Sasha's Tea Room

a magical tarot reading place

Chakras

THE MUSIC ON THIS PAGE IS ONE OF THE CHAKRA PIECES FROM STEPHEN HALPERN'S "CHAKRA SUITE". YOU CAN USE IT TO DO THE MEDITATIONS THAT ARE SUGGESTED IN THE CHAKRA ARTICLES THAT FOLLOW.

The Heart Chakra
 
 
When thinking about the Heart Chakra I was reminded of a song by Simon and Garfunkl called "I Am A Rock. This song is a perfect example of a person who is need of letting fear go and opening their heart chakra.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
Ive built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.
Its laughter and its loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

Dont talk of love,
But Ive heard the words before;
Its sleeping in my memory.
I wont disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.
If I never loved I never would have cried.
In tarot the card Page of Cups is the embodiment of a person who has closed their heart chakra as well. When one sees the Page of Cups in a tarot spread it is often the indicator of a person who's painful experiences in life have left them feeling vulnerable and skeptical when it comes to relationships. As a result these people may refuse to let anyone get too close to them. There is a need to let go of the old hurt and learn to trust again. To some extent the King of Cups tarot card gives the same message.  He represents a person who is afraid of expressing his feelings for fear of losing control.
 
In the book "A Handbook of Chakra Healing", author Kalashatra Govinda tells us that a well developed heart chakra enables you to bridge the differences that separates people. He adds that by cultivating the heart center, you not only infuse your relationships with greater empathy, you begin to accept yourself for who you are and recognize your deeper needs and desires more clearly,
 
You Need work on your Heart Chakra if
 
it's difficult for you to let other people into your life
 
you have relationship problems
 
you feel lonely or isolated
 
social situations leave you tired and worn out
 
you have a hard time wholeheartedly accepting yourself
 
you have coronary or circulatory problems
 
if you have serious skin problems
 
Vocalization Technique: inhale and as you exhale sound out the letter A as in father. Feel the sound vibrate through your chest as you do it. repeat this process for at east 3 minutes
 
Gemstone: jade and rose quartz. Rose quartz is an excellent touching stone and comes in larger sizes and jade is a goo one to wear. To use: Lie on your back with your eyes closed and place stone over your heart and try to feel the energy of the chakra.
 
Aromatherapy: rose, jasmine or tarragon. Used in an aroma lamp, this therapy would go well while doing the meditation or vocalizations.
 
Affirmations: choose one and repeat it often during the day and especially upon awakening in the morning:
My heart is open to giving and receiving
I lovingly accept myself as I am of
 
Activating the Heart Chakra in Daily Life:
Treat yourself in a loving fashion
Listen to music that touches your heart
Learn to embrace and comfort others
Get in touch with the beauty of nature
The New Moon and full moon phases are the ideal time for engaging in these practices
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Root Chakra

The root chakra lies at the base of the spinal column. If this chakra is blocked you may experience a feeling of worry about your future, you may feel you’ve lost trust in life and can feel easily overwhelmed. Physical symptoms  can manifest in often feeling cold or having cold hands and feet, digestive problems and a tendency towards back pain. The following are ways that you can harmonize the root chakra and restore more balance to your life.

 

Essential oils that have a stimulating effect on the root chakra:

Clove, Cypress, Cedar, Rosemary

 

Put a few drops into an aroma therapy lamp several times a day and let it scent your environment. If you are on the move a few drops in a handkerchief can serve equally well.

 

Rosemary bath: 1 tablespoon of rosemary with 4 ounces of cream. Pour into the bathwater just before you get in. Do this twice a week.

 

For a massage oil, a mixture of clove and cypress oil with a base oil. For 1 tablespoon of oil, use 2 drops each of cloves and cypress. Rub into your lower back.

 

Gemstones for harmonizing the root chakra: hematite, garnet, ruby. Use as touchstones.

 

Vocalization

Practice vocalization twice a day. Sit up straight but relaxed. Close your eyes. The vowel U stimulates the root chakra. Inhale through your nose and exhale sounding out the letter U in a long drawn out fashion. Practice for a few minutes

 

Affirmations: choose one of the following and repeat throughout the day. Best times are right after you wake up and just before you go to sleep

I trust in the power of life

I feel at home in my body

I am sustained and am nourished by nature

 

Chakra Mantras

I feel it is important to set the stage for your meditation time. I like to sage the room in order to clear out any negativity before beginning my meditation. I may also light a white candle that will keep the energy positive in the room. I take each chant, and holding my beads I will chant each chakra chant along with each tune from Stepehne Halperns' Chakra Suite. In my mind's eye I will also focus on the color associated with each chakra. The process takes about 25 to 30 minutes. By chanting (while going through my beads as one would a rosary) and letting each musical piece determine the timing, I am being able to focus and quiet the mind which is the point of meditation. By balancing our chakras we can become more balanced in our minds and bodies and from there psychic energy will flow more freely. 
 
