Seeing Red : Getting Back To Your Roots As A Physical Human Person...
After Tuesday's show on The Magick Of Earth, which, by the way & ironically enough, could have been much more grounded(!), I decided to delve back into the chapter of Anodea Judith's book Eastern Body Western Mind that deals with the root chakra.
According to my notes in the margins there, it's been over 5 years since I last read it.
What surprised me about that was how- still- after all this time, after so much healing has taken place, the portions of this chapter regarding an imbalance still resonate with me so utterly & completely.
I'm sure I will do a post on that book as a whole at some point, but for now- let me just say that if you are at all interested in the chakra system... YOU NEED THiS BOOK.
The first concept from that chapter that really struck me as profound was that of the Spiritually Homeless.
Have you ever felt Spiritually Homeless?
Do you know what that means?
It's a fascinating concept and something that I actually have a lot of experience with.
Therefore- I can think of no better topic for this week's video...
It's hard for me to separate the physical reality of the root chakra from the idea of it being nothing more than a metaphor, because my experience of the chakra system has been so visceral.
None the less & despite whatever anecdotal evidence exists- some people do doubt the existence of actual physical chakras.
If you are one of those people, I urge you to refrain from dismissing the concept all together, as metaphors in & of themselves can be extremely powerful.
So- what is the root chakra?
It is the first of seven major energy centers that start at the base of your spine and line straight up toward & through the top of your head.
It is most commonly said to correspond to the color red, which is fitting when one considers the blood involved in the birthing process. Back in the day, this blood would have spilled onto and mingled with the earth below, as women gave birth in a squatting position.
It's Sanskrit name is also fitting, Muladhara, meaning "root", as it is concerned with feeling rooted in your body, the planet you live on, and the physical experience of life.
It's about grounding into "what is" and valuing your physical presence, valuing your body, your planet, and home.
If you do not value these things, you've got yourself what is commonly referred to as an "imbalance" in your root chakra...
Working with the root chakra and the concept of grounding your energy can assist you in two major areas as a magickal practitioner.
First and perhaps most dramatically- it can help to overcome addictions of all kinds, eating disorders, financial issues, depression and anxiety.
Secondly- in terms of working magick, it can help to center your energy or bring you back to yourself after a particularly transcendental meeting with Spirit, intense trance states, spell work or any kind of energetic activity that leaves you feeling too "open" or uncomfortably "high".
In addition to the grounding techniques I briefly outlined in the video above, you might also want to explore the following in an effort to find what works for you :
★ Sit on the floor or ground outside, cross-legged, and breathe deeply into the present moment. Look around your environment and begin naming things. You can also choose to name things of a certain color or quality, which further helps to focus your attention into the here & now.
★ Engage in an activity that involves skin-to-"skin" contact with the earth, like digging a hole, gardening or running barefoot in the sand.
★ Give yourself a foot massage with earthy essential oils like oakmoss, patchouli or cedar.
★ Carry or sleep with a grounding crystal like black tourmaline, obsidian, pyrite, or smoky quartz.
★ Journal about your earliest childhood memories of your mother or primary caretaker.
It's not true that spiritual information comes exclusively from heaven above...
It also & equally comes from the earth below.
The ancient and universal experience of kundalini rising is one powerful example of that.
I will talk more about raising kundalini energy another time, but before you can get into safely taking such a wild ride, it would probably be wise to spend some quality time working to bring your root chakra into balance.
Have you ever known someone (or perhaps you are someone) who is an extremely gifted psychic or powerful spiritual being, but for some mysterious reason they just can't seem to get their shit together when it comes to money, food or even addiction?
They may be obese or unable to bring in a steady income. They may regularly abuse chemical substances or suffer from severe anxiety and depression.
This is likely because they have spent too much time developing or escaping into their upper chakras, which have to do with emotions, ideas and psychic impressions, without learning how to come back down to earth.
This is why it works so well to consider this chakra as a literal root.
Think of the life of a tree.
No matter how magnificent it's height, how lush the verdant leaves and juicy fruit it has won by reaching up and out toward the light of the sun, if it is not equally and firmly rooted into the earth, it will topple over when the first storm comes along.
Your life is like this too.
In order to reach the heights of possibility, before you can bloom in every direction and really expand your reach, you've got to make sure your foundation is secure.
