Does no one see the irony in this thread?
Call me crazy, but unity is not reached by a constant engrossment of paranoia, a clutching of identities that drive men to division.
Let others find solace in forms of identity, find yours at the feet of your God and watch the world run crazy around you!
Verse 3, Chapter 10 of the Devi Gita
==========================================================
All that is perceived is My place, and every moment
is the time of My vow. Festivals are at every time, because I am
the form of all...
The Gods and Goddesses that we know of today were seen by the rshis, no?
Ultimately, we are all rshis and will have our own intuitive experiences with God. The ones that the rshis passed down were their experiences, but it is not to say that God ONLY takes on those forms. God is infinite...
There is a nugget of truth there, but in reality, look at how many forms of Christianity there are. All of them are pretty much at odds with one another except for the more liberal congregations, which are probably more local than global.
Good question!
From my limited perspective though, I would say both. I definitely see how She is all of those qualities, but the actual Goddess form is harder for me to perceive. In my mind it really comes down to personal experience. I believe She has form in the Universe, other than the form...