The Goddess in the Moon

Kali is worshipped on the day of the New Moon, Its wanning cycle represents her action in our lives, as the stripes us of anything we value more than her, including finally our life itself. She is dark as the invisible Moon, the embodiment of the destructive power of time. She stands for the loss of every material thing, revealing nothing in the end but the pure existence of spirit itself.

Lalita, however, is worshipped on the Full Moon. Its waxing cycle represents her activity as she helps us expand the field of our loving awareness to include everyone around us, then all of the manifestation in a crescendo of bliss. Kali takes everything away but spirit . Lalita reveals that everything is spirit.

With Lalita you have your cake and eat it, too. She is supreme love, supreme beauty, and cosmic consciousness. While Kali takes everything away, Lalita gives us everything we desire. She is the force of desire itself.

You understand, of course, that the New Moon and Full Moon are not two separate things. There's only one Moon! In the Hindu tradition, we recognize the ultimately Kali and Lalita are the same Goddess. Loss and gain blend together in the epiphany of enlightenment.