Four Love Goddesses in the Tantra

Introduction

In the teachings of tantra there is one Ultimate Goddess, Shakti, who manifests and expresses as different goddesses, which are her various ways of being and expression. All of these are divine expressions of the Great Goddess. They are different facets, expressions, or faces of the One Goddess. Thus, Shakti manifests through the world and expresses through people in many ways. One of these ways of Shakti's expression is through love relations and through sexual love. Shakti manifests through all love and all lovers, though She is most evident through woman.

In the mandala of Shakti, which is the wholeness of Her Being, She manifests and expresses through the love ritual in four primary ways, four ways of loving, or four kinds of lover. Four goddesses each manifest in one of these ways. These are the goddess powers of Parvati, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati – each expressing one of the four powers, attitudes, ways and approaches of Shakti's love power. Each of these goddesses manifest a unique quality and power of Shakti, which can be found and also evoked through the lover and in the love ritual.

These four goddesses are not all commonly known as love goddesses. Yet because all goddesses are ways and expressions of Shakti, these four goddesses appear in love-sex relations and in the love ritual. Tantra includes all goddesses, from all traditions. These goddesses can be experienced as qualities, powers, or as archetypes of Love, or as spiritual potentials in a woman, or also potentially in a man. Also, each goddess is one side of the Goddess Mandala, and each balances one another.

Many goddesses within One Goddess

Goddess archetypal powers exist in the spiritual dimension of reality, which subjectively permeates this physical reality. They come from ultimate spiritual reality, which can be called the One Self, Beingness, Great Spirit, Great Goddess, or God. This could also be called Love. The Goddess powers are in the collective psyche of all women and are also potentials in men. Yet they will appear and manifest somewhat uniquely for each culture and even for each person.

Each goddess contains and expresses a unique power, with its unique kinds of qualities, approaches and attitudes in love relations. These are fundamental potentials in our own being. Yet although each goddess expresses in a unique way, they are not completely separate from one another. Each goddess has some similarities with other goddesses, and they can fuse, blend and integrate together in various creative ways.

As well, each goddess has within all of the other goddess powers, yet these remain latent until realized and expressed. This is because each of the goddesses are qualities of the One Supreme Goddess, from which all emerge. Thus, any of the goddesses can discover other goddess qualities in their own being, since the Whole Self, the Great Goddess, is inherently within her. All of the goddesses emerge from Shakti, and thus contain Her Essence and all of her potentials. Each is a unique and particular reflection of Shakti.

In the Royal Court, of the One, is a hierarchy of goddesses. This means that certain goddesses encompass and include many other goddesses within them, or as part of them. Thus, certain higher goddesses express an encompassing quality of being, or potential of being, which is then expressed in various aspects or types, through a plurality of lower goddesses.

The terms, higher and lower, is metaphysical. This is the principle of beings within greater beings and ultimately within the One. It's also the understanding that each goddess emerges from a greater goddess, a more primary Goddess Power. Each of the Greater Goddesses contain a plurality of reflective goddesses within Her. Thus, there are many goddesses, yet the goddess pantheon contains goddesses within greater Goddesses, and all of these are contained within the ultimate One Goddess.

For example, the Goddess of Arts emerges from the even greater Goddess of Creativity. Yet from the Goddess of Arts emerges a whole multitude of art goddess powers, each one a particular goddess with her particular art skill or talent, who is then the goddess of that particular craft.






Major Goddesses

Two of the great goddesses, as found in many cultures, are the Mother Goddess and the Love Goddess, female archetypes of the Mother and the Lover. And it is easy to understand that a woman can be, at times, a mother or a lover. In tantra, both of these are potential expressions of Shakti, and both revered.

The Mother Goddess is the mother of all life, which comes from the Divine creative power called Shakti, which is also the Life energy in all of nature, both creative and nurturing. The Mother Goddess, and all of her powers, is within all mothers.

The Love Goddess is also one of the great goddesses, and She too is a divine potential within all women. In her greater expression, She is the power of love, in its sexual or romantic meaning, which is expressed in love sexual attraction and in the love ritual. She brings beautiful feelings and passions of love. When a woman expresses and manifests this goddess, a man can sometimes see the great Love Goddess in her, and he is attracted to Her power of beauty. She is also known as the Goddess of Beauty.

The Love Goddess, or Goddess of Beauty, and all of Her many aspects or qualities, evoke passionate enchantment and attraction for Her. She has a special power of attractive beauty and attractive sexual energy. Each of the other goddesses are also beautiful in their own special way, and may also have a power of sexual attraction, but the Love Goddess carries the very essence of beauty and sexual love attraction.

The Love Goddess, in her most comprehensive fullness, is more than just a power of enchanting attraction, because Love in its most comprehensive meaning has multiple qualities and aspects, which can be discovered in our personal experience.For example, a man can experience love for a woman in many ways, so it's not all about beauty and sexual attraction.

So, sexual love attraction is not the only meaning of love, nor the only power of love; for there are many aspects of the Love Goddess. There are many powers and qualities of love, and many possible reasons for love and attraction. Love has many facets, many aspects, and each of these facets is a goddess power within the greater Love Goddess. So the great Love Goddess includes a whole family clan of many goddesses, each containing their own special quality and power.

Two other great goddesses, also found in many cultures, are the Goddess of Achieving and the Goddess of Arts. The Goddess of Achievement includes the Warrior and Huntress Goddess. She is self-assertive and self-achieving. She uses her innate abilities and skills to achieve success in whatever she does. The Goddess of Arts includes all goddesses of various arts and crafts. She is also known as the Goddess of Creativity and the Goddess of Play.

A woman can be more than just a mother, or sexual lover, or just a beautiful body. A woman can also be an achiever in the world, expressing the Goddess of Achieving, as expressed in any field of endeavor. The achiever gets things done, and in the best way possible. An achiever is successful and practical.

A woman can also be an artist, or creatively expressive in some way. All women can be artists, as there are many ways to be an artist, many paths of creative artistry and many ways to be creatively expressive. The artist has a goal, which might be clear or might just be a vague vision of what is possible. This goal can be in one's mind or heart, or both. An artist sees a vision, or feels a desire, to embark on a creative journey, to discover and to enjoyable activity. The artist has creative will, and her goal very often is beauty.

Another of the great goddesses is the Goddess of Wisdom, who knows what is true, good and important. A woman with wisdom, as an expression of this goddess, has innate intuition and recognition of truth, goodness, and beauty, and she also knows how to manifest these.

The Goddess of Wisdom pervades and inspires all kinds of activities and expressions, and She is inherent throughout all of nature. She also complements all Goddesses of Love; for all ways of love have a certain kind of wisdom. Essentially, love has wisdom, and each way of love has its own kind of wisdom.

The Goddess of Wisdom is also known as the Goddess of Learning. Wisdom is not a static thing. It's an ability, as much as it is a quality. It's an ability to continuously learn and seek to learn. It's a learning process, involving an inquisitive mind, curiosity and exploration. It's the developed ability to know what is important, true and real. It's knowing how to be loving and healing to someone. It's knowing how to get things done. It's knowing how to be beautiful and loving. It's also an ability to be creative and the ability to achieve what is good in life.

Wisdom is actually in all of the goddesses, in one way or another. For example, there is a wisdom involved in nurturing and in caring, a wisdom involved in the expression of beauty, a wisdom involved in the ability and skills to achieve success in something, and also a wisdom involved in each of the arts, crafts, and other kinds of creative expressions.

Each goddesss is a unique spiritual power, inspiring and motivating a certain quality of power and ability. All of these archetypal goddesses are spiritual inspirations and powers moving through us, and each of us are unique expressions of these spiritual powers and inspirations. All of these goddesses are pathways to success and fulfillment, each pathway being worthy, and each leading to enjoyment. Each of the goddesses is sacred, yet none is sacrosanct over the others.

Qualities relevant to love

The goddesses discussed in these teachings come from the Indian traditions, along with their associated images, myths and stories. But most of these traditional associations are not relevant to our subject here, which is to understand universal spiritual powers and qualities, as they enter into the ritual of love. So our study here will not be confined to the traditional beliefs about these goddesses, though our aim is to discover their spiritual essences in love and sex. Our aim is to discover how these goddesses enter into lovemaking, and our aim is to bring them into actual experience. It's the quality of a goddess that's most important, not any particular story about them.

But this is not a study of all goddesses, nor of all the many qualities, powers and abilities that a woman can potentially bring into expression. Our study will just focus on the various potentials of the Love Goddesses, the various types, qualities and expressions, and how each love goddesses expresses in the love ritual, and also how these goddesses are experienced.

We can admire all of the goddesses for all the many powers and qualities they bring into various aspects of life; but our study is specifically focused on the sexual-love qualities of a goddess, rather than describe all aspects and expressions of each goddess. So the study here is just what is relevant to love and the love ritual.

The Love Goddess is obviously relevant to love and sex, while The Mother, the Achiever, and the Artist are of course not always involved in sexual love. Yet, each of the goddesses can also be regarded as a love-sex goddess, in their own way, because each goddess has unique qualities for expression in love, providing a unique attitude and approach in sexual love.

