5. Sat-Chakra-Nirupana, verse 21. Avalon, Serpent Power, 369.
6. Joanna Rogers Macy, Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age, 31.
7. Friedrich Neitzsche, The Will to Power, Book 2, note 362 (1888; tr. 1967.)
8. We may create our own reality, but it is created within a field of six billion other people creating their reality as well. Our reality is not independent, but embedded within a larger structure which imposes certain limitations and challenges.
9. Aleister Crowley, The Book of the Law, verse 44, pages 23, 24.
10. Aleister Crowley, Magick in Theory and Practice, xv.
11. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays, "Self-Reliance," (First Series, 1841).
12. Dion Fortune, The Cosmic Doctrine, 112.
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTAL READING FOR CHAKRA THREE
Assagioli, Roberto. The Act of Will. NY: Penguin Books, 1974.
Crowley, Aleister. Magick in Theory and Practice. NY: Dover Publications, 1976.
Denning, Melita and Osborne Phillips. Psychic Self-Defense and Well-Being. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1980.
Macy, Joanna Rogers. Despair and Personal Power in the Nuclear Age. PA: New Society Publishers, 1983.
May, Rollo, Ph.D. Love and Will. NY: W.W. Norton, 1969.
Starhawk. Truth of Dare: Encounters with Power, Authority, and Mystery. San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row, 1987.
CHAKRA FOUR
Love
Air
Breath
Balance
Relationship
Affinity
Unity
Healing
Chapter 5
CHAKRA
FOUR:
LOVE
OPENING MEDITATION
In the dark there was but one soundthe sound of life, the sound of love, the sound of the heart. Beating ... Beating ... Beating ... Beating.. . '
Hear it now in your own heart. Its rhythms pumping life and air and breath through every part of you, renewing you; Bathing you in air, in space, in breath, in life. Feel it now at the core of you, embrace it with your hands. Feel it yearning, crying, loving, hoping, healing. Feel it within you, old as you are, beating since the days from deep in the womb, feel how long it's been there,
Always beating. Never stopping. Always beating. Never stopping. Always beating. Never stopping. Always beating. Never stopping. Do you love that heart?
Breathe in deeply, drawing in the air ... as softness, depth and wisdom. As you breathe, spirit comes within your heart and touches you ... moving you ... changing you. Deeply, you accept as thirstily you drink. Be thankful for this vessel that receives.
Faster now on waves of flame, we fling with joy up to the sky, above the Earth, above the water, beyond the fire, into the air. We reach and spread our wings and fly, free to ride the winds. But soon get tossed about and cry: Where is the heart? Where is the heart? Where is my home?
We listen for the beat and fly, deep unto its sound. We reach for ground, slowing down. We still ourselves to listen deeper, quiet is the sound.
For what does your heart cry? For what does it long? In what does it find peace? Release its hopes and dreams to fly upon the wings of change and then return on wings of love, fulfilled beyond your dreams.
You are not alone. Your cries are echoed in a thousand hearts the same. If you listen, you can hear them: beating, beating, beating, beating.
Deep within each person find the heart. Everywhere around you find the heart. Deep within ourselves we find the heart. Every time we touch, we touch the heart.
Within each one is love, awaiting sweet unfoldment. Release that love upon the winds of breath, and reach beyond. Touch the hearts inside the ones you love, And listen to their breath that whistles in ... and out... in ... and out...
Like you, they laugh and cry and play, Ceaseless rhythm through each day. Feel the heart so like your own: Hoping, healing, breathing, feeling. Let there be no sound of striking, Only that of love and liking.
Each unto the dance of love, That joins the Earth to worlds above, And joins ourselves unto each other, Each one seen as sister, brother. Within our hearts the seeds of peace Lie, awaiting sweet release. Upon the winds of change they fly As deep within our hearts we cry: Anahata, Anahata, Anahata, Anahata. The sound of love.
CHAKRA FOUR SYMBOLS AND CORRESPONDENCES
THE HEART OF THE SYSTEM
Love was born first, the gods cannot reach it, or the spirits, or men .... Far as heaven and earth extend, far as the waters go, high as the fire burns, you are greater, love! The wind cannot reach you, nor the fire, nor the sun, nor the moon: You are greater than them all, love!
-Atharva Veda 9.2.19
Now that we have ignited the fires of our will, taken control of our life, and burned through our stubbornest blocks, we can allow our fires to subside a bit. As they turn to warm embers, we turn toward our center, warmed, cleansed, and ready to embrace the next level of awareness.
From the active, fiery solar plexus, we are thrust into a new and different realm. From the realms of the body and manifestation, we move into the softer touch of spirit. From the focus on the self and its desires and actions, we embrace a larger pattern, and dance our small part within the greater web of relationships. We transcend our ego, and grow toward something greater, deeper, stronger. As we reach for the heavens, we expand.
We have now reached the central point of the Chakra System. Even in our language, the heart refers to the center of things, the essence, the kernal of truth, as in "to go to the heart of the matter." This is our spiritual center, our core, the place that unites forces from above and below, within and without. The task of chakra four is to integrate and balance the various aspects of our being. In so doing, it brings a radiant sense of wholeness to the entire organism, an acceptance of the exquisite interpenetration of both spirit and matter. Within this sense of wholeness lie the seeds of inner peace.