You've got to grow roots down deep into the ground of your experience as a physical human being.
NAMASTE, Witches... Nanu! Nanu! -xo
According to my notes in the margins there, it's been over 5 years since I last read it.
What surprised me about that was how- still- after all this time, after so much healing has taken place, the portions of this chapter regarding an imbalance still resonate with me so utterly & completely.
I'm sure I will do a post on that book as a whole at some point, but for now- let me just say that if you are at all interested in the chakra system... YOU NEED THiS BOOK.
The first concept from that chapter that really struck me as profound was that of the Spiritually Homeless.
Have you ever felt Spiritually Homeless?
Do you know what that means?
It's a fascinating concept and something that I actually have a lot of experience with.
Therefore- I can think of no better topic for this week's video...
None the less & despite whatever anecdotal evidence exists- some people do doubt the existence of actual physical chakras.
If you are one of those people, I urge you to refrain from dismissing the concept all together, as metaphors in & of themselves can be extremely powerful.
So- what is the root chakra?
It is the first of seven major energy centers that start at the base of your spine and line straight up toward & through the top of your head.
It is most commonly said to correspond to the color red, which is fitting when one considers the blood involved in the birthing process. Back in the day, this blood would have spilled onto and mingled with the earth below, as women gave birth in a squatting position.
It's Sanskrit name is also fitting, Muladhara, meaning "root", as it is concerned with feeling rooted in your body, the planet you live on, and the physical experience of life.
It's about grounding into "what is" and valuing your physical presence, valuing your body, your planet, and home.
If you do not value these things, you've got yourself what is commonly referred to as an "imbalance" in your root chakra...
Working with the root chakra and the concept of grounding your energy can assist you in two major areas as a magickal practitioner.
First and perhaps most dramatically- it can help to overcome addictions of all kinds, eating disorders, financial issues, depression and anxiety.
Secondly- in terms of working magick, it can help to center your energy or bring you back to yourself after a particularly transcendental meeting with Spirit, intense trance states, spell work or any kind of energetic activity that leaves you feeling too "open" or uncomfortably "high".
In addition to the grounding techniques I briefly outlined in the video above, you might also want to explore the following in an effort to find what works for you :
★ Sit on the floor or ground outside, cross-legged, and breathe deeply into the present moment. Look around your environment and begin naming things. You can also choose to name things of a certain color or quality, which further helps to focus your attention into the here & now.
★ Engage in an activity that involves skin-to-"skin" contact with the earth, like digging a hole, gardening or running barefoot in the sand.
★ Give yourself a foot massage with earthy essential oils like oakmoss, patchouli or cedar.
★ Carry or sleep with a grounding crystal like black tourmaline, obsidian, pyrite, or smoky quartz.
★ Journal about your earliest childhood memories of your mother or primary caretaker.
"Spilled on this earth are all the joys of Heaven." -Samuel Hall Young
It's not true that spiritual information comes exclusively from heaven above...
It also & equally comes from the earth below.
The ancient and universal experience of kundalini rising is one powerful example of that.
I will talk more about raising kundalini energy another time, but before you can get into safely taking such a wild ride, it would probably be wise to spend some quality time working to bring your root chakra into balance.
Have you ever known someone (or perhaps you are someone) who is an extremely gifted psychic or powerful spiritual being, but for some mysterious reason they just can't seem to get their shit together when it comes to money, food or even addiction?
They may be obese or unable to bring in a steady income. They may regularly abuse chemical substances or suffer from severe anxiety and depression.
This is likely because they have spent too much time developing or escaping into their upper chakras, which have to do with emotions, ideas and psychic impressions, without learning how to come back down to earth.
This is why it works so well to consider this chakra as a literal root.
Think of the life of a tree.
No matter how magnificent it's height, how lush the verdant leaves and juicy fruit it has won by reaching up and out toward the light of the sun, if it is not equally and firmly rooted into the earth, it will topple over when the first storm comes along.
Your life is like this too.
In order to reach the heights of possibility, before you can bloom in every direction and really expand your reach, you've got to make sure your foundation is secure.
You've got to grow roots down deep into the ground of your experience as a physical human being.
NAMASTE, Witches... Nanu! Nanu! -xo