Water
Crown
Silk scarf
Vajra and bell
Conduct
Name
Permission

One of the main aspects of Kalacakra theory is the discussion of the four seeds or potentials (drops, thig le) in one's experience. In the impure form these are associated with the four states (waking, dream, deep sleep and "the fourth"), and in the impure state with the four vajras. There are also many other associations with these four potentials, and the seven empowerments are associated with them in the following way:

The first two of the seven empowerments purify the body and enable the realisation of the body-vajra. The second pair purify the speech, enabling the realisation of speech-vajra. The third pair purify the mind, enabling the realisation of mind-vajra. The final empowerment purifies obscurations of awareness, enabling the realisation of the awareness-vajra.

Similarly, this purification of body, speech, mind and awareness can be associated with the destruction of the four maras:

Body - The skandha mara (phung po'i bdud, skandhamara).
Speech - The mara of emotionality (nyon mongs pa'i bdud, kleshamara).
Mind - The mara of the lord of death ('chi bdag gi bdud, mrityupatimara).
Awareness - The mara of the divine child (lha'i bu'i bdud, devaputramara).

As far as the association with the raising of a child is concerned, this is nicely explained by Drukpa Pema Karpo ('brug pa padma dkar po):

Water: Just as a child is washed by its mother as soon as it is born, so there is the water empowerment of the five "mothers" - the consorts of the five buddhas.

Crown: Just as a barber cuts the hair of the child, so there is the crown empowerment of the five buddhas.

Silk scarf: Just as the child's ears are pierced, so there is the silken scarf empowerment of the ten Shaktis (these are the eight goddesses surrounding Kalacakra, plus two others considered to be aspects of his own consort, Vishvamata).

Vajra and bell: Just as the child develops the ability and starts to talk, so there is the vajra and bell empowerment of the chief deities, Father and Mother.

Conduct: Just as the child experiences the objects of the five senses, so there is the conduct empowerment of the Sattvas and Sattvas.

Name: Just as the child is given a name, so there is the name empowerment of the male and female wrathfuls.

Permission: Just as the child is introduced to reading and so on, by its father, so there is the permission empowerment of Vajrasattva.

For these reasons, these empowerments are called the "seven empowerments raising the child". These seven introduce one to the Vajrayana, the recitation of the mantra and the contemplation of the mandala.

A key factor within the empowerment is that the student is introduced to some major elements of the symbolism of the mandala, specifically of some of the main deities within the mandala. All these deities are in a part of the mandala known as the mind palace.

The full mandala palace of Kalacakra consists of three main sections, known as the body, speech and mind palaces. The body palace is the largest and is at the bottom of the three dimensional structure. Inside it is a foundation for the speech palace. The roof structure of the body palace only runs around the edge by the walls, and has a large square space in the centre. The foundation for the speech palace is the same height as the roof of the body palace, and as the speech palace sits on top of this foundation, the bottom of the speech palace is level with the top of the roof of the body palace.

Similarly, the speech palace contains within it a foundation for the mind palace, which sits on top of that foundation. The dimensions of the walls, doors, and so forth of the speech palace are all half those of the body palace, and those of the mind palace, half again.

Finally, the mind palace contains a foundation for the "Circle of Great Bliss", the structure in the middle of which Kalacakra stands. This does not have walls, but consists of pillars holding up a roof structure. There is an extra set of pillars holding up the very topmost roof which is directly above the central lotus on which Kalacakra stands.

In the drawn two-dimensional mandala, the speech palace is drawn within the body palace, half its size, the mind palace within that, and the Circle of Great Bliss in the centre of the mind palace. In the diagram above, the walls and all they contain of the mind palace are highlighted in red.

The two 3d images show a close-up of the mind palace, together with a "cut-away" version of the same with some walls and other structures removed to reveal the lotuses on which the various deities are imagined. In the initiation the students are introduced to the fact that the various deities in the mind palace are considered to be purified forms of certain aspects of one's experience.

In the 3d images the deities are represented by syllables. Kalacakra's monogram, the "one with ten powers", can just be seen right in the centre of the top of the foundation of the Circle of Great Bliss. This is above the centre of the image, a little to the right, behind one of the white flasks. Kalacakra is in union with his consort, Vishvamata. The two of them stand on the centre of an eight-petalled green lotus, surrounded by the eight Shaktis (standing on the petals).

In the Circle of Great Bliss, which surrounds this central lotus, between two lines of pillars, are eight lotuses with eight flasks between them. On four of these lotuses sit four buddhas facing Kalacakra together with their consorts, and on the other four sit those same consorts facing Kalacakra, together with their buddhas. A fifth buddha (Akshobhya) and consort pair is mentioned in the empowerment, but these are not represented separately in the palace. Akshobhya and Vajrasattva (also involved in the empowerment) are both considered to be aspects of Kalacakra.

Lower down, surrounding the base of the foundation for the Circle of Great Bliss, and within the walls of the mind palace, is a white deity-podium supporting twelve lotuses. On these these sit similar symmetric pairs of bodhisattvas together with their consorts.

The final group of deities concerns five wrathful deities together with their consorts. Their arrangement is not so straightforward, as in the full triple mandala some of them are outside of the mind palace. However, four of the main wrathful deities are within the palace, on lotuses within the doorways of the palace - a couple of these can be seen in the cut-away image, just outside of the deity-podium.

In the order in which they are introduced in the empowerment, these groups of deities represent the purified form of the following aspects of experience:

Water five buddha consorts five elements (wind, water...)
Crown five buddhas five skandhas (form, sensation...)
Silk scarf ten Shaktis ten winds
Vajra & bell Kalacakra and Vishvamata the right and left channels
Conduct 12 bodhisattvas and consorts the six senses and their objects
Name Ten male and female wrathfuls the ten organs and activities
Permission Vajrasattva and consort the element and skandha of awareness