Meeting Sri Lakshmi

Sri Lakshmi handed me gold coins and had me drop them over my head as the word “Sri” appeared over my head…

In this particular instance, Sri Lakshmi was making it known that she is my divine grandmother, an important energetic ingredient in the making of my soul. Knowing this information, I began to learn more about her and regularly invoke that energy into my home and life. Before she made her presence known, I had very little knowledge of her story and why I should connect to her. Below you will find some basic information about Sri Lakshmi.

Getting to know Lakshmi

Lakshmi is a Hindu Goddess or Devi of Prosperity, wealth and fortune, however, it is also thought that her name is derived from a word meaning “goal” and is looked upon as the supreme goal of humanity. Her story can be found in the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Purana, Mahabharata, and the Ramayana. Each story gives different aspects of her origin, her relationship to Vishnu, and the gifts that she bestows on her devotees. Everything about her story and symbolism speaks of attaining both spiritual and physical abundance and using it to escape the cycle of life and death.

The image of Lakshmi explained

She is usually depicted as a beautiful woman with 4 arms seated upon a lotus flower. She wears a red sari with gold trim representing active creativity and abundance. Each hand/arm is said to represent the 4 goals or ends of humanity. The upper hands represent spiritual activity that leads to spiritual perfection while the lower hands represent physical activity. Each of the upper hands hold lotus flowers. The right side represents the daily activity--one’s pursuit of morality and truth in this human life or righteousness (dharma). In contrast, the left hand represents the accomplished goal of self-knowledge and thus, liberation from the cycle of life and death (moksha). The lower right hand is held in the abhaya mudra which is a symbol of blessings, fearlessness, protection, peace, and friendship (kama). From the left hand, Lakshmi is shown showering gold coins onto the ground which is a clear symbol of material wealth (artha). The lotus she sits upon represents being in the world but not of the world. In other words, finding the balance of enjoying the luxuries of life without becoming obsessed with it. She is often surrounded by elephants or shown with her husband Vishnu. The elephants are symbols of tenacity, strength, honor, and wisdom--again reiterating the qualities Sri Lakshmi likes to see in her devotees. As the symbol of the divine feminine energy, she is the creative power of Vishnu, the symbol of divine male energy.

Additional qualities symbolized by Sri Lakshmi are:

Aishwarya-richness and beauty,
Yash-name and fame that comes as a result of carrying out one’s destiny,
Shri-a designation of fortune and divinity,
Vairagya- the loss of interest in worldly matters

She is also shown in her 8 forms, each representing a different type of wealth:

Adi Lakshmi- primal or great mother
Dhanya Lakshmi-wealth in agriculture and food
Veera Lakshmi-wealth of courage
Gaja Lakshmi-wealth of power
Santana Lakshmi-wealth of fertility
Vijaya Lakshmi-wealth of victory
Aishwarya Lakshmi-wealth of knowledge and education
Dhana Lakshmi-monetary wealth

Benefits of invoking Lakshmi Energy

As you can see, Sri Lakshmi is the personification of abundance, physically and spiritually. Her energy does not work well with laziness, vanity, or immorality. The blessings of Maha Lakshmi are said to only be bestowed upon those who are always in the act of charity, honesty, developing spirituality, and kindness. Welcome her into your life by opening yourself to beauty, prosperity, and wealth in your home, business and life.

What experiences have you had with Sri Lakshmi? Tell me about them in the comment section below.

Connecting with Yemaya

Yemaya is known by many names and exists in many traditions. To me, she is the ultimate representation of the divine feminine principle. The very essence of the creation-manifestation cycle.

Guided Shamanic Journey: Healing the Heart

This journey is an introduction to the "garden" of your heart. Much can be learned by the symbolism held within each scene of this journey--allow each element to help you dig deeper and gain more insight into the condition of your chakra. Use it once or many times as a deep Meditation and/or tool to peel back the layers of You.

During this particular Journey, I didn't go anywhere. Instead I found myself watching me, as Turtle, move from my bedroom to my office... Turtle worked with a certain ease. She worked slowly, deliberately at a steady pace. She didn't over exert herself, nothing was forced. She simply moved with the flow staying aware of when to stop and start.

This message from Turtle spoke to me in many ways.

Mastering the Mundane

I've never been one for busy work--small repetitive tasks that take up your time when you'd rather be doing anything else. HOWEVER, instead of grudgingly getting to them when I feel like it, Turtle reminds me to be diligent in completing them so they don't eventually gather into a pile of unfinished energy--an energetic dam to new projects. She displays an ease and steadiness while doing the mundane tasks of life so that she can move on to what excites.

Balancing Act

We all know that "finding balance" is not static but rather an ongoing act of making sure nothing is getting neglected. Let's face it...I'm a mom and a business owner. I am guilty of trying to cram too many things into a given hour. But doing so always leads to high stress, crabbiness, and me cutting out an important aspect of health like sleep or exercise. Turtle teaches the art of balancing. Never forcing, always pacing which allows her to stop when she's tired and start again refreshed and at her best.

Listen and know

It is truly a gift to be able to listen to your bodies--physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. As you move between home and business, just as Turtle moved between bedroom and office, it is important to trust yourself. It can sometimes be intimidating to step into your purpose; to step into your creativity, but you must realize that you are becoming a master of self and a light to others. Move with ease in who you REALLY are.

Turtle as a spirit guide

Turtle teaches us to walk our path in peace and to stick with it using determination and serenity. While Turtle moves slow on earth, she moves fast in the water. This means that she is perfect for moving with the flow of creativity and also for handling the mundane tasks of life in this 3D world. This mastery of balancing helps those who tap into Turtle's energy, to stay grounded.

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