Dark goddess rising - Dhumavati

Before we start, it needs to be mentioned that even the term "dark goddess" is showing the sad reality of how different feminine aspects were systematically ostracised. The only one allowed was "Virgin Mary" which is a contradiction itself. On the top , every feminine archetype that is empowering, integrating your shadow or just allowing pleasure, simply is not "dark". Where are the dark gods? Is the biblical God that orders Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac dark also? Is Dionysus dark for his liking of wine, pleasure and madness? 

There are many different dark Goddesses, that I am going to introduce you in the upcoming months, but today we are going to talk about Dhumavati.

Goddess Dhumavati
Literally meaning "the smoky one".
In Hinduism there is wide acceptance that the Goddess manifests Herself in varying forms. It can be compared to the idea of the triple goddess which I will talk about tomorrow, because it's going to be St. Brigid's day in Ireland - and Brigid is a triple goddess. But if you ask me which Irish goddess I would compare to Dhumavati - definitely to Sheela na gig.
Dhumavati is the seventh Mahavidya (an aspect of Shakti). She is clearly the aspect of the Crone, the Grandmother. Dhumavati is a great teacher. She reveals ultimate knowledge of the universe, which is beyond the illusory divisions, like auspicious and inauspicious. Her ugly form teaches the devotee to look beyond the superficial, to look inwards and seek the inner truths of life.

Dhumavati is always considered a widow, and thus, is the only Mahavidya without a consort. Though associated with Shiva, having eaten him, he has since left her. But it also means that she contains the male energy within herself. Nevertheless, she is still Shakti, the female element with latent energy. 

Dhumavati's insatiable hunger and thirst is highlighted in many texts, and has been interpreted as the manifestation of her unsatisfied desires. 

Alternative paintings show her as young and adorned, as a sexually tempting, eroticised, young, attractive yet inauspicious widow. Her thousand-name hymn says that she gives enjoyment, is completely beautiful and adorned with garlands, clothes, and jewellery. She is also associated with sex in the hymn, which calls her "She Whose Form Is Rati". Rati literally means "sexual intercourse" and also the name of the Hindu love goddess. Dhumavati is said to enjoy sexual intercourse, to be present where sexual activity is, and to be occupied with sex. 

She is said to like liquor (a forbidden drink), to be intoxicated, and to be worshiped by intoxicated people. She also indulges in the Tantric ritual of breaking the five taboos—the Panchamakara, which include consuming wine, meat, fish, parched grain and ritual sex.

Dhumavati is often said to appear at the time of Maha-pralaya, the great dissolution of the cosmos and is equated with the dark clouds that rise during Pralaya. Her thousand name hymn also calls her by names meaning "She Whose Form is Pralaya", "Who Is Occupied with Pralaya", "Who Creates and Causes Pralaya" and "Who Walks About in Pralaya". An author says that she stays even after Shiva (who is Maha-kala) ("Great Time" or "Great Death") disappears, thus she is "the Power of Time", and considered to be beyond time and space. Dhumavati represents ultimate destruction, the smoke that rises after the universe is destroyed.