For example, our study won't include the Mother Goddess in relation to mothering or being a mother. We can admire the Mother Goddess and also admire the mothering qualities, but this isn't relevant to our particular study. Yet, there are unique qualities of the Mother Goddess that can be expressed in the love ritual. Love relations and even sexual love can include goddess qualities of caring, nurturing, and unselfish giving. So in this sense, the Mother Goddess can also express as a Lover, with her qualities of givingness andunconditional love, and her sincere concern about her lover's experience of being loved.

Regarding the Achieving Goddess, she will mainly express in the wider world, but she can also apply her achieving skills in the love-sex relation. This doesn't mean that she'll have a notebook and appointment calendar handy when lovemaking; hopefully not. Yet, she can bring in her success-oriented and practical-minded qualities into the love relation.

In regards to the Artistic Goddess, she has many qualities that can enhance any love sexual relationship. She can bring her artistic passion and creativity into the love ritual. She can bring in her creative imagination and her openness to explore the realms of possibility. So, the Goddess of Arts and creative talent can bring many of her unique qualities and powers into the love relation and into the lovemaking. She doesn't need to have any special talent in music or painting; she doesn't need to bring a musical instrument into bed, nor start painting the lover or the scene. A person's specific artistic talents are not essentially relevant in the love ritual, yet one's general artistic talents and qualities can be relevant and enhancing.

Lastly to mention is that each of these goddesses, with their qualities, attitudes and approaches, can also be found in men. Thus, a man will find these goddess qualities in women, but women can also find these qualities in men.

Four Love Goddesses

Parvati

Durga

Saraswati

Lakshmi


All of these four goddesses are love goddesses, yet each one brings a unique quality, attitude, and approach into their ways and experiences of love.

Parvati expresses mothering qualities, which are brought into the love ritual as caring and unconditional giving. She generously gives love and sexual enjoyment to her partner.

Durga expresses assertive and achieving qualities, which are brought into the love ritual as a willful pursuit of love and enjoyment. She is assertive in what she wants and how she wants it. As a love goddess, she uses her powers of will and assertiveness to achieve what she desires.

Lakshmi is the goddess of beauty and enchantment, who radiates beauty, sexiness and attraction. Her goddess power of attraction enchants a man and draws him to her. She brings goddess sexual attraction into the love ritual.

Saraswati is the goddess of creativity and imagination, bringing an imaginative, playful, creative quality into the love ritual. She also brings in an attitude of learning and exploring new realms. Also, with her quality of insight she sees what is most deeply important and also what is possible.

Active and receptive qualities

Each Goddess quality has a polar-opposite quality which is expressed through another goddess; each quality of a goddess has a polar opposite quality that is found in one of the other goddesses. Thus, each of the qualities of each goddess has its polar opposite in another goddess. Polar opposite qualities complement and balance one another; neither is better than the other. This reflects the cosmic principle of polarity.

One kind of polarity we find in the goddesses, and in love, is the active and receptive polarity, which can be expressed in many ways. Goddesses will have either an active or receptive attitude in the love ritual. An active attitude, or approach, is when the woman (0r man) initiates love activity or takes the lead in the love, rather than being passive or waiting for the other. A receptive approach is when the lover allows the other to initiate or lead, while also being receptive to their love energy. Generally, one of these approaches is expressed more than its polar opposite, though in a balanced love approach, each partner will sometimes be active and at other times be receptive.

Sometimes a receptive attitude can become mere passivity or mere submissiveness. Yet ideally, being receptive includes engagement, interaction, and being harmoniously responsive to one's love partner, rather than simply being passive. On the other hand, sometimes an active attitude can become manipulative or even dominating. That's all acceptable in the tantra of inclusiveness, but it doesn't have to be that way. Ideally, an active attitude will include caring about the other and be intended for the achievement of mutual love.


Parvati

Parvati is the goddess of Care and Giving. She has a selfless serving attitude and intention. She's not primarily seeking her own pleasure, but instead she is seeking to please her partner. Her attitude is all about giving to the other - what he needs or what he wants. So from the man's view, Parvati is a giver of love and care, and at times can be a healer. She is purely and devotionally giving. She is a love-giving goddess.

Parvati's love-giving is absolutely unselfish. Her attitude to her lover is to be selflessly serving his needs and pleasures, to be all there for the man, while unconcerned about her own wishes and pleasures. Her attitude in love is to sense, feel and listen for what the man wants, then give herself to his needs and pleasures. She is all over the man with her givingness. Giving him enjoyment is her goal, as well as her own pleasure.

So in one sense, she is receptive – in that she is receptive to the man's needs and wishes. She receptively listens, senses, feels, or sees what would please him. Yet on the other hand, she has an active approach in love, because she often takes the initiative to please and serve the man, without being asked.

Parvati does not just passively wait for the the man to tell her what to do. If he asks, she will serve his expressed needs and wishes, but she will not just passively wait. She will initiate loving kisses and other pleasures for the man, because her natural wish is to please and to make the man feel loved and cared for. So, Parvati can also be actively assertive, but this is to please her lover, while her own pleasure is not her primary concern. Her enjoyment is in giving to the other; though she naturally enjoys the mutual pleasures of love.

Durga

Durga is the goddess of Willfulness and Achievement. In contrast to Parvati's selfless love attitude of serving the other, Durga has a self-assertive and even a self-serving attitude in the love ritual. Durga's attitude towards the love relation is mostly about her. It's what 'you can do for me.' So, Durga is assertive predominately for herself, being primarily concerned about her own desires, wishes, needs, and pleasures, and she is self-assertive in asking for and maneuvering towards what she wants.

Durga is self-assertive and self-focused; but it is important to see these qualities in a positive way, in that she reaches for what she wants, rather than being merely passive or simply giving without any regard for her own desires.

Durga takes an active-approach in love. She often takes the initiative and the lead, she's active in the love-making, and she is often on top of the love situation. She will allow the man to take charge, but only as long as the man is successful pleasing her. As well, she will give pleasures to the man and fulfill his desires, but only to the extent that this is equally reciprocated.

Both Durga and Parvati have active approaches, yet they are active in different ways. Durga is self-assertive for her own wishes, while Parvati is assertive to primarily please the other. So both love goddesses will self-initiate love activities. Yet Durga's approach will be centered around her own pleasures, while Parvati's approach is centered around the other. Parvati says 'let's see how I can please you', while Durga says 'let's do it my way'. Still, Durga needs to turn on and please the man; she cannot just expect the man to unconditionally serve her. The man will need to be pleased. But for Durga, her gifts to the man are ultimately for him to give to her wishes; rather than Parvati's attitude of giving for its own sake.

From the man's perspective, many men might well prefer Parvati, with all of her devotion and selfless giving. Yet other men might prefer Durga, for her direct 'I want it' approach. In addition, Durga's conquest and achievement oriented thinking is appealing to many men, as it shows power, and many men will enjoy the challenge of Durga.

Her assertiveness to get what she wants and to be sexually fulfilled can also be pleasurable for the man, since this will require plenty of love. She does not waste time with timidness or sexual modesty. She does not passively wait for the man to make a move or to take the initiative.

In love-making Durga is not timid, nor passive. She can be very sexually demanding. Often she will not even ask, but just take charge in the loving, doing it her way and getting what she wants. She takes the man for herself and for her own enjoyment. When Durga wants to be loved and pleased, she expects it, she demands it. She appreciates a man who wants to please her.

With Durga, the man at least knows that she is really enjoying the love, because she is not shy about voicing her wishes to get what she wants and is not shy about showing her pleasure. So for a man concerned about how the woman is pleased, he might prefer the Durga approach over the Parvati approach, because Durga's own wishes and pleasure is much more out in the open. Some men might not care if the woman is pleased herself, for what matters is his own pleasure. However, many men do care about how it is for the woman, and her pleasure is often integral to his pleasure.

Parvati will actively initiate moves towards the man to actively physically love him and please him. She might ask what he wants and he tells her, which does involve a receptive listening, but her main attitude is to initiate love and pleasure for the man. Durga also has an active attitude and approach, but her attitude is to initiate moves and work towards an aim of being pleased herself by the man. Durga's primary aim is to fulfill her own desires and pleasures, whereas Parvati's aim is for the other's pleasure.

Parvati receives her enjoyment from serving the man and feeling his pleasure. Durga's enjoyment is in receiving love from the man; yet she also gives the man enjoyment through her sexual assertiveness, and he enjoys giving her pleasure.

So Durga's assertive self-serving approach can be just as enjoyable for the man as Parvati's unselfish giving approach. If both lovers are self-assertive and self-serving, then this can also become a mutual enjoyment and could even evolve into an exciting interchange of sexual wills. On the other hand, if both lovers are selflessly giving and have a desire to please the other, then the love will also be synergistic and enjoyable.

In comparing the two goddesses, Parvati seems to be the spiritual one; whereas Durga appears to be self-centered and perhaps even selfish. Parvati's selfless and serving attitude is most often regarded as spiritual or religious, or even saintly, as many religions regard selfless service as a goal of spiritual attainment. Yet in many perspectives of psychology, Durga is the healthy ego with her assertive and achieving attitude, and her go-for what I want spirit, which also tends to be successful in the world. Whereas Parvati, in feminist psychology, might seem neurotic, without any self-integrity and will of her own, and she has been culturally conditioned to believe that woman are meant to serve men, and she has simply allowed herself to be merely a sex-slave. Parvati thinks that Durga is uncaring, unspiritual, and self-centered; while Durga thinks that Parvati is simply an idiot.


