March 9 and the Mayans

Last year large numbers of people gathered in the Conscious Convergence event on July 17-18, 2010, setting an intention to manifest unity consciousness as the Ninth, and highest, of the Mayan waves brings the universe to its highest state of existence. This event served as a base camp for intention setting and ascension towards Unity consciousness; We celebrated in joy in the most varied forms, ranging from the temples of Bali to the Mayan elders in Guatemala and from the Sami in the North to the Bushmen in the Kalahari. We could for the first time ever see our planet emerging as a sacred space encircled by a global medicine wheel.*

We are now approaching the actual beginning of this wave of unity consciousness, which begins on March 9, 2011. This is the ninth wave also known as the Universal Underworld. This wave includes thirteen uaxaclahunkin (18 day) periods that propel a process designed to lead the universe and the human beings to their highest state of consciousness.** The purpose of this article is to provide some additional background to this wave, its initiation date and suggest how the energy of the wave may be used in the most beneficial way. This requires that I again summarize the basic structure of the cosmic time plan as understood from the Mayan calendar.

Many people have in recent years come to know about the existence of the Mayan calendar and its purported end date, but surprisingly, not so many have assimilated what the ancient inscriptions are saying about it. In fact, there is only one known ancient inscription that mentions the calendar end -- Monument 6 from Tortuguero*** describes what will happen when the calendar comes to an end. The current reading of this ancient inscription by professional Mayanists is that we will then “witness the display of Bolon Yokte Ku in his full costume and regalia.” So whatever else you might have heard associated with the end of the Mayan calendar such as a pole shift, the end of the world, a galactic alignment, solar flares, radiation from the center of the galaxy, etc., actually lacks foundation in any ancient Mayan text.

Yet what obviously does have a background in an ancient Mayan inscription is Bolon, the number nine. At first sight, the reading of the Tortuguero Monument may sound cryptic and difficult to understand. There is however a lot of surrounding information about Bolon Yokte Ku that allows us to make sense of this insciption.*** Crucial to understanding is that Bolon Yokte Ku is the Nine-Support, or Nine-Step, entity of “period endings.” Bolon Yokte Ku, in other words, is a name for a cosmic pyramid in nine steps. Through extensive factual verification this pyramid has been shown to symbolize the nine levels of evolution the universe undergoes on its climb to its highest state of consciousness.

Each level of evolution, of Bolon Yokte Ku, the cosmic pyramid, is then developed through a series of thirteen time periods. These range from the hablatun (1.26 billion years) on the bottom level to the uaxaclahunkin of 18 days at the ninth level. This means a twenty times frequency increase and speed-up of time with every single step to a higher level. Soon, as of October 28, 2011, the energies of the nine waves are then all going to manifest fully. 

This final manifestation, I believe is what the ancient inscription refers to when it says that it will be witnessed how Bolon Yokte Ku will appear in his full regalia. The fruits of the nine waves will then appear in their fullness as these are simultaneously completed. This is no longer confusing if we accept that the ancient peoples of the world, including the Maya, would tend to personalize the cosmic forces describing them as “gods”, while, in the modern world, we would probably only describe this as nine energy waves.

As of March 9, 2011, the ninth and highest wave of the Bolon Yokte Ku will be activated. It seems to me that the purpose of this particular wave of 13 x 18 = 234 days is to cap the entire evolution of the universe that so far has been propelled by the eighth lower waves. From what we know about the changing polarities of consciousness of the nine waves it will do so by providing energies that are conducive to the human beings cocreating unity consciousness.

This is the purpose of the Ninth wave. So let us stop for a moment to contemplate the momentous place in time in which we find ourselves. Life, and especially human life, has evolved to the eighth level. Those that have actually climbed a physical Mayan pyramid, such as the pyramid of the Great Jaguar in Tikal, may be able to relate to the feeling of coming close to the top at the eighth level catching breath for the ascent to the top. We are now then about to start the climb to the ninth and highest level of life. It was to prepare for this momentous opportunity that many participated in the intention setting event of the Conscious Convergence last July. 

We now can follow the intentions we set at this event and actually manifest through co-creating Unity Consciousness. It is now time for us to follow up, and actually manifest the Unity Consciousness that was the intention of this event. The meaning of the unity wave that is now about to begin is for us to cocreate the appearance of Bolon Yokte Ku in its full splendor, the completion of the cosmic plan and its nine levels of evolution. As March 9, 2011 arrives, we are called to begin co-creating Unity Consciousness; March 9, 2011 is the dawn of the wave of unity.

Thus, the year of 2011 is not scheduled to be just like another year. Very likely this is our last chance to live up to being co-creators with the cosmic plan. As this Gregorian year began, the messages that circulated reflected our heightened ambivalence to the passage of time. On the one hand there were the every year kind of messages like: “Hope you will have a great 2011” or “what do you want to create for yourself in 2011?” as if this would just be like another year. Messages centered on the individual, based on a linear view of time made up from years following one after the other.

On the other hand, around the New Year reports started to come about the “aflockalypse.” Large numbers of fish, birds and animals simply died for no apparent reason. This instead pointed to anything but a linear continuation of time in 2011. The aflockalypse is possibly due to the frequency increase that the nine levels of the Mayan pyramid undergoes combined with the extreme degree to which humans have now pushed the ecology of the planet off balance. 

