Often depicted as a beautiful woman standing atop an open lotus flower, the Hindu goddess Lakshmi is known to be the bringer of wealth and success. She is an integral part of the Hindu celebration of Diwali and is known to bestow good fortune on those who call upon her and put the work in.

Lakshmi’s origin

In the Hindu religion, the story of the Churning of the Milky Ocean is a tale of the war between gods and demons and the fight for immortality. Within the epic story, Lakshmi is also reborn and manifested into the goddess we know today.

The God of Warriors, Indra, was instilled with the divine responsibility of shielding the Universe against the demons who were trying to overtake it. Indra had successfully warded off the demons for eons, and he counted on Lakshmi’s presence to keep it so. 

One day, a wise, old sage presented a bouquet of sacred flowers to Indra. Blinded by his own pride and arrogance, Indra took the flowers and threw them to the ground. Lakshmi played witness to this scene and grew enraged by Indra’s lack of empathy and apparent hubris. Because of Indra’s indecency, Lakshmi left the world of the gods and chose to seek refuge in the Milky Ocean.

Without Lakshmi in the world of the gods, greed became commonplace and a darkness overtook them all. As such, the demons were able to make great strides in the war and eventually took full control. Indra went to Vishnu, the ultimate Protector of the Universe and bringer of balance, to ask what could be done.

Vishnu immediately directed Indra to the Milky Ocean, claiming that this bad stroke of luck was because his indecency sent Lakshmi away from the world of the gods. Vishnu told Indra that he will need to churn the Milky Ocean to search for Lakshmi and restore her blessings. Vishnu also recounted that other countless of treasures waiting for Indra in the Milky Ocean if he were to spend the time churning it. Among these fabled treasures was a potion of immortality, or the elixir of life, would allow them to once and for all defeat the demons that plagued the world.

The gods came together and decided to split efforts in churning the Milky Ocean. It took 1,000 years of churning for anything to even crack the surface, due to the vastness of the ocean itself. But finally, the promised treasure started to surface and eventually, Lakshmi appeared as well.

Lakshmi and Diwali

During the festival of Diwali, Lakshmi is worshipped on a grander scale. Diwali commemorates the story of King Rama, whose wife (Sita) is said to be an incarnation of Lakshmi. After being cast out of his kingdom by demons, Rama’s wife was abducted by demons. Eventually, Rama defeats the demons and is able to reunite with his wife and return to his kingdom. Loyal constituents light their paths back to the kingdom with candles, which are a major feature in the celebration of Diwali.

During the second day of Diwali, many Hindus light candles in their homes to guide Lakshmi to them, with the hope she will bestow her good fortunes on them for the coming year. 

Lakshmi’s Traits

Lakshmi is known for her fierce independence and knack for standing up for what she believes in. She has strong feelings and opinions and likes to make them known. Lakshmi values hard work above all else and will only bring about good fortune to those who she deems are deserving by means of hard work and perseverance. She scorns at those looking to make a quick buck or fall into wealth with ease.

Lakshmi also takes great offense to arrogance or complacency. When her worshippers begin to take her and their wealth for granted, she can abandon them to instead bestow her gifts onto someone she deems as more deserving.

Lakshmi in Your Life

Lakshmi has the power to fully transform your life. If she deems you worthy of her blessings, she can usher in wealth and abundance unlike many other goddess figures can. She is righteous and stands firmly in her beliefs, and she expects the same from those who worship her. If you have been looking for some type of catalyst to call in positive change, consider working with Lakshmi more intimately.

Calling Upon Lakshmi

The goddess Lakshmi should only be called upon by those who work hard and are willing to keep putting in the effort to make their own fortunes. If someone is looking to manifest wealth with no work behind it, Lakshmi will ignore your calls.

Consider whether you are or are willing to work hard to achieve your desires. Make your goals especially defined and plan the actions you will take to bring you closer to them. Call upon Lakshmi when your motives and desired outcomes are clear, she will boost your luck when she knows you are putting the work in.

In order to call upon Lakshmi, consider dedicating a small altar to you in your home. Her energy can be felt most strongly in the home, so it is important to adorn your space with small mementos related to her.  She is especially drawn towards candles, symbols of elephants, and lotus flowers. Placing a few of these items around your home are sure to attract her energy in. Additionally, consider wearing pieces imbued with her energetic vibration. Necklaces, bracelets, and even t-shirts with Lakshmi featured on them is a surefire way to keep her presence with you.

Lakshmi, Bestower of Success

Working with the energies of powerful beings like goddesses can help elevate your vibrations and guide you towards your highest self. They have the ability to impart ancient knowledge on you and show you lessons you still need to learn in order to access these high frequencies. By putting in the time and effort to learn about Lakshmi and by embodying her traits, you may find that success finds it way to you a bit easier than it did before.