Lakshmi

Lakshmi is the goddess of Beauty and Sexiness. She is the enchanting and sexually seductive goddess, who can bring the man to her with her goddess magnetism of beauty, sexuality and charm. She wields a magical power over the man and in the love ritual, with her magical power of enchantment.

Lakshmi's sexual power is seductive, like a magnetic power drawing the lover towards her. She emits a sweet sensuous-sexual energy, which is magnetic and can evoke sexual desire in a man, drawing the man to her. The power of Lakshmi pulls a man to her, but without any overt force. Instead, her power is to magically make the man come to her and have her.

Lakshmi is a receptive kind of love goddess, because she is receptive to a man's adoration and passion, but she does not actively initiate advances. She is receptive and open to the man worshiping her, loving her body and giving her pleasures. But she receptively waits for the man to love her, before she receptively receives his love and loves him.

Lakshmi receptively waits for her power of attraction to bring the man to her, and she expects him to initiate advances. Lakshmi wants to be adored and loved for her beauty, charm and sexiness. She would never resort to Durga's assertive kind of advances to make love happen. Lakshmi doesn't just want service; she wants worship. She will wait for the man to thrust himself to her, rather than merely pounce on him. She waits for the most interesting and beautiful of men, then lures them in with her seductive and enchanting power.

Lakshmi can be active in her seductive dance and actively express beauty with her eyes and gestures, but she remains receptively waiting for the man to be captured by her charm and to assertively make forward advances towards her. She is not going to jump on the man, though she may show off her beauty and sexiness all around him.

She presents herself and radiates her charm, but then she receptively waits, enjoying the man's gradual enchantment and his assertiveness towards her. He must first come to her, for she will not come to him. She wants the man to be the active one and to show his passion and perseverance for her. She wants the man to show his own effort and aspiration for her She wants him to thrust towards her, rather than thrust herself onto him.

Lakshmi's receptive attitude is to wait for the man to be attracted to her, exited for her, make moves on her, and then to actively love her. She doesn't willful try to make the love happen. She wants the man to want her and to work his best to have her. She relies on her attractive and seductive power, and allows the love to happen naturally, without willfully trying to create the love. Unlike Durga's zero-in, direct make it happen approach, Lakshmi doesn’t explicitly demand or ask for love, nor does she make much effort to initiate action.

Instead, Lakshmi uses her active power of enchantment to attract and seduce. She wants the man to be enthralled by her, to be seduced by her beauty, adore and cherish her, and give her all he has. Most essentially, she wants to be adored and worshiped as a love goddess, a sexy goddess, or as a goddess of beauty.

Lakshmi offers herself as a sexual ideal, a prize of delight and enjoyment for the man. She presents herself, in all of her beauty, sexiness and charm, but then waits for the man to be attracted and enthralled in her magic, while all the time being receptive to his adoration and devotion.


She presents her beauty, then waits the man to be captured by her power and respond with his compelling desire to love her and give to her. She waits for the man to advance towards her. She will not actively initiate a physical advance, but she will initiate seductive advances, like here I am, so beautiful and delicious, awaiting to be adored and loved. She offers herself and is receptive to be loved.

Lakshmi's attitude is take me, have me, but you must adore me. Her desire and pleasure is for him to desire her and find pleasure in her. And she is pleased by his assertive worship of her, by his adoring kisses and by his strong desire for her. She likes to be adored, worshiped, and taken.

She seduces the man of her desire by this receptive attitude and approach, by her readiness to be taken and her readiness to respond. Her power is like the attractive power of a deliciously ripe peach, ready and waiting to be plucked and eaten. This is her special love approach, her way to be loved and gain love, and to be pleased by the man. Her way is to present herself and offer herself as a delicious fruit, just waiting to be gently taken and eaten with delight.

She presents and offers her sensuous body to the man, as her gift of beauty and delight. Then she waits receptively for the man to be enchanted by her and want her, such that finally he is compelled to have her and delight in her, and of course to give to her and please her. Lakshmi is pleased by his interest and even more so by his enchantment to her. She is pleased by his devotional advances and the pleasured of his adoring kisses and caressing hands, and she is pleased by his enjoyment of her sensuous body and his delight in her.


The man receives so much stimulating enjoyment from her qualities of beauty and sexiness, that he is naturally enthralled and attracted to her. He adores her and feels compelled to ravish her with all his love and all of his powers. This is Lakshmi's love power, her power of attraction and seduction.

Lakshmi's general attitude is receptive, rather than active, yet she is active and intentional in how she uses the power of enchantment as her weapon and the means to attract the man to her, for the sake of worshiping and pleasing her. She is the enchantress and seducer, and she uses her beauty, charm and sexiness to excite the man and make him desirous to please her. Her way to achieve love, or to make a man her love slave, is to attract, charm, or seduce the man. She actively creates a seductiveness, in which the man is naturally attracted to her. And she is determined that a man want her over all others.

So, Lakshmi is not simply passive. She has active seductive power. She presents her sensuous beauty and magical charm, like bait, then waits for the man's desire for her to increase and swell, such that he has to have her. This is how Lakshmi captures her man. She first captures his fancy, then his sexual attraction, then finally his complete devotion. She draws the man to her by her look, her beauty, and by her sexual receptivity and attraction. Because of her goddess power, a man may feel crazy over her and want her madly.

Lakshmi radiates beauty and delight to the man. She gives pleasure to the man by her beauty and sensuality, such that the man feels compelled to ravish her with all of his body, with his hands and kisses, and give her the love she wants. Lakshmi goddess power is to compel the man to give all the love he’s got. And as he gives to her, his own pleasure and enjoyment increases, which drives him to further desire and ravish her.

Lakshmi's seduction can range between being extrovertive to being more passive, yet either way is effective. For example, a Lakshmi woman might be very outgoing and extrovertive in how she presents herself and in her seductive dance or looks. She might show powerful seductive skill in teasing the man by gradually exposing more of her sexual beauty, along with her ready-receptive attitude for being taken. Though her sexiness can be expressed from a high degree of elegance and subtlety.

Yet, Lakshmi can also manifest more passively and not so extrovertive. She might be quiet and reserved, or even appear to be indifferent to a man's attention. However, her power of seductive beauty and sexiness will nonetheless show through and attract men to her, even though this power is more subtle in its display.

Lakshmi is ready to respond to the man’s attraction and advances towards her, and she will mirror back whatever he gives to her. When he tenderly touches her face, she responds with her own tender touch. When he kisses her, she kisses him back; though her response will depend on if she wants this man's love. Other Lakshmi women might play harder to get, making the man perform more of a devotional dance before she will respond in turn back to him.

In general though, Lakshmi has a receptive attitude, waiting for the other to make moves on her, and to actively love her. She will respond with love to that person, but only if they show love to her first, or show her adoration, as well as make active loving advances towards her.

Lakshmi is similar with Durga, in that both would love it if the man ravishes them with pleasures. So, Lakshmi seduces the man with her sexual magic. Durga also seduces a man, but her approach is different from Lakshmi. Durga is assertive in her seduction, and she doesn't passively wait around for the man to initiate love advances. Instead, she takes the initiative and grabs hold of the opportunity, to manifest her desire.

Lakshmi wants and needs to be loved, just as much as Durga, but she’ll wait for the man to come to her, because her primary desire is to be adored and worshiped. Durga takes charge and takes the initiative, to make love happen her way, whereas Lakshmi seduces the man to take charge and allows him to love her in his own way.

So, unlike Parvati who actively takes initiative to serve and please her man, and unlike Durga who assertively takes the man for her own pleasure, Lakshmi magnetically draws the man to love her and to take her. She loves to be taken, adored, and passionately loved.

Yet Lakshmi is not just passive; she responds with enjoyment from the man's passion and love, responding by meeting the man’s lips, kissing him back, and receptively allowing him to have her. She is receptive and allowing to the man's advances of love, and she responds back with love. She can be active at times in lovemaking, but in response to the other's love, rather than initiating the love. Lakshmi doesn't initiate the loving, because she wants to be taken. Yet once the man makes moves towards loving her, she will often meet him with an equally passionate response.

So, Lakshmi ends up getting the adoration and enjoyment she wants, yet by a more subtle means, drawing the man to her with the power of her sexual and beauty magnetism. Whereas Durga is overtly assertive and takes charge of the relationship and the love-making, leading the man directly towards her pleasure. Durga demands that her wishes be fulfilled, and the man enjoys giving to her.


Whereas with Lakshmi, the man feels that he is receiving pleasurable delight from her, and thus he naturally wants to give her pleasure and delight, and he wants to be immersed in her beauty and sexiness. So, Lakshmi wants to give the man pleasure from her beauty and sexual magnetism, and she gets what she wants because her body is adored. Lakshmi is like Parvati, in that they both give a man pleasure; but Lakshmi gives pleasure by the beauty of her body, which she offers to the man.

