore to give thanks and need to be at her feet in a temple soon. Sensing my urgency, the gentleman kindly calls to an auto-rickshaw driver with a shrug, not wanting to engage me further about goddesses. The driver arrives.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Kali mandir,\" I say to him as he pulls up alongside us. At this point, I have no idea how many homes Maa has here in Puri. After receiving no further instructions, the driver takes off towards the center of town. I later find out (after several unsuccessful attempts to again visit the place to which I am now heading) that there are at least four Kali temples accessible to visitors. Reaching our destination, I buy a hibiscus mala, a garland of her sacred flower, and add that to my <I>puja</I> (worship) basket. Into it too go coconut, juicy betel nut and other sweets to delight Her. My offering is noteworthy at this temple for its size; but I am generous as I feel a strong need to show my appreciation to Goddess for getting me out of Digha alive. <br><br>\r\n\r\nThe pujari at Maa Batakali Mandir, Shyam Sundar Dash, is a Brahmin priest with two sons. In his devotion and gratitude for the goddess having given him these sons, Shyam has built this temple. A small roadside mandir, passersby usually drop rupees on the temple steps on their daily rounds. It is nothing too fancy, but Maa here is absolutely resplendent.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIn his time, Shyam has doubled as a government worker, making regular trips back and forth from his office to tend to Maa and her devotees. Now retired, he tends to the temple and its congregation of worshipers every day for morning prayers and evening <i>aarati</i> (a beautiful celebration with lights and offerings). As Shyam sees me approach for the first time, he stares. He asks me directly why I am there, and although he is not angry, his disposition and directness can easily be mistaken for exactly that at first. Truly, he\'s just curious, but I am startled by his question.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Are you ISKON?\" he demands.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSuspense broken, I let out a nervous laugh. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (a.k.a. Hare Krishnas) has never drawn me, but Puri is full of Western devotees. Lord Jaganath, I learn is, like Krishna whom those in ISKON worship, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the God of Preservation, and one of the main Hindu deities.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I reply, \"I came to thank Maa.\"  After a few more words, Shyam accepts my offering basket, performing puja on my behalf. He asks my name in order to conduct the rites. When we\'re through, he asks why I\'m there. But my eyes are transfixed on Maa\'s image as it transforms before me, and I can only point to my heart by way of explanation. \"She\'s here,\" I manage to say. Then, everything that has been kept inside until now in this challenging land of contrasts streams out through my eyes in hot tears.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFrom June through the end of August 1998, I live in Puri. My friends up north forgive me for not coming back. My field work on is put on hold. It was my pause when Shyam asked after the ritual, \"Will you come visit my house?\" that changed not only the course of my research, but also my life. Aware of India\'s potential for surprises, I held a moment of silence before responding and internally questioned his invitation and motivations.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFeeling inside, I sensed that this was an offering, and a door was opening to me that might never open again. In the pause, I could see Her face dimly, and I wondered in my rational mind about my work and Shyam\'s intentions. It took me three days to surrender to the feeling and my vision of Her beckoning. After careful thought and some time meditating with the ocean\'s wisdom, I said yes. I returned to meet my new teacher and his family.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe more time I spend in Puri, the more I realize that Goddess is working in quite mysterious ways and that Shyam is no typical Brahmin priest.  As time passes, I learn the extent to which She is working through him, and I absorb many levels of Her teachings. Some are straightforward and harsh; others are more obtuse and delightful.<br><br>\r\n\r\nAfter much work, <I>diksha</I>, or initiation into Kali\'s mysteries is the next profound unfolding of my spiritual journey. The day comes on the August new moon, and I am thrilled when I realize it will be August 2nd, the festival of the harvest often called Lughnasad (or Lammas) in the earth-based Western calendar. It is as though Maa has answered my burning question: Can I do this? The synchronicity of timing does not escape me, and I feel She is telling me that I can have it both ways: I can be Her priestess in more than one way, walking as a Goddess worshiper wherever I may be in the world. To Her, I learn, there is no distinction.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe initiation is radical by most Hindu standards. Shyam is a Brahmin priest, and I am not only a Westerner but also a woman; and women in India are not initiated by Brahmins. Following the Vedas in his public work, Shyam also practices Tantra, and this is the in-road to Maa that is clearly appropriate for my circumstances. Tantrics care not of my birth, only my longing. But perhaps there would be less to explain and fewer staring eyes as we sit working together at the temple were Shyam to be more public about the various faces of his devotion.<br><br> \r\n\r\nAs Shyam manages to satisfy people\'s natural curiosity with his answers to their queries and suspicious looks, I pretend not to notice the robust number of visitors to the temple in the evenings after the gates have closed and we have begun our private work and evening prayers together.<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-99707 imgborder alignright\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre and Shyam Sundar Dash at Puri Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\" width=\"228\" height=\"246\" /></a>\r\n\r\nMy practice deepens after initiation, and on Her sacred day of Kali Puja some months later in October, I sit at the feet of the goddess in the temple, a spot that locals cannot come near. It is nearing midnight and the heat of the day lifting off the earth combined with the hot lamps that light Her image makes the sweat drip down my arms, makes my sari blouse feel even tighter than it already is, and makes me wish I couldn\'t see the large number of bugs and ants crawling on my feet and ankles in search of food. I honor Her by pouring <i>ghee</i> (clarified butter) for the <i>homa</i> (fire offering) ceremony, and I honor the fact that I am Shyam\'s first <i>chela</i> (student), a position of honor in this lineage tradition.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI tend to my responsibilities dutifully as the <I>Chandi Path</I> verses resonate off the temple walls and expand into the night air. In moments of quiet, I think about the day Shyam said he\'d been waiting for me, how he said his own guru had told him that one day, he would be bringing someone other than his sons to the path. I remember how Shyam said he had found the signs in my face the very first day we had met at the temple; signs telling him that I was the student to which his guru had referred. We finish our time together and he tells me the most important thing: \"Go! Go back to your home land, America, and spread Mother Worship!\"<br><br>\r\n\r\nUpon my return to the States, SHARANYA is born and my dedication to Kali Maa takes root with the formation of community on Western shores. The wisdom of the ocean is remembered and I am home.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Chandra Alexandre</strong> is the founding director of SHARANYA. She received <i>namakarana samskara</i> and her first <em>diksha </em>from Shyam Sundar Dash (founder of the Maa Batakali Mandir in Puri; Bharadvaja gotra) in 1998. \r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part II\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Kamakhya Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>June 26, 2003</em><br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Babaji wants to see you.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> I’m walking barefoot down the muddy side of Nilachal Hill at Kamakhya in northeastern India after witnessing one of the most beautiful Sanskrit recitations I have ever heard. The white kurtas of the Brahmin men gathered in a circle around a sacred fire stand in marked contrast though to the throngs of red-clad women waiting in long lines to see their Mother. Both, I imagine, receive Her blessings. I am in northeastern India, in Assam, participating in an annual Tantrick pilgrimage to the seat of the goddess’ power, the place where her <i>yoni</i>, or sexual organ, resides on Earth.  It’s a powerful place, a place of contrasts where all come together, whether Vaishnava, Shaivite or Shakta, to honor Maa. It\'s a place, one might say, where all unites in Her name.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Babji, I learn, is a 400-year old Aghori. A believer in the preeminence of the divine as Shiva, pure consciousness, he is a practitioner of the non-dualistic or \"left-hand\" Tantric rites. In short, this means that he adheres to a rather literal interpretation of what other Tantrics might do symbolically in ritual and devotion on the path to enlightenment. He meditates, for example, not only on <i>yantras</i> (sacred diagrams), but on yantras in cremation grounds on top of corpses; he drinks wine and liquor; he smokes hash and takes in other natural mind-altering substances. He believes that the pathway to the divine is through the body, through this world, through all of creation. His accepts it all, the pure and impure, the wicked and sane, as sacred. He is a radical non-dualist—one who believes in the One as well as in the reality of the phenomenal world. His path is fast and furious, sweet and sublime, potentially off-putting at the same time that it attracts wonder, excitement, and awe.  He loves Maa. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> The three black-clad initiates standing outside his cave-like shelter on the hillside welcome me in. I meet Babji. He’s old but looks young, his face the only give-away that he’s been around the block a few times. His body, otherwise, is baby-like. He looks pregnant, a little round belly on a very thin frame. I sit cross-legged in front of him. To his left, the fire pit. To his right, a <i>kapala</i>, or human skull cup from which wine and other mind-altering substances are drunk, sits upturned. He calls me \"Beti,\" or daughter. Two followers of his are there; his initiates have left us alone. The woman wipes the snot dripping from Babaji\'s nose with a handkerchief and then moves to mop sweat from his forehead. No one, it appears, is immune to this sweltering summer heat. The Indian devotee next to her, perhaps her husband, has had far too much <i>bhang</i> (Cannabis) or something; his eyes have trouble steadying on me. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">My Sanskrit is better than my Hindi at this point. Fortunately, I can make out meaning from of the ritual language Babaji is using. The man helps a little, but his English is as poor as my Hindi. We quiet. Suddenly, Babaji grabs me. He pulls me to him with unsuspected strength. Face against face, I feel the bristles of his long beard against my cheek, and I feel coolness where the snot has been touching. I am startled, but now I’m held. I am held firmly, with apparent intention. The touch is not violent or inappropriate. The strength is deep and calming. I stay quiet and listen inside to my belly and instincts. Presence prevails, and I allow myself to trust the moment. Just then, Babaji begins. His mouth now pressed to my ear, he sounds an ancient mantra. My heart trembles, my eyes close, and I go inward. I surrender to these sounds, soaking in the ancient reverberations, feeling in them the voices of the lineage, the guttural utterances of vibrations across time and space. All enter my ear. All penetrate my soul.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Moments pass and I eventually sit back upright in silence. One moment, then two. From deep inside, the sobbing begins. There’s no rational thought, no rhyme or reason, just the moment and my feeling of tremendous love and connection to all that is…I recognize a touch of <i>sat chit ananada</i>: being, consciousness, bliss. My forehead now on Babji\'s knee, he pats my head and strokes my hair. I sit back upright. Silence. One moment, then two. Babaji reaches to his left where a rusty knife about four inches long sits waiting. I follow his motion with my eyes. Instantly, I am terrified. I have visions of blood. Stop! One moment, then two. Stop! This time, it’s an admonition to remember. Allow yourself to be taken, it says. You’ve been here before; you know what\'s happening. It\'s safe. Breathe. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Babaji lowers my head with his hand and takes a fist-full of hair from my crown. He pulls hard enough to undo strands from my braid. Close to the scalp he cuts with the knife. Old and well-used, it doesn’t cut very well.  He pulls harder to get through the thickness of my mane and it hurts for an instant. I deepen my surrender. He cuts. He finishes, and I sit back up. Dazed, with my awareness in another place, I still must know.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"What,\" I ask, “are you going to do with it?\"  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"A sacrifice,” he says, \"will be offered in the fire tonight.\" He holds up my hair.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"It’s an equal exchange,\" he says. \"The price you pay for being welcomed into the family.”</span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<em>By: Chandra Alexandre</em>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Founder\'s Biography\" active=\"\"]<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DSC_0731-e1378968031852.jpg\" /> Chandra Alexandre is a Tantric Bhairavi, an initiator in the tradition of Kali, serving SHARANYA as clergy. She is a householder and a regular pilgrim to the birthplace of Tantra in northeastern India, where she studies and practices with her teachers. Chandra was first initiated into the mysteries of the dark goddess in 1998 in Puri, Orissa on the dakshinacara path, and then, five years later, she accepted the non-dualistic path of vamacara Tantra at Kamakhya outside of Guwahati in Assam. Her maternal grandmother was her first guide into the ways of spirit in the world.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOn her initial return from India, Chandra founded SHARANYA to serve those committed to embodied and engaged spirituality for social justice and transformation. This was the birth of Sha’can, an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra contextualized and made relevant for people and lands distant from the source. Chandra and community complement San Francisco Bay Area worship, events and services with an online mystery school, Kali Vidya, to serve an international community of spiritual seekers and lovers of Maa.<br><br>\r\n\r\nChandra is known for her passionate engagement of theory and practice. She holds a PhD in Asian & Comparative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies, a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wisdom University (formerly the University of Creation Spirituality), and an MBA in sustainable management from Presidio Graduate School. In addition to SHARANYA, she engages her commitment through several community-based nonprofit organizations working for educational equity, poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women and girls.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOriginally from New York, Chandra has, since 1995, called San Francisco home. She is a devoted wife and mother and also conjurer of <i>The Aghori Bakery: Everyday Spiritual Conversations</i> (forthcoming).[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<h5>Kali: Goddess of Social Justice</h5>\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Skull\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100719 imgborder\" /></a>\" \r\n<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n[thaudio href=\'http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Kali-Maa-Iconography.mp3\']Interview excerpt: <i>Chandra Alexandre</I> (Interviewed by Karen Tate) December 31, 2008[/thaudio]\r\n\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"origins\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Origins','','inherit','open','open','','99123-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 00:50:22','2013-10-17 07:50:22','',99123,'Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origi',0,'revision','',0),(100723,2,'2013-10-17 00:51:18','2013-10-17 07:51:18','Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origins are rooted in a commitment to social justice and to the (r)evolution of consciousness across space-time realities that we might transform increasingly toward peace.<br><br>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Temple in India\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-99537 imgborder\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri)\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\" /></a>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Constitution of Maa Batakali Sanskrutika Parisada</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission\r\n</span><br>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Balisahi, Puri Town, Puri  752 001 Orissa</span><br>\r\n\r\nRegistration Number: 2802/211/91-92<br>\r\nFiled and Certified by the Audit Superintendent District Panchayat Office, Puri<br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>Mission Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>To create and nurture a community of life-affirming individuals devoted to Mother Worship and to developing an understanding of how such devotion can positively transform our global community.</ul>\r\n<b>Vision Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission is dedicated to promoting the vision of the world as a global community in Her divine name.</ul>\r\n<b>Aims and Objectives:</b>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>To maintain this Mission as a nonprofit public-benefit organization, not organized for the private gain of any person.</li>\r\n	<li>To foster awareness of Goddess worship as a life-affirming path among the global community; and to eradicate erroneous and superstitious beliefs in this regard.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, develop and execute recreational, cultural and spiritual activities for the community.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake programs for the establishment of community housing, social forestry and environmental sanitation; et alia.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, fund and promote Mission Centers for community gatherings, social welfare programs and adult education, including the establishment of a library with emphasis on educational activities for community youth; and to develop various pilot projects to meet the needs of community members.