The Daughters of Kali

The Daughters are a sect of individuals involved in the worship of the Hindu goddess Kali, the Dark Mother, creator and destroyer of all things. The Daughters of Kali is an order which generally remains anonymous and secret as much as possible. It was started by an Awakened Indian women in England in the early 18th Century, and it has since grown slowly to include Temples in England, India and even one in Australia. The entire sect is headed by the original founder, known as the Second Mother.

Members

The Daughters of Kali includes both Awakened and non-Awakened members, although the Awakened members are in the minority. The sect is over 70 percent women, and most of the positions of power are held by women. Most Daughters are part time members and have regular jobs and lives. A fair proportion have Indian backgrounds, and a few are independently wealthy and provide much of the sect monetary support. New members are chosen from sympathisers by Matri members.

The Goddess Kali

The Goddess Kali is worshipped as the typical trinity Goddess - her three forms as Virgin, Mother and Crone representing birth, life and death. Kali is revered as the eternal originator and destroyer - it is from her that all is created before being devoured and returning to her. This happens in an eternal cycle, as Kali births and then destroys the world over and over. Even the other Gods are said to be created by her. Kali is most often represented in the guise of Kali the Destroyer - a multi-armed horror squatting over her dead consort and devouring his entrails, wearing a necklace of skulls and having hands hung from her belt. Certain members of the sect embrace the grim imagery of Kali the Destroyer, meditating in cemeteries, wearing human skin and bones, etc. This is done in order to get close to and understand the cycle whereby life cannot exist without death.

The Daughters of Kali respect both life and death - and whilst they believe in reincarnation through Kali, they do not generally believe in bringing this on through death as do Euthanatos mages. Euthanatos who come into contact with the Daughters are often surprised that they do not share their views. The Daughters are not simply interested in death, but the journey of existence in its entirety.

The Three Aspects

The Daughters take on one of three aspects - the Shaktis or Maidens wear white robes, the Matri or Mothers wear red robes, and the Dakinis or Skywalkers wear black. The choice of role has nothing to do with age or sex, and members may change their role several times. Most members start out as Shaktis.

The Shaktis are concerned with creation, generally work as labourers and artisans for the Temple, and have children. The Matri are concerned with living and preserving, involved in healing and guiding others and make up the majority of the sects leaders. The Dakinis are concerned with death and dying, giving solace, governing funeral rites and sacrifices, and also act as angels of death.

Daughters Activities

The Daughters of Kali spend much of their time worshipping Kali - conducting services, sacrifices, births and funerals; creating objects dedicated to Kali; learning about Kali and how to write Sanskrit; as well as magical and martial training. The Daughters are also quietly involved in the Feminist movement, supplying funds to feminist organisations and those helping women. A London shelter for homeless women is secretly run by the Daughters.

The Daughters hold animal sacrifices for specific services during the year. A male animal will be generally be picked from a group raised by the Daughters, with care given to leave other males to continue the group. The head of the animal is severed by a Dakini and left in the temple, and the animals body is cooked and consumed by the Daughters. Human sacrifices are never performed by the sect.

Dakini will be involved with performing funerals, and will often euthanase or finish off a dying person they come across. Generally mortally wounded people are not healed by the Daughters - it is Kali´s will that such individuals should die.