A Love Affair with Lakshmi
It was years ago she started whispering in my ear.
Sweet nothings? I’d take ‘em.
I was recently separated from my ex-husband and desperate to ignore certain aspects of my reality, specifically my rapidly dwindling bank account and lack of income streams.
The Hindu Goddess Lakshmi first appeared by way of a beautiful altar card found on Etsy (shown above). Initially only intrigued by her promises of prosperity, with warped money stories driving much of my life, I became hooked on the idea of quickie money manifestations, à la fantasies of spiritual vending machines.
Support was surfacing all around me to help pull me out before impending crisis, but I could only see through the lens of the upper chakras as I casted aside offers of help from loved ones to get back on track.
Ease, grace, flow, puh-lease, I begged. If it wasn’t that and only that I’d disdainfully turn my cheek thinking it wasn’t meant to be. My claim was, “It’s not supposed to be hard!”
What was really going on was that it was just too painful to acknowledge the truth.
My Mom sent me a book on good money habits. The guy on the cover seemed so much like a Fox News personality (he wasn’t), and the content was so triggering to me (indeed, I was) I did the unthinkable and threw a hard cover book away. In the trash. I don’t even think I recycled it.
Friends sat me down and tried to help me come up with a budget. How constraining, I thought. Restrictive. Oppressive. Damn it all!
My dear friend and fellow lover of Lakshmi recently sent me these beautiful Tarot cards from Etsy.
Eventually the money ran low enough that I felt forced to stop bypassing all the scary things.
While my ego was roiling, fear finally had me on my knees pouring forth tears and hugging the kitchen floor. It was then I finally began to die to my old stubborn ways and accept the reality of my situation. This meant staring at what was really there in front of me.
I took a hard look at my bank account. I wrote out all my debts. I made a budget. I figured out how quickly I needed a job and how much I needed to make. I also made the decision to never, ever be in this position again.
While it was nerve wrecking, it was also extremely empowering. I had stepped out of victimhood. As my Aunt Jane says, “When it comes to money you might not like where you stand, but it’s always good to know where you stand.” A-ho!
This was the pivot point where everything started to shift and Lakshmi and I started to actually enter into a healthy relationship. I wasn’t just trying to get something that I didn’t deserve to get me out of a quandary. I was starting to show the heck up for myself and my kiddos, and she loved it!
I was offered a job I felt was beneath me but I took it anyway. I sold things around the house I didn’t need. I weeded a neighbor’s yard. I sold my precious books for quarters on the dollar. I started learning to design websites and started a side business. The money started flowing.
I learned that Lakshmi basks in beauty, love, joy, abundance and prosperity, but on a day-to-day she relishes in what supports those things. That means keeping a budget, getting out of debt, contributing to savings, managing investments, and even taking good care to keep your wallet organized. Doing these things helps keep this Goddess’ energy around.
As I learned to do these things and saw the fruits of my labor then the real magical manifestations of extra money boons began to occur, and I could truly relax into the gratitude of them instead of living hand to mouth and asking Spirit to help pay my rent each month.
This led to even more change on my part. Forgiveness became essential to my spiritual practice. The more I forgave the more prosperous and grateful I became.
For months every day I would say the ho’ponopono forgiveness prayer 108 times, usually while looking at pictures of myself, loved ones, people I found myself judging, societal constructs, tyrants, and even my bank account. Eventually as I slowly began to untether myself from my debts I even started tithing and donating money.
Lakshmi came into my life as contentment, generosity, and showed me the importance of taking great care of every aspect of my being.
Awakening Shakti is a beautiful book that has a whole chapter dedicated to Lakshmi, along with very powerful meditations and mantras.
This quote from the author, Sally Kempton, sums up my love affair with this Goddess:
Over the years…I’ve heard tales of wishes fulfilled, money coming unexpectedly, strange coincidences that feel as if the universe was giving boons. To calls these gifts of Lakshmi may be unscientific, but there is a reason why her devotees swear that to a lover of Lakshmi, good fortune is like a flower in the palm of your hand.