The Chakras and Who You Are - Part 2

FIFTH CHAKRA

Name Vissudha (purification)

Purpose Communication, creativity

Issues Communication, creativity, listening, resonance, finding one’s own voice

Color Bright blue

Location Throat, pharyngeal plexus

Dieties Ganga, Sarasvati, Hermes, the Muses, Apollo, Brigit, Seshat, Nabu

Element Sound

Sense Hearing

Gemstones Turquoise, blue topaz

Demon Lies

Basic Rights To speak and be heard

Balanced Characteristics Resonant voice, good listener, good sense of timing and rhythm, clear communication, lives creatively

Traumas and Abuses Lies, mixed messages, verbal abuse, excessive criticism, secrets, authoritarian parents, alcoholic/chemical dependent family

Deficiency Fear of speaking; small, weak voice; difficulty putting feelings into words, introversion, shyness, tone deaf, poor rhythm

Excess Too much talking, inability to listen, poor auditory comprehension, gossiping, dominating voice, interruption

Physical Malfunctions Disorders of the throat, ears, voice, neck, tightness of the jaw, toxicity

Healing Practices Loosen neck and shoulders, release voice, singing, chanting, toning, storytelling, journal writing, automatic writing, practice silence, non-goal oriented creativity, psychotherapy

Affirmations I hear and speak the truth.
I express myself with clear intent.
Creativity flows in and through me.
My voice is necessary.

Exercises Experiment with the resonant frequency of your chakras by chanting the following tones with each chakra, varying the pitch from low to higher as you climb up the chakras. Try to find the pitch that resonates with your body. Work on letting your sound be full-bodied and resonant.

Chakra One: Ooo as in home
Chakra Two: U as in rule
Chakra Three: Ah as in father
Chakra Four: Ay as in play
Chakra Five: Ee as in free
Chakra Six: Mm as in hum
Chakra Seven: Ng as in sing

SIXTH CHAKRA

Name Ajna (to perceive and command)

Purpose Pattern recognition

Issues Image, intuition, imagination, visualization, insight, dreams, vision

Color Indigo

Location Forehead, brow, carotid plexus, third eye

Dieties Shakti Hakini, Krishna, Themis, Hecate, Tara, Isis, Iris, Morpheus, Belenos, Apollo

Element Light

Sense 6th sense

Gemstones Lapis lazuli, quartz, sapphire

Demon Illusion

Basic Rights To see

Balanced Characteristics Intuitive, perceptive, imaginative, good memory, good dream recall, able to think symbolically, able to visualize

Traumas and Abuses What you see doesn’t go with what you’re told, invalidation of intuition and psychic occurrences, ugly or frightening environment (war zone, violence)

Deficiency Insensitivity, poor vision, poor memory, difficulty seeing future, lack of imagination, difficulty visualizing, poor dream recall, denial, believes there’s only one true and right way

Excess Hallucinations, delusions, obsessions, difficulty concentrating, nightmares

Physical Malfunctions Headaches, vision problems

Healing Practices Create visual art, visual stimulation, meditation, psychotherapy

Affirmations I see all things in clarity.
I am open to the wisdom within.
I can manifest my vision.

Exercises A good exercise to develop the visualization capacity of your third eye, while simultaneously helping to balance all your chakras, is to focus on each one of your chakras, filling that part of your body with the appropriate color of light. Begin at the top or the bottom, but proceed in order, and take time with each chakra to fully feel the effects.

Chakra One: Red
Chakra Two: Orange
Chakra Three: Yellow
Chakra Four: Green
Chakra Five: Bright Blue
Chakra Six: Indigo
Chakra Seven: Violet

SEVENTH CHAKRA

Name Sahasrara (thousandfold)

Purpose Understanding

Issues Transcendence, immanence, belief systems, higher power, divinity, union, vision

Color Violet

Location Cerebral cortex

Dieties Shiva, Varuna, Zeus, Allah, Nut, Enki, Inanna, Odin, Mimir, Ennoia

Element Thought

Sense Cosmic energy

Gemstones Amethyst, diamond, quartz crystal

Demon Attachment

Basic Rights To know and to learn

Balanced Characteristics Ability to perceive, analyze, and assimilate information; intelligent, thoughtful, aware; open-minded, able to question; spiritually connected; wisdom and maturity, broad understanding