Lakshmi has the attractive power of beauty and sexiness. But this power of Lakshmi is not just confined to an elite of sexy beautiful babes. Most woman don't think they are sexy, and some woman may doubt their own beauty. The tendency of modern culture is to compare oneself with certain ideal models and judge oneself accordingly, so woman tend to be particularly concerned about their beauty or looks, and they tend to be unfairly critical of themselves.

Yet in reality, there are many kinds of beauty and many ways to be beautiful. Being enchanting or being sexy is more to do with how the woman is, her style of attitude and way of being, rather than having a particular look or style found in movies or in fashion. Thus, although a Lakshmi woman can be quite physically beautiful, her sexiness and beauty is more to do with her attitude and how she acts, which men naturally recognize and are attracted to. Also, Lakshmi has self-confidence and self-belief, as part of power. There is also a power of enchantment and seduction in her radiance of wanting to be loved and taken sexually, and in her receptive readiness and openness for it.


Different kinds of beauty

Beauty is most usually attributed to Lakshmi, but there is a unique kind of beauty in all of the goddesses. Also, beauty can come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. There is no set standard for what this beauty is, and in many respects, it depends on the eye of the beholder, or eye of the lover. There is a larger meaning of beauty, which encompasses more than just being physically or aesthetically attractive.

Physical beauty is lovely to look upon, in the beauty of a body, a face, or an appearance. This physical beauty has an attractive power, which is the meaning of being attractive. It can also include the aesthetic beauty of clothes, the beauty of movement or dance, or any perceptual kind of beauty.

Yet beauty can mean more than this; or in other words, beauty can be found in other ways, besides physical, sensual beauty. There is also the beauty in a way of being, such as the beauty of kindness, caring, and devotion. These qualities can be just as attractive as the physical kind of beauty. Another kind of beauty is in creativity and talent, as can be found in an artist, musician, or also an athlete. Another kind of beauty is found in learning, insight, and wisdom. Each of these qualities have their own special kind of beauty and attraction.

Give of yourself, reveal yourself, and recognize yourself as uniquely beautiful. These are ways to be beautiful.




Saraswati

Saraswati is the goddess of Creativity and Learning, with qualities of being creative, artistic, and imaginative, as well as a natural ability to continuously learn. Her main interests are to learn and be creative. She also has the power of insight.

Saraswati is always interested in learning, about the man she is with, about life in general, and about her true feelings. This desire to learn makes her open-minded and receptively interested in the other person. She is able to see more deeply into who the man is and discover more about him. This is her power of insight, and also her ability to discover and learn.

She is interested in really knowing the man, in learning about him, discovering him, and understanding him. She has the ability to gain insight into a man and can see his deeper qualities. She can also uncover his deeper qualities and bring them more into creative expression.

Her ability to learn and understand is by being consciously present in the moment, to the deeper feelings of the man and with her own deeper feelings. Her special goddess power is to be consciously present with the man and to deeply connect with him, both mentally and in heart, which makes the man feel that she understands him. This feeling of being understood is an attraction for the man's love and his sexual desire; for a man's sexual desire can be aroused by a woman's ability to really understand him. A man wants to be understood, just as much as any woman wants.

So, Saraswati is present in the moment and present to the one she is with. Presentness brings the man together with her in this moment and connects their energies. This builds an understanding of each other and a personal connection, which then builds up the sexual energy. Her understanding arouses the man's heart as well as his sexual desire. She arouses sexual attraction and desire in the man by being sincere, present, and understanding. So, her attractive power is by being receptively present with the man and by deeply understanding him. Her creativity, imagination and playfulness are also attractive, along with her intelligence and insight.

Saraswati has the attractive magic of imagination, which is also positive in lovemaking. For imagination, playfulness and exploration add extra possibilities in lovemaking. Playfulness adds an easy attitude in love. Imagination and playfulness brings in exploration and new adventures.

So, any of these qualities of Saraswati can be fascinating to a man, to which the man will be attracted; but only if he can really see her, if he can see into her essence and the qualities of her inner creative beauty. This seeing can only happen if the man is receptive enough and able to recognize her subtle and less-overt qualities.

Some men will be able to see who this Saraswati is, and thus will be fascinated and attracted to her beauty of being. Only a man who can see more deeply into a woman will be able to see Saraswati's unique inward beauty and charm, and thus be attracted to her and sexually desire her.

Some men may be fascinated with Saraswati as an unusual enigmatic mystery, which may then be their attraction. Some will be attracted to her artistic imagination and to her process of unfoldment. Others will be attracted by how she is present and involved, and always interested in learning more. Any of these fascinations are sexually attractive.

Thus, Saraswati has attractive charm, but her goddess charm is more subtle than the outward enchanting beauty and sexuality of Lakshmi. The qualities of Saraswati are attractive, yet more subtle than Lakshmi's. Saraswati has beauty, but not the lavish outward beauty of Lakshmi. Instead, Saraswati's beauty is in her creativity and self-disclosure. Her beauty is in her self-truthfulness, inquisitiveness, and creative playfulness.

Saraswati is not trying to charm a man, nor seduce him to want her. She's just being herself. She needs and desires love, but she does not intentionally try to achieve this. She waits for the man to show he is real, sincere and not just superficial.

Saraswati is not desperately seeking love from outside her, because she already knows that love resides in herself. She of course enjoys love and being ravished with pleasure, but this is not her main desire. She doesn't make any attempt to have this or make it happen. She's not so needy for it as is Lakshmi and Durga. Her main desire is to be present with and uncover the man's essence, and also to explore the creative potentials of each moment.

So, Saraswati often shows an attitude of desire-indifference or non-expectation, and thus it might seem that she does not need love nor sex. She is not trying to pull the man to her, nor is she pushing herself on the man. Therefore, some men will think she is unattracted to them or uncaring about any sexual relationship. But this isn't necessarily so. It's just that she isn't putting any effort or power into being loved. She's waiting to be seen and understood. She's waiting for a lover to uncover her essence and the creative qualities she has. She's waiting for someone to strip the veils, to reveal the depths of her.

Saraswati wants to be recognized. She wants someone to recognize her qualities, her essences, her truth and her heart. But she doesn't overtly seek out recognition, as does Lakshmi; nonetheless she needs recognition. She seeks to be known, and to be loved for who she is. With recognition, with being really seen, Saraswati will blossom out like a rose bud opening in the sunlight. Saraswati will then shine forth in her goddess brilliance – because her inner treasures, her inner beauty, and her deepest love essences will emerge. She awaits the man to recognize her heart and soul, her treasures, and she will increasingly emerge from this recognition, while the man is enthralled and attracted by her self disclosure.

Yet unlike Lakshmi, Saraswati is not so concerned about being adored or made into a love-sex goddess. And unlike Durga, Saraswati is not primarily concerned about her own pleasure and getting what she wants. And unlike Parvati, she is not so concerned about the man's desires, and giving him whatever he wants.

The unique quality of Saraswati is that she doesn't really care about any of this. Instead, Saraswati's interest is in being open to the moment, learning about the other, and exploring creative possibilities. She's mostly concerned about learning and understanding, which involves exploring and having an open mind of discovery. She ignores any fixed beliefs about what is the right or best way. She's open-minded and creative. She appreciates what is unique and special about the other.

There is also an attitude difference between Lakshmi and Saraswati. Lakshmi's attitude is – here I am, look at me, see how beautiful and sexy I am, desire me, want me, adore me and ravish me. Lakshmi relies on her power of sexual attraction and hopes to encapsulate the lover in her attractive spell. She wants self surrender, devotion and worship from the man. Durga also wants devotion and worship, but she relies on her power of assertiveness and achievement, rather than a power of attraction, and she attempts to outwardly manipulate the situation, rather than use a magnetic power like Lakshmi. And then there is Parvati, who is just into serving and giving and pleasing the man, and who doesn't care about personal power.

Saraswati is like Parvati, though, in that she doesn't really care about personal power, nor about being adored, nor about what others give her. She's not interested in expressing power, nor attempting to be powerful, nor to seduce.

Instead, Saraswati wants truth. She wants it to be real, not superficial. She wants self-disclosure that is more than just physical. She wants the man to reveal his unique self, while at the same time she too reveals herself. She wants the man to uncover her depth and discover her real self. She wants to meet him in the present moment of a mutual creative sharing, in heart and mind, and a mutual discovery of each other.

She allows herself to be vulnerable in love, while reveling in the whole cosmic creative process. She is a seeker of truth and a blossoming creative flower. She is open in the moment and ready for the flow of creativity to unfold. She is an artist of life and a poet of the true.

Saraswati brings the goddess essence of creativity, which are the qualities of being exploratory, inquisitive, imaginative, playful, and receptively open-minded to all possibilities. She wants to explore and play, and enjoy new experiences. She has an artistic vision and can see what is possible.

Saraswati women know these creative qualities are inside, but some women are shy to actually express it, or they lack assertiveness and self-confidence. The inner-deep soul of the Saraswati woman is ready to be wild, creative, imaginative, and playful. Yet outwardly she might be reserved and too shy to be extrovertive or assertive. Thus, sometimes Saraswati is openly expressive and revealing, while sometimes she may be reserved and unrevealing of herself.

