The Other Manhattan Project

Sally Kempton and the Shakti Revolution

Few people outside of dedicated spiritual communities and journalism will know her name, but one or two generations from now, Sally Kempton may well be remembered as the woman who helped midwife the world into a new era.

Or, to put it more simply, Sally played a vital role in bringing Shakti from the jungles of Maharashtra to the streets of New York City and Carmel, USA. In doing so, Sally, along with the lineage behind her and the peers of her era who embodied this power, kindled a spiritual revolution that is today starting to break into the mainstream.

For those unfamiliar with the term Shakti and the concepts of the Divine Feminine, I explore both in this article. As a former student of Sally’s, I also interviewed two fellow students about Sally, her remarkable gifts as a teacher and what her legacy means to those of us who have studied with her and carry on her work.

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In the crowded bookstore of our local train station, in 2010, my eyes fell on the cover of the new American Yoga Journal edition. In bright yellow, the words ‘Divine Feminine’ were spread across the page, and knew I had to buy this magazine. I felt an excitement surging through my body that surprised me.

The article, written by Sally Kempton, explored the Hindu goddesses, the archetypal feminine powers of consciousness, and how we can invoke and work with them. The signs couldn’t have been clearer—something within me needed to learn more about the divine feminine, and I knew I had to connect with the author.

Two weeks later, I was on my first live-group-call with Sally, on a course on deity practice.

Welcome everyone. This is Sally. I’m delighted to share the space of this virtual container for the next weeks with you. One of the real gifts that I’ve discovered in the process of teaching telecourses, is that one of the qualities of the goddess, one of the ways we experience the sacred feminine is as the connectivity between all of us. In other words, the sacred feminine is dancing through the particles of electrical impulses of information packets that are flowing between us and that as we get closer to one another, as we get to know the nature of this particular sacred community, we’ll start to feel her presence very much as a space that flows between us.

On that call, Sally could have talked about her favorite recipe or read out the New York train schedule line by line—it wouldn’t have mattered.

I didn’t know about her lineage of great Siddha masters at that time, a detail I have since come to realize is very important.

Sally wasn’t visible. It was an audio call, like all her sessions. Her voice was warm, melodious and vibrant. It reminded me of something golden and liquid, honey-like. I felt this inward pull which created a slight feeling of drowsiness.

Suddenly her voice was everywhere. It was the thread and the carpet at once, a flying one that transported me into new terrain of my consciousness. Sally started talking and I began floating.

This is the very power of the Siddha masters. For those unfamiliar with these beings, or the awakening of Shakti (aka Kundalini awakening), a bit of background is essential.

In this context, Shakti represents the revealing power of the divine feminine that initiates the Kundalini process, leading to the unravelling and transformation of human consciousness within the individual.

From a certain vantage point, all spiritual practice—whether in a church pew, at a mosque, yoga studio or around a shamanic campfire—is concerned with this matter of awakening. The term implies that something within a person lies dormant and that, through a process, ritual or devotional act, what is asleep will awaken—and that this awakening is a good thing.

Not always.

While most awakenings are gentle and evolutionary—easily and gradually integrated into a person’s life—some can be radically transformative and pose potential challenges. A sudden and powerful collision with the Absolute, experienced without proper preparation, understanding, or guidance, and without the necessary physiological and psychological structures in place, can not only be risky for the individual but may also negatively affect those around them.

It is perhaps for this reason that the topic of Kundalini awakening has been hidden from the general public and mainstream spirituality for so long. Unlike today’s popular self-help style ‘spiritual awakening’ where there is a collaboration between the person and a process within a certain structure, the awakening of Shakti is to self-improvement what a tornado would be to kitchen remodeling.

Fortunately, the process can be safe-guarded when a heart-to-heart connection between a dedicated student and a capable teacher is established. The awakening of Shakti is an act of grace, often ignited through the connection with a teacher who has undergone the process firsthand. Under ideal circumstances, the wisdom, experience, and consciousness of the teacher, combined with the preparedness of the student, provide a level of protection and support for what is about to unfold.

There are many names for these special teachers that can ignite this process, and for the sake of simplicity and to honor the tradition, I will refer to these beings as Siddha masters.

Siddha is a term widely used in Indian culture. It means "one who is accomplished" or “perfected one.” It refers to those masters who have achieved liberation or enlightenment—who are fully anchored in the Self and capable of transmitting spiritual power to others.

Although she avoided such labels, Sally, at least in my eyes, was such a being.

Sally preparing for a course on the Spanda Karikas in her home in Carmel, CA.

