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The 8th Chakra
Taken from
the book Working
with Earth Energies by David Furlong
One
of the spiritual traditions that we have inherited from India suggests
that there are seven main chakras, or energy centres in the body. In this
article I argue for the existence of an eighth, located not above the head
but under the feet.
Background
The
concept of the chakras stems from ancient Yogic traditions, which suggests
that there are spiritual energy centres focused in specific places along
the front of the body. This Sanskrit word chakra literally means wheel
and indicates the spiralling pulsating, vibrational quality of these
energy points. Different symbols, sounds and god names were assigned to
each of the chakras but interestingly enough the
symbolic connection of the seven colours of the spectrum is a relatively
modern Western addition being introduced in the 1920’s by Charles
Leadbeater, one of the leaders of the Theosophical movement. It
never formed a part of the original tradition.
The Seven Traditional Chakras
Most
people are aware of the placement of these chakras, which are normally
given Western names, rather than their Sanskrit originals. The
Sahasrara chakra is the crown on the
top of the head, the Ajna chakra is
known as the brow, whilst the throat is the
Visuddha. The heart chakra symbolised by two interlocking and
inverted triangles, like the Star of David, is called the
Anahata, and the
Manipura chakra is located at the Solar plexus. The lower
abdomen or sacral is the position for the
Svadhisthana chakra, whilst the chakra at the bottom or base of
the spine is known as the Muludhara
In studying
Hindu texts it is clear that they too suggested many additional minor
chakric points and there were also differences in Tantric Buddhist
traditions, which adopted the chakric concepts. But the main association of
seven chakras has endured for a very long time so why do I suggest a change?
Cross-Referencing Spiritual traditions Offers Unique Insights
Part of
my karmic task through more than thirty year’s study and exploration into
metaphysical subjects has been the search to discover the underlying
essence within all spiritual traditions. We live in amazing times on this
planet for never before in the history of the world have so many
traditions been so readily accessible to us. We can now explore Chinese,
Tibetan, Ancient Egyptian, Celtic, Kabbalistic, Shamanistic and many, many
more traditions with considerable ease. This is a unique gift allowing
people to touch again those spiritual paths which their soul has
experienced before in its karmic journey through different incarnations.
The underlying principles in all of these traditions must, like the laws
of physics, be consistent. God in His, Her or Its process, whichever
pronoun you like to use for the Ultimate, would not have created a
different set of principles for each of these traditions. They all must be
seeing the same underlying matrix and then translating it into a form that
makes sense for them.
Throughout my
life I have been deeply interested in patterns; the patterns that can be
found in the landscape, the patterns that weave through our life and the
patterns that can be found by comparing different spiritual traditions.
Spiritual truths are consistent through all traditions and mythologies
whereby the intrinsic patterns we find replicated in one tradition must and
are, in the whole or in part, reflected in another.
Archetypal Patterns Reflecting Eight Principles
Through
many years of research I have come to recognise that there are eight
distinct primary spiritual principles, which revolve around a central core
of Light generally symbolised by the Sun. This is most apparent in the
eight trigrams of the I Ching, which form the basis of the eight
directions in Feng Shui. The Scandinavian and Germanic Runes are dived up
into three Aettir of eight runes in each, and there are eight main
festivals in Celtic mythology. Many other associations can also be found
through all of the major mythologies too numerous to mention here. Because
of this eightfold patterning I have, for a long time, felt that
collectively humanity needs to be working with eight main chakras and not
seven; a proposal which has been powerfully endorsed by my spiritual
teachers on the inner planes. See article on
Mythology
Others, too,
have recognised this need but in most cases any additions to the chakric
system are placed in the upper part of the body or even above the head. A
significant part of my incarnation has been the recognition of that it is
vital to our well-being to fully ground ourselves within the physical body
and more important still to energetically align our energies to that of the
pulse of the Earth. Our planet is going through a major transformational
shift with new frequencies becoming available to us all of the time; we need
to be continually updating our connection with these new vibrant Earth
energies to keep pace with the changing dynamic of our planet.
