Ganesh is the son of Gauri/Parvati and he is manifested by Parvati alone without Shiv. We more or less know why he has one tooth – Parshuram defeated the kshatriyas 21 times on earth. Afterwards he went to Kailash to get Shiv’s blessings. At that time, Ganesh stopped him from entering Shiv’s room as Shiv and Parvati were sleeping. However, Parshuram was in a hurry and wanted to meet Shiv at once. After a series of argument with Ganesh they both got into a fist fight. Parshuram had an axe, which was given to him by Shiva. Parshuram threw that axe at Ganesh. Now, Ganesh could have deviated and made Parshuram miss but he did not want his father’s blessings to miss any aim. So, he took that flying axe to his left tusk and it broke. Amidst this chaos, Shiv and Parvati woke up and came out of their room. Parvati was very upset to see Ganesh with broken teeth and she was very angry at Parshuram. She was about to leave Kailash with Kartik and Ganesh and go to his father’s home. Parshuram was also very upset to see Parvati like this. Radha-Krishna came and calmed Parvati. Ultimately, she excused Parshuram.
Ganesh is ‘Dheemahi’, means he is full of intelligence (Dhee). Ganesh is the symbol of intelligence. Maharshi Ved Vyas wanted to write the epic of Mahabharata and went to Ganesh because he was knowledgeable and good at Sanskrit. However, Ganesh gave him a condition that while dictating, if Vyas pauses, Ganesh will not write anything further and leave the task. Vyas agreed and he used very tough Sanskrit words so that Ganesh would take time to write it down. Meanwhile, Vyas prepared the next verse. Thus, they created the scripture. The elephant head of Ganesh also signifies his immense intellect due to volume of brain. Also in reality, an elephant is a very interesting animal. An elephant never forgets anything even after years. There have been many incidents where elephants helped humans. In general, white elephants are considered to be auspicious. Mother of Gautam Buddha, Maya Devi had a dream that a divine white elephant is entering her body while pregnancy. Buddha becoming an enlightened being, might be a coincident but as fond of stories, we cannot negate the connection with divinity, can we!! However, as per a different concept, ‘Gana’ was a completely different type of intelligent entity and the head that was joined with Ganesh’s body, was that of a Gana, and thus he got his name Ganapati.
Mumbai is famous for its celebration of Ganesh Chathurti. Idols as high as 108 feet are created at this time and the whole city revolves around the festival. One interesting thing is that, before any puja or any auspicious task, we worship Ganesh. This is done because he is ‘Bighna-harta’, one who removes the obstacles. During the Indian new year, we start the new year (naba barsha) day with the puja of Ganesh and Lakshmi, because we don’t want any obstacle in the new year and also, we want prosperity in our lives. For the same reason, businessmen worship Ganesh and Lakshmi on Akshay Tritiya.
In tantra, there is a concept of Aghora Ganesh, which is the fierce form of Ganesh. Aghora Ganapati resides at cremation ground like Bhairav and Shmashaan Kali. Worshipping him at home is forbidden as this may bring the energy of cremation ground inside home and cause destructions. Aghora Ganesh idols are made by tantrics with human bones and it is often used in black magic. I have heard of an instance where; a family was gifted an Aghora Ganesh idol by their enemy. Within few months, members of that family started dying one after another. Later an astrologer found out the case, and the idol was taken outside of the house. It is to be mentioned that there is another form of Ganesh, called Heramba Ganapati, who is worshipped to negate effects of black magic.
I have kept Ganesha as ‘the Chariot’ because with intelligence, he controls all situations and directs the way out of dangers. Thus, he can give us success if we stay focused, calm and keep taking actions.
Upright meaning
In tarot, the Chariot card is often associated with willpower, determination, and success. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as willpower, determination, and the ability to overcome obstacles. The upright Chariot may represent a person who is successful, ambitious, and confident, or it can indicate a need to focus on willpower and determination to achieve success.
Reverse meaning
On the other hand, when the Chariot card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as lack of direction, lack of control, or a feeling of being stuck. The reversed Chariot may represent a person who is struggling to find direction or control in their life, or who is facing obstacles that are difficult to overcome. It could also suggest a need to let go of control and allow things to unfold in their own time.
Radha and Krishna are inseparable. That’s why RadhaKrishna is a single god. Radha-Krishna’s love story is nothing less than the love story of Shiva-Parvati.
Krishna is probably the biggest thief ever and also the greatest thief. He stole not only butter, but steals also our sins. If we chant the Hare-Krishna mahamantra, our sins get taken away. Most of the vaishnabs live a frugal lifestyle as Krishna steals their lust for materialism.
Before talking about RadhaKrishna’s love, I want to mention Ma Yashoda’s love for Kanha. Yashoda loves her son more than anything, that’s why she pampered him even when he was an adult. In SrimadBhagabad, there is a chapter where Yashoda is giving instructions to Krishna while he is going with Balaram and other cowboys to attend cows. Yashoda tells Balaram to walk before everyone and other boys will be around Krishna. Krishna will remain in the middle of everyone. She also tells Krishna to play his flute so that she can hear it and be sure that he is fine as he walks away. This motherly love shows that mothers love their motherhood while taking the child as a medium. Mothers actually love that they are mothers. In any serious relationship, there is a certain amount of possessiveness. Whenever a lover tells the other person that ‘You are only mine’, that portrays a certain amount of authority but it is justified because those who take the responsibility to love, attend and adore, should take the possession as well.
Krishna is one of the most misunderstood entities. He had a very sad life. Just after his birth, he was separated from his mother. He could not marry the girl he loved. He had to leave his dear ones to dictate possibly the biggest war in mankind where he saw so many deaths of his dear ones. He was insulted multiple times throughout the war. After he won the war, he was cursed by the mother of the lost party. Later he had to see his whole clan getting destroyed. He experienced all these with a smile on his face. And today people judge him because he had multiple wives!! Before judging Krishna, we should ask ourselves, do we have the personality of Krishna and do we have the ability to be like Krishna. If we can keep our ego aside, we will see that whatever Krishna did, he did so from a perspective of love and responsibility. The world respects and desires those who are responsible and successful.