She will not let herself loose and open for just anyone. She will first test the man to see if he's worthy of her revealing and the uncovering her inner secrets and qualities. Before she will reveal herself, she needs a special man, one who can recognize her inner essences and also reveal his own.

Playfulness and exploration

Playfulness is an attitude which allows our inner nature, spontaneity, and imagination to freely express. Playfulness unfolds when our imagination is set free and allowed to dance. This is our inner creative spirit, which seeks to be free from the cage of judgment or repression. When there is playful exploration and imaginative expression, we discover new ways of love and new enjoyments. The obstacles to playfulness are fixed-set beliefs about how to love or what to do, or set beliefs about 'what I like' or what the other likes. These set-beliefs limit one's imagination and keep one from exploring new approaches.

Exploration and discovery adds continual interest to each moment. We explore the pleasures of each other, as well as our feelings of love. Also in the attitude of exploration, one is open to exploring undiscovered paths, places not yet experienced, and beautiful states never before realized.

With the attitude of exploration and discovery, we are more allowing of our own natural self to unfold and open to understanding more about our self, our feelings and energies in each moment. But to do this, we need to let go of our preconceived beliefs about our self, let go of our expectations, let go of our attachments to this or that like, so that we can truly be in each moment, accepting and enjoying the other as well as our own self, accepting our natural feelings and enjoying each everchanging moment.

So, lovemaking naturally unfolds when both partners have the attitude of exploration, exploring what is being presented in the other, what is being revealed in the other; but without any expectations or preconceived ideas about the other. Because when one is in this exploring attitude, there will be surprising unexpected moments of really seeing more of who this lover is. More of their realness will suddenly be revealed, like another layer of the person being uncovered. This deeper layer was already present, but went unnoticed.

This is how it is with people. Often, we notice so very little about the person we are with, compared to all who is really there. We just see a portion of the person, while the rest of the person goes unnoticed and unrecognized. Sometimes we are just peeping through our very small hole of perception to see just at least a portion of who they are. Sometimes we have to see underneath the other, look beyond just the surface seen, and let go of any fixed beliefs about who this person is. We need to see each other, free of who we assume they are.

The only way to really know someone, or to embark on a gradual journey to know them, is to have an attitude of exploration and discovery, which is to have an open awareness and open heart and a sincere interest to learn who the person fully is, as well as nourishing their unfolding blossoming, then be open to those surprising moments when an as-yet-unseen part of them is suddenly revealed. Like aha, here is more of who you are, let me see more, let me know more of who you are. You see a special aspect of the person, a certain quality unfold, a flowering being radiant. An interesting and enchanting part of this person has suddenly come out from the dark and into the light, into the light of consciousness and experience.





Love-flow

Related to the attitude of exploration and discovery is the attitude of flowing with the moment – which is to be in the love-flow and flow with it. The love-flow is wonderful to be in, but it gradually unfolds. So at first, there may not be any flow, because the lovers have not yet relaxed into the flow and just enjoy it. Yet gradually, the love-flow can increase, which is the increase of Shakti, and this build towards greater and deeper harmony, enjoyment, delight, ecstasy.

Just be in the love-flow and flow with it. Be in the natural flow and flow with it. Trust in the natural flow. Trust that the love flow will take you and your lover on a sweet journey, a love deepening journey. Love partners need not preconceive how it all should go, but rather be open to exploring and uncovering the unknown, and the mystery of where the love flow leads. This is the trust; but it needs an attitude of exploration and openness to the ongoing discovery.

Sometimes a cold lake turns into hot steam. Sometimes walls fall down. Sometimes there is a freeing of oneself and the other. Sometimes there is abandonment to the experience.

The love-flow is a unifying and harmonizing energy, taking the lovers on a journey towards unity. The love-flow is the enfolding flow of both lovers together in it. Some will jump right in, while others will timidly sit beside the stream and just dip their feet in once in awhile. It does take some trust to get fully in it, because one is essentially losing oneself into the flow. The secret to being in the love-flow is to gradually flow with the other. If each lover more and more loses their self in this, the love-flow increases. Then, as a true climax and ideal, the love-flow transports the lovers into a love ecstatic experience of union, a union of nothing else but love.

Love and sex

Love can be distinguished from sex. To love is to feel love and to express in a loving way; while sex is to particularly feel sexual and to specifically express one's love in a sexual way and in sexual play. Sex can be without love, and even without any emotional feeling. But potentially, sex can be a particular expression of love, to share together in mutual enjoyment and pleasure. The ideal of the love ritual is that both love and sex are together.

Love may or may not include sex. And sex may or may not include love. Love is a bigger, more integral experience, which may not include sex but can encompass sex and express through it. Whereas sex is one particular activity of love, for the purpose of pleasure and love. Yet sex can be integral as well, blending our physical, sexual and emotional aspects, and also potentially including our higher centres, such as the heart and higher consciousness.

Love, as a quality, as a feeling and an experience, has great emotional importance in our lives and is spiritually important as well. In relationships, love has many facets, such as caring about the other, having compassion and empathy, respecting and appreciating the other, and feeling closely connected.

Love in a relationship also usually implies some degree of commitment to the relationship, giving a trust to each partner. Commitment also means that both partners are into building an ever deepening bond of mutual love and care, which can also include a deepening friendship and a longer-term process of psychological and spiritual unfoldment that is nurtured by each other and often reflected in each other. This longer-term process requires mutual sharing, connectiveness, empathy, compassion, caring, respect, appreciation, as well as an open-minded exploration of each other.

Not all love relationships need to involve sexual activity and enjoyment. A relationship might just be friendly, with little or no sexual interaction. So, sex is not the end all in the theme of love; for love is much greater than sex. But it is certainly possible for sex to include love, or be part of love. Love is a larger importance in life, while sex is just a part of this. Yet, sexual love can be an integral part of a love relation.

Sex is an enjoyable way of love and can deepen the love. Sex enhances love, and love enhances sex. So the highest ideal is to include love in sex, or at least be loving and open to being loved, while also enjoying the sexual experience. Bringing love into the sexual experience can be as simple as appreciating the other, caring for the other, feeling love connected, and sharing in the experience.

Love has two polar expressions, giving and embracing, and both are profoundly essential. In any moment of love, each lover might express one of these, while the other expresses its polarity. Each lover might have a tendency to express one of these qualities more than the other, but both qualities are part of love, so ideally there is a rhythm of exchange in the loving, as each lover expresses both qualities at times in the loving. A third quality will connect and empower these polar aspects. This connecting quality is empathy, or feeling with the other.


A possible question in love-sex relationships is something like, "You love my body, but do you also love the rest of me?"

Such questions may not necessarily be verbally asked, but are often important in one's mind and feelings, as one wonders if there is more to the love than just the physical sex. And of course there is more to love about the other person, not just their physical body and how it feels.

So to love more of the whole-person, rather than just a portion of that person, is an added possibility in the sexual love ritual. The actual love-sex dynamic will be more profound and more enjoyable on deeper levels, when there is more to the love experience than just loving the other's body.

However, when in the love sexual ritual, it is not a time to think about these concerns. Rather, it is a time to abandon the thinking and questioning intellect. For the question of what is whole love or a complete relationship, is something that can only be answered over time, and partners can later on make this a discussion. But the love-sex experience is best when the intellect and thinking takes a back seat. People who think a lot will need to let go of their thinking and questioning, in order for the love ritual to unfold naturally and spontaneously, and in order to fully experience the enjoyment.

There is no doubt that sex with love is preferred to sex just by itself, without real love in it. However, in the tantra there is no negative spiritual judgment about sex without love, or sex for its own sake, nothing wrong nor demeaning. Sensual and sexual enjoyment are intrinsically valued in tantra philosophy. So if there is mutual desire and enjoyment, then this is good. But if love is also present, or if there is real love between the sexual partners, then this is even more fulfilling.

In a 'just-sex' experience, the physical body of the partner is appreciated and enjoyed, but other aspects of the person are not involved. However, sex in itself can gradually lead to love and appreciation of the other, as it is possible to begin loving and appreciating the person through the medium of sexual play, as part of building a love relationship. In a holistic loving relationship, there is a recognition and appreciation of other aspects of the person, besides just their body and how they are in the physical sex. These other aspects of the whole person include their mental, emotional, and soul dimension.

The love ritual can also include emotional aspects of each partner. This emotional component can be a beautiful part of the sexual experience. All of the greatest emotional qualities and feelings of a human being can emerge in the love ritual, to be appreciated and enjoyed. These include desire, excitement, connection, caring, givingness, generosity, empathy, oneness, joy, and enjoyment. Deeper love experiences can include feelings of unity and oneness, and the merging together of mind, heart, and bodies.

Yet these love feelings and experiences are only potentials within the sexual ritual, since it is still possible to have sex without much emotion at all, or even no emotional feeling, making it a just-physical experience. But the sexual ritual can include emotional feelings, besides just physical desires and enjoyment. These feelings can naturally arise in the lovemaking ritual, but they can also be nurtured and enhanced by one's openness to experience them. Emotional qualities can only occur in the love ritual when the person actually allows their emotions to emerge, and thus bring more of their true emotional feelings into the sex. For some people, emotional experience and emotional expression is quite natural and easy, while some other people are more reserved in their emotions, less expressive, or sometimes the emotional portion of their being is repressed or simply underdeveloped.

