Didn’t know I’d been way, did you? :) Hah! Silence at this end doesn’t always mean laziness … or that life has been overwhelming … or that I have blogger’s block … or that my PC has broken down and I can’t beg or borrow access to another … or that I’ve been abducted by aliens – well, you get the picture :)
Well, I have – been away, I mean: a work trip to the Gobi Desert [1] (incidentally, the comment in that link about worries about desertification of the Gobi being fallacious because the Gobi is already a desert [1] is absolute rubbish: deserts are all different, and they are NOT all sand dunes- where I was actually had quite a bit of low, scrubby growth, as do many deserts in Australia - they just have less than 250mm of rain!) in Mongolia [1]. Being a sh*t farmer par excellence has its – surprising – advantages. (To see some photos of the Gobi, see my shrine http://nshrine.com/shrine/Special_Places_The_Great_.)
Mind you, I had the usual hassles with international travel because I don’t look and sound “normal”, and the airport security in Mongolia had been set so sensitively that the metal clips in my bra strap set the blasted walk through detectors off, … but I won’t go into all that here. Suffice to say I am at the stage where I am thinking seriously of giving up international travel until security becomes rational (by which I mean, as expounded by Bruce Schneier).Mind .. you, I liked the description of the "self help" books in Hong Kong as "self enhancement", and I think the description of coffee with milk in it as "brown" rather than "white" is very apt .
Anyway, the Gobi was marvellous – and I loved the sound of the Mongolian language (I can only say hello – sain uu, or for formal situations [like talking to my boss there!] sain bain uu, and thank you, which seems to be pronounced either baililu or baiklu), and liked the local people I was working with. (I’ve changed the spellings of these slightly to match what an English speaker would expect.)
Unfortunately, I didn’t get much exposure to Mongolian culture – partly because the trip was organised in a rush, and partly because of the demands of the work (as usual, there was no time for tourism), but, on that, it should be noted that Mongolia is a slowly modernising culture: you won’t find a lot of people living traditionally in gers (the Mongolian version of yurts, featuring a slightly different construction) although quite a few poorer people in Ulaanbaatar live in gers, lacking heating, water, sewerage, susceptible to floods, etc.
The work was, however, as usual on these sorts of trips, intense, with 15 hour plus days and the sheer fact of having to take in a lot of information and the pressure of having to make the best decision in a very short time, and as I start writing this I am in Hong Kong airport, aching, psychically overloaded and unutterably exhausted. Public transport of any sort is difficult for many psychically/emotionally/mentally sensitive people, and combine that with things like security people putting their hands on you, the cramped space in a plane (any sleep I get there is never good), the type of frenetic energy in airports, the hassles of being part of the LGBTI communities, and I am going to crash in a big way when I finally get home.
In fact, my partner and I have planned for that, and even my boss (technically, Boss No. 2 – I answer to a few people … ) agreed to me taking some time off for recovery, bless ‘is cotton socks.
Anyway, I did some experimenting this morning, as I – and a few dozen others, some airline staff, and a plane - flew from Ulaanbaatar (which reminds me of Há Nôi in the 90s) to HK (Goddess but everyone seems to love acronyms – it was never “Ulaanbaatar”, it was always “UB”, for instance; HK = Hong Kong). What I did was focus on my use of chakras, as follows:
- each chakra is connected to a level of reality;
- each chakra acts a little like a radio receiver, receiving energy from that level and changing it so it can be manifested into this physical level of reality, through the chakra;
- each chakra can be connected to the others;
- I found the levels where I was feeling most overwhelmed (that of the lower astral, which corresponds with the “me” focused emotions of the solar plexus chakra), and then drew energy to that chakra from other levels (via the corresponding chakra) to reinforce the skin of my aura on that level, after making sure that I had contributed energy from each chakra/level to the shield/skin of my aura.
The diagram will come later, but I can put in the table now ...