Now, let’s look into Krishna’s relationship with Radha. Radha is the divine feminine force and Krishna is the divine masculinity. This is why their love is not earthly love and they are inseparable. Many people shame Radha and Krishna saying that they were having affair. This is a fool’s narrative because their love is eternal and beyond human rules. Radha loved Krishna as a divine force. On the other hand, Krishna’s wife Rukmini’s love was a humanly love and she loved him as the ruler of Dwarka. So, we can’t compare these two due to difference in their nature. Another misconception is that, Krishna married 16108 princesses, hence he must be a playboy. This was also an act of responsibility by the lord. Those princesses were abducted by demon Narakasur. After Krishna defeated the demon, the princesses asked him to marry them because no one else would consider marrying abducted women. Krishna did not marry them just for the sake of marriage, he performed all duties of a husband and kept all of them happy. Before judging him, we should ask ourselves, can we keep even one partner fully happy all the time!! Also, those who judge Krishna because of his relationship status, is actually dissatisfied in his/her own relationship and jealous of the lord.
We humans don’t know much about love. We are usually delusional that we love another person but actually we act in selfish way and expect a lot. I am not saying that it is wrong, but it is also true that divine love is selfless. Humans love themselves the most, that’s why their love cannot be fully selfless. Saying ‘I love you’ is not equal to loving someone. These are just words and words are inferior to actions. Actions tell whether someone actually loves someone. Also, that actions need not be something very big; if someone simply prays for his dear one, if someone cooks something for her beloved, if someone becomes restless when the other person is away for too long – these small things indicate genuine love. Also, if the small things matter, are they really ‘small’?? We should not focus on falling in love because true love is always about rising together. In a human relationship, there is no 50-50. One party has to be more submissive than the other party. Some people might get triggered at this point of ‘submissiveness’. But actually, submissiveness means being wilfully cooperative and having faith in the other person’s decision. This is the element of trust that whatever decision one is taking, should be for wellbeing for both parties. A long-term relationship cannot sustain without compromise. Compromise, faith and tolerance are three things that are more important than love in relationships. Also, here, one party has to compromise more than the other party; because there is no equality in actual relationships. Equality not in the sense that both parties doing same things and acting similarly. Each party should have its own nature different than the other party. Think about yourself, will you like your partner if that person is exactly similar to you?? This way, equality in relationship does not work. In relationship, there will be a masculine person who usually takes decision and a feminine person who follows the lead. If both are masculine, then there will be ego-clash; if both are feminine, then there will be lack of decision-making. Therefore, while searching for partner, you should look for different, not equal. This is how the other person can fulfil your lacking when you both are together. This is why when a girl asks me if I can cook, I respond by saying that question is irrelevant. As a busy man, I consider cooking as a waste of my time. It does not matter if I ‘can’ cook or not, it is just not my priority. Therefore, I adore someone who likes to cook for her family and does not feel oppressed by that.
As we are talking about love, it is necessary to talk about sex. Any type of physical relationship, where love is missing, should be considered cheating. Moreover, sex is an important act in relationship. The act of sex itself is not much interesting, but the ancillary things related to sex, makes it interesting. Ancillary things mean the thoughts of sex, intimacy, foreplay etc. I am not a supporter of hook-ups, because it affects women negatively. But I would encourage married couples to have sex not just to have children, but to be happy. If the purpose of sex was to just have kids, then Vatsyan would not have depicted different positions. In India, a lot of married couples have sexless lives, which is sad. Sexual intimacy is one of the most important things that upholds marriages. Sex is the highest form of spiritual energy, that’s why it is an integral part of tantra practices as well. The rate of divorce these days are higher than ever and we can’t negate the influence of corporate life and digital media (including social media) for that. Not having sex with partner, whether it is a husband or a wife, is against the dharma of Pati/Patni. It can be considered as cheating as well because the partner is not performing dharma. Shiv himself once told that he loves Kali as a yogini, when he is a yogi and he loves Kali as lover when he is a lover. If told today, feminists would have filed marital rape cases on Shiv. But it is reality, men love women who don’t push them away. On the other hand, it is also understandable that a woman night not want to be intimate whenever a man wants; in such cases only proper communication and planning would result in satisfaction of both parties. We are happy to say that we are working on a card-based adult game, that will consist of different sex positions, foreplay techniques from the ancient texts of Kamasutra and Rati Shashtra. The deck will be sold to only married couples with the purpose of enhancing their bonding.
The worshippers of Krishna are called Kashnavs, worshippers of Vishnu are called Vaishnavs and worshippers of Radha are called Gaudiya Vaishnav. Gaudiya Vaishnavs are also Shakta because Radha is also the Adya Shakti like Parvati or Kali. Even Krishna does not know the depth of Radha’s love for him. To realise the true nature of Radha, RadhaKrishna took the form of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Krishna is like body and Radha is like mind, so Radha has the ability to control Krishna. This is why, Krishna keeps Radha before him. The ‘Hare Krishna’ Mahamantra is like this –
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण
कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे
हरे राम हरे राम
राम राम हरे हरे॥
[Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Raam Hare Raam Raam Raam Hare Hare]
– Here, ‘Hare’ actually indicates Radha, who steals (haran) Krishna’s heart. Radha is also more loving than Krishna. The easiest way to get Krishna’s blessing is to ask Radha to ask Krishna to bless us. If you want to be like Krishna, you have to follow all his lessons or teachings and become responsible and intelligent like him. Having 3-5 sexual partners or having some affairs is nothing like Krishna. If you want to have a partner like Krishna, you need to become caring and loving and loyal like Radha; self-entitlement won’t help.
I have kept RadhaKrishna as ‘the Lovers’ because they portray harmony in relationship. Also, they make choices for each other’s happiness.
Upright meaning
In tarot, the Lovers card is often associated with love, relationships, and harmony. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as unity, harmony, and the power of love. The upright Lovers may represent a person who is in a loving relationship or who is about to enter into one, or it can indicate a need to make a choice based on love and harmony.
Reverse meaning
On the other hand, when the Lovers card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as disharmony, conflict, or a lack of choice. The reversed Lovers may represent a person who is experiencing conflict or disharmony in their relationships, or who is facing a difficult choice related to love. It could also suggest a need to make a decision based on personal values rather than external influences.
Durga is probably the most honoured form of goddess among dev-kul. This is because she did something which no one else could. When Mahishasur was causing trouble to the gods and humans, the holy trinity (Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh) could not find any way to defeat him. A meeting with all gods came to a conclusion that only a female energy can defeat the demon. Also, it was found out that at that moment, no existing female energy was strong enough so all gods combined their energy to create Ma Durga. She was given the task of defeating the demons.