In Dawn’s recollection:

With Sally, you could feel the Shakti. You could feel the transmission, and that was the thread that pulled me in to study with her. It was very shamanic in that way. Sally would always say that Tantra—non-dual, spiritual tantric philosophy—is the closest yoga philosophy to shamanism. My meditation practice and deep dive into self-inquiry started with Pema Chödrön, a nun and scholar of Tibetan Buddhism. In 2010, I became deathly ill and was bedridden for eight months. Shortly after, I met a Siberian shaman who taught rituals to awaken the Divine Feminine and connect with the rhythms of the cosmos and the earth. These practices helped bring my vitality back.

Not long after, I met Sally, who for me was the bridge that connected the erudition of Pema with the life force energy of shamanic practices. Sally was an incredible scholar, with a massive amount of knowledge that backed up what she taught through deep lineage and texts like the Spanda Karikas, the Vijnana Bhairava, the Pratyabhijna Hrdayam, and many others. For so long, I didn’t even know that she was drawing the meditations we practiced from those ancient scriptures. But at the same time, her emission of Shakti was palpable during those live classes and meditations. She was a shaman in the way that she transmitted the True Essence through the teleconferences.

And in Stephanie’s:

And it was a very beautiful space in Brooklyn, and you know that because you studied with Sally: the Shakti would be so intense that you go into a sleep-like state, like a yoga nidra state, or a trance-like state, and and you're not trying to, it's just happening to you. It's what was coming through the field of energy that she held, like a wave taking over. And it was in one of these lucid, deep, transcendent states that her teacher appeared. Baba Muktananda came by and bopped me on the head with a peacock feather. It was only late in the writing of our own stories for the forthcoming spiritual memoir “When She Wakes: Women’s Stories of Kundalini Awakening” that I even remembered this, it was just in the last like six months, I'd totally forgotten about it. 

And so, I mean, so you felt the power. You felt the lineage coming through her, right through her presence. It was unexpected, you know, you never knew when you showed up, what was going to unfold and happen. Eleven months before she passed away, I went to see her. I just wanted to be in the presence of my teacher, because I had studied with her for so many years. Living in South America, I wasn't in close physical proximity to her, but I was in the US for a period of  time and was able to take advantage of the physicality to see her and be with her. It was the most wonderful moment to have a meal together, connect, laugh. It’s something I now cherish and will forever.  

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Shakti and the Divine Feminine

In addition to the gift of Shakti transmission, Sally was a pioneer in bringing the classic tantric teachings, mythology and yogic traditions into a modern western framing. She had the teacher’s gift of making sophisticated and esoteric concepts accessible to even novice students. Her writings and scholarly interpretations are profound and prolific.

In Stephanie’s words:

She was a master in her ability to speak and write and convey teachings. I guess that was very appealing to an intellectual mind like I have; there was good writing, like a good book that you're drawn to and you can't put it down, you don't want to put it down.

That's what Sally was to me, yeah, because there are other teachers that maybe say it in much more simple terms, like Thich Nath Than, I think he was, you know, a master at simple ways to express deep truths. But Sally was like a good novel, a good, good historical novel, just so rich, you know, you just want to keep reading. You can't put it down because it's so damn good. So, there was that capacity to storytelling, in such a way that you're hooked.

Stephanie Renee dos Santos, Mt. Baker- Snoqualmie National Forest, USA.

Her work on the power of the divine feminine, however, perhaps stands out the most—particularly given the era in which she began and the resistance she faced towards this kind of work. Born just a few generations after the infamous witchcraft trials in nearby Salem, Sally confidently proposed an even more radical idea: that the animating force of life was divine, that this power was feminine, and that for millennia, Indian mystics had learned to harness it for the transformation and evolution of human consciousness.

It was Sally’s article on the Hindu Goddesses that first hooked me and have since created the foundations for my own teaching practice. She introduced me to the Dasha Mahavidyas (Ten Great Tantric Wisdom Goddesses), a group of powerful Shaktis who initiate and guide the Kundalini awakening process. They are not just abstract material forces but are living expressions of the flavors of reality that can be invoked through archetypal forms whose energy threads through different traditions.

Even for those unfamiliar with the yogic and tantric traditions, these goddesses dwell within our consciousness, ready to unveil their truths. They illuminate the immense power and love that underlie our reality and, most importantly, they inspire us to create this world anew. The deeper we connect with them, the more their fiery clarity strengthens us, and their ecstasy becomes our own.

Dawn Usha Feuerberg during a workshop, California, USA.

In Dawn’s words:

Deity yoga, Shakta Tantra and the teachings of the Goddess. The Shaktopaya is the main force of her teachings. Her ability to Awaken the Shakti life force within was her gift, and it is the main thread that's continuing to ripple out into the world.

