Kali is the most widely worshipped of the Mahavidyas (Great Wisdom Goddesses). Her name could be translated as "One Who Transcends Time" or "Black One." She is the Ultimate, the Supreme Reality which dissolves the individual ego. Because most are not prepared for this total dissolution she takes on a bloodthirsty, terrifying form, but in fact she is nothing less than the compassionate mother of all. She wears a garland of severed heads and a skirt made from human arms. Her black skin is reminiscent of the darkness of night, the time when we sleep and forget ourselves and our worldly troubles. She brings destruction and disorder, but only so that the ego may be stripped away quickly. Hers is the path of total liberation.