Chakra Works Series of articles:

The Sacral Chakra

This second chakra is the one that controls your passions, your sexual needs, the abundance that you allow into your life for the fulfillment of your desires. It has been known as the "Spleen" chakra, the "Orange" chakra and the "Navel" chakra, to mention a few. It is associated with your sexuality, desire, pleasure, your ability to sense things on a psychic level, your perceptions concerning food and sex, intuition, and your sense of self-worth.

Your "gut feelings" and emotions toward the world are ruled by the state of this chakra. It's also deeply connected to the five physical senses. It is influenced by how emotions were expressed or repressed during childhood.

The arts, music, dance, theater, psychotherapy and related fields, as well as the mystical sciences are all governed by this powerful chakra. The greatest need of this chakra is to be respected and acknowledged, especially by family and friends.

Your ability to have children is also associated with this energy center.

The initial development of this chakra takes place when you're between 3 and 5 years old and remains in focus until about age 8. We return to it again at about 34 and focus on it until about 38, and then again between the ages of 64 and 68.

LOCATION (on the body): on the spine in the lower abdomen, between the navel and the base of the spine. It's about 2-3 inches below the navel and in the center of the body.

COLOR associated with it: Orange

ELEMENT: Water

SENSE: Taste

PHYSICAL AREAS OF THE BODY AFFECTED: This chakra governs the reproductive systems, mammary glands, ovaries, testicles; muscular system, spleen, bladder, gallbladder, kidneys, hips and thighs, lower abdomen, prostate, large intestine, and the fluids such as blood, urine and the lymphatic system. It lubricates the body internally and represents the character of water. It affects diseases of the blood, skin.

INFORMATION STORED IN THIS CHAKRA: relates to first impressions, old emotional pictures, ancestral "baggage", duality and controlling patterns.

This chakra is RULED BY Jupiter

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: Cancer and Scorpio

ANGEL: Gabriel

ANIMALS / ARCHETYPES: fish-tailed Alligator / Sovereign / Martyr

DEITIES: Varuna (water element), Vishnu (preserver and restorer), Rakini (symbol of fire), Diana, Neptune, Pan

METAL: Tin

POSITIVE QUALITIES: would include an enriched creativity and confidence in that creativity; enhanced emotional gratification and courage, a healthy increase in sexual vitality, the ability to be attracted to others, friendliness, an ease of sharing with others, a positive awareness of your own body, and a positive self-esteem; independence.

WHEN HEALTHY - This chakra spins to the right in women. When it awakens, it increases powers of intuition and psychic abilities, also awareness of the astral plane. When functioning properly, you become expressive, open, creative and spontaneous. You find yourself on an even keel when you relate to others. You're able to pursue your creative hobbies, to write, paint, sing, dance, etc. You have a good sense of belonging, and feel fully alive, energetic and guilt-free. You exude self-confidence and well-being, and are patient with others. You can be passionate, lively and playful.

NEGATIVE QUALITIES: would include being anti-social, feeling inadequate, being selfish, lustful, arrogant; anger, fear, disobedience, the need to control everything, hatred, racism, despair, being withdrawn, destructive or over-dependant.

WHEN OUT OF BALANCE, DEFICIENT, OR BLOCKED - you may feel unresponsive sexually and emotionally, you may feel unoriginal and repressed, and be unable to express your needs. It can cause feelings of possessiveness, jealousy, envy, and self-regret on all levels. It can make you feel guilt and shame; your sense of humor may be lacking; you may feel mistrustful, restless, confused, homophobic, ugly. It can make you feel like a victim, and always have the need for more stuff, more material things. You may have fears of intimacy or abandonment, tend to be a follower, and you might put too much emphasis on the approval of others.

WHEN OVER-ACTIVE - it may cause your emotions to swing from one extreme to the other, making you so hyper you can't focus on any one thing for long. You may be too sensitive to others and end up taking on the problems. You may feel lustful, selfish, or overburdened by too much energy and too many impressions received from others. There's constant drama in your life. You're power-seeking, overly proud, manipulative, caught up in illusions. Forming excessive attachments to people or things is possible, you may have addictions.

