Restoring the Original Woman-Led Tradition

The Shakta Path of Tantra

Revival of the Feminine Lineage

Before the Vedas, there was Tantra.

Tantra is a path to liberation through living life awake and aware, integrating divinity into the physical world, and seeing the holiness of all things. It is a tradition that includes Advaita (non-dual awareness), mantra, homa, puja, and the worship of Shiva and Shakti. In the beginning, Tantra ceremonies and practices were led by village women. In the original path, women were the gurus who taught Shakta Tantra and hosted Kaulas - small groups of students. They gave initiation into the path to men and women.


This beautiful, ancient tradition was distorted by male priesthoods and conventional religion over time, especially during the British occupation of India. The woman-led traditions were abandoned and the path was corrupted by new practices that exploit and objectify women for the sake of men’s power. In modern times, Tantra has been denigrated into nothing more than sex workshops. The true woman guru holding the power of Shakta Kaula has almost disappeared.


However, the original path of Shakta was reclaimed in the 20th century by a woman guru known as Mataji to her students. Mataji was a Bengali Tantrika, trained by a guru in the lineage of Gorakhnath Siddha. Her guru had been looking for the right woman disciple - a strong woman who could restore the feminine path of Tantra. Mataji was raised in a village in West Bengal. When she was 15 years old, her parents began to encourage her to find a husband. Mataji refused, saying, Lord Shiva is the only husband for me.

Learn the True Path of Tantra

In time, Mataji mastered and restored the Shakta Tantra path and began teaching students in her Kaula. She limited the number of students who could stay with her. In time, Jyoti Ma, who had already been living in India for ten years studying the ancient yoga traditions, found her way to Mataji. Jyoti Ma lived with Mataji and learned about the powers of women in the path of Tantra, and mastered the practices of Homa (fire ceremony), mantra, yantra, Devi and Shiva worship, sacred medicines, and the ancient initiatory rites.



At the end of her time with Mataji, Jyoti Ma was given the transmission to teach. Mataji said to her, “You are Mataji now,” a traditional title for a Mother who is also a friend. Jyoti returned to the West, only to find the colonialist misunderstandings about Tantra and the distortions into sex practice that have kept the true power of this path suppressed fully in effect in western culture. Given these distortions, Jyoti Ma created an introductory training program that explains the core philosophies and beginning practices of Shakta Tantra Kaula.

Access the Training Program:

Tantra for Life: The Shakta Path to Liberation