Chakra
|
Corresponding level of reality
|
Corresponding body
|
Comments
|
Bernard Gunther shape, colour and sound [1]
|
Causal
Star
|
Above
the soul – Monod, etc.
|
What
terminology do you wish to use, Dear Reader? I personally would use something
like Higher Self, Atman, Spirit.
|
This chakra, from Katrina Raphael’s
writings in her wonderful crystal books, is located 300mm (12 inches) above
the head, and is described as being to connect us to world of spirit
generally.
This chakra enables us to connect to
the Universe.
|
I visualise either the concept of
energy, and either enjoy the stillness or chant “Ain Sof Aur”.
|
Spirit
Star
|
“Higher”
soul
|
Soul
|
This chakra, from Katrina Raphael’s
writings in her wonderful crystal books, is located 150mm (6 inches) above
the head, and is described as being to connect us to world of spirit
generally.
After this morning’s flight, I
describe this as the “others” focused soul chakra.
|
No shape, just pure brilliance, an
energy so bright its colour cannot be determined, and chant “Kether”.
|
Soul
Star
|
“Lower”
soul
|
Soul
|
This chakra, from Katrina Raphael’s
writings in her wonderful crystal books, is located on the same level/height
as the crown chakra, but behind that chakra (and outside the head), and is
described as being the one that connects us to our Higher Self.
After this morning’s flight, I
describe this as the “me” focused soul chakra.
|
No shape, just pure brilliance, an
energy so bright its colour cannot be determined, and chant “Eheieh”.
|
Crown
|
“Higher”
mental
|
Mental
|
After this morning’s flight, I
describe this as the “others” focused psychic chakra, capable of giving
intuition that can help others.
|
Purple lotus, chant “Aum”.
|
Third
Eye
|
“Lower”
mental
|
Mental
|
Governs things like clairvoyance.
After this morning’s flight, I describe this as the “me” focused psychic
chakra – but I’m still working this through!
|
An indigo six pointed star, chant
“ah”.
|
Throat
|
?
(I’m
still developing this.)
|
?
(I’m
still developing this.)
|
Governs communication (including,
oddly enough, clairaudience).
After this morning’s flight, I
describe this as the “others” focused communication chakra
|
Light blue cup, chant “ha”.
|
Connecting
throat and heart
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
This is one I’m deliberately aiming at
developing myself, and is based on making it easier for to “speak from the
heart”, or “speak my truth”.
Shocked? I consider you shouldn’t be –
I think chakras are energy structures that have, are and will evolve.
After this morning’s flight, I describe
this as the “me” focused communication chakra
|
No particular shape or colour or sound, as yet ...
|
Heart
|
“Higher”
astral
|
Astral
|
After this morning’s flight, I
describe this as the “other” focused emotional chakra – dealing with caring
for others, etc.
|
Gold, shape is a cross (I use an
ankh), sound “Ya mm”.
|
Between
heart and solar plexus
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Shirley Maclaine first commented on
this chakra, to the effect that it is helping to unify heart and solar
plexus, and is a chakra being developed by humanity.
|
Not covered in Bernard Gunther’s
system: I visualise another mini-Earth, and draw in blue and green while
chanting “Hum”.
|
Solar
Plexus
|
“Lower”
astral or etheric
|
Astral
|
After this morning’s flight, I
describe this as the “me” focused emotional chakra, dealing with (emotional)
threats to oneself and caring for oneself.
|
Green, cylinder, sound “Ra”.
|
Second
|
Physical
(possibly etheric?)
|
Physical
body (and/or etheric?)
|
After this morning’s flight, I
describe this as the “others” focused physical chakra – dealing with survival
of the race (procreation), and contributions to society such as creativity.
|
An orange truncated pyramid, and the
sound “La”.
|
Base
|
Physical
|
Physical
body
|
After this morning’s flight, I
describe this as the “me” focused physical chakra – dealing with survival of
the individual body.
|
Red, rectangular box, and the sound
“ba”.
|
Earth
Star
|
Physical
|
Planet
|
I first came across this chakra in Katrina
Raphael’s books on crystal. It is located in the aura, around 150mm (6
inches) below the feet. This chakra anchors us to the planet, and enables us
to be connected to Her, and draw sustenance – including energy – from Her.
|
Not included in Gunther’s system.
