Special Homepage Announcement!

[Guest guest]

Namaskar to All!

 

In our continuing attempt to better serve members, the larger Shakta

community, and we hope, in some small way, Devi Herself, Nora and I

have jointly purchased the domain names shaktisadhana.org and

www.shaktisadhana.org. As of today, we have officially moved our

fledgling homepage to that address:

 

http://www.shaktisadhana.org

 

After some debate back and forth, we decided to go for .org rather

than .com, simply because we *are* an organization of like-minded

souls, and *not* a commercial venture. Make sense? The Group will now

have lots of online space to expand into, absolutely no advertising

banners or pop-ups to annoy you (although our pics and content might

still annoy some), and a much more stable and permanent base upon

which to grow, expand, and spread our message.

 

While on the subject of the homepage, a couple of members (not many,

but a few) have complained that the pictures on the site are too big.

That is not because Nora and I are too technically inept to compress

the pictures or present them as clickable thumbnails. It was a

conscious and considered aesthetic decision.

 

Every web site has its own particular look and feel, and we chose to

go for a "museum exhibition catalog" vibe. Simple and consistent

fonts, no flashy moving banners, no frames or whatever. Just as

Sleater Kinney stripped their sound down to "words and guitar," we

stripped our site down to words and pictures. There is (and will

continue to be) lots of text laying out various aspects of the Shakta

religion -- but that is secondary, "interpretive" content. The

dominating presence on the site, we decided, should be Devi Herself --

an unavoidable, irreducible, totally dominating presence throughout

the website. Big, bold and in living color. Suitable to download for

your personal altar, if you find any that particularly inspire you.

 

Now, I think Web connections are fast and reliable enough nowadays

that most people can deal with the size issue without a hitch. (I

generally use a full T line when I work on the site, but I also have

a rickety 75 MHz PC with a 14,400 bps modem that I still use in a

pinch, and it downloads the entire site without a problem -- a bit on

the slow side, yeah, but everything shows up within a few minutes.)

But if a lot of people are having a lot of trouble seeing the site,

then we might consider revising our plan to suit the majority. So I'm

going to open a poll where you can tell us what you'd prefer. Please

take a moment and cast your vote.

 

And as always, thank you for supporting this Group. We value and

encourage the input and participation of all Shaktas and potential

Shaktas, whether they are merely "Devi-curious" or deeply experienced

sadhiks/sadhaks. Please visit often, and tell like-minded friends

about the Group as well. Durga Pooja -- the most important holiday of

the Shakta year -- is coming up in less than two weeks: We've got 294

members as of my latest count. Let's have 300 members by October 7!

Thank you for your time and assistance.

 

Aum Maatangyai Namahe

[Guest guest]

to say the least............................wow.

I have some interesting ideas. let the waves of muy mind settle a little and I

shall make suggestions. (not that the waves will ever settle that easily*smile*)

Devi Bhakta wrote:Namaskar to All!

 

In our continuing attempt to better serve members, the larger Shakta

community, and we hope, in some small way, Devi Herself, Nora and I

have jointly purchased the domain names shaktisadhana.org and

www.shaktisadhana.org. As of today, we have officially moved our

fledgling homepage to that address:

 

http://www.shaktisadhana.org

 

After some debate back and forth, we decided to go for .org rather

than .com, simply because we *are* an organization of like-minded

souls, and *not* a commercial venture. Make sense? The Group will now

have lots of online space to expand into, absolutely no advertising

banners or pop-ups to annoy you (although our pics and content might

still annoy some), and a much more stable and permanent base upon

which to grow, expand, and spread our message.

 

While on the subject of the homepage, a couple of members (not many,

but a few) have complained that the pictures on the site are too big.

That is not because Nora and I are too technically inept to compress

the pictures or present them as clickable thumbnails. It was a

conscious and considered aesthetic decision.

 

Every web site has its own particular look and feel, and we chose to

go for a "museum exhibition catalog" vibe. Simple and consistent

fonts, no flashy moving banners, no frames or whatever. Just as

Sleater Kinney stripped their sound down to "words and guitar," we

stripped our site down to words and pictures. There is (and will

continue to be) lots of text laying out various aspects of the Shakta

religion -- but that is secondary, "interpretive" content. The

dominating presence on the site, we decided, should be Devi Herself --

an unavoidable, irreducible, totally dominating presence throughout

the website. Big, bold and in living color. Suitable to download for

your personal altar, if you find any that particularly inspire you.

 

Now, I think Web connections are fast and reliable enough nowadays

that most people can deal with the size issue without a hitch. (I

generally use a full T line when I work on the site, but I also have

a rickety 75 MHz PC with a 14,400 bps modem that I still use in a

pinch, and it downloads the entire site without a problem -- a bit on

the slow side, yeah, but everything shows up within a few minutes.)

But if a lot of people are having a lot of trouble seeing the site,

then we might consider revising our plan to suit the majority. So I'm

going to open a poll where you can tell us what you'd prefer. Please

take a moment and cast your vote.

