Working with Dark Goddesses

Working with dark goddesses is not for everyone. While some people might find themselves immediately drawn to the dark goddess and feel a connection on first sight, others may feel that they are "dark" or "evil" and try their best to avoid them. The following is an account of how I worked with three Goddesses: Kali, Hecate, and Inanna. I do not mean to speak for anyone else's experience or opinions, but I hope that this can be used as a reference for others who may find themselves in similar situations.

My experiences working with the dark goddesses have been wonderful. However, they also included some very intense experiences that varied between anger/rage and sorrow/grief. This is not typical for everyone nor is it something that happened every time and I do not mean to convey that all dark goddess experiences will be like this. However, if you do decide to work with the Goddesses listed below or other dark Goddesses, please proceed with caution and know that they can sometimes have very intense personalities which are not always pleasant.

Keeping in mind that even though Kali, Hecate and Inanna are all considered "dark" goddesses, each one has their own distinct personality which makes them different from any other energy. I'd also like to address the "dark" aspect of these goddesses. Personally I think "dark" is an inaccurate term for these Goddesses, rather they are transformational goddesses. Goddess who endure and embrace but the light and dark and transform through it both. We can't have one without the other. We can't always have good days and that doesn't mean that bad days aren't good. They journey through it all and they guide you through your own personal transformation. Helping you embrace the good and bad, while providing you with the necessary tools for acceptance and ultimately the greatest blessings.

We can't except to live a life we've always wanted to live without shedding or letting go of the things (people, ideologies, jobs) that don't align with that dream. Transformation is a growth that often times requires out growing people, places, etc. But if you are willing to go through that transformation with these goddess, I can promise you this, you will be blessed and gifted along the way. Even in the darkest moments and challenges they provide a light for you and guide you.

Kali

I had my first experience with Kali when I was around fourteen years of age. However, the memories were not fully accessible until I was in college. At that point, I began exploring Kali more fully.

Kali is considered to be the black Mother Goddess who is fierce and dark but also nurturing at the same time. From my experience, she is very intense especially when you are in her presence or seeking her out for guidance/advice/energy. It's never hard to find her but you will know when she is around or has visited. The best way I can describe it is that the temperature in the room drops quite a bit and everything becomes heavy.

It was not unusual for me to cry when working with Kali. Sometimes this happened because of what she revealed about my life, other times it happened for reasons I was uncertain of. However, it never ceased to amaze me how much Kali revealed about me and my life. When I was unsure of continuing my college education I went to Kali for guidance and with her I found the passion and strength to conquer my undergrad years with a fierceness that I can’t even begin to explain. I went from dropping out to a leader on my campus with almost straight A’s.

Inanna

My first interaction with Inanna was a year after graduating college and I was deeply feeling lost in my corporate America job that was a huge blessing but not very satisfying. Like Kali, Inanna can be intense when you are in her presence. However, compared to Kali, she is not as violent or dark even though she does have a deep/intense nature. She loves deeply but knows how to hold her ground when needed.

Inanna is deeply passionate about her loves and passions, but she can also be very possessive. When she loved someone or something, it was with every fiber of her being which meant that when they left her or betrayed her in some way, she could become quite angry.

I never felt that anger from her. She always surrounded me with a mother like light. She was patient but tough. When I wouldn’t push myself she always found a way to push me and provide a cushion to catch me. My experience with Inanna has been the most transformational in regards to helping me love all of me and seeing even my weakest traits as my greatest strengths that are full of blessings.

Hecate

Hecate is the Goddess of dark magick and wisdom. She has been associated with death, magic/spells, The Underworld, crossroads and hounds. Out of the three Goddesses above, she has been the hardest for me to work with but has given me the most wisdom in return.

Hecate is deeply intelligent and knows her magick well, but she one of the main Goddesses who did not like to answer questions directly. She would reveal what I needed to know but it was up to me to figure things out on my own. I do not mean that it has to take me a long time to figure things out, but that it was up to my own intuition/intellect what I do with the knowledge that she provides.

For years Hecate and I have danced around each other. Her always in the shadows watching me. Often with a tisk tisk tisk vibe when ignoring my better judgement or allowing others to get the best of me. It's always been a wisdom guidance. A trust your own truth and let know one else define you.

I'm not going to lie. My journey with Hecate has been the most difficult and the most uncomfortable but more rewarding on a deeper spiritual and mental level.

Healing With The Dark Goddesses

My personal belief is that the darkness within us all needs to be addressed and healed. If you leave it there, you run the risk of it developing into something more like anger or resentment (which ultimately turns into depression). This is the purest forum of darkness. A place we have to embrace but not live in.

'Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.' - Dorothy Thompson

Our dark Goddesses can show us how to become truly free by embracing who you are with all your flaws, weaknesses and darkness. They will guide you through this with their fierce love and devotion if we give them the chance and through showing them the same love and devotion. These are goddesses that know their worth, bring the gifts ;)

Working with these Goddesses for me has been like peeling back an onion until eventually I am left with nothing but the truth. The trick is not to ignore or deny these issues within yourself, but to face them head on and conquer them (in whatever way works best for you).

Have you worked with a dark/transformation goddess? How was your journey?