If this is true, it would call upon us to adapt to this new frequency and also shift completely from asking for things for ourselves and what we as egos or individuals may want from 2011 to what our egos may do to serve the delivery of the divine plan. The ninth wave of unity would then be calling for a complete shift in our way of being, to manifesting unity consciousness, which is the intended end result of the cosmic plan. If this is to happen, it may also call for extraordinary cosmic energies to fulfill the cosmic plan. In fact, maybe the ninth wave will be a Judgment Day that will save the world.

If there is a twenty-fold increase in frequency with every wave, the Ninth Wave, or Universal Underworld, will have a duration of 13 x 18 = 234 days and would then start March 9, 2011. It will progress through seven days and six intermediate nights, each being a uaxaclahunkin. In Mayan calendar language, this means an 18-day period. The 18-day periods can be subdivided into two nine-day counts (two days off from the classical nine lords of the night count) since they will have both an ascending and a descending phase and in this way we may see more clearly the link to classical Mayan calendrics. 

If the ninth wave is all about creating harmony from what has evolved previously then our task would be to ask the divine for guidance as to what we would do to arrive at this. If we are asking for global harmony we cannot however simply ask for our egos to guide us. Instead we will from the outset have to ask questions like: “What can I do to serve the cosmic plan?” or “What shall I do to further the manifestation of unity consciousness?” If the days of the ninth wave are the time periods most conducive to generating such unity consciousness then we will have to turn for spiritual guidance from the divine in phase exactly with these days of the Universal Underworld.

The ninth wave here joins the alpha to the omega in that for the first time in history it brings the nine-day count to the forefront of evolution. These will be extraordinary times and it is possible that we here will be confronted with a choice of truth versus tradition. The reason is that if the ninth wave will have the strength that we may expect from the evolution of a new underworld then it will be energetically more powerful and stronger than the traditional tzolkin count of 13 x 20 days. The Ninth level will, in other words, bring in a nine-day count that transcends the tzolkin in power and is more meaningful to follow for those seeking to align themselves with the cosmic plan. Still, of course, the tzolkin will continue to live on as an undercurrent of energies.

The rhythm of the Universal Underworld is then a nine-day climb of increasing intensity starting on March 9, 2011 followed by a descending intensity for the next eighteen (9+9) days until a new descent begins of eighteen (9+9) days. We will then have to learn to ride this wave in order to ultimately climb to the top of the pyramid to be able to witness the appearance of Bolon Yokte Ku in “his” full regalia. Calendars to follow this eighteen (or nine day) count are available in German (can be ordered from christiane biebl christiane.biebl@web.de, 

See also www.indalosia.de) and Swedish (www.livsstrommen.se), but also on web sites in English and French (http://4-ahau.com/ Home.html).

We are calling for everyone to be part of the initiation of this new wave on March 9, 2011. 
Each of you is welcome to make use of the web site www.treeoflifecelebration.com for communicating with others who share the same intentions. I feel it should be clear that it is something fundamentally new that is proposed here. A frequency of evolution, the nine-day count, which previously has only been vaguely discernible, will come to be the chief guiding rhythm. And if you think about it, it would be truly remarkable if the transformation to a new world could be the result of a mere linear continuation of calendars that have been used for centuries.

The call for events or celebrations to initiate the ninth wave on March 9, 2011 only means to point out that this is the beginning date, the initiation of our opportunity to move into unity together. We would also like to encourage you to find means of celebrating and transforming into unity consciousness during times that work for you, such as weekends around the first eighteen day period, as well as holding the intention for the beginning of true unity on March 9, 2011. In fact, the idea is that this process of transformation generating the unity consciousness of the ninth wave should not end. It will continue to October 28, 2011 and beyond.**** 

There is no single right answer to how this transformation to unity consciousness is to be brought about everywhere. Yet, there are tools available that can be used and further developed by all those who share the common intention of manifesting unity consciousness. Everything starts with an intention and if the intention is aligned with the purpose of the cosmic plan, it will be increasingly bearing fruit.

On March 9, 2011 we will remember the intention of unity consciousness we collectively set at the conscious convergence of July 17-18, 2010 joined by many who are now setting it for the first time. This time it will be our task to actually deliver the unity consciousness by applying our collective creativity to a new arena. Be there, wherever you are in the cosmos, for this final countdown.

Notes
Pleaseread:

http://www.calleman.com/content/articles/Recreation_GlobalTreeOfLife.htm
orlistento

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/audioPop.jsp?episodeId=375217&cmd=apop
See also http://tetonrainbows.com

** The word “consciousness” has become one of the most popular buzzwords of our time and yet there is little agreement as to what it means. My own view is that consciousness is fundamentally a relationship to the Tree of Life and so when the Tree of Life alters its polarities the filter of consciousness changes. Thus shifts in consciousness brought about by polarity shifts in the tree of life are what drive human history and all of evolution forward. 

Every Underworld, or wave, thus brings a consciousness dominated by a particular polarity and so as we climb the cosmic pyramid consciousness will evolve to higher and higher forms of manifestation. Many who use the word consciousness are not aware of this crucial link between the Mayan calendar and the evolution of consciousness and hence tend to give the word a different, sometimes entirely different, connotation. Many people who use the word consciousness in fact give this the specific meaning of unity consciousness, which in reality is just one of its many possible expressions.