Traumas and Abuses Withheld information, education that thwarts curiosity, forced religiosity, invalidation of one’s beliefs, blind obedience, misinformation, lies, spiritual abuse

Deficiency Spiritual cynicism, learning difficulties, rigid belief systems, apathy, excess in lower chakras -- materialism, greed, domination of others

Excess Overintellectualization, spiritual addiction, confusion, dissociation from body

Physical Malfunctions Coma, migraines, brain tumors, amnesia, cognitive delusions

Healing Practices Reestablish physical, emotion connection; reestablish spirit connection; learning and study, spiritual discipline, meditation, psychotherapy

Affirmations Divinity resides within.
I am open to new ideas.
Information I need comes to me.
The world is my teacher.
I am guided by higher power.
I am guided by inner wisdom.

Exercises Lie or sit in a comfortable meditation position. Allow your mind to become relatively calm and quiet, using whatever technique is most effective for you.

Gradually let yourself pay attention to the thoughts that pass through your mind. Pick one and ask yourself where it came from—what thoughts preceded it. Then follow to the origin of that thought. It may be something that occurred years ago or something that is pressing on you right now. Then again follow that thought to its source and on to each thought’s origin. Eventually, we come to a kind of infinite source that has no objective origin.

Return and pick another thought that passes through. Repeat the same sequence, going further and further back. See how many of your thoughts emanate from a similar source—either an issue you’re working with in your life right now, a past teaching, or your own place of connection with the infinite.

REFERENCES

Anodea, Judith, Eastern Body/Western Mind (1996), Celestial Arts, Berkeley, California

Anodea, Judith, Wheels of Life (1987), Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN

Shumsky, Susan G., Exploring Chakras (2003), The Career Press, Inc., Franklin Lakes, NJ

http://groups.msn.com/SoulQuestLearningCenter/chakracorrespondences.msnw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra

The Chakras and Who You Are - Part 1

By Fran Rosen. About a year ago, I pulled together information about the Chakras for a retreat I was attending and would like to share that information with you. If you do not already know what Chakras are, they can be defined as “energy centers along the spine located at major branchings of the human nervous system, beginning at the base of the spinal column and moving upward to the top of the skull. Chakras are considered to be a point or nexus of biophysical energy or prana of the human body. Shumsky states that ‘prana is the basic component of your subtle body, your energy field, and the entire chakra system...the key to life and source of energy in the universe.’”

When Chakras are blocked or overactive, psychological states may manifest. The information I have gathered will give you an idea of which of your Chakras may need some extra attention, and I have included some exercises for getting the energy flowing through each Chakra.

Most of the material presented here was selected from the works of Anodea Judith, Ph.D., who holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in Psychology and Human Health and is also a Yoga teacher. For additional information, I suggest reading her books, listening to her CD’s, or if you would like to learn about how to correlate your astrological chart with your Chakras and the personal issues indicated by your planetary placements, I suggest either going to a workshop by Joe Landwehr at one of the astrology conferences where he is a presenter, or purchasing his book, Tracking the Soul with an Astrology of Consciousness (2007), Ancient Tower Press, Mountain View, MO. There are also many other fine books on the Chakras and much free information on the internet.

This is Part 1, discussing Chakras One through Four.

FIRST CHAKRA

Name Muladhara (root)

Purpose Foundation

Issues Roots, grounding, nourishment, trust, health, home, family, prosperity, appropriate boundaries, desire for safety and protection

Color Red

Location Base of spine, coccygeal plexus

Dieties Brahma, Dakini, Ganesha, Gaia, Demeter/Persephone, Ceridwen, Geb, Erda, Ereshkigal, Hades, Psyll, Dumuzi, Tammuz, Atlas

Element Earth

Sense Smell

Gemstones Lodestone, ruby, garnet, bloodstone

Demon Fear

Basic Rights To be here and have

Balanced Characteristics Good heath, well grounded, comfortable in body, feeling of safety and security, ability to relax, stability, prosperity

Traumas and Abuses Birth trauma, abandonment, neglect, poor bonding with mother, malnourishment, major illness or surgery, physical abuse or violent environment, parents’ survival fears (i.e., holocaust survivors, war veterans, etc.)

