Tantrics see the absolute of consisting of the two fundamental principles of SHIVA and SHAKTI.

Shiva means "The benevolent" and represents the eternal masculine archetype, the cosmic father. The masculine qualities are strong, active, confident, protecting, stabil, objective and realistic. Shiva is the consciousness behind matter. Shiva is transcendant and never changing. He is what exists beyond the material.

Shakti means power/energy. The word comes from the root "sak" which means "to be able to, to do, or to act". This energy is visible all over, it is the energy that makes plants, animals and people grow, it keeps the planets in their orbits and is both the light and the heat from the sun. Shakti is energy and Shiva is the consciousness that controls this energy that without him would be blind and destructive.

The universe is in a continual state of transformation. In every second something is born and something dies. All that which is ephemeral is SHAKTI. The whole universe is SHAKTI. Through deep meditation where we continually observe the ephemeral in the universe and in ourselves (our physical body, our feelings and our thoughts) we can contact that which is never changing within ourselves, SHIVA, our own consciousness which continually observes the feminine.

Key words
Please take a moment to meditate on each of the words listed below to get an intuitive feeling of SHIVA and SHAKTI.

Feminine – (SHAKTI) Earth
The cosmic Mother
Yoni- (female sex organ turning inwards)
Absorbing
Cosmic energy
Nature
Negative
Passive
Ida Nadi
Right brain hemisphere
Alcaline
Yin
Retaining of energy
Intuitive/ emotional
Practical/ earth-bound
Magnetic

Masculine – (SHIVA)
Heaven/Sky
God the Father
Lingam- (Masculine sex organ)
Radiating
Cosmic consciousness
Spirit
Positive
Pingala Nadi
Left brain hemisphere
Acid
Energy expulsion
Rational/ logical
Abstract/ lost in thought
Electric


Hans and Mariah
www.tantra.nu
www.ibismusic.net