Page 18 - All India Magazine Nov-2025

Mahakali ; you have a multitude of Kalis, one more horrible than
another; some are absolutely terrifying and horrifying, and they
sometimes become quite repulsive beings who are exclusively hu-
man formations, that is, the outer form is given by human imagi-
nation, by the human mind's capacity of formation. There may be
within that a vague reflection of the force of Mahakali, but it is
so diminished, deformed, dwarfed, brought within the range of
human consciousness, that truly she can very well deny that it
is she! I have seen all possible horrors by way of images repre-
senting Mahakali. Of the images we won't speak. If great artists
have made them perhaps some beauty is still left, but as they are
generally daubers, nothing remains. As for the images (statues or
pictures) which have to be installed in a temple, a religious cer-
emony is performed, and if the priest or the assistant is a man
with occult powers, even limited ones, he can, with his aspiration
and through the ritual, bring a supraterrestrial consciousness into
these forms. That is the principle; you are told, "This is not a piece
of wood, this is not a stone, this is not a picture; there is within
it a force which the religious ritual has brought down and to this
you may speak." This is right, but the nature of the priest must be
known, his occult knowledge and also the forces with which he
has an affinity. So, there may be many things in there.... There is
"something" (unless it is a stupid ignoramus who has performed
the ceremony, one who has no power at all, has brought down
nothing, made only a show—but this is rather rare; I can't say it
happens frequently, it is quite rare), generally there is something,
but then the nature, the quality of this something, you know...
this varies infinitely and it is sometimes a little disturbing. I gave
the example of Mahakali, because the conception of Mahakali in
the human consciousness is especially horrible. When one goes
to other divinities like Mahasaraswati, for instance, to whom all
kinds of artistic, literary and other capacities are ascribed, it is no
longer so terrible. But Mahakali particularly... Their conception

18 All India Magazine, November 2025