Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power

This book takes us on a pilgrimage to explore the Goddess Durga in ancient and contemporary culture. The mythology, rituals, philosophy, and spiritual practices of this distinctly female-centered and millennia-old tradition of Durga offer female potential and empowerment, focusing on peace, healing, spiritual liberation, and realization of inherent divinity.

Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power is an exploration of the many faces of the Goddess Durga in ancient and contemporary culture. This book takes us on a pilgrimage to goddess temples and natural shrines, to visit shamans and living goddesses in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, and to India for the annual ten-day Durga Festival. The mythology, rituals, philosophy, and spiritual practices of this distinctly female-centered and millennia-old tradition of Durga offer an alternative model of female potential and empowerment, focusing on peace, healing, spiritual liberation, and realization of inherent divinity.

Part 1 Foreword
Part 2 Preface
Part 3 Acknowledgements
Part 4 Introduction Encountering Durga
Part 5 The Teachings of Goddess Durga
Chapter 6 Chapter One Durga: Goddess of Paradox
Chapter 7 Chapter Two Tantra, Kaula, and Sakta Tradition
Chapter 8 Chapter Three Durga as Bhagawati: The Power of the Yoni
Chapter 9 Chapter Four The Art of Pilgrimage and the Durga Puja
Part 10 Durga Puja: The Ten-Day Harvest Festival
Chapter 11 Day One Saraswati: Goddess of Creativity
Chapter 12 Day Two The Kumari: Living Virgin Goddess
Chapter 13 Day Three Mai, Ajima: Ancient Mother, Ancient Grandmother
Chapter 14 Day Four Laksmi: Goddess of Abundance
Chapter 15 Day Five The Eight Matrkas: The Power of Women in Groups
Chapter 16 Day Six The Yogini: Goddess and Priestess of Erotic Arts and Mysteries
Chapter 17 Day Seven Kali: Goddess of Transformation
Chapter 18 Day Eight Taleju: Women's Blood Mysteries
Chapter 19 Day Nine Nine Durgas: Goddesses of Liminality
Chapter 20 Day Ten Durga's Victory
Part 21 Glossary of Sanskrit Terms
Part 22 Bibliography
Part 23 Index