Deficiency Disconnection from body, underweight, fearful, anxious, poor focus and discipline, financial difficulties, poor boundaries, chronic disorganization

Excess Obesity, overeating, hoarding, greed, lazy, tired, fear of change, rigid boundaries

Physical Malfunctions Disorders of bowel, anus, large intestine, bones, teeth; issues with legs, feet, knees, base of spine, buttocks; eating disorders; frequent illness

Healing Practices Physical activity, lots of touch, massage, bioenergetic grounding, Hatha yoga, look at earliest childhood relationship to mother, reclaim right to be here

Affirmations It is safe for me to be here.
The earth supports me and meets my needs.
I love my body and trust its wisdom.
I am immersed in abundance.
I’m here and I’m real.

Exercises Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly in. (Take your shoes off so you can feel the floor under you.) Press into your feet as if you were trying to push the floorboards apart between your feet. You will feel a solidity come into your legs as you do this. This comes from pushing down into your feet.

Once you can feel that solidity, you are ready to begin the exercise. Inhale deeply and bend your knees, letting your belly relax. Now exhale and push into your feet s-l-o-w-l-y, pushing as you did before and allowing your legs to slowly straighten. Do not let them straighten all the way, but bend them again and inhale as you go down into your legs. Push again against the floor as you exhale, pushing your energy downward through your body.

Do not completely straighten your legs, keep breathing, and move slowly. If you are doing this correctly, you will start to feel a slow vibration in your legs as you push against the floor. This vibration is the charge of energy moving through your legs and into your first chakra. It can be used to push out blocks, to increase your sense of contact with your body, or to simply make you feel awake and refreshed.

It is possible to get overcharged, however, so exercise caution in how long you keep this up. If you get overcharged and feel anxious, kick your feet into a pile of pillows, shake your body, or let out whatever feelings are arising.


SECOND CHAKRA

Name Svadhisthana (sweetness)

Purpose Movement and connection

Issues Movement, sensation, emotions, sexuality, desire, need, pleasure

Color Orange

Location Lower abdomen, sacral plexus

Dieties Indra, Varuna, Vishnu, Diana, Jemaya, Tiamat, Mari, Conventina, Poseiden, Lir, Ganymede, Dionysius, Pan

Element Water

Sense Taste

Gemstones Coral, amber

Demon Guilt

Basic Rights To feel and have pleasure

Balanced Characteristics Graceful movement, ability to experience pleasure, nurturance of self and others, ability to change, healthy boundaries

Traumas and Abuses Sexual, physical or emotional abuse, volatile situations, neglect, coldness, rejection, denial of child’s feeling states, emotional manipulation, restricting of normal movement between 6 mos. and 2 years old, religious moral severity, alcoholic families

Deficiency Rigidity in body and attitudes, frigidity, fear of sex, poor social skills, denial of pleasure, excessive boundaries, fear of change, lack of desire, passion, excitement

Excess Sexual acting out or addiction, ruled by emotions (hysteria, bipolar mood swings, crisis junkies), oversensitive, poor boundaries, seductive manipulation, emotional dependency, obsessive attachment

Physical Malfunctions Disorders of reproductive organs, spleen, urinary system, menstrual difficulties, sexual dysfunction, low back pain, knee trouble, lack of flexibility, deadened senses, loss of appetite for food, sex, life

Healing Practices Movement therapy, emotional release or containment, inner child work, boundary work, 12-step for addictions, develop sensate intelligence

Affirmations I deserve pleasure in my life.
I absorb information from my feelings.
I embrace and celebrate my sexuality.
My sexuality is sacred.
I move easily and effortlessly.
Life is pleasurable.

Exercises Pelvic Rock 1 - Lie flat on your back with your knees bent so that the soles of your feet are planted firmly on the floor. Breathe into your chest fully and exhale completely, pushing into your feet at the end of the exhale and tipping your pelvis upward. Imagine you are pushing the breath out between your legs. When the exhale is spent, relax your legs and hips, returning them to the floor, and inhale fully into your chest again. Then repeat. Keep this going for a minimum of five minutes to feel the effects.

