Polarity In Tantra
One of the main principles in the philosophy of Tantra is polarity which states that the universe consists of Shiva and Shakti. Shiva is the masculine principle (Yang) and Shakti is the feminine principle (Yin).
The masculine represents the transcendent aspects of the universe: The consciousness, the spirit, the world of ideas, while the feminine represents the imminent aspect of the universe: The material, the body, nature, our moods, life itself.
If there is Shakti with no Shiva chaos will prevail as there is no master plan. If there is Shiva with no Shakti the universe would not exist.
Shiva and Shakti dance together in a complex and beautiful dance which creates the universe, keeps it together and destroys it.
The polarity of Shiva and Shakti exists on all levels of the universe. On the large cosmic scale as huge galaxies (Shakti) revolving around black holes which are singularities (Shiva) around which the galaxies dances.
Their dance is also visible in the couple relationship where the man has more of Shiva in him and the woman has more of Shakti in her. Even within ourselves this dance takes place between our consciousness and our physical bodies.
More poetically put, Shiva represents consciousness, while Shakti is the energy. Shakti gets to know herself by mirroring herself in Shiva.
The Law Of Resonance
The law of Resonance is a fundamental tantric law. As we mentioned before, the universe is Shakti or energy vibrating in different frequencies.
Energy with one frequency will be attracted to other energies of the same frequency (the law of attraction).
A system which pulsates with a specific frequency can transfer data from another system vibrating with the same frequency.
E.g. if you are happy you will transfer data from other systems which have “happy energy”. You will transfer data from all the people that ever were happy and transmitted happy energy into the universe.
Music, colors, landscapes etc can have a common resonance even though they are different mediums for that resonance. A landscape can be sad, music can have a sad tone, a color may be sad etc. If we want to become happy we should listen to music that is happy.
We should therefor be very careful with which resonances we allow into our being. Listening to heavy metal for instance will put you in resonance with all the people that ever listened to heavy metal and as experiments with plants show, it is not an energy which is very conducive to life.
If you want to delve in negative energies you have to have a consciousness principle (Shiva) which is strong enough to be in it and not be consumed by it, but merely reflect it (this is only a path for those who are very strong such as the Agora tantrics from India).
Rather focus on that which is good and divine and transfer and download those energies instead!
The world of Tantra
Tantrics study energy (Shakti) in order to understand the essence (Shiva) of that energy. In this study the world has been categorized into a large pantheon of Gods and Goddesses each being the lord of a specific range of frequencies or aspects of the universe.
For example the energy of compassion has a specific frequency of vibration. In the west we would call it compassion and we do not see the need to have it represented by a Goddess.
But deifying an energy has an important function: It enables us to identify easier with the energy as it gains a human face. It is easier to digest and to take in.
Through the process of identification we gain a kind of empathy with the object and start to experience the world through “the eyes of the object”.
Each Goddess has a bija mantra associated with it which has the core vibration of that range of energies associated with the Goddess.
A mantra is a sound which can be repeated internally by the meditator in his worship of the Goddess and is the closest physical representation we have to the bija of the Goddess.
Tantra means “Network” as Tantra understands the universe as being a gigantic network of interconnected energies. Tantra is indeed a powerful tool with its huge range of Gods, Goddesses and Mantras enabling us to enter into processes of resonance with some core fundamental vibrations of the universe.
These tools enable us to get into contact with any aspect of creation.
Tantric music
Music offers us a powerful way of getting into a resonance process.
A composer who makes a piece of music under the influence of a certain resonance will convey this resonance to the listener in a very powerful and direct way.
Music can be made for any Goddess, for any idea, for any concept. It is the responsibility of the artist to enter as best as he can into that resonance and to convey it through his music.
The inspired artist submerges himself into the Bija of an uplifted energy, impregnates his art with it and thereby transmits this to the audience. In this way the artist is like a priest who conveys the divine to those who are able to receive.