7~ The Crown Chakra or “Sahasrarapadma”
Located at the crown of the head
Opens up our spiritual connection
Color ~ violet
Mantra ~ Aah

6~The Third Eye Chakra or “Ajna”
Located in the middle of the brow between and slightly above the eyebrows
Opens up our wisdom
Color ~ Indigo
Mantra ~ Om (ohm)

5~ the Throat Chakra or “Vishuddha”
Located in the center of the throat
Opens up our communication and self-expression
Color ~ Blue
Mantra Hum (hoom)

4~ The Heart Chakra or “Anahata”
Located at the heart center
Opens us up to love and relationships
Color ~ Green
Mantra ~ Yam (yahm)

3~ The Solar Plexus Chakra or “Manipurre”
Located in the middle of the solar plexus
Opens us up to our will power and motivation
Color~ Yellow
Mantra~ Ram (rahm)

2~ The Creative Chakra or “Swadhisthana”
Located near our reproductive organs, about two inches below the navel Opens up our creativity and happiness
Color~ Orange
Mantra~ Vam (vahm)

1~The Base or “Root” Chakra or “Muladhara”
Located at the base of the spine
Opens us up to being grounded
Color~ Red
Mantra~ Lam (lahm)
HOW TO USE THE SEVEN CHAKRAS IN MEDITATION


In a seated position, with your spine straight (it‘s OK to support yourself with something and have your legs out straight if you need to), close your eyes and relax~~~ Take a few deep cleansing breaths ~~~
Start with the first chakra at the base of your spine~ Breathe in the color
red, and visualize red filling that space~ Silently repeat the mantra "Lam" while you exhale~ Continue this for a couple of minutes~ Now move to the second chakra, below the navel ~ Breathe in the color orange, and visualize orange filling that space ~Silently repeat the mantra "Vam" while you exhale ~Continue this for a couple of minutes~Now move to the third chakra, at the solar plexus~ Breathe in the color yellow and visualize yellow filling that space~ Silently repeat the antra "Ram" while you exhale~ Continue this for a couple of minutes~ Now move to the fourth chakra, at the heart center~ Breath in the color green and visualize green filling that space ~ Silently repeat the mantra "Yam" while you exhale Continue this for a couple of minutes~ Now move to the fifth chakra, at the middle of the throat~ Breathe in the color blue and visualize blue filling that space~ Silently repeat the mantra "Hum" while you exhale ~ Continue this for a couple of minutes~ Now move to the sixth chakra, at the third eye ~ Breathe in the color indigo and visualize indigo filling that space ~ Silently repeat the mantra "Om" while you exhale~ Continue this for a couple of minutes~ Now move to the seventh chakra, at the crown of the head~ Breathe in the color violet and visualize violet filling that space~ Silently repeat the mantra "Aah" while you exhale~ Continue this for a couple of minutes Now take some time to relax more deeply, and visually surround yourself in white light ~ Feel the light permeating your being and radiating from you at the same time ~ Breathe and become aware of your surroundings before slowly opening your eyes~ Stretch a little before going on with your activities...

Tarot Chakra Altars




Since the beginning of the year I have been working on making a set of chakra altars for myself and have become quite engaged in the project. It seems as if my creative self has been awakened and I find creative ideas fairy jumping out of my head as I work away on a given project. I feel like I have �Creative ADD�. It�s actually a good feeling to have the ideas just pouring forth.

I got the idea of a tarot chakra altar from a book I read called �Chakra Healing� by Liz Simpson. In the book, she illustrates various chakra altars she has helped clients design. She also provides a lot of useful information on each of the chakras. For example, she suggests some gems, herbs and oils which can be included on each altar. I took the idea of the altar and added my own personal touch with the inclusion of a tarot card that represents for me the essence of each chakra. I also burn the �chakra appropriate� infused oil in my office and add the appropriate color candle to burn. For music, I have a few chakra healing CD�s which for me, completes the experience. I have now engaged the senses of touch, smell, hearing, seeing and my higher self through the meditation.

 The actual purpose of a chakra altar is for focus and meditation on a particular chakra that needs to be healed or balanced. It is not intended to be used as a spell casting altar, however, if you wanted to focus a specific intention that mirrors an aspect of a certain chakra, it could be done with the properly written spell.

 

 I have always had an altar in my office to help me with my focus in my work as a tarot reader, so this was a natural for me to incorporate this altar into my daily routine. I simply change the altars as I feel the need. By keeping the supplies in one place it is easy to set up. The small size makes the chakra altar something that is portable and therefore great for travel.

 

There are several types of oils and crystals that will help with each chakra so it comes down to finding your personal preference. I have several resources listed below to help you get some ideas so that you can personalize your altar in order to get the most out of the experience.  I have used some small pewter charms and word stones from my collection on my altars. They are inexpensive and can be found at most new age type stores. As far as the tiles go, I went down to the local pottery store and painted my own. Small tiles are very inexpensive to paint and you can then choose the specific shade of each color that you like. I have kept mine design free for the most part.

 

I invite you to get your creative juices going! If you would like to share your chakra tile I would love to see a picture! I will be holding a contest online here at the site. The winner will receive a free tarot reading from me! Details will be posted here soon!