(99754,2,'2013-08-22 23:17:24','2013-08-23 06:17:24','In the sacred texts of Tantra, we learn of Her expression of virtues. She is Divine Mother, and we honor Her as such. Yet, it is also true that sexuality, the fecundity of menstrual blood, the wild and untamable nature of reality, and all things antinomian come together in Her, expanding our notion of the Divine. Through Her, Dark Goddess, we see the potential for liberation because Devi is able, as dictated in the scriptures and by the lineage of the ancients, to lead aspirants to the highest and most engaged reality.\r\n\r\nWe welcome you to worship, meditate, attend classes (either in person or online) and participate in other events such as our purnima and amavasya satsangs at our sanctuary to learn more about and come to directly experience Her mysteries.\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Class offerings\"]\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Ritual Practices of Shakta Tantra</b> - This three-part course is an introduction to worship and devotion of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess of Hinduism, the all-pervading Shakti, and Kali Maa, Dark Mother, the Supreme Goddess of Shakta Tantra. Participants will learn the context and content of worship in the living goddess tradition of Western Shakta Tantra called Sha\'can. Puja basics, including how to honor Devi (Goddess) Kali at home, will be taught. This offering may be particularly rewarding if you are considering training with us, are looking to incorporate Kali worship or worship of other forms of the Divine Mother from the Hindu tradition into your existing spiritual path, or are seeking a fuller experience with your dedicated worship in community.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tools for Transformation</b> - This lecture and practice workshop series is focused on Yogic and Tantrick tools for transformation. All offerings include both educational and immediately useful, hands-on components; and all are set within a framework that recognizes a great spiritual truth: the personal is the planetary. Our work and commitment through each event is to broaden and deepen your experience of how changing yourself means changing the world. Sample workshops have included:</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ol>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><b>The Path of the Yoni: Tantrik Tools for Acceptance and Empowerment.</b> Let\'s discuss, celebrate and explore reverence for women\'s sexuality; viewing our bodies in a healthy way; the Tantric traditions of Kamakhya; and together dispel myths about tantric sex while unearthing the power of our yoni.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantra &amp; The Shamanic Path.</b> Learn and begin working with concepts of incarnation, personal responsibility and liberation; exercises such as recapitulation, stalking awareness, dreaming, and gratitudes introduced.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantra &amp; The Power of Spellcraft. </b>Delve more deeply into the history of what has birthed some of today\'s Indo-Pagan traditions; learn about initiations, spellwork, and the basics of the Western Craft (casting a circle, elements and directions, grounding and centering, etc.) relative to Tantrick practices; open to notions of what it means to hold responsibility and integrity in the practice of magick.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantrik Awakening.</b> Discover the powerful techniques of <i>pranayama</i> (breathwork) and <i>nyasa</i> (placement); explore Bhakti Yoga (the path of surrender to the Divine through devotion); and learn the fundamentals of Kundalini within a Shakta Tantrick <i>marga</i> (pathway).</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n</ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Gods and Goddesses of India Series</b> - Offering an introduction to the Western practitioner who seeks to know Hindu deities more concretely and practically, this series has three parts:</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ol>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Goddesses of India - An introduction to the most commonly seen goddesses in India; Durga, Parvati, Kali, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Lalita.</li>\r\n	<li>Gods of India - An introduction to the most commonly seen gods of India; Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Ganesha, Krishna, Rama, Agni.</li>\r\n	<li>Goddesses of Tantra - An introduction to the Dasa Mahavidya and others of the Tantric persuasion</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n</ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Fierce Mothers: Tantrik Goddesses of Self-sacrifice</b> - This workshop opens doorways to the <em>raudra</em> (fierce) goddesses of India, including Camunda, Chinnamasta, Bagalamukhi, and several other of the Mahavidyas. This is a path to embracing feminine power and self-acceptance through Divine love and inspiration.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]','Satsangs & Classes','','inherit','open','open','','99138-revision-v1','','','2013-08-22 23:17:24','2013-08-23 06:17:24','',99138,'In the sacred texts of Tantra, we learn of Her expression of virtues. She is Divine Mother, and we honor Her as such. Yet, it is also true that sexuality, the fecundity of menstrual blood, the wild and untamable nature of reality, and all things antinomia',0,'revision','',0),(99755,2,'2013-08-22 23:18:02','2013-08-23 06:18:02','In the sacred texts of Tantra, we learn of Her expression of virtues. She is Divine Mother, and we honor Her as such. Yet, it is also true that sexuality, the fecundity of menstrual blood, the wild and untamable nature of reality, and all things antinomian come together in Her, expanding our notion of the Divine. Through Her, Dark Goddess, we see the potential for liberation because Devi is able, as dictated in the scriptures and by the lineage of the ancients, to lead aspirants to the highest and most engaged reality.\r\n\r\nWe welcome you to worship, meditate, attend classes (either in person or online through <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\" target=\"_blank\">Kali Vidya</a>) and participate in other events such as our purnima and amavasya satsangs at our sanctuary to learn more about and come to directly experience Her mysteries.\r\n\r\n[tabgroup]\r\n[tab title=\"Class offerings\"]\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Ritual Practices of Shakta Tantra</b> - This three-part course is an introduction to worship and devotion of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess of Hinduism, the all-pervading Shakti, and Kali Maa, Dark Mother, the Supreme Goddess of Shakta Tantra. Participants will learn the context and content of worship in the living goddess tradition of Western Shakta Tantra called Sha\'can. Puja basics, including how to honor Devi (Goddess) Kali at home, will be taught. This offering may be particularly rewarding if you are considering training with us, are looking to incorporate Kali worship or worship of other forms of the Divine Mother from the Hindu tradition into your existing spiritual path, or are seeking a fuller experience with your dedicated worship in community.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tools for Transformation</b> - This lecture and practice workshop series is focused on Yogic and Tantrick tools for transformation. All offerings include both educational and immediately useful, hands-on components; and all are set within a framework that recognizes a great spiritual truth: the personal is the planetary. Our work and commitment through each event is to broaden and deepen your experience of how changing yourself means changing the world. Sample workshops have included:</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ol>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><b>The Path of the Yoni: Tantrik Tools for Acceptance and Empowerment.</b> Let\'s discuss, celebrate and explore reverence for women\'s sexuality; viewing our bodies in a healthy way; the Tantric traditions of Kamakhya; and together dispel myths about tantric sex while unearthing the power of our yoni.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantra &amp; The Shamanic Path.</b> Learn and begin working with concepts of incarnation, personal responsibility and liberation; exercises such as recapitulation, stalking awareness, dreaming, and gratitudes introduced.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantra &amp; The Power of Spellcraft. </b>Delve more deeply into the history of what has birthed some of today\'s Indo-Pagan traditions; learn about initiations, spellwork, and the basics of the Western Craft (casting a circle, elements and directions, grounding and centering, etc.) relative to Tantrick practices; open to notions of what it means to hold responsibility and integrity in the practice of magick.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantrik Awakening.</b> Discover the powerful techniques of <i>pranayama</i> (breathwork) and <i>nyasa</i> (placement); explore Bhakti Yoga (the path of surrender to the Divine through devotion); and learn the fundamentals of Kundalini within a Shakta Tantrick <i>marga</i> (pathway).</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n</ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Gods and Goddesses of India Series</b> - Offering an introduction to the Western practitioner who seeks to know Hindu deities more concretely and practically, this series has three parts:</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ol>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Goddesses of India - An introduction to the most commonly seen goddesses in India; Durga, Parvati, Kali, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Lalita.</li>\r\n	<li>Gods of India - An introduction to the most commonly seen gods of India; Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Ganesha, Krishna, Rama, Agni.</li>\r\n	<li>Goddesses of Tantra - An introduction to the Dasa Mahavidya and others of the Tantric persuasion</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n</ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Fierce Mothers: Tantrik Goddesses of Self-sacrifice</b> - This workshop opens doorways to the <em>raudra</em> (fierce) goddesses of India, including Camunda, Chinnamasta, Bagalamukhi, and several other of the Mahavidyas. This is a path to embracing feminine power and self-acceptance through Divine love and inspiration.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/tab]\r\n[/tabgroup]','Satsangs & Classes','','inherit','open','open','','99138-revision-v1','','','2013-08-22 23:18:02','2013-08-23 06:18:02','',99138,'In the sacred texts of Tantra, we learn of Her expression of virtues. She is Divine Mother, and we honor Her as such. Yet, it is also true that sexuality, the fecundity of menstrual blood, the wild and untamable nature of reality, and all things antinomia',0,'revision','',0),(99756,2,'2013-08-22 23:20:53','2013-08-23 06:20:53','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, but none as formal as our initiation and ordination process. <span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">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, however, we welcome you to familiarize yourself with this document and our temple, to ask questions of our community members and/or initiates and ministry, and after all, to determine what the best path for you will be.  </span>\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. <span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Please note that outlined here is a path of commitment and dedication. For religious governance purposes, SHARANYA runs by consensus among clergy, and we otherwise seek to maintain a relatively flat organizational structure in order to promote fresh ideas and open avenues of communication among all members, initiates and clergy.</span>\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.  The 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;','Commitment','','inherit','open','open','','99145-revision-v1','','','2013-08-22 23:20:53','2013-08-23 06:20:53','',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, but none as formal as our initiation and ordination process. <span style=\"font-family: arial, helve',0,'revision','',0),(99757,2,'2013-08-22 23:28:32','2013-08-23 06:28:32','<b>Brahmani</b>, you of the Great Revelation, we bow to you. Dressed in yellow of the newest day, you who make your enemies inert with the blessed water from your womblike pot, tonight make us inert in wonderment, open to receive your boons and blessings. Let us count with you upon your <em>akshamala</em> (rosary) the names of love and compassion that you have manifested upon this earth. In our minds and hearts, we hold with you all the beings and spirits who have touched us through your golden visage, golden grace. We call upon you to be with us, bringing your red lotus seat to fire our imaginations, and your swan companion to grant us the wisdom of ages.<i> </i>','Brahmani','','publish','closed','closed','','brahmani','','','2013-08-22 23:29:39','2013-08-23 06:29:39','',0,'<b>Brahmani</b>, you of the Great Revelation, we bow to you. Dressed in yellow of the newest day, you who make your enemies inert with the blessed water from your womblike pot, tonight make us inert in wonderment, open to receive your boons and blessings.',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99758,2,'2013-08-22 23:29:16','2013-08-23 06:29:16','<b>Maheshvari</b>, woman of the bull, carrier of the trident, and seer of the moon, we honor you as manifest courage, strength and guided, transformational rage. You who are colored white, remind us of our pure potential. You who are four-handed, bring us the knowings of the four directions, the bounty of the earth, air, fire and water. You who have five faces, each with three eyes, see with us into the past, present and future; hold us in your gaze as we venture in our individual and collective quest for wholeness, righteousness, and sublime adoration of truth and beauty. You who in name manifests the supreme power located in the heart that unites all opposites, we bow to you.','Maheshvari','','publish','closed','closed','','maheshvari','','','2013-08-22 23:29:16','2013-08-23 06:29:16','',0,'<b>Maheshvari</b>, woman of the bull, carrier of the trident, and seer of the moon, we honor you as manifest courage, strength and guided, transformational rage. You who are colored white, remind us of our pure potential. You who are four-handed, bring us',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99759,2,'2013-08-22 23:30:08','2013-08-23 06:30:08','<b>Kaumari</b>, goddess of the springtime, of the melting snow and birthing doe; you who are six-faced, come to us with your news of foreign lands, discoveries, reverie, and insight. Hold us in your sight as we enter into the dreamtime of ritual, seeking to commune with all those who have birthed innocence and peace. You whose memory is first in the minds of ancients, come to us bringing the many-colored eyes of your peacock to help us understand. Lend us your spear so that we may pierce the veil of ignorance. From your four hands, give us the gifts of perseverance, humility, passion and desire; and accept our offerings this evening of honesty, devotion, reverence, and respect. To you who resides under the fig tree, She who is ever strong, we bow.','Kaumari','','publish','closed','closed','','kaumari','','','2013-08-22 23:30:08','2013-08-23 06:30:08','',0,'<b>Kaumari</b>, goddess of the springtime, of the melting snow and birthing doe; you who are six-faced, come to us with your news of foreign lands, discoveries, reverie, and insight. Hold us in your sight as we enter into the dreamtime of ritual, seeking ',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99760,2,'2013-08-22 23:30:50','2013-08-23 06:30:50','<b>Vaishnavi</b>, we call to you. She who rides a Garuda to the crest of the waves and the valleys of grief, She whose beautiful visage marks enlightenment, be with us now. Honor us with the long-sighted goal of your cakra thrown in the name of unity and common purpose. Bring us the power of your club, bow, and sword to deter our egos and false illusions. Sound for us your conch shell so that we may hear the resonance of perspectives garnered from about the globe in support of sustainability, nurturance, mindfulness and peace. To you who comes to us in the colors of dawning preservation, we bow.','Vaishnavi','','publish','closed','closed','','vaishnavi','','','2013-08-22 23:30:50','2013-08-23 06:30:50','',0,'<b>Vaishnavi</b>, we call to you. She who rides a Garuda to the crest of the waves and the valleys of grief, She whose beautiful visage marks enlightenment, be with us now. Honor us with the long-sighted goal of your cakra thrown in the name of unity and ',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99761,2,'2013-08-22 23:31:33','2013-08-23 06:31:33','<b>Varahi</b>, goddess with the head of a boar, we beseech you to let us ride with you upon your elephant tonight. Let us ride with you in your search for reason, in your quest for the ultimate sacrifice, in your march towards responsibility and justice. You who are adorned with ornaments made of coral, bring to us your knowledge of the sea, that primordial ocean of bliss from which you come, that reservoir of infinite love, that place of belly-wrenching righteousness and surreal splendor. You who represent the color of clouds before illumination, you who kill the enemies of freedom, you who devour darkness, be with us now.','Varahi','','publish','closed','closed','','varahi','','','2013-08-22 23:31:47','2013-08-23 06:31:47','',0,'<b>Varahi</b>, goddess with the head of a boar, we beseech you to let us ride with you upon your elephant tonight. Let us ride with you in your search for reason, in your quest for the ultimate sacrifice, in your march towards responsibility and justice. ',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99762,2,'2013-08-22 23:32:55','2013-08-23 06:32:55','<b>Chamunda</b>, goddess of all reckoning, you who inspire fear with a glance, you who licks the wounds of <em>asuras</em> (demons) as you laugh and trample them to death, come to us drunk on the blood of life, inebriated on the wings of hope. Your skeleton red reminds us of our origins in Mama\'s darkness as your <em>digambari</em> (garbed in space; sky-clad) pleasure makes us tell the need for nothingness. Garbed in space, your hair aflame in a cobra tiara, you dance on cremation grounds and bring joy to despair, laughter to sorrow, mirth to uneasy embarrassment. Holding your <em>kapala</em> (skull cup) full of your enemies’ blood, you choose life at every juncture and will us to do the same. Divine mother of might who rides the owl of death, the corpse of ultimate transformation, be with us now.','Chamunda','','publish','closed','closed','','chamunda','','','2013-08-22 23:33:04','2013-08-23 06:33:04','',0,'<b>Chamunda</b>, goddess of all reckoning, you who inspire fear with a glance, you who licks the