*** http://www.calleman.com/content/articles/the_tortuguero%20_monument.htm

**** For a comparison of the proposed 4 Ahau end date of December 21, 2012 and the 13 Ahau of October 28, 2011 please listen to my interview with Mark van Stone in three parts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSu-SWJILQU.

Carl Johan Calleman, Ph.D. is the author of three books about the cosmic plan as this may be understood from the Mayan calendar: Solving the Greatest mystery of Our Time: The Mayan calendar (2001), The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Consciousness (2004) and The Purposeful Universe (2009). He has also been part of initiating several global events based on shifts in the Mayan calendar such as most recently the Conscious Convergence of July 17-18, 2010.

The Soul of Egypt

The Ancient Egyptians believed that a human soul was made up of five parts: the Ren, the Ba,the Ka, the Sheut, and the Ib. And, there was the human body called the Ha, or Haw, meaning the sum of bodily parts. 

The other souls were aakhu, khaibut, and khat.

Egyptians referred to the physical and mystical parts of the Human by these terms. 

Ib heart

Sheut shadow

Ren name

Ba soul

Ka spirit

Akh for ghost

Ib or heart was an important part of the Egyptian soul. The Ib or metaphysical heart was believed to be formed from one drop of blood taken from the child's mother's heart at conception.

To Ancient Egyptians, it was the heart and not the brain that was the seat of emotion, thought, will and intention. This is evidenced by the many expressions in the Egyptian language which incorporate the word ib, Awt-ib: happiness or wideness of heart, Xak-ib: estranged or truncated of heart, translated Wallis Budge as Ab.

In Egyptian religion, the heart was the key to the afterlife. It was conceived as surviving death in the nether world, where it gave evidence for, or against, its possessor. It was thought that the heart was examined by Anubis and the deities during the Weighing of the Heart ceremony. If the heart weighed more than the feather of Maat, it was immediately consumed by the monster Ammit.

Sheut or shadow or a person's shadow, (šwt in Egyptian), was always present. It was believed that a person could not exist without a shadow, nor a shadow without a person, therefore, Egyptians surmised that a shadow contained something of the person it represents. For this reason statues of people and deities were sometimes referred to as their shadows. The shadow was represented graphically as a small human figure painted completely black as well, as a figure of death, or servant of Anubis.

Ren or name was part of the soul, a person's ren was given to them at birth and believed it would live as long as that name was spoken, which explains why efforts were made to protect it with the practice of placing it in numerous writings. Mentioned in the Book of Breathings, a derivative of the Book of the Dead, was a means to ensure the survival of the name. A cartouche or magical rope often surrounded the name to protect it. Conversely, the names of deceased enemies of the state, such as Akhenaten, were hacked out of monuments in a form of damnatio memoriae. Sometimes, however they were removed in order to make room for the economical insertion of the name of a successor, without having to build another monument. The greater the number of places a name was used, the greater the possibility it would survive to be read and spoken.

Ba  or soul and bȝ in hieroglyphs, is, in some regards, the closest to the contemporary Western religious notion of  a soul, but it also was everything that makes an individual unique, similar to the notion of'personality'. In this sense, inanimate objects could also have a 'Ba', a unique character,and indeed Old Kingdom pyramids often were called the 'Ba' of their owner. Like a soul, the  'Ba' is an aspect of a person that the Egyptians believed would live after the body died, and it is sometimes depicted as a human-headed bird flying out of the tomb to join with the 'Ka' in the afterlife.

In the Coffin Texts one form of the Ba that comes into existence after death is corporeal, eating, drinking and copulating. Louis Zabkar argued that the Ba is not part of the person but the person himself unlike the soul in Greek, or late Judaic, Christian or Muslim thought. The idea of a purely immaterial existence was so foreign to Egyptian thought that when Christianity spread in Egypt they borrowed the Greek word psyche to describe the concept of soul and not the term Ba. Zabkar concludes that so peculiar was the concept of Ba to Ancient Egyptian thought that it ought not to be translated but instead the concept be

explained as one of the modes of existence for a person

In another mode of existence. the Ba of the deceased is depicted in the Book of Going Forth by Day returning to the mummy and participating in life outside the tomb in non-corporeal form, echoing the solar theology of Re or Ra uniting with Osiris each night.

The word 'bau' is the plural of the word ba, meant something similar to 'impressiveness','power', and 'reputation', particularly of a deity. When a deity intervened in human affairs, it was said that the 'Bau' of the deity were at work. In this regard, the ruler was regarded as a 'Ba' of a deity, or one deity was believed to be the 'Ba' of another.

Ka or spirit

kȝ in hieroglyphs was the Egyptian concept of spiritual essence, that which distinguishes the difference between a living and a dead person, with death occurring when the ka left the body. The Egyptians believed that Khnum created the bodies of children on a potter's wheel and inserted them into their mothers' bodies. Depending on the region, Egyptians believed that Heket or Meskhenet was the creator of each person's Ka, breathing it into them at the

instant of their birth as the part of their soul that made them be alive. This resembles the concept of spirit in other religions. The Egyptians also believed that the ka was sustained through food and drink. For this reason food and drink offerings were presented to the dead, although it was the kau within the offerings that was consumed, not the physical aspect. The ka was often represented in Egyptian iconography as a second image of the king, leading earlier works to attempt to translate ka as double.