Durga is the giver of knowledge. Mahishasur was very egoistic. He was knowledgeable but he had too much ego. When he saw Durga, he was spell-bound and he asked her to marry him. Ma Durga just smiled and said that if he can defeat her in war, she will marry him. Mahishasur laughed and treated her with negligence. Then the fight between them started and it continued for 5000 years. Later the demon understood that he is about to lose and realised the true nature of mother Durga. He worshipped Durga and asked for forgiveness. Durga accepted his worship but also said that he must be killed to save dharma. The Mahishasur asked for a boon that till the day she will be worshipped; he will get offerings too. Durga granted his wish and killed him. Thus, Durga is ‘durmadashoshini’ (destroyer of ego-addiction) and giver of knowledge. This is why, Raam worshipped her before he fought Raavan. Also, Arjun worshipped her before the Kurukshetra war. War is more about use of intellect and knowledge rather than use of just weapons.
In India, the main place where Durga puja happens is West Bengal. In other states, people also organise puja but not with so much grandeur. Kolkata’s (capital of West Bengal) Durga Puja contains hundreds of pandals (temporary home made of clothes, bamboo, wood and other materials), food, lights and more. The clubs here compete with each other about who can show more grandeur. This grandeur is accepted by the whole clan of Bengalis. I have faced questions from non-Bengali people like why can’t Bengali people show more unity and do a smaller number of Durga puja together where multiple clubs organise one puja together!! I, as a Bengali, personally believe that it is a sentiment we possess. We consider Durga as a daughter of our own home. Therefore, the clubs and even individual families welcome her, worship her, show her off as much as they can. That’s why it is called ‘Sarbojanin’ Durga Puja. Sarbojanin means something that is possessed by all. There was a time when only higher class and rich people like kings and landlords could organise Durga puja and there, normal or lower-class people could not take part. Then, a club decided to crowdfund a puja where everyone can take part and enjoy. This was almost 100 years ago done by ‘Shimla Bayam Samiti’ (in North Calcutta). Even in the scriptures, it is mentioned that Durga puja can be done by Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, Dalits and even people from different country or religion.
The scriptures also say that people can follow different types of rituals to perform the puja of goddess Durga. Those who are sattvic, can simply chant Durga mantra and meditate (Jaya jaya japyajaye jaya shabda parastuti tatpara vishwanute). Those who live a rajasic lifestyle, can offer meat to the goddess and show grandeur (it is true, many royal homes offer fish and meat to the goddess, of course the making process of these food is not similar to the process of normal dishes). Those who live a tamasic lifestyle, they can perform the puja without even any chanting. This makes the puja fully ‘Sarbojanin’ and negates the narrative that without wealth or pundits, Durga puja cannot happen. The most important thing that is needed to do Durga puja is concentrated bhakti. If one is only performing the kriya but there is no bhakti-raas (devotion), then puja is useless.
Durga Puja is usually a 10-days festival that starts after an event called ‘Mahalaya’. Mahalaya is considered the end of Pitr-Paksha (era of father) and initiation of Devi-Paksha (era of goddess). The night of Mahalaya is a new-moon night and people perform ‘Tarpan’ on that day, where they show regards to their deceased ancestors and offer food to them. Each day of the 10-day festival has its own significance. The 10 days are Pratipad, Dwitiya, Tritiya, Chathurthi, Panchami, Sashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Maha-Nabami, Vijaya Dashami. Among these days, Saptami, Ashtami and Maha-Nabami are very important from religious and cultural perspectives. On the day of Saptami, ‘Nabapatrika’ installation happens where a Durga structure is made with 9 tree parts. This event celebrates the fertility and glory of the feminine energy. On the day of Ashtami, it is the ritual to fast and offer bhakti to the goddess with flowers and fruits. However, these days I have seen many so-called modern Bengalis to have mutton biryani (pathetic)!! On Maha-Nabami, the act of vali-daan (sacrifice) happens. Previously, in many pujas, animal sacrifice used to happen, but most pujas these days offer vegetables. However, apart from the material things, something we should sacrifice is our ego to Ma Durga. The most important event during the whole Durga Puja is the ‘Sandhi Puja’, which is a 48-minute period (last 24 minutes of Ashtami and first 24 minutes of Maha-Nabami). This is the time period when the goddess is the most ‘alive’ and listens to our prayer. This is why Maha-Nabami is the most significant day of the whole festival. Durga Puja ends with immersion of the idol on the day of Vijaya Dashami. This is the day when mother won the battle. Also, it is the day when she leaves the earthly realm and goes back to Kailash to Shiva, her husband.
It is to be mentioned that, Durga and Kali are two forms of same feminine energy. Durga is also a form of Parvati. She is Chandi who defeated the demons Chanda and Munda and got the name Chamunda. She is the Koushiki Kali who killed Shumbha and Nishumbha. During Durga Puja, Navaratri is celebrated all over the world. Navaratri means 9 nights, each of which celebrates the glory of 9 forms of Ma Durga. First form is Shailaputri, who is the child of Mount Himalaya. Second one is Brahmacharini, who went through great penance to break Shiva’s vow. The third form is Chandraghanta; this is the form in which she married Shiv. The fourth form is Kushmanda, who created the universe just by smiling. Next form, Skandamata is where she is worshipped as the mother of Skanda/Kartik (son of Durga and Shiv), Skanda Mata is also called Shashti Debi in Bengali culture. Sixth form is Devi Katyayani, who saved humans from a demon called Raktabeej. The seventh form is Kaalratri, who can save us from unlucky time (kaal). The eighth form is Mahagouri, who manifested many devi forms to defeat many demons to save the universe. The last and ninth form is Sidhdhidatri, who is the giver of boons to us. The form of Durga, whom we worship, is Mahishasurmardini or Chandi. However, Bengalis like to consider her as a soft-hearted daughter of their own home rather than a tough-minded demon-slaying devi. Even the shlokas of ‘Ayi Giri Nandini’, composed by Adi Shankaracharya (some say that the author is Tenali Raman), you will see that the whole song is about the sweet nature of Durga, where the poet has glorified her beauty, soft-skills, artistic nature, relationship with other gods etc rather than talking about her victory over demons. This again shows that people like to see her as a mother or daughter rather than a demon-slayer.