The heart chakra is the center of love. As spirit and matter are combined, Shiva and Shakti are united within the heart. In their eternal dance of creation, their love radiates throughout all existence, giving it the permanence that allows the universe to continue. In the form of Vishnu and Lakshmi, the Preservers, they rule over the middle part of our lives, bringing us steadiness and continuity. Their love can be thought of as the "binding" force that holds together all the building blocks of which life is made.
The love we experience at the level of the heart chakra is distinctly different from the more sexual and passionate love of the second chakra. Sexual love is object oriented-the passion is stimulated by the presence of a particular person. In the fourth chakra, love is not dependent on outside stimulation, but experienced within as a state of being. In this way it radiates outward, bringing love and compassion to whatever comes into our field. It is a divine presence of empathetic connection, rather than an extension of our need or desire. Hopefully, through the force of the will, our needs have been fulfilled or transcended. Love can emerge with the deep sense of peace that comes from lack of need, with a joyous acceptance of our place among all things, and the radiance that comes from inner harmony. Unlike the changing nature of the second chakra with its transitory passions, love from the heart is of an enduring quality, eternal and constant.
ANAHATA-THE STILL CENTER POINT
The symbol for the heart chakra is a circle of twelve lotus petals surrounding two intersecting triangles, forming a six-pointed star. (See Figure 5.1, page 194.) The triangles represent the descent of spirit into the body and the ascent of matter rising to meet spirit. This symbol (also known as the Star of David) represents the Sacred Marriage: the balanced interpenetration of masculine and feminine. This is the star of radiance that emanates from an open heart chakra. The six points can also be seen as relating to the six other chakras, as they are each integrated at this center.
In the body, this chakra relates to the cardiac plexus (see Figure 5.2, page 195.), and rules over the heart, lungs, and thymus gland. Just as ea
ch chakra can be seen as a disk of swirling energy, so, too, can the entire body/mind be seen as a chakra. If we follow a path from the crown chakra, spiraling through each center, we find that the heart is the end point of the spiral-the center, the destination. (See Figure 5.3, page 197.) Here we find the eye of the storm, where calm prevails in the midst of fury. The heart is indeed a center of peace.
FIGURE 5.1
Anahata chakra. (Courtesy Timeless Books)
FIGURE 5.2
Chakra Four, the heart chakra.
The Sanskrit name for this chakra is Anahata, meaning "sound that is made without any two things striking," as well as "unstruck," "unhurt," "fresh," and "clean." When the chakra is free of grief from old hurts, its opening is innocent, fresh, and radiant. The fight of the third chakra is replaced by acceptance in the fourth. If the third chakra has done its job, our circumstances are easier to accept.
The element of the fourth chakra is air, the least dense of our physical elements so far. As an element, air is commonly associated with knowledge and things that are expansive and spirited. Air represents freedom, as in the birds that fly. Air represents openness and freshness, as in the airing of a room. Air represents lightness, simplicity, and softness. When we fall in love, we feel like we are walking on air. Air implies spaciousness, which is achieved through letting go. When we cling too tightly to what we love, we suffocate our beloved, which is like depriving them of air. We talk about needing space when we want "room to breathe."
Air, the gaseous state of matter, differs from any element we have discussed because it tends to disperse itself evenly throughout any space it occupies (except gases that are notably lighter or heavier than our average atmosphere). Water sits at the bottom of the bowl. Earth stays rigid and fixed. Fire moves upward, but always clings to its fuel; yet air disperses. Incense burned on an altar gradually pervades the whole room. There is a sense of equilibrium, calm, and evenness. Likewise, the heart chakra reflects a kind of loving equanimity in regard to the complex interrelationships of all things.
Lastly, air represents breath, the vital process through which our cells are kept alive. The Hindus call it prana (from pra, "first," and na, "unit"). In yoga philosophy, prana is referred to as a vital energy in and of itself, a basic unit from which all life is made. This energy represents an interface between the physical world and the mental world. The mind, if it wishes to influence the body, can do so through control of the breath. Likewise, control of the breath can quiet the mind. Prana is considered a vital link between the two-just as the heart chakra is the integrator between upper and lower chakras.
FIGURE 5.3
The heart as the end point of the spiral.
Opening the heart chakra requires a combination of technique and understanding. First, we learn to see the world in terms of relationships-what causes things to enter into and remain in combination with other things. This, of course, includes our personal relationships with others and with the world around us.
The heart requires an understanding and practice of balancebetween mind and body, inner and outer realms, self and other, giving and receiving. Opening the heart requires a transcendence of ego, allowing us to surrender to forces larger than the self. Lastly, opening the heart chakra requires an understanding and control of the breath, for it is the tool of physical and mental transformation.
Each of these aspects of the heart will be discussed in the following pages. May they free your heart from its chains and bring you peace, for it says in the Upanishads:
When all the knots of the heart are unloosened, then even here in this human birth, the mortal becomes immortal. This is the whole teaching of the scriptures.2
LOVE
Love is the attraction exercised on each unit of consciousness by the center of the universe in its course of taking shape.
