4176 - Shakti and Shakta
Author: Arthur Avalon
Shakti and Shakta is a seminal collection of essays exploring the Shakta tradition of Tantra, where the Divine Mother—Shakti—is revered as both the power behind creation and the ultimate reality. Woodroffe delves into the philosophical, ritualistic, and yogic dimensions of Shaktism, covering topics such as Shakti as primordial force, non-dual Tantric doctrines, goddess worship, Kundalini Shakti, psycho-physical cosmology, and sacred ritual practice. His work bridges Eastern Tantra and Western audiences, offering both scholarly exposition and practical insight. () ⸻ Keywords: Shakti, Shakta Tantra, Kundalini, goddess worship, non-duality, psycho-physical cosmology, ritual, Tantra philosophy ⸻ Ideal for: Students and scholars of Tantra, Hindu philosophy, and goddess traditions; practitioners of Kundalini and Shakta yoga; those exploring the intersections of ritual, energy, and spirituality ⸻ Age: 18 years and up (philosophically rich and sometimes technical) ⸻ Theme: Divine feminine power, creation and consciousness, ritual and yoga, energy embodiment, Mother Goddess veneration ⸻ Tone: Scholarly, descriptive, reverent, analytical, occasionally dense ⸻ Book Type: Tantra studies anthology; spiritual philosophy; ritual and yogic manual ⸻ Length: Approximately 550–600 pages.