Sacred Alchemy: Maa Kali, Healing, and Menstruation
- Siddhi Vyas
- Apr 5
- 4 min read
In the Kalika Purana, a beautiful visualization has been narrated for Maa Kali as the three gunas (qualities) of sattva, rajas and tamas. As the white one which is sattvic, She’s Tara, the one standing on top of a white lotus with a peaceful smiling face, bestowing boons and holding a sword that signifies liberation. As the black one, She’s Ugra Kali, the very tamas that dissolves everything within Herself, She’s fanged, terrifying and wears a garland of 52 skulls signifying the unmanifest language. As rajas, She’s the red and sensual Kamakhya, sitting on top of Shiva upon a red lotus, full of the heat of desire in Her eyes, ready to grant all wishes of Her devotees. Rajas is a very necessary state that is the agitation that leads to all other states. Creation exists because of it which is why women when menstruating are known as ‘Rajaswala’ for it is only because of their ability to become purified every month, they are akin to the Goddess who is constantly giving birth to new worlds.
Living according to your menstrual cycle and honoring that time of the month as a sacred space for self-expression and healing can be extremely transformative and you need not even require to do a lot of ritual and spiritual practice to become closer to God. Bleeding takes place due to apana vayu (downward flowing force in the body) and ‘apah’ actually means to be in the state of flow, not resisting emotions or circumstances that come our way. My ayurveda and tantra teacher says that when the cycle is irregular or bleeding doesn’t take place as it should due to hormonal imbalances, it creates a stagnation in the body and slows down the ability of a woman to be able to move past experiences, heal trauma and become more creative. Orgasmic practices, slowing down, eating less processed foods and having a good sleep schedule helps in facilitating healing during the menstrual period.
When we’re menstruating, we’re also trying to identify most with Maa Kali for She is the void without residue, agitation and movement. Maa Kali is the force that heals trauma and within Her stories and descriptions, you learn to embody this gift of menstruation and begin to open your body up to greater ecstatic states of pleasure. In the Devi Mahatmayam, Devi Kali is introduced as the Yoga Nidra Shakti (sleeping consciousness) of Vishnu (the one who is the sustainer and gives continuity to time), She’s known to stun the demons Madhu-Kataibha (symbols for expectations of outcomes and overworking) leading to their eventual downfall. She’s also the one who consumes the blood of the demon Raktabeeja (symbolizing the replication and cycle of negative thoughts) for every time a drop of his blood spills, more Raktabeejas are born of Him.
This story of Raktabeeja shows how also during our menstruation or simply any period of our lives where the ‘heart is bleeding’, we can offer up our pain, suffering and misery to Maa Kali and allow ourselves to experience ‘difficult’ or ‘negative’ emotions. Even the labels related to suffering such as the words used in the previous sentence shows a strange relationship the external, capitalistic society has with trauma and pain… especially due to it being able to profit off insecurity and a ‘lack’ one feels. However, Maa Kali is non-judgmental and embraces it all, the hurt, the pain, the feeling of void and it is in Her soft lap one begins to feel comforted during hard times.
Raktabeeja-vadhe Devi ; Chanda-Munda-vinashini
Rupam dehi jayam dehi ; yasho dehi dvisho jahi
You who slew the demons Raktabeeja, Chanda and Munda, Oh Goddess, destroyer of passion and anger. Grant us your Form, grant us victory, grant us welfare, destroy all hostility.
-Argala Stotram, Devi Mahatmayam
Maa Kali's beeja mantra is 'Krim' which is associated to Mars which relates to the bitterness of life. We often say things like 'swallowing the bitter pill' because this bitterness in the right amount can regenerate and cut out excess building up of any emotion. In ayurveda, tikta rasa increases intelligence and actually causes happiness because there is space created for flow to take place properly. Mars is also known as Mangala in Sanskrit (auspiciousness) and is the significator of menstrual blood, which is a nod to the auspicious nature and gift of menstruation bestowed upon us. Not just for being able to have children but also we transform the world when we are in a state of flow.
I’ve personally had many such experiences with Devi, even in sleep paralysis where She’s been so benevolent acting as the very cushion and shield to move through suffering. Our menstruation is simply that space and time for us to embrace this cushion, cry, express and contemplate on how to allow the process of letting go— no frills, no holding back required.
She is Kamakhya, the very desire for change and novelty but also the pleasure of acknowledging what we stifle on a day-to-day basis. During menstruation, especially when one is isolating, meditating and focusing completely on the delicate transition of the body into newer and higher states; we come out more resilient and have the ability to speak up for ourselves in a world where it is becoming increasingly common to silence desires, needs and wants of women without projecting labels on to them. When one is in-tune with the nature of their body, their expression is refined and evolves rapidly, leading to unlimited bliss.
If you want to read my other articles on menstruation please refer to the following links:
Jai Maa!
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