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize outreach programs for those not in or around Mission Centers.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake projects expressly designed to promote the welfare of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and other economically \"backward\" classes of people, and to promote the development of cooperative ideas and enterprise among them and the community at large.</li>\r\n	<li>To draw up schemes for the rehabilitation of antisocial persons; i.e., those with problems related to alcohol and drug abuse, and to assist their families as required.</li>\r\n	<li>To educate about and mobilize peacefully against sati, dowry, beggary, caste crime and similar social ills.</li>\r\n	<li>To publish a monthly newsletter, community bulletin and other educational materials for the promotion of the spiritual and cultural philosophy of the Mission.</li>\r\n	<li>To help provide relief, through community efforts, for those effected by natural calamities and other emergencies.</li>\r\n	<li>To promote cultural exchange of ideas and beliefs throughout India and the world.</li>\r\n	<li>To assist in providing legal aid to the needy and the poor.</li>\r\n	<li>To establish sister organizations, in the United States and elsewhere, in order to promote the vision of the Mission worldwide.</li>\r\n	<li>To develop fundraising schemes for the future growth and maintenance of the Mission and its associations.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part I\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99541 imgborder\" alt=\"Shyam Sundar Dash at Maabatakali Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>August 2, 1998</em><br><br>\r\nIt\'s summer in India, the time when the air is thick, sweat plentiful, and the monsoon\'s rains swell the skies and the streets. I have come here, to this land of spice, spirit and the sacred, to further my work in ecofeminism by looking at women\'s spiritual connections to social justice and activism on behalf of the environment. I am not here long, however, before Maa, the Divine Mother, shows me that there\'s more to my quest than I originally thought.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSpeaking to a guide at my hotel, I tell him, \"I need to find a temple to the Goddess.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Which one,\" he asks. \"Which goddess?\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Well, Kali,\" I state hesitatingly, unsure of how my request will be received.  The man looks me up and down, trying to determine where I fit within the spectrum of visitors from whom he makes his livelihood.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Wouldn\'t you rather visit Lord Jaganath?\" he inquires. Lord of the Universe, Jaganath is honored at this time in Puri (the eastern <i>dham</i>, one of the sacred compass points in India) in a huge festival to which hundreds of thousands flock each year. Together with his brother and sister, this is the only time the Lord leaves the <I>mandir</I> (temple). He\'s on a family outing to his summer home across the town, and everyone comes out to get a glimpse of the royal family.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I respond quickly. I\'m restless and on a mission. It is Kali I need to see and no one else. That She is responsible for my getting through a political uprising in Digha at the southern end of West Bengal unscathed is apparent to me. I have come here therefore to give thanks and need to be at her feet in a temple soon. Sensing my urgency, the gentleman kindly calls to an auto-rickshaw driver with a shrug, not wanting to engage me further about goddesses. The driver arrives.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Kali mandir,\" I say to him as he pulls up alongside us. At this point, I have no idea how many homes Maa has here in Puri. After receiving no further instructions, the driver takes off towards the center of town. I later find out (after several unsuccessful attempts to again visit the place to which I am now heading) that there are at least four Kali temples accessible to visitors. Reaching our destination, I buy a hibiscus mala, a garland of her sacred flower, and add that to my <I>puja</I> (worship) basket. Into it too go coconut, juicy betel nut and other sweets to delight Her. My offering is noteworthy at this temple for its size; but I am generous as I feel a strong need to show my appreciation to Goddess for getting me out of Digha alive. <br><br>\r\n\r\nThe pujari at Maa Batakali Mandir, Shyam Sundar Dash, is a Brahmin priest with two sons. In his devotion and gratitude for the goddess having given him these sons, Shyam has built this temple. A small roadside mandir, passersby usually drop rupees on the temple steps on their daily rounds. It is nothing too fancy, but Maa here is absolutely resplendent.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIn his time, Shyam has doubled as a government worker, making regular trips back and forth from his office to tend to Maa and her devotees. Now retired, he tends to the temple and its congregation of worshipers every day for morning prayers and evening <i>aarati</i> (a beautiful celebration with lights and offerings). As Shyam sees me approach for the first time, he stares. He asks me directly why I am there, and although he is not angry, his disposition and directness can easily be mistaken for exactly that at first. Truly, he\'s just curious, but I am startled by his question.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Are you ISKON?\" he demands.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSuspense broken, I let out a nervous laugh. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (a.k.a. Hare Krishnas) has never drawn me, but Puri is full of Western devotees. Lord Jaganath, I learn is, like Krishna whom those in ISKON worship, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the God of Preservation, and one of the main Hindu deities.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I reply, \"I came to thank Maa.\"  After a few more words, Shyam accepts my offering basket, performing puja on my behalf. He asks my name in order to conduct the rites. When we\'re through, he asks why I\'m there. But my eyes are transfixed on Maa\'s image as it transforms before me, and I can only point to my heart by way of explanation. \"She\'s here,\" I manage to say. Then, everything that has been kept inside until now in this challenging land of contrasts streams out through my eyes in hot tears.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFrom June through the end of August 1998, I live in Puri. My friends up north forgive me for not coming back. My field work on is put on hold. It was my pause when Shyam asked after the ritual, \"Will you come visit my house?\" that changed not only the course of my research, but also my life. Aware of India\'s potential for surprises, I held a moment of silence before responding and internally questioned his invitation and motivations.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFeeling inside, I sensed that this was an offering, and a door was opening to me that might never open again. In the pause, I could see Her face dimly, and I wondered in my rational mind about my work and Shyam\'s intentions. It took me three days to surrender to the feeling and my vision of Her beckoning. After careful thought and some time meditating with the ocean\'s wisdom, I said yes. I returned to meet my new teacher and his family.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe more time I spend in Puri, the more I realize that Goddess is working in quite mysterious ways and that Shyam is no typical Brahmin priest.  As time passes, I learn the extent to which She is working through him, and I absorb many levels of Her teachings. Some are straightforward and harsh; others are more obtuse and delightful.<br><br>\r\n\r\nAfter much work, <I>diksha</I>, or initiation into Kali\'s mysteries is the next profound unfolding of my spiritual journey. The day comes on the August new moon, and I am thrilled when I realize it will be August 2nd, the festival of the harvest often called Lughnasad (or Lammas) in the earth-based Western calendar. It is as though Maa has answered my burning question: Can I do this? The synchronicity of timing does not escape me, and I feel She is telling me that I can have it both ways: I can be Her priestess in more than one way, walking as a Goddess worshiper wherever I may be in the world. To Her, I learn, there is no distinction.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe initiation is radical by most Hindu standards. Shyam is a Brahmin priest, and I am not only a Westerner but also a woman; and women in India are not initiated by Brahmins. Following the Vedas in his public work, Shyam also practices Tantra, and this is the in-road to Maa that is clearly appropriate for my circumstances. Tantrics care not of my birth, only my longing. But perhaps there would be less to explain and fewer staring eyes as we sit working together at the temple were Shyam to be more public about the various faces of his devotion.<br><br> \r\n\r\nAs Shyam manages to satisfy people\'s natural curiosity with his answers to their queries and suspicious looks, I pretend not to notice the robust number of visitors to the temple in the evenings after the gates have closed and we have begun our private work and evening prayers together.<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-99707 imgborder alignright\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre and Shyam Sundar Dash at Puri Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\" width=\"228\" height=\"246\" /></a>\r\n\r\nMy practice deepens after initiation, and on Her sacred day of Kali Puja some months later in October, I sit at the feet of the goddess in the temple, a spot that locals cannot come near. It is nearing midnight and the heat of the day lifting off the earth combined with the hot lamps that light Her image makes the sweat drip down my arms, makes my sari blouse feel even tighter than it already is, and makes me wish I couldn\'t see the large number of bugs and ants crawling on my feet and ankles in search of food. I honor Her by pouring <i>ghee</i> (clarified butter) for the <i>homa</i> (fire offering) ceremony, and I honor the fact that I am Shyam\'s first <i>chela</i> (student), a position of honor in this lineage tradition.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI tend to my responsibilities dutifully as the <I>Chandi Path</I> verses resonate off the temple walls and expand into the night air. In moments of quiet, I think about the day Shyam said he\'d been waiting for me, how he said his own guru had told him that one day, he would be bringing someone other than his sons to the path. I remember how Shyam said he had found the signs in my face the very first day we had met at the temple; signs telling him that I was the student to which his guru had referred. We finish our time together and he tells me the most important thing: \"Go! Go back to your home land, America, and spread Mother Worship!\"<br><br>\r\n\r\nUpon my return to the States, SHARANYA is born and my dedication to Kali Maa takes root with the formation of community on Western shores. The wisdom of the ocean is remembered and I am home.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Chandra Alexandre</strong> is the founding director of SHARANYA. She received <i>namakarana samskara</i> and her first <em>diksha </em>from Shyam Sundar Dash (founder of the Maa Batakali Mandir in Puri; Bharadvaja gotra) in 1998. \r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part II\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Kamakhya Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>June 26, 2003</em><br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Babaji wants to see you.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> I’m walking barefoot down the muddy side of Nilachal Hill at Kamakhya in northeastern India after witnessing one of the most beautiful Sanskrit recitations I have ever heard. The white kurtas of the Brahmin men gathered in a circle around a sacred fire stand in marked contrast though to the throngs of red-clad women waiting in long lines to see their Mother. Both, I imagine, receive Her blessings. I am in northeastern India, in Assam, participating in an annual Tantrick pilgrimage to the seat of the goddess’ power, the place where her <i>yoni</i>, or sexual organ, resides on Earth.  It’s a powerful place, a place of contrasts where all come together, whether Vaishnava, Shaivite or Shakta, to honor Maa. It\'s a place, one might say, where all unites in Her name.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Babji, I learn, is a 400-year old Aghori. A believer in the preeminence of the divine as Shiva, pure consciousness, he is a practitioner of the non-dualistic or \"left-hand\" Tantric rites. In short, this means that he adheres to a rather literal interpretation of what other Tantrics might do symbolically in ritual and devotion on the path to enlightenment. He meditates, for example, not only on <i>yantras</i> (sacred diagrams), but on yantras in cremation grounds on top of corpses; he drinks wine and liquor; he smokes hash and takes in other natural mind-altering substances. He believes that the pathway to the divine is through the body, through this world, through all of creation. His accepts it all, the pure and impure, the wicked and sane, as sacred. He is a radical non-dualist—one who believes in the One as well as in the reality of the phenomenal world. His path is fast and furious, sweet and sublime, potentially off-putting at the same time that it attracts wonder, excitement, and awe.  He loves Maa. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> The three black-clad initiates standing outside his cave-like shelter on the hillside welcome me in. I meet Babji. He’s old but looks young, his face the only give-away that he’s been around the block a few times. His body, otherwise, is baby-like. He looks pregnant, a little round belly on a very thin frame. I sit cross-legged in front of him. To his left, the fire pit. To his right, a <i>kapala</i>, or human skull cup from which wine and other mind-altering substances are drunk, sits upturned. He calls me \"Beti,\" or daughter. Two followers of his are there; his initiates have left us alone. The woman wipes the snot dripping from Babaji\'s nose with a handkerchief and then moves to mop sweat from his forehead. No one, it appears, is immune to this sweltering summer heat. The Indian devotee next to her, perhaps her husband, has had far too much <i>bhang</i> (Cannabis) or something; his eyes have trouble steadying on me. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">My Sanskrit is better than my Hindi at this point. Fortunately, I can make out meaning from of the ritual language Babaji is using. The man helps a little, but his English is as poor as my Hindi. We quiet. Suddenly, Babaji grabs me. He pulls me to him with unsuspected strength. Face against face, I feel the bristles of his long beard against my cheek, and I feel coolness where the snot has been touching. I am startled, but now I’m held. I am held firmly, with apparent intention. The touch is not violent or inappropriate. The strength is deep and calming. I stay quiet and listen inside to my belly and instincts. Presence prevails, and I allow myself to trust the moment. Just then, Babaji begins. His mouth now pressed to my ear, he sounds an ancient mantra. My heart trembles, my eyes close, and I go inward. I surrender to these sounds, soaking in the ancient reverberations, feeling in them the voices of the lineage, the guttural utterances of vibrations across time and space. All enter my ear. All penetrate my soul.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Moments pass and I eventually sit back upright in silence. One moment, then two. From deep inside, the sobbing begins. There’s no rational thought, no rhyme or reason, just the moment and my feeling of tremendous love and connection to all that is…I recognize a touch of <i>sat chit ananada</i>: being, consciousness, bliss. My forehead now on Babji\'s knee, he pats my head and strokes my hair. I sit back upright. Silence. One moment, then two. Babaji reaches to his left where a rusty knife about four inches long sits waiting. I follow his motion with my eyes. Instantly, I am terrified. I have visions of blood. Stop! One moment, then two. Stop! This time, it’s an admonition to remember. Allow yourself to be taken, it says. You’ve been here before; you know what\'s happening. It\'s safe. Breathe. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Babaji lowers my head with his hand and takes a fist-full of hair from my crown. He pulls hard enough to undo strands from my braid. Close to the scalp he cuts with the knife. Old and well-used, it doesn’t cut very well.  He pulls harder to get through the thickness of my mane and it hurts for an instant. I deepen my surrender. He cuts. He finishes, and I sit back up. Dazed, with my awareness in another place, I still must know.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"What,\" I ask, “are you going to do with it?\"  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"A sacrifice,” he says, \"will be offered in the fire tonight.\" He holds up my hair.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"It’s an equal exchange,\" he says. \"The price you pay for being welcomed into the family.”</span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<em>By: Chandra Alexandre</em>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Founder\'s Biography\" active=\"\"]<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DSC_0731-e1378968031852.jpg\" /> Chandra Alexandre is a Tantric Bhairavi, an initiator in the tradition of Kali, serving SHARANYA as clergy. She is a householder and a regular pilgrim to the birthplace of Tantra in northeastern India, where she studies and practices with her teachers. Chandra was first initiated into the mysteries of the dark goddess in 1998 in Puri, Orissa on the dakshinacara path, and then, five years later, she accepted the non-dualistic path of vamacara Tantra at Kamakhya outside of Guwahati in Assam. Her maternal grandmother was her first guide into the ways of spirit in the world.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOn her initial return from India, Chandra founded SHARANYA to serve those committed to embodied and engaged spirituality for social justice and transformation. This was the birth of Sha’can, an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra contextualized and made relevant for people and lands distant from the source. Chandra and community complement San Francisco Bay Area worship, events and services with an online mystery school, Kali Vidya, to serve an international community of spiritual seekers and lovers of Maa.<br><br>\r\n\r\nChandra is known for her passionate engagement of theory and practice. She holds a PhD in Asian & Comparative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies, a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wisdom University (formerly the University of Creation Spirituality), and an MBA in sustainable management from Presidio Graduate School. In addition to SHARANYA, she engages her commitment through several community-based nonprofit organizations working for educational equity, poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women and girls.