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Full Forever: Sculptures for Pregnant Women
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The Inner Goddess Retreat Outline
The Power Within: Interviews with Notable Women
Wild Woman Words: A Collection of Poetry
The Element Breaths: A Guided Imagery Practice on Tape

Dakini is a Sanskrit word that literally means “Sky Dancer.” Symbolically, this means one who is free; as in one who has transformed one’s karma and has to a great extent worked through one’s psychological issues that keeps one in a neurotic state of mind. To be free, therefore, is to be one’s natural self, unencumbered by identification with self-images that are not accurate expressions of one’s true nature.

In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Dakinis are a class of beings who are the “embodiment of the Divine in feminine form.” So, in many ways, all women are Dakinis. Dakinis are female embodiments of knowledge and magical powers. They are spiritual helpers, capable of awakening the dormant forces that are often hidden in the unconscious. Dakinis are said to have a fluid nature. They have the capacity to loosen areas of the psyche that may have become rigidified. Dakinis are also said to be able to dispel illusion.

Dakinis are also oracles. An oracle is one who is able to contact guidance, the truth within and express it in one’s life. One of the most notable oracles we may be familiar with is the Oracle of Delphi in Greece. Many of us consult with divination decks, like the Tarot. Being an oracle means that one has the capacity to find guidance in oneself through meditation and other spiritual practice, have the wherewithal to trust in the guidance, and the courage to speak it out and follow it.

Dakinis often lived or did retreats in caves. It is for this reason that I call this site Dakini’s Cave. I see this as being symbolic. In order to free ourselves from impressions that are other than our true nature and manifest essential qualities, we need to have time in solitude. Caves represent the womb, a place of holding in an environment that provides the nutrients necessary for growth. The cave is the alchemical vessel in which we transform lead into gold.

Dakini is a name that was suggested to me by a spiritual mentor. Taking on a name is a spiritual practice. The idea is that by calling oneself a name that expresses certain qualities and capacities that are inherent in one’s soul, one is being reminded and impressed with these aspects and therefore has support for manifesting them in one’s life. This is not all that is necessary, of course. The work of Self-realization is arduous and involves such capacities as dedication to truth, the ability to tolerate discomfort, insight, etc.

The name Dakini reminds me that I am the embodiment of the Divine, that I have the capacity to clear away that which is other than my true nature—such as impressions developed through my socialization—and live my life as an accurate expression of my soul. I invite you, and hope that this web site supports you, in affirming your own true nature in your unique way.

May we all remember that we are an embodiment of the Divine!

Dakini Lynn Marlow, M.A, is a body-centered psychotherapist, an ordained interfaith minister, spiritual mentor, and retreat guide who facilitates people in the unfoldment of their souls. She is a writer and artist dedicated to the embodiment of the sacred. Dakini is also the coordinator of the Chrysalis Connection: The Feminine Council of the Sufi Order.

Contact Dakini at dakini@dakiniscave.com for information about spiritual mentoring, individual or group retreats, or to order ceramic goddess altars and statues, 8"x10" goddess mandala and collage prints, greeting cards, and inspirational guidance publications.

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