Akh  means magically effective one, and was a concept of the dead that varied

over the long history of ancient Egyptian belief. It was associated with thought, but not as an action of the mind; rather, it was intellect as a living entity. The Akh also played a role in the afterlife. Following the death of the

Khat, the Ba and Ka were reunited to reanimate the Akh.The reanimation of the Akh was only possible if the proper funeral rites were executed and followed by constant offerings. The ritual was termed: se-akh 'to make a dead person into an living akh.' 

In this sense, it even developed into a sort of ghost or roaming 'dead being' when the tomb was not in order anymore during the Ramesside Period. An Akh could do either harm or good to persons still living, depending on the circumstances, causing nightmares, feelings of guilt, sickness, etc. It could be evoked by prayers or written letters left in the tomb's offering chapel also in order to help living family members, e.g., by intervening in disputes, by making an appeal to other dead persons or deities with any authority to influence things on earth for the better, but also to inflict punishments.

The separation of Akh and the unification of Ka and Ba were brought about after death by having the proper offerings made and knowing the proper, efficacious spell, but there was an attendant risk of dying again. Egyptian funerary literature such as the Coffin Texts and the Book of the Dead were intended to aid the deceased in "not dying a second time" and becoming an akh.

Relationships

Ancient Egyptians believed that death occurs when a person's ka leaves the body. Ceremonies conducted by priests after death, including the "opening of the mouth", aimed not only to restore a person's physical abilities in death, but also to release a Ba's attachment to the body. This allowed the Ba to be united with the Ka in the afterlife, creating an entity known as an "Akh", meaning "effective one".

The Ka was also considered the self of a human being.

Egyptians conceived of an afterlife as quite similar to normal physical existence — but with a difference. The model for this new existence was the journey of the Sun. At night, the Sun descended into the Duat or the underworld. Eventually the Sun meets the body of the mummified Osiris. Osiris and the Sun, re-energized by each other, rise to new life for another day.

For the deceased, their body and their tomb were their personal Osiris and a personal Duat. For this reason they are often addressed as "Osiris". For this process to work, some sort of bodily preservation was required, to allow the Ba to return during the night, and to rise to new life in the morning. However, the complete Akhu were also thought to appear as stars.

Until the Late Period, non-royal Egyptians did not expect to unite with the Sun deity, it being reserved for the royals. The Book of the Dead, the collection of spells which aided a person in the afterlife, had the Egyptian name of the Book of going forth by day. They helped people avoid the perils of the afterlife and also aided their existence, containing spells to assure "not dying a second time in the underworld", and to "grant memory always" to a person. 

In the Egyptian religion it was possible to die in the afterlife and this death was permanent.

The Tomb of Paheri, an Eighteenth dynasty nomarch of Nekhen, has an eloquent description of this existence, and is translated by James P. Allen as:

"Your life happening again, without your ba being kept away from your divine corpse, with your ba being together with the akh ... You shall emerge each day and return each evening. A lamp will be lit for you in the night until the sunlight shines forth on your breast. You shall be told: "Welcome, welcome, into this your house of the living!"

http://www.hwt-hrw.com/Bodies.php, retrieved 2009

    * EGYPTOLOGY ONLINE (2001), The concept of the afterlife,

http://www.egyptologyonline.com/the_afterlife.htm, retrieved 2009

The Chakras

Chakras are energy vortices within the human body and are thought to be powered by emotions. They are very powerful but most people remain unaware of them.

The word chakra comes from the Sanskrit meaning wheel or disc. There are seven major chakras and many minor chakras in our body.

Chakras in the human body depicted with their residing deities./3/39/Example.of.complex.text.rendering.svg/65px-

Chakra (derived from the Sanskrit cakraṃ चक्रं [ˈtʃəkrə̃], pronounced [ˈtʃəkrə] in Hindi; Pali: chakka ॰हक्क, Tamil: சக்கரம், Chinese:, Tibetan: khorlo) is a Sanskrit word that translates as "wheel" or "turning." It is a concept and term originating from Hindu texts and used in Hindu practices.

Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices which, according to traditional Indian medicine, are believed to exist in the surface of the etheric double of man.

The Chakras are said to be "force centers" or whorls of energy permeating, from a point on the physical body, the layers of the subtle bodies in an ever-increasing fan-shaped formation. Rotating vortices of subtle matter, they are considered the focal points for the reception and transmission of energies. Different systems posit a varying number of chakras; the most well known system in the West is that of 7 chakras.

It is typical for chakras to be depicted as either flower-like or wheel-like. In the former, a specific number of "petals" are shown around the perimeter of a circle. In the latter, a certain number of spokes divide the circle into segments that make the chakra resemble a wheel (or "chakra"). Each chakra possesses a specific number of segments or petals.

Texts describing the chakras go back as far as the later Upanishads, for example the Yoga Kundalini Upanishad.

Apart from the physical body, each human being has a spiritual body. This spiritual body is composed of vibrations of light (energy) and it envelops the physical body. These chakras are found embedded in our energy field. They resonate at different frequencies corresponding to the colours of the rainbow. These chakras are spinning vortices of energy and they cannot be physically detected.

The location of chakras in the energy body corresponds directly to the placement of endocrine glands in the physical body. Chakras, have a direct effect on the state of our physical and emotional health and can impact every aspect of our life, our direction and decisions. The energy body absorbs finer levels of energy from the environment and transmits this through the chakras into the physical body via the endocrine glands. The endocrine system controls the hormone balance in the body,which has a powerful effect on a person’s moods and emotions.