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOriginally from New York, Chandra has, since 1995, called San Francisco home. She is a devoted wife and mother and also conjurer of <i>The Aghori Bakery: Everyday Spiritual Conversations</i> (forthcoming).[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<h5>Kali: Goddess of Social Justice</h5>\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Skull\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100719 imgborder\" /></a> \r\n<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n[thaudio href=\'http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Kali-Maa-Iconography.mp3\']Interview excerpt: <i>Chandra Alexandre</I> (Interviewed by Karen Tate) December 31, 2008[/thaudio]\r\n\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"origins\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Origins','','inherit','open','open','','99123-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 00:51:18','2013-10-17 07:51:18','',99123,'Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origi',0,'revision','',0),(100725,2,'2013-10-17 19:59:10','2013-10-18 02:59:10','<h4>Eastern Teacher to The West</h4>\r\n<em>by Chandra Alexandre</em>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright  wp-image-99968 imgborder=0\" alt=\"chamundafire\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/chamundafire.gif\" width=\"250\" height=\"278\" /><br>\r\n\r\nThis article tells the story of my own exploration into the mysteries of the Goddess as manifested within the Hindu pantheon as Chamunda, the fierce, emaciated and terrifying Dark Mother. She is a goddess who is particularly revered among Shaktas (believers in the primacy of the Divine Feminine), and she has historically found favor within all strata of Indian society, from the village shudras (lowest caste) to the rulers of India. Temples to her exist throughout the country: from the forts of Rajasthan to the highlands of Himachal Pradesh, to the adavasi (tribal) lands of Orissa.\r\n\r\nIn Orissa, where I was blessed to spend five months exploring, she appears primarily in two forms: i) as one of the Matrikas (Mothers), and ii) as one of the sixty-four yoginis (witches) who are themselves daughters of the Asta Matrikas (Eight Mothers). From my exploration into Chamunda I have gained an understanding of the ways in which the Goddess teaches through one of her manifest forms, and this article is an attempt to share some of what I have discovered with you.\r\n\r\nBut here, I can only hope to present my learnings as shrouded with the veil of perception I carry as a western woman. However, I share my interpretation of the mysteries as revealed to me by Her so that Her name may be invoked and Her presence asked to help banish the ignorance and prejudice of our time. I do not pretend to fully understand Chamunda (within her original context or otherwise) or for that matter, the great mystery of the Goddess; but rather I claim to appreciate Her because of my resonance with the form and symbols offered to us from India.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Image of Chamunda</strong>\r\n\r\nFrom an 8th century stone statue originally found in Dharmasala (Cuttack, Orissa) and now located at the Orissa State Museum in Bhubaneswar, I learned to see for the first time through this image what the power of the Divine Feminine can be through a figure that could (and does) readily inspire fear in both Western and Eastern onlookers. Chamunda appears to penetrate the manifest world through this sculpture of grey-black chlorite stone. She is chiseled with her most readily recognizable features: sunken eyes, sagging breasts and skeletal body; but the obvious attention and carefully-detailed precision with which she was created belie a profound respect and/or love on the part of the sculptor that is perhaps not readily understandable from our current vantage point.\r\n\r\nComing across her image amidst myriad sculptures on the floor of the museum is like dropping into a cold pool after a 20-minute steam bath. Upon first seeing her, I was instantly astounded and shocked by her presence until the realization set in that encountering Her was making my insides tingle in ways suggestive of Her great power. She is an awesome figure, with third-eye and navel raised out of the stone, veins defined over the course of her entire body, no teeth, heavily hanging earlobes and snake-entwined arms - one of which holds in its long hand a severed human head, which she grasps with finger nails that come to a point. In her other partially-intact arm she holds a skull cup or kapala at the level of her heart. She is garlanded with skulls, wears ouroboric anklets, and is seated on a corpse with her right foot on the ground and her left leg bent at the knee, foot turned, its sole to the sky. Her hair is aflame and pulled upwards, wrapped and held in place by a snake-band tiara, the center of which bears a skull.\r\n\r\nAlthough my initial contact with the fierce form of the Goddess had come to me through a dream image as Kali, both she and Chamunda are alike in many respects, related by their transformative abilities and their stature as Crones. While Kali manifests the power of time and of death, Chamunda too holds infinity and eternity. Both can be intensely frightening images of divine, feminine power especially to those unaccustomed to dealing with the Dark Goddess. Both are often similarly depicted: in the cremation ground, often seated upon a corpse or engaging in Tantrick rituals involving sex, blood and death. In this, they explicitly manifest antinomian characteristics within mainstream Hindu tradition, and they become by this provkers of (r)evolution from the inside, and transformers of worlds from the outside as they reach westerners.\r\n\r\nChamunda\'s intensity through the vehicle of the statue in Bhubaneswar shook me deep inside and stunned me. And I was nevertheless drawn to her and mystified by what she had to offer. Somehow, I could not help but feel her incredible power through the skeletal form, while at the same time, I became immediately and especially aware of how at odds with this impression and indeed terrifying she would appear to most westerners. Rationally, I wondered how in the world this figure could be known as one of the matrikas when she seemed so very far from western, as well as the traditional Hindu conception of mother, either literal or archetypal. Mother in any sense is most generally normalized to mean nurturing and life-giving. Chamunda appears to be everything but this, and I had to work to see the interconnections. On another, non-rational level, however, I could immediately feel that there was a mystery of fecundity held within those bones. I was, of course, feeling in my own bones something very old and true about her.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nWhile within both Eastern and Western contexts mothers are seen as caretakers and life givers, understanding the Devi as matrika (mother) is another story. Within the world of Indian Goddess theology at least from Vedic times (circa 1,500 BCE), it seems that the devi as a mother who nourishes the world is understood as someone who must herself be replenished in order to continue to sustain life. \"If she were only to give birth and to nourish her creatures she would soon grow weak, and creation would cease.\" [1]\r\n\r\nBecause her life-generating and sustaining aspect is so powerful, she carries an insatiable hunger that is equally great. This hunger is often represented in images by showing an emaciated figure. Thus understood, the fierce devi is integral to understanding the birth/death aspect of the cycle of life in India, which makes possible the whole of manifest existence. She is obviously the living Crone, a Dark Goddess who functions as a gateway between the realms of this world and the next. Recognition of this leads to liberation; and images containing within them the fullness of samsara, as Chamunda does, serve as gateways to simultaneous embracement of life and death, duality and oneness, a holistic future and personal enrichment through the suffering of life. They hold the key to embracing the walk of the heart, where sadness and joy, pain and elation ever co-mingle.\r\n\r\nUnderstanding the goddess as both life-giver and destroyer manifests in symbolic form as a circle, or chakra within the Indian context. This chakra is reflective of the cycles of life apparent, for example, in the waxing and waning of the moon and those other cycles tied to this one, such as menstruation and the ebb and flow of the tides. A circle is the form taken by the temples dedicated to the yoginis, or sixty-four derivations of the Asta Matrikas mentioned previously who include Chamunda among them. It is therefore perhaps no coincidence that the goddess as yogini would be configured for worship by the tantricks in circular temples, since their tradition is infused with reverence for the Goddess as containing the mystery of She who is both of the source of all life and the fount of death; the One who contains All. In addition, the yoginis are also linked to yaksis (nature spirits), and they, as well as those who worshipped them, were called witches and magicians. As yogini, Chamunda and her sixty-three sisters were said to have the power to fly, to become invisible, turn humans into animals, and other such things. In many ways, these traits and the correspondence of female deities with witchcraft again brings together East and West through demonization of the Feminine.\r\n\r\nBut much like the Indo-European demonization of the pre-Christian Death/Regeneratirx aspect of the Goddess into Witch, Chamunda too was demonized and subordinated by patriarchal traditions in India. She was linked to Yama, Lord of Death, becoming less than he in Vedic hymns. An interesting suggestion, however, of her ties to pre-patriarchal roots may be found by looking at her vahana (mount), the owl. Even today in the west, this bird may still be found carrying the messages of the Dark Goddess, of the Feminine Divine who holds the mysteries of life, death and rebirth. A friend found a link between east and west on pilgrimage to the Black Madonna Notre Dame de Bon Espoir (Our Lady of Good Hope) in Dijon France. She writes of her experience,\r\n<blockquote>The oldest of the Black Madonnas...Notre Dame de Bon Espoir was yet another Black Madonna who made a tremendous impact on me. Interestingly, there is an owl carved into the side of the church where She is housed.</blockquote>\r\nTherefore, understanding the origins of the witch in prehistory and her later modifications to more fierce/violent characterizations at the hands of patriarchal peoples will perhaps help to heal some of the ills caused by misrepresentations of the Feminine while eradicating some causes of Devi’s (and by extension women’s) subordination. It might be said that if we come to understand the full nature of Her, we would see that all Her forms are those of beauty within the divine creation.\r\n\r\nWhile the term witch is in the eastern context used with negative connotation, it is important to understand that the yoginis of the temples were not demons to the tantricks. Given the tantrick insistence on reverence for the immanence of the divine and the sacredness of nature, of maniest reality, yoginis are understood as affirmations of the multifarious aspects of the Goddess. While some of these aspects can be very violent or fierce, with the goddess often depicted with sword in hand, blood and human flesh dripping from her mouth, severed heads around her waist, and other gruesome adornment, understanding her and her relationship to patriarchy over time is interesting. Such depictions, on the one hand, are likely overlays onto an ancient Crone/Death-Regeneratrix deity whose original association with death was severed from her link to life because of a dualistic patriarchal worldview that failed to recognize, for example, the interconnectedness of life and death and instead demonized women and nature as expressions of that relationship.\r\n\r\nIn contrast to gruesome depictions of the goddess Chamunda and those associated with Her, patriarchal Hinduism has begun, within the last century, to sweeten the fierce goddesses. Perhaps this is a tell-tale sign that the power of the feminine is being responded to a new and different way. That is, first, She was representative of the power of Oneness and, simply put, patriarchal consciousness (as manifested in the social, political and other realities millennia ago that have created today’s normative Hindu consciousness) sought to (and managed to) break that monopoly by rendering Her as fierce so as to facilitate specific ends, which were to carve out dualistic territory (for some reason). After supression in very specific ways for those millennia, however, She has sought to bring balance to a dichotomous worldview. In response to Her presence now, instead of the fierceness previously required to serve the purposes of a patriarchal worldview, the institutions today that which to retain power have rendered her sweet and submissive, now, to serve their ends of maintaining the status quo. Were patriarchal powers to allow Her fierceness, their reign might quickly come to an end, and this, of course, is exactly the point of honoring and remembering Her as all that She is while concurrently utilizing the power that Her fierce characteristics contain.\r\n\r\nFurther, while the word witch today still reverberates strongly with anti-God-loving sentiment for some people, to call oneself a witch as I do is an act of resistance to patriarchal obfuscation of the truth, and reclamation of women’s power within any tradition (as well as outside them). In the west, it is an appellation that is taking on an entirely new meaning, particularly with the resurgence of the goddess in the discipline known as Women’s Spirituality, through Wicca (a reclamation of indigenous European earth-based traditions) and through other forms of earth-based religion, that hold within them both the pre-historical notion of goddess as life-giver/destroyer and the more patriarchal characterization of the goddess as violent warrior, from which many, nevertheless are able to find powerful tools for creating life-affirming change.\r\n\r\nAgain before what I now call my statue of Chamunda, this time recording notes and impressions while interposing photographic moments until the museum’s 4 o’clock closing time, I eventually come to be alone with her. I am alone in that statue-filled room mesmerized, or very likely in trance, feeling as though some incredibly magical force surrounds the two of us. From my spot on the floor, I watch her watching me and ask her to teach me Her secrets. That evening, I wrote in my journal:\r\n<blockquote>From where did the ancient Saktas get her image? What are her myths and associations? How and when does she manifest? Why? What are the psychological implications of her presence as a Goddess and what do they tell us about the people who created her? Why does she exist in this fierce form that was obviously so loved (feared?) by those who worshipped her? Can she help us in the west better understand the nature of the Divine Feminine; and if so, can we find ways through her to promote self-understanding? She is starved; does she link us psychically to the root cause of/cure for anorexia? Can she help western women in the throes of addictions, especially eating disorders, with their own reclamation process? How does understanding Chamunda help me to better understand myself?</blockquote>\r\nMy questions only began to touch the surface of her depth. As a western woman living today I can never know her true or intended purpose, although I can make an educated guess informed by my academic pursuits as well as my bodily knowings and intuitions.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nEven so, Chamunda through my eyes is not Chamunda in any fully Indian sense, even though I have explored her on her own ground (literally, as well as through her myths, philosophies, symbols, and worship). Rather, for me, Chamunda is an exploration into the depths of personal, and perhaps more generally the question of women’s, spirituality. Particularly within the western context of women’s spiritual development, the importance of Chamunda as a teacher can be grasped when it is understood that she holds within herself the tension of embracing both Mother and Witch archetypes; two aspects of the Feminine that have long been used to subordinate rather than empower women. Chamunda illustrates that these aspects ever inter-related, constantly situated within a flux of interchangeability that she herself manifests.\r\n\r\n<b>Chamunda and Kali: Blood Sisters</b>\r\n\r\nMy initial contact with the <i>raudra</i> or fierce form of the Goddess, as mentioned above, had come to me years earlier through a dream image as Kali, a Hindu goddess representative of the power of time and of death. In many respects, Chamunda and Kali are alike. Indeed, both are initiators into the fullest spectrum of life, and both serve to awaken us to the value of impermanence and cyclical time. Some Shakta practitioners understand both goddesses to be manifest aspects of the same ontological truth; nevertheless, both can be intensely frightening images of feminine power to those unaccustomed to dealing with the Dark Mother.\r\n\r\nIconographically, Chamunda and Kali are often similarly depicted: in the cremation ground, seated upon a corpse and engaging in practices involving sex, blood and death. At the Chamunda-Devi temple [<a href=\"/mandala/chamunda-devi-eastern-teacher-to-the-west/4/#ref\">4</a>] outside of Dharmasala (Himachal Pradesh), Chamunda is plainly understood to be a form of Kali and the ten <i>mahavidyas</i> are depicted at her shrine. The Devi as Chamunda-Kali is also mentioned in the <i>Tantrasara</i>, <i>Shaktapramoda</i> and <i>Pranatosini</i>. [<a href=\"/mandala/chamunda-devi-eastern-teacher-to-the-west/4/#ref\">5</a>]\r\n\r\nChamunda-Kali provides a gateway to: i) understanding of the Goddess in the Western psyche for juxtaposition with the Eastern manifestations of Her; ii) how Western vs. Eastern conceptions of reality play a role in determining the images of the Divine Feminine that abound in each context; and iii) the potential power of reclaiming the Dark Mother in the West with the help of images from the East.\r\n\r\n<b>Western Appreciation for the Goddess</b>\r\n\r\nFrom this brief discussion in conjunction with other goddess tales, perhaps a vision of the goddess who relates to the emotional, physical, and psychic bodies of women and men, regardless of their country of origin, by virtue of the human condition, is becoming apparent. Woven here is the notion that where women in particular are being drawn to Devi’s symbolism for its promotion of, at the very least, what may appear to be a feminist ethic, those who are attracted to her in their spiritual longing (in any of her forms) necessarily cross lines of demarcation whether social, political, or geographical—and so too does Devi. Goddess worship and feminism too needs to be able to create a container for dialogue, with both arenas developing cross-cultural methodologies that can facilitate the creation of safe space in which to then make discussions happen that relate the spiritual realities with the economic, social, and political ones. From within that space, the hope would be to generate a metaphorical fire from which truth based on a process of coming to agreement can be born. Only then can we empower women and men to be all of who and what they are, no matter what the context in which they find themselves.