Kali is the third in the series of Maiden Mother Crone. She is the Crone. And downright scary. This is fitting, because most of us, especially women in our culture, are afraid of getting old, of looking old, of being a crone.
But Kali transcends culture. She is time itself, which we see fleeting by. She is death and endings. And the transformation they bring. In many depictions, she is dancing on Shiva. This can represent awareness dancing on the ego. Only the ego keeps us from recognizing our true being, our true divinity. So when she seems to dance on her consort, it’s not just a woman angry at her partner. It is a picture of the cosmic energy available to all of us through Kali.
She is not an easy Goddess. Like other dark goddesses, she is very protective. But she asks something of us. She asks us to take responsibility for the ways in which we create our reality, for our thoughts, words, and deeds. She looks at all the ways we compete, and she invites us to see what we are really doing in our friendships, work relationships and love.
When we accept this responsibility, she becomes Kali-Ma, Mother Kali. This Kali holds and comforts us in emptiness. In abundance. And in the emptiness which is full of potential.