-Teilhard de Chardin3
Love. Of all the words in the English language, this four-letter word probably has the most meaning, or at least the most elusive meaning. So basic to the soul of each one of us, love becomes the precious essence governing each of our lives. How do we find it? How do we maintain it? How do we share it? And beyond the power of words lies the question, "What is it?"
Love, like power, is something we all want and need. Few ever feel they have enough. Many live in fear of it. Nearly no one understands it. Yet we all search for it and gauge our lives by it when it is found. What is this mysterious force? Why does it have such power in our lives?
Love is a unifying force - it draws things together, and keeps them in relationship. From this unity, we can touch an underlying continuity that allows our separate parts to be held in relationship to something larger. From our parents we needed to learn that they would be there, day after day, in order to grow into security. A binding force allows something to hold together long enough to evolve its patterns to deeper and more cohesive states. Love allows change and freedom, but keeps coherence at the center.
In entering the fourth chakra, we transcend ego in order to loosen our self-defined boundaries and merge into the ecstasy of love. There is no greater way to invite love than to offer it first. Since it is something we all want and need, we gravitate towards those with whom we feel safe and appreciated. To offer that safety and acceptance to another invites the field of love to flourish. To offer loving energy, whether as verbal compliments, empathic acknowledgments, or physical nurturing, invites similar energy to be returned. Those who seek money or power are often merely seeking a way to receive love, usually in the form of admiration or acknowledgment. Going straight to the acknowledgement can bypass some of the less functional ways we behave in order to find love.
Love and approval are basic to our personal growth, as they promote self-acceptance-a necessary step to loving oneself. As young children we are conditioned and taught by approval, or lack thereof, from our parents. This feedback shapes our first ideas of who we are. "Oh, look what Sally made, isn't she creative?" This forms a positive feedback system. If I told you how nice you look today, you'd feel pleased. Most likely you'd want to find something nice to say to me as well. Then I would feel pleased. On it goes, each time making us feel more and more comfortable and appreciated by each other.
There are many things, however, which reduce the flow of loving energy from one person to another. Undue attachment to one person can reduce the flow of energy that could come from many others. Jealousy reduces the flow of love as it dictates that they must flow within narrow limits. Homophobia, ageism, and racism restrict love. "You cannot touch him-he's of the same sex!" "She's too old." "They are the wrong [color, size, or background]." Any of these demarcations destroy the understanding of oneness and interdependence that is integral to the heart chakra. If we see love as infinite, and approach it from abundance instead of scarcity, we see that in truth love is self-perpetuating.
Opening the heart chakra expands one's horizon for sharing loving energy. People of differing backgrounds are more likely to stimulate growth than those who are the same. The greater our understanding, the greater our capacity for love. The heart chakra perceives the world in its unity, not its separation.
Withholding usually decreases what we receive as well. It's a vicious cycle. "I don't think John likes me. He'd probably think I was silly if I said how much I admired him." Meanwhile, John is thinking about how cold and detached you are. Breaking this cycle removes some of the blocks between people on a heart chakra level. With third chakra empowerment literally under our belts, it is easier to make the first move.
Rejection is one of the most basic of human fears. This is not surprising when you consider how important it is that our core center remain healthy. Rejection threatens our basic internal balance and sense of self-acceptance. If the heart chakra is the integrator, then rejection may cause us to "dis-integrate." Our positive feedback system is short-circuited. We turn this "non-love" against ourselves and start to self-destruct. Instead of feeling connected, we are cut off, separate, and isolated. For some i
t is easier to live without love altogether than to risk opening, sharing, and failing.
This fear is integral to the understanding of the heart chakra. It works as a protective device, helping to balance the flow of input and output. It is the gatekeeper of the delicate heart chakra energy. Maintaining this gate, however, is a two-edged sword. The input and output of energy in a chakra increase together. The more tightly our gate closes, the more we restrict the passage of energy through all the chakras. This restriction not only inhibits energy passage to and from the outside world, but simultaneously restricts the flow between our upper and lower chakras, causing alienation between our minds and bodies. Eventually, the heart chakra becomes depleted, and we have walled ourselves into a world alone.
Learning to love takes energy on many levels. We need all of our chakras functioning in order to create and maintain it. We must be able to feel, we must be able to communicate, we must be able to have our own autonomy and power, and we need to be able to see and understand. Most important, we need to relax and let it happen. The heart chakra is yin, and sometimes the most profound love is that which can simply let things be the way they are.
Love is the expansion and equilibrium of air, the new dawn of the east, the gentleness of the dove, the spirit of peace. It is the field that envelops us. Through it we find our center, our core, our power, and our reason for living.
Love is not a matter of getting connected; it is a matter of seeing that we already are connected within an intricate web of relationships that extends throughout life. It is a realization of "no boundaries"that we are all made of the same essence, riding through time on the same planet, faced with the same problems, the same hopes and fears. It is a connection at the core that makes irrelevant skin color, age, sex, looks, or money.
Wheels of Life Page 16