Monthly Archives: November 2014

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Chakra – Sacral

As we continue rising upward through the Chakras, I’d like to point out that I really do appreciate the associations in the Eastern culture and note that they make a very clear logical sense. After all, elephants and alligators are prevalent in the Indian region. I believe the correlations of energy points and the various correspondences are valid no matter where you live.

The Sacral Chakra or Svadhisthana (swa-dhi-shtA-na) is located about 2 finger-widths above the Root Chakra and the associated color is orange. The usual emotional associations are creativity, emotion, sexual energy, and self-acceptance. In the Eastern teachings, the animal is the alligator.

What I feel a connection to is the Horse. In many Native American teachings, the Horse is also associated with creativity, sexual desire, emotions, journeys, and freedom of Self. Through many of the guides that describe animal totems, the Horse symbolizes the appetite for life and living tot he fullest, freedom of expression, and the life’s journey. When we take this individually, we can see how the similarities align.

Horses, throughout history, have been used to aid humans in travel, work, and as food. In ancient times, the Horse was drawn on the walls of caves where humans lived (Lascaux Caves, Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave, and many others), drawn on hides and skins, and even made out of clay. Once they became a part of the tribe through taming, they increased the status of one who owned them. Horses gave us the ability to travel farther, increase our crops, and even gain a more suitable spouse.

Read this next part over and use some of these suggestions during your daily meditation for a week and see what happens. I would love to hear what your results are. (I won’t tell you the best way to meditate because I know that it’s different for everyone. I am still learning what my best method is.)

Set up your meditative space the way that is best for you. I prefer a light shawl over my shoulders, sitting cross-legged on my bed, with a pillow between me and the wall. I sometimes light incense, but more often I do not. I usually have my headphones in and am playing a variety of tracks (I’ll get into that later). Most of the time I meditate while my daughter is busy doing her own thing.

Once you set up your space and are ready to begin, take a deep, cleansing breath, holding for a moment then slowly let it out. To help myself stay focused on breathing, I will count to four on the inhale and eight on the exhale. Continue breathing in this manner, letting your body relax with each breath. Place your hands over your lower belly and feel the warmth from your hands seeping into your abdomen. Imagine a warm, orange glow flowing from your hands to your core. When you reach a state of relaxation, ask whatever guide you have (Spirit, Universe, God, or just your own Self) that you be introduced to Horse. Focus on the freedom of a wild Horse and the way that it will stand upon a bluff with its face to the wind. Imagine the way that they gallop across the plains as their hooves thunder upon the earth. Your mind may drift to the rhythm of the Horse’s movements as it runs with the rest of the herd or, it may wander to how the dams fiercely protect their young. Allow whatever thoughts that might come your way to float up to the surface so that you can see them more clearly. This will give you the chance to increase the energy in your meditation.

When you begin to lose focus on the meditation, whether it’s five minutes or fifty, thank the energy of the Horse for coming to you that day. Take another deep breathe and stretch, imagining the sun and wind on your skin. If you did not feel a connection to Horse during this meditation, do not be discouraged. Try again tomorrow at a different time of the day.

Thank you for sharing this with me. May your day be blessed.

 

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Chakras – Root

 

Edit: The Raven’s Cauldron is open.

Since The Raven’s Cauldron shop won’t be open until Winter Solstice, I wanted to share a little bit with you on various thoughts swirling around my mind. Let’s start with energy, shall we? More specifically, the Chakra centers and how we see them. I know that many, many articles and books have been written about Chakras and what they are and I certainly do not claim to be an expert in any way. But I have various ideas about how to look at the Chakras in our everyday life that might resonate with you, too.

I was meditating one morning (hey, I’m actually remembering to do it each day!) and a list of creatures came to mind along with their Chakra associations. I wasn’t able to sit down and focus on this list since I had to do all that mundane daily stuff, but I sent a message to a friend before I went to sleep that night and was able to think more on it the next morning. After doing some research through some of my books and a few sites online, I realized that the associations were pretty spot on. While I do appreciate the significance of the Eastern information, I felt a need for something a little closer to home. Home for me is in the United States. The ancient People here were the Sioux and the Arapaho and all the other tribes that were scattered across the land. This is where I have spent my whole life and it’s no wonder that I feel drawn to the energies of these People.

Let’s start with the Root Chakra, the Muladhara (mU-­‐lA-­‐dhA-­‐ra). As many of you know, this energy center is found at the base of your spine and the associated color is red. Now, the usual associations could be seen as spot on for the energy balancing. Earth, stability, survival, and more. And I am, in no way, disputing them, but I’d like to add a little bit to it. You see, I don’t feel any affinity to the Elephant, which is the animal associated with the Root Chakra, but I do feel a connection to Bear.

According to Animal Speak by Ted Andrews, Bear energy is all about survival. When winter comes, bears go into a state of hibernation. It was argued that they do not actually hibernate, but based on the metabolic rate, it seems that they do. Their breathing rate drops by half, their core temperature is lowered by approximately thirteen degrees, and their kidneys actually shut down completely.

In other research I found that the symbolism for Bear includes strength, confidence, grounding forces, healing, and abundance. When we compare these traits to those on the Eastern Root Chakra elements (grounding, strength, courage, stability, survival, and abundance), we can see the similarities.

Read this next part over and use some of these suggestions during your daily meditation for a week and see what happens. I would love to hear what your results are. (I’m not going to tell you the best way to meditate because I know that it’s different for everyone. I, for one, am still learning what my best method is.)

Set up your meditative space the way that is best for you. I prefer a light shawl over my shoulders, sitting cross-legged on my bed, with a pillow between me and the wall. I sometimes light incense, but more often I do not. I usually have my headphones in and am playing a variety of tracks (I’ll get into that later). Most of the time I meditate while my daughter is in the shower or watching Cupcake Wars (she’s nearly 18.)

Once you set up your space and are ready to begin, take a deep, cleansing breath, holding for a moment then slowly let it out. To help myself stay focused on breathing, I will count to four on the inhale and eight on the exhale. Continue breathing in this manner, letting your body relax with each breath. When you reach a state of relaxation, ask whatever guide you have (Spirit, Universe, God, or just your own Self) that you be introduced to Bear. Focus on the strength of a Bear and the way it walks across a meadow. Think about how the creature takes care of her young and how they survive through the winter. Let your mind drift to the caves that they hibernate in and how safe and secure they are, knowing that no one will disturb them. Allow whatever thoughts that might come your way to float up to the surface so that you can see them more clearly.

When you begin to lose focus on the meditation, whether it’s five minutes or fifty, thank the energy of the Bear for coming to you that day. Take another deep breathe and stretch your limbs as if you were a Bear stretching after winter’s slumber. If you did not feel a connection to Bear during this meditation, do not be discouraged. Try again tomorrow at a different time of the day.

Thank you for sharing this with me. May your day be blessed.