We always glorify the beauty and character of the feminine rather than their professional achievements. This is because a mother’s role in the society is far more than a corporate woman’s contribution. Whenever a woman is running after career, money or materialistic achievements, she is drifting away from her true nature, which is detrimental for humanity and civilisation. And saying this out loud is not about oppressing woman because the motto of this statement is to encourage to nurture femininity. Femininity and feminism are polar opposites. Feminism in today’s world is a political propaganda that makes women believe that- to be happy and successful, they must act like men and run after material achievements without nurturing motherly traits, which is a wrong narrative and a foolish propaganda. The early feminism movement started in the west during the World War II. And it was started by capitalists to run the economy. As most of the men had to go to war, there was a lack of employees in the industries. At this point, to make profits, normal female citizens were brainwashed with a so-called women-empowerment agenda. Even today, as an employer, I have seen women take stress at workplace much more than male employees. Women are the happiest when they are a normal housewife or a mother. Unfortunately, most young girls are brainwashed by the social narrative and run after corporate achievements. Though, sooner or later they realise the reality. In Indian culture, whatever feminism there was, it was about educational rights that could help women to support their family more than the society. Indian culture has always been liberal as it offered equal opportunities. If you want to be Durga, you have to focus on your femininity, motherhood and the willingness to care for your loved ones, more than your 9-5 jobs or your entrepreneurship.
I kept Durga as the Hierophant because she enlightens us from the darkness of ego and a lot of spiritual and social traditions are related to her.
Upright meaning
In tarot, the Hierophant card is often associated with tradition, spirituality, and conformity. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as spiritual guidance, conformity, and the importance of tradition. The upright Hierophant may represent a person who is knowledgeable, wise, and respected, or it can indicate a need to follow rules and traditions for spiritual growth.
Reverse meaning
On the other hand, when the Hierophant card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as rebellion, nonconformity, or a questioning of traditions. The reversed Hierophant may represent a person who is questioning authority or traditional beliefs, or who is rejecting the guidance of a spiritual teacher or mentor. It could also suggest a need to break free from restrictive traditions or to find one’s own path.
Shiv is the divine masculine force, the Shaktimaan. He has no parents and hence his name is ‘Sayambhu’, meaning one who created himself. We often say ‘Satya is Shiv, Shiv is Satya’ or ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’; this is to say that Shiv is as pure and beautiful as the truth or the ultimate truth.
We all know one or two things about Shiv. He lives in Kailash with her wife Parvati and their kids. If you want to know about Shiv’s history, you’ll find that other gods did not consider him as brahman in the initial times. This was the time when one could become brahman by understanding the Veds. Basically, one could become brahman through karma. Shiv’s task was to handle the dark aspects of life and society, namely destruction, ghosts etc. He was fit for this task due to his stoic nature. Not everyone has full control over own emotion to perform tasks like destruction. Think about yourself, can you let go the things that are dear to you – your phones, your kids, your body-parts? Anyway, Shiv kept doing his duties and eventually became a prominent figure. You can think it like this- there is a party and after the party, you have to depend on someone to clean up the mess- that was Shiv’s task, to clean up the mess. When the Devatas and Asuras did Samudra-Manthan, everyone took the good things like Amrit, Kalpataru, jewels etc. But when halahal poison came out, everyone was afraid and rejected it. Shiv was summoned. He is stoic but he is stoic about himself not about welfare of others, which makes him dutiful. Which is why he did not hesitate to drink the poison. Because of this nature of self-sacrifice, he is called Baba (father). Just like a father, he protects his children without asking for anything in return. A fatherly masculinity should also be a bit stoic; he should have control over his emotions so that other family members can rely upon him. A whiny man is never respected and this is what today’s men should learn from Shiv. It is a fact that in today’s society, masculinity, stoicism and competitiveness are shamed- but these things are necessary to have a structured humane society. So, it is necessary for men to be stoic and have control over their emotions and keep developing masculinity.
Moving forward, though Shiva became an important figure in the Dev-kul, not everyone accepted his greatness. One such fellow is Daksha. The meaning of Daksha is the one who is efficient. Daksha was a king and he was efficient in performing Yagna. In the culture of Sanatan, yagna has always been important. It is a practise to seek welfare of the humanity because through yagna, humans can summon gods and get solutions to problems. Daksha used to perform big yagnas for mankind and that’s why he had reputation in Dev-kul. Out of his many daughters, one was Sati. Sati was destined to be married to Shiv as per the Devatas but Daksha did not approve Shiv due to Shiv’s outer-appearance. Shiv, being the controller of dark aspects, often stays in cremation grounds, his body is covered in ashes, snakes wind around his body as he meditates on lord Vishnu. Though he possesses so much authority and status, he has no wealth or even a home. However, divine feminine cannot stay away from divine masculine; and Shiv and Sati started their married life without the approval of Daksha. Displeased Daksha later organised a grand yagna, but did not invite Shiv and Sati. Sati came to know about this from Narad Muni and wished to go. Shiv knew about the situation and asked her to not go but Sati, being adamant, visited Daksha’s home alone. Daksha kept saying humiliating words about Shiv and this hurt Sati deeply. She sat down and kept chanting Shiv’s name and attained mahasamadhi and her soul left her body. When Shiv came to knew about Sati’s departure, he became furious and destroyed Daksha’s yagna. Shiv’s furious forms Beervadra and Bhadrakali killed all those who were present there. This again shows that when masculine and feminine force are separated, destruction is inevitable. However, after Shiv’s anger settled, he returned everyone back to life but vowed to not remarry. After that Sati incarnated as Parvati; you have already read about her in previous chapters.
Like Kali, Shiva is also very important in tantra. It’s understandable because he controls the dark aspects of life. There is a book named ‘Raavan Sanhita’. Raavan, was a great sadhak of Shiv and upon being pleased with his sadhana, Shiv taught him tantra practices, chants etc. He also gave Rudrabeena (a musical instrument) to Raavan; whenever Raavan played that, Shiv would give darshan to him. That book talks about these rituals. All shlokas in the book are dedicated to either Shiv or Hanuman (an avatar of Shiv).
