Devī Māhātmya, a part of ancient Mārkaṇḍeya Pūraṇa, is the great story of the Goddess which is traditionally recited and contemplated upon during Navaratri — the nine nights of Divine Mother. It is also mentioned multiple times in Bṛhat Parāśara Horā Śāstra, the bible of Vedic Astrology, as a potent tool for initiating the process of inner and outer transformation — including transforming our karma dictated by the planets.

The story, in short, describes a metaphoric battle between the Goddess, Śakti, representing the Divine spark within us, and various demons which disrupt our inner space. An...