The GODDESS CIRCLE: Goddess 3 - Goddess Saraswati, Hindu Goddess of Knowledge, Creativity, Language & Music
Saraswati
Saraswati, (or sometimes spelt Sarasvati) is the Hindu Goddess of Knowledge, Learning, Wisdom, Insight, Intuition, Inspiration, Creativity, Essence, Language, Speech, Music and the Arts. Quite the portfolio!
Saraswati is the third Goddess we’ll be working with in my upcoming Goddess Circle beginning 7 April for the New Moon in Gemini session on ‘Self-Mastery - Commit to Going the Distance’ (select link or see end of post for details.)
Originally a water or river Goddess, her name translates to ‘possessing water’ and essentially means ‘The Flowing One’. Other names for Saraswati are Bharati - Eloquence, Mahavidya - Great Knowledge, Vac - Speech, Brahmi - Vastness, Sharada - Autumnal and Vani - Speech or Sound.
She is usually depicted as a beautiful young woman often seated on a lotus and playing the veena (a type of lute instrument). Occasionally she is depicted with four arms - one arm playing a drum, one holding out a flower to her husband, one a book of palm leaves and one a garland (many of the Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon such as Kali are also depicted multi-armed with each arm holding different symbols, suggesting their multifacetedness).
She is strongly linked not only with cosmic intelligence as well as inner wisdom and insight, but also with learning, education and mastery. In Tibet she is a Goddess of Teaching & Learning. She is the Mother of the Vedas (the four collections forming the earliest body of Indian scriptures) and invented the Devenagari (Sanskrit alphabet).
One myth tells how Saraswati and her consort, Brahma, were born from a golden egg that had emerged from the sea, after which they created all of the knowledge and creatures of the world.
In Tantric understanding, the grace of the Goddess is the catalytic force that arouses the powers hidden in the self. Goddess energies connect you to your highest capacities for understanding as well as action. Saraswati Shakti will often show up as moments of sudden understanding. When words flow easily, when ideas come up out of nowhere, when you say something so powerful and profound that it surprises even you, you are experiencing Saraswati. The gift for languages is Saraswati, as is every expression of intelligence or capacity for innovation. As a spiritual energy, Saraswati can help you penetrate through the thickets of thought - which are also, paradoxically, an expression of her energy - to recognise your own awareness as the field of enlightenment. Above all, Saraswati is wisdom. This has been her function ever since the beginning, when Brahma, the creator god, asked for help in order to make a world. - Sally Kempton, Awakening Shakti, The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga (p.178)
Maya Angelou is the perfect example of an embodiment of the Saraswati Archetype -
MAYA ANGELOU b.United States, 1928 - 2014
The life of Marguerite Annie Johnson - known as Maya Angelou - is legendary, not least because she documented it in seven ground-breaking autobiographies, including ‘I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (1969), which deals with her traumatic early life, her experience of rape as a child and the subsequent murder of her attacker, all of which left her unable to speak for five years. Angelou’s life was also full of great triumph and achievement, however: she trained as a singer and dancer, and learned to speak several languages. In the 1960s, as her literary influence grew, she became a leading figure in the civil rights movement and anti-apartheid activism. By the time of her death in 2014 she was one of the world’s most celebrated writers and held 50 honorary degrees.
- The Feminist Oracles - by Charlotte Jansen & illustration by Laura Callaghan
HER MYTH
The story goes that once there was a famous Brahmin scholar who had a good-hearted but very stupid son. In the old Vedic world, the ability to memorise and recite sacred texts was a crucial skill and the mark of a man’s worth. So, as the son couldn’t pronounce the Sanskrit correctly, instead of being educated like other Brahmin sons, he was put to menial tasks - woman’s work like cleaning the house and carrying jugs of water.
Then one day, when the son went to the river, he came across a beautiful woman in distress. The son rescued her, gave her water to drink, and took her home for a good meal. She was profuse in her thanks. As she said goodbye, she did a strange thing: she touched her finger to the boy’s tongue. Suddenly, the boy burst out with a verse of Sanskrit poetry so subtle, so sinuous in metre and rhyme, that everyone present could only gasp in amazement.
From that moment on, the boy displayed powers of speech, memory and rhetoric so far beyond his father’s that in only a few years he became the most famous orator in his district.
