Goddesses of India and their Archetypes in Women

What value do we give to femininity?

It’s a question I wondered about for a long time during the long journeys between one city and another in Rajasthan, a state in Northern India, from which I just returned.

India is a magical land where colours, sounds, flavors and smells, so distant from our habits, envelop the senses with an intensity that Western tourists are often unaccustomed to.

Perhaps it is for this reason that many people remain enchanted by it: the charm and spirituality of this land overwhelms the Western tourist almost as much as the continuous sound of the horns.

Religiosity in India

In India, religiosity and prayer are of the utmost importance in every moment of life: whether it is an offering, a thank you or a request, there is always a divinity to which one can direct one’s prayer. Indian culture is a cradle of ancient knowledge and in every gesture it is possible to see a faith in the divine that the West has forgotten.

Yogis and the Feminine Principle

The Yogis, wise people who anticipated quantum physics with their vision, understood that everything is energy. The manifest expression of divine power is the feminine principle, called Shakti. All divinities, male and female, are an emanation of Shakti, creator of the Universe and of every dimension of existence and consciousness. This multiplicity of forms of the divine feminine immediately shows us how in Hindu culture there is a great awareness of female power as the driving force of every aspect of life on the planet.

Shakti, when represented as a female divinity, takes the name of Devi (Goddess), but is also worshiped through various iconographies that show different archetypal aspects. Each of these Goddesses is the expression of specific qualities that every woman possesses and expresses in her life to a different extent, depending on her character and the circumstances that she finds herself experiencing on a daily basis.

The Three Major Female Divinities

Durga: Warrior Goddess and Slayer of Demons

On the back of a Lion, her iconography recalls that of the Eleventh Major Arcanum of the Tarot, Strength. A woman in tune with the Durga archetype has a natural leadership ability and will defend those who are close to her and who she loves. The Durga woman can do many things well at the same time and has an innate sense of justice.

Lakshmi: Goddess of Beauty and Good Fortune

Like Venus she is born from the waters and if Botticelli had painted the beauty with dark hair and more clothes, he would have painted Lakshmi. This Goddess represents the archetypes of abundance, wealth, generosity and success. The Lakshmi woman seeks romantic attraction, she has an innate sensuality and good taste. A woman, when in contact with the essence of this archetype, is sensitive, receptive, never aggressive and devoted to her male counterpart by whom she wants to be desired.

Saraswati: Goddess of Creation, Arts and Knowledge

All Indian goddesses are connected with creativity, Saraswati however is the only one to embody the creative flow in language and sound. Her Archetype is related to the Second Major Arcanum of the Tarot, The High Priestess.

Despite being the consort of Brahma, the God responsible for the Creation of the World, she is not bound by him, as both are two figures who border on asceticism.

The woman in contact with this archetype is extremely creative and attracted to artistic and intellectual challenges. Within the social context in which she lives she may appear anti-conventional but for her it is not a subversive choice. She simply doesn’t realize the existence of the rules. Saraswati women wrote the first novels and have continued to do so until today and are able to make difficult decisions in a short time because they trust their deepest and most intuitive part with which they are in deep contact.

Other Goddesses and Archetypes

In addition to these three Goddesses, there are many others with completely different aspects and functions. My invitation is to be intrigued by the various archetypal aspects of the Goddess!!

Which Goddess Do You Feel Closest To?

Personally, I feel closer to Saraswati and Durga than Lakshmi. I believe this is partly due to our society’s search for female beauty standards that are almost impossible to achieve. For many women this translates into frustration and dissatisfaction with their body leads to the desire to change it even through invasive methods that are not respectful of their health. Fortunately, the increase in Awareness and Love towards oneself has meant that many women are focusing their attention on research and care for their all-round well-being, in a natural and respectful way for their body and the environment which surrounds them.

By their side, there are brands carefully developed by women for women like InOro, which achieve excellent results thanks to the quality of the raw materials used, without sacrificing respect for the Earth, the Great Mother who hosts us.

Author of the article:

Valeria Billi 

Teacher of Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga, Pilates, and Postural Gymnastics 

FB: Trilly Valeria Billi and La Casa del Ben-Essere 

IG: trillybilli86

Bibliography

“Il risveglio della Shakti. Il potere trasformativo delle Dee dello yoga, Verdechiaro Edizioni”

The awakening of Shakti. The transformative power of the Goddesses of yoga, Verdechiaro Edizioni