Understanding the Crown Chakra

Understanding the Crown Chakra

The Crown Chakra is the seventh and final energy center of the major chakra system. It ranges in color from violet to white, attaining its purple tone from the sixth chakra, then brightening into light, an accumulation of all colors and energies.

The seventh chakra is known as Sahasrara in Sanskrit, which translates to thousand-petaled, in reference to the lotus flower. It is the God Source, or the center for the Higher Self, where we realize everything and everyone is interconnected, and that Divinity is found within as well as without. The Crown Chakra is located at the top of the head and extends up into the ether.

The Sahasrara is the space of Spirit, where all things – joy and sorrow, love and hate, life and death – meet as one energy, with no agenda or bias. It is the place of truth, where the veils are removed, and we see things as they truly are.

It can be said that the Crown Chakra is where God, or if you prefer, the Higher Self, speaks (the Third Eye is where you interpret what was said). It is the center of the Divine, a channel of light and energy coming in and flowing through to the rest of the chakras. This is our connection with the Source of All, our higher consciousness; this is where “you” in the personal/ego sense reveals itself to be an illusion, and the consciousness sees the interweaving, inseparable energy of all in existence.

Sahasrara, or the thousand petaled lotus, is the representation for the crown chakra. If we consider the symbolism of the lotus used throughout various spiritualities, it is the perfect metaphor for the Crown. We are rooted within the earth (first chakra) and journey up through the ego and our idea of self (second through fifth chakra) to attain wisdom and light (sixth chakra) and evolve into the God Self/enlightenment (crown chakra).

We are all spiritual beings, made from earth and stardust, water and heat. But we are all also unique individuals, with our own thoughts and opinions, so our spiritual paths can vary. Whatever path we choose, the important part is we are conscious, active participants in the journey, and use whatever tools are available to us to realize our own divinity and create our happiest life.

If we were to break down the idea of God/Goddess in the simplest way possible, it would perhaps look like this: The all and the nothing. The power of creation that is unnameable.

We can break that down farther into: The Universe.  Infinite Energy We Are All Created From. Spirit.

And because the idea of infinite power and creation can be a difficult concept for humans to grasp, we break that idea down into archetypes we can wrap our minds around. Male and female, God and Goddess. Divinity.

And sometimes the concept of God and Goddess is still too big, so we break it down even further into aspects we call by specific names: the Christian God, Allah, Jesus; Aphrodite, Isis, Oshun.

In this way, we understand the Divine concept in the simplest terms possible: I’m speaking to Yemaya, part of the Divine force that handles this, this and this.  Or I’m praying to Osiris, the piece of the All that handles that, this and that. And sometimes it’s I am connecting with the me that is the best version me, my Higher Self that knows all.

By whatever name we call it, by whichever pathways we take to connect to it, we are all essentially worshiping/connecting to the same thing – the All and the Nothing, Spirit, Divinity. In the forms of Goddesses and Gods, we’ve created a construct where Spirit is based on our own understanding of existence. In a way, we’ve created a reflection of ourselves.

The Sahasrara reveals the great mystery: there is no separation between you and Spirit. We are conscious creators of our lives, and our experiences are a reflection of our energetic consciousness. We are “dreamers dreaming the dream.” It is within the Crown Chakra we learn that everything we manifest is a result of our subconscious beliefs, because we are, at our source, the power of creation. When we allow our physical world/ego self to align with this Divine knowledge, we can change the dream, and live our highest illumination.

The Crown Chakra is the least likely of all chakras to obtain blockages, as it is less related to our physical/mental state and more of a source point for our integration of Universal energy. However, when the Crown Chakra is over-active, you may experience an overload of intuitive information, and it can be very difficult to ground yourself in the material world. People we refer to as having “fairy” energy or as ‘scatterbrained’ are usually battling an overactive Sahasrara.

If the seventh chakra is under-active, you may find yourself questioning the purpose of your life, or possibly feeling unloved and angry at God. People with under-active Crown Chakras have difficulty believing in spiritual principles or experiences, and usually have a fear of death.

When the Crown chakra is in balance, you are aware of your spiritual self, in whatever form it takes. You are able to see your true nature and embrace that you are an important part of the Universe, even if your day to day life doesn’t always provide an example. When your career or hobbies are considered spiritual, in any context, you are linking with the seventh chakra.

An open connection with the Sahasrara allows communication with Divinity, your guides, angels, loved ones, etc., and gives you the opportunity to discover your life’s purpose to fulfill your highest potential. Meditating in silence, chanting, prayer, singing, counseling – any act of spiritual devotion is stimulating to the Sahasrara.

 

Correspondences 

Sanskrit name: Sahasrara (thousand-petaled)

Color: Violet to white (skilled energy workers may notice the Crown chakra can also take on the color of the most dominant chakra in a person’s system)

Element: All, and none

Sound: AH or the silence and vibration that follows after chanting OHM

Virtues:  Spirituality, the God Head, the Higher Self. Awareness, understanding, Universal identity, empathy, intuitive knowing, connection to one's spirituality, integration of the whole.

Vices: Attachment, depression, mental and emotional exhaustion

Body Association: top of the head, central nervous system, pineal gland

Divine Feminine: Cosmic Goddess

Sacred Masculine: Sky Father

Scents: lotus, rose absolute, frankincense, geranium, sandalwood, myrrh, benzoin, neroli, lavender, angelica

Crystals: quartz, diamond, clear calcite, selenite, aqua aura, geodes

Herbs: Gota Kula, St. John’s Wort, Lotus, Ayahuasca

Affirmations:  

  • I honor the Divine within me.
  • I call forth experiences that nourish my spirit.
  • I release the things that no longer serve my highest good.
  • I live in the present moment.
  • I love and accept myself.
  • I am open to divine wisdom.
  • I listen to the wisdom of universe.
  • I am aligned with the Divine Plan.

 

Resources:

CHAKRA BLISS Kit

The Goddess Sessions: Oracles and Soothsayers  - eCourse with Priestess Brandi Auset

Herbs for Thinning the Veil eCourse with Leah Wolfe

The Chakra Yoga Challenge

The Radiance Sutras, translated by Lorin Roche

Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System As a Path to the Self by Anodea Judith

Chakras for Beginners: How to Balance Chakras, Strengthen Aura, and Radiate Energy (Chakra Balancing, Healing, and Meditation Techniques) by Victoria Lane

Chakra Wisdom Oracle Cards: The Complete Spiritual Toolkit for Transforming Your Life by Tori Hartman

Chakras and Their Archetypes: Uniting Energy Awareness and Spiritual Growth by Ambika Wauters

 

 

© 2015 Brandi Auset

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