Tara: The Liberating Power of the Female Buddha

A practical guide for invoking the power and blessings of Tara, the beloved female Buddhist deity of Tibet

Known as "the female Buddha" in Tibet and India, Tara connects us to the archetypal Divine Feminine--an energetic force that exists within us and all around us, and has been available to all humans since our earliest origin.

While there are many books on Tara, this practical guide shows us how those of any tradition can directly access her, through clear instruction and authentic Tibetan Buddhist teachings.

Jungian analyst, scholar, and spiritual practitioner Dr. Rachael Wooten combines the ancient Tara tradition with depth psychology to help us connect with each of Tara's manifestations and access her blessings within ourselves and in the external world.

In her myriad forms, Tara has the power to protect us from inner and outer negativity, illuminate our self-sabotaging habits, cleanse mental and physical poisons, address emotional trauma, open us to abundance, give us strength and peace, help us fulfill our life purposes, and more.

Here, you will explore all 22 manifestations of Tara. Each chapter begins with an epigraph that captures the spiritual and psychological essence of the emanation, explains her purpose, and teaches you specific visualizations, praises, mantra chants, and other ways of invoking her presence in yourself and the world.

"If ever the voice of wisdom and compassion was needed in the form of an awakened female figure such as Tara," writes Dr. Wooten, "that time is now." This book illuminates the way to her healing, blessings, and aid.

Rachael Wooten, PhD, is a psychologist and a Zurich-trained Diplomate Jungian analyst who has been in private practice as a therapist for more than 40 years. She has studied Buddhist, Jewish, and Christian texts extensively, and has been mentored by spiritual teachers such as her Tibetan root guru Lodrö Tulku Rinpoche and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. She has also studied and participated in ceremonies with indigenous teachers from the Cherokee, Lakota, and Huichol traditions for over three decades. She has taught Tara practice under the authorization of Lodrö Rinpoche for over 20 years. An active interfaith enthusiast, Dr. Wooten has offered Tara workshops through The Resource Center for Women and Ministry in the South, ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, and the C. G. Jung Society of the Triangle. A member of an American Baptist church for over 35 years, she leads a monthly Tara meditation group there. She is a founding member of Yavneh, a Jewish Renewal synagogue.