Shiv is a bundle of contradiction. At one hand he lives in destitute but on the other hand he is the owner of all. Moreover, he is detached from everything but he is also so attached to Parvati in a physical, emotional and spiritual manner. He is the top yogi but also, he is the greatest sex symbol. This is the true nature of ‘Parambrahma’- who can do, cannot do and do things differently. He smokes weed and drinks sura but also chants mantra. He is stoic but he is responsible for the hardest tasks. Another interesting thing is that, in certain tantric idols of Shiv-Kali, both are portrayed completely nude and though Kali is in a destructive posture, Shiv is shown as lying and in a sexually excited posture (erect penis). The indication of such that, no matter how terrifying the feminine is, the masculine will always find beauty in her. From a human perspective also, the sadhaks or even normal people see Kali as caring and loving mother irrespective of her terrifying form; the shyama-sangeets are proof of that.
The worshippers of Shiva are called Shaiva, but Shiv himself is a Vaishnav. Shiv’s original divine form is Sadashiv who always remains in a sadh-chit-ananda (always in happy/Sannibesh state) but for operational purposes, he has created 11 Rudra forms. These 11 Rudras are 11 out of 33 koti devatas in Sanatan. Also, ‘koti’ does not mean crore, it is just a divine status, Koti means Supreme. ‘Ru’ means cry, ‘Dra’ means run; Rudra is someone who makes others cry and then leaves – this is basically the story of any destruction. When a destruction occurs, we remember it for short period of time and then we move on. 11 Rudras are Kapali, Pingala, Bhim. Birupaksha, Vilohit, Shasta, Ajapad, Ahirbudhanya, Shambhu, Chand, Bhav. Hanuman is considered the 12th avatar of Shiv. Hanuman’s birth is another interesting story, I will tell you in an upcoming chapter. Shiv’s dark form is Mahakaal because like Kali, he is also the controller of time. Shiva is also known as Adiyogi because he is the first entity who attained sadh-chit-ananda through yog. Our Shiv-Kali Oracle cards has 12 forms of Kali and 12 forms of Shiv, that can help you to seek guidance and blessings in daily life.
We worship Shiv in the structure of linga. Linga is not synonymous to genital; it just means symbol (genitals are synonymous to jananendriya/janananga). I told you earlier that Vishwakarma manifested this structure of Shiv in linga format. If you visit a Shiv temple or any Shivlinga, you’ll see a that below there is a base, then there is an extended surface and on top of that, is the reversed tube-like structure. The extended surface in middle, is actually female symbol or yoni (receptive Shakti). The Shivlinga (male symbol) emerging from (or entering in) the yoni indicates that male-female conjunction is necessary for creation. This is also a reason, why Shiva is considered a father figure. As per one interesting theory, Shiv Lingas are ancient nuclear reactors of ancient times. Even today’s nuclear reactors resemble a similar structure like Shiv Linga. The 12 major temples of Shiv are called 12 Jyotirlinga, which m[AP1] eans symbol of light (energy). Is it a coincident that nuclear reactors also emit energy? Usually, there remains a pot above Shivlinga, from which water falls on the linga. This is similar to the cooling process of a nuclear reactor. A high amount of radiation is found in all 12 Jyotirlinga temples in India.
During Shivratri, if one worships Shiv, the god will offer boons to that person. Usually, the person has to fast and then offer just water and bilwapatra to him. Jai Bholenath.
I have kept Shiv as ‘The Emperor’ because of his fatherly attributes and sense of responsibility. He has authority in the society and he can control important situations that others cannot control.
Upright meaning
In tarot, the emperor card is often associated with authority, leadership, and structure. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as leadership, stability, and the ability to provide structure and order. The upright Emperor may represent a person who is authoritative, confident, and successful, or it can indicate a need for structure and organization in one’s life.
Reverse meaning
On the other hand, when the emperor card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as abuse of power, lack of structure, or a lack of control. The reversed Emperor may represent a person who is overly controlling, abusive, or lacking in leadership qualities. It could also suggest a lack of structure or order in one’s life, or a need to let go of control and allow others to take the lead.
All goddesses are forms of the Shakti; all gods are forms of the Shaktimaan. Shakti and Shaktimaan are inseparable. Shakti belongs to Shaktimaan because only he can hold the power. Therefore, the actual god is Shiv-Parvati, Radha-Krishna, Sita-Raam, Shiv-Kali etc inseparably.
Kali is a form of Shakti or Prakriti (counterpart of Shaktimaan or Purush). She is the divine feminine power to nurture like a mother. Kali is the mind, in simpler words, Kali controls Shaktimaan as if she is the mind and Purush is the body. If you see pictures of Kali, you’ll find that Shiva is lying on ground, looking at Kali who has accidentally stepped on him while dancing. In this form, Shiva has complete consciousness but he lies under kali’s power. This indicates that the body is slave of thought-process. On the other hand, Kali has accidentally stepped on him, indicating she was not conscious at the moment but she is full of power. When they both work in harmony, only then, there is balance and only then there is creation. This is also true for normal male and female in humanity. Women have the power to create but they need men’s guidance, even if that is in passive way. This once again proves that Shakti and Shaktimaan belongs to each other.
The worshippers of Kali are called Shakta, because Kali is the form of Shakti. In one hand, Kali has the nurturing form of a mother, on the other hand she is also a fierce goddess. There is a common misconception that Kali is the goddess of darkness and this narrative is spread in a negative way. This is not true, Kali got this name because she is the remover of darkness (kalima, কালিমা in Bengali). Moreover, Kali is also controller of Kaal (means Time in English). Kali is synonymous to power and this can be understood by the way her name is uttered. The way one says ‘Radhe Radhe’, is very different from how one shouts ‘Jai Kali’ or ‘Byom Kali’ or ‘Jai Tara’. The tonality of the former is much softer.