Pelvic Rock 2 - If the first one stirs up a great deal of energy, or if there is too much stiffness to perform it smoothly, try repeating the same sequence much faster. In this exercise the pelvis is snapped up and back quickly, with as much force as possible. Let yourself make any sounds that are natural. This helps to release blocked energy. (Make sure you do this on something soft like a mat or bed.)


THIRD CHAKRA

Name Manipura (lustrous gem)

Purpose Transformation

Issues Energy, activity, autonomy, individuation, will, self-esteem, power

Color Yellow

Location Solar plexus

Dieties Agni, Surya, Rudra, Lakini, Brigit, Athene, Helios, Apollo, Amaterasu, Belenos, Apis, Ra
Element Fire

Sense Sight

Gemstones Amber, topaz, gold

Demon Shame

Basic Rights To act and be an individual

Balanced Characteristics Responsible, reliable, balanced, effective will, good self-esteem, warmth in personality, confidence, spontaneity, playfulness, sense of humor, appropriate self-discipline, sense of one’s personal power, able to meet challenges

Traumas and Abuses Shaming, authoritarianism, domination of will, volatile situations, physical abuse, fear of punishment, age inappropriate responsibilities, inherited shame from parent

Deficiency Low energy, weak will, poor self-discipline, cold, emotionally and/or physically, poor digestion, collapsed middle, attraction to stimulants, victim mentality, passive, unreliable

Excess Overly aggressive, dominating, controlling, need to be right, have last word, manipulative, power hungry, deceitful, attracted to sedatives, violent outbursts, stubborn, type A personality, competitive, arrogant, hyperactive

Physical Malfunctions Eating disorders, digestive disorders, ulcers, hypoglycemia, diabetes, muscular disorders, chronic fatigue, hypertension, disorders of stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, liver

Healing Practices Risk taking (deficiency), vigorous exercise, deep relaxation (excess), martial arts, sit ups, psychotherapy

Affirmations I honor the power within me.
I accomplish tasks easily and effortlessly.
The fire within me burns through all blocks and fears.
I can do whatever I will to do.

Exercises A good rule of thumb for stimulating the third chakra is to get your energy moving. Jogging, yelling, or pounding a pillow can help you loosen up.

Stand with feet planted firmly on the ground, knees slightly bent, heels about two feet apart. Raise arms together over the head with hands joined. Arch back slightly. Making an "ah" sound as you descend, swing the whole upper portion of the body downward bringing your hands between your legs and through. The motion should be smooth and rapid, emitting as much force and power as is possible. Let the sound be full and loud. Repeat five to ten times in a session, and feel the energy break through into your upper body. This exercise is also an excellent anger release.


FOURTH CHAKRA

Name Anahata (unstruck)

Purpose Love, balance

Issues Love, balance, self-love, relationship, intimacy

Color Green

Location Chest, heart, cardiac plexus

Dieties Vishnu, Lakshmi, Krishna, Aphrodite, Freya, Pan, Eros, Dian Cecht, Maat, Asclepius, Isis, Aeolus, Shu

Element Air

Sense Touch

Gemstones Emerald, tourmaline, rose quartz, malachite

Demon Grief

Basic Rights To love and be loved

Balanced Characteristics Compassionate, loving, empathetic, self-loving, altruistic, peaceful, balanced, good immune system

Traumas and Abuses Rejection, abandonment, loss, shaming, constant criticism, abuses to any other chakras, especially lower chakras; unacknowledged grief; divorce, loss of loved one, loveless, cold environment, conditional love, sexual or physical abuse, betrayal

Deficiency Antisocial, withdrawn, cold, critical, judgmental, intolerant of self or others, loneliness, isolation, depression, fear of intimacy, fear of relationships, lack of empathy, narcissism

Excess Co-dependency, poor boundaries, demanding, clinging, jealousy, overly sacrificing

Physical Malfunctions Disorders of the heart, lungs, thymus, breasts, arms, shortness of breath, sunken chest, circulation problems, asthma, immune system deficiency, tension between shoulder blades, pain in chest

Healing Practices Breathing exercises, journaling, self-discovery, psychotherapy

Affirmations I am worthy of love.
I am loving to myself and others.
There is an infinite supply of love.
I live in balance with others.

