Tantra : theory, practice and essence.

तंत्र : सिद्धांत, अभ्यास और सार
... yes My dear Amma! That is the very point I should have told you, but I didn't know how to come to  that point. I never want to hurt 'religious' sentiments of any-one. So I just don't know how you look at 'tantra'. The practical tantra is so easy to follow and every-one knowingly or unknowings follows also according to संस्कार / 'sanskara', but there could be no 'वैचारिक चिंतन' /' philosophy' or 'thought' about the procedure. There is authentic 'उलूक-तंत्र ' / 'Ulooka-tantra' > the tantra followed by the owls (birds), 'विडाल-तंत्र ' / 'vidAla-tantra' > the tantra followed by the cat, There is like-wise 'काक-तंत्र' / 'kAka-tantra', > that is followed by the crow, 'कोकिला-तंत्र ' / 'kokila-tantra', followed by the cuckoo. The evolution of tantra as 'philosophy' has resulted in things that only discuss tantra in intellectual way, but rarely touch the core. The शैव-तंत्र / shaiva-tantra, काली-तंत्र  / kAlI-tantra, 'योगिनी-तंत्र' / yoginI-tantra on the other hand teach about the core of 'देवता-तंत्र / 'devatA-tntra'. That could be also true about the 'प्रेत-तंत्र' / preta-tantra' > the tantra of the departed souls both good / bad / human or others. voodoo / black magic is but one form of this.
In fact, like the six major 'darshana-s' of the sanAtana-dharma there is an independent 'tantra-darshan' as well.
This Vedika-rituals / वैदिक अनुष्ठान / vaidikanushThAna is but the implementation of the practice of 'धर्म' / 'dharma'. This is also 'religion' (संस्कृत > प-रि-लग्न), that which is in relation to tradition.
So there is a tradition of 'tantra' as well which is also धर्म / अधर्म, auspicious or inauspicious.
Like-wise पुराण / purANa and all this system that the followers of sanAtana-dharma follow - like 'श्रीयंत्र' / Shree-yantra,  'मेरु-यंत्र' / 'meru-yantra', are the most simple examples through which a layman could learn and follow about even without elaborate 'knowledge' of the essence'. Or, without having a scholarly / intellectual skill.
I just wanted to hint : one has to be careful while understanding tantra in its all various aspects शुभ / auspicious as well as अशुभ / inauspicious too.
Love and Regards Amma!
--