Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power is an exploration of the many faces of the Goddess Durga in ancient and contemporary culture. This book takes us on a pilgrimage to goddess temples and natural shrines, to visit shamans and living goddesses in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, and to India for the annual ten-day Durga Festival. The mythology, rituals, philosophy, and spiritual practices of this distinctly female-centered and millennia-old tradition of Durga offer an alternative model of female potential and empowerment, focusing on peace, healing, spiritual liberation, and realization of inherent divinity.
Laura Amazzone is an author, teacher, jewelry artist, and Yogini. She completed her masters degree in philosophy and religion with an emphasis in womens spirituality at the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2001. Laura teaches goddess classes and workshops in California and is adjunct faculty in the Yoga Philosophy program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Part 1 Foreword
Part 2 Preface
Part 3 Acknowledgements
Part 4 Introduction Encountering Durga
Part 5 The Teachings of Goddess Durga
Chapter 6 Chapter One Durga: Goddess of Paradox
Chapter 7 Chapter Two Tantra, Kaula, and Sakta Tradition
Chapter 8 Chapter Three Durga as Bhagawati: The Power of the Yoni
Chapter 9 Chapter Four The Art of Pilgrimage and the Durga Puja
Part 10 Durga Puja: The Ten-Day Harvest Festival
Chapter 11 Day One Saraswati: Goddess of Creativity
Chapter 12 Day Two The Kumari: Living Virgin Goddess
Chapter 13 Day Three Mai, Ajima: Ancient Mother, Ancient Grandmother
Chapter 14 Day Four Laksmi: Goddess of Abundance
Chapter 15 Day Five The Eight Matrkas: The Power of Women in Groups
Chapter 16 Day Six The Yogini: Goddess and Priestess of Erotic Arts and Mysteries
Chapter 17 Day Seven Kali: Goddess of Transformation
Chapter 18 Day Eight Taleju: Womens Blood Mysteries
Chapter 19 Day Nine Nine Durgas: Goddesses of Liminality
Chapter 20 Day Ten Durgas Victory
Part 21 Glossary of Sanskrit Terms
Part 22 Bibliography
Part 23 Index
Amazzones powerful narrative of her personal experience backed by extensive field and library research is a must read for anyone interested in the relationships between the divine female, womens spirituality, and womens empowerment. It is a splendid example of feminist writing in which the author is deeply engaged in her own journey. Hers was a pilgrimage to the source, and of personal renewal and redemption promising hope for the return of the goddess in Western consciousness. — Elinor Gadon, PhD., Author of The Once and Future Goddess, religious studies professor at Brandeis University
Amazzones voice is strong and clear. Goddess Durga promises the transformation, empowerment, and dignity that is our birthright. — Marisa Tomei, Academy Award-winning actor
Scholarly and fierce, the work of Laura Amazzone draws from our ancient strength. The time for this wisdom is now. — Alice Walker, poet; activist; author of The Color Purple
Laura Amazzone is a modern day yogini. She is a scholar as well as a practitioner and her new book Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power embodies this duality....True to feminine form, Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power is a balanced read, utilizing the logical brain and the intuitive heart. The book itself is in a non-linear layout, meaning it does not need to be experienced from start to finish- it is cyclical and can be picked up, flipped through and enjoyed from any angle. — Common Ground