wounds of <em>asuras</em> (demons) as you laugh and trample them to death, come to us drunk on the blood of life, inebriated on the wings of hope. Your skelet',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99763,2,'2013-08-22 23:33:35','2013-08-23 06:33:35','<b>Aindri</b>, She whose four arms and thousand eyes radiate from a golden visage, open us to the expanse of richness that lies within. Holding your thunderbolt, you are a flash of cosmic power; please lend us your insight. With spear and club in your hands you conquer ill-will and pierce the walls of deceit. Let us, oh goddess, do the same.','Aindri','','publish','closed','closed','','aindri','','','2013-08-22 23:33:35','2013-08-23 06:33:35','',0,'<b>Aindri</b>, She whose four arms and thousand eyes radiate from a golden visage, open us to the expanse of richness that lies within. Holding your thunderbolt, you are a flash of cosmic power; please lend us your insight. With spear and club in your han',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99764,2,'2013-08-22 23:34:10','2013-08-23 06:34:10','<b>Mahalakshmi</b>, wisdom keeper and guardian of secrets, be among us. From your reserves of kindness, fill us a basket of daring, of yearning, of helpfulness, and of home-spaces filled with sweetness. Come to us radiant to remind us each of our own gifts and gratitudes, of our own capacity and caring. You who are gifted in making dreams reality, we ask for your benediction, your blessings and your boons in our troubled times.','Mahalakshmi','','publish','closed','closed','','mahalakshmi','','','2013-08-22 23:34:10','2013-08-23 06:34:10','',0,'<b>Mahalakshmi</b>, wisdom keeper and guardian of secrets, be among us. From your reserves of kindness, fill us a basket of daring, of yearning, of helpfulness, and of home-spaces filled with sweetness. Come to us radiant to remind us each of our own gift',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99765,2,'2013-08-22 23:35:09','2013-08-23 06:35:09','[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','','','2013-08-22 23:35:09','2013-08-23 06:35:09','',99117,'[blog category=\"7\" perpage=\"3\" pagination=\"\" ]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"matrikas\" time=\"10\" randomize=\"on\" effect=\"fade\" ]',0,'revision','',0),(99766,2,'2013-08-22 23:50:38','2013-08-23 06:50:38','<p>\r\n<center><font size=+1>&#2309;&#2351;&#2306; &#2344;&#2367;&#2332;&#2307; &#2346;&#2352;&#2379; &#2357;&#2375;&#2340;&#2367; &#2327;&#2339;&#2344;&#2366; &#2354;&#2328;&#2369;&#2330;&#2375;&#2340;&#2360;&#2366;&#2350;&#2381; &#2404;<br>\r\n&#2313;&#2342;&#2366;&#2352;&#2330;&#2352;&#2367; &#2340;&#2366;&#2344;&#2366;&#2306; &#2340;&#2369; &#2357;&#2360;&#2369;&#2343;&#2376;&#2357; &#2325;&#2369;&#2340;&#2369;&#2350;&#2381;&#2348;&#2325;&#2350;&#2381; &#2405;\r\n</font>\r\n<p>\r\n\r\nayam&#803 nijah&#803 paro veti gan&#803an&#257 laghucetas&#257m |<br>\r\n    ud&#257racarit&#257n&#257m&#803 tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam ||<br><br>\r\n \r\n<i>It is the calculation of those of small minds to think that someone<br> is either \'one of us or one of them.\' But for those of generous heart<br>all the world is their family.</i></center><br>\r\n','Ayam nijaha ','','publish','closed','closed','','99766','','','2013-08-23 00:02:52','2013-08-23 07:02:52','',0,'<p>\r\n<center><font size=+1>&#2309;&#2351;&#2306; &#2344;&#2367;&#2332;&#2307; &#2346;&#2352;&#2379; &#2357;&#2375;&#2340;&#2367; &#2327;&#2339;&#2344;&#2366; &#2354;&#2328;&#2369;&#2330;&#2375;&#2340;&#2360;&#2366;&#2350;&#2381; &#2404;<br>\r\n&#2313;&#2342',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99767,2,'2013-08-23 00:00:44','2013-08-23 07:00:44','<p>\n<center><font size=+1>&#2309;&#2351;&#2306; &#2344;&#2367;&#2332;&#2307; &#2346;&#2352;&#2379; &#2357;&#2375;&#2340;&#2367; &#2327;&#2339;&#2344;&#2366; &#2354;&#2328;&#2369;&#2330;&#2375;&#2340;&#2360;&#2366;&#2350;&#2381; &#2404;<br>\n&#2313;&#2342;&#2366;&#2352;&#2330;&#2352;&#2367; &#2340;&#2366;&#2344;&#2366;&#2306; &#2340;&#2369; &#2357;&#2360;&#2369;&#2343;&#2376;&#2357; &#2325;&#2369;&#2340;&#2369;&#2350;&#2381;&#2348;&#2325;&#2350;&#2381; &#2405;\n</font>\n<p>\n\nayam&#803 nijah&#803 paro veti gan&#803an&#257 laghucetas&#257m |<br>\n    ud&#257racarit&#257n&#257m&#803 tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam ||<br><br>\n \n<i>It is the calculation of those of small minds to think that someone<br> is either \'one of us or one of them.\' But for those of generous heart<br>all the world is their family.</i></center><br>\n','Ayam nijaha ','','inherit','open','open','','99766-autosave-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:00:44','2013-08-23 07:00:44','',99766,'<p>\n<center><font size=+1>&#2309;&#2351;&#2306; &#2344;&#2367;&#2332;&#2307; &#2346;&#2352;&#2379; &#2357;&#2375;&#2340;&#2367; &#2327;&#2339;&#2344;&#2366; &#2354;&#2328;&#2369;&#2330;&#2375;&#2340;&#2360;&#2366;&#2350;&#2381; &#2404;<br>\n&#2313;&#2342;&',0,'revision','',0),(99768,2,'2013-08-22 23:53:49','2013-08-23 06:53:49','[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Comments?\"]\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\r\n[/tab][tab title=\"Info\"]270 Upland Drive\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94127\r\nTel: (415) 505-6840\r\nEmail: <a title=\"Inquiry\" href=\"mailto:info@sharanya.org\" target=\"_blank\">info@sharanya.org</a>\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','','','2013-08-22 23:53:49','2013-08-23 06:53:49','',99158,'[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Comments?\"]\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\"',0,'revision','',0),(99769,2,'2013-08-23 00:04:37','2013-08-23 07:04:37','<p>\r\n\r\n<center>k&#257;m&#257;khy&#257;m&#803 k&#257;masampan&#257;m&#803 k&#257;mesvar&#299;m&#803 harapriy&#257;m&#803 |<br>\r\nk&#257;man&#257;m&#803 dehi me nityam&#803 k&#257;mesvar&#299; namo-stute ||<br>\r\n</center>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<I>As we offer our prayer, we recognize that this sacred land of spiritual upliftment, the abode of Sr&#299; Sr&#299; K&#257;m&#257;khy&#257;, is a land offering connection to what resides both here and beyond. When the rest of the world is agog with material pleasure, the life that is present in Her abode seems to be the summum bonum of humanity\'s yearning; we come to Her and drink the pleasure of life, taking back with us to ordinary reality the deepest wisdoms.</I> - Rajib Sharma\r\n\r\n','Devi Kamakhya Pranam Mantra','','publish','closed','closed','','devi-kamakhya-pranam-mantra','','','2013-08-23 00:23:10','2013-08-23 07:23:10','',0,'<p>\r\n\r\n<center>k&#257;m&#257;khy&#257;m&#803 k&#257;masampan&#257;m&#803 k&#257;mesvar&#299;m&#803 harapriy&#257;m&#803 |<br>\r\nk&#257;man&#257;m&#803 dehi me nityam&#803 k&#257;mesvar&#299; namo-stute ||<br>\r\n</center>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<I>As we offer our prayer,',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99770,2,'2013-08-23 00:20:34','2013-08-23 07:20:34','<p>\n\n<center>k&#257;m&#257;khy&#257;m&#803 k&#257;masampan&#257;m&#803 k&#257;mesvar&#299;m&#803 harapriy&#257;m&#803 |<br>\nk&#257;man&#257;m&#803 dehi me nityam&#803 k&#257;mesvar&#299; namo-stute ||<br>\n</center>\n\n<p>\n\n<I>As we offer our prayer, we recognize that this sacred land of spiritual upliftment, the abode of Sr&#299; Sr&#299; K&#257;m&#257;khy&#257;, is a land offering connection to what resides both here and beyond. When the rest of the world is agog with material pleasure, the life that is present in Her abode seems to be the summum bonum of humanity\'s yearning; we come to Her and drink the pleasure of life, taking back with us to ordinary reality the deepest wisdoms.</I> - Rajib Sharma\n\n','Devi Kamakhya Pranam Mantra','','inherit','open','open','','99769-autosave-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:20:34','2013-08-23 07:20:34','',99769,'<p>\n\n<center>k&#257;m&#257;khy&#257;m&#803 k&#257;masampan&#257;m&#803 k&#257;mesvar&#299;m&#803 harapriy&#257;m&#803 |<br>\nk&#257;man&#257;m&#803 dehi me nityam&#803 k&#257;mesvar&#299; namo-stute ||<br>\n</center>\n\n<p>\n\n<I>As we offer our prayer, we reco',0,'revision','',0),(99771,2,'2013-08-23 00:17:44','2013-08-23 07:17:44','<center>y&#257; k&#257;l&#299; param&#257; vidy&#257; brahmarup&#257; san&#257;tan&#299; |<br>\r\nk&#257;m&#257;khy&#257; saiba deve&#347;i sarvasiddhivinodin&#299; ||<br>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<i>You, Kali, Ultimate Mother, the one who is the form of the Absolute Eternal;<br>\r\nKamakhya, Goddess of Desire, in you reside all powers.</i></center>\r\n','Prayer to Kali and Kamakhya','','publish','closed','closed','','99771','','','2013-08-23 00:24:59','2013-08-23 07:24:59','',0,'<center>y&#257; k&#257;l&#299; param&#257; vidy&#257; brahmarup&#257; san&#257;tan&#299; |<br>\r\nk&#257;m&#257;khy&#257; saiba deve&#347;i sarvasiddhivinodin&#299; ||<br>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<i>You, Kali, Ultimate Mother, the one who is the form of the Absolute Eter',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99772,2,'2013-08-23 00:24:49','2013-08-23 07:24:49','<center>y&#257; k&#257;l&#299; param&#257; vidy&#257; brahmarup&#257; san&#257;tan&#299; |<br>\nk&#257;m&#257;khy&#257; saiba deve&#347;i sarvasiddhivinodin&#299; ||<br>\n\n<p>\n\n<i>You, Kali, Ultimate Mother, the one who is the form of the Absolute Eternal;<br>\nKamakhya, Goddess of Desire, in you reside all powers.</i></center>\n','Prayer to Kali','','inherit','open','open','','99771-autosave-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:24:49','2013-08-23 07:24:49','',99771,'<center>y&#257; k&#257;l&#299; param&#257; vidy&#257; brahmarup&#257; san&#257;tan&#299; |<br>\nk&#257;m&#257;khy&#257; saiba deve&#347;i sarvasiddhivinodin&#299; ||<br>\n\n<p>\n\n<i>You, Kali, Ultimate Mother, the one who is the form of the Absolute Eternal;<',0,'revision','',0),(99773,2,'2013-08-23 00:26:36','2013-08-23 07:26:36','Hinduism is a source of inspiration in myriad Western spiritual communities, with practitioners offering devotions to Hindu deities on their home altars as readily as they supplicate resurrected and reconstructed divinities from other pantheons. Combine this trend with a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and a growing Indian-American population that has Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we witness the birthing of new, culturally relevant and accessible Hinduisms.','New Hinduisms','','publish','closed','closed','','new-hinduisms','','','2013-10-18 22:59:31','2013-10-19 05:59:31','',0,'Hinduism is a source of inspiration in myriad Western spiritual communities, with practitioners offering devotions to Hindu deities on their home altars as readily as they supplicate resurrected and reconstructed divinities from other pantheons. Combine t',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99774,2,'2013-08-23 00:34:18','2013-08-23 07:34:18','Shakta Tantra is a belief system whose cosmology reveres the immanence of spirit and in turn provides ritualized as well as lived practices in which the body acts as, and becomes substance for, the Divine. Shakta traditions consider Female/Feminine energy to be fundamental and activating—the source of all creation without which the gods and humanity would perish. ','Shakta Tantra','','publish','closed','closed','','shakta-tantra','','','2013-08-25 16:03:49','2013-08-25 23:03:49','',0,'Shakta Tantra is a belief system whose cosmology reveres the immanence of spirit and in turn provides ritualized as well as lived practices in which the body acts as, and becomes substance for, the Divine. Shakta traditions consider Female/Feminine energy',0,'th_testimonials','',0),(99775,2,'2013-08-23 00:43:04','2013-08-23 07:43:04','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe 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.\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.\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.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]Today, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sha.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft\" title=\"Sha\'can Puja Offerings\" alt=\"Sha\'can Puja Offerings\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sha.jpg\" width=\"215\" height=\"166\" /></a> by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <em>sadhana</em> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences.[2]  It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.\r\n<div>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.  <a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.\r\n\r\n</div>\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:43:04','2013-08-23 07:43:04','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe 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 understan',0,'revision','',0),(99776,2,'2013-08-23 00:46:36','2013-08-23 07:46:36','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]Today, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sha.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft\" title=\"Sha\'can Puja Offerings\" alt=\"Sha\'can Puja Offerings\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sha.jpg\" width=\"215\" height=\"166\" /></a> by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <em>sadhana</em> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences.[2]  It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.  <a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a><br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre\r\nOriginally published in <I><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></I>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:46:36','2013-08-23 07:46:36','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 under',0,'revision','',0),(99777,2,'2013-08-23 00:46:59','2013-08-23 07:46:59','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]Today, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sha.jpg\"><img class=\"alignleft\" title=\"Sha\'can Puja Offerings\" alt=\"Sha\'can Puja Offerings\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Sha.jpg\" width=\"215\" height=\"166\" /></a> by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <em>sadhana</em> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences.[2]  It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.  <a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a><br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre\r\nOriginally published in <I><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></I>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','<brThe Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:46:59','2013-08-23 07:46:59','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99778,2,'2013-08-23 00:48:58','2013-08-23 07:48:58','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <em>sadhana</em> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences.[2]  It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre<br>\r\nOriginally published in <I><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></I>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','<brThe Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:48:58','2013-08-23 07:48:58','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99779,2,'2013-08-23 00:51:04','2013-08-23 07:51:04','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre<br>\r\nOriginally published in <I><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></I>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','<brThe Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:51:04','2013-08-23 07:51:04','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99780,2,'2013-08-23 00:52:48','2013-08-23 07:52:48','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong><br><br>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre<br>\r\nOriginally published in <I><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></I>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','<brThe Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:52:48','2013-08-23 07:52:48','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99781,2,'2013-08-23 00:55:36','2013-08-23 07:55:36','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong><br><br>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!<br><br>\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre<br>\r\nOriginally published in <I><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></I>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:55:36','2013-08-23 07:55:36','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99782,2,'2013-08-23 00:58:58','2013-08-23 07:58:58','In the sacred texts of Tantra, we learn of Her expression of virtues. She is Divine Mother, and we honor Her as such. Yet, it is also true that sexuality, the fecundity of menstrual blood, the wild and untamable nature of reality, and all things antinomian come together in Her, expanding our notion of the Divine. Through Her, Dark Goddess, we see the potential for liberation because Devi is able, as dictated in the scriptures and by the lineage of the ancients, to lead aspirants to the highest and most engaged reality.\r\n\r\nWe welcome you to worship, meditate, attend classes (either in person or online through <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\" target=\"_blank\">Kali Vidya</a>) and participate in other events such as our purnima and amavasya satsangs at our sanctuary to learn more about and come to directly experience Her mysteries.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Class offerings\" active=\"\"]\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Ritual Practices of Shakta Tantra</b> - This three-part course is an introduction to worship and devotion of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess of Hinduism, the all-pervading Shakti, and Kali Maa, Dark Mother, the Supreme Goddess of Shakta Tantra. Participants will learn the context and content of worship in the living goddess tradition of Western Shakta Tantra called Sha\'can. Puja basics, including how to honor Devi (Goddess) Kali at home, will be taught. This offering may be particularly rewarding if you are considering training with us, are looking to incorporate Kali worship or worship of other forms of the Divine Mother from the Hindu tradition into your existing spiritual path, or are seeking a fuller experience with your dedicated worship in community.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tools for Transformation</b> - This lecture and practice workshop series is focused on Yogic and Tantrick tools for transformation. All offerings include both educational and immediately useful, hands-on components; and all are set within a framework that recognizes a great spiritual truth: the personal is the planetary. Our work and commitment through each event is to broaden and deepen your experience of how changing yourself means changing the world. Sample workshops have included:</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ol>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><b>The Path of the Yoni: Tantrik Tools for Acceptance and Empowerment.