\r\n\r\nGiving a historicity to Indian images of the divine may help those non-Hindus interested in appreciating her from within western contexts to make informed statements and educated assertions (based upon contextual understanding) about their own uses of/for her while providing a ground for possible adaptations of Devi within a new environment. For just as the goddess centuries ago crossed from India to neighboring lands, our technological advancements today have moved us all towards a global community, which has indeed also helped to shape the transportation of Devi across oceans and continents.\r\n\r\nFor western women, images of the goddess as whole, as containing paradox, and particularly as embracing sexuality and other aspects generally suppressed under patriarchy, are healing. In the western context where transcendent male gods (or more specifically, one male god of generally Jewish or Christian disposition) dominate and no female/feminine is accorded divine status (despite the high status imparted to Mary, as discussed in the last chapter), the need for a Divine Feminine who recognized, honored and is both immanent as well as transcendent is glaring. Perhaps this is one reason why the Indian conception of goddess captures the fervor of western feminists and those seeking alternate visions of the divine that are more inclusive. Devi seems approachable in the sense that she, as her myths and iconography at the very least portend, undergoes and is much of what women recognize to be their individual truths. In her, every woman finds a piece of herself; and every man, perhaps, can learn a little more about the heart of his essential nature.\r\n\r\nThe mainstream Western images of the Divine Feminine in a contemporary context where the Abrahamic faiths prevail have largely been limited to the Virgin Mary, and perhaps if one is generous, to Sophia, the Black Madonna and Lilith. These last three however, represent an undercurrent of the Christian and Judaic faiths, and they are not recognized by many practitioners; at least not with full awareness of their power and connection to pre-patriarchal religion.\r\n\r\nIn any case, it is apparent that the Divine Feminine within our context as represented in Her most ubiquitous aspect as the Virgin Mary has little but a \"soft\" or benevolent and nurturing side. She is holy and untouchable, even by her husband; she is vehicle for the avatar Christ, but not God herself; she is incapable of engaging the more uncomfortable aspects of life; she listens and conveys the message of her followers, but does not have the power to act directly for those who worship her.\r\n\r\nThis image of Mary is put in juxtaposition within Christianity to the one God, who is All. Her place is marginal in relationship to His magnificence, and reflects the Western/patriarchal schism typified by Descartes’ mind/body duality (God as transcendent mind, Mary as earth-bound body) or more simply, the valuing of men over women and heaven over earth. Further, it underscores that the religious traditions of patriarchal cultures have unfortunately tended to pathologize the relationship of dualistic principles. In life, dualities abound, but their representation in the West has long since posed them as warring opposites where the position of the Divine Feminine (and women) is relegated to minority status.\r\n\r\nThe patriarchal worldview, particularly as expressed in the powerful \"First World\" nations of the West, has manifested skewed valuations of dualities in other spheres of life as well. It has done so to the point of ignoring (or largely ignoring) the inherent worth and wisdom of the Feminine principle and has created an urgent need for crisis prevention in the environmental, developmental, psychological and social arenas. Further, if we accept that the project of patriarchy has been based on the scientific and philosophical deconstruction of life (through exploitation of resources and peoples by Western science and paradigms supported by such traditions) and on the establishment of dualistic categories formed from reductionistic tendencies (in order to propagate the favoritism of man and culture over women and nature, e.g.), then we understand how dichotomization destroys relatedness, promotes homogenization, and makes subjugation the norm for half the population the world over.\r\n\r\nUnfortunately in both the East and West, the archetypal Feminine principle, which in India is called <i>pakriti</i>, has often been associated only with women and with nature, to the detriment of both men, women and the planet. For to deny that the Feminine has value is to deny more than gender or population; it is to deny half of the entire spectrum of life. It relegates all that is receptive, open, life-generating and nurturing to the margins of society, and it is there that we can look to find the festering sores of all the various crises of our time.\r\n\r\nFortunately, particularly within the past ten years, writers, thinkers, theologians and others across the globe in fields as diverse as the sciences, religion and women’s studies have explored the dance of life beyond the confines of duality. There, many have found that the \"opposing\" forces of life are in a play of complementarities, where tension makes growth, change, and transformation possible. In understanding that life is more of an ever-shifting dynamic balance of energetics where opposing forces create an existence filled with variety, spontaneity, laughter and music in which the soul may rejoice, a new vein of consciousness has been born in our time.\r\n\r\nThe impact of the Goddess archetype upon women and men as She re-emerges into consciousness has profound ramifications upon all aspects of life. In the East, many have been called to re-examine their relationships to the manifest Divine Feminine in actual women. On the individual as well as the collective level, She reminds us that women too are powerful, worthy of respect in this world; She teaches that respect for our bodies helps us to respect the Earthbody; She tells us that all things ugly and beautiful are Her creation. She is a \"creative trinity;\" [<a href=\"/mandala/chamunda-devi-eastern-teacher-to-the-west/4/#ref\">6</a>] serving as a gateway to simultaneous embracement of <i>both</i> duality and oneness, a symbol of integrated duality and the unconditional love that binds them. With this, many in the West have been drawn to remembering the Goddess as a potent symbol of wholeness. Many have turned to Her myths, rituals and traditions of pre-patriarchal times in order to quench their personal longing for \"something else.\" I believe that Chamunda helps to bring a special dimension to understanding the fullest sense of what that wholeness means.\r\n\r\n<b>Eastern Goddesses, Patriarchal Cultures, and a Vision from the West</b>\r\n\r\nWhile the West has tended to infuse its traditions with a dualistic split, the Eastern traditions of India have tended to concern themselves with a monological \"One\" in the realm of spirit while an overlay of patriarchal duality has settled into the societal sphere. This has wrought a complexity of contradictions in Indian society. For example, the Ganges River, sacred sphere of the Goddess Ganga who manifests through and as its waters, is the most polluted and yet simultaneously the holiest river on Earth for devout Hindus. Similarly, while the Divine Feminine is recognized and worshipped through myriad images of Goddesses (Ganga, Kali and Chamunda among them), women still occupy a marginal position in traditional Indian society.\r\n\r\nAs David Kinsley has noted: \"In the Hindu tradition a woman is taught to understand herself primarily in relation to others…It is society that puts demands on her primarily through the agents of relatives and in-laws, and not she who places demands on society that she be allowed to develop a unique, independent destiny. A central demand placed on women, particularly vis-à-vis males, is that they subordinate their welfare to the welfare of others.\" [<a href=\"/mandala/chamunda-devi-eastern-teacher-to-the-west/4/#ref\">7</a>]\r\n\r\nWhile attempts have been made to reconcile patriarchal duality at the level of society with a philosophical and religious spiritual unity, the fact of the matter is that such discontinuity invalidates and undermines both. Little progress has been made in this regard within the Indian context. But it is from within this struggle that ways of thinking that seek to heal the split of culture from embodied/immanent spirituality have more recently emerged. Many writers, but most prominently the Indian physicist and ecofeminist, Vandana Shiva, have made a case for recognizing the Divine Feminine/Goddess in order to ameliorate tension and diffuse the boundaries of derision caused by the patriarchal paradigm.\r\n\r\n<!--nextpage-->\r\n\r\nIn her book, <i>Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development</i>, Shiva explores one way of looking at the Divine Feminine through lenses that appreciate both transcendent as well as immanent manifestations. She proposes fully embracing the notion of <i>Pakriti</i> as a \"spiritual\" discipline rather than simply as \"nature,\" so that a more balanced worldview can be achieved. This new worldview takes into account the marginalized position of women while de facto promoting environmental sustainability and the wellbeing of diverse, autonomous communities focused on the sacredness of relationships rather than on their destruction.\r\n\r\nAccording to Shiva, Pakriti means not just the traditional counterpart to Purusa (the Divine Masculine, or the Masculine Principle of manifest culture and society), but instead the<i>entirety</i> of nature with its ability to create, sustain and destroy in order to continue the cycle of life in all its aspects. Thus, Shiva’s position asserts \"both a <i>holistic</i> perspective and an<i>inclusive</i> agenda of concerns based on its considerable respect for diversity—both in turn being principles of nature.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">8</a>]\r\n\r\nOn another level, such thinking shows that the construct of <i>maya</i> (illusion) as found in many Indian philosophical systems is not required to solve the corundum of how manifest reality (difference) can be reconciled with the unitive One. Instead, maya can be understood as the human resistance to holding the tension of paradox in life. In this way, perhaps the women of manifest nature can reclaim their right as beings who are living testament to the power of the Goddess and be honored as such. And the \"One\" can take on new meaning as a \"dynamic system of relations wherein any particular manifestation functions simultaneously as a distinct part and the unbroken whole. The parts are not derivative of the whole, or vice versa, [nor are the parts dissolved into one another to become the whole, or vice versa.] Each aspect constitutes the other.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">9</a>]\r\n\r\nIt is with this idea in mind that the Goddesses of East and West need to be (re)evaluated. Unfortunately, however, as we saw earlier in this article, the Western Goddess(es) of mainstream contemporary manifestation and interpretation provide little by way of role model to help us accomplish the task of aware integration of spheres on both the intra- and inter- (as well as micro- and macrocosmic) levels that permeate the realms of mind, body and spirit. Therefore, if we are to move beyond our present embeddedness in the philosophical systems of our respective contexts, any divine teacher thus considered must be a manifestation of reality that lies beyond duality while embracing of it, and must be a penetrator/trix of all worlds, symbolic and otherwise.\r\n\r\nChamunda and her sister Kali, in my opinion, represent an understanding of the limitations of a dualistic worldview while simultaneously embracing duality as facilitator for self-awareness—-the manifest universe and the physical form being vehicles for the exploration of consciousness into itself. Further, they allow communication and representation among each and every sphere of life as well as among worlds, much like the Hermes Trismegistus of Greek mythology and later hermetic philosophy who not only facilitated communication between Gods; between Gods and men; but also between the worlds of Heaven and Hell. In this way, the Divine Feminine as manifest from within the Eastern psyche serves the required purpose; for as C. MacKenzie Brown notes: \"In the Devi-Bhagavata…the goddess is both male and female, and transcends the two, but without devaluing either the transcendent or <i>samsaric</i>[earthly or immanent]<i> </i>dimensions.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">10</a>]\r\n\r\nFurther, it may be noted that from a perspective focused on the dynamics of inter-relationship rather than the intra-relationships of East and West, the Western relationship to \"God\" and the Eastern understanding of non-duality as a quality of \"God\" is typified by the following story:\r\n<blockquote>A Western reporter and an Indian devotee of the Goddess come across a statue of Kali. She has her four arms: the upper right raised in blessing, the lower right offering a boon (wish), the upper left holding a machete dripping with blood and the lower left gripping a severed human head by the hair. Seeing this split, the Westerner immediately asks: \"So how do you get the blessing and avoid the machete?\" The Eastern devotee angrily replies, \"That\'s not it at all...The blessing is only won when you accept both sides of her, including pain, sorrow, decay, death, and destruction. Run from her horrors, and you run from her blessings. To deny death, to act as if your little self is the center of things and must be protected from pain and preserved as long as possible—this is the real death. But embrace Kali as she is—kiss her bloody tongue and feel all four arms caress you at once—then you have life, you have freedom.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">11</a>]</blockquote>\r\nIn this story, the boon for the Western mind would be to get beyond dualistic thinking; and the boon for the Eastern mind would be to allow this non-dualistic perspective to integrate into all spheres of life, not simply the spiritual one.\r\n\r\nBut working with images such as Chamunda and Kali, I believe, is one way to begin transforming traditional perspectives. Although a re-visioning of these goddesses in the East to include a mandate for social reform might be a worthwhile endeavor, I can only mention here the potential impact that working with them might have upon Western consciousness were, for example, a fully developed program inclusive of yoga, ritual, meditation and contemplation, etc. to be implemented by those wishing to break free of the limiting constructs of our time.\r\n\r\n<b>Revisiting the Goddess</b>\r\n\r\nTherefore, I hold that those wishing to reach beyond the schisms of Western thought (and beyond the hypocrisy of Eastern practice if one is from that context and so inclined) need to welcome a teacher capable of fully embodying both sides of duality; for one must be willing to embrace death if seeking to fully enjoy life (as the story above pointed out). The extremely intense presence of Chamunda when brought into contemplation by a seeking mind can indeed be a call to wake up to the vibrancy of life; to the reason behind the ephemeral nature of things; and indeed to the fullest sense oneself and one’s purpose in the world.\r\n\r\nFor as told in the Upanishads when Sanatkumara says to the young Narada: \"One who meditates upon and realizes the Self discovers that everything in the cosmos—energy and space, fire and water, name and form, birth and death, mind and will, word and deed, mantram and meditation—all come from the Self.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">12</a>] The Self is therefore the embracing One and that which enables human beings to comprehend the infinite diversity of the world. The manifestations of the macrocosmic world can be easily understood in terms of the microcosmic Self and vice versa; or again in the words of Hermes Trismegistus, \"as above, so below.\"\r\n\r\nIn meditating upon the image of Chamunda and asking questions as I did about the reasons behind her powerful presence, one may be forced to ask too exactly what this Goddess desires us to see and to ultimately understand about our presence in the world: What is my role here? Why is there suffering? What is the purpose of life? Why has Patriarchy been a part of our human experience? As it says in the Chandogya Upanishad, \"You are that.\" [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">13</a>] And so for the individual contemplating the nature of non-dual reality while trying to reconcile manifest existence and personal experience, Chamunda can function as a portal to understanding.\r\n\r\nIt also seems appropriate that as we today search to give a meaning to our lives in these times of planetary crisis, turning to different ways of knowing and of experiencing reality may assist us in our struggles to ‘make sense of it all.’ This introduction of Chamunda as a teacher to the West is again not an attempt to co-opt or misrepresent a Hindu deity; it is simply a suggestion to be aware of more than those things with which we are readily familiar in our quest.\r\n\r\nDone with honor, respect, and with no claim at contextual understanding, opening to the patterns of collective thought that made the Goddess Chamunda a part of human reality may be a way to break the hard lines of Western dichotomy. It may help us reconnect to the ancient roots of many of the symbols, myths and traditions that have sprung from our collective human history, and it may help us connect to something deeper from within our own Western psyche. It may help us to eventually reclaim the power inherent in both Mother and Witch for the betterment of humanity.\r\n\r\nThus Chamunda-Devi may be a kind of key - not to unlocking the past, but to helping us ‘re-find’ the awareness most important for us today. Perhaps she can help us to dive into the primordial well of remembrance that exists within each of us in order to help surface feelings and intuitions that are particularly important for the creation of human as well as Gaian wholeness.\r\n\r\nAs the last line of the <i>Creed of the Star Goddess</i> tells us, \"I [the Goddess], have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.\"  [<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/articles/chamunda/chamunda4.php4#ref\">14</a>] We need only wish to remember in our hearts, with all of our heart, and She will reveal Her reality no matter where we live, what language we speak or what traditions we follow. As we move forward along our collective path in this evolutionary spiral we call life, may we seek always to know the truth of our past, so that we may all move together towards tomorrow. In this project, Chamunda is certainly qualified to be our guide.