Ashta Lakshmi

Hey there!

If you have bought my hand made Mata Lakshmi candle, please note that it was made with permission from her and set out during the full moon.

This candle also has flower petals that are from her altar as well as wax that is from a candle that was on her altar.

Hey there! I have been drawn to Mata Lakshmi for 8 years now. I started feeling her call to me when I entered sobriety and starting searching for a version of my Higher Power. I didn't know it was her until many years later when I started looking to put faces and names to it. She was the first one I started praying to and worshipping. For me, she embodies compassion and empathy. She helps me remember to have love for myself. How does she show up for you in your life? Comment below! I'd love to hear from you!

OK. Let's get started :)

Lakshmi has many different names and it can get pretty dang confusing, but this is a very general idea of who she is, where/how she was born, and how she can help us. 

Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity in Hinduism. As we know, wealth and prosperity can come to us in many different ways. It can be material, spiritual, mental, and others. Because of all of the different ways wealth and prosperity can come to us, there are different variations of Lakshmi. Below she has 8 different descriptions. I cannot figure out WHY there are 8. Why not 9? Why not 7? If you know, let me know! Leave a comment below!

In Hinduism, the word Mata (माता) refers to a divine mother goddess when capitalized. This word comes from the Sanskrit word mā (मा), which means "to limit or measure". Because of this, I call her Mata Lakshmi. She helps me direct my prayers to one area, giving boundaries so I have something to aim for. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but it does to me. 🙂

What do you call her? 

OK. So there are 8 different ways to see her. These collections of differences sum her up as “Ashta (8) Lakshmi”.

1. Adi Lakshmi, which is her form that will help you as long as you are passionately following your highest spiritual aim of life. She is also very compassionate. 

2. Dhana Lakshmi, helps people who are pushing to provide wealth and prosperity to become their best versions of themselves

3. Dhanya Lakshmi, she blesses people with agricultural wealth. You can thank her by offering food to folks who have less than you

4. Gaja Lakshmi, she is the form who brings wealth in the form of animals. She shows the importance of loving, caring and respecting animals, as they help us in many, many ways.

5. Santana Lakshmi, is the presence of a fierce mother. She demands you treat your children with respect and the utmost care.

6. Veera Lakshmi, she helps people overcome obstacles in their spiritual and material life. 

7. Vidya Lakshmi, this form helps unlock our psyche, so we can reach our full potential, allowing us to achieve material and spiritual success

8. Vijaya Lakshmi, she instills hope and inspiration to folks who are battling life’s ups and downs. She favors folks who keep a positive attitude in the face of struggles. 

Some of her symbols are the elephant, gold, and the lotus flower. 

On the whole, if you want to worship Ashta Lakshmi, you need to keep a clean house, offer her flowers and light candles. You need to be honest, hardworking, compassionate and generous. She will help move us from the darkness to light. From fear and anxiety to calmness and clarity. If we keep working hard, she will guide us. She will offer you endless compassion, love, nurturing and protection of a mother. 

While doing these tasks to the best of your ability, make sure to pray to her with sincerity. She will come to you. 

Here is a story of how she was born. 

Sage Durvasa’s (a very cranky saint type of being) put a curse on Lord Indra (the god of thunder, rain and lightning) because he thought Lord Indra disrespected him. Lord Indra’s kingdom starts changing immediately. People start giving into their lusts, crops fail, and the gods and people start losing their energy to live life. Everything goes to ruins. 

Because of this, the demons rise up and start taking over. This creates a war with the demons and gods. As this war is raging, the gods get weaker and weaker because of the curse Durvasa put on the city. The demons defeat them in battle. 

The gods go to Lord Vishnu (a god who provides salvation for humanity. He also takes on multiple different incarnations, or avatara, so you may hear him most commonly called Krishna and Rama). They asked him for help and he suggested stirring up the milky seas to see what comes up. From that arises Lakshmi, beautiful and fully grown, sitting in a lotus flower, and she restores order to the universe. She brings back energy, compassion, abundance and wealth to those who work hard.