Within Shaktism, Tantra functions as both the theological backbone and the living method through which the Divine Mother is approached and realized. Tantric scriptures—variously referred to as Tantras, Āgamas, Nigamas, and especially Śākta Tantras—articulate a vision in which Shakti is not merely a power of a male deity, but the supreme, non-dual reality itself. The universe is understood as Her play, and the body, mind, and cosmos are treated as sacred manifestations rather than obstacles to transcend. This framework allows worldly experience and spiritual liberation to be held together, so that the same Shakti who grants protection, prosperity, and fulfillment of desires is also the bestower of ultimate freedom. In this way, Tantra in Shaktism does not reject the world, but sacralizes it as the field in which the Divine Mother is directly encountered.

Practically, Tantric Shakta traditions employ a rich array of disciplines that are usually transmitted through initiation from a qualified guru within a lineage. Mantra recitation, especially of bīja (seed) mantras such as hrīṃ, klīṃ, and śrīṃ, is central, often combined with japa using a mālā and visualization of specific forms of the Goddess like Kālī, Durgā, or Tripurasundarī. Yantra and maṇḍala worship, epitomized by the Śrīcakra, provides a geometric embodiment of Shakti’s body and levels of manifestation, serving as a focus for pūjā with offerings, invocations, and meditation. Formal rituals typically include purification, nyāsa (installing mantras in the body), invocation of the deity, external offerings, and inner worship through visualization and surrender of mind and ego. Study and recitation of revered texts such as the Devi Mahatmya and Lalita Sahasranama are often woven into this ritual life, deepening theological understanding alongside practice.

Tantric Shakta sādhanā also extends inward through subtle-body yoga, especially the awakening of Kuṇḍalinī Śakti at the base of the spine and Her ascent through the cakras to unite with Śiva at the crown. Techniques such as prāṇāyāma, mudrās, and focused visualization are used to refine awareness of the body as a living temple of the Goddess. Some lineages distinguish between right-hand (dakṣiṇācāra) and left-hand (vāmācāra) approaches, the former emphasizing symbolic or internalized ritual purity, and the latter, in restricted and highly regulated contexts, employing elements such as the pañcamakāra—wine, meat, fish, grain, and sexual union—as transformative tools. These more transgressive practices are framed as means to break habitual conditioning and recognize non-duality, and are generally reserved for advanced, initiated practitioners under close guidance. Across these diverse forms, the overarching aim remains the same: to awaken to the fact that one’s own consciousness and the entire cosmos are nothing other than the radiant presence of the Divine Mother.