The seven major chakras are

ROOT CHAKRA :

This chakra is positioned at the base of the spine, at the top of the legs. This chakra controls our energy levels, our connection to the earth and our ambitions.On a physical level this chakra governs the back ,legs, hips,feet , spine and the circulation of blood. 

1. Root

located at the base of the spine
Color is red
Musical note is C
Vowel is 'uh'

For online meditation:

Root Chakra

2. Hara or Sacral chakra:

This chakra is positioned below the navel. It controls your passions, your sexual needs,and the fulfillment of your desires. Physically it controls the sexual organs,bladder, bowel and lower intestine.
Sacral-chakra-meditation 

3. Solar plexus:

The solar plexus controls our will, our personal power. It also controls our upper intestines and upper back and spine. It brings us our strength, our courage and our will to succeed ,achieve and survive.
Solar plexus 3rd-chakra-meditation 

4.Heart chakra:

This chakra is situated in and around the heart area of our physical body. On a physical level it controls the heart and circulation in the lungs. On a mental level, the heart chakra affects our emotions and feelings and how we express them towards ourselves and others.
heart-chakra-meditation 

5. Throat chakra: This chakra is situated in the neck area of the body. On a physical level this chakra governs the throat, thyroid, mouth,teeth, toungue, and jaw. On an emotional level this chakra governs the aspect of communication, will power, truthfulness and creativity.
Throat-chakra-meditation 

6. Third eye chakra: 

This chakra is situated in the middle of the forehead. On a physical level this chakra governs the pituitary glands, the skull.eyes ,brain and the nervous system.. It also governs our senses. On an emotional level this chakra governs knowledge, intuition, and wisdom.
chakra-meditation-third-eye 

7. Crown chakra:

This chakra is situated at the top of the head. Physically this chakra controls the spinal cord, brain and nerves. On a spiritual level this chakra is our connection to the divine healing energy. Miraculous healing, telepathy are all because of this chakra.
crown-chakra-meditation 

In a nutshell we understand that when our chakra system is balanced and harmonized, it results in our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being, thereby allowing us to enjoy perfect health.

Although there are various different interpretations as to what exactly a chakra is, the following features are common in all systems:

• They form part of a subtle energy body, along with the energy channels, or nadis, and the subtle winds, or pranas.
• They are located along a central nadi, Sushumna, which runs either alongside or inside the spine.
• Two other nadis, Ida and Pingala, also run through the chakras, and alongside Sushumna. They occasionally cross Sushumna at the location of the chakras.
• They possess a number of 'petals' or 'spokes'. In some traditions, such as the Tibetan, these spokes branch off into the thousands of nadis that run throughout the human body.
• They are generally associated with a mantra seed-syllable, and often with a variety of colours and deities.

Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda describes a chakra as:

...[a] powerhouse in the way it generates and stores energy, with the energy from cosmos pulled in more strongly at these points. The main nadis, Ida, Pingala and Shushumna (sympathetic, parasympathetic, and central nervous system) run along the spinal column in a curved path and cross one another several times. At the points of intersection they form strong energy centers known as chakras. In the human body there are three types of energy centers. The lower or animal chakras are located in the region between the toes and the pelvic region indicating our evolutionary origins in the animal kingdom. The human chakras lie along the spinal column. Finally, the higher or divine Chakras are found between the top of the spine and the crown of the head.

Anodea Judith (1996: p. 5) provides a modern interpretation of the chakras:

A chakra is believed to be a center of activity that receives, assimilates, and expresses life force energy. The word chakra literally translates as wheel or disk and refers to a spinning sphere of bioenergetic activity emanating from the major nerve ganglia branching forward from the spinal column. Generally, six of these wheels are described, stacked in a column of energy that spans from the base of the spine to the middle of the forehead, the seventh lying beyond the physical world. It is the six major chakras that correlate with basic states of consciousness...

Susan Shumsky (2003, p. 24) states a similar idea:

Each chakra in your spinal column is believed to influence or even govern bodily functions near its region of the spine. Because autopsies do not reveal chakras, most people think they are a fancy of fertile imagination. Yet their existence is well documented in the traditions of the far east...

Chakras, as described above, are 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, through which pass 3 major energy channels, Sushumna, Ida and Pingala. 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."^\

The following seven primary chakras are commonly described:

1. Muladhara (Sanskrit: मूलाधार, Mūlādhāra) Base or Root Chakra (ovaries/prostate)
2. Swadhisthana (Sanskrit: स्वाधिष्ठान, Svādhiṣṭhāna) Sacral Chakra (last bone in spinal cord, the coccyx)
3. Manipura (Sanskrit: मणिपूर, Maṇipūra) Solar Plexus Chakra (navel area)
4. Anahata (Sanskrit: अनाहत, Anāhata) Heart Chakra (heart area)
5. Vishuddha (Sanskrit: विशुद्ध, Viśuddha) Throat Chakra (throat and neck area)
6. Ajna (Sanskrit: आज्ञा, Ājñā) Brow or Third Eye Chakra (pineal gland or third eye)
7. Sahasrara (Sanskrit: सहस्रार, Sahasrāra) Crown Chakra (Top of the head; 'Soft spot' of a newborn)

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The primary importance and level of existence of chakras is posited to be in the psyche. However, there are those who believe that chakras have a physical manifestation as well. The author Gary Osborn, for instance, has described the chakras as metaphysical counterparts to the endocrine glands, while Anodea Judith noted a marked similarity between the positions of the two and the roles described for each. Stephen Sturgess also links the lower six chakras to specific nerve plexuses along the spinal cord as well as glands. C.W. Leadbeater associated the Anja chakra with the pineal gland, which is a part of the endocrine system. Edgar Cayce said that the 7 churches of the Book of Revelation are endocrine glands.