Greater love experiences are possible when greater depths of love are present. Deep love, and the many qualities of love, can arise naturally in the sexual ritual. But with intention one can actually bring love into the experience; love can be willingly brought forth into the sexual ritual, rather than just wait for an experience of love to happen. Each partner can make love a part of their own experience and bring love into the mutual experience. So in this respect, love depends on each partner bringing love into the mutual experience.

This can occur by being more conscious of the love that is in one's heart, then letting this love from the heart enter into the sexual experience, thus permeating the sexual atmosphere with love. The degree of love involved with sex depends on each bringing love from one's heart, and it also depends on how much each opens up to the love radiating from the other.

On an even deeper level of experience, we can recognize and love the soul of the other, their deeper true qualities and who this person is as a being. The soul also includes greater potentials within the person, their human potentials for love, learning, and creativity. The soul of person is their flame of love and the light of beauty you see in them, as well as all of their true and lovely qualities. The soul might be seen as their beautiful love essence or as the unfolding treasure awaiting to emerge. The soul of a person can be seen, recognized and loved by the lover.

Some of the soul is expressive, but a larger portion of one's soul is still unconscious to the person, not recognized, not realized. This hidden reservoir of the soul is awaiting the person's realization and their allowing of it to come forth. This larger soul potential can be unfolded with recognition and by allowing it to come forth into expression, which we can do in our lovemaking. The soulness of another is the deep essence of their being, which can be perceived as a reflection of one's own true being, and thus a feeling of being soul-connected.

Also possible in the love ritual is unity with the One Self, with God, with the Goddess, as the lovers perceive the Divine Spirit in one another, the One Being, the One Self, the One Love, or the polar aspects, goddess and god, Skakti and Shiva. The important essence is that in the love ritual we can see each other as divine beings, as manifestations of goddesses and gods, or even as the One Being experiencing enjoyment through this present love experience.

Man's relation to goddesses

The goddesses are described in relation to women, as a way of woman, as the different love attitudes and love approaches of women. But these goddess qualities can also be found in men, because men will have these different love attitudes and approaches as well. Men can also receive inspiration from the goddesses, just as women. Men can feel the powers of the goddesses, just as well. And a man can be possessed by a goddess, just well. So, these goddesses, and their different attitudes and approaches in love, are relevant to a man as well as a woman. Yet, a man's experiences of the goddess will most often be different than a woman's. And the goddess might relate with the man differently.

A woman will more naturally understand herself as one of the goddesses, loving the man, while the man more naturally perceives the goddess as expressing through the woman. From the woman's perspective, being a goddess, she can recognize the particular goddess quality that is now expressing through her. From the man's perspective, he can perceive how the goddess is expressing in the woman – her particular goddess attitude and approach in the love relationship or love ritual. Relevant to a man is how a woman can be in the love relationship and to recognize which goddess type this is. Relevant for a woman, is how she can potentially be or express her goddess self in the love relationship, and how each is a unique way to bring enjoyment into the ritual.

A woman can experience herself as one of the goddesses. She can feel this goddess within her and realize the goddess expressing through her. This is possible, with self-awareness and self-reflection. But usually, a man's experience of a love goddess is outside of himself, in the woman lover, through her being and energy, and through her loving. Thus for a man, the woman is experienced as a goddess, while the man experiences himself as worshiping the goddess, serving her, desiring her, or being enthralled in her. So, for a man, the goddess is most usually in the other, expressing through the woman; rather than the goddess expressing through himself.

Goddess qualities are in a man, but these qualities will not normally be understood as goddess qualities. A man might experience these goddess qualities and attitudes in himself, yet not realize these as 'goddess qualities'. In other words, he does not cognitively attribute these self-qualities to a goddess, nor perceive a self-quality as being a goddess quality. So the goddess qualities can be inside the man and experienced by the man, and also expressed by the man; yet the man doesn't know this by a goddess name. Also, he might not experience these qualities as particularly female, but rather as just human. He could simply recognize the particular quality as a character quality in himself, but not necessarily a female quality, nor a goddess quality.

However, it is possible for a man to experience and realize one of the goddesses being within himself or expressing through him; yet the goddess within him will usually be self-experienced differently than it is with a woman. A man can also have experiences and realizations of a goddess within, but it will not be as naturally easy for him as a woman, and he will most likely experience this goddess in a different way.

It is possible for a man to experience goddess qualities in himself, if he self-experiences the attitude and approach he is now in, while realizing this as one of the goddess qualities. Thus, it is possible for a man to recognize goddess qualities in himself, as well as recognize them in women. A man can see these goddess qualities in himself, at least potentially, because they uniquely emerge through all beings.

Yet, how a goddesses is experienced in oneself will depend on whether one is a man or a woman, though there are exceptions to this generalization. A woman can feel and understand the goddess in herself and be inspired by this, and as well, she can self-identify with being a goddess in her love activity and also in her social worldly personality. A man can also relate to his inner goddess as an inner inspiration, but he will not tend to self-identify with this goddess in his love activity. A man can self-identify with any of the goddesses; but this will not be so natural as it is with a woman. For homosexual, lesbian and gay relations, this experience of self-identifying depends on if one is expressing lesbian or gay, and it also depends on the chosen attitude and approach of each lover.

So in general, a man will more easily self-identify as one of the gods, rather than as one of the goddesses. He'll experience himself as a love-god, not as a love goddess; while he sees the love-goddesses in the woman. Reversely, a woman will more easily experience herself as one of the love goddesses; while her man might be perceived as a love-god.

Yet even the gods are all related to the goddesses; as they both share in the same fundamental qualities, as each god is a mirror of a goddess, and vice versa, which is the mirror of cosmic polarity, the polarity of Oneness. The goddesses are archetypes, qualities, and powers of Shakti, just as the gods are in relation with Shiva. All goddesses are different facets of the Great Goddess, Shakti, who Herself is in love with Shiva and loves Him through Her various forms. Their union is the hidden goal of every lover.

Synthesis and Balance

The four love goddesses are the faces of the Great Goddess, Shakti. Each is a direction, or a side, in the Mandala of Love. Each is a perspective, towards the centre the Love. Each is an attitude and approach. Each is a quality and power of love. Each goddess is significant in the whole complete mandala of life. Each is important in the process of becoming whole.

Each lover expresses at least one of the goddess qualities and sometimes more than one. Most often, the lover has just one goddess in attitude and expression, one in particular. This is who she mostly is in lovemaking. And it's perfectly beautiful to be one particular goddess, in her intensity and inspiration.

Each attitude has its distinct perspective, which is the way one is seeing the love dynamic and one's role in it. Each love goddess will see the love dynamic in a different way than the other goddesses. A conscious lover is self-aware of one's own distinct attitude and experience. And one can notice, in any moment, which goddess attitude or perspective one is now in.

Yet, everyone has a potential for more, to be more, and to experience in many diverse ways. So, a woman can try other approaches and attitudes, and experience different qualities in the love. There is no significant purpose in remaining stuck in any one position, approach, or goddess type. There are other possibilities, other ways of expressing and experiencing love. Add to who you are; become more, more of the cosmic whole. It's possible to branch out, try another approach, bring in another quality, experience in the polar opposite way. Reverse polarity and be in the opposite love attitude or approach. Play and explore in the love experience, towards love mergence.


Lovers have the spiritual potential for combining, merging, and uniting two or more goddesses energies, towards creating a greater integration and balance in one's lovemaking. This is part of the path called, 'towards wholeness', being the totality of oneself, the totality of all the great archetypal goddesses within. This is the pathway towards greater realization of Self, completing or realizing the mandala of wholeness.

The way of synthesis and balance is to combine qualities, integrate, unify, synthesize, and balance. This is what builds a creative synthesis in oneself, which is the creative integration of goddesses, to ultimately bring all goddesses, all of the facets of Shakti, into the wholeness of self. Yet this path is a gradual process, not to be rushed, but to be enjoyed in the journey.

The first step is being aware of one's self experience during the love, being aware of one's love attitude and approach. One might even realize the goddess involved, but this isn't actually necessary. Important is to realize the kind of love experience one is in; as for example, active or receptive, being in a giving or receiving mode of experience, loving or being loved. This is the meaning of having self-awareness in the love ritual.

We always begin from where we are now, who we are now, being self-aware of this and in the flow of it. We never judge or criticize our self, nor the other self, and we allow the flow of who we are and how we are. Enjoy who you are and be free in the experience. Yet also be unattached to this particular way of experiencing, and unattached to any particular pattern of lovemaking, to any particular attitude or approach, and even unattached to any particular self-identification. This opens up possibilities to self-explore different love attitudes, qualities, and goddess energies. The aim here is to experience new and different ways of love, to explore different kinds of experience, and to explore different love goddess energies. Explore other ways of being, other attitudes and approaches of love.

To explore another self-aspect, potential, or inner goddess; just try a different love approach, or a different perspective in the lovemaking. Try out a different attitude, tune into another goddess. Let go of the persona or love pattern you are now in, and leap right into a different quality, a different attitude and approach. Explore, and enjoy the journey.

