Lakshmi

The Goddess Lakshmi

A Brief History of the Goddess of Prosperity

“Salutations to thee, Maha Maya, abode of fortune, worshipped by gods, wielder of conch and mace, Maha Lakshmi, I bow to thee !”

-MahaLakshmi astakam stotram

Lakshmi is in many ways the supreme mother Goddess of prosperity. Revered throughout Hinduism as the Goddess of blessings and wealth, she is also the primary Goddess of security and material comfort. She is often depicted holding a pink lotus and with golden coins showering upon her worshippers. She is connected with and often shown with the god Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god of removing obstacles and bringing wealth. In the tantrik trinity of the triple Goddess (maiden, mother, crone) Lakshmi is the mother. She is today usually shown as the wife of the later-evolving god Vishnu, the preserver of the world, but her earlier husband was definitely the god Rudra. He is the red-skinned archetypal wild man, the god of storms and wild animals. He is the howler and ruler of the deep forests and lonely mountains. In fact, he is one of the ancient root-gods of the lord Shiva.

A huge ancient festival of which she is a focus, the festival of lights in October, also celebrates her union with Shiva. This night all wives dance for their husbands, invoking Lakshmi and the fortune, prosperity, and success she brings. She is said to have been born when the demons churned the universe, the primal ocean of milk, as they struggled with the gods for supremacy. She was born from their chaos and churning, rising from the maelstrom upon a pink lotus and instantly filling all the gods and demons with happiness.

She is one of the most popular Goddesses in India and as such she is worshipped by any and all, especially those in need of material prosperity or nourishment. Her earliest function was surely that of earth mother Goddess, and as such some of her very ancient images depict her as lying down, prominently displaying her yoni and having a lotus flower as a head.

If you go into any Hindu-owned business or company, you will always find an image of Lakshimi or a small shrine to her near the cash register. She is prayed to every day by businessmen and householders to increase profits and bring economic prosperity and all Hindus believe that she helps them in this way!

She is invoked as beloved Goddess MahaLakshmi, and as wisdom-mother she is the knower of all, the giver of all boons, a terror to the wicked and remover of all sorrows. She is the bestower of intelligence, success and worldly enjoyment and liberation. Thus she is without beginning or end, primordial energy, Goddess of all, a great power or ‘Shakti ‘! Always invoked as the Goddess seated on a lotus she is also seen as the creatrix of all in her form as the supreme Universal Mother.

It is easy to see the universal appeal of this powerful Goddess! What makes her so favored by millions is the fact that she is a very practical Goddess who brings real tangible prosperity and wealth to her devotees. As such, we call upon her now to help us to bring wealth and prosperity to those in need!

O auspicious one, giver of boons, MahaLakshmi hear our prayers ! MahaLakshmi namaste!

LAKSHMI INVOCATION

Greatest Mother

Beautiful and loving

Clothed in red and green

And brightest gold

Crown of gold and jewels

Chains of gold on arms and neck

Bells of gold about your ankles

Shining as the sun

Bring the gold of prosperity

The gold of Money

The gold of happiness and hope

Greatest blessed Goddess

You who are full and powerful

Mother who loves

And feels for us, her children

Heart full of maternal wisdom

Give us wealth and care

Scatter your blessings as jewels

Upon us who need your help

Reach down with your perfect hands

And let the arid lands or our poverty grow green

Dance upon the rivers of life

And bring forth the pink lotus

Of abundance and joy

We are in dire need

Fill our home with food

Cover the fields with life

Open the grasping hands

And let great wealth

Freely flow to us who need

Mother, we call you

A billion hungry voices

Mother we need you

Mother we beseech you

Let us live in prosperity!

Fill our hands with plenty

Transmit the wisdom of sharing

Bring the joy of fulfillment

Ease all suffering

With your love and your compassion

You are living here now

Source of all teachings and of all good

You fill the sky

Creatrix of all things

You smash the demons

Of need and poverty

As a lioness riding the power

Of the raging storm

Great Lakshmi

We invoke you here now

Fill our arms

With the Universal Blessings

Grant these simple goals to us now

And to each and every human being

Bring Wealth!

Bring Money!

Bring Prosperity!

That your joy may be mirrored

In the chants of universal rejoicing

Om hrim srim Lakshmi namah svaha!

Lakshmi Visualization Exercise:

Breath deeply

Feel yourself unwind

Relax each part of your body

Become aware of the earth as one living being.

You can feel and hear her heart beat

It is one with your heart beat.

Breathe deeply, feel the connection.

Now…..

A vast milky sea is before you

Endless and translucent

The stuff of glowing stars and galaxies

Gently undulating

Rippled by a warm and sultry breeze

The sky is light blue

Sparkling with gold-tinted clouds

Sunshine is everywhere

Suddenly there is turbulence

In the center of this glowing sea

A shaking and swirling

Churning and spinning

Until a whirlpool forms

Growing larger and larger

More and more intense

And suddenly

A beautiful Goddess Lakshmi emerges

Parting the milky sea

Eyes closed

Beautiful white robes

Covered in gold and jewels

Holding a lotus in her left hand

And a gold coins in her right

At her feet is a pot of gold

And fountains of gold pieces erupt

And shower the sea about her

She opens her eyes

They are burning emeralds

The scent of honey fills the air

And sandalwood

She smiles

And the sky is filled with a bright light

All is gold

And she opens her arms

And the ocean changes

Into a golden field

She is suddenly standing

Amidst waves of grain

The sun shining above her

She smiles again and points with her hand

To the jar at her feet

It is golden

With a lid

Shaped into the image of an elephant

And red threads

Wrapped about it

She bends down and picks it up

Nodding her head

She hands it to you

And gestures behind you

You open the jar

There are jewels and pieces of gold

All are for you

And for those you love

The world is filled

With joyous happy people

Spinning about Lakshmi

Lakshmi gently hugs you

And whispers

“You have given well

Now

Look into the bottom of the jar

For there is a special gift for you”

You look into the jar

It is there for you

It is what you NEED

You take it

And kiss Lakshmi on the cheek

Uttering your thanks

Suddenly all the dancers

Flow into whirling liquid

Like milk filled with stars

Lakshmi dissolves

Leaving the smell of perfume behind

And the milky sea is suddenly still again

And a warm breeze blows

Over the darkening sky

Now you are done and must return …..

Now you come back to your body,

You feel the joy and peace of Lakshmi fill all you limbs

Your torso

Your heart and mind

You feel the earth‘s heartbeat, and it begin to fade

You feel this within you

As you breathe deeply, relaxed and refreshed and earthed

Now: Awake reenergized and ready for Prosperity!

Lakshmi Incense Blessing Spell Of Prosperity

This spell is to give prosperity and the blessings of bounty to those people or places in need.

You need:

Some Lakshmi Incense (in the kit)

A yellow beautiful flower

A small plate or incense burner

The Lakshmi image

Do this spell on a Sunday at noon. Set the image facing East on a small table with the plate or incense burner set before her

The Spell:

Hold up the incense to the 4 directions and in the center, saying:

BLESSING GODDESS OPEN THE WAY TO THE EAST

FOR WEALTH & PROSPERITY