\r\n\r\nThe rest of my stay in India continued to be filled with Chamunda’s presence, and I began to affirm as I learned more about her that she was unknowable in any purely historical or religious sense but for my own cellular memories perhaps and more recent experiences of her. By Chamunda’s grace, however, I find that as I deepen into her mysteries and continue to invoke her in my life, I am drawn back in time so that I may discover not only her truth, but also the truth of how the track of recorded history both reveals and obscures truth. As much contemporary feminist scholarship reveals, much of recorded history obscures. By Chamunda’s grace, however, the path towards greater self-awareness was presented to me, and I continue to ask the above-mentioned questions, slowly gaining insight into her potential role as a teacher of the West.\r\n\r\nThe path towards greater self-awareness therefore has very large implications, and I continue to ask the above-mentioned questions to gain insight into Chamunda in all manifestations so that she may ultimately teach her secrets to all those willing to learn. I for one, am realizing that the mysteries of the Goddess reveal themselves to me though my personal experience, and as I open to trusting that my spirituality in this vein contains the greatest wisdom of all, the circle is closed and I am before Her once again.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a name=\"ref\"></a>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n1. Kinsley, David. <i>Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition</i> (University of California Press: Berkeley) 1986 p. 149\r\n2. Dehejia, Vidya. <i>Yogini Cult and Temples: A Tantric Tradition</i> (The National Museum: New Delhi) 1986, p. 187\r\n3. The Matrikas first appear in the <i>Mahabharata</i> and have collectively been dated to about the first century A.D. Their manifestations in the literature of the epic - and post-epic periods seem to be characterized as malevolent, blood-drinking and demonic; but worship is also directed to them for protection. The Matrikas are notably a group of goddesses, the number of which becomes somewhat standardized at seven or eight in the postepic period. They are given in the <i>Visnudharmottara-purana</i> as: Yogisvari, Mahesvari, Vaisnavi, Kaumari, Brahmani, Chamunda and Varahi.\r\n4. I have visited this temple and seen these images. David Kinsley also makes mention of this fact in his work,<i>Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine: The Ten Mahavidyas</i> (University of California Press: Berkeley) 1997, p. 16\r\n5. Kinsley, David. Ibid., p. 75\r\n6. Sheldrake, Rupert. <i>The Rebirth of Nature: The Greening of Science and God</i> (Park Street Press: Vermont) 1991 pp. 196 - 199\r\n7. Kinsley, David. <i>Hindu Goddesses</i>, ibid<i>. </i>p. 77\r\n8. Kothari, Rajni. Foreword in <i>Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development</i> by Vandana Shiva, (New Jersey: Zed Books) 1989, p. X. (Original italics.)\r\n9. Spretnak, Charlene. \"Radical Non-duality in Ecofeminist Philosophy\" essay <i>in Metis: A Feminist Journal of Transformative Wisdom</i>, Spring, 1996; Vol 1, No. 1., p. 11\r\n10. Brown, C. MacKenzie. <i>The Triumph of the Goddess: The Canonical Models and Theological Visions of the Devi-Bhagavata Purana</i> (SUNY Press: New York) 1990, p. 216\r\n11. Reported by Tim Ward in <i>Common Boundary</i>, March/April, 1997, p. 34\r\n12.<i> Chandogya Upanishad, </i>translated by Eknath Easwaran (Nilgiri Press: Berkeley) 1987, p. 190\r\n13. <i>Chandogya Upanishad</i>, ibid<i>.</i>, p. 183\r\n14. Adapted from the traditional (oral) poem by Doreen Valiente, British witch. Traditional.','Chamunda-Devi','','inherit','open','open','','99967-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 19:59:10','2013-10-18 02:59:10','',99967,'<h4>Eastern Teacher to The West</h4>\r\n<em>by Chandra Alexandre</em>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignright  wp-image-99968 imgborder=0\" alt=\"chamundafire\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/chamundafire.gif\" width=\"250\" height=\"278\" /><br>\r\n',0,'revision','',0),(100727,2,'2013-10-17 21:20:53','2013-10-18 04:20:53','Kali has appeared serendipitously in my life since I was a teenager through a variety of channels, including images, books, people, and altered state of consciousness experiences. I knew in my heart that there was meaning and purpose to this pull I had to her. However, I was living on the East Coast where my surroundings and relationships did not validate or help me understand her presence in my life, causing me to wonder whether she was just a figment of my imagination. \r\n\r\nMoving to the San Francisco Bay Area and discovering SHARANYA and, subsequently, meeting other people with a similar connection with Kali was greatly affirming. Through SHARANYA I have learned volumes about a presence in my life that, prior, was a mystery. The opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with Kali within the spiritual community of SHARANYA has been empowering, healing, enlightening, and rewarding.\r\n','Initiation','','publish','closed','closed','','initiation','','','2013-10-25 21:17:16','2013-10-26 04:17:16','',0,'http://KalihasappearedserendipitouslyinmylifesinceIwasateenagerthroughavarietyofchannels,includingimages,books,people,andalteredstateofconsciousnessexperiences.IknewinmyheartthattherewasmeaningandpurposetothispullIhadto',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(100728,2,'2013-10-17 21:22:02','2013-10-18 04:22:02','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. \r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  \r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"initiation\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</i>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja (first level) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.  \r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.</i>\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual. \r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja (second level)</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.</i>\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. \r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 21:22:02','2013-10-18 04:22:02','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100729,2,'2013-10-17 21:23:37','2013-10-18 04:23:37','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. <br><br>\r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  <br><br>\r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"initiation\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.<br><br>\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja (first level) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.<br><br>\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja (second level)</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 21:23:37','2013-10-18 04:23:37','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100730,2,'2013-10-17 21:24:34','2013-10-18 04:24:34','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. <br><br>\r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  <br><br>\r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"initiation\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.<br><br>\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja (first level) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.<br><br>\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja (second level)</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Yoni Mudra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/yonimudra1.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 21:24:34','2013-10-18 04:24:34','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100731,2,'2013-10-17 21:28:22','2013-10-18 04:28:22','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. <br><br>\r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  <br><br>\r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"initiation\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.<br><br>\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja (first level) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.<br><br>\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja (second level)</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/1081132339_BdWLn-O-e1382070439407.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Shiva Offering\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/1081132339_BdWLn-O-e1382070439407.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 21:28:22','2013-10-18 04:28:22','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100732,2,'2013-10-17 21:29:06','2013-10-18 04:29:06','A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held monthly on the dates of our regular worship. <br><br>\r\n\r\nFor those who feel a deeper call, the path to initiation is open when the time is right. While we welcome all serious inquiries, we recognize that the commitment and dedication necessary for initiation, and most especially for the process of ordination as clergy, is not possible or practical for everyone. No matter what your inclination at this moment, we invite you to familiarize yourself with our path and our temple, to ask questions of our community members, initiates and ministry, and after all this, to determine what is best for you.  <br><br>\r\n\r\nOutlined here are the guidelines for a faith-based practice that can lead to initiation and the ministerial path if one so desires. Please note that regardless of the road, ours is a tradition of commitment, devotion and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy and elders, and we seek to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members in community.\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"initiation\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Sitting in circle\"]\r\n\r\n<b><img class=\"alignright\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri) and SHARANYA\'s Founder (1998)\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/chandra_puri.gif\" width=\"297\" height=\"280\" align=\"left\" /></b><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> To develop personal practice within Sha\'can and deepen worship of the Dark Goddess; to gain basic techniques and understandings through learning of cosmology, practice, language, and ritual in the tradition that help guide spiritual development.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nThose interested in becoming practicing members of the tradition, and possibly initiates, are encouraged to sit in circle. This means that in addition to attending worship ceremonies, individuals are encouraged to follow a course of regular devotion and practice, learning some of the history, symbolism, ritual formats, liturgy, and prayer methodologies of Sha\'can.<br><br>\r\n\r\nParticipation in regular circle work for a year and a day is typical under the supervision and mentoring of an initiate (one serving at least within a Yogini Chakra). This can prepare one for and lead to initiation within the tradition, as agreed upon by the individual and the circle members, with final recommendation and approval granted by the presiding initiate.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Sitting in circle, here is some of what you will learn:  </span>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The history and foundation of Sha\'can </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Cosmology and cosmogony of the tradition </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Principles of Tantra and Shakta Tantra </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">History and context for worship of Kali and other Hindu goddesses </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Mantras to ground material and work with deities </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of ritual work (purification, invocations, etc.) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Components of the Kali Puja (first level) </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Foundations of individual practice (grounding and centering, spell work, divination, energy work, creating sacred space, meditation, etc.)</span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Pranayama (breath work)</li>\r\n	<li>Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (meditation)</li>\r\n	<li>Japa (recitation)</li>\r\n	<li>Mudra (hand postures)</li>\r\n	<li>Chakras (energy centers)</li>\r\n	<li>Tattwa shuddhi (elemental purification)</li>\r\n	<li>Koshas (sheaths)</li>\r\n	<li>Akshara nyasa (placement)</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Initiation\"]For those choosing to be initiated within the tradition, taking of a name and making a Statement of Faith are the hallmarks of this next passage. Individuals are encouraged to enter into contemplation and meditation on the spiritual significance that initiation will have, making the choice to do so in full confidence of their decision. Initiates carry a chosen name as a sign of their commitment, devotion, and willingness to work on their spiritual path.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1576-e1381470083113.jpg\" alt=\"Offering\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-100600 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe ceremony culminates with the initiate being presented to at least three witnesses (one of whom must also be an initiate), before whom the Statement of Faith is affirmed. With this, initiates willingly carry responsibility for the preservation of the tradition, and for promoting the aims and objectives of SHARANYA to the utmost of their abilities.<br><br>\r\n\r\nAlthough this responsibility is not codified, the responsibility is real and fully based upon the needs, interests, and objectives of both the initiate and the guiding community spirit. Potential initiates have an opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills working within Daughters of Kali, a worship and study circle that facilitates rites of passage and encourages community work, especially with teenagers and young girls. After initiation, individuals have further opportunities within the faith for developing their commitment to the Divine according to our beliefs and practices.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Yogini Chakra\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><strong><i>Objective:</strong></span> Deepened personal practice and greater breadth of spiritual technologies in pursuit of personal spiritual goals.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nAfter initiation, individuals may request admittance to the Yogini Chakra. This circle is a manifest expression of deeper commitment to the tradition and faith.  It is considered the first step towards pursuing ordination, a much longer and more involved process to which initiates must dedicate themselves over the course of, at a minimum, three years.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/kali_arms.gif\" width=\"247\" height=\"407\" align=\"right\" /> Application for membership requires that in addition to expressing an earnest desire to further spiritual practice with demonstrable dedication to the path, an individual must obtain the support of another initiate willing to act as mentor. This requires that the supporting mentor already be within the Matrika Chakra, or at a more advanced degree within SHARANYA\'s ordination structure. All membership requests are reviewed by committee and either accepted or denied based in large part upon the following criteria:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be initiated in the Sha\'can tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.</li>\r\n	<li>Applicant must hold at least a high-school diploma.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable commitment to the work of SHARANYA and the faith.</li>\r\n	<li>Demonstrable aptitude in and knowledge of the tradition.</li>\r\n	<li>Recognized and demonstrable leadership abilities.</li>\r\n	<li>Letter of recommendation from mentor or other initiate.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nDenied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months. Those accepted into the Yogini Chakra make a commitment in formal ceremony marking the passage to regular and disciplined practice, deepened instruction in religious ceremonies, study, dedicated attendance at monthly meetings, participation in community worship services, and assistance at high holy day public events. This assistance encompasses the logistical details of public functions as well as the spiritual guidance aspects of ritual.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe primary work of this circle is to further familiarize initiates with all levels of ministerial duties, provide opportunities for leadership, and create a container for work on and practice of invocations, prayers, and other ritual elements. Participation within the Yogini Chakra for a year and a day (or after six months with special application to committee) entitles one to seek membership within the next circle.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\nSome of what you will learn (in addition to deepening work with previous material):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Mantras appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Integration of ritual techniques</li>\r\n	<li>Components of Kali Puja (second level)</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level I (creation, worship as deity, protection)</li>\r\n	<li>Introduction to panchatattva chakra puja</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced pranayama</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Prana pratishtha</li>\r\n	<li>Kara nyasa and other nyasas</li>\r\n	<li>Kundalini yoga practices</li>\r\n	<li>Yoga nidra</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nNOTE: Initiates may remain in Yogini Chakra for as long as they wish. Initiates are considered elders in community once they have participated in Yogini Chakra for two years.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Matrika Chakra\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/1081132339_BdWLn-O-e1382070439407.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-99739 imgborder\" alt=\"Shiva Offering\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/1081132339_BdWLn-O-e1382070439407.jpg\" /></a><span style=\"color: #9c1601\"><i><strong>Objective:</strong></span> Engagement of spirituality in the larger community/world. Learning and mastery of more intricate spiritual technologies for realization of S/self, facilitation of relationships, personal growth, and deepened connection with the Divine.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\nEntry to the Matrika Chakra is predicated upon successful completion of tenure within the Yogini Chakra and based upon application and approval by committee. In addition to a Certification of Completion by the Yogini Chakra committee, applicants are required to submit, in writing, details of their religious/spiritual work to date within the tradition, a statement called Explanation of Involvement (this details how they have served in community), and a proposal for project work as application. Once the application is received and reviewed, an interview with the candidate will be arranged as the final step before determination is given. As above, denied membership applications may be augmented or otherwise altered to meet committee requirements and resubmitted on appeal within three months.