Seven chakras in particular are described in the Shakta Tantra tradition that was brought over to the West. Below is a description of each of them, with Eastern and Western associations.

Minor chakras

In addition to the 7 major chakras, there are a number of other chakras which have importance within different systems. For example, Woodroffe describes 7 head chakras (including Ajna and Sahasrara) in his other Indian text sources. Lowest to highest they are: Talu/Talana/Lalana, Ajna, Manas, Soma, Brahmarandra, Sri (inside Sahasrara), Sahasrara. In addition, the chakra Hrit known as the wish-fulfilling tree is often included below the heart, which may be the same as a chakra known as Surya located at the solar plexus. Some models also have a series of 7 lower chakras below muladhara that go down the legs.

Hrit chakra or Surya chakra

This chakra is a minor chakra located just below the heart at the solar plexus, and is known as the wish-fulfilling tree. Here, the ability to determine your destiny becomes a reality. It is also known as the Surya chakra. 

It supports the actions of Manipura chakra by providing it with the element of heat, and is responsible for absorbing energy from the sun.

In Tibetan buddhism, a similar chakra called the Fire Wheel is included in the scheme, but this is located above the heart and below the throat.

Lalana/Talumula

A chakra known as Lalana is situated in one of two places, either in the roof of the mouth, between Visuddhi and Ajna, or on the forehead, above Ajna. The Lalana chakra on the roof of the mouth is related to Bindu and Vishuddhi. When the nectar amrit trickles down from Bindu, it is stored in lalana. This nectar can fall down to Manipura and be burned up, causing gradual degeneration, or through certain practices it can be passed to Visuddhi and purified, becoming a nectar of immortality.

Manas

A chakra known as Manas (mind) is located either between the navel and the heart, close to Surya, or is located above Ajna on the forehead. The version on the forehead has 6 petals, connected to the 5 sense objects plus the mind. In Tibetan buddhism, the chakra located on the forehead is called the Wind wheel, and has 6 spokes.

Bindu Visarga/Indu/Chandra

Bindu visarga, is located either at the top back of the head, where some Brahmins leave a tuft of hair growing, or in the middle forehead. It is symbolised by a crescent moon. This chakra secretes an ambrosial fluid, amrit, and is the seat of the white bindu (compare with the white bodhicitta drop in the crown chakra in the Vajrayana system).

Brahmarandra/Nirvana

In some systems, Sahasrara is the chakra that is on the crown of the head. However, other systems, such as that expounded by Shri Aurobindo, state that the real Sahasrara is located some way above the top of the head, and that the crown chakra is in fact Brahmarandra, a sort of secondary Sahasrara with 100 white petals.

Shri/Guru

This is a minor chakra located slightly above the top of the head. It is an upward facing 12 petalled lotus, and it is associated with the Guru, that higher force that guides us through our spiritual journey.

Lower chakras

There are said to be a series of 7 chakras below muladhara going down the leg, corresponding the base animal instincts, and to the Hindu underworld patala. They are called atala, vitala, sutala, talatala, rasatala, mahatala and patala.

Atala

This chakra is located in the hips, it governs fear and lust.

Vitala

Located in the thighs, it governs anger and resentment.

Sutala

Located in the knees, it governs jealousy.

Talatala

Translated as 'under the bottom level', it is located in the calves, and it is a state of prolonged confusion and instinctive wilfulness.

 Rasatala

Located in the ankles, it is the centre of selfishness and pure animal nature.

 Mahatala

Located in the feet, this is the dark realm 'without conscience', and inner blindness.

Patala

Located in the soles of the feet, this is the realm of malice, murder, torture and hatred, and in Hindu mythology it borders on the realm of Naraka, or Hell.

There are said to be 21 minor chakras which are reflected points of the major chakras. These 21 are further grouped into 10 bilateral minor chakras that correspond to the foot, hand, knee, elbow, groin, clavicular, navel, shoulder and ear. The spleen may also be classified as a minor chakra by some authorities despite not having an associated coupled minor chakra.

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The Tibetan theory of chakras plays an important role in all the Highest Yoga Tantras. They play a pivotal role in all Completion stage practices ( as opposed to Generation stage practices ), where an attempt is made to bring all the subtle winds of the body into the central channel, to realise the clear light of bliss and emptiness, and to attain the 'illusory body' of a divinity

The Tibetan system states that the central channel begins at the point of the third eye, curves up to the crown of the head, and then goes straight down the body to the tip of the sexual organ. The two side channels run parallel to, and without any space in between, the central channel, but they begin at the two nostrils: the lunar channel ends in the sexual organ, and the solar channel in the anus. Along the central channel are positioned 10 chakras, of which usually four or five are expounded as being important. They are located in the following positions:

1. Third eye between the eyebrows
2. The wind wheel on the forehead
3. The crown wheel on the top of the head
4. The throat wheel
5. The fire wheel between the throat and the heart
6. The heart wheel
7. The navel wheel
8. The secret place, four fingers below the navel
9. The jewel wheel on the sexual organ, near the end
10. The tip of the sexual organ

The channels run parallel through them, but at the navel, heart, throat and crown the two side channels twist around the central channel. At the navel, throat and crown, there is a twofold knot caused by each side channel twisting once around the central channel. At the heart wheel there is a sixfold knot, where each side channel twists around three times. An important part of completion stage practice involves loosening and undoing these knots.

