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The Goddess and God
The basic answer to that is the Goddess and God, just as in Wicca - although as in some denominations of
Wicca we primarily work with the Great Goddess, Devi Mata, in Her various manifestations. We also honor the God in His
various manifestations, and also Ganesha - the elephant-headed Lord of Obstacles - who we will talk about more
in a bit.
Which particular manifestation(s) of the Devi Mata that a dedicant worships and works with is
completely up to them, as long as it remains within a Hindu context, as that is the focus of Shakti Wicca. Dedicants could
choose Kali, Durga, Sita, Radha, Parvati, Ganga, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Gayatri, or a whole host of other Goddesses outlined
in the innumerable Hindu scriptures.
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| Durga |
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| Kali |
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| Lakshmi |
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| Saraswati |
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But what exactly is Shakti? Following is a bit of text from Wikipedia explaining the complex notion of Shakti:
"In most South Asian languages, Shakti translates literally
as power.
In Hinduism, Shakti is an aspect of Devi, and a personification
of God as the Divine Mother who represents the active, dynamic principles of feminine power. In Shaktism, Shakti is worshiped
as the Supreme Being. Alternatively, in other Hindu traditions, Shakti represents the power of God, called Vishnu or Shiva.
For Vaishnavites, God's power or Shakti is Lakshmi. For Shaivites, God's power is Parvati.
The word Shakti is used in a variety of ways ranging from its use as a way
of signifying the ultimate primordial creative power, to expressing the capacity or power of words to convey meaning. Etymologically
it is derived from the root 'shak,' meaning potency or the potential to produce, an assertion of Her inherent creative aptitude.
All interpretations of the word 'shakti' hold common one parameter, namely
power. Specifically, Shakti means power, force and feminine energy. She represents the fundamental creative instinct underlying
the cosmos, and is the energizing force of all divinity, of every being and every thing. Devotees believe the whole universe
to be a manifestation of Shakti, who is also known by her general name Devi, from the Sanskrit root 'div' which means to shine."
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| The Source as Female & Male |
So in Hinduism, Shakti (also another name for Devi Mata) is the great active Female principal of creation
that interacts with the passive Male principal of dormant possibilities, most often called Shiva, in order to bring about
creation. It is a dance of balance, for one cannot exist without the other.
That is why we honor both the Shakti and Shiva principals.
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| Shiva as Pashupati, Yogic Lord of the Animals |
One of the most ancient representations of Shiva, is this depiction of Pashupati, horned Lord of the Animals, Who appears
to be sitting in a yogic position.
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| The Celtic Stag God, Cernunnos |
It is not hard to draw comparisons with Shiva and the Wiccan God, when one sees this representation of the Celtic
horned god, Cernunnos, from the Gundestrup Cauldron - often used as the archetypal image of the Horned God of Wicca
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In this sense we are a universalist Shakta tradition, taking a monist view of the Creative Source being
One, neither male nor female in gender, but containing all. However, without comprehensible catagories, it is easiest to approach
Divinity in an often myriad of personified forms, and Shakti Wicca uses primarily feminine Divine personifications -
while maintaining the balanced acknowledgment of the joyful dance of creation by both the God (Shiva) and the Goddess (Shakti).
Shakti Wicca members are encouraged to incorporate devotion to any Gods that they see fit, as will
help maintain balance in their spirituality. Simply because we are Goddess-centered does not mean that we denigrate the God,
or lessen His role to that of consort and nothing more. When those energies are needed, they should be tapped into without
reservation or some false notion of Shakti Wicca being a Goddess-exclusive tradition. There are traditions offering that kind
of orientation, and we respect them, but that particular path is not the one followed in Shakti Wicca. Should a member of
Shakti Wicca find themselves called to practice in a Goddess-exclusive manner, they are welcome to - simply maintaining the
awareness and acknowlegment that Shakti Wicca itself does not mandate such an orientation.
Devoted to Ganesha, Lord of Obstacles
In many spiritualities whose origin lies in antiquity, there is a tradition of honoring a "gatekeeper"
God before worshipping any others. Hinduism also has such a gatekeeper, and His name is Ganesha. In mythology He is said to
be the son of Shiva and Parvati, although how exactly He came by that elephant head varies depending of the particular scriptural
source you are reading. Suffice it to say, all the stories end the same, with Ganesha being honored by a proclaimation that
states that all devotees, man and deva alike, must worship Ganesha first, before approaching any other God/desses.
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Hinduism's Divine gatekeeper and Lord of Karma, Ganesha, represented as a kalasha - a water pot topped
with a coconut. This bears a striking resemblance to traditional representations of the African gatekeeper Deity, Eleggua
- Who is also to be worshipped before any other God/desses.
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| Afro-Caribbean "Gatekeeper" Deity, Eleggua |
While the similarity is mainly coincidental, striking cross-cultural parallels such as this one are often seen when
studying comparative religions. When one studies the tribal and folk practices of India's residents, a compelling correspondance
between other tribal practices, such as Voudoun, is seen.
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Ganesha also happens to be the God that is responsible for bringing many non Indian-born people into the
Sanatana Dharma. It my initial attraction to Him that led me to begin including Hindu elements in my spiritual practice, and
I have heard a similar story from many other Westerners who practice Hindu spirituality in varying degrees. People
seem to be drawn to His amusing form, and inevitably begin asking questions about Him, unwittingly being introduced to the
beautiful beliefs and spiritually uplifting traditions of Hinduism.
All of this makes sense when you learn that Ganesha is the Lord of Obstacles, and the Lord of Karma. This
means that it is Ganesha's job to place or remove obstacles from within your path, depending on what your karma dictates.
For instance, if you are experiencing a great deal of difficulty in your life, and even after praying for aid you seem stuck,
it could very well be that these difficulties were placed in your path to help you burn off some negative karma. Although
the experience is unpleasant, the rewards for having fought through it are great. Alternatively, you may encounter difficulties
that, once you have prayed for their resolution, you find have quickly dissapated (often in quite surprising and unexpected
ways). This may be a reward that has been granted as the result of accummulated good karma, or in response to a
promise you have made to perform certain spiritual disciplines that will result in you gaining good karma. All this is a gross
simplification, but you get the point. Ganesha is the one that is in charge of Obstacles, and if you do not honor Him first,
as decreed by Shiva, you will experience unneccessary difficulties in your path - both spiritual and mundane. Ganesha is always
very generous and merciful to His devotees, and He never fails to aid those in need. You can never go wrong with Ganesha on
your side!
Dedicants of Shakti Wicca begin their journey into this eclectic spirituality by fostering a good connection
to and relationship with Ganesha. As Shakti Wiccans will be working with the Hindu pantheon, it is only right that we respect
such an important point of the Hindu cosmology, and honor Ganesha before we honor other God/desses. Ganesha also acts
as an excellent guide, leading the newcomer into the experiences that will result in the dedicant coming into contact with
the Deities that s/he most needs and resonates with. There is no better teacher than Ganesha!
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