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWhen approved, individuals are accepted and granted status within this circle at the Ceremony of Elders. They must complete, at a minimum, one year of service and fulfillment of their project before requesting Apprenticeship. The primary work of the Matrika Chakra is to augment deepening ritual knowledge with mentoring responsibilities and ministerial assistance, including learning to lead and taking responsibility for public monthly puja ceremonies. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIndividuals within this circle must also complete a community service project based on SHARANYA\'s aims and objectives as approved by committee, prove proficiency in ritual work that includes the creation of a commitment or rite of passage ceremony for submission to the tradition\'s <i>Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer</i>, mastery of <i>devanagari</i> script (reading and writing only; translation is not required), and commitment to memory of the <i>Kali Gayatri</i>, at least 51 of Maa Kali\'s sacred names, and other important mantras for use in worship (<i>puja</i>) services.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Expectations and outcomes\" active=\"\"]What you will learn (in addition to deepening work and teaching of material offered in Yogini):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Subtle body practices, including work with the patala chakras</li>\r\n        <li>Increased engagement with the Sacred Male/Divine Masculine</li>\r\n	<li>Mantra as appropriate to this level of practice</li>\r\n	<li>Foundations of Sanskrit</li>\r\n	<li>Deepening yoga nidra, shuddhi, nyasa and fundamental practices</li>\r\n	<li>Advanced ritual techniques</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nExamples of some Tantric techniques, concepts, and practices taught:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Bahya matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Anga puja</li>\r\n	<li>Pitha nyasa</li>\r\n	<li>Yantra Level II (spell work, siddhis, talismans)</li>\r\n	<li>Yajna and homa rites</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> </span>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Initiation','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 21:29:06','2013-10-18 04:29:06','',99145,'A commitment to the Divine within the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can tradition</a> takes many forms. Seekers are invited to our public rituals and are welcome to join us for teaching circles held mont',0,'revision','',0),(100733,2,'2013-10-17 21:50:45','2013-10-18 04:50:45','[one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/th_event/10th-annual-kali-puja-festival/\" title=\"Kali Festival\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Blessed-Altar-Web-e1380257091912.jpg\" ]Join us on Nov 2nd![/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n[one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/the-path/\" title=\"Curious?\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DSC_0313-e1381818563636.jpg\" ]Learn more...[/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n[one_third last=last] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/events/\" title=\"Puja Dates\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/0311-e1381818979184.jpg\" ]Visit the calendar[/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<h3>Reflections &amp; News</h3>\r\n[blog category=\"7\" perpage=\"3\" pagination=\"\" ]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"matrikas\" time=\"10\" randomize=\"on\" effect=\"fade\" ]','Homepage','','inherit','open','open','','99117-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 21:50:45','2013-10-18 04:50:45','',99117,'[one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/mandala/th_event/10th-annual-kali-puja-festival/\" title=\"Kali Festival\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Blessed-Altar-Web-e1380257091912.jpg\" ]Join us on Nov 2nd![/teaser] [/one_third]\r\n\r\n[o',0,'revision','',0),(100734,2,'2013-10-17 21:54:13','2013-10-18 04:54:13','','Apprentice','','inherit','open','open','','dsc_0248','','','2013-10-17 21:54:13','2013-10-18 04:54:13','',99147,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100735,2,'2013-10-17 21:56:59','2013-10-18 04:56:59','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\nThe minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</li>\r\n	<li>Yogini Chakra: 1 year</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika Chakra: 1 year</li>\r\n	<li>Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 21:56:59','2013-10-18 04:56:59','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100736,2,'2013-10-17 21:59:45','2013-10-18 04:59:45','','Kali Yantra Box','','inherit','open','open','','dsc_0172','','','2013-10-17 21:59:45','2013-10-18 04:59:45','',99147,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(100737,2,'2013-10-17 22:01:31','2013-10-18 05:01:31','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072463700.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072463700.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a>The minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</li>\r\n	<li>Yogini Chakra: 1 year</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika Chakra: 1 year</li>\r\n	<li>Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:01:31','2013-10-18 05:01:31','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100738,2,'2013-10-17 22:03:03','2013-10-18 05:03:03','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a>The minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</li>\r\n	<li>Yogini Chakra: 1 year</li>\r\n	<li>Matrika Chakra: 1 year</li>\r\n	<li>Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:03:03','2013-10-18 05:03:03','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100739,2,'2013-10-17 22:05:47','2013-10-18 05:05:47','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a>The minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:\r\n\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Yogini Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Matrika Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:05:47','2013-10-18 05:05:47','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100740,2,'2013-10-17 22:06:48','2013-10-18 05:06:48','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\nThe minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Yogini Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Matrika Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:06:48','2013-10-18 05:06:48','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100741,2,'2013-10-17 22:07:26','2013-10-18 05:07:26','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\nThe minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a><br>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Yogini Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Matrika Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:07:26','2013-10-18 05:07:26','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100742,2,'2013-10-17 22:08:01','2013-10-18 05:08:01','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\nThe minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:<br>\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a><br>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Yogini Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Matrika Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:08:01','2013-10-18 05:08:01','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100743,2,'2013-10-17 22:08:28','2013-10-18 05:08:28','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\nThe minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:<br><br>\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Yogini Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Matrika Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:08:28','2013-10-18 05:08:28','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100744,2,'2013-10-17 22:09:21','2013-10-18 05:09:21','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\nThe minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:<br><br>\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Yogini Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Matrika Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:09:21','2013-10-18 05:09:21','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100745,2,'2013-10-17 22:10:06','2013-10-18 05:10:06','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\nThe minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Here is a summary of the process:<br><br>\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Yogini Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Matrika Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</ul></ul><br><br>\r\n\r\nApplicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community, and is never taken lightly.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:10:06','2013-10-18 05:10:06','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100746,2,'2013-10-17 22:11:14','2013-10-18 05:11:14','<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\nThe minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Applicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community. It is never undertaken lightly. Here is a summary of the entire process:<br><br>\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" /></a>\r\n\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Yogini Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Matrika Chakra: 1 year</ul></ul>\r\n	<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year</ul></ul><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b></b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n</div>','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:11:14','2013-10-18 05:11:14','',99147,'<div id=\"lipsum\">\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" alt=\"Apprentice\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" />After a minimum of two an',0,'revision','',0),(100747,2,'2013-10-17 22:20:45','2013-10-18 05:20:45','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-2','','','2013-10-17 22:20:45','2013-10-18 05:20:45','',0,'Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ',0,'th_events','',0),(100748,2,'2013-10-17 22:21:42','2013-10-18 05:21:42','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-3','','','2013-10-17 22:21:42','2013-10-18 05:21:42','',0,'Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ',0,'th_events','',0),(100749,2,'2013-10-17 22:23:40','2013-10-18 05:23:40','Community celebration of Solstice and the magic of the shortest day of the year. Friends and family of community members are welcome to attend. ','Yule Party','','publish','closed','closed','','yule-party','','','2013-10-17 22:49:00','2013-10-18 05:49:00','',0,'Community celebration of Solstice and the magic of the shortest day of the year. Friends and family of community members are welcome to attend. ',0,'th_events','',0),(100750,2,'2013-10-17 22:27:43','2013-10-18 05:27:43','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-4','','','2013-10-17 22:28:12','2013-10-18 05:28:12','',0,'Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ',0,'th_events','',0),(100751,2,'2013-10-17 22:28:32','2013-10-18 05:28:32','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-5','','','2013-10-17 22:28:32','2013-10-18 05:28:32','',0,'Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ',0,'th_events','',0),(100752,2,'2013-10-17 22:29:03','2013-10-18 05:29:03','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-6','','','2013-10-17 22:29:03','2013-10-18 05:29:03','',0,'Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ',0,'th_events','',0),(100753,2,'2013-10-17 22:30:22','2013-10-18 05:30:22','','Community Meeting','','publish','closed','closed','','community-meeting-2','','','2013-10-17 22:30:22','2013-10-18 05:30:22','',0,'',0,'th_events','',0),(100754,2,'2013-10-17 22:31:05','2013-10-18 05:31:05','','Community Meeting','','publish','closed','closed','','community-meeting-3','','','2013-10-17 22:31:05','2013-10-18 05:31:05','',0,'',0,'th_events','',0),(100755,2,'2013-10-17 22:35:56','2013-10-18 05:35:56','This ceremony is for those who have sat in circle (at least one year is required) and have chosen to accept the commitment of initiation. The Kaula is present to support the transition from neophyte to initiate. ','Initiation Ceremony','','publish','closed','closed','','initiation-ceremony','','','2013-10-17 22:35:56','2013-10-18 05:35:56','',0,'This ceremony is for those who have sat in circle (at least one year is required) and have chosen to accept the commitment of initiation. The Kaula is present to support the transition from neophyte to initiate. ',0,'th_events','',0),(100756,2,'2013-10-17 22:36:47','2013-10-18 05:36:47','','Community Meeting','','publish','closed','closed','','community-meeting-4','','','2013-10-17 22:36:47','2013-10-18 05:36:47','',0,'',0,'th_events','',0),(100757,2,'2013-10-17 22:38:49','2013-10-18 05:38:49','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-7','','','2013-10-17 22:38:49','2013-10-18 05:38:49','',0,'Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ',0,'th_events','',0),(100758,2,'2013-10-17 22:45:13','2013-10-18 05:45:13','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-8','','','2013-10-17 22:45:13','2013-10-18 05:45:13','',0,'Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ',0,'th_events','',0),(100759,2,'2013-10-17 22:46:34','2013-10-18 05:46:34','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-9','','','2014-09-01 17:50:31','2014-09-02 00:50:31','',0,'http://Eachmonthpriortopuja,communityandinitiatesgatherforteachingsontheTantras.Particularsofritual,personalpractice,philosophy,andspiritualdevelopmentareexplored.',0,'th_events','',0),(100760,2,'2013-10-17 22:47:14','2013-10-18 05:47:14','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-10','','','2014-09-01 17:50:02','2014-09-02 00:50:02','',0,'http://Eachmonthpriortopuja,communityandinitiatesgatherforteachingsontheTantras.Particularsofritual,personalpractice,philosophy,andspiritualdevelopmentareexplored.',0,'th_events','',0),(100761,2,'2013-10-17 22:47:55','2013-10-18 05:47:55','Each month prior to puja, community and initiates gather for teachings on the Tantras. Particulars of ritual, personal practice, philosophy, and spiritual development are explored. ','Teaching Circle','','publish','closed','closed','','teaching-circle-11','','','2014-09-01 17:49:30','2014-09-02 00:49:30','',0,'http://Eachmonthpriortopuja,communityandinitiatesgatherforteachingsontheTantras.Particularsofritual,personalpractice,philosophy,andspiritualdevelopmentareexplored.',0,'th_events','',0),(100762,2,'2013-10-17 22:52:43','2013-10-18 05:52:43','Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origins are rooted in a commitment to social justice and to the (r)evolution of consciousness across space-time realities that we might transform increasingly toward peace.<br><br>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Temple in India\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-99537 imgborder\" alt=\"Maa Batakali Mandir (Puri)\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/MBCMTemple.jpg\" /></a>\r\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Constitution of Maa Batakali Sanskrutika Parisada</span></h3>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission\r\n</span><br>\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Balisahi, Puri Town, Puri  752 001 Orissa</span><br>\r\n\r\nRegistration Number: 2802/211/91-92<br>\r\nFiled and Certified by the Audit Superintendent District Panchayat Office, Puri<br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>Mission Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>To create and nurture a community of life-affirming individuals devoted to Mother Worship and to developing an understanding of how such devotion can positively transform our global community.</ul>\r\n<b>Vision Statement:</b>\r\n<ul>The Maa Batakali Cultural Mission is dedicated to promoting the vision of the world as a global community in Her divine name.</ul>\r\n<b>Aims and Objectives:</b>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>To maintain this Mission as a nonprofit public-benefit organization, not organized for the private gain of any person.</li>\r\n	<li>To foster awareness of Goddess worship as a life-affirming path among the global community; and to eradicate erroneous and superstitious beliefs in this regard.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, develop and execute recreational, cultural and spiritual activities for the community.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake programs for the establishment of community housing, social forestry and environmental sanitation; et alia.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize, fund and promote Mission Centers for community gatherings, social welfare programs and adult education, including the establishment of a library with emphasis on educational activities for community youth; and to develop various pilot projects to meet the needs of community members.</li>\r\n	<li>To organize outreach programs for those not in or around Mission Centers.</li>\r\n	<li>To undertake projects expressly designed to promote the welfare of Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and other economically \"backward\" classes of people, and to promote the development of cooperative ideas and enterprise among them and the community at large.</li>\r\n	<li>To draw up schemes for the rehabilitation of antisocial persons; i.e., those with problems related to alcohol and drug abuse, and to assist their families as required.</li>\r\n	<li>To educate about and mobilize peacefully against sati, dowry, beggary, caste crime and similar social ills.</li>\r\n	<li>To publish a monthly newsletter, community bulletin and other educational materials for the promotion of the spiritual and cultural philosophy of the Mission.</li>\r\n	<li>To help provide relief, through community efforts, for those effected by natural calamities and other emergencies.</li>\r\n	<li>To promote cultural exchange of ideas and beliefs throughout India and the world.</li>\r\n	<li>To assist in providing legal aid to the needy and the poor.</li>\r\n	<li>To establish sister organizations, in the United States and elsewhere, in order to promote the vision of the Mission worldwide.</li>\r\n	<li>To develop fundraising schemes for the future growth and maintenance of the Mission and its associations.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part I\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99541 imgborder\" alt=\"Shyam Sundar Dash at Maabatakali Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamPuriWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>August 2, 1998</em><br><br>\r\nIt\'s summer in India, the time when the air is thick, sweat plentiful, and the monsoon\'s rains swell the skies and the streets. I have come here, to this land of spice, spirit and the sacred, to further my work in ecofeminism by looking at women\'s spiritual connections to social justice and activism on behalf of the environment. I am not here long, however, before Maa, the Divine Mother, shows me that there\'s more to my quest than I originally thought.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSpeaking to a guide at my hotel, I tell him, \"I need to find a temple to the Goddess.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Which one,\" he asks. \"Which goddess?