What has become of the woman in us? Our instinctive spirit, our creative power, our insight? Women have invested their energy and devotion to passing on wisdom through the centuries. When a woman takes guardianship of herself, she feels rooted, connected, and solid. She can ultimately assert herself in all her roles, be it a lover, mother, wife, or daughter. She becomes a depository of the critical and visionary force, skilled in influencing others and the globe.
Imagine a life where you feel fully embodied, powerful, courageous, and consistent between what you project and who you are. Imagine a life where you esteem your feminine process and the brilliance of your heart, soul, and body.
You master holding different oppositions, where you appreciate the benefits and qualities of your own inner dynamics. When you trust yourself fully, you trust your intuition and your power of transformation, where you believe in your ability to evolve and create new realities beyond your imagination.
When you live a life in harmony with your spirit and feminine power, your choices and actions create true joy and grant you the force to impact those around you.
These deities embody the creative power of women. They represent the energy and potency of fertility and consciousness. They are essential leadership competencies that female leaders must tap into, embody, embrace and epitomise.
Here are the 8 female powers, the heroines embedded in Hinduism spirituality and invaluable for today’s female leaders.
Parvati,
The Power of Refocusing
The power to refocus brings calm and clarity. It offers a new perspective. To refocus is to go inward, to detach oneself from situations and their share of emotions or confusion. This power allows one to step back from one’s own “history”, from one’s sorrows, fears, needs and desires, not to deny them but to understand and heal them. Parvati is the supreme feminine principle. Her name means ‘woman of the mountain’. As the wife of the god Shiva, she is both the procreative and destructive power.
Durga,
The Power of Letting Go
It is the power to rid one’s heart of all that belongs to the past, to empty one’s mind of that which has no interest in the future. It is the power to cut off everything useless or harmful. This power gives me the strength to say “no” to negativity. Durga, literally “The Unattainable”, is the energy of the Absolute, worshipped as the one who destroys all that is illusory.
Jagadamba,
The Power to Love (or Tolerate)
To truly love, I must begin by loving myself, tolerating my inconsistencies, bearing my failures, and leaving behind the limitations that prevent me from appreciating myself as I am. Jagadamba is the World Mother. All the peoples of the world are her children. In connection with the Ocean of Love, overflowing with love: she is always ready to love unconditionally, whatever the circumstances.
Santoshima,
The Power of Adaptation
The power of adaptation is one of the most extraordinary incognito powers of the Shakti, and it is the power to soften and comfort hearts, including her own. She who has the power of Santoshima sees and feels the needs and makes the necessary adjustments to ensure the state of well-being in herself and various situations. Shantoshima is the “satisfied one”: through her connection with the one who comforts hearts, she generates the feeling that nothing is missing.
Gayatri,
The Power of Discernment
This is the ability to use one’s divine intellect. The power of clarity enables one to see with new eyes and hear with a different ear. By using the power of discernment, Shakti can grasp everything accurately. The power of discernment requires trusting oneself, even with differing beliefs. It is the power to listen to what lies deep within. Gayatri, whose name means “she who sings”, is the patron saint of poetry, knowledge and learning.
Saraswati,
The Power to Decide
This is the power of truth, choosing one’s truth and sticking to it. This power requires freedom from attachment to one’s decisions: “Doing is your responsibility, but the outcome is not your concern” (Bhagavad Gita). Like Gayatri, Saraswati is associated with the intellect, but unlike Gayatri, whose power remains an introverted process, Saraswati’s ability to decide is manifested in action. Shakti, whose name means “like a lake”, Saraswati personifies wisdom, sacred speech and science.
Kali,
The Power of Coping
The power represented by Kali implies that nothing is so frightening that I cannot face it: I have the weapons I need to overcome the difficulties that arise – emotions, lack of self-esteem, attack or criticism from others, intertwined situations. When I invoke this power, I am automatically linked to the Supreme Energy by the contract of courage: “When the shakti takes a step of courage, Shiva offers her a thousand times greater power.” Kali, whose name derives from the time that destroys all things, possesses the strength and ability to face negativity and illusion in all their forms without being affected by them.
Lakshmi,
The Power to Cooperate
In many ways, the power to cooperate is the culmination of all the other powers of Shakti. It is the power of the “extra hand”. This “extra hand” is a giving hand, not a taking hand. For Lakshmi: giving means receiving. Lakshmi, whose name refers to beauty, splendour, prosperity, success, fortune or royal dignity, is the archetype of collective power. She embodies abundance, harmony and unity.
When you live a life in harmony with your spirit and feminine power, your choices and actions create true joy and grant you the force to impact those around you.