Within the chakras exist the 'subtle drops'. The white drop exists in the crown, the red drop exists in the navel, and at the heart exists the indestructible red and white drop, which leaves the body at the time of death. In addition, each chakra has a number of 'spokes' or 'petals', which branch off into thousands of subtle channels running to every part of the body, and each contains a Sanskrit syllable.

By visualising a specific chakra, the subtle winds (which follow the mind), enter the central channel. The chakra at which they enter is important in order to realise specific practices, for example, meditating on the syllable 'Ah' in the navel chakra is important for the practice of tummo, or inner fire, the basis of the six yogas of Naropa. Meditating on the 'Hum' in the heart chakra is important for realising the Clear Light of bliss and emptiness. Meditating on the throat chakra is important for lucid dreaming and the practices of dream yoga. And meditating on the crown chakra is important for consciousness projection, either to another world, or into another body.

In general, the higher tantras, starting with the Guhyasamaja tantra, are very uniform in their descriptions of the chakras, channels and drops. The Kalachakra tantra has a slightly different system, which relates the chakras with astrology.

According to contemporary Buddhist teacher Tarthang Tulku, the heart chakra is very important for the feeling of existential fulfillment^.

A result of energetic imbalance among the chakras is an almost continuous feeling of dissatisfaction. When the heart chakra is agitated, people lose touch with feelings and sensations, and that breeds the sense of dissatisfaction. That leads to looking outside for fulfillment.

When people live in their heads, feelings are secondary; they are interpretations of mental images that are fed back to the individual. When awareness is focused on memories of past experiences and mental verbalisations, the energy flow to the head chakra increases and the energy flow to the heart chakra lessens. Without nurturing feelings of the heart a subtle form of anxiety arises which results in the self reaching out for experience. When the throat chakra settles and energy is distributed evenly between the head and the heart chakras, one is able to truly contact one's senses and touch real feelings.

Sahasrara: The Crown Chakra

Sahasrara, which means 1000 petalled lotus, is generally considered to be the chakra of pure consciousness, within which there is neither object nor subject. When the female kundalini Shakti energy rises to this point, it unites with the male Shiva energy, and a state of liberating samadhi is attained. Symbolized by a lotus with one thousand multi-coloured petals, it is located either at the crown of the head, or above the crown of the head. Sahasrara is represented by the colour white and it involves such issues as inner wisdom and the death of the body. Its role may be envisioned somewhat similarly to that of the pituitary gland, which secretes hormones to communicate to the rest of the endocrine system and also connects to the central nervous system via the hypothalamus. According to author Gary Osborn, the thalamus is thought to have a key role in the physical basis of consciousness and is the 'Bridal Chamber' mentioned in the Gnostic scriptures. Sahasrara's inner aspect deals with the release of karma, physical action with meditation, mental action with universal consciousness and unity, and emotional action with "beingness". In Tibetan buddhism, the point at the crown of the head is represented by a white circle, with 32 downward pointing petals. It is of primary importance in the performance of phowa, or consciousness projection after death, in order to obtain rebirth in a Pure Land. Within this chakra is contained the White drop, or Bodhicitta, which is the essence of masculine energy.

Ajna: The Brow Chakra

Ajna is symbolised by a lotus with two petals, and corresponds to the colors violet, indigo or deep blue. It is at this point that the 2 side nadis Ida and Pingala are said to terminate and merge with the central channel Sushumna, signifying the end of duality. The seed syllable for this chakra is the syllable OM, and the presiding deity is Ardhanarishvara, who is a half male, half female Shiva/Shakti. The Shakti goddess of Ajna is called Hakini. Ajna (along with Bindu), is known as the third eye chakra and is linked to the pineal gland which may inform a model of its envisioning. The pineal gland is a light sensitive gland that produces the hormone melatonin which regulates sleep and waking up. Ajna's key issues involve balancing the higher & lower selves and trusting inner guidance. Ajna's inner aspect relates to the access of intuition. Mentally, Ajna deals with visual consciousness. Emotionally, Ajna deals with clarity on an intuitive level. (Note: some opine that the pineal and pituitary glands should be exchanged in their relationship to the Crown and Brow chakras, based on the description in Arthur Avalon's book on kundalini called Serpent Power or empirical research.) In Tibetan Buddhism, this point is actually the end of the central channel, since the central channel rises up from the sexual organ to the crown of the head, and then curves over the head and down to the third eye. While the central channel finishes here, the two side channels continue down to the 2 nostrils.