\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Well, Kali,\" I state hesitatingly, unsure of how my request will be received.  The man looks me up and down, trying to determine where I fit within the spectrum of visitors from whom he makes his livelihood.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Wouldn\'t you rather visit Lord Jaganath?\" he inquires. Lord of the Universe, Jaganath is honored at this time in Puri (the eastern <i>dham</i>, one of the sacred compass points in India) in a huge festival to which hundreds of thousands flock each year. Together with his brother and sister, this is the only time the Lord leaves the <I>mandir</I> (temple). He\'s on a family outing to his summer home across the town, and everyone comes out to get a glimpse of the royal family.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I respond quickly. I\'m restless and on a mission. It is Kali I need to see and no one else. That She is responsible for my getting through a political uprising in Digha at the southern end of West Bengal unscathed is apparent to me. I have come here therefore to give thanks and need to be at her feet in a temple soon. Sensing my urgency, the gentleman kindly calls to an auto-rickshaw driver with a shrug, not wanting to engage me further about goddesses. The driver arrives.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Kali mandir,\" I say to him as he pulls up alongside us. At this point, I have no idea how many homes Maa has here in Puri. After receiving no further instructions, the driver takes off towards the center of town. I later find out (after several unsuccessful attempts to again visit the place to which I am now heading) that there are at least four Kali temples accessible to visitors. Reaching our destination, I buy a hibiscus mala, a garland of her sacred flower, and add that to my <I>puja</I> (worship) basket. Into it too go coconut, juicy betel nut and other sweets to delight Her. My offering is noteworthy at this temple for its size; but I am generous as I feel a strong need to show my appreciation to Goddess for getting me out of Digha alive. <br><br>\r\n\r\nThe pujari at Maa Batakali Mandir, Shyam Sundar Dash, is a Brahmin priest with two sons. In his devotion and gratitude for the goddess having given him these sons, Shyam has built this temple. A small roadside mandir, passersby usually drop rupees on the temple steps on their daily rounds. It is nothing too fancy, but Maa here is absolutely resplendent.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIn his time, Shyam has doubled as a government worker, making regular trips back and forth from his office to tend to Maa and her devotees. Now retired, he tends to the temple and its congregation of worshipers every day for morning prayers and evening <i>aarati</i> (a beautiful celebration with lights and offerings). As Shyam sees me approach for the first time, he stares. He asks me directly why I am there, and although he is not angry, his disposition and directness can easily be mistaken for exactly that at first. Truly, he\'s just curious, but I am startled by his question.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Are you ISKON?\" he demands.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSuspense broken, I let out a nervous laugh. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (a.k.a. Hare Krishnas) has never drawn me, but Puri is full of Western devotees. Lord Jaganath, I learn is, like Krishna whom those in ISKON worship, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, the God of Preservation, and one of the main Hindu deities.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\"No,\" I reply, \"I came to thank Maa.\"  After a few more words, Shyam accepts my offering basket, performing puja on my behalf. He asks my name in order to conduct the rites. When we\'re through, he asks why I\'m there. But my eyes are transfixed on Maa\'s image as it transforms before me, and I can only point to my heart by way of explanation. \"She\'s here,\" I manage to say. Then, everything that has been kept inside until now in this challenging land of contrasts streams out through my eyes in hot tears.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFrom June through the end of August 1998, I live in Puri. My friends up north forgive me for not coming back. My field work on is put on hold. It was my pause when Shyam asked after the ritual, \"Will you come visit my house?\" that changed not only the course of my research, but also my life. Aware of India\'s potential for surprises, I held a moment of silence before responding and internally questioned his invitation and motivations.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFeeling inside, I sensed that this was an offering, and a door was opening to me that might never open again. In the pause, I could see Her face dimly, and I wondered in my rational mind about my work and Shyam\'s intentions. It took me three days to surrender to the feeling and my vision of Her beckoning. After careful thought and some time meditating with the ocean\'s wisdom, I said yes. I returned to meet my new teacher and his family.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe more time I spend in Puri, the more I realize that Goddess is working in quite mysterious ways and that Shyam is no typical Brahmin priest.  As time passes, I learn the extent to which She is working through him, and I absorb many levels of Her teachings. Some are straightforward and harsh; others are more obtuse and delightful.<br><br>\r\n\r\nAfter much work, <I>diksha</I>, or initiation into Kali\'s mysteries is the next profound unfolding of my spiritual journey. The day comes on the August new moon, and I am thrilled when I realize it will be August 2nd, the festival of the harvest often called Lughnasad (or Lammas) in the earth-based Western calendar. It is as though Maa has answered my burning question: Can I do this? The synchronicity of timing does not escape me, and I feel She is telling me that I can have it both ways: I can be Her priestess in more than one way, walking as a Goddess worshiper wherever I may be in the world. To Her, I learn, there is no distinction.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe initiation is radical by most Hindu standards. Shyam is a Brahmin priest, and I am not only a Westerner but also a woman; and women in India are not initiated by Brahmins. Following the Vedas in his public work, Shyam also practices Tantra, and this is the in-road to Maa that is clearly appropriate for my circumstances. Tantrics care not of my birth, only my longing. But perhaps there would be less to explain and fewer staring eyes as we sit working together at the temple were Shyam to be more public about the various faces of his devotion.<br><br> \r\n\r\nAs Shyam manages to satisfy people\'s natural curiosity with his answers to their queries and suspicious looks, I pretend not to notice the robust number of visitors to the temple in the evenings after the gates have closed and we have begun our private work and evening prayers together.<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\"><img class=\"size-full wp-image-99707 imgborder alignright\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre and Shyam Sundar Dash at Puri Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ShyamSundarDashChandraAlexandrePuriMBCM1-e1377156643651.jpg\" width=\"228\" height=\"246\" /></a>\r\n\r\nMy practice deepens after initiation, and on Her sacred day of Kali Puja some months later in October, I sit at the feet of the goddess in the temple, a spot that locals cannot come near. It is nearing midnight and the heat of the day lifting off the earth combined with the hot lamps that light Her image makes the sweat drip down my arms, makes my sari blouse feel even tighter than it already is, and makes me wish I couldn\'t see the large number of bugs and ants crawling on my feet and ankles in search of food. I honor Her by pouring <i>ghee</i> (clarified butter) for the <i>homa</i> (fire offering) ceremony, and I honor the fact that I am Shyam\'s first <i>chela</i> (student), a position of honor in this lineage tradition.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI tend to my responsibilities dutifully as the <I>Chandi Path</I> verses resonate off the temple walls and expand into the night air. In moments of quiet, I think about the day Shyam said he\'d been waiting for me, how he said his own guru had told him that one day, he would be bringing someone other than his sons to the path. I remember how Shyam said he had found the signs in my face the very first day we had met at the temple; signs telling him that I was the student to which his guru had referred. We finish our time together and he tells me the most important thing: \"Go! Go back to your home land, America, and spread Mother Worship!\"<br><br>\r\n\r\nUpon my return to the States, SHARANYA is born and my dedication to Kali Maa takes root with the formation of community on Western shores. The wisdom of the ocean is remembered and I am home.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n<strong>Chandra Alexandre</strong> is the founding director of SHARANYA. She received <i>namakarana samskara</i> and her first <em>diksha </em>from Shyam Sundar Dash (founder of the Maa Batakali Mandir in Puri; Bharadvaja gotra) in 1998. \r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Origin Story: Part II\" active=\"\"]<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Kamakhya Mandir\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/KamakhyaMandirWeb.jpg\" /></a><em>June 26, 2003</em><br><br>\r\n\r\n\"Babaji wants to see you.\"<br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> I’m walking barefoot down the muddy side of Nilachal Hill at Kamakhya in northeastern India after witnessing one of the most beautiful Sanskrit recitations I have ever heard. The white kurtas of the Brahmin men gathered in a circle around a sacred fire stand in marked contrast though to the throngs of red-clad women waiting in long lines to see their Mother. Both, I imagine, receive Her blessings. I am in northeastern India, in Assam, participating in an annual Tantrick pilgrimage to the seat of the goddess’ power, the place where her <i>yoni</i>, or sexual organ, resides on Earth.  It’s a powerful place, a place of contrasts where all come together, whether Vaishnava, Shaivite or Shakta, to honor Maa. It\'s a place, one might say, where all unites in Her name.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Babji, I learn, is a 400-year old Aghori. A believer in the preeminence of the divine as Shiva, pure consciousness, he is a practitioner of the non-dualistic or \"left-hand\" Tantric rites. In short, this means that he adheres to a rather literal interpretation of what other Tantrics might do symbolically in ritual and devotion on the path to enlightenment. He meditates, for example, not only on <i>yantras</i> (sacred diagrams), but on yantras in cremation grounds on top of corpses; he drinks wine and liquor; he smokes hash and takes in other natural mind-altering substances. He believes that the pathway to the divine is through the body, through this world, through all of creation. His accepts it all, the pure and impure, the wicked and sane, as sacred. He is a radical non-dualist—one who believes in the One as well as in the reality of the phenomenal world. His path is fast and furious, sweet and sublime, potentially off-putting at the same time that it attracts wonder, excitement, and awe.  He loves Maa. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> The three black-clad initiates standing outside his cave-like shelter on the hillside welcome me in. I meet Babji. He’s old but looks young, his face the only give-away that he’s been around the block a few times. His body, otherwise, is baby-like. He looks pregnant, a little round belly on a very thin frame. I sit cross-legged in front of him. To his left, the fire pit. To his right, a <i>kapala</i>, or human skull cup from which wine and other mind-altering substances are drunk, sits upturned. He calls me \"Beti,\" or daughter. Two followers of his are there; his initiates have left us alone. The woman wipes the snot dripping from Babaji\'s nose with a handkerchief and then moves to mop sweat from his forehead. No one, it appears, is immune to this sweltering summer heat. The Indian devotee next to her, perhaps her husband, has had far too much <i>bhang</i> (Cannabis) or something; his eyes have trouble steadying on me. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">My Sanskrit is better than my Hindi at this point. Fortunately, I can make out meaning from of the ritual language Babaji is using. The man helps a little, but his English is as poor as my Hindi. We quiet. Suddenly, Babaji grabs me. He pulls me to him with unsuspected strength. Face against face, I feel the bristles of his long beard against my cheek, and I feel coolness where the snot has been touching. I am startled, but now I’m held. I am held firmly, with apparent intention. The touch is not violent or inappropriate. The strength is deep and calming. I stay quiet and listen inside to my belly and instincts. Presence prevails, and I allow myself to trust the moment. Just then, Babaji begins. His mouth now pressed to my ear, he sounds an ancient mantra. My heart trembles, my eyes close, and I go inward. I surrender to these sounds, soaking in the ancient reverberations, feeling in them the voices of the lineage, the guttural utterances of vibrations across time and space. All enter my ear. All penetrate my soul.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> Moments pass and I eventually sit back upright in silence. One moment, then two. From deep inside, the sobbing begins. There’s no rational thought, no rhyme or reason, just the moment and my feeling of tremendous love and connection to all that is…I recognize a touch of <i>sat chit ananada</i>: being, consciousness, bliss. My forehead now on Babji\'s knee, he pats my head and strokes my hair. I sit back upright. Silence. One moment, then two. Babaji reaches to his left where a rusty knife about four inches long sits waiting. I follow his motion with my eyes. Instantly, I am terrified. I have visions of blood. Stop! One moment, then two. Stop! This time, it’s an admonition to remember. Allow yourself to be taken, it says. You’ve been here before; you know what\'s happening. It\'s safe. Breathe. </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Babaji lowers my head with his hand and takes a fist-full of hair from my crown. He pulls hard enough to undo strands from my braid. Close to the scalp he cuts with the knife. Old and well-used, it doesn’t cut very well.  He pulls harder to get through the thickness of my mane and it hurts for an instant. I deepen my surrender. He cuts. He finishes, and I sit back up. Dazed, with my awareness in another place, I still must know.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"What,\" I ask, “are you going to do with it?\"  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"A sacrifice,” he says, \"will be offered in the fire tonight.\" He holds up my hair.  </span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"> \"It’s an equal exchange,\" he says. \"The price you pay for being welcomed into the family.”</span><br><br>\r\n\r\n<em>By: Chandra Alexandre</em>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Founder\'s Biography\" active=\"\"]<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-99540 imgborder\" alt=\"Chandra Alexandre\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DSC_0731-e1378968031852.jpg\" /> Chandra Alexandre is a Tantric Bhairavi, an initiator in the tradition of Kali, serving SHARANYA as clergy. She is a householder and a regular pilgrim to the birthplace of Tantra in northeastern India, where she studies and practices with her teachers. Chandra was first initiated into the mysteries of the dark goddess in 1998 in Puri, Orissa on the dakshinacara path, and then, five years later, she accepted the non-dualistic path of vamacara Tantra at Kamakhya outside of Guwahati in Assam. Her maternal grandmother was her first guide into the ways of spirit in the world.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOn her initial return from India, Chandra founded SHARANYA to serve those committed to embodied and engaged spirituality for social justice and transformation. This was the birth of Sha’can, an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra contextualized and made relevant for people and lands distant from the source. Chandra and community complement San Francisco Bay Area worship, events and services with an online mystery school, Kali Vidya, to serve an international community of spiritual seekers and lovers of Maa.<br><br>\r\n\r\nChandra is known for her passionate engagement of theory and practice. She holds a PhD in Asian & Comparative Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies, a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wisdom University (formerly the University of Creation Spirituality), and an MBA in sustainable management from Presidio Graduate School. In addition to SHARANYA, she engages her commitment through several community-based nonprofit organizations working for educational equity, poverty alleviation and the empowerment of women and girls.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOriginally from New York, Chandra has, since 1995, called San Francisco home. She is a devoted wife and mother and also conjurer of <i>The Aghori Bakery: Everyday Spiritual Conversations</i> (forthcoming).[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<h5>Kali: Goddess of Social Justice</h5>\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSCN1214-e1381995966484.jpg\" alt=\"Kali Murti\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100719 imgborder\" /></a> \r\n<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n[thaudio href=\'http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Kali-Maa-Iconography.mp3\']Interview excerpt: <i>Chandra Alexandre</I> (Interviewed by Karen Tate) December 31, 2008[/thaudio]\r\n\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"origins\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Origins','','inherit','open','open','','99123-revision-v1','','','2013-10-17 22:52:43','2013-10-18 05:52:43','',99123,'Birthed in India over 15 years ago, SHARANYA exists to empower seeds of change on individual, collective, and planetary levels towards healing, respect, responsibility, and the fullest awareness of an interconnected, interrelated cosmic reality. Our origi',0,'revision','',0),(100763,2,'2013-10-18 12:11:02','2013-10-18 19:11:02','The Sha\'can tradition offers many opportunities for the neophyte as well as the initiate on the path to practice, worship, learn, deepen, and cultivate spiritual leadership. At SHARANYA, those seeking an understanding of and way into Sha\'can begin with sitting in circle, joining us regularly for puja, service and teaching circles. Those who receive initiation are welcomed into the Kaula, or family of initiates.<br><br>\r\n\r\nInitiation is a decision come to only after deep personal reflection, commitment, and dedicated work on the path. After initiation, many choose to further deepen study and practice in our ongoing circle of initiates, the Yogini Chakra. Many in our community stay in this circle, becoming mentors and elders in community. Others may choose to do the work necessary to take on a leadership role through Matrika Chakra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nFrom this place, it is also possible to continue the journey to ordination, working toward recognition as full clergy: the Rashani of Sha\'can. This path is available to any committed seeker.