There are different types of Kali – Bhadrakali, Koushiki Kali, Shmashaan Kali, Raksha Kali, Dakate Kali and more. And each of these has her own importance. The usual well-known form of Kali is Bhadrakali, where her form is not so fierce and she is worshipped as a mother and remover of darkness from life. Shmashaan Kali is the dark form of kali and she is worshipped in shmashaan (cremation ground). It is mentionable that one should not worship Shmashaan Kali inside home because of the intensity of her power. The power is not negative, it is just that if worshipped in this form, Kali can make the home environment similar to that of the cremation ground to simply accustom with her nature of power. Dakate Kali is also a fierce form because she got her name from the fact that dacoits or robbers used to worship this form before committing robbery. The history of Koushiki Kali is such that she incarnated to kill demons named Shumbha-Nishumbha. Therefore, her worshipping is done to remove enemies from one’s life. Raksha Kali’s puja is done to get protection from enemies be it a human enemy or an inhuman entity. Our Shiv-Kali Oracle cards has 12 forms of Shiv and 12 forms of Kali, to which one can ask for guidance and blessings.
If you see the typical form of Kali, you’ll see that she is naked, with hair open, her breasts are covered with a garland of deceased demons’ heads and her waist is covered with a belt of deceased demons’ hands. She shows her tongue to express shame as she has stepped on her husband mistakenly. One interesting thing is that, just before she stepped on him, she was in a destructive mood. This proves that when masculine and feminine come together, only then destruction stops. Today’s feminists should learn something from this and think twice before saying “I don’t need a man”, because that is destructive for the humanity. Anyway, the reason she is naked is that her beauty cannot be contained by any clothes. Kali’s four hands contain a Kharga (a type of weapon), a severed head of a demon, Abhay Mudra and Ashirbaad Mudra. She has these severed limbs on her because of her motherly nature. She indicates that she is the mother of all; if someone commits crime, she will punish them but as she is the mother, she won’t throw them away rather she will show them the path of enlightenment through punishment.
Kali is often portrayed as a feminist because of her appearance- the untied hair, the nakedness, husband under feet- all are indications of going against toxic patriarchy. However, I don’t want to humiliate Kali by calling her a feminist. Her sense of responsibility distinguishes her from feminists. The very task she performs- to kill the demons and consuming darkness to give us light, is far from the feminist propaganda. Her nakedness portrays her as a mother who is giving birth to children, whereas today’s feminists are often against becoming a mother. Also, feminism now days are about hating men, whereas Kali has complete devotion, submission and love for her husband Shiv. It is not like she is deliberately dancing in joy on top of Shiv, rather she is ashamed as she stepped on her husband- that’s why she is biting her tongue to showcase her womanly lajja. This is a popular gesture in many Indian culture to show that one has done some mistake. Kali has a motherly nature and a sense of responsibility unlike feminists. She is feminine, not a feminist; both are polar opposites.
First, you have to understand what is masculinity, what is femininity and their differences. Femininity does not mean being immature or girly. Masculinity is not about torture and oppression. Femininity means being kind, caring and compassionate; masculinity is about achieving goals in life and being disciplined. Femininity is about taking care of loved ones through emotional care; masculinity is about taking care of loved ones through providing and protecting. Masculinity is about guiding; femininity is about cooperating that guidance. Femininity avoids conflict, masculinity suppresses conflict. Masculinity is a personality; femininity is a character. Both femininity and masculinity have duties that are not similar but equally important. Irrespective of gender, a person possesses both types of traits. A man may show kindness to street children, a woman might have to meet daily targets to bring food to the table. But there are some boundaries in this aspect. Whenever, there is a lack of duty and sensibility, the balance between masculinity and femininity gets disturbed. Also, there are gender roles in society. Men are shamed when they are too much soft, women are disliked when they are too much goal-oriented. And this is logical because the basic founding concepts of masculinity and femininity orient gender roles. I mentioned earlier that we are going through soft times as there is no survival crisis. Think about times when there was war, foreign oppression or natural disasters. At that time, the traditional gender roles prevailed where the men would go out and find resources for the family to survive. The women would take care of the family. Today, men are shamed for being masculine and housewives are shamed for taking care of the family. And the reason of such behaviour is a political narrative. Women are usually more emotional and impulsive, that’s why it is easy to manipulate them. Today, women are taught to be goal-oriented and men are told that its ok to be sensitive. However, this harms both parties because deep down and subconsciously, most people still want to follow their traditional gender roles. Men still want to provide for their family, they still want compliant wives; women still want to marry guys who have more money and status than them, they still find it hard to make decisions independently. So, when the political narrative is spread, it tells people to become unnatural. And we all know that anything that goes against the nature, will cause a payback. That payback is here through mental trauma, emotional damage, loss of personality for men, loss of character for women, unhappiness, cases of suicides, divorces etc. This is a crisis that is often taboo to discuss. To be happy, it is necessary for men to develop more of their masculine side by being more goal-oriented, dutiful, decision-maker. On the other hand, women can be happy by cultivating more of their feminine sides- by being kind, compliant and caring about own character. The topic of masculinity and femininity is vast and beyond the scope of this book; but remember that you all deep down know what is right. If you are triggered, it simply means you are fed with a narrative that has no proven result.
Among many rituals of Kali worshipping, one is Bali (sacrifice). And this is a bit controversial as many consider it as an immoral act against humanity. In previous times, people would sacrifice cows, ox or even humans during worshipping. These days, this practise has reduced significantly, some places sacrifice of goats happen. Now, one thing is to be understood that the ritual of sacrifice has reduced based on the realisation that a cow’s milk is more important for a child than to sacrifice it to the goddess. Anyway, the scriptures like Yajurveda mention that any sacrificed beings will definitely attain the paradise. Sacrifice of animals is recommended as per our scriptures but that is also like the sacrifice of animals inside human mind (Shatt-ripu, 6 sins of Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moha, Maad, Matsarya). After the Vedic period, Purans and even in the Geeta, it is mentioned to only sacrifice the animals of our mind.