</b> Let\'s discuss, celebrate and explore reverence for women\'s sexuality; viewing our bodies in a healthy way; the Tantric traditions of Kamakhya; and together dispel myths about tantric sex while unearthing the power of our yoni.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantra &amp; The Shamanic Path.</b> Learn and begin working with concepts of incarnation, personal responsibility and liberation; exercises such as recapitulation, stalking awareness, dreaming, and gratitudes introduced.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantra &amp; The Power of Spellcraft. </b>Delve more deeply into the history of what has birthed some of today\'s Indo-Pagan traditions; learn about initiations, spellwork, and the basics of the Western Craft (casting a circle, elements and directions, grounding and centering, etc.) relative to Tantrick practices; open to notions of what it means to hold responsibility and integrity in the practice of magick.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantrik Awakening.</b> Discover the powerful techniques of <i>pranayama</i> (breathwork) and <i>nyasa</i> (placement); explore Bhakti Yoga (the path of surrender to the Divine through devotion); and learn the fundamentals of Kundalini within a Shakta Tantrick <i>marga</i> (pathway).</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n</ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Gods and Goddesses of India Series</b> - Offering an introduction to the Western practitioner who seeks to know Hindu deities more concretely and practically, this series has three parts:</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ol>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Goddesses of India - An introduction to the most commonly seen goddesses in India; Durga, Parvati, Kali, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Lalita.</li>\r\n	<li>Gods of India - An introduction to the most commonly seen gods of India; Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Ganesha, Krishna, Rama, Agni.</li>\r\n	<li>Goddesses of Tantra - An introduction to the Dasa Mahavidya and others of the Tantric persuasion</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n</ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Fierce Mothers: Tantrik Goddesses of Self-sacrifice</b> - This workshop opens doorways to the <em>raudra</em> (fierce) goddesses of India, including Camunda, Chinnamasta, Bagalamukhi, and several other of the Mahavidyas. This is a path to embracing feminine power and self-acceptance through Divine love and inspiration.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]','Satsangs & Classes','','inherit','open','open','','99138-revision-v1','','','2013-08-23 00:58:58','2013-08-23 07:58:58','',99138,'In the sacred texts of Tantra, we learn of Her expression of virtues. She is Divine Mother, and we honor Her as such. Yet, it is also true that sexuality, the fecundity of menstrual blood, the wild and untamable nature of reality, and all things antinomia',0,'revision','',0),(99783,2,'2013-08-23 01:05:08','2013-08-23 08:05:08','','Satsang & Classes','','publish','closed','closed','','satsangs-classes','','','2013-10-12 23:35:48','2013-10-13 06:35:48','',0,'',0,'th_slideshows','',0),(99784,2,'2013-08-23 01:02:55','2013-08-23 08:02:55','','Sanctuary','','inherit','open','open','','dsc_0129','','','2013-08-23 01:02:55','2013-08-23 08:02:55','',99783,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(99785,2,'2013-08-23 13:29:20','2013-08-23 20:29:20','','Blog','','publish','closed','closed','','blog-3','','','2013-08-23 13:29:20','2013-08-23 20:29:20','',0,'',0,'th_slideshows','',0),(99786,2,'2013-08-23 13:27:30','2013-08-23 20:27:30','','Blog OM','','inherit','open','open','','dscn1708','','','2013-08-23 13:27:30','2013-08-23 20:27:30','',99785,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(99788,2,'2013-08-25 14:09:44','2013-08-25 21:09:44','At SHARANYA, we are dedicated in our worship to Goddess Kali in Her myriad forms, including those as She is expressed through the world\'s various traditions that honor the Dark Goddess, the one who holds the wisdom of the full spectrum of human beingness. We honor through Maa her relationship to an unpathologized Sacred Male as manifest particularly through Shiva. This relationship is at the heart of the birthing potentials of the universe.\r\n\r\nCeremony is held in the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\" target=\"_blank\">Sha\'can tradition</a> and lead by Rashani (ordained clergy) with help from community. Our puja infuses methods and practices from East and West in order to create a sacred space for worship, deepening, and opening on the path of the <i>bhakta</i>, or devotee of the Divine. An <a title=\"RSVP for Kali Puja\" href=\"mailto:info@sharanya.org\" target=\"_blank\">R.S.V.P.</a> is requested if you would like to participate.\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"puja-2\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"What to bring\" active=\"\"]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 <i>shakti</i>, the activating force and the energy of creation. You are also invited to bring an object you would like to have blessed. [/toggle] </span>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Donations\" active=\"\"]A sliding scale donation of $21-11 is suggested to cover the cost of the space, puja supplies and <i>prasad</i> (blessed food); however, no one is ever turned away for lack of funds, and any donation is graciously accepted. If you wish, you may <a title=\"Donate to SHARANYA\" href=\"https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=%2094-3334334&amp;vlrStratCode=QfHkjvv7O3iNUsVQhMSxvV1lSAo5hzn%2bjcTdl9IU4KAZH1KCyhNWvn%2fBXD%2bsythO\" target=\"_blank\">donate online</a>. We appreciate the offerings you make to support our work and the community. Jai Maa! [/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"What is puja like?\" active=\"\"]Our pujas are participatory, devotional, sometimes deeply transformational and often, fun! The ritual begins by casting a circle hand to hand, creating a sacred space between the worlds. We honor and invoke the powers of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, the elements of life, as guides and allies in our worship. Through breath, song, movement, and speech in both English and Sanskrit, unique voices then call forth ancestors and the Divine.\r\n\r\nWe first invoke Agni, Lord of the sacrificial fire, the dancing flame of all beings. Agni helps open a channel for us to commune with the Divine. Agni is also one of the most ancient deities of the Vedic tradition, honored with the first nine verses of the Rig Veda, the oldest religious text still used today. Our ceremony continues to open to the Divine by next calling Ganesha, the elephant-headed Lord of Obstacles who opens our minds and hearts to touch the Great Mystery. Through His worship, we are resolved of all that hinders our path and keeps us from fully experiencing the Divine.\r\n\r\nMoving into deeper awareness of God and Self, we invoke Lord Shiva, the destroyer of life, sensuous yogi, Father of the Three Worlds, and Cosmic Consciousness alive in all things. His is the dance that turns the cycles of the seasons, the stars in orbit, and the ebb and flow the Universe. We welcome Him with our voices, chanting sacred verses that have lived in the hearts of humanity for thousands of years. Together we offer flowers and praise Shiva, singing \"Shiva Shambo Mahadeva Shambo\", honoring Shiva as the Great God and the bringer of peace. Opening to His love and compassion, we see the beauty and divinity of the world.\r\n\r\nFully in the flow of Divine awareness, we then call forth Maa Kali to join our circle. With deep yearning in our beingness, we welcome the Goddess with mantras that have been sung to Her for millennia. We bow to Her divine presence and perform <i>aarti</i>, offering incense, water, food, fan, and light before Her living image. Maa can be felt through her sacred image on the altar, and you are invited to take <i>darshan</i> with her. Darshan comes from the Sanskrit verb meaning \"to see\" and one can think of it as both seeing and being seen by the Divine. It also refers to sitting in the presence of the Divine and connecting by staring into the eyes of Kali Maa in the central image, the one that has been enlivened through <i>prana shakti</i> or life force energy. This practice will encourage peacefulness, insight, blessings and perhaps visions to come to you.\r\n\r\nTogether we then sing \"Jai Maa\", Victory to the Mother, as we open fully and allow Her to touch our hearts. We breathe Her in, reaching ecstatic states through which we can more deeply experience Her beauty and grace. With the use of sacred substances and tools, we further deepen our awareness and allow Her messages to come forth.\r\n\r\nThrough puja (worship) offered to Maa Kali, we allow the Goddess to heal us and renew our souls. When we set time aside, as a community or alone, to perform puja to the Divine Mother, we connect to the original whim of God to know Herself. As we attune to the elemental powers and offer devotion to the gods, we transform ourselves and give birth to new worlds of being. Puja becomes part of the cosmic creation, allowing us to journey beyond time space reality and aid in the continuation of life on this planet. It grants us the ability to move from individual heart space into places of unlimited possibility. We awaken to the Goddess in every facet of our being and transform our reality, coming to see Maa Kali as the Holy Mother in whom we live, move, and have our selves made whole.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Temple etiquette\" active=\"\"]\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">As you are entering the sacred space of our <i>mandir</i> (temple), touch the ground with your right hand, and then touch your forehead. This is a symbolic gesture of humility. Taking the dust from the feet of Maa, our Divine Mother, to our brow, we contemplate and bring mindfulness to the surrender of our egos and the openness of our hearts to Her. </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Do not turn your back to the altar; please back away for a few paces and then turn.  </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Do not to block the altar from other people and allow others to join you as you prostrate before Her. </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Please do not face the bottoms of your feet toward the altar as this is disrespectful. Do cover your feet with a shawl if you are able to do so in order to sit more comfortably. </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">As you move in the space, always try to go in a clockwise direction. This helps draw on the power of natural cycles and brings us into greater alignment with the mirroring of our individual selves and the turning of the universe.</span></span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">You are invited to wear red. Please abstain from wearing black during puja. </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Be mindful. </span></span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"FAQs\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>What is the proper way to enter the temple?</b>\r\nWhen entering sacred space, our sanctuary, or a dedicated temple, it is customary to touch the floor with one\'s right hand and then touch one\'s forehead. This is an act signifying one\'s intention to surrender to the divine (our deepest awareness of the divine will and our highest self) for the duration of the time one spends along with the deity being worshiped within the physical space occupied for worship. With this motion we are taking the dust from the floor in God/dess\' home and putting it to our head to ritualize our deeper understanding of and work toward ego surrender. We allow this intention to be witnessed and acknowledged in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>What is darshan? Are there certain or more appropriate ways to approach Maa when receiving darshan?</b>\r\n\'Darshan\' comes from the Sanskrit verb meaning, \'to see.\' Darshan literally means to \'see\' the divine; it is a term used to express the act of physically looking into the eyes of the image or statue into which the presence of the divine has been invoked and activated during ritual. By so doing, the worshiper is brought more closely into connection with the divine presence, allowing our soul--the spark of the divine within us--to recognize the original state of our beingness. Through darshan we reactivate our connection to Spirit, both internally and externally. When approaching the Divine Mother, it is important to breathe and remain open in one\'s heart.  Physical acts in addition to maintaining eye contact may include: prostration, bowing of the head, holding the hands in <i>anjali mudra</i> (the namaste or prayer position at the heart center), touching of the forehead to the feet of the deity, and other similar gestures of surrender, honoring and respect.\r\n\r\n<b>Why do we cover our feet in front of Maa’s altar?</b>\r\nWe cover our feet and refrain from pointing them toward the altar out of respect for the spiritual process. The feet signify the mundane, the place of contact with our earthly selves. By being aware of the mundane in worship, we can set an intention to utilize that awareness to bring ourselves closer to our spiritual goals.\r\n\r\n<b>What does the word <i>prema</i> mean?</b>\r\nIt means \'love.\'\r\n\r\n<b>Why do we call directions thrice at community pujas?  Is this a hard and fast rule?</b>\r\nThree is both a sacred number for goddess worship and a spiritual seal, a way of fully inviting in and holding the guides and energies called to be present in puja.  Calling in the directions three times also encourages more participation in the circle. We welcome invocations from all traditions during this part of the ceremony. During our annual Kali Puja Festival, the directional invocations are more elaborate and supplemented with special elemental altars at each quarter. Therefore, during this time invocations are only done once.\r\n\r\n<b>Why do we ring the bell before we approach Maa?</b>\r\nThe bell is rung to let Maa know that we are coming to worship Her. It gets Her attention!\r\n\r\n<b>Why are there so many skulls associated with Kali and the Sha\'can path?</b>\r\nIn many of the world\'s spiritual traditions, skulls, as repositories of the brain, are symbols of the power of the mind and of wisdom, as well as of the integrative forces that allow principles of mind, body and spirit to reveal the divine nature of beingness. Our cranium, therefore, is considered to be a symbol of the human potential for enlightenment, or oneness with God/dess.\r\n\r\nWhen acting in the mundane realm, human beings often forget about or stray from this original connection to Spirit. To do so leaves the more shallow ego-identified state that is agenda-laden and task-oriented. Kali\'s skulls therefore are a reminder of our divine nature and our deeper call to the Great Mystery. They hold the potential for the unification of matter and spirit, heart and head, mind and body through love--which rectifies and embraces all opposites, bringing us through our yearning to a place of <i>sat-chit-ananda</i> (being-consciousness-bliss).  Additionally, the skulls around Kali\'s neck form a <i>mala</i>, or rosary, each symbolizing the 51 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet from which all sounds are created. Hence, all <i>mantras</i>, or conglomorates of words used to address a deity (or words used for an effect which lasts beyond the utterance of the words), are worn by Her.\r\n\r\n<b>What does <i>ishtadevi</i> mean?</b>\r\nThis Sanskrit word means \'chosen Goddess.\' It is akin to the similar \'ishtadeva,\' meaning \'chosen God.\' In some traditions, this deity is chosen by virtue of family line; i.e., the god or goddess who is considered the family \'patron saint.\' At SHARANYA, we promote deepening personal spiritual practice while learning about the Sha\'can tradition in order to facilitate the personal revelation of this deity, who resides in one\'s heart. The ishtadeva or ishtadevi is also understood to be a reflection of the undifferentiated cosmic consciousness.\r\n\r\n<b>What\'s the difference between <i>Devi</i> and <i>Deva</i>?</b>\r\nThe Sanskrit word \'Devi\' means \'Goddess,\' and the word \'Deva\' means \'God.\'\r\n\r\n<b>What is <i>sadhana</i>?</b>\r\nThe Sanskrit word \'sadhana\' means spiritual practice or discipline. In this, it can mean a particular practice or method--a spiritual technology--one undertakes or employs to deepen a connection with the divine or spirit; e.g., meditation, japa, or prayer. It also refers to the spiritual journey overall and in this sense relates to one\'s way of walking in the world or \'doing\' life.\r\n\r\n<b>What is <i>dakshina</i>?</b>\r\nThis is an offering made, monetary or otherwise, to one\'s teacher out of respect and gratitude for the teaching or work done on one\'s behalf, such as during puja, homa (fire ceremony) or other ceremony. It is given from the heart and is never asked for directly.\r\n\r\n<b>What does <i>Jai Maa</i> mean?</b>\r\nThis is a call to the Divine Mother, \'Maa,\' a singing of Her glory. Literally, \'jai\' means \'victory,\' although we often translate it as \'hallelujah\' or \'praises.\' Speaking \'Jai Maa\' in puja (worship ceremony) is an affirmation of the Divine Mother\'s blessings, a chant of gratitude for all Her gifts and the challenges She provides that help us grow spiritually.\r\n\r\n<b>Why do we chant to Agni first during Puja?</b>\r\nIn Hinduism, Agni is the god of fire, the one who presides over all rites and rituals. He is \'purohit,\' the one who presides over the fire ceremony and is the first deity honored in the Rig Veda, the oldest written religious text of record from among all surviving world\'s spiritual traditions. Simply, fire is what enabled humanity to first survive and then thrive. We open our ceremonies with a chant to Agni to honor the role of fire both as literal element and as metaphor for the transformational spiritual journey.\r\n\r\n<b>How do you \"ground\"?</b>\r\nThe concept of grounding refers to any method of reconnecting to one\'s body (i.e., physicality) after engaging in any endeavor, spiritual, emotional, or intellectual that facilitates or actively directs focus away from the fact of one\'s embodied presence in the moment. We can be readily reminded of our bodies through bringing attention to our breathing or by touching of the ground on which we stand. Doing so reincorporates us, allowing for an integration of our experience with the fullness of mind, body and spirit.\r\n\r\n<b>What are the most important Sanskrit texts for Shaktas?</b>\r\nTraditionally, the two most important Sanskrit texts for Shaktas are the <i>Devi Mahatmya</i> (or <i>Chandi Path</i>, as it is also called), and the <i>Srimad Devi Bhagavatam</i>. Other important texts for left-hand Tantric practitioners and devotees of the Dark Goddess Kali and all her manifestations are the <i>Yogini Tantra</i> and the <i>Kalika Purana</i>.