We present to you a cycle of 5 ritual evenings upon which we will work with the mysterious and fearsome form of Shiva known as Kaal Bhairav. In accordance with the Tantric calendar we shall meet on the days sacred to Kaal Bhairav – Bhairav Astami, the 8th night (Asta means ‘8’) after the Full Moon.
Kaal Bhairav rules the half descending Moon phase when the Moon climbs down to her dark face towards the unseen side of things. Kaal Bhairav is the Dark Lord, for Kaal means ‘the dark one’. Bhairav is at once both obvious and obliquely guised. He holds an energy not to be fathomed with reason alone for it can lead one to madness. Bhairav asks us to step into the realm of Magic if we are to meet with him.
Bhairav is the Tantric deity wielding the skeleton Stick of Time, the Kankala Danda, and can be seen always accompanied by a crow and a black dog. He assumes eight forms and through each one he rules over the eight directions in Space. By summoning the magnetic forces and polarities of space he invites us transcend time and space altogether and meet the essence of Life itself. He is the one who confronts us with our Fears and our Death.
In this series we will ritually apply ourselves to the practices and investigations of Kaal Bhairav in his many forms and undertake secret tantric practices to him dedicated so as to unfold the many healing magical mysteries Bhairav is the barer of.
01 | 05 March | THE 8 DIRECTIONS OF TIME
This night’s ritual will be an investigation into sensing the polarities and magnetism of the 8 directions in Space. We will invoke Kaal Bhairav in his eight forms as we create a circular ritual of spinning force. Kaal Bhairav is known to have 8 forms, each of which rules 1 of the 8 directions. The octagonal practice of honouring the 8 directions is a Chakra-based practice of turning around and tuning into the 8 forces and forms of Kaal Bhairav. Read More…
02 | 04 April | INNER SHADOW WORK – THE WAY OF THE DOG
Kaal Bhairav rides upon the Black dog. The dog is a creature that sees into the spirit world and the realm of the dead. Bhairav is commonly called the God of Death. He holds the Kankala Danda, which is the skeleton stick of Time through which he measures our lives until we sail on our next adventure: Death. On this ritual night we will be working with the black dog spirit. The dog is a clairvoyant creature that sees through the veil between life and death. When we work with the Dog of Bhairav we work both with the dog and with its shadow – these take the form of inner mudras (Antar Mudra) that lead us towards our clairvoyant powers. Read More…
03 | 31 July | OUTER SHADOW WORK – THE WAY OF THE CROW
The crow, which always follows Kaal Bhairav, is a sacred magical creature that reveals the secrets of the unseen. Many cultures upon earth have honoured the crow as a guardian of thresholds. The crow is the grand Guru of the unseen; unknown and unknowable. When we approach the Crow, we do not seek to make the unknown known, but to approach it as it is. The unknowable is the wellspring of magic. It is the heartbeat of the left-hand path of Tantra. On this ritual night we well perch beneath his wings and further work with the Chaya Karana (Shadow) practices of this yogic line of Tantra. We will work with the Bhar Chaya (outer shadow) mudras. We will investigate The Gupt (secret or hidden) mudras of working with the Shadow. Read More…
04 | 27 November | KANKALA DANDA – POWER & TIME
This Half darkening Moon night is the annual Jayanti (birthday) of Kaal Bhairav. The Kankala Danda is the skeleton stick of Time with which Bhairav measures each beat of our Heart before we meet Death. Time is our creation, yet we in turn are created by Time, albeit being unaware. By undoing our creations, an unknown perspective on reality and on Life may reveal itself to us. The Kankala Danda is a deep study and in this ritual we will work with this stick through various mudras. Kankala Mudras involve a confrontation with Time. Time himself is actually always confronting us, though we might not be aware of it.
To hold the Kankala Danda is to know the power of Time – including its very illusion. Read More…
05 | 19 December | TIME, DEATH & FEAR – A TANTRIC INITIATION
If Time is Death, Death raises Fear. Kaal Bhairav is Time, is Death, is Fear. In Fear there lies great potential to glimpse the secrets of Life and Death. By approaching and working with our fears on this ritual night we shall step into the magical realm of Kaal Bhairav. Fear and Death are great allies. Tantra works with these forces and regards them as doorways to the secrets of existence. Without Fear there is no power. When we banish Fear we banish Love itself, for Fear is a force that is healing and melting, if we allow it to approach us. It takes a special Magic to not grip and blink in the face of Fear. To stay open to Fear is the initiation of Bhairav. To have courage is the only teaching here. This work will be of interest to those who struggle with Fear, whatever form it may take in their lives. The approach to this ritual practice is not about overcoming or rising above Fear, but rather about entering into a relationship with our fears through a deep and honest study of our power to surrender in the face of Fear. Read More…
