The Great Mother.  As the prime or Ādyā Śaktī, She is the beginning, She is the end and everything in between. She is pure and complete love. She is worshipped in the heart center. Her right hand is abhaya mudra: be without fear. Her lower right hand grants all desires and provides everything needed in life. Her upper left hand removes all obstacles and delusions and Her lower left hand grants liberation. She is very direct and it is said She 'throws you to the gates of enlightenment'.

She stands astride Her consort, Śiva. The Tantras say "Without Śaktī, there is no Śiva; without Śiva., there is no Śaktī".

This is a photograph from a series of paintings of the Das Mahavidyas in the Kali Temple, Shimla, HP, India. The photograph was taken before the it was installed in the Temple.

The second of the Ten Wisdom Goddesses or Dās Māhāvidyas, She is pregnant with the 'word' which is Om, is the first stage of creation, and therefore, is said to have ravenous hunger and desire. Flowing with endless compassion, She is the remover of obstacles, cutter of bonds and limitations and is said to carry Her devotees 'across the river of samsara'. Like Kālī, She is depicted often in cremation grounds. Her consort is Śiva as Akshobya.

The blue lotus grants discernment and discrimination and so She is worshipped in the third eye.. The conch shell is related to the word as it sound 'wards off demons'. The swords liberates and remove limitations especially related to ancestry.

This form is similar but also has differences with Tibetan tradition where Tārā is a general term for the  multiple forms of the Goddess.

This depiction is from a well-known late 19th Century series. The image is widely distributed on the internet.

A western, contemporary depiction of Kālī. This was done by Penny Slinger and appeared in "Tantra: The Magazine", Kali Issue #9, 1994.

Kālī is here specifically associated with the cremation ground (smashan). This is also from Kālí Issue of Tantra: The Magazine, #9 1994. Regrettably, its source is not identified. It appears to be 17-18th Century or perhaps a bit later.

Sybil's Head, Dingle Peninsula. This is my photo from a recent trip to Ireland.

My photo from a recent trip to Ireland.

This is available on the Internet. The cairn is noticeable at the to of this very impressive hill in the middle. 

This is my own photo taken during a recent trip to Ireland. The view is of the inlet around Lady's Island, County Wexford. You can see the swans enjoying the water.

This object was discovered in 1851 in the tomb of what is believed to be a prince. It was found in Strettweg, Judenburg, Austria. It is dated at 600 BC.

Note the Goddess holding and/or supporting the cauldron surrounded by Her retinue. This is a very important example of an early Grail-like object.