Sally did not invent a new religion or philosophy; she harnessed thousands of years of study and adapted it for a Western audience, using language and conceptual frameworks that could be easily digested and built upon. Yet, like peer-reviewed science, her work was meticulously connected and traceable to the various lineages from which it emerged.

Her work is the voice of the goddess; a vision of the cosmos brimming with Her glory, rooted in the most ancient of scriptural soils, rejuvenated and enriched, eagerly awaiting the next generation to carry the fire.

Adore each being as me. I am you.  

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Humility & Devotion

I have been blessed to have been studying at the feet of several great spiritual teachers over the past 30 years and each of them had a distinct style and approach. In reminiscing with fellow students about Sally, what stands out for me was her humility and devotion.

Sally had the ability to ground divinity in everyday human experience, making all who came to her feel worthy of her love and attention.

Transcript from my conversation with Stephanie:

Sundari Ma: For me, when I reflect on her life and what I received, it truly feels as if she embodied the Goddess Bhuvaneshvari so strongly. To me, her presence was the Heart—a vastness of space in which everything was welcome. I remember a line from a prayer that she liked to recite at the beginning of a class, after the invocation:

We ask that the great power of conscious evolution, the energy of awakening, touch all beings and draw us steadily to the recognition of our interconnectedness.

We ask that we know from within the absolute equality of all that lives.

Sundari Ma: This is what I always felt in her presence—the heart space. The heart where everything and everyone has a place. When personal issues came up for her or had been coming up in her own process, she would share them in such a humble way. She spoke about her own mistakes—those moments when she felt she had lost it or felt lost.

Stephanie: And that’s unique to her as a teacher—to reveal those hiccups, those vulnerabilities, and not present a facade of ultimate perfection. I don’t know many other teachers… I can’t think of any right now who do that—those I’ve been exposed to, you know, who are willing to show their shortcomings, their fullness of humanness.

Sundari Ma: Yes, it was very unique that she didn’t want to be in the role of a guru. What she communicated—at least this is how it felt to me—was that she is one of us, with us on the path. Maybe like an Elder Sister, both in terms of her age and her experience. She was there to show and teach us what she knew and what she had discovered, all in this humble way.

Sally taught for over 40 years. Her devotion, her work ethic, the sheer volume of her work and the energy with which she applied herself suggests to me today something beyond just a commitment to the duties and responsibilities of being a spiritual teacher. In hearing Dawn share about her final course on karma, it struck me that there was a sense of urgency driving it all.

Not only could Sally feel intensely the shared suffering in our era, but she could connect with some of the growing dangers that threaten us today. She knew the only path forward was indeed an evolutionary one.

Dawn’s memory of Sally’s last lecture:

One month before her passing, Sally was pouring out her knowledge from a deep source connection, sharing esoteric and momentous teachings. She told us, 'You don’t need to wait—just absorb these ancient teachings and knowledge.' It was as if she was urging us, 'You need to absorb and share this, get it out into the world. This is the time, and the planet needs it right now.'

During this final lecture, she had to be on oxygen the entire time, and at one point, she had to stop due to profuse coughing. She couldn’t… we almost ended the class. It was her second lecture, and she was incredibly sick, barely able to continue. But she stayed—this was her Svadharma. She was meant to share and pass down this ancient wisdom until the very end.

That was in June 2023, and she passed away on July 10, 2023. Sally remains present through all her students, and her legacy continues through us. A deep bow of gratitude to the Universe for manifesting such an auspiciously beautiful soul.

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Rise of the Householder

It is worth taking a step back and examining the context of Sally’s life and work.

Sally Kempton was born in Manhattan New York in 1943. Shortly after Oppenheimer and his team began their work on unleashing the awesome power of nuclear fission. As though a direct divine rebuttal to the Manhattan project, Sally’s life’s work would become about unleashing the even more awesome power of Shakti into the modern world.

Though the link might not be immediately obvious, consider the possibility that if the 20th century is remembered for the scientific and industrial revolutions that yielded immense power, the 21st century must be the one that fosters the immense compassion and wisdom needed to tame that power.

Otherwise, there will not be a 22nd century.

And the awakened Shakti is that taming power. Once this inner fire is kindled, it does its work. It expands within as the light of consciousness, radiating outward from all who are baptized by this divine energy. Like Oppenheimer’s fission reaction, each atomic awakening goes on to touch many more.

Kundalini awakening is an energetic process of transformation that occurs outside of the confines of language, within tradition or beyond it, and is agnostic of faith, creed, race, nationality, or temperament. The universality of Love awakening to itself initiates an irreversible and unstoppable chain reaction.

For thousands of years in spiritual communities, these deeper awakenings and more potent teachings were reserved for those deep inside the monastic life. Those on the “householder path” with careers and family had to settle for the faint echoes of the saints and great teachers who have graced this world.