COMMON ADDICTIONS - sex, work, relationships, sugar

PHYSICAL DYSFUNCTIONS of the Sacral Chakra could include low back pain, sciatica trouble, OB/GYN problems - menstrual problems, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis; pelvic problems, lack of libido, uinary problems, kidney weakness or stones, constipation, muscle cramps, lack of energy, allergies, weight-loss, impotence, frigidity, prostate problems, blood disorders, spleen problems, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, gallstones.

Healing this center can help detoxify the body, and help in recovery from past abuse and fertility or sexual issues.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF: to help determine if this chakra needs clearing/recharging:

1. What are your addictions? What is your addictive behavior?
2. Do you smoke, drink to excess, depend on pills to sleep or to get you through the day?
3. Are you envious, jealous, or filled with hate for another person?
4. Do you need to control your life and/or those around you?
5. Do you feel strong emotions and are unsure of how to correctly vent them?
6. Do you need to always buy something in order to fill a void?
7. Are you always seeking validation?

Depending on your answers to these questions, you might want to spend a little time each day focusing on the Heart Chakra to help you balance out your physical/emotional bodies.

Some things that may help you to become balanced are using colors, crystals, and gemstones, herbs, oils, etc. with your meditation or other chakra work. I have included a little information on these below.

COLOR:
To strengthen/awaken this chakra, use or wear the color orange. The more colorful and bright the orange, the more avant-garde you feel. The more earthly and brown-looking the orange, the more connected to the earth / Mother Earth you will feel.

To tone down this chakra, if it's too active, try adding the color blue, and shades of blue.

MUSIC/SOUNDS: This chakra responds well to to sensual, flowing music; song or dance that has a stimulating and passionate rhythm, such as belly dancing music.

GEMSTONES:

To strengthen this chakra use amber, orange or honey-colored calcite, citrine, carnelian, honey-colored selenite, peach aventurine, apricot quartz, peach moonstone (geesh, I'm about to head to the grocery store!).

To tone down this chakra use blue lace agate, sodalite or blue flourite.

Some stones for specific work with this chakra are the:

- Bloodstone awakens and balances the 1st (root) through the 4th (heart) chakras.
- Carnelian is associated here with creativity and decision-making.
- Citrine for passion, and to energize this center.
- Red Garnet enourages patience, removes negativity from the chakra and promotes physical healing.
- Red Jasper helps us connect to the flowing energies of the earth.
- Ruby, the stone of passion, enhances sensory awareness.
- Clear Quartz crystal helps you gain focus and clarity.
- Rose quartz provides a gentle loving energy.
- Rutilated quartz inspires you to look beyond your present situation.

HERBS associated with the Sacral Chakra: Bistort, bodhi, carrot, cattail, celery, chickweed, chinaberry, cinnamon, clover, daisy, endive, hibiscus, hazel, licorice, mint, myrtle, mustard, nuts, oak, periwinkle, pine, poppy, rosemary, saffron, sesame, turnip, vanilla, violet, wheat, walnut

FRAGRANCES/OILS/INCENCES: Sandalwood, Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Basil

AFFIRMATIONS:

- I accept and acknowledge my sexuality.
- My physical health is strong and pure.
- I am alive and joyful.
- I am able to surrender my fears.
- I am in tune with my emotions.

SOME ACTIVITIES TO AWAKEN/BALANCE:the Sacral Chakra:

- Work on raising your self-esteem.
- Find ways to express your emotions.
- Dance, move your hips, practice yoga.
- Laugh, have some fun.
- Get a massage, or take a warm bubble bath.
- When you meditate on this chakra, it releases tension and develops sexuality and creativity.

If you would like more information about your chakras and how to use the tips in this article order the ebook Chakra Works and begin the journey to new and positive changes.

ThunderWolf is owner of New Age eBooks and The New Earth Pagan Shop web shops, and published author of several books. She has been a practicing witch and psychic card reader for over 30 years.

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