Navaratri - The Journey Within : Letting Go of Negativity


On the seventh day of Navaratri, devotees worship Goddess Kalaratri, the fiercest and most fearsome form of Durga. With her dark complexion, disheveled hair, and blazing eyes, she embodies the destruction of evil and ignorance. Despite her terrifying form, she is known as the remover of darkness i.e. granting courage, protection, and liberation. In many traditions, she is seen as the goddess who burns away negativity so that light and clarity may emerge.

From a psychological lens, Kalaratri represents an inner process we all need: the courage to confront and release negative thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that keep us bound.

The Psychology of Negativity

Negativity often shows up as self-doubt, guilt, fear, or resentment. While occasional negative emotions are natural, when they dominate, they distort reality and keep us trapped in cycles of stress, anxiety, or even depression. This can be often explained through cognitive distortions which are irrational thought patterns like catastrophizing (“everything will go wrong”), mind-reading (“they must think I’m useless”), or overgeneralization (“I always fail”).

Much like demons in mythology, these distortions feed on our energy and peace of mind. Kalaratri, in her fierce form, symbolizes the inner strength required to destroy these illusions.

Letting Go as a Form of Liberation

Letting go is not about forgetting or suppressing experiences, it’s about freeing ourselves from their grip. In therapy, techniques like cognitive restructuring (challenging unhelpful beliefs), acceptance and commitment therapy (accepting emotions without letting them define us), and affirmations (replacing harsh self-talk with kinder words) parallel the goddess’s role of transformation.

Kalaratri’s darkness is not evil, it is the fertile ground where light can be born. Psychologically, this teaches us that confronting pain and negativity is the first step toward healing.

Why We Hold On to Negativity

  • Fear of Change – Sometimes, even pain feels safer than the unknown.

  • Identity Attachment – We may over-identify with our struggles: “I am anxious,” instead of “I feel anxious.”

  • Unprocessed Emotions – Avoidance can make unresolved feelings linger longer.

Yet, just as Kalaratri fearlessly enters the battlefield, we too must face what we fear in order to move forward.

Practical Ways to Channel Kalaratri’s Energy

  1. Awareness of Thought Patterns – Notice recurring negative thoughts and label them (“That’s a worry thought,” “That’s self-criticism”).

  2. Affirmative Replacements – Instead of “I always fail,” reframe: “I didn’t succeed this time, but I can learn and try again.”

  3. Journaling to Release – Write down your fears, doubts, or grudges, then symbolically let go by tearing or burning the page.

  4. Grounding Practices – Breathwork, meditation, or mindful walking help release tension stored in the body.

  5. Seek Support – Just as Kalaratri is invoked for protection, reaching out to a trusted friend, counselor, or community offers strength.

Cultural and Psychological Confluence

Kalaratri Devi is worshipped with oil lamps and prayers at night, symbolizing light piercing through darkness. This ritual reflects an inner truth: to embrace peace, one must walk through the shadows. Darkness is not to be feared, but acknowledged as part of the journey toward clarity.

Closing Thought

As you pray to Kalaratri, ask yourself: What negativity am I ready to release? What inner demons no longer serve me?
By letting go, we honor her essence; not destruction for its own sake, but destruction as a path to renewal. In facing our inner night, we discover the dawn waiting within.

Written By : L. Padma Swathy
Counselling Psychologist, Chennai

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