In tantra, Kali’s significance is immense. North-East India and some parts of West Bengal is the hotspot of tantra. Especially in different shaktipeeths like Kamakhya and Tarapeeth, tantra-sadhana happens prominently. Tantra is considered the left-hand path of spirituality where the sadhak focuses on attaining God through unconventional practices like consuming meat (Mangsa), alcohol (Madya), fish (Matsya), mudra and sex (Maithun) [Panchamakara]. Interestingly, this left-hand path is considered the fastest way to attain God because it is the hardest; it is not even for everyone because it is not as simple or entertaining as it sounds. Most people follow the normal Vedic way of spirituality where we live normal life, worship at home, performs sangsaarik duties etc. The next level (harder than 1st path) is becoming a Vaishnav/Gaudiya Vaishnav and turn towards Lord RadhaKrishna; the third level (harder than 2nd path) is becoming a Shaiva and worship Lord Shiva. The fourth level is Shakta and worshipping Kali (right hand path, harder than 3rd path). The fifth level is this left-hand path of Tantra where Shiv & Kali are worshipped together through unconventional ways with the motto of attaining samadhi (harder way of lifestyle). The sixth and seventh stages are Sidhantachar and Kolachar. Samadhi happens when the Sannibesh occurs (God and Human becomes inseparable). Tantrics focus on awakening the kundalini to attain this state of samadhi. The mentioned 5 levels are not superior or inferior to each other, these are just different schools of thoughts and the practices are different in each segment. A Vaishnav might not be comfortable to practise the rough path of Tantra, a Tantric might not find solace in normal Vedic practices. So, it is not like one should choose the path he/she does not like because without respect, determination and self-realisation he/she will never succeed.
In Bengal, there have been many great sadhak of Kali or Tara, namely Shree Ramkrishna, Bamakhyapa, Ramprasad, Kamalakanta etc. And in Bengal, there is a completely different genre of music, called Shyama-Sangeet, songs about Kali and her glory. These songs are not as fierce as mother’s description. Among different types of Kali worshipping, the form of widely-accepted Bhadra Kali is the latest. Before 1700s Kali Puja was not a social occasion. Due to the related aspects like darkness, tantra, dacoits, heavy rituals and rumours of negativity normal citizens used to stay afraid of worshipping Kali. In this sense, the tantric and dacoits are some of the oldest worshippers of Kali. Today, some of the most famous Kali temples are in Tarapeeth, Dakshineshwar, Adyapeeth, Kamakhya, Kalighat and more. Tara Ma is one form of Kali. We see her a lot in Buddhist religion and also, Tarapeeth is one of the 51 sati-peeths in India. The word Tara comes from ‘Tarani’, which means a medium (Tarani also means ‘a boat’) to cross. Through Tara Ma, one can cross the materialistic realms fast and step into spiritual realm.
I have kept Kali as ‘The Empress’ because she is the epitome of divine femininity, queen of Shaktimaan Shiva and mother of the whole universe.
Upright meaning
In tarot, the Empress card is often associated with nurturing, abundance, and creativity. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as fertility, motherhood, and abundance. The upright Empress may represent a person who is nurturing, supportive, and creative, or it can indicate a period of growth, abundance, and prosperity.
Reverse meaning
On the other hand, when the Empress card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as neglect, lack of creativity, or a feeling of being stuck. The reversed Empress may represent a person who is neglectful, controlling, or overly focused on material possessions. It could also suggest a lack of creativity, a lack of abundance, or a sense of being blocked in terms of growth and development.
Parvati is the divine feminine force who, through her great penance, achieved Shiva as her husband.
The well-known incident goes like this, after Sati’s death, Shiva chose the path of Sanyaas and vowed to not remarry. Meanwhile, Tarakasur, a demon performed tapasya and asked for a boon from Brahma that he cannot be killed by anyone other than Shiva’s son. And after that, the demon started to disturb saints as he considered himself unbeatable. The devatas were worried by this situation and had to find a way to break Shiva’s vow. Meanwhile, Parvati, the reincarnation of Sati, was born to king Himalay. Devatas knew this and they informed Parvati that her destiny is to be with Shiva but to break Shiva’s vow, she has to go through hard penance. Parvati performed such tough penance that she acquired the name ‘Brahmacharini’ (2nd form of Nabadurga) and Shiva was very pleased by her sadhana. However, to test her, Shiva took disguise and came to Parvati. He kept talking bad about Shiva and kept asking why Parvati desired Shiva. However, Parvati stood her ground and trusted her inner voice and proved her respect and desire for Shiva. This pleased Shiva and he appeared in his true form and accepted Parvati’s request to marry. To know the details, you can read ‘Kumarsambhav’ by Kalidas or in ‘Skanda Puran’. Thus, Parvati’s divine femininity broke Shiva’s vow and they got married. This is probably one of the oldest incidents where a woman proposed a man. In spite of being a princess, Parvati was humble enough to desire a Shiv. She could have easily thought like she is a great princess, any man or even gods will want to marry her, but keeping that self-entitlement aside, she put an effort and ultimately succeeded.
And yes, their son, Skanda or Kartikey is the one who defeated Tarakasur.
It is mentionable that Shiva-Parvati’s marriage anniversary is celebrated as Mahashivrati even today.
The reason I kept Parvati as the ‘high priestess’ is because no one has ever done such great sadhana to desire the goal. From her, we should learn that no matter how tough a goal is, we can achieve it if we are dedicated, involved and ready to sacrifice. Even after Parvati knew that she will ultimately be with Shiva, she was not self-entitled and she chose the path of penance.
Upright meaning
In tarot, the High Priestess card is often associated with intuition, mystery, and inner knowledge. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as wisdom, intuition, and the ability to access hidden knowledge. The upright High Priestess may represent a person who is perceptive, intuitive, and in touch with their inner self.
Reverse meaning
On the other hand, when the High Priestess card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as deception, confusion, and a lack of intuition. The reversed High Priestess may represent a person who is not listening to their intuition or who is being misled by others. It could also suggest a lack of understanding or a failure to access important information.
Vishwakarma is the civil engineer among gods. His name literally means the maker (karma) of the world (Vishwa). Viswakarma is the one who created the first Shiva-Linga as the perfect form of formless god. He also created Vishnu’s Chakra, Indra’s Bajra and Shiv’s Trishul. He created Dwarka in just one day and also goddess Tara’s temple in West Bengal. He also created Raavan’s palace (which was actually made for Shiva and Parvati on the occasion of their marriage, later Shiva gave the palace to Raavan because Raavan wished to have it). Vishwakarma also built Indraprastha for Pandavs (some 5000 years ago). In the Mahabharata, you can find the description of this beautiful palace.
There is a Gotra called Vishwakarma which comprises of masons, blacksmiths, goldsmiths, carpenters etc who create things. One interesting fact is that, in Chakre[AP1] shwar Mahadev temple (Maharashtra) there is a sculpture of Vishwakarma holding theodolite. The temple is more than 1200 years old whereas, theodolite is supposedly ‘invented’ 400 years ago – you can understand the reality here.
