How to Create a Living Altar to the Dark Goddess

v. Antinomian

The antinomian is that which sits outside the normative, the socially acceptable, the so-called rational. It is the quality of the Dark Goddess that makes us think about our assumptions, reveals our internalized oppressions, and forces us to look directly at reality without the blinders of cultural, religious, and social frameworks. The fifth of her qualities, with correspondences in Center/Circumference and Ether, the quality of the antinomian is resonant with the Vishuddha Chakra or throat center. This is the seat of Her unfolding into consciousness through sound, the place where both reality and our karma are created through spoken words.

This space encompasses both sound and echo—the arising from the void into vibration and then into engagement with our sense of hearing, with the phenomenal world and back again. Since all sound is carried on ether, practices such as mantra repetition, chanting, kirtan (call and response singing), and sounding in general (with voice or instruments) are important to help uncover this quality of the Dark Goddess.

On your altar, you may wish to keep a rattle, drum, bell, or other instrument that augments or accentuates your voice or the silence as you do ritual, chant, or sing. To know this quality is to move sound, create vibrations, and make waves in the fabric of your being and the world around you. It is to show up as you fully, authentically are, naked to the impositions of family and society. In this way and in a literal sense, digambara (sky-clad) ceremony can be liberating.

Her tool is the murti, or image that you will imbue with life-force energy for worship. The murti can be any object you wish to represent Her. Choose a worthy home for Her, allowing this object to reflect aspects of Her that you wish to honor and to which you will make devotions over time. It can be natural, such as a stone or tree; handcrafted; or purchased in a shop. Unlock her secrets in the anointing, decorating, loving and honoring of Her image, this receptacle for the rapture that is her. Delight in that which will be present through it. If you have selected or created an image with eyes, gaze upon that gateway with intensity of concentration and surrendered self. What you experience, this is an essence of the Dark Goddess.

3. Activating Her

With the Dark Goddess, we can not only discover and work with the transformational powers she possesses, but also find sanctuary in her wisdom, especially in moments of despair, hopelessness, overwhelm, sorrow, and loss. We can find reassurance during times of challenge and crisis because She holds this part of reality too—and holds it along with everything else in loving kindness. Now that you have prepared the space and readied yourself through meditation, contemplation, and other practices, the time is ripe to welcome in the Dark Goddess of your choosing.

To activate Her, we begin with activation of Her qualities. Once we feel the power of these essences, we turn inward, to the place of the indwelling Divine. We open to the qualities within ourselves, utilizing a focus on breath to bring us more deeply into present awareness. Place your hands on your heart, left on top of right palm and breathe as though through this chakra, opening your heart as you continue to deepen your breath. In this place of stimulated alignment between the outer experience of the qualities as you’ve represented them on your altar and your inner awareness of them, imagine the coming together of breath and this awareness deep within at your core. Allow yourself to feel the universe of the inner planes together with consciousness fully present here at the root of your connection to all that lies beyond ego attachment and agendas.

Now, before your altar, keeping your internal focus, gently open your eyes and gaze upon your murti, the image of the goddess you have readied to awaken. Tenderly and with intention, turn your hands outward, keeping left palm on right. Bring your palms over the murti, and imbue the image with the energy you have cultivated. All the while, stay centered with long and slow breaths. To seal the activation, place the ring finger of your right hand (keeping the palms together and merely bending the ring finger) at the heart or center of the murti, and say, “Welcome, Goddess (Name); Evam Astu!” (Evam astu is Sanskrit for “so mote it be.” It is pronounced, “aa-vuhm_ uhs-too.” You may certainly use any other form of concretization or sealing of energy that you wish here.)

With this invocation and awakening through intentional touch of prana (life-force energy), She is now present and your altar is alive. Take a few moments to return the awakened energy to your own heart and other chakras, feeling Her energy now through this nyasa (placement) within you. Honor Her living presence wholeheartedly, with reverence and respect. You may wish to make offerings to Her (such as food, jewelry, flowers, incense and other delightful things), pray, do spellwork, bless objects, or simply deepen your meditations. The choice is yours.

4. Gratitudes & Visarjan (Devocation)

As you feel ready to end, it is only proper to thank Her for being present and to acknowledge the gift of the Divine within yourself. You may wish to offer gratitudes to each of Her qualities in turn, finally returning to the murti She inhabits. Give thanks to the Dark Goddess you have lovingly welcomed, and sing her praises. Then, with your hands again placed left over right, begin at the head or top of the image and slowly and gently move down toward the ground or bottom of your altar, drawing the life-force energy out of the murti and releasing it to serve wherever it is needed.

At this point, you may wish to ground by bringing the thumb and ring finger of each hand together and touching the earth on either side of your body. End with the words, “Evam Astu” again, or choose some version of, “Hail and farewell!”—something that feels appropriate to you as a final devocation. In this way, the rite is complete and your altar is more richly steeped in the energy gifted through Her living presence. Moreover, you are imbued with Her prana through this work in even fuller and richer ways. Know that by this effort and through Her grace, you are also just a little less encumbered; just a little more free.

May Her blessings fill you always.

This article first appeared in Llewellyn’s online journal.