Sally’s work has completely reversed this paradigm. Not only is the householder's awakening enriching for the individual, but it is also the most vital next phase for the evolution of life today. The great scientific and industrial power unleashed in the 20th century can only be tamed and safeguarded in the 21st century through the awakening of those currently engaged in the worlds of science and industry.

The ashram is moving just down the hall from the boardroom and the lab.

It will be the awakened CEOs and investment bankers, teachers and army generals, scientists and politicians that bring harmony between great power and great wisdom, and even greater compassion.

Sally’s work, based on heart-transmission and the awakening of Shakti, rooted in tradition, is a leap forward in the evolution of human consciousness. One that promises to help us navigate these delicate and volatile times with a little more grace, a little less enmity and a lot more love.

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Sustainer of Worlds

A dear friend of mine recently shared an old hermetic text with me: Thoth’s prophecy. It is a poetic lament about a world devoid of devotion.

Darkness will be preferred to light, and death will be thought more profitable than life; no one will raise his eyes to heaven; the pious will be deemed insane, and the impious wise; the madman will be thought a brave man, and the wicked will be esteemed as good. As for the soul, and the belief that it is immortal by nature, or may hope to attain to immortality, as I have taught you, all this they will mock and will even persuade themselves that it is false. No word of reverence or piety, no utterance worthy of heaven will be heard or believed.

I think of Sally’s work in the context of the world she entered in 1943 and the one she left behind in 2023. She was indeed a pious woman, and perhaps also deemed ‘insane’ by many around her for leaving a career in journalism, for following a guru of all people, and for moving to India of all places. Even for the greats, the spiritual path is not without its moments of doubt and despair.

A lone woman from New York, walking tall, headlong into a raging storm of indignity and suffering; noblesse unwavering because beneath the dignity and grace, the warmth and wisdom could only be the fiercest of wills. The kind of indomitable spirit and unfaltering faith needed to persevere through the most demanding of challenges. Pioneering qualities that have inspired and paved the way for this next generation to carry her work.

After nearly 30 years as a student at the feet of my teachers, I fully embraced my role and dharma as a teacher to share the knowledge and grace just a few months ago. I spoke to the owner of a yoga studio in Dubai about offering a weekend course on the divine feminine. Her first question to me was, Have you ever heard of Sally Kempton?

I could only smile with delight at the coincidence.

Sally’s work lives on through Stephanie, Dawn, me, and so many others, carrying the seeds of her awakening power around the world. It is far too early to speak of her legacy, as the vibrancy of her teaching, the grace, and the reach of the Shakti are only just beginning to flourish. We can only look forward with anticipation to the fruits that will arise from Sally’s life and imagine with delight the wonders this next generation, blessed and empowered by Shakti, will bestow upon the world.

“Now, I am become death, destroyer of worlds,” He said.

“Now, I am become Love, sustainer of worlds,” She answered.

-Sundari Ma

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To hear more about Sally’s work please join me, Stephanie and Dawn as we share her teachings and celebrate her life in a Free Gathering on Zoom on October 19 at 8am PST / 5pm CEST / 7pm UAE Standard time / 9 pm IST. Please send us a short email to receive the zoom link and more information: info@thisistantra.com

Learn more about Sally here: sallykempton.com

And her books can be found here: sallykempton.com/books-and-audio/

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Stephanie Renee dos Santos guides people along the inner journey to realize Unity Consciousness through the living wisdom streams of non-dual Tantra Shaivism and Hatha Yoga supported by Ayurveda. A student of the late Sally Kempton, a meditation master rooted in the lineage of Siddha Gurus, she's been given permission to share her teachings. She holds a B.A in Studio Arts from Whitman College and is an active artist and co-writer of the forthcoming book "When She Wakes: Women's Stories of Kundalini Awakening". She teaches throughout the mountains of the world and in nature-based settings. More info: www.mountainshakti.com

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Dawn (Uṣā) Feuerberg, is a YTT certified classical ashtanga yoga teacher, classical tantra meditation instructor, mindfulness life coach and founder of Aurora Adventures, LLC, a wellness inspired travel company. (www.Auroraadventures.us) Dawn began meditating at age 9, teaching yoga in 1998 and guiding shamanic rituals in 2012. For the past decade Dawn has been a dedicated student of Sally Kempton, the highly regarded scholar of spiritual tantra and yoga philosophy. She has also studied with Siberian shamans, Zapotec & Toltec wisdom keepers in Oaxaca, Mexico. She has completed her trainings at Mount Madonna Institute, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Esalen Institute and the Himalayan Institute. Dawn is currently finishing her advanced degree in yoga philosophy and Sanskrit (YSACP 500).