The reason why I associated Vishwakarma with ‘the Magician’ is because they both manifest and create things through their willpower.
Upright meaning
In tarot, the Magician card is often associated with manifestation, power, and creativity. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as skill, confidence, and the ability to take action and make things happen. The upright Magician may represent a person who is resourceful, charismatic, and capable of achieving their goals through their own efforts.
Reverse meaning
On the other hand, when the Magician card is reversed, it may indicate some negative traits such as manipulation, trickery, and misuse of power. The reversed Magician may represent a person who is not using their skills for good or who is trying to deceive others. It could also suggest a lack of motivation, a lack of focus, or a failure to take action.
In 21st century, we are living through soft times. In general, majority of people are not facing any major survival issues. We have food, water, shelter, entertainment, and other elements to enjoy a fairly luxurious life. There is no global famine or drought, construction companies are building millions of houses, OTT platforms are publishing one show after another. Especially if you look at America, they have a so-called perfect social system, where jobless people are given allowances. As a result, they don’t get enough motivation to rise up on their own feet. Also, as there is no survival crisis, they create new problems in the society; as an example, problems like infinite number of genders. Also, psychosocial issues like depression, drug abuse, sexual harassment are very high in western world. 20% Americans [AP1] suffer from depression. 17 out of 100 [AP2] US kids start using drugs from age 12. 1 out of 6 [AP3] woman is victim of serious sexual assault. On the other hand, if you look at India, in spite of a high population, these stats are lower. 4.5 % Indians [AP4] are suffering from depression. 6.8% Indians [AP5] under 18 use drugs. 2 out of 10000 [AP6] women are victims of serious sexual assault in India. I am not saying that India is in a great position, rather I would emphasise on the fact that these stats often increase on a yearly basis. In my opinion this is happening because we are going through soft times. People have too much luxury and idle time to be depressed, to use drugs and to think about acting irresponsibly.
These days parents are quite soft and they are not upbringing children with discipline. Too much freedom is harmful because- to utilise freedom, one has to act responsibly. Look at our freedom fighters who sacrificed for freedom; they were not careless. They had certain personalities that we cannot easily possess because it is situational; environment and situation toughened them up. We are not under anyone’s rule now, at least that is the narrative we are told to believe in. Actually, we are slaves of dopamine. This is why we use social media or watch porn. If you feel like you don’t have power, it’s because you don’t deserve it. No one owes you power or respect unless you become worthy.
We, humans are fool because:
We want power, but we don’t want to take any responsibilities. This goes for both men and women. We need to understand that no one ‘deserves’ anything. Everything has to be earned and also, we should be careful about what we wish for because every prayer needs some type of sacrifice to be fulfilled. Today’s world gives equality, but it means that there are equal opportunities rather than equal results. You are free to choose a particular career, but whether you will be successful in that or not, depends on your efforts. You are free to take a decision, but then you have to also face the consequences that come along. Because, the sacrifice needed for success in one field, may affect your success in another field.
We think that the world revolves around our feelings. In reality, world works based on mostly actions not feelings. If you ‘feel’ like something ‘should’ happen or you ‘should’ get something, you are just being self-entitled. The world does not care about ‘should’- ‘would’- ‘could’. Sure, desires matter as everything starts from wishes, but for the wish to come true, one has to make efforts.
We trust too blindly based on only words, not actions. From choosing a partner to voting a politician, everywhere we trust the wrong person without judging. No matter how many times someone tells you that it is not right to judge someone, you need to ignore that. Because it is necessary to judge. Blind faith has always been harmful. As an example, when Vasco da Gama came [AP7] in Calicut port (late 1400s), king Zamorin invited him thinking he would act as a link between the East and the West. At that time, Arab merchants were dominant suppliers in the markets of Calicut. European goods were not good enough, but still Zamorin gave the new merchants a chance to sell the European goods in Indian market. Though the Arabs made Zamorin aware about the untrustworthy character of pirates, the king did not take any actions. Later Vasco da Gama allied [AP8] with Haider Ali, one of the enemies of Zamorin and started a war against him. Zamorin lost his kingdom and was killed by the Portuguese. The moral of this story is that, you need to critically analyse a person’s intention by their actions. Be simple but not naïve. And for this, you need to have a guide in life who has seen life. Even, in choosing this guide, you need to be skeptical. For the same reasons, we need to stop believing in random Facebook posts. Did you know that 97% [AP9] rapes in India are done by a known relative??
We are fools because we believe in the narrative of equality. Let’s get it straight, men and women are not equal physically, emotionally, sexually. We are just good at different things. If you try to behave like the other gender, there will be imbalance in your life and society. Also, in a relationship, there is no equality, each side always has to compromise more on different things; and the other side might look at these things as insignificant. As an example, a wife may get irritated to wash the dishes every night, but to the husband, it is an insignificant task. On the other hand, the husband may think his office works are hard but the wife may consider it to be insignificant. To carry on in a relationship, compromising and tolerance is more important than love.
We are fools because we think that degree means education. It’s not; education is sanskaar of being dutiful and disciplined. Unfortunately, our current education system is not teaching it. If there are 100 students passing from a B-school, the director of the B-school will be the most successful instead of the students.
We are fools because we think we are the smartest among all. We think that we are equal to God. Let’s get it straight; you are not Krishna if you are just a pimp. You are not Kali if you make Instagram posts about feminism. It’s just self-entitlement and idiotic. Sure, we all have God inside us but unless we open the doorways to attain that spirituality, we can’t access that power. And once attained, you don’t need to declare that you are a god, others will bow down automatically before you. If you feel like you are oppressed and no one respects you, it is because you haven’t done anything to deserve respect.
The good thing is, the faster we realise that we are fools, the faster we will be open to learn and move towards the adventurous path of enlightenment.
Upright meaning
In tarot, the Fool card is often associated with new beginnings, spontaneity, and taking risks. When the card is upright, it generally signifies positive traits such as innocence, open-mindedness, and a willingness to take a leap of faith. The upright Fool may represent a person who is carefree, adventurous, and unburdened by the past.
Reverse meaning
On the other hand, when the Fool card is reversed, it may indicate negative traits such as recklessness, naivety, and a lack of direction. The reversed Fool may represent a person who is not taking responsibility for their actions, or who is making poor decisions without considering the consequences. It could also suggest a fear of change or a reluctance to take risks.