\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n<h5>Listen to a puja - Jai Maa!</h5>\r\n[thaudio href=\'http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/jaima64.mp3\'][/thaudio]','Pujas','','inherit','open','open','','99134-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 14:09:44','2013-08-25 21:09:44','',99134,'At SHARANYA, we are dedicated in our worship to Goddess Kali in Her myriad forms, including those as She is expressed through the world\'s various traditions that honor the Dark Goddess, the one who holds the wisdom of the full spectrum of human beingness.',0,'revision','',0),(99789,2,'2013-08-25 14:10:13','2013-08-25 21:10:13','At SHARANYA, we are dedicated in our worship to Goddess Kali in Her myriad forms, including those as She is expressed through the world\'s various traditions that honor the Dark Goddess, the one who holds the wisdom of the full spectrum of human beingness. We honor through Maa her relationship to an unpathologized Sacred Male as manifest particularly through Shiva. This relationship is at the heart of the birthing potentials of the universe.\r\n\r\nCeremony is held in the <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\" target=\"_blank\">Sha\'can tradition</a> and lead by Rashani (ordained clergy) with help from community. Our puja infuses methods and practices from East and West in order to create a sacred space for worship, deepening, and opening on the path of the <i>bhakta</i>, or devotee of the Divine. An <a title=\"RSVP for Kali Puja\" href=\"mailto:info@sharanya.org\" target=\"_blank\">R.S.V.P.</a> is requested if you would like to participate.\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"puja-2\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"What to bring\" active=\"\"]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 <i>shakti</i>, the activating force and the energy of creation. You are also invited to bring an object you would like to have blessed. [/toggle] </span>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Donations\" active=\"\"]A sliding scale donation of $21-11 is suggested to cover the cost of the space, puja supplies and <i>prasad</i> (blessed food); however, no one is ever turned away for lack of funds, and any donation is graciously accepted. If you wish, you may <a title=\"Donate to SHARANYA\" href=\"https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=%2094-3334334&amp;vlrStratCode=QfHkjvv7O3iNUsVQhMSxvV1lSAo5hzn%2bjcTdl9IU4KAZH1KCyhNWvn%2fBXD%2bsythO\" target=\"_blank\">donate online</a>. We appreciate the offerings you make to support our work and the community. Jai Maa! [/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"What is puja like?\" active=\"\"]Our pujas are participatory, devotional, sometimes deeply transformational and often, fun! The ritual begins by casting a circle hand to hand, creating a sacred space between the worlds. We honor and invoke the powers of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, the elements of life, as guides and allies in our worship. Through breath, song, movement, and speech in both English and Sanskrit, unique voices then call forth ancestors and the Divine.\r\n\r\nWe first invoke Agni, Lord of the sacrificial fire, the dancing flame of all beings. Agni helps open a channel for us to commune with the Divine. Agni is also one of the most ancient deities of the Vedic tradition, honored with the first nine verses of the Rig Veda, the oldest religious text still used today. Our ceremony continues to open to the Divine by next calling Ganesha, the elephant-headed Lord of Obstacles who opens our minds and hearts to touch the Great Mystery. Through His worship, we are resolved of all that hinders our path and keeps us from fully experiencing the Divine.\r\n\r\nMoving into deeper awareness of God and Self, we invoke Lord Shiva, the destroyer of life, sensuous yogi, Father of the Three Worlds, and Cosmic Consciousness alive in all things. His is the dance that turns the cycles of the seasons, the stars in orbit, and the ebb and flow the Universe. We welcome Him with our voices, chanting sacred verses that have lived in the hearts of humanity for thousands of years. Together we offer flowers and praise Shiva, singing \"Shiva Shambo Mahadeva Shambo\", honoring Shiva as the Great God and the bringer of peace. Opening to His love and compassion, we see the beauty and divinity of the world.\r\n\r\nFully in the flow of Divine awareness, we then call forth Maa Kali to join our circle. With deep yearning in our beingness, we welcome the Goddess with mantras that have been sung to Her for millennia. We bow to Her divine presence and perform <i>aarti</i>, offering incense, water, food, fan, and light before Her living image. Maa can be felt through her sacred image on the altar, and you are invited to take <i>darshan</i> with her. Darshan comes from the Sanskrit verb meaning \"to see\" and one can think of it as both seeing and being seen by the Divine. It also refers to sitting in the presence of the Divine and connecting by staring into the eyes of Kali Maa in the central image, the one that has been enlivened through <i>prana shakti</i> or life force energy. This practice will encourage peacefulness, insight, blessings and perhaps visions to come to you.\r\n\r\nTogether we then sing \"Jai Maa\", Victory to the Mother, as we open fully and allow Her to touch our hearts. We breathe Her in, reaching ecstatic states through which we can more deeply experience Her beauty and grace. With the use of sacred substances and tools, we further deepen our awareness and allow Her messages to come forth.\r\n\r\nThrough puja (worship) offered to Maa Kali, we allow the Goddess to heal us and renew our souls. When we set time aside, as a community or alone, to perform puja to the Divine Mother, we connect to the original whim of God to know Herself. As we attune to the elemental powers and offer devotion to the gods, we transform ourselves and give birth to new worlds of being. Puja becomes part of the cosmic creation, allowing us to journey beyond time space reality and aid in the continuation of life on this planet. It grants us the ability to move from individual heart space into places of unlimited possibility. We awaken to the Goddess in every facet of our being and transform our reality, coming to see Maa Kali as the Holy Mother in whom we live, move, and have our selves made whole.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Temple etiquette\" active=\"\"]\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">As you are entering the sacred space of our <i>mandir</i> (temple), touch the ground with your right hand, and then touch your forehead. This is a symbolic gesture of humility. Taking the dust from the feet of Maa, our Divine Mother, to our brow, we contemplate and bring mindfulness to the surrender of our egos and the openness of our hearts to Her. </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Do not turn your back to the altar; please back away for a few paces and then turn.  </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Do not to block the altar from other people and allow others to join you as you prostrate before Her. </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Please do not face the bottoms of your feet toward the altar as this is disrespectful. Do cover your feet with a shawl if you are able to do so in order to sit more comfortably. </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">As you move in the space, always try to go in a clockwise direction. This helps draw on the power of natural cycles and brings us into greater alignment with the mirroring of our individual selves and the turning of the universe.</span></span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: Arial;\">You are invited to wear red. Please abstain from wearing black during puja. </span></li>\r\n	<li><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Be mindful. </span></span></li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"FAQs\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>What is the proper way to enter the temple?</b>\r\nWhen entering sacred space, our sanctuary, or a dedicated temple, it is customary to touch the floor with one\'s right hand and then touch one\'s forehead. This is an act signifying one\'s intention to surrender to the divine (our deepest awareness of the divine will and our highest self) for the duration of the time one spends along with the deity being worshiped within the physical space occupied for worship. With this motion we are taking the dust from the floor in God/dess\' home and putting it to our head to ritualize our deeper understanding of and work toward ego surrender. We allow this intention to be witnessed and acknowledged in community.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<b>What is darshan? Are there certain or more appropriate ways to approach Maa when receiving darshan?</b>\r\n\'Darshan\' comes from the Sanskrit verb meaning, \'to see.\' Darshan literally means to \'see\' the divine; it is a term used to express the act of physically looking into the eyes of the image or statue into which the presence of the divine has been invoked and activated during ritual. By so doing, the worshiper is brought more closely into connection with the divine presence, allowing our soul--the spark of the divine within us--to recognize the original state of our beingness. Through darshan we reactivate our connection to Spirit, both internally and externally. When approaching the Divine Mother, it is important to breathe and remain open in one\'s heart.  Physical acts in addition to maintaining eye contact may include: prostration, bowing of the head, holding the hands in <i>anjali mudra</i> (the namaste or prayer position at the heart center), touching of the forehead to the feet of the deity, and other similar gestures of surrender, honoring and respect.\r\n\r\n<b>Why do we cover our feet in front of Maa’s altar?</b>\r\nWe cover our feet and refrain from pointing them toward the altar out of respect for the spiritual process. The feet signify the mundane, the place of contact with our earthly selves. By being aware of the mundane in worship, we can set an intention to utilize that awareness to bring ourselves closer to our spiritual goals.\r\n\r\n<b>What does the word <i>prema</i> mean?</b>\r\nIt means \'love.\'\r\n\r\n<b>Why do we call directions thrice at community pujas?  Is this a hard and fast rule?</b>\r\nThree is both a sacred number for goddess worship and a spiritual seal, a way of fully inviting in and holding the guides and energies called to be present in puja.  Calling in the directions three times also encourages more participation in the circle. We welcome invocations from all traditions during this part of the ceremony. During our annual Kali Puja Festival, the directional invocations are more elaborate and supplemented with special elemental altars at each quarter. Therefore, during this time invocations are only done once.\r\n\r\n<b>Why do we ring the bell before we approach Maa?</b>\r\nThe bell is rung to let Maa know that we are coming to worship Her. It gets Her attention!\r\n\r\n<b>Why are there so many skulls associated with Kali and the Sha\'can path?</b>\r\nIn many of the world\'s spiritual traditions, skulls, as repositories of the brain, are symbols of the power of the mind and of wisdom, as well as of the integrative forces that allow principles of mind, body and spirit to reveal the divine nature of beingness. Our cranium, therefore, is considered to be a symbol of the human potential for enlightenment, or oneness with God/dess.\r\n\r\nWhen acting in the mundane realm, human beings often forget about or stray from this original connection to Spirit. To do so leaves the more shallow ego-identified state that is agenda-laden and task-oriented. Kali\'s skulls therefore are a reminder of our divine nature and our deeper call to the Great Mystery. They hold the potential for the unification of matter and spirit, heart and head, mind and body through love--which rectifies and embraces all opposites, bringing us through our yearning to a place of <i>sat-chit-ananda</i> (being-consciousness-bliss).  Additionally, the skulls around Kali\'s neck form a <i>mala</i>, or rosary, each symbolizing the 51 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet from which all sounds are created. Hence, all <i>mantras</i>, or conglomorates of words used to address a deity (or words used for an effect which lasts beyond the utterance of the words), are worn by Her.\r\n\r\n<b>What does <i>ishtadevi</i> mean?</b>\r\nThis Sanskrit word means \'chosen Goddess.\' It is akin to the similar \'ishtadeva,\' meaning \'chosen God.\' In some traditions, this deity is chosen by virtue of family line; i.e., the god or goddess who is considered the family \'patron saint.\' At SHARANYA, we promote deepening personal spiritual practice while learning about the Sha\'can tradition in order to facilitate the personal revelation of this deity, who resides in one\'s heart. The ishtadeva or ishtadevi is also understood to be a reflection of the undifferentiated cosmic consciousness.\r\n\r\n<b>What\'s the difference between <i>Devi</i> and <i>Deva</i>?</b>\r\nThe Sanskrit word \'Devi\' means \'Goddess,\' and the word \'Deva\' means \'God.\'\r\n\r\n<b>What is <i>sadhana</i>?</b>\r\nThe Sanskrit word \'sadhana\' means spiritual practice or discipline. In this, it can mean a particular practice or method--a spiritual technology--one undertakes or employs to deepen a connection with the divine or spirit; e.g., meditation, japa, or prayer. It also refers to the spiritual journey overall and in this sense relates to one\'s way of walking in the world or \'doing\' life.\r\n\r\n<b>What is <i>dakshina</i>?</b>\r\nThis is an offering made, monetary or otherwise, to one\'s teacher out of respect and gratitude for the teaching or work done on one\'s behalf, such as during puja, homa (fire ceremony) or other ceremony. It is given from the heart and is never asked for directly.\r\n\r\n<b>What does <i>Jai Maa</i> mean?</b>\r\nThis is a call to the Divine Mother, \'Maa,\' a singing of Her glory. Literally, \'jai\' means \'victory,\' although we often translate it as \'hallelujah\' or \'praises.\' Speaking \'Jai Maa\' in puja (worship ceremony) is an affirmation of the Divine Mother\'s blessings, a chant of gratitude for all Her gifts and the challenges She provides that help us grow spiritually.\r\n\r\n<b>Why do we chant to Agni first during Puja?</b>\r\nIn Hinduism, Agni is the god of fire, the one who presides over all rites and rituals. He is \'purohit,\' the one who presides over the fire ceremony and is the first deity honored in the Rig Veda, the oldest written religious text of record from among all surviving world\'s spiritual traditions. Simply, fire is what enabled humanity to first survive and then thrive. We open our ceremonies with a chant to Agni to honor the role of fire both as literal element and as metaphor for the transformational spiritual journey.\r\n\r\n<b>How do you \"ground\"?</b>\r\nThe concept of grounding refers to any method of reconnecting to one\'s body (i.e., physicality) after engaging in any endeavor, spiritual, emotional, or intellectual that facilitates or actively directs focus away from the fact of one\'s embodied presence in the moment. We can be readily reminded of our bodies through bringing attention to our breathing or by touching of the ground on which we stand. Doing so reincorporates us, allowing for an integration of our experience with the fullness of mind, body and spirit.\r\n\r\n<b>What are the most important Sanskrit texts for Shaktas?</b>\r\nTraditionally, the two most important Sanskrit texts for Shaktas are the <i>Devi Mahatmya</i> (or <i>Chandi Path</i>, as it is also called), and the <i>Srimad Devi Bhagavatam</i>. Other important texts for left-hand Tantric practitioners and devotees of the Dark Goddess Kali and all her manifestations are the <i>Yogini Tantra</i> and the <i>Kalika Purana</i>.\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n<h5>Listen to a puja - Jai Maa!</h5>\r\n[thaudio href=\'http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/jaima64.mp3\'][/thaudio]','Pujas','','inherit','open','open','','99134-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 14:10:13','2013-08-25 21:10:13','',99134,'At SHARANYA, we are dedicated in our worship to Goddess Kali in Her myriad forms, including those as She is expressed through the world\'s various traditions that honor the Dark Goddess, the one who holds the wisdom of the full spectrum of human beingness.',0,'revision','',0),(99790,2,'2013-08-25 14:17:50','2013-08-25 21:17:50','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]\r\n\r\nThe 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.\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.\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.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre\r\nAs originally published in <i><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></i>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 14:17:50','2013-08-25 21:17:50','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]\r\n\r\nThe 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',0,'revision','',0),(99791,2,'2013-08-25 14:18:40','2013-08-25 21:18:40','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong><br><br>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre\r\nAs originally published in <i><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></i>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 14:18:40','2013-08-25 21:18:40','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99792,2,'2013-08-25 14:19:11','2013-08-25 21:19:11','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong><br><br>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre<br>\r\nAs originally published in <i><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></i>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 14:19:11','2013-08-25 21:19:11','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99793,2,'2013-08-25 14:19:57','2013-08-25 21:19:57','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong><br><br>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre<br>\r\nAs originally published in <i><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></i>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 14:19:57','2013-08-25 21:19:57','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99794,2,'2013-08-25 14:30:13','2013-08-25 21:30:13','[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Comments?\"]\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\r\n[/tab][tab title=\"Info\"]270 Upland Drive<br>\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94127<br>\r\nTel: (415) 505-6840<br>\r\nEmail: <a title=\"Inquiry\" href=\"mailto:info@sharanya.org\" target=\"_blank\">info@sharanya.org</a>\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','','','2013-08-25 14:30:13','2013-08-25 21:30:13','',99158,'[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Comments?