Kali Ma, Black Mother, Goddess of Death, Mother of Karma, is a Hindu Goddess with a serious case of split personality. Exhibiting traits of both love and gentleness, and revenge and death.

Kali is often pictured with black skin and a hideous face smeared with blood, four arms, and bare breasts. She wears a necklace of skulls and is draped in snakes. Her brow has a third eye and her four arms hold weapons and heads. One of the more dramatic images of Kali shows her squatting over the dead Shiva (her consort) taking his penis into her vagina while eating his intestines. This image, though visually startling is not ment to be taken literally. Instead is is ment to be viewed as a metaphor of Kali's power to simultaniousley destroy and create life. She reminds us that, even in the face of devestation and destruction, good really can come out of bad situations. Though how, you might ask, can any good come of September 11th's cowardly attack on our people? My only answer to you is the Global community coming together, despite race, religion and socio-economic backgrounds, and embracing eachother as equals. Should it have taken such devestation to bring about a closer Global community? No. It is unfortunate but History shows that it is only through these gruesome events that Men and Women from all nations band together, thrown down their weapons of prejudice and fight the common enemy.

One final note from me on this issue. Let us not forget our muslim brothers and sisters to also stand with us during this time and also try to embrace us. They should not be the target of our anger because of those who have perverted the holy scriptures of the Koran.

Where there is sorrow, Kali dances to bring joy. Where there is injustice, Kali dances to bring revenge. Where there is fear, Kali dances to bring courage. Where there is Death, Kali dances to bring Life.

Long ago in a land far away there was once a demon, named Raktavira, who was tear-assing around the countryside wreaking havoc on everyone, including the gods. You might be thinkin, "Now why would the gods be afraid of a demon?" They were afraid because the god Brahama had a brilliant idea one day and decided to give Raktavira some special powers; every drop of his blood would produce thousands more like him. While at one time these special powers were favored by the gods, now they are a threat. So, the gods call upon Kali to defend them. Kali engaged Raktavira in single combat and pierced him with her spear. As Raktavira's blood bagan to spill out, Kali lifted the demon high and drank his blood. But Kali had become enraged with a blind lust for destruction and nothing could stop her until her consort, Shiva, threw himself under her feet and let her trample him as she did her victory dance. This was the only way to bring her to her senses and keep the world from being destroyed.

In the light of events so tragic that an entire nation cries out for retribution, it is easy to forget this darker aspect of ourselves and, like Kali, give in to the blind lust that will enevitably lead to our detruction.