[alphamind]

Since Royster is on vacation, might as well add to this thread on his behalf.

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THE FIRST CHAKRA

ELEMENT: EARTH

COLOR: RED

BODY ASPECTS: Physical foundation; elimination of wastes; rectum, legs, feet; testosterone and estrogen

INSTINCT: Survival, procreation

PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS: Feeding, shelter, safety, ability to provide for oneself

GLANDS: Ovaries and testes

SEEDS: Kundalini, abundance

NEGATIVE EXPRESSION: Hoarding, predatory behavior, mindless violence, chronic fatigue, birth trauma, abandonment issues

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The first chakra is located at the base of the spine, between the anus and the genitals. It is the gateway to the feminine, extending luminous filaments down our legs into the biosphere. Like a taproot reaching into the moist, rich places in Mother Earth, the first chakra supplies us with essential nutrients. It grounds us and is the foundation in which our luminous energy system rests. When we become disconnected with earth, we begin to get our life nourishment from the surface. As a result, we become like a tree whose shallow, widespread roots cannot keep it from toppling during a storm. We lose our stability, our foundation, and our security.

When the first chakra is disconnected from the feminine Earth, we can feel orphaned and motherless. The masculine principle predominates, and we look for security from material things. Individuality prevails in our relationship, and selfish drives triumph over family, social, and global responsibility. The more separated we become from the Earth, the more hostile we become to the feminine. We disown our passion, our creativity, and our sexuality. Eventually the Earth itself becomes a baneful place. I remember being told by a medicine woman in the Amazon, “Do you know why they are really cutting down the rain forest? Because it is wet and dark and tangled and feminine.”

First-chakra drives are primary and instinctual. We seek shelter. We forage for food. We strive to survive even under the most adverse situations. We procreate. These urges are fundamental instincts. In the same way that we can hold our breath but we cannot command our body to stop breathing, we cannot override our instinct to survive.