Exercises Because Anahata is related to the element air, it is accessible through the breath. Opening up the breath, unloosening whatever tensions are constricting it, is a way of accessing the heart chakra.

Form the grounding position of chakra 1 and begin breathing into your legs, building up some charge. Then bring the charge into your pelvis by moving your hips back and forth until your second chakra feels some of this same energy. When your hips and belly feel connected, begin to form an arch with your body, keeping your knees bent, thrusting your pelvis forward, then your stomach and chest, and finally reaching upward with your arms, head back. (Be gentle with your spine, and do not hold this position if you feel any discomfort.)

If you are holding the position correctly, you should feel a vibration in your chest. Breathe into this and relax as much as you can in this difficult position, imagining a green light filling and opening your heart.

Return slowly to your upright position, keeping the knees slightly bent, and slowly return your arms to your sides, eyes closed. Stand at rest a few moments to feel the effects of this exercise. Repeat when ready.


REFERENCES

Anodea, Judith, Eastern Body/Western Mind (1996), Celestial Arts, Berkeley, CA

Anodea, Judith, Wheels of Life (1987), Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, MN

Shumsky, Susan G., Exploring Chakras (2003), The Career Press, Inc., Franklin Lakes, NJ

http://groups.msn.com/SoulQuestLearningCenter/chakracorrespondences.msnw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra

The New (Threatened) Pandemic of Swine Flu

I had a little bird,
Its name was Enza,
I opened the window,
And
in-flew-enza.
-American Skipping Rhyme circa 1918

We have been warned over the last couple of days that we could be on the verge of a new influenza pandemic, one for which none of our vaccines are currently effective. This new flu is a strain of H1N1, and is a combination of swine, bird and human flu. The world has seen four major outbreaks of deadly flu since the end of the 19th century, the worst being the Spanish flu outbreak between 1918 and 1920, which caused the death of about 40 million people worldwide. Neptune is associated with the flu, and Pluto with death, and as I looked over the timeframes associated with the major pandemics over the past 100 years, Neptune always appears to be about to change signs and in aspect to Pluto whenever these outbreaks occur.

Looking back at the Asiatic Flu of 1889-1890, which caused about a million deaths, Neptune was in the midst of changing signs from Taurus to Gemini and conjoined Pluto in early Gemini. During that same 1889-1890 time period, Saturn went into Virgo and squared the Neptune/Pluto conjunction. Saturn can cause health problems in the sign of Virgo, but because it squared the Neptune/Pluto conjunction in Gemini, it probably limited the number of deaths by limiting the transmission of the virus through the air.

The largest pandemic in the last century was the Spanish Flu of 1918 to 1920, which was of the same type as that just found in Mexico, Texas and California – H1N1. Forty million deaths in two years are almost beyond comprehension, but the Spanish Flu was so horrific that Stephen King appears to have used its symptoms as the foundation for his deadly pandemic in "The Stand." The Spanish Flu killed between 2% and 20% of the people it infected, and it is estimated that between 2.5% and 5% of the world’s population perished, most of them under the age of 65. Looking at the planets during that timeframe, Neptune and Pluto had moved to a semi-sextile aspect in early degrees of Cancer and Leo – Pluto in Cancer and Neptune in Leo. Also during this time, Jupiter transited through Cancer and Leo, forming a conjunction to both planets as it moved. While conjuncting Pluto, the planet of death, it was making a semi-sextile to Neptune, the planet of flu itself. Whatever Jupiter touches, it expands, and while there was a Saturn square to the Neptune/Pluto conjunction during the 1889-1890 pandemic which probably limited the number of deaths, the world experienced the truly expansive nature of Jupiter during the Spanish Flu outbreak, and the number of deaths was astounding. Also, Saturn and Uranus formed an opposition from Leo to Aquarius in the middle of this timeframe. This aspect, especially in fixed signs, causes enormous stress because events out of our control break up the structure of reality and cause insecurity. The loss of 40 million people from the flu right after the end of World War I was more than enough to cause the breakdown of societal structures and create collective instability.

