When Khandro-la said in SBT that the animal-headed Dakinis appear in the Bardo, I had to pull out my Tibetan Book of the Dead because in it are colored pictures of the animal-headed Dakinis. Included below are the only personal pictures I had of the Wolf-Headed Dakini, but before that, I'm going to outline the animal-headed Dakinis cited in the book.
I am fascinated with these Dakinis - especially since I realized the animal-headed Dakinis that Yeshe Tsogyal saw feasting at Vajrayogini's head table were an indication that Yeshe Tsogyal was outlining the Bardo for us through her personal stories. Can you imagine being in the Bardo and having no clue that encountering one of these animal-headed Dakinis might happen? Maybe that might spark something within you like it did for me:
Vajra Family: six yoginis of the East:
Manuraksasi - human colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a black head of a wolf
Brahmani - red colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with an orange head of a tigress with black stripes
Raudri - yellow colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a yellow head of a lioness
Vaisnavi - green colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a yellow head of a leopard with green spots
Kaumari - yellow colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a black head of a panther with darker black spots
Indrani - human flesh colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a black head of a bovine with light blue horns
*the wrathful gatekeeper, Vajratejasi - human colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a white head of a horse with a black mane
*yogini gatekeeper, Vajra [Mahakali] - human colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a blue head of a peacock
Ratna Family: six yoginis of the South:
Vajra - blue colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a yellow head of a tigress with green swirl stripes
Santi - light blue colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with an orange head of a big cat with brindle shading
Amrta - yellow colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a white head of a bird
Saumi - yellow colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a black head of a scorpion with two front pinchers
Dandi - yellow colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a red head of a dragon [or makara] with white twisted horns
Raksasi - yellow colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a light blue head of a jackal
*the wrathful gatekeeper, Vajramogha - yellow colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a black head of a dire wolf twirling a freaking red snake in both her hands above her head
*yogini gatekeeper, Vajra [Mahachagala] - yellow colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a black head of a long-eared dog with her tongue hanging out of her mouth looking kinda cute
Padma Family: six yoginis of the West:
Bhaksasi - green colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a white head of a long-necked bird with variegated feathers
Rati - red colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a white head of a horse with a black mane waving a corpse around in her left hand
Rudhiramadi - red colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a red head of a bird of prey [possibly a vulcher] with an orange beard and blue horns
Ekacarini - red colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a black head of a bat holding a scorpion in her right hand
Manoharika - red colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with an orange head with black stripes of a bird of prey [possibly a vulcher]
Siddhikari - green colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a greenish-yellow head of a canine with green spots
*the wrathful gatekeeper, Vajraloka - facing to her right with red colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a white lion face and green streaming hair holding a skullcup in her left hand
*yogini gatekeeper, Vajra [Mahakumbhakarni] - facing to her left with red colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a white lion face and green streaming hair holding nothing in her hands
Karma Family: six yoginis of the North:
Vayudevi - light blue colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a light blue head of a wolf holding a victory banner and is a bit larger than any of the other animal-headed Dakinis shown/listed
Agnayi - red colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a orange head of a leopard with black spots
Varahi - blue colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a black head of a boar with a long black mane
Camundi - red colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a black head of a crow casually handling a corpse in her right hand
Bhujana - blue colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a white head of an elephant stretching a corpse in front of her with both hands
Varunani - green colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a green head of a long-necked canine with black tiger stripes on both the head and neck
*the wrathful gatekeeper, Vajravetali - green colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a green head of a long-necked peacock with black leopard spots on both the head and neck
*yogini gatekeeper, Vajra [Lambodara] - green colored skin wearing a tiger skin skirt with a green head of a long-necked water creature with the skin texture of a crocodile on both the head and neck
As a sidenote, all these Dakinis have large breasts and a big belly both swaying while they dance in front of their Wrathful Deities, which represent each family, in union with a Dakini wearing a leopard skin skirt. The Deity and Dakini's skin matches and the color represents the individual family, i.e., Vajra is dark blue [for the male Deity] and light blue for the Dakini; Ratna is yellow; Padma is red; Karma is dark blue [for the male Deity] and light blue for the Dakini.
All dakinis listed have a scarf of human skin wrapped around their necks and shoulders as they dance while some hold implements, a few hold skullcups, and others are freely dancing without holding anything in their hands. All are one-faced with two arms, and all look similar to the last photo below; however, the ones Khandro-la described to us in the Kechara Journey last month, look like the two pictures below with their four arms. None of the Dakinis from the Tibetan Book of the Dead were riding any animals.
https://www.himalayanart.org/items/192
Another image of the Wolf-Headed Dakini that looks more like a jackal or fox like Khandro-la described in SBT:
(I do not know where I found this image)
Thanks for sharing these provocative images.