The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga

I had heard the author online and liked what I heard and hence bought this book. I was disappointed. The book fell flat. I am of Indian origin and am familiar with at least some of the Goddesses discussed. It seems the author reduced the great Goddesses into some nuts and bolts mechanical entities with no sense of the sacred and awe that should go with them. Wished that I had not read it.

Would have liked the book to be laid out more clearly. I struggled to find the lesson and learning that I was hoping this book would have. I know many have loved it though, so perhaps it's just not the right book for me at this time.

Before I begin my review, I want to make it clear that I am a long-time expert on the subjects of Shakti and Kashmir Shaivism, the subjects that Sally Kempton addresses in this book. I have reviewed numerous books related to these subjects at the store (scan through my 212 reviews and you'll find them). Moreover, I also channel constant heavy-duty Shakti, so my expertise is not merely intellectual, but also experiential. Given my background as a student, practitioner, and teacher of not only Kashmir Shaivism, but multiple other schools of mysticism (Raja Yoga, Advaita Vedanta, Christian mysticism, Daism, and Pali, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhism), it was with great interest that I considered the contents of this book.

I will begin my review by criticizing Kempton for her reductionist feminization of Shakti, which is is a synonym for the Christian Holy Spirit, the Buddhist Sambhogakaya, and the Jewish Ruach HaKodesh. In reality, Shakti is "neutral" Energy that is no more feminine than masculine. As I have written, "The fact that the grammatical gender of the word "Spirit" is masculine in Latin ("Spiritus"), feminine in Hebrew ("Ruach HaKodesh"), and neuter in Greek ("Pneuma") tells us that God's Energy can be thought of as male, female, or neither."

If Kempton wants to perceive or worship Shakti as feminine, I have no problem with that (I often do it myself). But I do find it intellectually disintegrous for her not to have made it clear that Shakti, or Spirit, intrinsically, is no more feminine or masculine than is amperage in an electrical circuit. And in my opinion, whereas it might benefit a man more to conceive of Shakti as Goddess Energy, it might be preferable for a woman to imagine it as masculine Energy. As Kempton herself points out, the tantric traditions she writes about were generally aimed at male yogis; hence to make Divine Energy more appealing, Shakti was personified as Goddess Power.

Apart from her reductionist sexualization of Shakti, Kempton also reduces this Divine Energy to other stepped-down energies, which, in effect de-Spiritualizes this unborn, Holy Energy. When Shakti is capitalized, it should be a synonym for Spirit. I'm fine with using "shakti" (Shakti uncapitalized) to refer to energies that are less than Divine (such as pranic or life-force or sexual energies), but Kempton fails to make this all-important distinction; hence her text suffers from a blurring between Divine Energy and less-than-Divine energies.

Because Kempton caters to a New Age crowd lacking discernment in Eastern philosophy, she can get away with sloppy definitions and dumbed-down, slipshod explanations of tantric spirituality, but I cringe as I read her.

Kempton has not "cracked the cosmic code" and can only present a mishmash of disintegral, contradictory information and an incomplete picture of the en-Light-enment process. She'll seem profound to neophytes, but the spiritual cognoscenti will not be impressed with her discombobulated exposition of Kashmir Shaivism, Shakti, Shaktipat, and Kundalini.

On one page she'll talk about Kundalini rising through the body and uniting with Siva in the crown, and on another page she'll wax about Shakti from above uniting from Shakti below. But how it all comes together to "produce," or unveil, the Divine Being and Self-realization is not evident in her jumbled discourse.

If you're interested in a similar but better book than Kempton's, check out David Frawley's "Inner Tantric Yoga: Working with the Universal Shakti: Secrets of Mantras, Deities, and Meditation" (see my three-star review). If you're interested in finding out what Kashmir Shaivism and Shakti (and Shaktipat) are really about, get a copy of Deba Brata Sen Sharma's "The Philosophy of Sadhana: With Special Reference to the Trika Philosophy of Kashmir" (see my five-star review).

The essence of Kashmir Shaivism is receiving downpoured Shakti - and this reception of Shakti, Divine Power, is called Shaktipat. Kempton briefly mentions Shaktipat a few times, but because she is glamorizing and peddling a watered-down version of real Kashmir Shaivism, she doesn't penetrate beneath the surface of this practice. If one cuts away the inessentials, the metaphysical superstructure, Kashmir Shaivism equates with Christian mysticism, because the Shakti that the Indian yogi receives is the exact same Energy (the Holy Spirit) that the Christian mystic channels.

From a positive perspective, Sally Kempton presents an alluring picture of Kashmir Shaivism which will hopefully inspire neophytes to further, and deeply, investigate this fascinating and esoteric spiritual tradition. Given that it could be said she is creating a bridge - albeit a flawed one - between Kashmir Shaivism and New Age thought, I'll cut her some slack and give the book two stars.

To be honest, I haven't had much interest in studying the Hindu Goddesses, I've always been more of a Shiva and Hanuman kind of gal. I've seen plenty of their iconography, blurbs here and there, and of course, Heidi Klum's controversial Kali Halloween costume several years ago, but never enough information to draw me in. When Sally Kempton's book Awakening Shakti: the Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga was introduced to me, I decided it was high time I broaden my knowledge.