In 1956-1958, the Asian Flu killed between 1 and 1.5 million. Originating in China from a mutation in wild ducks which combined with a human strain, it took about a year to move from China to the U.S. During this period, Neptune and Pluto were both changing signs -- Pluto from Leo into Virgo and Neptune from Libra into Scorpio (Pluto’s sign) -- and the two planets were in a sextile aspect for the two years from the start to the finish of the outbreak. In 1957, in the middle of the pandemic, Saturn and Uranus formed a trine, and early in 1959, Saturn moved to a sextile to Neptune and a trine to Pluto, which probably finally put an end to the last cases of the flu.

In 1968 to 1969, the Hong Kong flu struck, killing between 750,000 to 1 million people worldwide. This flu is thought to have been a mutation of the Asiatic Flu of the late 1800’s. Again, Neptune and Pluto were about to change signs, still in sextile aspect, with Pluto at the end of Virgo moving toward Libra and Neptune moving out of Pluto’s sign of Scorpio into Sagittarius. During this timeframe, Jupiter and Uranus in Libra also formed a conjunction with Pluto at the end of Virgo and then traveled together through the early part of Libra, increasing the unexpectedness of and number of deaths associated with this outbreak.

So what is going on now that would indicate that another influenza pandemic is likely? Neptune and Pluto are still in sextile aspect, although out of sign, with Neptune moving toward Pisces in early 2011 and Pluto in early Capricorn. At the same time, Jupiter, that caused so much havoc during the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918-1920, is about to form a conjunction to Neptune, the planet of the flu, while Chiron, the planet called the Wounded Healer, is right between them, increasing the likelihood that this outbreak of flu could be a very serious one. Additionally, just like the period of the Spanish Flu outbreak, Saturn and Uranus are opposing each other and will stay in that stressful aspect until the middle of 2010 when these two planets will make their final exact opposition at 0º of Aries/Libra, squaring Pluto in early Capricorn. Additionally, Pluto is in opposition to the point where it was during the outbreak of the Spanish Flu, the early degrees of Cancer.

I think that it’s not inconceivable that the pandemic that the World Health Organization has been worried about is beginning to manifest. All we can do is take all the precautions we’ve been taught to prevent getting sick – don’t go to work if you’re sick, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, wash your hands all the time, and avoid large gatherings if you know illness is spreading. And pray that these signs will manifest in a less deadly manner.

(Source for influenza facts:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_pandemic)

Venus: Moving Forward, Finally!

By Fran Rosen. At last, Venus is stationing and going direct today at 29º Pisces. February 3rd was the last time she was at this degree, and it will take until about the 21st of May before she actually goes beyond where she’s already been this year. The time for reevaluation is over; now is the time to make plans for where you want to go from here. Some of you may have decided to end relationships; a lot more of you probably decided that you like the people in your life and have found ways to assert your independence while still maintaining a good rapport. On Tuesday, Mars will catch up with Venus and form a conjunction at 29º Pisces, and they will travel along close together until they again conjoin on June 21st at 15º Taurus.

Conjunctions of two planets merge their energies. Venus is about relating; Mars is about walking your own path. They conjoin exactly in Pisces, the sign of idealism and dreams of spiritual union. However, they soon move into Aries, where Venus has been for most of the last few months. Relationships based upon the dreaminess of Pisces will have a hard time standing up to the fiery energy of Aries. Aries doesn’t want to emotionally merge as true soulmates; Aries wants to have hot and heavy sex. Aries doesn’t yearn to save humanity; Aries yearns to help himself. Early in this journey together, these two conjoined planets will form a square aspect to Pluto. Pluto in Capricorn is the power of the establishment, and Venus and Mars in Aries is all about doing it your own way. Relationships formed impulsively will be tested through the adversity of reality in the form of authority figures, job responsibilities, and other powerful forces in life. Some will survive; others won’t. Pluto can also bring out violent tendencies, so be cautious about pushing other people too hard because you may miscalculate their breaking point.

This afternoon, the Moon is going into Aquarius, the sign of humanitarianism and friendship. Many people I know are either going away for the weekend or are spending time with friends. The combination of the Venus station and the Moon in Aquarius is auspicious for sociability. Put your work aside this weekend and have some fun. Spring has arrived and Venus is bringing beauty back into our lives. Live a little.