Practical Magic: A Beginner's Guide to Crystals, Horoscopes, Psychics, and Spells - Nikki Van De Car 2017

The Seven Chakras
Chakras
Healing for hedge witches

There are seven main chakras, and each one is connected to the physical, emotional, and spiritual body in its own way. Each one is associated with a color, an element, and a specific sound, which can be useful when chanting to open up the individual chakra.

muladhara

This is the root chakra at the base of the spine, where the tailbone, bladder, and colon are located. This is the most instinctual of all chakras—our fight-or-flight response is seated here. It is our connection with the past, with our ancestral memories, and establishes our deepest connection with the earth. When this chakra is balanced, we feel utterly fearless and safe. Physical manifestations of imbalance can include problems with the legs, feet, and lower digestive system. Worries about our basic needs for survival—food, shelter, money—may indicate that the root chakra is out of balance.

COLOR: red ESSENTIAL OILS: cedar, clove, myrrh SOUND: O

svadhisthana

This is the sacral chakra, where the ovaries and testes are located. Unsurprisingly, this is the center of our creativity and sexuality. Our passions and pleasures, both physical and spiritual, stem from this place in the body. When this chakra is balanced, we are more fertile in every way—every idea, every song, every story grows from here. Physical disruptions can include problems with fertility, kidney function, and hip and lower back pain. When the sacral chakra is overactive, we can be hedonistic and manic, and when it is blocked, we can have trouble finding pleasure in things we ordinarily enjoy.

COLOR: orange ESSENTIAL OILS: sandalwood, ylang-ylang SOUND: Oo

manipura

Located at the solar plexus, near the adrenal glands and the endocrine system, Manipura is about personal power, our sense of self and our inner strength. This is where we find the source of our willpower, the drive that takes us from inertia to action. It is about confidence and choice. Someone with a balanced solar plexus chakra is assertive without being arrogant, in control without being afraid, and full of self-love. Someone whose solar plexus chakra is blocked might be hearing that negative inner voice, fearing rejection, or sitting quietly on the sidelines for fear of being wrong. On the other hand, an overactive solar plexus chakra causes emotional outbursts, stress, and a need to be the center of attention. Physical manifestations of imbalance include high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, and stomach ulcers.

COLOR: yellow ESSENTIAL OILS: chamomile, lemon SOUND: Ah

anahata

The heart chakra is, of course, seated at the heart, but also at the lungs. This is the center chakra, and it is responsible for maintaining the balance between the other six. And how else could we achieve that balance but with love? By love we mean romantic love, self-love, friendship, kindness, compassion, and respect. This is how we recognize that we are not alone, that we are part of a community, of a partnership, of a family. When we allow too much of this feeling, we can be needy or unwilling to set boundaries, even when we need to. And, of course, when we are closed off, we can feel abandoned, lonely, or jealous. Physically, a heart chakra that is out of balance can result in asthma and heart disease, as well as upper back and shoulder pain.

COLOR: green ESSENTIAL OILS: rose, bergamot SOUND: Ay

vishuddha

The throat chakra is located near the thyroid gland. If Manipura is about empowering ourselves, Vishuddha is about sharing our true selves. It is about speaking out, standing up for what we believe in, and presenting ourselves authentically to the world. When that is overdone, we can speak without compassion or interest in what others have to say. A balanced throat chakra means that we not only speak the truth, but we hear and accept it as well, which can often be the harder task. On the other hand, when the throat chakra is blocked, we are afraid to speak and share our true selves with the world for fear of rejection. This can manifest in thyroid issues, sore throat, neck pain, and mouth ulcers.

COLOR: light blue ESSENTIAL OILS: lavender, sage, neroli SOUND: Eee

ajna

The third eye chakra is seated near the pituitary gland. We are beginning to get outside of the self now, as Ajna is about seeing things clearly. It’s about observation and perception, but also wisdom. When our third eye chakra is balanced, we not only see what is happening around us, but also comprehend it, feeling it deeply, with compassion and understanding. As always, there can be too much of a good thing, resulting in an overactive imagination, an inability to calm the mind, and a lack of focus. If we close the third eye too tightly, though, we cut ourselves off from the world around us, navel-gazing until we become paranoid and depressed. Physical symptoms of an unbalanced third eye chakra can include headaches, hearing loss, and blurred vision.

COLOR: indigo ESSENTIAL OILS: jasmine, vetiver, rosemary SOUND: Mmm

sahasrara

The crown chakra perches at the very top of the head, near the pineal gland and, of course, the brain. As we move to this chakra, we have left the self entirely—we are now focused not only on what is outside of ourselves, but what is beyond us. If magic is to be found in the chakras, it will be found here. There is no intellectual understanding in Sahasrara, but instead a mystical knowing, an intuitive understanding of our place in the universe, of our connection with all life. When the crown chakra is overactive, we tend to assume that we are more powerful/better than we really are, and we become judgmental and critical of others. When the crown chakra is closed, we feel isolated and lonely. We become uncertain, and we feel lost and depressed without a specific reason. Nightmares, migraines, and insomnia can all result from an imbalanced crown chakra.

COLOR: purple ESSENTIAL OILS: frankincense, olibanum SOUND: Ngngng