Tiny Temples for Devi

This post is a work in progress and one that apparently was started on July 7th, 2021 according to my draft post records. Let me start with the intention which is to inspire a desire within some of you to adorn Earth for Herself, Deviji, with approachable temples.

In approachable I mean something any one of us feel like we could set up on our own. How tiny is tiny then? Now two years after the initial idea, my concept of tiny has changed drastically. Initially I was thinking tiny house size (less than 100sq/ft). For size, I found a great example in Greece when I was there in the summer of 2022 (see bottom of this post). However, within the last year I had an experience that reduced the size substantially to a much more micro level. What is that size? Think nicho.

According to Wikipedia, "nichos are a type of folk art popular throughout Central and South America, often devotional but sometimes merely quirky. Resembling dioramas, they are made from common household objects and craft material and traditionally combine elements from Roman Catholicism, mestizo spirituality, and popular culture". What is being promoted here are nichos for any representation we resonate with of The Goddess.

Trees were revered as The Goddess Herself. This is important for many reasons and mostly discussed in future posts.

If you continue to read more of the story behind the "original concept" for Tiny Temples for Devi (below), you might realize even though the size previously advocated for is small, it could still end up being a rather large (time and finance) building project. It seems this version of the idea could take longer.

Now, the reduction of size with the nicho-concept did not come from a sense of desperation, a "we have to 'act fast'" (although admittedly I will confess to having this feeling over the years, a sense of necessary and immediate counterbalance required). This version of the idea came from a tree. This particular tree is a gorgeous, old, and obviously unappreciated being. She is currently (dis)honored, as a seeming trash receptacle for the people walking to the beach on that particular access way. Bottles and cans fill her crevices in her intricately exposed root design. Like a mother, she was not complaining about the immature children using her in this way. For those of a bit more maturation, it's obvious she deserves so much more.

Soon after seeing this particular tree, I would see more like her. There is an opportunity, through a fairly simple ritual act, of reinstating not only more reverence of all of Nature but the specific connection of women with trees. To revere one is to revere the other. Rehabing the severance should, in spiritual theory, shift consciousness toward a more balanced perspective and thus more harmonious actions and lifestyle.

So this project is about bringing the magick back to the land. Respiritualizing it after hundreds of years of forced eviction from modern scientific theories bleeding into consumeristic materialism, thousands of years of religious zealotry, or the extinguishing combo of the two.

So how does Tiny Temples for Devi work?

The original concept (that will be described in the rest of this post) was more about inspiring a movement. All on your own -go! This nicha concept (let's put an 'a' on it to feminize it), too, can be a DIY. Buy or make your own nicha, then find a tree.

All trees are sacred, but find one that gives off outdoor temple vibes. A magnificent tree. A wise tree. A neglected tree that you will start to bring a new dimension of beauty to through this first act of adorning it with a nicha. The benefit of using an older tree is that the tree itself will probably be able to protect the longevity of the nicha better.

Project Tiny Temples for Devi is also a fund collected in exchange for spiritual offerings I organize or facilitate. At the time of this writing September 25th, 2023, there are 3 nichos I have that will be placed within the next few months.

Where to buy nichas? Well, remember they are called nichos typically. Etsy has many (and affordably priced) options. Craft stores may also have some. Or, if you are especially creative, you can make them yourself. I like the idea of a nicha because it's a little more formal than leaving crystals and other altar items at the tree. Nichas look intentional and so the idea is that it might facilitate the experience (for those who come across) that something sacred is happening and it's best to leave "the decor" as is.

The placing of the nicha is an opportunity for individual or collective ritual, it's a sacred event. What this means can be very personal. Do what makes you feel reverent on the day of this ritual placement. Then, revisit this site. Maybe often.

Once it's placed, the idea is this. It's a temple site for Devi, represented not by the nicha but the tree itself. Why the nicha then? The Feminine loves beauty and the tree will appreciate the effort, meaning the decor and the ritual. The nicha is the ritual catalyst to the creation of this energetic temple, which is now the tree. Visit this site when you feel inspired. Keep it clean. When we take care of things, others may not take care of it but they will feel less inclined to desecrate it. You can tell others what you've done or keep the act private so long as you tend to the temple the same.

A final note about this concept implementing the nichas. Consider the environmental impact made when choosing materials for your nicha. Although we want to take care of the nicha, it should be expected that it will breakdown in time. It's being left outside after all. And that's ok. End life is part of the sacred whole. Knowing that it will degrade outside, it would be more in-tune and harmonious if we tried to use more natural materials. It might be odd using wood that is cut from a tree to honor a tree, so sourcing can be a consideration. The paints we might use could also be a consideration. Avoidance of plastics also.

Can't reconcile some of the factors? Honestly, you can use a crystal. You can contact me directly for "imprinting" instructions until I can write a post called "The Crystal Method" ;)

Read below to learn the story of the original concept for "Tiny Temples for Devi".

We often tell stories in a linear way. But the Goddess is not just a laser beam. She is both the beam and the the subtle substance the beam shines through. She is the swirling spiral of cosmos. The Earth around you. Nature. Everything you perceive to be both in and out. To finally know this, you start to worship spontaneously as you walk through Her expression. Anyway, being non-local, every beginning and end simultaneously, and all that is gives us permission to express her reality by telling stories in different ways and from different timelines. So, let me now explain how the original concept came to be.

My husband and I relocated to Costa Rica in 2016. We finally moved into our house, nearly finished, 11 months later in November of that year. That is when I started to develop a relationship with the land and, She spoke to me. A Yoni garden goes here, she said, and you can put a Goddess temple here... That "here" is a very small area. But that's okay, and probably best. Let me tell you why.

Environmentalism is ultimately what brought us down here, a desire to live and model a more sustainable lifestyle. Coming from a city of excess (L.A.) and a country known for plenty, the ideas that bigger and more is better, I like to say, should be questioned and do not have to be perpetuated. There was a day when worship was simpler, even open air. Gardners, adorning the land they steward, have never lost sight of this.

Under 1000 sq feet both the outer temple and the inner temple. Like a tiny house, I'd like to promote the inner temple not being larger than 100 sq feet, leaving 900 sq feet for the outer temple. Part of the idea behind the tiny temple is that it gives a place for ritualistic workings for the invited initiated, but it has a small footprint on Nature.

It consecrates a space, gives homage to the land, and provides a place to practice reverence, devotion, and the partaking of wonder.

It will vary. When I think of temples, I think of something that has staying power. So although I would advocate for natural materials, a tiny temple then should maybe could be built out of stone. To keep the impact small and in the spirit of "tiny houses", the inner temple should be 100 sq feet or less. If building is required, I would recommend we only add an additional 900 sq feet of decking or designed outside space.

Yes, and this is what I will unapologetically advocate for. The concept of Devi is all inclusive. She is All that Is. She is never without consort. She is the transcendence of duality but the divinity of duality as well. Devi has 1000 names, it is said. I'm sure she has many more ;) Devi takes form as any Goddess who has appeared within any culture from time immemorial. But she is more than an archetype. She is All that Is. Druids used to worship trees as a manifestation of the Divine. In non-dual Shaivic Tantra, she is Awareness itself. We have a lot of room to play with in terms of how we wish to express this.

But yes, my advocation is for the reverence of the Divine Feminine at this time as we need to balance out the energy of the Patriarchy. This does not diminish the role or need for our Sacred Masculine half. It should encourage it. But we cannot call that energy back in unless we remember how to worship Devi.

Listen to "I believe in Goddess" (beware, it's powerful - jaja)