Kali is usually shown with four arms. In one arm she holds a trident which represents the three gunas (qualities) which make up all of cosmos- Sat (Truth, Knowledge), Rajas (Action, Movement) and Tamas (Presence, Substance, Form). In the second hand she holds a chopper. She uses this chopper to cut off the head of ego- the false sense of separateness that prevents an individual soul from experiencing their one-ness with the divine. In the third hand she holds the chopped head of a demon. Here this demon is the ego- any individual being who lives in darkness (away from the light of truth) and is mired in the false-belief of separateness and illusion. In the fourth hand she usually holds a cup which gathers the blood dripping from the chopped head.
This is a very interesting symbolism- blood represents life, the very life force that flows thru the entire cosmos. Her blood stained tongue which is stained by drinking the blood of a demon (ignorant being- i.e. ego) shows that Kali can take away the very life-force of darkness and ignorance, so they are brought to nought! Using the chopper, she cuts off the head of the ego (false, ignorant, and deluded self) to liberate the soul from ignorance into her bliss of Divine presence and Truth. In this regard, Kali is the mother who creates all of creation. With respect to the parts which are caught in the delusion of separateness (Maya), she acts as the loving mother who annihilates the delusion and makes her child whole again- allowing them re-birth into her very being- as their higher, divine self.
This is a very interesting symbolism- blood represents life, the very life force that flows thru the entire cosmos. Her blood stained tongue which is stained by drinking the blood of a demon (ignorant being- i.e. ego) shows that Kali can take away the very life-force of darkness and ignorance, so they are brought to nought! Using the chopper, she cuts off the head of the ego (false, ignorant, and deluded self) to liberate the soul from ignorance into her bliss of Divine presence and Truth. In this regard, Kali is the mother who creates all of creation. With respect to the parts which are caught in the delusion of separateness (Maya), she acts as the loving mother who annihilates the delusion and makes her child whole again- allowing them re-birth into her very being- as their higher, divine self.