The Root or 8th Chakra
The
connection to the ground is through our feet. They are crucial to this
process, for it is through our feet that we can connect with the
vibrational energies of the Earth. For many years now I have worked the
feet as the 8th chakra, which I feel should be appropriately named the
Root chakra. The energy of this chakra
not only connects us to the planet, but also to our roots or origins. Its
energy helps us access past lives and karmic patterns as well as the
genetic blueprint that we receive from our parents and above all to root
us firmly into the vibrational essence of the Earth.
The feet are
significant in two other ways. It was the feet of his disciples that Jesus
washed. In this act he was drawing attention to the importance of the feet
and also washing away past karmic imbalances. We too can do the same for
ourselves in washing our own feet. Secondly the feet are used as a primary
focus of treatment in Reflexology. This would only be possible if the feet
themselves carried a chakric impulse, which has a special quality that
allows it to be used for helping re-balance the other systems of the body.
The Colour and God Associations
The
archetype or god form that I associate with this chakra is the Greek god
Hermes or his Roman equivalent Mercury who wears winged sandals and
carries in his hand the Caduceus staff, the symbol of healing with its
entwining snakes and wings at the top. As to colours we can, of course,
easily introduce an eighth, for when the colour spectrum is put into a
circle, then another colour is found between violet and red, the colour
magenta. It is easy to see this colour when you look at the spectrum in a
CD disk. However I do not really like the usual ordered association of
colours with the chakras for, in my experience, they do not work in
reality. For example, on many occasions within groups I have run over many
years I have asked individuals to tune into the quality of love and then
to ascribe the colour that they inwardly felt reflected this love. I have
then asked them to determine where in body they felt was the focus of
their love. In the vast majority of cases the heart was seen as focus of
love energy. Yet with the colours then blue, pink and deep red are the
most common; very rarely green. I would prefer to mix up these colours so
that I would ascribe green to the Root chakra of the feet, red fits with
the Base chakra, whilst turquoise is a better colour for the Sacral.
Orange fits with the Solar Plexus and sky blue with the Heart. Yellow
connects to the Throat and violet to the Brow, which leaves magenta for
the Crown chakra. As you can see I love traditions but am not a
traditionalist. The suggested list is not meant to be definitive but as
spur to further thought.
These can be
shown thus:
1. Crown – Magenta (although
some people prefer white or gold)
2. Brow – Violet
3. Throat – Yellow
4. Heart – Blue
5. Solar Plexus– Orange
6. Sacral – Turquoise
7. Base– Red
8. Feet – Green
By
locating the 8th chakra on the sole of the feet we create a
balance with the Crown chakra and a point of contact with the Earth in a way
not considered before. To fulfil our collective karmic task we have to go
through this process of Earth linking, of Earth harmonisation. The Root
chakra allows this to happen.
This article was first published in
Mina Olen Magazine in 2002 and later appeared in a chapter in Working with
Earth Energies published in 2003.
Some interesting links to visit with complementary
information:
Services:
Space Clearing
Spirit Release
Courses:
Space Clearing
Working With Earth Energies
Articles:
The Principles of Healing (Part 3)
Mythology and the Primary Archetypes
Spirit Release
Psychic Protection
For further information please write to:
David Furlong or Frida Maria
Myrtles, Como Road, Malvern Worcs WR14 2TH
or phone 01684-569105
Email: David Furlong
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David has been working as a healer, therapist
and sensitive for more than 40 years. He is the author of five books
including Working With Earth Energies from which this article is
taken.
Working With Earth Energies.
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- Connecting to the
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- Psychic Protection
- Connecting to your
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- Working With
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The Lotus is often associated with the Sacral or Hara Chakra
The 8th or Root Chakra
Position of the main chakras of the
body showing the 8th chakra under the feet.
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