For example, if you are now in an attitude of giving to the other's enjoyment; then switch your polarity into an attitude of getting what you want in the love. Or switch polarity from giving love to being loved. Or switch from giving enjoyment to self-enjoying. On the other hand, if you are now in an attitude of receiving from the other or getting pleasure from the other, then switch to an attitude of giving to the other, giving all that the other enjoys.

Then, stay in this new attitude, perspective, or position, for enough time to fully get to know it. Then it becomes more of who you are and adds to your wholeness. These roles can then switch back and forth during the love ritual. This exploration of the opposite perspective brings greater self-wholeness and self-balance.

All of the four goddesses are, in some way, polar opposite to one another; meaning that two of them will share certain qualities, while being polar opposites the other pair. Thus, there are always polar opposites throughout the four, and they can complement one another in some way. And with all four there is cosmic balance.


For example, Parvati's focus on giving will help to balance Durga's focus on getting. Parvati's desire to serve her lover and make sure he gets all the love he needs will help to balance Durga's predominant desire to serve herself and make sure that she gets all the enjoyment she wants. This does not mean that Parvati will simply replace Durga. It just means that Durga will realize and unfold some of the Parvati within her. So overall, she will still have a good deal of concern for her own enjoyment and getting what she wants. But with Parvati now emerging through her as well, her self-concern will start to be balanced by a desire to serve her love partner and make sure he gets a whole lot of love and satisfaction. What happens, then, is that Durga moves gradually towards fairness (or justice). Note that balance and fairness/justice are related ideas.

So Durga is moving towards being more selflessly giving, but she will not want to go 'all the way' to Parvati's attitude, but rather can find a middle area of balance and fairness. We might even imagine Durga saying, "I'm willing to serve and give him all he wants, but he better serve me and give to me as well, because otherwise the love dynamic would not be fair and balanced. So Durga can progressively inch her way towards Parvati's 'position' (in the south), but she would not want to go all the way to this other end of the full circle. Rather, she heads that way but does not just get stuck on the other end of balancing wheel.

This is an example of moving towards self-balance by exploring the opposite perspective, opposite attitude, opposite approach, or opposite 'position' (which in tantra has both a psychological and physical meaning). Durga is positioned in the north of the great Circle of Wholeness, while Parvati is in the south.

So for Parvati, her balancing opposite is Durga, because Durga brings in her attitude of 'seeking to get what I need', which helps to balance Parvati's tendency to sacrifice her own desires or wishes, for the sake of her partner's desires and wishes. Parvati's self-sacrificing and selfless giving may be a reason to grant her sainthood, but it is not at all fair and balanced in the overall love-relationship dynamic. It's lop-sided. Her saintly self-sacrificing and selfless-giving attitude is as lop-sided as is Durga's me-first self-getting attitude. So Parvati needs to gradually inch towards Durga's position, Durga's attitude; but not go so far as to merely become Durga rather than Parvati. Instead, she will need to find a middle place of being, a balance between the two extremes. And so, in Parvati's process of 'realizing her whole self' (which is the spiritual journey), she may well end up pretty close with Durga - if Durga also makes a journey towards balance. For after awhile, in their respective process of Self-discovery, they might both find themselves closer to the middle of the great Full Circle.

Durga can also be balancing for Lakshmi. Both Durga and Lakshmi capture what they want, but in different ways. Lakshmi has a skill for capturing what she wants, but it is done indirectly. Durga, instead, goes directly for what she wants. She might not get what she wants, and it would be smart to not have over-expectations, but at least she is willing to try. Many men will enjoy this approach. Many men will enjoy her even when she is aggressive. But most men will enjoy her direct approach better if it is tempered with gentleness and givingness as well. This balance will be very delightful to men.

Durga is the assertive and perhaps somewhat aggressive potential of femininity. But not aggressive in the sense of being harmful to her lover, nor out to forcibly rape him. Some men might have a tendency to be aggressive to the point of being forcibly manipulative of the woman, or even having pleasure from being harmful to her, but this is actually a mental-emotional sickness. On the contrary, Durga's aggressiveness is more like the huntress - using her skill, her courage, her self-assuredness, and her assertive will, in order to move towards what she wants. She captures what she wants, but not with any violence to the other.

A Lakshmi type will indirectly ask for love by way of her behavior or how she presents herself, but she won't be too direct about it and especially will not be aggressive about it, because she wants the man to make his own initiative towards her as a result of her seductive power. She wants the loving but also wants to know that her magnetic power brings this about. So she can be assertive but not in a direct way.

What happens, unfortunately, for Lakshmi and for many women in general, is that they tend to get disappointed in a man for not being seduced by her indirect approach or else disappointed in the actual love-sex experience when the man does not do all that she would like; but this is of course a consequence of her not actually asking or being assertive, but instead remain passively waiting for the man to "just know" what she wants or how she wants him. So from the viewpoint of the assertive Durga, this passive waiting kind of approach, and hoping that the man picks up on her vibe about what to do, is just plain silly or else it evidently lacks confidence and courage.

Many woman fear to express what they actually want, or they are shy about it. They fear being viewed or judged as being unfeminine or as being pushy - which is not how women should be (according to their belief). As well, many women are not assertive in regards to sex and also prefer to not actively take charge or take a lead in the lovemaking itself.

One possible reason for this is in how they think a woman should be; for many women believe that a receptive mode, or even passive mode, is more natural to who woman is - the quality of being feminine, or also that a good woman or a spiritual woman is one who has no concern for her pleasures but is meant to be in service to the man. But there is no real natural basis for these beliefs about who a woman really is, nor about this belief of what is right for a woman or what a woman should be. These beliefs seem to be just false presumptions that are simply based on an invented cultural or religious norm, which was then socially conditioned into woman's personality.

In tantra, there is nothing inherently wrong nor stupid about a woman being as either Lakshmi or Parvati. These are regarded as beautiful ways of being, but these should not be falsely assumed as being how all real feminine woman are nor how they all ought to be. Each woman is the way she is, at present, and this way will be respected and appreciated for how it is, but Durga teaches us that any woman can recreate herself, and any woman can add in more self-assertiveness to her love personality, (by bringing forth the Durga within her soul), but ultimately the choice is with each woman. Be how you want to be; Yet know that you have choice in this and can set along a different path at any time. Know that this is the truth.


Thus, Lakshmi (in the west) can also be balanced by Durga (in the north). These are not directly opposite positions, but in the great Circle each of the directions balance all of the other ones, thus bringing each more towards the center or more towards complete holistic balance.

For Lakshmi, positioned in the west of the Circle of Wholeness, her directly opposite balance will be Saraswati (in the east). Lakshmi's power of magnetism, which draws a man to her, can be balanced with Saraswati's power of imagination. Lakshmi's magnetism is still good to keep, for there is nothing wrong about her desire to enchant, to be adored and to be worshiped for her beauty. But if Saraswati can gradually emerge from within her, then Lakshmi becomes even more of a love goddess to adore and worship.


Both Saraswati and Lakshmi have a power of radiance and also has a power of attraction. But Saraswati's radiance and magnetic attraction is more subtle than Lakshmi's. For it is based on the attractive power of her creativity, imagination, and inner self-exploration. Many men are attracted to this kind of woman, while other men are attracted to the more overtly perceived beauty of Lakshmi. So Saraswati's attraction is often overlooked or unseen, while Lakshmi's attraction is more perceptible. But if Saraswati can bring out more of her inner beauty and creativity into the radiance of expression, then she will be better seen and recognized.


In fact, each of the goddesses can add into their own quality of expression the Lakshmi power of magnetic seduction - experiencing oneself as continually drawing the love partner towards oneself - and also experiencing the Lakshmi perspective of being adored. For make note that both man and woman can feel adored and even worshiped in the love ritual. This is not to be dismissed, but instead it is one of the goals of tantra - for each partner to be actually adored and worshiped in the love dynamic. So let it be.

An additional kind of balance, between Lakshmi and Saraswati, is the balance of beauty and creative wisdom. Some woman focus on their beauty, which can become an attractive power, as well as their outer sexiness. Yet other woman may focus on developing an inner wisdom and also their creative talents. Then some women might do both, in the direction of balance.

Thus, if a woman is more on the beauty-attractive side, then she can work more on developing her creative talents; and vice versa. Each can be developed because both goddesses are within one another and all of the potentials are within us. Yet there is a tendency for the one type of goddess to think that being the other type is simply too far away or too difficult to become.

But just imagine the greater possibility of beauty having creative wisdom as well. This would result in more creative expressions of beauty. Imagine sexiness with artistic creativity as well. This would result in artful, creative and imaginative sexiness, or sexiness with an artistic style. Imagine someone with artistic ability expressing beauty and or sexiness. A woman with both artistic power and sexy power will evoke a more powerful attraction and magnetism.

What Lakshmi also offers to Saraswati is her outwardness and even her 'hey look at me' attitude. Saraswati might not be comfortable turning into an outright Lakshmi, but some of Lakshmi's quality and power could make Saraswati into a beautiful and magnetic artist of love.

