Shakti
Another popular sect in Hinduism, besides the Vaishnavite and Shaivite, is known as the Shakta Movement. Its followers worship Devi, the Great Goddess, personified as the Shakti (divine feminine) of the god Shiva. The system of belief is based on early writings called Tantras, which consist of divine dialogues between the Shiva and Devi.
The Shakta philosophy is complicated in its steps toward attainment of salvation, but its basic approach is a non-dual, in which the One is the combination of Shiva as inert consciousness and Shakti as creative force. The One manifests in the universe through the power of Shakti, and Devi, under many names (such as Kali, Durga and local goddesses) is absolute—creator, preserver and destroyer—the mother of the universe. Shaktas use kundalini yoga as a practice, in which “Kundalini (Shakti) is coaxed upward through six psychic centers of the body [chakras] until she reaches the thousand-petaled lotus at the crown of the head.” (Religions Of The World, 1969:465)
The very redeeming feature of this sect is that it accepts women, as well as all classes and foreigners, to attain the path of high knowledge. It is written that “women can become spiritual directors (gurus), and it is considered a special honor to be initiated into the mysteries of the cult by a woman.” The Shaktas strongly oppose sacrifice of female animals, and forbid any harm to women and girls.