\"]\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\"',0,'revision','',0),(99796,2,'2013-08-25 15:52:13','2013-08-25 22:52:13','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nSHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Crossing Over / Burial Rites / Funerals\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 15:52:13','2013-08-25 22:52:13','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99797,2,'2013-08-25 15:53:17','2013-08-25 22:53:17','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nSHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Crossing Over / Burial Rites / Funerals\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 15:53:17','2013-08-25 22:53:17','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99798,2,'2013-08-25 15:59:42','2013-08-25 22:59:42','In the sacred texts of Tantra, we learn of the Maa\'s expression of virtues. She is Divine Mother, and we honor Her as such. Yet, it is also true that sexuality, the fecundity of menstrual blood, the wild and untamable nature of reality, and all things antinomian come together in Her, expanding our notion of the Divine beyond motherly limitations. Through Her, the Dark Goddess, we see the potential for liberation because Devi is able, as dictated in the scriptures and by the lineage of the ancients, to lead aspirants to the highest and most engaged reality.\r\n\r\nWe welcome you to worship, meditate, attend classes (either in person or online through <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\" target=\"_blank\">Kali Vidya</a>) and participate in other events, such as purnima and amavasya satsangs at our sanctuary, to learn more about and come to directly experience Her mysteries.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Class offerings\" active=\"\"]\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Ritual Practices of Shakta Tantra</b> - This three-part course is an introduction to worship and devotion of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess of Hinduism, the all-pervading Shakti, and Kali Maa, Dark Mother, the Supreme Goddess of Shakta Tantra. Participants will learn the context and content of worship in the living goddess tradition of Western Shakta Tantra called Sha\'can. Puja basics, including how to honor Devi (Goddess) Kali at home, will be taught. This offering may be particularly rewarding if you are considering training with us, are looking to incorporate Kali worship or worship of other forms of the Divine Mother from the Hindu tradition into your existing spiritual path, or are seeking a fuller experience with your dedicated worship in community.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tools for Transformation</b> - This lecture and practice workshop series is focused on Yogic and Tantrick tools for transformation. All offerings include both educational and immediately useful, hands-on components; and all are set within a framework that recognizes a great spiritual truth: the personal is the planetary. Our work and commitment through each event is to broaden and deepen your experience of how changing yourself means changing the world. Sample workshops have included:</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ol>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><b>The Path of the Yoni: Tantrik Tools for Acceptance and Empowerment.</b> Let\'s discuss, celebrate and explore reverence for women\'s sexuality; viewing our bodies in a healthy way; the Tantric traditions of Kamakhya; and together dispel myths about tantric sex while unearthing the power of our yoni.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantra &amp; The Shamanic Path.</b> Learn and begin working with concepts of incarnation, personal responsibility and liberation; exercises such as recapitulation, stalking awareness, dreaming, and gratitudes introduced.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantra &amp; The Power of Spellcraft. </b>Delve more deeply into the history of what has birthed some of today\'s Indo-Pagan traditions; learn about initiations, spellwork, and the basics of the Western Craft (casting a circle, elements and directions, grounding and centering, etc.) relative to Tantrick practices; open to notions of what it means to hold responsibility and integrity in the practice of magick.</li>\r\n	<li><b>Tantrik Awakening.</b> Discover the powerful techniques of <i>pranayama</i> (breathwork) and <i>nyasa</i> (placement); explore Bhakti Yoga (the path of surrender to the Divine through devotion); and learn the fundamentals of Kundalini within a Shakta Tantrick <i>marga</i> (pathway).</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n</ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Gods and Goddesses of India Series</b> - Offering an introduction to the Western practitioner who seeks to know Hindu deities more concretely and practically, this series has three parts:</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<ol>\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li>Goddesses of India - An introduction to the most commonly seen goddesses in India; Durga, Parvati, Kali, Lakshmi, Sarasvati, Lalita.</li>\r\n	<li>Gods of India - An introduction to the most commonly seen gods of India; Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Ganesha, Krishna, Rama, Agni.</li>\r\n	<li>Goddesses of Tantra - An introduction to the Dasa Mahavidya and others of the Tantric persuasion</li>\r\n</ol>\r\n</ol>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><b>Fierce Mothers: Tantrik Goddesses of Self-sacrifice</b> - This workshop opens doorways to the <em>raudra</em> (fierce) goddesses of India, including Camunda, Chinnamasta, Bagalamukhi, and several other of the Mahavidyas. This is a path to embracing feminine power and self-acceptance through Divine love and inspiration.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[/toggle]','Satsangs & Classes','','inherit','open','open','','99138-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 15:59:42','2013-08-25 22:59:42','',99138,'In the sacred texts of Tantra, we learn of the Maa\'s expression of virtues. She is Divine Mother, and we honor Her as such. Yet, it is also true that sexuality, the fecundity of menstrual blood, the wild and untamable nature of reality, and all things ant',0,'revision','',0),(99799,2,'2013-08-25 16:02:00','2013-08-25 23:02:00','Shakta Tantra is a belief system whose cosmology reveres the immanence of spirit and in turn provides ritualized as well as lived practices in which the body acts as, and becomes substance for, the divine. Shakta traditions consider Female/Feminine energy to be fundamental and activating—the source of all creation without which the gods and humanity would perish.<br><br>\n\nAlthough the Shakta and Tantric traditions are often conflated because of the importance of the goddess within Tantra generally, the followers of Tantra are not all primarily worshippers of Goddess. There are therefore distinct paths within Tantra, and it is Devi (Goddess) who engages the heart, mind and soul of Shakta devotees. - Chandra Alexandre','Shakta Tantra','','inherit','open','open','','99774-autosave-v1','','','2013-08-25 16:02:00','2013-08-25 23:02:00','',99774,'Shakta Tantra is a belief system whose cosmology reveres the immanence of spirit and in turn provides ritualized as well as lived practices in which the body acts as, and becomes substance for, the divine. Shakta traditions consider Female/Feminine energy',0,'revision','',0),(99802,2,'2013-08-25 18:00:11','2013-08-26 01:00:11','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Shakta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/the-tradition/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n<I>So mote it be!</I><br><br>\r\n<br><br><p>\r\n\r\n<font face=wingdings size=+6 color=9C1601>\\</font></center>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded in 1999 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms. We open our doors and our hearts to those who seek to know Her, and we have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion. Further, we make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings. We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male. We actively strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine archetypes in the spaces of Self and World.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 18:00:11','2013-08-26 01:00:11','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Shakta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries o',0,'revision','',0),(99803,2,'2013-08-25 18:00:45','2013-08-26 01:00:45','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Shakta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n<I>So mote it be!</I><br><br>\r\n<br><br><p>\r\n\r\n<font face=wingdings size=+6 color=9C1601>\\</font></center>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded in 1999 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms. We open our doors and our hearts to those who seek to know Her, and we have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion. Further, we make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings. We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male. We actively strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine archetypes in the spaces of Self and World.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 18:00:45','2013-08-26 01:00:45','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Shakta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries o',0,'revision','',0),(99804,2,'2013-08-25 18:03:38','2013-08-26 01:03:38','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Shakta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n<I>So mote it be!</I><br><br>\r\n<br><br><p>\r\n\r\n<font face=wingdings size=+6 color=9C1601>\\</font></center>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded in 1999 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms. We open our doors and our hearts to those who seek to know Her, and we have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion. Further, we make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings. We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male. We actively strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine archetypes in the spaces of Self and World.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 18:03:38','2013-08-26 01:03:38','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Shakta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries o',0,'revision','',0),(99805,2,'2013-08-25 18:04:23','2013-08-26 01:04:23','With roots deep in ancient consciousness and a lineage of worship that has lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity, we honor She who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the root of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. This is the work of Sha\'can, our practice, and our devotion. Ours is truly the path of the <i>bhakta</i> (devotee) of the Divine, who treasures the temple of this world as vehicle for spiritual blossoming, healing, and bliss. Ultimately, we believe an integral and (r)evolutionary approach to spirituality will best help us achieve our mission.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with goddess worshipers in and beyond India. Shakta Tantra at its core and as articulated through Sha\'can is a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which it is found and from which it comes. The tradition is helping to build self-worth and positive identity frameworks for practitioners; is fostering the development of participatory and engaged spirituality; and is providing tools for the affirmation of shakti in the world. It is a new tradition born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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>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\nSha\'can is an authentic lineage tradition passed on through initiatory blessing. It is a Shakta <i>marga</i> (way or path of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism), that expands Tantric mother worship and sanctifies earth-based, embodied spirituality by bringing Devi to life with relevance for our circumstances today on Western shores. In our tradition, we celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center. From here, we hold that everything is possible.<br><br>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 18:04:23','2013-08-26 01:04:23','',99129,'With roots deep in ancient consciousness and a lineage of worship that has lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity, we honor She who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the root of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond',0,'revision','',0),(99806,2,'2013-08-25 18:05:30','2013-08-26 01:05:30','With roots deep in ancient consciousness and a lineage of worship that has lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity, we honor She who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the root of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. This is the work of Sha\'can, our practice, and our devotion. Ours is truly the path of the <i>bhakta</i> (devotee) of the Divine, who treasures the temple of this world as vehicle for spiritual blossoming, healing, and bliss. Ultimately, we believe an integral and (r)evolutionary approach to spirituality will best help us achieve our mission.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with goddess worshipers in and beyond India. Shakta Tantra at its core and as articulated through Sha\'can is a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which it is found and from which it comes. The tradition is helping to build self-worth and positive identity frameworks for practitioners; is fostering the development of participatory and engaged spirituality; and is providing tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in the world. It is a new tradition born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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>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\nSha\'can is an authentic lineage tradition passed on through initiatory blessing. It is a Shakta <i>marga</i> (way or path of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism), that expands Tantric mother worship and sanctifies earth-based, embodied spirituality by bringing Devi to life with relevance for our circumstances today on Western shores. In our tradition, we celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center. From here, we hold that everything is possible.<br><br>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-25 18:05:30','2013-08-26 01:05:30','',99129,'With roots deep in ancient consciousness and a lineage of worship that has lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity, we honor She who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the root of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond',0,'revision','',0),(99807,2,'2013-08-26 22:22:55','2013-08-27 05:22:55','With roots deep in ancient consciousness and a lineage of worship that has lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity, we honor She who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the root of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. This is the work of Sha\'can, our practice, and our devotion. Ours is truly the path of the <i>bhakta</i> (devotee) of the Divine, who treasures the temple of this world as vehicle for spiritual blossoming, healing, and bliss. Ultimately, we believe an integral and (r)evolutionary approach to spirituality will best help us achieve our mission.<br><br>\r\n\r\nSha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with goddess worshipers in and beyond India. Shakta Tantra at its core and as articulated through Sha\'can is a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which it is found and from which it comes. The tradition is helping to build self-worth and positive identity frameworks for practitioners; is fostering the development of participatory and engaged spirituality; and is providing tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in the world. It is a new tradition born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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\nSha\'can is an authentic lineage tradition passed on through initiatory blessing. It is a Shakta <i>marga</i> (way or path of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism), that expands Tantric mother worship and sanctifies earth-based, embodied spirituality by bringing Devi to life with relevance for our circumstances today on Western shores. In our tradition, we celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center. From here, we hold that everything is possible.<br><br>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-26 22:22:55','2013-08-27 05:22:55','',99129,'With roots deep in ancient consciousness and a lineage of worship that has lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity, we honor She who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the root of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond',0,'revision','',0),(99812,2,'2013-08-28 23:16:29','2013-08-29 06:16:29','Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on through initiatory blessing, Sha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with Goddess worshipers in and beyond India; for ours is an engaged spirituality activating a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which we live. As <i>bhaktas</i> (devotees) who treasure the temple of this world through this incarnation, we are committed to expanding Tantric mother worship in ways that sanctify earth-based, embodied spirituality. \r\n\r\nIn our tradition, we celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center, helping the voiceless and dominated find spaces for blossoming, healing and bliss. Our roots are deep in ancient consciousness and practices of worship that have lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity. The work of our practice and devotion is to honor the Divine as She who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the heart of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. \r\n\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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&nbsp;\r\nAt its core, the Sha\'can tradition provides pathways to help practitioners build self-worth and positive identity frameworks, and we provide tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in self and in the world.\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-28 23:16:29','2013-08-29 06:16:29','',99129,'Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on ',0,'revision','',0),(99813,2,'2013-08-28 23:17:08','2013-08-29 06:17:08','Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on through initiatory blessing, Sha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with Goddess worshipers in and beyond India; for ours is an engaged spirituality activating a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which we live. As <i>bhaktas</i> (devotees) who treasure the temple of this world through this incarnation, we are committed to expanding Tantric mother worship in ways that sanctify earth-based, embodied spirituality. