Working with Mohini, anyone have any experience?

[Hariti]

So, I primarily work with the Goddess (Shakti) and her manifestations, and with Vishnu and his avatars. It is probably obvious why I would be interested in working with his only female avatar, Mohini, but I have no experience with her. I would like to hear from any of you who have worked with her in any contexts, especially Hindu contexts, but also in any way at all. I cannot find much useful information about giving devotion to her on the internet. I normally work with Rama, Krishna, Vasudevaya, Kali, and Saraswati, and occasionally with Indra, Shiva, and Ganesha. I would assume that giving worship to Mohini works the same way as with other avatars of Vishnu, but I have no sources on the specifics. Personal gnosis is welcome, if anyone has experience working with her.

[Jainarayan]

So, I primarily work with the Goddess (Shakti) and her manifestations, and with Vishnu and his avatars. It is probably obvious why I would be interested in working with his only female avatar, Mohini, but I have no experience with her. I would like to hear from any of you who have worked with her in any contexts, especially Hindu contexts, but also in any way at all. I cannot find much useful information about giving devotion to her on the internet. I normally work with Rama, Krishna, Vasudevaya, Kali, and Saraswati, and occasionally with Indra, Shiva, and Ganesha. I would assume that giving worship to Mohini works the same way as with other avatars of Vishnu, but I have no sources on the specifics. Personal gnosis is welcome, if anyone has experience working with her.

There's actually a good bit about her background, origin, and leela, but I don't know of many people who are devotees the way they are of other deities and avatar-s. Though this bit is interesting: Mohini is the family deity of Gauda Saraswat Brahmins, who refer to her as “Shri Mahalasa Narayani”. Though the deity is viewed as female and is worshipped as a manifestation of the mother goddess, the devotee is constantly reminded that the goddess is in essence a form of Vishnu. - https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mohini Note that Narayani is the feminine form of Narayana, Vishnu, and is also a name for Durga, Vishnu's sister (they took birth at the same time, he as Krishna, she as the baby girl who fooled and threatened Kamsa). From the union of Shiva and Mohini was born Ayyappa aka Shasta aka Hariharaputra (son of Harihara, combined form of Shiva and Vishnu, as in my avatar). I would think that Mohini would be a patroness, or more properly ishta-devata, of transgendered, intersex, gay men and women, and those outside the sexual orientation "mainstream" (I'm sure I'll offend someone, so, my apologies... but who can keep up with the names and labels?  ).

[Hariti]

There's actually a good bit about her background, origin, and leela, but I don't know of many people who are devotees the way they are of other deities and avatar-s. Though this bit is interesting: Mohini is the family deity of Gauda Saraswat Brahmins, who refer to her as “Shri Mahalasa Narayani”. Though the deity is viewed as female and is worshipped as a manifestation of the mother goddess, the devotee is constantly reminded that the goddess is in essence a form of Vishnu. - https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mohini Note that Narayani is the feminine form of Narayana, Vishnu, and is also a name for Durga, Vishnu's sister (they took birth at the same time, he as Krishna, she as the baby girl who fooled and threatened Kamsa). From the union of Shiva and Mohini was born Ayyappa aka Shasta aka Hariharaputra (son of Harihara, combined form of Shiva and Vishnu, as in my avatar). I would think that Mohini would be a patroness, or more properly ishta-devata, of transgendered, intersex, gay men and women, and those outside the sexual orientation "mainstream" (I'm sure I'll offend someone, so, my apologies... but who can keep up with the names and labels?  ).

That is indeed interesting. It seems like they give worship to her in the Shakta tradtion, rather than the Vaishnava tradition, while acknowledging her as being essentially an avatar of Vishnu. I will have to see if there are any specific rituals or mantras for her Puja.

I think it is probably safe for me to treat her like any other manifestation of Shakti, while her nature as an avatar of Vishnu in mind and respecting that nature.

[Jainarayan]

I will have to see if there are any specific rituals or mantras for her Puja.

It seems you're in luck.   https://www.google.com/search?q=Mohini+mantra&oq=Mohini+mantra&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.4623j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8  They look like they have mostly to do with love.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Mohini+puja&oq=Mohini+puja&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l2j0i22i30k1l5.75654.76228.0.79349.4.4.0.0.0.0.189.527.0j3.3.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..1.3.526....0.MZ6o1Y_OTGQ

I'll say that any puja format used for any other deity could be used for Mohini. Such as offerings with om sri mohinyai namah [pushpam/phalam/achamaniyam/deepam/dhupam etc. flower/fruit/water/light/incense, respectively] samarpayami Reverence to Mohini, I offer [... items...]. I'd go so far as to say you might even incorporate elements from a Vishnu puja, such as some of his prayers or mantras. I don't know if there is a gayatri mantra for Mohini, but I see no reason why one cannot compose their own. While it's true that most mantras are somehow empowered, I don't think there's any reason to stop someone from composing a prayer in gayatri meter:

om mahadevyai cha vidmahe
sri vishnave cha dhimahi
tanno mohini prachodayat

Let me meditate on the Great Goddess
May Lord Vishnu give me higher intellect
And may Mohini illuminate my mind.