[quote also reported under the Goddess subsection, a few lines below]
There are a lot of misconceptions about Deities as approached by the Eastern Mystic Schools. Very often, people erroneously approach Deities and misconception seems to stem from two ideas - one, the faith-based, rigid Abrahamic view of one paternal deity and rest rejected as idolatry or pagans or even worse, as satanic forces (whatever that means lol). The other, is to map them to various perceived alien races (Annunaki seems to be the favorite - you don’t understand something? Call it Annunaki!). The reason I mention this is to stress on the importance of concept or view. Every concept has some degree of truth relative to oneself, but we need to pick and choose concepts carefully.
Take the example of a stone. It is just a stone. And then comes a Hindu or Buddhist Tantric who holds a specific concept of a deity in his mind while in a deeply absorptive state, channels this concept and the energetic archetype underlying the concept through mantra, yantra, etc., into the stone and behold, the stone is now a living representation of the deity capable of various functions. In Buddhism, it is frequently explained that the same mantra can give vastly different results based on the concept or the view held of the mantra and the deity by the reciter of the mantra.
Here is a simple and watered down summary of how a deity like Chandi may be approached. In Vedic systems, the key concept is this - “upāsakānāṁ kāryārthaṁ brahmaṇō rūpakalpanā” - The Brahman (Universal Divine Consciousness) is without a name, form, state, etc., and is pretty much imperceivable for most. To access the energy of this magnificent vastness, one has to conceptualize it in terms of aspects we understand - a name and a form. This makes the ever-present and indescribable Divine Consciousness accessible even in the plane of duality. This is sort of like utilizing the electricity within various applications as electricity as a concept or energy is directly not usable in practical day to day life.
Now, Deities have two aspects. In the macrocosm, they are very real, Primordial forces, emanations from the Cosmic Divine Mind. Each deity has a specific aspect or energetic application. In the microcosm, they are non-different from the Self - as the deity is nothing but the awakened aspect of one’s own radiant Self. Take Chandi for example. This deity is conceptualized as “rightful wrath of the Divine Consciousness” - while love or wrath mean nothing at the level of absolute non-duality, they represent the Divine wrath against various things on a dualistic plane - wrath against ignorance, duality, demonic entities, lack of abundance, death, diseases, etc. Traditionally one connects to a deity through various methods:
- Nāma - the name is a very strong energetic connection to the deity. An ancient Taoist saying goes, “name is the strongest spell in the world”.
- Rūpa - the form. While visualizing the form of the deity, the color, the aura, the weapons and ornaments, etc., one contemplates on the concepts represented by the external form of the deity
- Mantra - the sound form of the deity
- Yantra - the mandala which is the light form of the deity
- Tattva - the metaphysical concept that underlies the deity, which is usually the secret meaning of the mantra that is imparted by the teacher along with the mantra
There is a famous saying related to the Goddess - ābālagōpaviditā - known by children and fools alike! How can even children and fools know the Goddess who is described as the fully awakened form of Kundalini, and the full-blooming of consciousness? Because even the ignorant know Her as the self (whether they associate the self with the body, mind, or body-mind complex) - so even when we think we do not know Her, we indeed know her - as self, as energy, as breath, as desire, as aspiration, as lust, as anger and rarely, as Universal Impersonal Consciousness. So, you are already good
Traditionally, one had to develop connection to the deity (aka unfold the energetic consciousness) through sheer hard work (or through Shaktipat transmission where the connection of the entire lineage is passed on as an attunement). But this audio vastly simplifies it. Even if one does not connect deeply to the deity, the energy is still there and doing its work.
The Deities are divinely intelligent and aspects of your Higher Self. You can request for specific things - like continued protection in your case, while playing the audio. I think you are already doing things right (Booted Bhoots, Shatachandi, Aura Repair, Core Restoration, Smart Cord Cutter). Additionally, you may want to add once a week of Deep Aura Cleaning.