Vishuddha: The Throat Chakra

Vishuddha (also Vishuddhi) is depicted as a silver crescent within a white circle, with 16 light or pale blue, or turquoise petals. The seed mantra is Ham, and the residing deity is Panchavaktra shiva, with 5 heads and 4 arms, and the Shakti is Shakini. Vishuddha may be understood as relating to communication and growth through expression. This chakra is paralleled to the thyroid, a gland that is also in the throat and which produces thyroid hormone, responsible for growth and maturation. Physically, Vishuddha governs communication, emotionally it governs independence, mentally it governs fluent thought, and spiritually, it governs a sense of security.In Tibetan buddhism, this chakra is red, with 16 upward pointing petals. It plays an important role in Dream Yoga, the art of lucid dreaming.

Anahata: The Heart Chakra

Anahata, or Anahata-puri, or padma-sundara is symbolised by a circular flower with twelve vermillion, or green petals. (See also heartmind). Within it is a yantra of 2 intersecting triangles, forming a star of David, symbolising a union of the male and female. The seed mantra is Yam, the presiding deity is Ishana Rudra Shiva, and the Shakti is Kakini. Anahata is related to the thymus, located in the chest. The thymus is an element of the immune system as well as being part of the endocrine system. It is the site of maturation of the T cells responsible for fending off disease and may be adversely affected by stress. . Anahata is related to the colours green or pink. Key issues involving Anahata involve complex emotions, compassion, tenderness, unconditional love, equilibrium, rejection and well-being. Physically Anahata governs circulation, emotionally it governs unconditional love for the self and others, mentally it governs passion, and spiritually it governs devotion. In Tibetan buddhism, this centre is extremely important, as being the home of the indestructible red/white drop, which carries our consciousness to our next lives. It is described as being white, circular, with 8 downward pointing petals, and the seed syllable Hum inside. During mantra recitation in the lower tantras, a flame is imagined inside of the heart, from which the mantra rings out. Within the higher tantras, this chakra is very important for realising the Clear Light.

Manipura: The Solar Plexus Chakra

Manipura or manipuraka is symbolised by a downward pointing triangle with ten petals. The seed syllable is Ram, and the presiding deity is Braddha Rudra, with Lakini as the Shakti. Manipura is related to the metabolic and digestive systems. Manipura is believed to correspond to Islets of Langerhans, which are groups of cells in the pancreas, as well as the outer adrenal glands and the adrenal cortex. These play a valuable role in digestion, the conversion of food matter into energy for the body. The colour that corresponds to Manipura is yellow. Key issues governed by Manipura are issues of personal power, fear, anxiety, opinion-formation, introversion, and transition from simple or base emotions to complex. Physically, Manipura governs digestion, mentally it governs personal power, emotionally it governs expansiveness, and spiritually, all matters of growth. In Tibetan buddhism, this wheel is represented as a triangle with 64 upward pointing petals. It is the home of the Red drop, or red bodhicitta, which is the essence of feminine energy (as opposed to the Shakta system, where the kundalini energy resides in Muladhara). It contains the seed syllable short-Ah, which is of primary importance in the Tummo inner fire meditation, which is the system by which the energy of the red drop is raised to the white drop in the crown.

Svadhisthana: The Sacral Chakra

Swadhisthana, Svadisthana or adhishthana is symbolized by a white lotus within which is a crescent moon, with six vermillion, or orange petals. The seed mantra is Vam, and the presiding deity is Bramha, with the Shakti being Rakini ( or Chakini ). The animal associated is the crocodile of Varuna. The Sacral Chakra is located in the sacrum (hence the name) and is considered to correspond to the testes or the ovaries that produce the various sex hormones involved in the reproductive cycle. Svadisthana is also considered to be related to, more generally, the genitourinary system and the adrenals. The key issues involving Svadisthana are relationships, violence, addictions, basic emotional needs, and pleasure. Physically, Svadisthana governs reproduction, mentally it governs creativity, emotionally it governs joy, and spiritually it governs enthusiasm. In Tibetan buddhism, this is known as the Secret Place wheel. Below this point the Shakta tantra and Vajrayana systems diverge somewhat.

Muladhara: The Base Chakra

Muladhara or root chakra is represented as a yellow square, with 4 red petals. The seed syllable is Lam, the deity is Ganesh, and the Shakti is Dakini. The associated animal is the elephant Ganesha. This chakra is where the 3 channels are merged, then separate and begin their upward movement. Inside of this chakra is wrapped up the goddess kundalini three times around a black lingam. It is the seat of the red bindu, the female drop (which in Tibetan vajrayana is located at the navel chakra). is related to instinct, security, survival and also to basic human potentiality. This center is located in the perineum, which is the region between the genital and the anus. Although no endocrine organ is placed here, it is said to relate to the gonads and the adrenal medulla, responsible for the fight-or-flight response when survival is under threat. There is a muscle located in this region that controls ejaculation in the sexual act of the human male. A parallel is charted between the sperm cell and the ovum where the genetic code lies coiled and the kundalini. Muladhara is symbolized by a lotus with four petals and the colour red. Key issues involve sexuality, lust and obsession. Physically, Muladhara governs sexuality, mentally it governs stability, emotionally it governs sensuality, and spiritually it governs a sense of security. There is no chakra that exists in this position within Tibetan buddhism. Instead, below the secret place wheel, there are 2 other wheels, the jewel wheel, which is located in the middle of the sex organ, and the wheel located at the tip of the sex organ. These wheels are extremely important for the generation of great bliss, and are involved with tantric consort practices. for more information on sex and chakras, see: http://darkstarastrology.com/black-moon-lilith-sex-chakras/