 

And as always, thank you for supporting this Group. We value and

encourage the input and participation of all Shaktas and potential

Shaktas, whether they are merely "Devi-curious" or deeply experienced

sadhiks/sadhaks. Please visit often, and tell like-minded friends

about the Group as well. Durga Pooja -- the most important holiday of

the Shakta year -- is coming up in less than two weeks: We've got 294

members as of my latest count. Let's have 300 members by October 7!

Thank you for your time and assistance.

 

Aum Maatangyai Namahe

 

 

 

shakti_sadhnaa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New DSL Internet Access from SBC &

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

The website looks good. I must admit. The pictures look a

little big. But on the whole the theme is good and it makes a

pleasent reading. If we are lookin at ideas to improve the website,

I think putting Puranas of the Devi is an excellent way to start.

Mahishaasura mardhini is an excellent story one can start of with.

We can add other puranas later with time.

It will also be nice if the website is catagorised like Tantra,

Purana, Personal experiences, photo galleries within each section

and can go on to include mantras, yantras and tantra. I am sure with

participaton it will be a valuable site.

 

 

My two thoughts...

- Seshadri.

 

 

, sankara menon <kochu1tz> wrote:

>

> to say the least............................wow.

> I have some interesting ideas. let the waves of muy mind settle a

little and I shall make suggestions. (not that the waves will ever

settle that easily*smile*)

[Guest guest]

Namesta Seshadri

 

"The website looks good. I must admit"

Thank you for your kind compliments.

 

"The pictures look a little big. But on the whole the theme is

good

and it makes a pleasent reading "

 

The Pictures are a little too big yes! it was a conscious and

considered aesthetic decision. I though such big pics will bring

about an effect. Personnaly I like to look at larger version of

pictures, especially when Mother is concern.

 

One of the members send me her feedback and said, the site is a lot

of pictures and words. We cant think of any other way of doing it. If

not pictures and words, what should we put : ourselves? But that is

not the intention of the homepage. We want to focus more on

Devi. "The

dominating presence on the site, we decided, should be Devi Herself --

an unavoidable, irreducible, totally dominating presence throughout

the website" as Devi Bhakta puts it.

 

"I think putting Puranas of the Devi is an excellent way to

start. It

will also be nice if the website is catagorised like Tantra,

Purana, Personal experiences, photo galleries within each section

and can go on to include mantras, yantras and tantra."

 

That is what I have in mind too in due time. It will be a gradual

process. NOW!!!!!! Talking about "participaton" I am glad you

brought

it up. Im about to email you to with regards to Astalaksmi. I Would

like to invite you to take up the Astalakshmi page. Who else would

be the perfect role for this but a devoted Lakshmi Bhakta. [ smiles ]

It is my intention to send an invitation to experience Sadhak ( know

in this group there are several } to perhaps contribute an article or

anything to the group homepage.

 

Navarathri is a just round the corner, any suggestions { from any

member } as how we can or what should we do for the group during the

glorious 10 days?

 

Om ParaShaktiye Namaha

[Guest guest]

Namaste Sesh:

 

I guess the only thing I'd add to Nora's comments would be these:

 

*** If we are lookin at ideas to improve the website, I think putting

Puranas of the Devi is an excellent way to start. Mahishaasura

mardhini is an excellent story one can start of with. ***

 

Great suggestion; but you should probably take a look at the website:

You'll find that Mahishasura Mardini is already there. I put it up a

few weeks ago:

 

http;//www.shaktisadhana.org/mahishasuramardini.html

 

*** We can add other puranas later with time. ***

 

I am currently working up an introduction to the Devi Bhagavata

Purana, which -- alongside the Devi Mahatmya -- is, in my opinion,

the essential scripture of Shakta. Two other scriptures I intend to

work up presentations on are the Soundarya Lahari and Lilitha

Sahasranama. Taken together, these four form the basis of a complete

Shakta theology. Please share any additional suggestions you may

have. I fully agree with your approach.

 

*** It will also be nice if the website is catagorised like Tantra,

Purana, Personal experiences, photo galleries within each section and

can go on to include mantras, yantras and tantra. ***

 

We are still working out the organization. Right now, each page

simply has its own link off the main page. That's already getting

cumbersome (witness the fact that you didn't find the Mahishasura

Mardini page, which is -- so far -- the largest section on the site).

We are doing separate pages for each Mahavidya -- they, in turn, seem

obvious links off Menon's Shakta Tantrism intro.

 

Parvati, Sarasawati. and Lakshmi should be grouped somehow; I'm

thinking of a "Shakta Bhakti" sort of page -- in other words, a

strictly devotional, non-Tantra approach -- as a mink linking portal.

Personal experiences will be linked throughout as appropriate rather

than being cordoned off into a separate section. Linked photo

galleries are already underway (see Mahishasura Mardini page, and the

completed Mahavidya pages). I agree that Mantras and Yantras should

be added.

 

*** I am sure with participaton it will be a valuable site. ***

 

Please participate!

 

Aum Maatangyai Namahe

[Guest guest]

I think this is a wonderful idea, a fantastic effort and it seems to

be exactly the path to be exploring.

 

I really appreciate all the effort and forethought that is going into

this project.

 

Blessed Be

 

prainbow