“That mysterious woman was the Goddess Saraswati, demonstrating the power of her grace. A verse says “When Saraswati gives her blessing, a dumb person becomes a poet”. Swami Vivekananda, the great Hindu teacher whose eloquence captured the American imagination at the Chicago Parliament of World Religions in 1893, related that as he stepped on stage to deliver his paradigm-shifting address, he did so without notes or even a plan. Instead, he asked for Saraswati’s grace and winged it, utterly confident that she would give him the words. She did, and in that one address, Vivekananda changed the way a pivotal group of Western religious people understood Hinduism. To be blessed by Saraswati is to be able to transform the world through words.” (Sally Kempton, Awakening Shakti).
WORK WITH HER
The Muse Goddess
Saraswati can help us primarily with any type of creative inspiration for whatever we may wish to create. Whether we consciously and deliberately identify as “An Artist” or “A Creative” or not, or whether we use creativity in our work or not, we all have ‘The Creator’ archetype within us, to a greater or lesser degree, by virtue of being human. The Creator Archetype card in the Kim Krans Wild Unknown Archetypes describes the Archetype:
THE CREATOR
The Artist, the Alchemist, the Innovator
The Creator - the first archetype in the trio of existence [along with The Destroyer and The Sustainer] - is not intimidated by darkness or lack. They know that from the void, creation inevitably emerges. With meagre, minimal and outlandish materials The Creator reveals a new image. They make The Empty Room resonate with healing sounds; they generate bounty from the seeds that others tossed away. Though generative, this archetype annihilates preconceived notions of what is possible, leaving unexpected openings in the wake of its destruction. The Creator does this by, first, being absolutely present to what is (not imagining or wishing things were different) and second, trusting that a force greater than themselves awaits constant collaboration with each human soul. Whether we call it nature, god, goddess, shakti, or divinity, it remains nameless.. It is The Creator’s lifelong companion.
When Light: Curious, Playful, Open, Surprising
When Dark: Loses Spark, Feels Burdened
TO INCREASE YOUR CREATOR ENERGY, WARD OFF JADEDNESS AT ALL COSTS, RECOMMIT TO CHILDLIKE CURIOSITY, AND MIX THE RULES
Another word for this ‘force greater than ourselves awaiting constant collaboration’ and ‘the Creator’s lifelong companion’ is Saraswati or a.k.a. ‘The Muse'. Whether you’re a Creative type who has lost your connection to your inner Muse or a banker who relies solely on logic for your work, you can call on Saraswati to reconnect with that ‘generative’ energy and allow an intelligence greater than yourself to express itself through you - whether through an eloquent sonnet or a creative, innovative way to swiftly balance a spreadsheet.
The Students’ Goddess
As Goddess of all Knowledge, Saraswati is held in special esteem in India by students, writers and musicians.
You can call on Saraswati if you are considering undergoing any kind of formal education or skill training - she can help you to know exactly which path of learning will be right for you and even which papers/courses etc to study on that path - just ask her and see what either pops into your head immediately or notice synchronicities over the coming weeks (perhaps you’ll keep seeing the name or symbol of the university or school everywhere suddenly).
Once you have committed to a particular path she can then support you in your study and learning process - with eloquent language for your essays, inspiration for your projects and insightful solutions in your learning process.
She is also the Goddess of auto-didacts - if you need to learn or master something, for example, public speaking or marketing skills for your own business, but either don’t have the means to do a formal course or prefer to figure it out for yourself you can invoke her to help you source the exact right information yourself. Successful Entrepreneur & Thought Leader, Marie Forleo’s life motto (and title of her book), ‘Everything is Figureoutable’, is a classic expression of Saraswati energy.
More broadly, Saraswati can help us with self-mastery, commitment to our own evolution and going the distance with our creations and projects (this is going to be a key theme we’ll be working with in the Saraswati session in the Goddess Circle - see more details at the end of this post). She can support us to embody the personal attributes we need to nurture our talent - the discipline, commitment, the right habits, focus, mindset and so on. She teaches us that ultimately consistency and dedication are just as important as enthusiasm, talent or genius.
Leaving Your Legacy
In the Sacred Rebels oracle deck by Alana Fairchild there is a card called ‘The Legacy of Light’ that talks a lot about creativity in regard to our sacred purpose and legacy. In the image for the oracle card, pictured below, it shows a small child, overseen and supported by her adult self who is in turn overseen and supported by her Higher Self or perhaps a Wise Ascended Master of the Light.