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIn our tradition, we celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center, helping the voiceless and dominated find spaces for blossoming, healing and bliss. Our roots are deep in ancient consciousness and practices of worship that have lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity. The work of our practice and devotion is to honor the Divine as She who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the heart of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. <br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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&nbsp;\r\nAt its core, the Sha\'can tradition provides pathways to help practitioners build self-worth and positive identity frameworks, and we provide tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in self and in the world.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-28 23:17:08','2013-08-29 06:17:08','',99129,'Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on ',0,'revision','',0),(99814,2,'2013-08-28 23:18:46','2013-08-29 06:18:46','Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on through initiatory blessing, Sha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with Goddess worshipers in and beyond India; for ours is an engaged spirituality activating a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which we live. As <i>bhaktas</i> (devotees) who treasure the temple of this world through this incarnation, we are committed to expanding Tantric mother worship in ways that sanctify earth-based, embodied spirituality. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIn our tradition, we celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center, helping the voiceless and dominated find spaces for blossoming, healing and bliss. Our roots are deep in ancient consciousness and practices of worship that have lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity. The work of our practice and devotion is to honor the Divine as She who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the heart of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. At its core, the Sha\'can tradition provides pathways to help practitioners build self-worth and positive identity frameworks, and we provide tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in self and world.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-28 23:18:46','2013-08-29 06:18:46','',99129,'Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on ',0,'revision','',0),(99815,2,'2013-08-28 23:20:29','2013-08-29 06:20:29','Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on through initiatory blessing, Sha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with Goddess worshipers in and beyond India; for ours is an engaged spirituality activating a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which we live. As <i>bhaktas</i> (devotees) who treasure the temple of this world through this incarnation, we are committed to expanding Tantric mother worship in ways that sanctify earth-based, embodied spirituality. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIn our tradition, we celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center, helping the voiceless and dominated find spaces for blossoming, healing and bliss. Our roots are deep in ancient consciousness and practices of worship that have lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity. The work of our practice and devotion is to honor the Divine as She—the One who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the heart of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. At its core, the Sha\'can tradition provides pathways to help practitioners build self-worth and positive identity frameworks, and we provide tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in self and world.<br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-28 23:20:29','2013-08-29 06:20:29','',99129,'Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on ',0,'revision','',0),(99816,2,'2013-08-28 23:23:54','2013-08-29 06:23:54','Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on through initiatory blessing, Sha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with Goddess worshipers in and beyond India; for ours is an engaged spirituality activating a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which we live. As <i>bhaktas</i> (devotees) who treasure the temple of this world through this incarnation, we are committed to expanding Tantric mother worship in ways that sanctify earth-based, embodied spirituality. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIn our tradition, we teach tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in self and world. We celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center, helping the voiceless and dominated find spaces for blossoming, healing and bliss. Our roots are deep in ancient consciousness and practices of worship that have lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity. The work of our devotion is to honor the Divine as She—the One who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the heart of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. <br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-28 23:23:54','2013-08-29 06:23:54','',99129,'Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on ',0,'revision','',0),(99817,2,'2013-08-28 23:32:36','2013-08-29 06:32:36','Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on through initiatory blessing, Sha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with Goddess worshipers in and beyond India; for ours is an engaged spirituality activating a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which we live. As <i>bhaktas</i> (devotees) who treasure the temple of this world through this incarnation, we are committed to expanding Tantric mother worship in ways that sanctify earth-based, embodied spirituality and (r)evolutionize potentials for social justice and peace on our planet. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIn our tradition, we teach tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in self and world. We celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center, helping the voiceless and dominated find spaces for blossoming, healing and bliss. Our roots are deep in ancient consciousness and practices of worship that have lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity. The work of our devotion is to honor the Divine as She—the One who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the heart of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. <br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-28 23:32:36','2013-08-29 06:32:36','',99129,'Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on ',0,'revision','',0),(99827,2,'2013-08-29 19:49:00','2013-08-30 02:49:00','Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on through initiatory blessing, Sha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with Goddess worshipers in and beyond India; for ours is an engaged spirituality activating a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which we live. As <i>bhaktas</i> (devotees) who treasure the temple of this world through this incarnation, we are committed to expanding Tantric mother worship in ways that sanctify earth-based, embodied spirituality and (r)evolutionize potentials for social justice and peace on our planet. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIn our tradition, we teach tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in self and world. We celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center, helping the voiceless and dominated find spaces for blossoming, healing and bliss. Our roots are deep in ancient consciousness and practices of worship that have lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity. The work of our devotion is to honor the Divine as She—the One who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the heart of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. <br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong><br><br>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre<br>\r\nAs originally published in <i><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></i>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-29 19:49:00','2013-08-30 02:49:00','',99129,'Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Shakta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on ',0,'revision','',0),(99828,2,'2013-08-29 19:49:03','2013-08-30 02:49:03','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"\"]\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\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-29 19:49:03','2013-08-30 02:49:03','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99829,2,'2013-08-29 19:52:59','2013-08-30 02:52:59','Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Śākta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on through initiatory blessing, Sha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with Goddess worshipers in and beyond India; for ours is an engaged spirituality activating a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which we live. As <i>bhaktas</i> (devotees) who treasure the temple of this world through this incarnation, we are committed to expanding Tantric mother worship in ways that sanctify earth-based, embodied spirituality and (r)evolutionize potentials for social justice and peace on our planet. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIn our tradition, we teach tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in self and world. We celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center, helping the voiceless and dominated find spaces for blossoming, healing and bliss. Our roots are deep in ancient consciousness and practices of worship that have lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity. The work of our devotion is to honor the Divine as She—the One who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the heart of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. <br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Shakta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Shakta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Shakta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Shakta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Shakta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong><br><br>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre<br>\r\nAs originally published in <i><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></i>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-29 19:52:59','2013-08-30 02:52:59','',99129,'Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Śākta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on t',0,'revision','',0),(99830,2,'2013-08-29 19:54:58','2013-08-30 02:54:58','Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Śākta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on through initiatory blessing, Sha\'can is at once groundbreaking and what has always happened with Goddess worshipers in and beyond India; for ours is an engaged spirituality activating a rooted category of challenge to the dominant culture in which we live. As <i>bhaktas</i> (devotees) who treasure the temple of this world through this incarnation, we are committed to expanding Tantric mother worship in ways that sanctify earth-based, embodied spirituality and (r)evolutionize potentials for social justice and peace on our planet. <br><br>\r\n\r\nIn our tradition, we teach tools for the affirmation of <em>shakti</em> (the female principle) in self and world. We celebrate the commonalities of thought and practice that bring the marginal to center, helping the voiceless and dominated find spaces for blossoming, healing and bliss. Our roots are deep in ancient consciousness and practices of worship that have lived for millennia in the hearts of humanity. The work of our devotion is to honor the Divine as She—the One who facilitates the spiritual journey by taking us to the heart of our yearning, beyond our fears, beyond our ego, beyond our attachments, and into liberation. <br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Sha\'can\" active=\"\"]\r\n<a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\"><img class=\"alignright\" title=\"Sha\'can Kali Maa &amp; Tara Kali Web\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://religionnerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Shacan-Kali-Maa-Tara-Kali-Web1.jpg\" width=\"181\" height=\"266\" /></a>\r\n\r\nToday, a robust and dynamic complexity of religious thought and engagement is being achieved through new traditions in which symbols, deities, and rituals (some only recently constructed) inform by connecting to passions, devotion and a desire for engaged spirituality not contained by country of origin—practitioner’s or deity’s.  Add to this a confluence of feminism, goddess-focused spiritualities, and access to various forms of Hinduism, as well as a growing Indian-American population with Hindu diasporic roots and bi-cultural sensibilities, and we find a Western Śākta Hindu perspective and related forms of worship and practice emerging that assert both authenticity and independence from the Hindu source. One such emergence is the countercultural religious tradition known as Sha’can, what I fondly call a (R)evolutionary Shakta Tantra.<br><br>\r\n\r\nRecognizing deep roots in India, Sha’can arose with a finger on the pulse of something larger—the critical work being done around the world to reclaim the power of womanhood and a Feminine/Female Divine. Whether in Kolkata or California, academic or activist circles, the past twenty years have seen subordinated communities and individuals finding ways to take back marginalized ideological and literal spaces, often using powerful and sometimes fierce goddesses as allies, inspirations, and provocateurs.  Philosophies such as ecofeminism, through alignment of goddess spirituality with Earth justice<strong> </strong>and the fight for women’s equality, have helped further the cause. So too has the work of Indian and Hindu feminists (for example, Rita Gross, Vandana Shiva, and Rani Jethmalani) who have utilized the goddess, often particularized as Kali, and the principles of Śākta Tantra, the goddess-honoring path of embodied Hindu spirituality, to fight patriarchal religious and cultural norms, dictates, and oppressions.   Finally, the field of women’s spirituality and the rubrics of Pagan thought and practice have offered an embrace toward dynamic discourse and life-affirming ceremony that many have described as a distinct home coming for a fully integrated sense of self and purpose within the realm of living spirituality.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe Sha’can tradition arose in 1998 from this admixture, with an emphasis on connection between the truths offered by Śākta Tantra and the realities of today’s world—realities that are recognized as both freeing and limiting.  Seeking “the bridging of East and West through (r)evolutionary, embodied spirituality, <i>sadhana</i> (spiritual practice), wisdom teachings, and worship of the Goddess in Her myriad forms,” especially as Kali Maa, “our beloved Dark Mother…a change agent for our times…helping to transform, empower, and heal individuals, communities, and the planet,” Sha’can originally evolved within the crucible of the San Francisco-based SHARANYA community in a hotbed of cross-cultural and diverse spiritual influences. It has, since its formation, expanded to include a Southern California presence and larger global community through online courses and the work of practitioners and initiates, notably in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThe tradition, I believe, is potentially an exciting case study for the development of Hinduism in America with ramifications for the new religious movement. Sitting poised in a synchretism of faith honoring Shaktism and contemporary Paganism, Sha’can, much like American Buddhism, is co-created from ancient roots in a new land.  Additionally, while Sha’can in my mind is not part of the Indo-Pagan movement (because it is an innovation of Shakta Hindu philosophy and the(a)ology rather than a tradition that offers space for Hindu deities and ritual within established or newly established Pagan pathways), others within the tradition do consider it a manifestation of the rise in popularity and awareness of Hindu deities increasingly incorporated into different varieties of Paganism. Either way, the tradition stands ready to welcome those seeking an expression for their devotion to and yearning for Goddess in and through the forms, symbols, tools and practices that She offers via-a-vis Hindu Śākta Tantra and its contemporary expressions.  Sha’can seeks to make the experience of worship and devotion relevant to these times at the same time that it drives for an honoring of those teachers and practitioners, past, present and future, who have grown and continue to grow Shakta Tantra in India and beyond.<br><br>\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful if I explain that as the tradition’s initial conjurer, I affirm a Śākta lineage with initiation in India (into both dualistic and non-dualistic forms of Tantra) at the same time that I recognize my situatedness as a woman born and raised in the developed West. My cultural and initial spiritual influences therefore have been largely Abrahamic or Abrahamic-infused. This, when combined with a radical feminist stance and ecofeminist spirituality, have created in me a recognition of the importance of the Witch and various manifestations of antinomian spirituality that honor Earth as well as the female and feminine (on both micro-and macro-cosmic scales) toward overcoming patriarchal religions and religious influences. Thus, I priestess our <em>puja </em>(worship) ceremonies by chanting mantras in Sanskrit, casting a circle in a Pagan-recognizable way, and invoking directions saying, “Hail and welcome! CA HUM PHAT, SVAHA!” at the end to concretize the energy.  In this light, Sha’can rituals have been described by Pagans as immediately accessible despite some of the language barriers (we do our best to explain unfamiliar meanings and ask for a deepening into personal experience), and by Indian Hindus as, “feeling like I was in my home village temple.” We are humbled on both accounts and excited by what this portends.<br><br>\r\n\r\n<strong>The Role of Goddess Kali in Sha’can</strong><br><br>\r\n\r\nOften, those who seek the Mysteries touch on the fringes of what Goddess Kali offers, yet stay away because they are afraid. Some are afraid, with due cause, of cultural appropriation.  ”I am not from India or Hindu,” some might say, “and therefore, worshiping a goddess such as Kali, with roots in a living goddess tradition, is out of bounds for me.” Others might just be afraid, period.<br><br>\r\n\r\nCertainly, it should be acknowledged that how this goddess is typically represented inspires reaction. No account of Kali could possibly leave out Her image and iconography, for even in India—let alone the Goddess-fearing West—She is something to behold. Many are already familiar with Her black-skinned, skull-adorned appearance; yet there is more than meets the eye to Her manifest presence and its significance. Not only do Her symbols convey spiritual revelations, but the fact of Her existence today in the minds and hearts of devotees around the world (some of Hindu birth, others not) is inspiring of something even greater, not the least of which is moves beyond the confines of religion with a call for social justice—sometimes born of spiritual longing.<br><br>\r\n\r\nWithin Sha’can, we recognize the esoteric wisdom of opening to the presence of energy—Shakti—and consciousness—Shiva—within ourselves in order to harmonize and understand Self with regard for and in relationship to the life-force as present both in nature and the unseen world.  We recognize that Goddess today is becoming a “transaction between contexts, encouraging us to discover how the two contexts [of human and divine] can illuminate each other in new and sometimes unexpected ways.”  For us, Kali is that light, presenting us with a radical role model and helping those seeking expanded cosmogonies, cosmologies and consciousness to break through limiting fears so that the biases of the Western milieu, wherever it is found and particularized through agents of patriarchy (such as religious, educational, social and cultural institutions), may be overcome.<br><br>\r\n\r\nThrough the ancient traditions of Goddess worship still practiced today in Hindu South Asia and especially as made relevant for those without otherwise religious or cultural access to the Divine Female<strong> </strong>and Divine Feminine in ways that are empowering for actual women, the Sha’can tradition offers a glimpse through Kali worship and the practices of Shakta Tantra at possibilities for the Feminine and female that lie outside of limiting constructs. Certainly, patriarchy plays a role in religions everywhere, and religions of Goddess are no exception. Yet, within Hindu Shakta Tantra conjured in conjunction with ecofeminist spirituality, we are finding expanded notions of divinity and (r)evolutionary potentials for engagement in the world that promote healing and peace in response to patriarchy and its agendas.<br><br>\r\n\r\nI should note that as I type, an image of Kali greets my gaze. I focus on Her black feet sporting golden anklets, with the residue of <em>alta</em>, a red plant-based, semi-permanent dye, decorating the outline of the soles and spaces in-between the toes. Join me in this gaze for a moment. From this perspective, we are internally bowed low. We are spiritually naked before Adya Maa, the Primordial Dark Goddess, and here, we may come just a bit closer to an understanding of who She is and what She offers. I argue that here, the Witch and the Tantrick meet to create, enliven and empower us all!\r\n\r\n<hr />\r\n\r\nChandra Alexandre<br>\r\nAs originally published in <i><a href=\"http://religionnerd.com/2011/04/17/a-walk-on-the-wild-side-introduction-to-a-goddess-honoring-tradition-where-the-witch-and-the-tantrick-meet/\">Religion Nerd</a></i>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-tradition\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Tradition','','inherit','open','open','','99129-revision-v1','','','2013-08-29 19:54:58','2013-08-30 02:54:58','',99129,'Sha\'can is a <i>marga</i> (way or path) of Goddess-worshiping Hinduism—an authentic lineage tradition of Śākta Tantra. It is born from and honoring of the old, relevant to the circumstances of today, and grounded in the potentials of tomorrow. Passed on t',0,'revision','',0),(99831,2,'2013-08-29 19:57:39','2013-08-30 02:57:39','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<p>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n<I>So mote it be!</I><br><br>\r\n<br><br><p>\r\n\r\n<font face=wingdings size=+6 color=9C1601>\\</font></center>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded in 1999 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms. We open our doors and our hearts to those who seek to know Her, and we have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion. Further, we make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings. We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male. We actively strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine archetypes in the spaces of Self and World.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-29 19:57:39','2013-08-30 02:57:39','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of',0,'revision','',0),(99832,2,'2013-08-29 21:52:19','2013-08-30 04:52:19','','Articles','','publish','closed','closed','','articles','','','2013-08-29 21:52:19','2013-08-30 04:52:19','',0,'',0,'th_slideshows','',0),(99833,2,'2013-08-29 21:48:23','2013-08-30 04:48:23','','Jai Mata Di','','inherit','open','open','','dsc_0896','','','2013-08-29 21:48:23','2013-08-30 04:48:23','',99832,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(99834,2,'2013-08-29 21:58:08','2013-08-30 04:58:08','','Videos','','publish','closed','closed','','videos','','','2013-08-29 21:58:08','2013-08-30 04:58:08','',0,'',0,'th_slideshows','',0),(99835,2,'2013-08-29 21:55:57','2013-08-30 04:55:57','','Trishuls','','inherit','open','open','','dscn0832','','','2013-08-29 21:55:57','2013-08-30 04:55:57','',99834,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(99836,2,'2013-08-29 22:07:17','2013-08-30 05:07:17','','About Us','','publish','closed','closed','','about-us','','','2013-10-16 10:37:15','2013-10-16 17:37:15','',0,'',0,'th_slideshows','',0),(99837,2,'2013-08-29 22:02:04','2013-08-30 05:02:04','','Kali Maa','','inherit','open','open','','dsc_0047','','','2013-08-29 22:02:04','2013-08-30 05:02:04','',99836,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(99838,2,'2013-08-29 22:15:21','2013-08-30 05:15:21','','Contact Us','','publish','closed','closed','','contact-us','','','2013-08-29 22:16:39','2013-08-30 05:16:39','',0,'',0,'th_slideshows','',0),(99839,2,'2013-08-29 22:13:06','2013-08-30 05:13:06','','Contact Us','','inherit','open','open','','dsc_0399','','','2013-08-29 22:13:06','2013-08-30 05:13:06','',99838,'',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(99840,2,'2013-08-29 22:15:58','2013-08-30 05:15:58','[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Comments?\"]\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\r\n[/tab][tab title=\"Info\"]270 Upland Drive\r\nSan Francisco, CA 94127\r\nTel: (415) 505-6840\r\nEmail: <a title=\"Inquiry\" href=\"mailto:info@sharanya.org\" target=\"_blank\">info@sharanya.org</a>\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','','','2013-08-29 22:15:58','2013-08-30 05:15:58','',99158,'[tabgroup]\r\n\r\n[tab title=\"Comments?\"]\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\"',0,'revision','',0),(99841,2,'2013-08-30 15:30:00','2013-08-30 22:30:00','On Sunday morning, I awoke from Samhain dreamtime to a recollection that I had something to do. Still feeling the presence of the ancients and moreover, some very achy muscles from a few good hours of altar building for SHARANYA\'s <a href=\"http://www.sharanya.org/webgalleries\">Spiral Dance South Fire Altar</a>, I reviewed my notes for the day ahead. Ah, yes, <a href=\"http://www.sharanya.org/articles/audio/\">Creatrix Media Live</a> was hosting a show and had asked me to help focus a discussion on the Dark Times...specifically, these dark times.\r\n<img src=\"http://www.sharanya.org/images/South%20Altar%20Spiral%20Dance%20103109.jpg\" align=left>\r\nWhat is conjured for you in this mentioning? \r\n\r\nWe considered much in our conversation, but naturally, the conversation turned toward the presence of the Dark Mother Herself, Kali Maa. Kali Maa as embracing and compassionate mother; Kali Maa as terrifying goddess; Kali Maa as equalizer, facilitator of social justice; Kali Maa as Goddess for our times.  Joining the discussion were many powerful women (Max Dashu, D\'vorah Grenn, Marsha Citra Lange, Jayne DeMente, Anniitra Ravenmoon and others) who know well how She helps us see through the obfuscations of truth that media and institutions uphold, who asks that we take personal responsibility, who calls us to action. We acknowledged the quick and ready relationship between our spirituality, Her presence, and action on behalf of the marginal--even when (and sometimes especially when) that marginal is to be found within ourselves.  \r\n\r\nAt this time of the year, when so many are aware of how the darkness of the shortened days reflects our inward turning and the metaphorical darkness to be engaged in the recesses of our souls, we also recognize the power of just one small ray of light to illuminate the world. This is the story of Divali, the Festival of Lights for many in South Asia. And those at Reclaiming\'s Spiral Dance at the Witches\' New Year this past night danced this dance of darkness and light, of inward turning and outward expression, and did so joyously and with great, passionate energy. This passionate energy was contained too in the south altar SHARANYA built and charged singing Maa\'s names. This sacred space held the potency of Shmashan Kali, Goddess of Cremation Grounds, She Who Burns Away. The process of letting go, of surrendering, of falling into oneself so that one may be propelled by the heart\'s yearning for love back into this reality, was our prayer for all gathered.  \r\n\r\nLater on New Year\'s Day, Satya, Haravallabha and I came together in community to offer up all the prayers gathered from our Shmashan Kali altar that visitors and devotees had contributed on pink slips of paper to our cauldron...and there were plenty to burn! Sitting around a fire, we chanted OM KRIM KALYAI NAMAH and brought each to our heart in turn, asking that the Divine Mother hear their prayers and be with them in this time, whatever that might hold for each person. The work completed, we consecrated the energy of our personal invocations and the transformational power of the fire by placing some of the ashes on our foreheads. Our right thumbs making the tilak, we spoke the blessing and gratitude, Jai Maa!\r\n\r\nWith all we have raised this weekend through song, dance, and collective wisdom, I invite us to honor that  energy of darkness, of transformational power, and of personal ego surrendered to the Divine Will...that it be held continuously and reinvoked as we deal with our individual and collective Dark Nights of the Soul, and as we travel willingly or are spurred on by crisis, into Her embrace. \r\n\r\nHappy New Year - May the Blessings of Goddess be forever in your heart! \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n','Dark Times, Divali, & Dancing the Spiral','','inherit','open','open','','99048-autosave-v1','','','2013-08-30 15:30:00','2013-08-30 22:30:00','',99048,'On Sunday morning, I awoke from Samhain dreamtime to a recollection that I had something to do. Still feeling the presence of the ancients and moreover, some very achy muscles from a few good hours of altar building for SHARANYA\'s <a href=\"http://www.shar',0,'revision','',0),(99842,2,'2013-08-30 16:51:27','2013-08-30 23:51:27','','front_logo','','inherit','open','open','','front_logo-2','','','2013-08-30 16:51:27','2013-08-30 23:51:27','',0,'',0,'attachment','image/gif',0),(99843,2,'2013-08-30 22:41:20','2013-08-31 05:41:20','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b>\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i></center><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—in Self and World.</li>\r\n	<li>We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</li>\r\n	<li>We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</li>\r\n	<li>We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</li>\r\n	<li>We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 22:41:20','2013-08-31 05:41:20','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and r',0,'revision','',0),(99844,2,'2013-08-30 22:43:12','2013-08-31 05:43:12','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n<br><br>\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—in Self and World.</li>\r\n	<li>We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</li>\r\n	<li>We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</li>\r\n	<li>We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</li>\r\n	<li>We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 22:43:12','2013-08-31 05:43:12','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of',0,'revision','',0),(99845,2,'2013-08-30 22:44:03','2013-08-31 05:44:03','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n<br><br>\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—in Self and World.</li>\r\n	<li>We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</li>\r\n	<li>We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</li>\r\n	<li>We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</li>\r\n	<li>We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 22:44:03','2013-08-31 05:44:03','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of',0,'revision','',0),(99846,2,'2013-08-30 22:45:28','2013-08-31 05:45:28','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n<br><br>\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</li>\r\n	<li>We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</li>\r\n	<li>We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</li>\r\n	<li>We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</li>\r\n	<li>We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 22:45:28','2013-08-31 05:45:28','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of',0,'revision','',0),(99847,2,'2013-08-30 22:50:25','2013-08-31 05:50:25','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n<br><br>\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</li>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.<br>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.<br>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.<br>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.<br>\r\n</ul>\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 22:50:25','2013-08-31 05:50:25','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of',0,'revision','',0),(99848,2,'2013-08-30 22:51:22','2013-08-31 05:51:22','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n<br><br>\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n<ul>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.<br><br>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.<br>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.<br><br>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.<br><br>\r\n	<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.<br><br>\r\n</ul>\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 22:51:22','2013-08-31 05:51:22','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of',0,'revision','',0),(99849,2,'2013-08-30 22:55:03','2013-08-31 05:55:03','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul><br>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul>\r\n</ul><br>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul>\r\n</ul><br>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul>\r\n</ul><br>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 22:55:03','2013-08-31 05:55:03','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geo',0,'revision','',0),(99850,2,'2013-08-30 22:58:06','2013-08-31 05:58:06','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul>\r\n</ul><br>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul>\r\n</ul><br>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 22:58:06','2013-08-31 05:58:06','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99851,2,'2013-10-18 22:55:00','2013-10-19 05:55:00','SHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know the Divine beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in embodied, goddess-centered tradition as birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is path of strengthening oneself to employ spiritual technologies in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\n\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\n\n<ol><b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i></ol>\n\n<ol><b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i></ol>\n\n<ol><b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i></ol>\n\n<center>\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\n\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\n\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\n\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\n\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\n\n<br>\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\n\n<h3>Priorities</h3>\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms. In our community:<br><br>\n\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\n\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We dedicate ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></ul>\n\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></ul>\n\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We embrace the work of conscious relationship and a own a strong commitment to compassion.