I use blue, yellow, green and
red-brown, arrange into a sphere – a mini-Earth, and chant either “Malkuth”
or “Adonai”.
|
Notes:
- 1. From "Energy Ecstasy: Your Seven Vital Chakras", by Bernhard Gunther (pub. Newcastle Publishing Co. Inc., Van Nuys, CA, USA, ISBN 0-87877-066-6). For more on how I use these, see http://gnwmythr.blogspot.com/2007/10/secret-science-of-hugs.html.
Fairly clearly, there are also other chakras beyond our current knowledge …
Now, moving on to a few other matters, a few brief thoughts, mostly from altitudes above 35,000 feet above mean sea level …
Firstly, one of the reasons I hate watching dramas is that I actually find them incredibly violent films – the violence is verbal and emotional, rather than physical, but I consider the damage from such violence to be potentially FAR more devastating than physical violence. I would go so far as to say some who like such films (and I have some people from a couple of decades ago specifically in mind here) like them because they are more adept at such films than physical violence. It does NOT make them less violent, any more than people who use superior verbal skills to brow beat others into doing what they and not the others want are less violent than those who use a lump of wood to threaten people.
Next, while I was travelling, it occurred to me that Anglo-Saxons are still the most warlike of races - nowadays, though, this warlike-ness gets put into business & commerce.
Now, one of my favourite idle pastimes: labels. Although I am a pagan, I consider the best magickal tool to be the mind, and consider reliance on objects a potential weakness (doesn’t stop me making and using them, but I acknowledge that they are a second rate approach compared to the ideal of being able to do such work without such tools, which requires STRENGTH). It occurred to me, during my recent travels, that Raja Yoga is focused on developing the mind, so maybe I should describe my path as Raja Paganism, or Raja Wicca …
I probably won’t, but it gives me another useful perspective and way of thinking.
And finally, pentacles vs. pentagrams. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentacle [1]:
The words pentacle and pentagram (a five-point unicursal star) are essentially synonymous, according to the Online Oxford English Dictionary (2007 revision), which traces the etymology through both French and Italian back to Latin, but notes that in Middle French the word "pentacle" was used to refer to any talisman. In an extended use, many magical authors treat them as distinct. In many tarot decks and in some forms of modern witchcraft, pentacles often prominently incorporate a pentagram in their design.
There is a specific differentiation between pentacle and pentagram within Wicca and other re-constructionist systems. Namely, a pentacle refers to a pentagram circumscribed by a circle. This form of pentacle is formed upon a disk which may be used either upon an altar or as a sacred space of its own. The pentacle is representative of the Earth in occult usage.
[1] Please see my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia.
Love, light, hugs and blessings
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
My "blogiography" is here.
May the world of commerce and business be recognised to be a servant, not a master, of the lives of people.
A home is for living in, not feeling, becoming or being rich or a “better” class than others.
The International Labour Organisation's definition of "full employment" is wrong, useless and misleading.
Armageddon is alive and well and happening right now: it is a battle between the indolence of "I only ..." and/or "I just ..." on one side, and perspicacity on the other.
Like fire to the physical, emotions to the soul make a good servant, and a bad master.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good [people] to do nothing. EDMUND BURKE
Your children are not your children. ... They come through you but ... they belong not to you ... for their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow KAHLIL GIBRAN
We didn't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we only borrowed it from our children ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY
Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Those whom we cannot stand are usually those who we cannot understand P.K.SHAW
Tags: about me, chakras, energy work, evolution, planes of existence, society, violence,
First published: Sunnudgar, 2nd September, 2012
Last edited: Sunday, 2nd September, 2012