The illustration itself shows that when we are in the midst of our creative process - whether that’s a specific creative project or the process of creating our own lives - we can connect with our inner child - that free-flowing, curious, playful naturally creative spark within us and a “legacy of light” who supports us. You may already have an ancestor or a particular guide, an Angel or Ascended Master or even a wise soul here on Earth who can turn to for help with your creative offerings. If you don’t have anyone in particular who can fit that bill, think of Saraswati in that position overseeing you, flowing her cosmic intelligence down to you so you can leave your legacy of light.
The Legacy of Light
“The oracle of Legacy of Light comes to you when you need confirmation that a creative choice you are making, or have made, or soon will make, is one that is in alignment with your sacred purpose and spiritual path of healing and growth. … The energy around this matter is relevant to your sacred birthright to shine. Perhaps you need to trust more, to know that all is well, no matter what appears to be, and to ask for help, and believe that you deserve to receive it. …
If you need a jolt to recognise that you are a creative being, entitled to explore your ingenuity - perhaps through taking a class or pursuing your own artistic interests at home - then this oracle brings the particular guidance that, “Yes this is a part of your life path”, and you are encouraged to take it further.
You are also acknowledged through this oracle as having some special creative and healing offering to make to the world in this lifetime. You will leave a legacy of light for the greater good upon this planet and you will be lovingly supported in many ways by the great creative universal intelligence when you ask for help.” - Alana Fairchild, Sacred Rebels Oracle
RITUALS TO CONNECT WITH SARASWATI ENERGY
Stream of Consciousness Writing Exercise - carve out 10-15 minutes in your day, ideally first thing in the morning, light a candle or sit in a sacred space (such as in nature or in a meditation corner), take a moment to still your energy, ground and ask to connect in with Goddess Saraswati. Once you feel like you are connected with something bigger than your own monkey-mind, allow her to take over your pen and write through you any guidance or insight you would like to receive. Take a few deep breaths and start writing. You can always start by writing things like ‘I don’t know what to write or what to do’ and then just keep writing (even if it makes no sense!) and see what emerges. No-one else will see it, it’s not for publication so let yourself write what wants to be written. Sometimes the most fascinating insights, creative inspiration or solutions to your problems come through stream-of-consciousness writing.
Carve Out Some Creative Flow Time - when was the last time you created something just for the sake of playful creativity? Not for your job or your business or school or a project expected by someone else but just for the pure fun of the process? I encourage you to carve out some time on your next day off to allow yourself at least 30-40 minutes of ‘creative flow time’ - you could see what flows in any medium you choose - a visual art form, a craft, writing, dancing, speaking, singing, poetry, anything you feel most drawn to - whatever first comes to mind without any judgement of ‘oh but I’m terrible at that’ or ‘I haven’t done that since I was a kid’ etc. Trust your body and see what it wants to create. From there, see what you feel called to try - just as the ‘Legacy of Light’ card suggested above - explore your ingenuity through taking a class or pursuing your own artistic interests at home.
WANT TO WORK WITH GODDESS SARASWATI & KICKSTART - AND COMPLETE - YOUR CREATIONS?
In my upcoming ‘Goddess Circle’ tier offered as part of my Moon Temple Membership, we’ll be working with Goddess Saraswati for the New Moon in Gemini live session on ‘Self Mastery - Commit to Going the Distance’.
So often we can get mired in perfectionism, procrastination and lack commitment with our creative projects, robbing us of fully initiating on the spark of an inspired idea we might have had or fully completing something we half-started.
In this session we’ll be doing an exclusive Goddess ritual and super potent Pathworking/ Activation with this powerful Goddess to support you to anchor in your intentions related to the themes of the New Moon cycle, release any creative blocks, fully step into your self-mastery and commit to your creativity.
The Light Goddess Circle runs every New Moon for six months through the ‘Light Half’ of the year. It begins with the New Moon in Aries and ‘Harnessing Your Inner Fire’ with Goddess Pele, followed by the New Moon in Taurus with ‘Give Birth To Your Prosperity’ with Goddess Oshun and 3 other Goddesses each month (which you can see on the Membership page linked below and will also be revealed in blog posts and YouTube pick-a-card readings in the coming three weeks) until closing the Circle with the New Moon in Virgo.
➡️ You can get more details and subscribe for my Moon Temple Membership HERE
REFERENCES:
The Witches’ Goddess - Janet & Stewart Farrar
Awakening Shakti - The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga by Sally Kempton
The Feminist Oracles - Charlotte Jansen
The Wild Unknown Archetypes - Kim Krans
The Sacred Rebels - Alana Fairchild