Sally Kempton has done a wonderful job organizing these lovely Goddesses in her book, both exploring the light and the shadow side of them, thus inviting us to explore our own light and shadow sides. There are eleven goddesses she fleshes out for us, complete with gorgeous illustrations by Ekabhumi Charles Ellik, meditation exercises, lists of alternate names, capabilities, where and why to invoke them, their bija and invocation mantras, and their personal Gayatri mantra. In addition to the Goddess' story, Sally shares her personal experiences with them and experiences through people with whom she's been involved. On top of the beautiful biographies, Sally has included a pronounciation guide, a "which goddess are you" guide, and a reader's group guide that would be great for yoga and meditation teachers to use in class.

Personally, I found myself identifying with Lakshmi (Goddess of Abundance and Good Fortune), Sita (Goddess of Devotion and Mystical Submission), and Dhumavati (Crone Goddess of Disappointment and Letting Go). In the depth of these identities is more than just what their title implies. In Lakshmi, invoking wealth and sharing it, but not becoming materialistic and attached and when to not over extend. In Sita, loving completely and being a supportive partner, but also knowing when to walk away. In Dhumavati, finding beauty in the rubble and death and finding joy no matter what.

Overall, I think this is a fantastic addition to my library of books. It brings a nice balance to the mystical aspect of my practice and my point of reference. Whether or not you are well versed in Goddesses of Yoga, I would recommend Awakening Shakti to expand your point of view.

This book had me hooked as I read Sally's description of Sacred Feminism. Kempton says, "I like to think of goddess practice as a form of sacred feminism--not political feminism, but feminism of the soul. To be a sacred feminist is to be a lover of the feminine face of God as she appears in the world, in culture, and also in our own psyche and soul--while also recognizing that the feminine can never be separated from her masculine other half."

This book is a scrumptious user's manual for connecting to the sacred feminine through the great goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. What I learned while reading this book is that the practice of meditating on a deity is really about bringing the sacred feminine energies forward so we can explore and perhaps flaunt the qualities we find in ourselves.

I've been very slowly savoring this book for about five months, mostly because I didn't want to get to the end. I learned SO much about Hindu goddesses, and the author presents the information in an accessible and compelling way. Each chapter, which follows the same format, is centered around a specific goddess and includes meditations to help the reader manifest the goddess and her energy. Even if you don't particularly believe in Hinduism or goddesses, a person could benefit from reading this book by exploring personality archetypes. Each person embodies a combination of Hindu goddess archetypes, and it can be helpful when you want to enhance or diminish certain aspects of your personality. I received so much "food for thought" from this book and now have a lot that I want to explore on my own. I didn't do all the meditations on the first read, but I can now refer to ones that I want to do. Very well written and organized. I highly recommend.

An excellent book by a truly gifted writer. I also have the CD series of this title by Sounds True and it is a joy to listen to.

My only reason for taking away a star is that in the paperback version, the type face is tiny.
This is a real problem because having the actual book makes it easier to reference parts you want to re-read; on the other hand, with the kindle edition you can customize your font size.

Within the ever widening circle of today's spiritual discourse, no one I know of speaks with lucidity, intelligence and eloquence like Sally Kempton. If you didn't love to meditate before reading her first book, "Meditation For The Love Of It," you will upon completion. Her latest work, "Awakening Shakti," does just that. The book pulses with the same dynamic energy it describes so well. We are introduced to the family of Tantric Goddesses comprising the body of the eternal Feminine Principle. Reaching into the depths of this sacred mythology, Sally engages the varied forces of spiritual and psychological life revealing the elaborate jeweled aspects of the Goddesses and illuminating each in her most fierce and sublime features. As she does so, Sally demystifies the likes of Kali and Saraswati, making them recognizable to each of us in our everyday life.

From the opening pages, Sally's love, respect for and knowledge of these ancient teachings is obvious. But she does not leave the reader dangling from a thread of esoteric knowledge. Again and again, she brings us back to practice. Practices that help us understand these energies, relate to them effectively and deliver us into a direct experience of the Divine Feminine.

"Awakening Shakti" is a must read for women, and men alike, who wish to partake of a great adventurous story into the mythology and vastly inclusive spirituality of the Tantras. Like her first book, this is not simply a good read, but rather a piece of work to study and engage with. Enjoy.

If you are searching for a soul quenching, spiritually fulfilling practice I suggest this book. I have been searching for many years for a practice that is unique to me as a woman. Goddess practice was the answer and Sally Kempton's book is the guide. I love having a Divine Female centered practice. It makes all the difference for me. I now consider myself a Buddhist Goddess Practitioner. As an activist for demanding the end of violence toward girls and women, the end of patriarchy and equality for all I am deeply grateful for the insight this book provides. The Divine Feminine is powerful and there is a great need for it in our world today.

This is a delicious book. In addition to being wise, savvy, spacious, and practical, this book is juicy: full of the rasa, the nectar, of devotion. The descriptions of these goddesses are so vivid that you almost feel, reading the book, as if you are yourself having the visions of, receiving the blessings of, feeling the pulsing luminous energy of, these goddesses. The author's love for these deities, the archetypes they embody, and what they can reveal to us for our own path, is irresistible. A thoroughly worthwhile read, and an enjoyable and entrancing one, too.

In Awakening Shakti Sally Kempton shares her depth of knowledge about the qualities of the Goddesses with us. Each chapter reveals the energy of a particular deity and clearly shows the reader how to find that energy personally.

Sally Kempton is a talented and moving writer with a lot to say. When someone like her, a monk for many years, shares her unique knowledge, it transforms. Each day I am doing one of the exercises, realigning with the energy of a particular Goddess, and find out more about how it manifests for me.

This is a great book for a group to read together. Lots to talk about.