</ul></ul>\n\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></ul>\n&nbsp;\n\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-autosave-v1','','','2013-10-18 22:55:00','2013-10-19 05:55:00','',20,'SHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know the Divine beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic l',0,'revision','',0),(99852,2,'2013-08-30 23:01:25','2013-08-31 06:01:25','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul><br>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:01:25','2013-08-31 06:01:25','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99853,2,'2013-08-30 23:02:31','2013-08-31 06:02:31','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul><br>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:02:31','2013-08-31 06:02:31','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99854,2,'2013-08-30 23:03:48','2013-08-31 06:03:48','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span></p> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:03:48','2013-08-31 06:03:48','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99855,2,'2013-08-30 23:04:46','2013-08-31 06:04:46','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:04:46','2013-08-31 06:04:46','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99856,2,'2013-08-30 23:06:52','2013-08-31 06:06:52','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:06:52','2013-08-31 06:06:52','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99857,2,'2013-08-30 23:07:23','2013-08-31 06:07:23','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:07:23','2013-08-31 06:07:23','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99858,2,'2013-08-30 23:07:44','2013-08-31 06:07:44','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:07:44','2013-08-31 06:07:44','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99859,2,'2013-08-30 23:08:21','2013-08-31 06:08:21','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:08:21','2013-08-31 06:08:21','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99860,2,'2013-08-30 23:08:57','2013-08-31 06:08:57','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:08:57','2013-08-31 06:08:57','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99861,2,'2013-08-30 23:09:43','2013-08-31 06:09:43','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span><li>We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</li></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:09:43','2013-08-31 06:09:43','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99862,2,'2013-08-30 23:10:38','2013-08-31 06:10:38','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span><ul>We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:10:38','2013-08-31 06:10:38','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99863,2,'2013-08-30 23:11:21','2013-08-31 06:11:21','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></p>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></p>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:11:21','2013-08-31 06:11:21','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99864,2,'2013-08-30 23:13:06','2013-08-31 06:13:06','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms—throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:13:06','2013-08-31 06:13:06','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99865,2,'2013-08-30 23:13:59','2013-08-31 06:13:59','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:13:59','2013-08-31 06:13:59','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99866,2,'2013-08-30 23:15:00','2013-08-31 06:15:00','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<ul><b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i></ul><br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul><b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i></ul><br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul><b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i></ul><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:15:00','2013-08-31 06:15:00','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99867,2,'2013-08-30 23:15:39','2013-08-31 06:15:39','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<ol><b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i></ol><br><br>\r\n\r\n<ol><b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i></ol><br><br>\r\n\r\n<ol><b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i></ol><br><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:15:39','2013-08-31 06:15:39','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99868,2,'2013-08-30 23:16:05','2013-08-31 06:16:05','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<ol><b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i></ol><br>\r\n\r\n<ol><b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i></ol><br>\r\n\r\n<ol><b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i></ol><br>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:16:05','2013-08-31 06:16:05','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99869,2,'2013-08-30 23:16:35','2013-08-31 06:16:35','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<ol><b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i></ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i></ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i></ol>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:16:35','2013-08-31 06:16:35','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99870,2,'2013-08-30 23:17:55','2013-08-31 06:17:55','[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundaries of geography and religious dogma. With an authentic lineage in Shakta Tantra (embodied goddess-centered spirituality) birthed in northeastern India and contextualized for today, ours is an honoring of traditional spiritual technologies employed in service to personal transformation and social justice. Our tradition is called <a title=\"The Tradition\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/about-us/the-tradition-2/\">Sha\'can</a>.<br><br>\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Covenant\" active=\"\"]\r\n\r\n<ol><b>I. Sa\'ham (She I am). </b> <i>I am the Goddess manifest; I recognize Her in all of Creation.</i></ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><b>II. I remember all that is, was and ever will be.</b> <i>Live the present moment, honor the ancestors, respect the future generations;  time is not linear, but travels in a sacred spiral that spans all of existence.</i></ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><b>III. I provoke, invoke and live the Divine Will.</b> <i>Commit to transforming yourself, your community and the planet by doing the work of spirituality; make your practice that of the awakened mystic in our time.</i></ol>\r\n\r\n<center>\r\n<b>Evam Astu!</b><br>\r\n\r\n<i>So mote it be!</i><br><br>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: xx-large;\">\\</span></center>[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Mission\" active=\"\"]To promote healing, truth, and personal transformation through integration of embodied worship, spiritual discipline and devotion, creating an engaged spirituality in service to social justice.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Our Vision\" active=\"\"]Our vision is of a harmonious global community where our inherent divinity—the essence of male and female—is welcomed, balanced, sustained, honored, and celebrated as quintessential to creation. Through open hearts, surrendered egos, willingness, and a deep commitment, we create a compassionate and strong, safe space to engage spirituality that brings Devi, Goddess, home to each one of us.[/toggle]\r\n\r\n<br>\r\nThe word SHARANYA is from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India, and means \"refuge\" or \"sanctuary.\" Founded on August 2, 1998 by a scholar and activist, this public charity (EIN: 94-3334334) received federal tax-exempt status in February 2002 in order to support a local and international community through a variety of programs and services.<br><br>\r\n\r\nOur community is open to all seeking to better understand the ways of Goddess—particularly in her antinomian, chthonic, relational, cyclical, and embodied forms:<br><br>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> We seek to know Her throughout the spaces of Self and World.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We have dedicated ourselves to Her devotion.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We make a commitment to action and service for the betterment of all beings.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We embrace the work of conscious relationship between the Sacred Female and Sacred Male.</ul></ul>\r\n\r\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><ul><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span>  We strive to resacralize the Feminine and unpathologize the Masculine.</ul></ul>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"general\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','About Us','','inherit','open','open','','20-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:17:55','2013-08-31 06:17:55','',20,'[teaser title=\"About Us\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA is a unique 501(c)(3) religious organization and <em>Devi Mandir</em> (goddess temple) evolving Śākta Tantra from ancient roots to serve those who seek to know Goddess beyond the boundarie',0,'revision','',0),(99871,2,'2013-08-30 23:18:39','2013-08-31 06:18:39','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nSHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Crossing Over / Burial Rites / Funerals\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:18:39','2013-08-31 06:18:39','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99872,2,'2013-08-30 23:19:27','2013-08-31 06:19:27','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nSHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Crossing Over / Burial Rites / Funerals\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:19:27','2013-08-31 06:19:27','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99873,2,'2013-08-30 23:21:00','2013-08-31 06:21:00','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nSHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Crossing Over / Burial Rites &amp; Funerals</ol>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:21:00','2013-08-31 06:21:00','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99874,2,'2013-08-30 23:21:43','2013-08-31 06:21:43','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\nSHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Crossing Over, Burial Rites &amp; Funerals</ol>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:21:43','2013-08-31 06:21:43','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99875,2,'2013-08-30 23:22:05','2013-08-31 06:22:05','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n<br>SHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Crossing Over, Burial Rites &amp; Funerals</ol>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:22:05','2013-08-31 06:22:05','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99876,2,'2013-08-30 23:22:48','2013-08-31 06:22:48','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n<br><br>SHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Crossing Over, Burial Rites &amp; Funerals</ol>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:22:48','2013-08-31 06:22:48','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99877,2,'2013-08-30 23:23:30','2013-08-31 06:23:30','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp\r\nSHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Crossing Over, Burial Rites &amp; Funerals</ol>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:23:30','2013-08-31 06:23:30','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99878,2,'2013-08-30 23:23:51','2013-08-31 06:23:51','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. As a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Crossing Over, Burial Rites &amp; Funerals</ol>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:23:51','2013-08-31 06:23:51','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99879,2,'2013-08-30 23:24:34','2013-08-31 06:24:34','SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement with Maa and Her creation through <i>seva</i> or spiritual service. We welcome new community participation in all of our endeavors. <br><br>\r\n\r\nAs a spiritual seeker, you are invited to attend our public services and to learn about the Sha\'can tradition by sitting in circle and volunteering. If you wish to participate but are located far from our home, we invite you to enroll in <a title=\"Kali Vidya\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/resources/kali-vidya/\">Kali Vidya</a>.\r\n\r\nThere are always opportunities for newcomers and those established in our circles and community, as well as for our extended family near and far, to join us. Help deepen and expand our offerings as well as your personal commitment to community as you feel called. We welcome your participation and inspiration!\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Get involved\" active=\"\"]We function on multiple levels to meet the needs of our community and to serve the overall mission and vision of the organization. Briefly, we are dedicated to:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Offering worship services and fulfilling the spiritual needs of community</li>\r\n	<li>Co-creating the Sha\'can tradition as a spiritual evolution of Eastern and Western thought, the(a)ology, experience, and devotion</li>\r\n	<li>Making the Divine Feminine/Divine Female in all Her guises, but particularly those of South Asian lineage honored by the Shakta Tantric path, accessible to Westerners</li>\r\n	<li>Informing about South Asian culture and religion</li>\r\n	<li>Offering rites of passage and life ceremonies</li>\r\n	<li>Facilitating transformation for young girls and women in peer-to-peer circles and mentorship programs in order to promote self-esteem and empowerment</li>\r\n	<li>Providing spiritual pilgrimage opportunities and educational materials</li>\r\n	<li>Promoting projects engaged in interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural awareness</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nReview our website for information on these initiatives and <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\">contact us</a> if we may provide additional information about ways to participate in the SHARANYA community.\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Volunteer\" active=\"\"]Visit our VolunteerMatch page to learn about current volunteer needs in support of the organization.\r\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/results/org_detail.jsp?orgid=16615\" target=\"other\">\r\n<img alt=\"[VolunteerMatch - Where Volunteering Begins.]\" src=\"http://www.volunteermatch.org/images/2.0/new_logo.gif\" width=\"207\" height=\"102\" border=\"0\" /></a></p>\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n\r\nSHARANYA clergy and elders also serve local community by offering various spiritual services:\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"Services\" active=\"\"]<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Weddings, Handfasting &amp; Commitment Ceremonies</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Renewal of Vows</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Spiritual Guidance</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Birth Rituals &amp; Blessingways</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Coming of Age, Puberty Rites &amp; Menarche Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Croning &amp; Menopause Rituals</ol>\r\n\r\n<ol><span style=\"color: #9c1601; font-family: wingdings; font-size: x-large;\">{</span> Crossing Over, Burial Rites &amp; Funerals</ol>\r\n\r\n[/toggle]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n','Community','','inherit','open','open','','99127-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:24:34','2013-08-31 06:24:34','',99127,'SHARANYA is a small and growing community-supported organization, run fully by devotee volunteers. All of our work in the world, from pujas and meditation circles, to project work in India, is carried out from a place of love and desire for engagement wit',0,'revision','',0),(99880,2,'2013-08-30 23:29:17','2013-08-31 06:29:17','[teaser title=\"Events\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA hosts a variety of events, public worship and community gatherings in a dedicated temple space, our Sanctuary. Review our calendar to see regular offerings of worship to the Divine Mother, <i>amavasya</i> (new moon) and <i>purnima</i> (full moon) satsangs, earth-based ceremonies, special services, and monthly public pujas. <a title=\"Contact Us\" href=\"http://sharanya.org/contact-us/\" target=\"_blank\">Contact us </a>to learn more. We look forward to welcoming you in circle soon!<br><br>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[event layout=\"full\"]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"events\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','Events','','inherit','open','open','','99131-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:29:17','2013-08-31 06:29:17','',99131,'[teaser title=\"Events\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nSHARANYA hosts a variety of events, public worship and community gatherings in a dedicated temple space, our Sanctuary. Review our calendar to see regular offerings of worship to the Divine Mother, <i>am',0,'revision','',0),(99881,2,'2013-08-30 23:41:04','2013-08-31 06:41:04','','The Path','','publish','closed','closed','','the-path','','','2013-10-17 22:55:10','2013-10-18 05:55:10','',0,'',0,'th_slideshows','',0),(99882,2,'2013-08-30 23:46:10','2013-08-31 06:46:10','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe 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.\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.\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.\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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[teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/the-path/commitment/\" title=\"Commitment\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SF-Oct-08-123-e1377064887832.jpg\" ]Commitment[/teaser]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:46:10','2013-08-31 06:46:10','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe 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 understan',0,'revision','',0),(99883,2,'2013-08-30 23:49:41','2013-08-31 06:49:41','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\r\n\r\nThe 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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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[teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/the-path/commitment/\" title=\"Commitment\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SF-Oct-08-123-e1377064887832.jpg\" ]Commitment[/teaser]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:49:41','2013-08-31 06:49:41','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99884,2,'2013-08-30 23:50:37','2013-08-31 06:50:37','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\r\n\r\nThe 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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\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.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\r\n\r\n[toggle type=\"gray\" title=\"The Kaula\" active=\"\"]\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[teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/the-path/commitment/\" title=\"Commitment\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SF-Oct-08-123-e1377064887832.jpg\" ]Learn more...[/teaser]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:50:37','2013-08-31 06:50:37','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),(99885,2,'2013-08-30 23:53:03','2013-08-31 06:53:03','[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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=\"\"]\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[teaser url=\"http://sharanya.org/the-path/commitment/\" title=\"Commitment\" src=\"http://sharanya.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SF-Oct-08-123-e1377931737101.jpg\" ]Learn more...[/teaser]\r\n\r\n[testimonials category=\"the-path\" time=\"10\" effect=\"fade\" ]','The Path','','inherit','open','open','','99140-revision-v1','','','2013-08-30 23:53:03','2013-08-31 06:53:03','',99140,'[teaser title=\"The Path\"][/teaser]<br><br><br><br>\r\n\r\nThe 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 ',0,'revision','',0),