Outward beauty and sexiness are certainly not tend-all goals of woman; yet there is nothing that need stop the artistic or intelligent woman from being beautiful and sexy as well. And remember that beauty and sexiness can come in many forms and many ways, so as such it is open to artistic creativity. Also imagine beauty and sexiness combined with the qualities of exploration, imagination and playfulness -- those qualities of the wise and artistic.

So, Lakshmi can balance Saraswati with her power of outer sexual attraction. Saraswati just needs to take one little step forward -- to become a love attraction and have a man ravish her like Lakshmi, and also be a giving enjoyment to the dynamic of lovemaking.

Saraswati needs to realize her own special beauty, her unique artistic beauty, then let her beauty radiate out. Let the light shine. Let the wisdom shine, and let the artist shine. Let the imagination shine. And let the artistic playfulness come out. Saraswati, come out in the open and play. Let loose your inner beauty. Let loose your imagination. Let loose your exploratory spirit and your inner wildness. Be like Lakshmi, with her outer radiance of beauty. Show and reveal the beauty who you are! So the lesson of Lakshmi, for Saraswati, is to show oneself. You don't have to have a self-centered or egotistic attitude about it, but show yourself, show who you are, the beauty who you are. It doesn't have to be an extreme attitude of "look at me, how beautiful I am." But you at least have to move in the direction of allowing yourself to be seen and recognized. It's like any art; one needs to show the art and share the art, for otherwise the art remains in hiding and unseen.

The attitudes of both Parvati and Durga can also be balancing for Saraswati, leading her more towards the center of it all and to greater wholeness. Each of these four goddesses can be balanced by each of the other three. The positive balancing quality of Durga is in her self-assertiveness and in her intention to get what she wants. Also, any of the other goddesses will benefit from her will towards achievement and success. In fact, if Durga's self-assertiveness is combined with Saraswati's wisdom and with Parvati's concern for the other, then Durga becomes a goddess working for fairness and justice in the world. And if she gains Lakshmi's power of charm, then she becomes a very powerful spiritual transformer in the world. But in regards to Saraswati specifically, the added power of Durga means that the wisdom and creative woman is moving ever closer to success in actually manifesting her wisdom and artistic talent.

Next, by unfolding the Parvati in her, Saraswati learns more about how to just give her love freely. She learns to be an unconditional giver and unconditionally care about others. This also brings her out of her occasional aloofness, her occasional spaciness and being off into her own personal imaginative world. In other words, a Parvati balance can bring Saraswati out from her innerness into an attitude and intention to serve the person she is with – with her inherent creative and artistic power.

So generally speaking, each of the goddesses can self-evolve by bringing forth the other goddesses from their innermost supreme Goddess potential; and thus, a finer balance and wholeness of being can be attained, which is the meaning of spiritual realization and actualization. This is called fulfilling the Great Circle.


The imaginative artist comes from Saraswati and is expressed by her, yet all of the goddesses actually have artistic imagination within them, but they just don't usually realize it and express it as much as Saraswati. So the quality of imagination can emerge in any of the goddesses and in any of the goddess ways.

For example, Parvati can be imaginatively creative (thus artistic) in how she gives to the man, in what she does and in how she does it. Durga can be more imaginative in how she gets what she wants. And Lakshmi can of course be artistically imaginative in her seductive dance, and in the way she dresses, looks, and acts.

It's all about the attitude one has. One person can be very playful, exploratory, imaginative, inventive, and open to ever new and unexpected experiences; while another person might be very serious about it all - being set in their beliefs about what is the right way or the best way, or set on a fixed course of this, then that, then that, and always wanting to do things the same way without being open to anything different or of learning anything new.

It's all about what attitude we choose. But most people never think to chose their attitude; instead they are imprisoned by whatever attitude they now have, and they are convinced that this is just the way they are. But no one has to be this way or that way. A change of attitude can change a whole lot, and this change of attitude is under our own choice - if we actually make the choice. So anyone can be anything, at least in the realm of goddess types. All of this applies to both man and woman. The real creative artist continually creates and re-creates who they are and how they are.


But in regards to woman, each woman enters into sexual rituals with some kind of goddess attitude and approach, and the reasons for one goddess vs. another being more dominant is a complicated mixture of many factors, just as is any personality. Yet, no matter what goddess is manifesting, the person has a choice of change, or one can allow in a different goddess energy to balance what is already most prevalent, or to make one's love approach more rich and holistic.

So there should not be a false idea that each person is merely possessed by a particular goddess. A particular goddess is now dominating the present personality and the present moment, but each person has a potential power of choice to switch the present goddess approach to another one, or perhaps add in another one to help enrich the whole experience of being. This is all possible because all of the goddesses are in each person's potential. It's sort of like artistic talent; we each have artistic potentials, but some people put energy and choice into developing one or a few of these, while others don't.



The Great Mandala

Self wholeness in the love ritual can be understood as the Mandala of Love; the mandala of all our self-potential, all we can be. The Mandala of Love contains four aspects, four great qualities, four great powers, which are the four goddesses.

Each goddess is a different attitude and approach to love, or figuratively known as the four positions of love. Each approaches and experiences the lover and the love ritual in a particular way, and from particular perspective, which is different from the others. Each goddess has a different unique perspective, which depends on the direction from which she is coming from and the related element of that direction.

Durga in the north is related to the element of fire, with her strong will and self-determination. Parvati in the south is related to the element of earth, with her earthy caring about the well-being of everyone. Saraswati in the east is related to the element of air, because of her imaginative, visionary, and creative mind. Lakshmi in the west is related to the element of water, with her watery delicious sexual beauty.

The Great Mandala includes the fullness of all our spiritual potentials. It includes all the spiritual qualities of the Divine, Who's essence is Love. All potential self-qualities are aspects of the Divine, which is all-comprehensive and includes all polarities, all gods and goddesses. All goddesses come from the One. Yet the Divine One is beyond any gender distinction of being goddess or god. We are all in and from the One Self, the Divine, the Source of everything. There is always more of the Self, than we can know. Neither do we know all of our own potential qualities. And neither do we know all the potential divine qualities of our lover. Each of us is a mystery unfolding, all within the unfolding Great Mystery, the Mandala of Being.

Unity in polarity

The Great Mandala is a Unity-in-polarity. This polarity is represented by man and woman, man in one half and woman in the other half of the Mandala. We can actually picture this Mandala with a man and woman in it, together in a dynamic interrelation and intercourse of energies. Yet, these polarities in the Love Mandala are not absolutely separated. There is no solid line dividing the Mandala, no solid boundary dividing the two polarities from one another. The two are embracing one another and passionately wrapped around one another. So the polarities are embraced and intertwined together, rather than being separate, opposed, or with boundary. In the love experience, if a boundary or wall is found then dissolve it. If opposition is found, then resolve it by embracing the 'other'.

Thus, there is interconnection and relationship between the polarities, and complementation as well. In addition, there is dynamism in this relationship. It is not merely static, but rather dynamic and energetic. The Mandala is full of dynamic, sensuous and enjoyable energy, which is often represented by sexual intercourse. For example, Shiva will be embraced with Shakti or with one of her goddess forms. Or Krishna will be in a love embrace with Radha.

This dynamism in the Mandala is always producing change and transformation. Continuance of a rhythm is part of the overall dynamism, but change is also part of the dynamic. The principle of a continuing unchanging rhythm is called tamas. Changing the rhythm, or moving on a new path, is called rajas. Harmonizing or balancing polarities is called sattva.


The Mandala of Love can be understood in multiple ways, with different layers of meaning. In the tantra, all images and symbols, including the goddesses and gods, have multilayered meanings, which adds to their richness and depth.

At the most basic layer of meaning, the tantric Mandala is all of the many possible positions and ways of enjoyment in the love ritual, which is the sexual relationship of male and female bodies, and their sensuous enjoyment together.

Another level of meaning in the polarity of the Mandala is that the two halves are masculine and feminine archetypes. These are opposites, yet complementary opposites. However, it's important to not hold any fixed belief about what qualities are necessarily in man, or what qualities are in woman. Any fixed belief can only be a generalization, maybe useful in some way, but with many possible exceptions and nuances, because in the soul potential of both man and woman are all of the divine qualities, including all goddess and god qualities.

The man can bring his most powerful masculine qualities into the circle of love, while the woman brings her beautiful feminine qualities. These polar qualities can then complement one another to create a harmonious flow. These polarities of the man and woman can also blend together in the love ritual or in the longer-term relationship. And finally, it is possible for these polar qualities to transform into an integrative unity.

The Mandala can also be viewed as Krishna and Radha, the archetypes of a loving relationship, as both see the Divine Self in each other. Both recognize and respect each other as divine beings, each with unique qualities and powers, yet each equally divine. They are soul-mates, as each recognizes their own innermost soul potentials in the other, and thus each can discover in the other what is hidden and unexpressed in their own being.

At a deeper layer of meaning, or in the most cosmic sense, these polarities in the Great Mandala are Shiva and Shakti. These Cosmic Polarities have their own respectively different qualities and powers, which have a divine destiny to be complementary and balancing. One could view Shiva in one half and Shakti in the other, though still having a connection and relationship. Or if the polarities are closer to being in unity, then Shiva and Shakti would be intertwined together in a flow of love. Love polarities can range anywhere from just touching to being intertwined in blissful love unity without any sense of separateness.