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]The Kaula, our spiritual family, is bonded by faith, commitment and devotion to Goddess Kali. Each year we welcome Sha\'can initiates new and old to ceremonies that solidify their practice and another year\'s work on the path. \r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><strong>Rededication</strong> of Initiates (there was no 10th Chakra initiation) took place on Saturday, August 10th (2013) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Balipriya, Bhaktashankari, Satya, Jayada, Haravallabha, Purnamanaha, Maya, Punyadeha, Gitapriya, Tivra, Vibhutihi, Shuddha, and Chinnamasta for their presence, devotion and open-hearted embrace of the Divine Mother.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Rededication</strong> of Initiates took place on Saturday, August 11th (2012) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Bhaktashankari, Pavini, Haravallabha, Satya, Jayada, Purnamanaha, Jaratura, Balipriya, Citra and Maya for their presence, devotion and open-hearted embrace of the Divine Mother.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Initiation</strong> of our 2011-12 circle (9th Chakra) took place on Friday, August 24th (2012) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Gitapriya, Tivra, Vibhutihi, Shuddha, and Chinnamasta for their presence, devotion and open-hearted embrace of the Divine Mother.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Rededication</strong> of Initiates (there was no 8th Chakra initiation) took place on Friday, September 9th (2011) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Purnamanaha, Bhaktashankari, Jayada, Balipriya, Jaratura, Satya, Mahesha and Haravallabha for their presence, devotion and open-hearted embrace of the Divine Mother.</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Initiation</strong> of our 2009-2010 circle (7th Chakra) took place on Friday, September 10th (2010) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Raktapa, Purnamanaha, Bhaktashankari, and Nitya, with thanks to community and all who have loved them and supported their work during the past year and a day!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Initiation</strong> of our 2008-2009 circle took place on Friday, September 11th (2009) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Mahesha, Haravallabha, Duti, Satya, and Citra, with thanks to community and all who have supported their work during the past year and a day!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Initiation</strong> of our 2007-2008 circle took place on Friday, September 5th (2008) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Jaratura, Jayada, Sanatani, Sarasvati, Anangarekha, and Balipriya, with thanks to community and all who have supported their work during the past year and a day!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Initiation</strong> of our 2006-2007 circle took place on Friday, September 7th (2007) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Asha and Kumarirupadharini, with thanks to community and all who have supported their work during the past year and a day!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Initiation</strong> of our 2005-2006 circle took place on Friday, September 1st (2006) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Shunyanivasini, Svadha, Kalabhairavi, Pavini, Durgatarini, Shreyasi, Ranapandita, and Maya, with thanks to community and all who have supported their work during the past year and a day!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Initiation</strong> of our 2004-2005 circle took place on Friday, September 2nd (2005) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Punyadeha, Shashini, Svayambhupuspapuspini, and Bhaktisukhini, with thanks to community and all who have supported their work during the past year and a day!</li>\r\n	<li><strong>Initiation</strong> of our 2003-2004 circle took place on Friday, August 26th (2004) at 8:00pm. Jai Maa! to Bhagavati, Karuna, Sundari, and Kumari, with thanks to our ancestors, guides and the lineage for the support and love during the past year and a day!</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n [one_third] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/the-path/commitment/\" title=\"Initiation\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SF-Oct-08-123-e1377932688317.jpg\" ]Learn more...[/teaser]  [/one_third]  \r\n [one_third last=last] [teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/the-path/ordination/\" title=\"Ordination\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_2076-e1377932258801.jpg\" ]Learn more...[/teaser] [/one_third] ','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-10-18 12:11:02','2013-10-18 19:11:02','',99140,'The Sha\'can tradition offers many opportunities for the neophyte as well as the initiate on the path to practice, worship, learn, deepen, and cultivate spiritual leadership. At SHARANYA, those seeking an understanding of and way into Sha\'can begin with si',0,'revision','',0),(100764,2,'2013-10-18 21:35:51','2013-10-19 04:35:51','<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/4MA_edited-1-e1382158120766.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/4MA_edited-1-e1382158120766.jpg\" alt=\"Red Hibiscus\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100768 imgborder\" /></a>I cannot recall the precise moment when I first encountered Kali Maa but She had been in my periphery for many years before being “formally” introduced to Her though SHARANYA. I have studied various forms of Hinduism throughout the years and She certainly came up but usually as a goddess to avoid.  Epithets such as “bloodthirsty” and “evil” were leveled at Her and I dutifully sidestepped Her. Then while I was studying Vedanta, I came across the story of Paramahansa Ramakrishna. I read with relish the account in which Ramakrishna, desperate to have Kali Maa reveal Herself to him, demanded that She do so immediately or else he would seize Her scimitar and cut off his own head.  I was instantly struck by the depth of his devotion, a love so great that he would be willing give up his life for a glimpse of Her. I knew that I had to learn more about this goddess that inspired such passion, such divine lunacy – I, too, wanted to be mad for God. However, as I became more familiar with the organization that grew up around Ramakrishna, I was disappointed to find that here, too, Kali Maa’s role was downplayed and my yearning for Her was discouraged.\r\n\r\nFast forward several years and Kali began to make appearances in my dreams and I found myself writing poetry about her. Yet, my attraction to Her at this point was largely intellectual, and not so much emotional or devotional. I tucked Her in a remote corner of my mind and basically forgot about Her until I stumbled across SHARANYA.\r\n\r\nAfter years of spiritual dissatisfaction and downright disillusionment, I decided to attend the Berkeley Pagan Festival in 2007, hoping to find some sort of connection. Failing to do so, I started to walk away when I glanced at a booth displaying Hindu icons. I remember thinking, “What are Hindus doing here?” Curious, I approached the booth and talked to two SHARANYA initiates and was invited to puja. After some deliberation, I went to puja with my guard up, defenses at the ready, and my skepticism on alert. I was bracing myself to be disappointed, so imagine my surprise when I burst into tears at some point in the ceremony and gave myself over to the love and acceptance that I felt from both Kali Maa and the community. Suddenly, I was stripped bare of my defenses and expectations, leaving me raw and vulnerable before Her. Ironically, I also felt deep contentment, joy, and a sense of homecoming. Cliché as it may sound, my life was truly transformed that evening.\r\n\r\nSince that fateful puja, I have taken that uprush of transformative energy and formalized my commitment to Her and to my community by accepting initiation. By using the tools that I have learned in SHARANYA such as mantra and pranayama, I have changed my life in a very practical manner by becoming more centered and aware.  And while I have a long way to go before my madness reaches divine proportions, I have found a solid foothold in SHARANYA as my heart soars towards Kali Maa. Jai Maa!\r\n<hr \\>\r\n<i>Offered by Balipriya, an Initiate and Elder in Matrika Chakra</i>\r\n','On the Path to Ordination','','publish','closed','open','','on-the-path-to-ordination','','','2013-10-18 22:00:16','2013-10-19 05:00:16','',0,'<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/4MA_edited-1-e1382158120766.jpg\"><img src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/4MA_edited-1-e1382158120766.jpg\" alt=\"Red Hibiscus\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100768 imgborder\" /><',0,'post','',0),(100765,2,'2013-10-18 21:34:41','2013-10-19 04:34:41','I cannot recall the precise moment when I first encountered Kali Maa but She has been in my periphery for many years before being “formally” introduced to Her though SHARANYA. I have studied various forms of Hinduism throughout the years and She certainly came up but usually as a goddess to avoid.  Epithets such as “bloodthirsty” and “evil” were leveled at Her and I dutifully sidestepped Her. Then while I was studying Vedanta, I came across the story of Paramahansa Ramakrishna. I read with relish the account in which Ramakrishna, desperate to have Kali Maa reveal Herself to him, demanded that She do so immediately or else he would seize Her scimitar and cut off his own head.  I was instantly struck by the depth of his devotion, a love so great that he would be willing give up his life for a glimpse of Her. I knew that I had to learn more about this goddess that inspired such passion, such divine lunacy – I, too, wanted to be mad for God. However, as I became more familiar with the organization that grew up around Ramakrishna, I was disappointed to find that here, too, Kali Maa’s role was downplayed and my yearning for Her was discouraged.\r\n\r\nFast forward several years and Kali began to make appearances in my dreams and I found myself writing poetry about her. Yet, my attraction to Her at this point was largely intellectual, and not so much emotional or devotional. I tucked Her in a remote corner of my mind and basically forgot about Her until I stumbled across SHARANYA.\r\n\r\nAfter years of spiritual dissatisfaction and downright disillusionment, I decided to attend the Berkeley Pagan Festival in 2007, hoping to find some sort of connection. Failing to do so, I started to walk away when I glanced at a booth displaying Hindu icons. I remember thinking, “What are Hindus doing here?” Curious, I approached the booth and talked to two SHARANYA initiates and was invited to puja. After some deliberation, I went to puja with my guard up, defenses at the ready, and my skepticism on alert. I was bracing myself to be disappointed, so imagine my surprise when I burst into tears at some point in the ceremony and gave myself over to the love and acceptance that I felt from both Kali Maa and the community. Suddenly, I was stripped bare of my defenses and expectations, leaving me raw and vulnerable before Her. Ironically, I also felt deep contentment, joy, and a sense of homecoming. Cliché as it may sound, my life was truly transformed that evening.\r\n\r\nSince that fateful puja, I have taken that uprush of transformative energy and formalized my commitment to Her and to my community by accepting initiation. By using the tools that I have learned in SHARANYA such as mantra and pranayama, I have changed my life in a very practical manner by becoming more centered and aware.  And while I have a long way to go before my madness reaches divine proportions, I have found a solid foothold in SHARANYA as my heart soars towards Kali Maa. Jai Maa!\r\n<hr \\>\r\n<i>Offered by Balipriya, an Initiate and Elder in Matrika Chakra</i>\r\n','On the Path to Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','100764-revision-v1','','','2013-10-18 21:34:41','2013-10-19 04:34:41','',100764,'I cannot recall the precise moment when I first encountered Kali Maa but She has been in my periphery for many years before being “formally” introduced to Her though SHARANYA. I have studied various forms of Hinduism throughout the years and She certainly',0,'revision','',0),(100767,2,'2013-10-18 21:46:56','2013-10-19 04:46:56','\r\n\r\n[blog category=\"37\" perpage=\"1\" pagination=\"\" ]\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" alt=\"Apprentice\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" />After a minimum of two and a half years, those whose inclination takes them to seek ordination are required to submit application for Apprenticeship.  Apprentices work under the direct supervision of a Rashani (the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can), with responsibility for ministerial activities (including community outreach and support, liturgical enhancements as permitted, and ritual preparation and assistance), as well as service within the structure of initiation and ordination, and dedication to the service project of one\'s choice; among other things.\r\n\r\nApplication for Apprenticeship is made to committee, with a request for supervision by particular clergy possible. If no request is made, then the successful applicant will be assigned to the Rashani deemed most suitable to fulfilling their needs as expressed in the application essay. Revoked applications may be resubmitted after a waiting period of at least six months, within no more than a year from the original application date.\r\n\r\nApplications must include the following:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The applicant\'s religious curriculum vitae detailing work within the tradition and length of service under each degree held</li>\r\n	<li>Statement of Intent to Ordain</li>\r\n	<li>An essay describing the applicant\'s vision of their ministerial work in the world (not to exceed 2,500 words)</li>\r\n	<li>Certificate of Completion</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by a Matrika Chakra committee member</li>\r\n	<li>A letter of recommendation by someone outside the tradition who knows the applicant well</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nAdditional material may be provided or requested by the reviewing committee. A survey regarding the applicant\'s spiritual leadership abilities and work to date will be made to community by the applicant. Responses will be received and synthesized by the responsible Rashani and offered to the applicant. A response to the feedback is required within no more than three (3) weeks. Acceptance as an Apprentice by committee then requires the successful applicant to undergo the Claiming Ceremony, in which they avow to uphold the Creed of Kali. The ceremony is facilitated in two parts, on separate occasions usually within three (3) months of one another. This provides time for a deepening of personal work and reflection on the process. Service as an Apprentice is for one year without exception, making the minimum time before ordination three and a half years. The entire application process for approval as Apprentice is at least six (6) months and can take longer.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n[tab title=\"Rashani\"]\r\n\r\nRashani is the title of ordained clergy within Sha\'can. A Rashani is a fully-fledged minister of the faith, with the power to initiate community members, perform rites of passage, solemnize life event ceremonies, certify as meeting required criteria all articles for submission and possible addition to the Twilight Book of Ritual and Prayer pending Liturgical Oversight Committee review and approval, serve as officiant at all rites and rituals, perform puja ceremonies, participate on ordination committees, and otherwise carry out the religious function of SHARANYA.\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"Maa Batakali\" src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/ordination_kali.gif\" width=\"222\" height=\"383\" align=\"left\" /> Additionally, a Rashani may participate in the activities of the Inner Council, serving on committees related to the administrative functioning of the corporation, and may be nominated for membership within the Inner Council.  A Rashani is expected to promote fully the aims and objectives of MBCM, including but not limited to service and community work, spiritual and educational projects, and the overall growth of community.\r\n\r\nTo be ordained, an Apprentice must satisfy the time and commitment requirements of that position, acting in good faith as a spiritual leader commensurate with the expectations of SHARANYA\'s Inner Council, Ordination Committee, and other ordained clergy. Petition for Ordination after these requirements are met is made by the supervising Rashani to the Ordination Committee. After review of the applicant\'s file, an interview is set up for the candidate to elaborate upon their experience and expectations, summarize qualifications, and otherwise support the petition made on their behalf. Approval of the Ordination Committee means that the applicant is considered Advanced to Ordination, which sets in motion the process for final conferral of the title of Rashani.\r\n\r\nFinal conferral is made in a ceremony at which the individual advanced to Ordination takes the Oath of Spiritual Service. After this ceremony, the individual conferred is an equal having the same status, responsibilities, and powers as any other Rashani ordained within the Sha\'can tradition.\r\n\r\n[/tab]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Summary\"]\r\n\r\nThe minimum time commitment for ordination is three and a half years, but will usually be longer. Applicants should expect at least a four year commitment. Ordination is a formal and public commitment to the path and to the community. It is never undertaken lightly. Here is a summary of the entire process:\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100736 imgborder\" alt=\"Kali Yantra\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0172-e1382072557502.jpg\" /></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Sitting in Circle and Initiation: 1 year</ul>\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Yogini Chakra: 1 year</ul>\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Matrika Chakra: 1 year</ul>\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Apprentice &amp; Ordination: 1 year\r\n</ul>\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n','Ordination','','inherit','open','open','','99147-revision-v1','','','2013-10-18 21:46:56','2013-10-19 04:46:56','',99147,'\r\n\r\n[blog category=\"37\" perpage=\"1\" pagination=\"\" ]\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Apprentice\"]\r\n\r\n<img class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-100734 imgborder\" alt=\"Apprentice\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DSC_0248-e1382072134191.jpg\" />A',0,'revision','',0),(100768,2,'2013-10-18 21:48:17','2013-10-19 04:48:17','','Red Hibiscus','','inherit','open','open','','4ma_edited-1','','','2013-10-18 21:48:17','2013-10-19 04:48:17','',100764,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),