"I mediate on the Goddess Bhuvaneshwari who has a radiant vermilion complexion resembling the sunrise and a beautiful face, framed with flowing hair the color of black bees. Her eyes are large, her lips full and red, her nose delicate. Her swelling breasts ooze milk and are smeared with sandal paste and saffron. Her waist is thin, and her thighs and navel are lovely. Her beautiful throat is decorated with ornaments, and her arms are made for embracing. A crescent moon adorns her forehead, resting atop a jeweled crown. She has three eyes and a pleasant, nurturing smile..." --Meditation on form for the Goddess, Bhuvaneshwari. . Bhuvaneshwari specifically relates to sunset, which is why devotees face West when they worship her, and also reinforces her connection to Libra (West being the direction associated with the 7th house)-- specifically the lunar mansion in the center of Libra, Swati (6'-20'). Throughout the world, this time of the evening is associated with casting spells, and this is why she is Maha-maya (Grand Illusion), or the deluding yet sustaining power in the Universe. Her depiction in this Dhyana mantra as having a radiant vermillion complexion echos the color of this very special time period known as "golden hour", and relates to the softest and most sensual reflection of Sunlight. (On an interesting side note, Swati [the star of devotion] is the yoni consort of Hasta, the nakshatra of Savitr, the God of Sunrise-- and so cosmically relates to the devoted Lunar female, richly bathed in sunlight). The mystery & power of Bhuvaneshwari and how she heals Moon issues, is that she causes a woman to seek to catch & reflect the most powerful sunlight (relating to male energy), to "glow" in warmth, radiance, and absolute satisfaction. This happens unconsciously; as a woman, if you're in an abundant culture or have abundant nakshatras that make you not desire to absorb energy, you will often feel really upset or confused regarding who you can attract or who you'd like to attract. This is because you don't have the internal space to gauge & test the right consort & then feel secure with your decision, which allows you to dissolve into the comfort of feminine, blissful devotion & energetic unraveling, releasing restrictions. Instead, because your energetic reservoirs are "full", you are using your rational mind & ego to choose a partner (which is prone to error) rather than utilizing the desirous aspect of the feminine libido, which functions like a vessel. When you recite Bhuvaneshwari's mantra, Hrim ह्रीं, you never run out of internal space-- it expands exponentially-- and so you always feel extremely excited being in your female incarnation, the low valley to which all streams flow. In increasing your internal space, this mantra aligns you with what you are as a female-- an embodiment of illusion. Increasing blissful, cooling internal space stops all the striving and upsetting feelings that come from trying to avoid the truth about this, accepting that you, as a female, are the most powerful thing on Earth capable of casting and embodying illusion. Growing up being taught sacred texts from a male perspective, a woman begins to fight against herself-- she is what spiritual texts warn about. Everything that she is an embodiment of, she grows to fear and demonize. She doesn't have to "strive" for truth in the same sense; she is an embodiment of it (and only her rational mind & inhibitions block her from it) and so, instead, she has to "relax" into the raw truth of her form & celebrate it. Her power is in becoming a veil of illusion, which makes only the strongest & most worthy find truth. Because the Moon is the emblem of devotion, if you recite HRIM as a woman, you dissolve into the bliss of your femininity; you realize that you don't have to strive or do male activities to achieve liberation, but just align with your nature as Maya, align with the Solar force that pleases you, and everything falls into place. ॐ ह्रीं नमः॥
This post was inspired by emails I received after my Swati video from women who wanted to begin reciting HRIM. In my female spiritual path course, there is a process of choosing which of the Shakti bijas are most powerful for you as an individual, considering each of their different strengths and applications.