Archetypes of the Seven Chakras
The Positive and Negative Aspects Associated With Chakras
Each of the seven chakras has a corresponding archetype. By examining these positive and negative associations, we can free ourselves of harmful patterns.
Chakras are the energy centers of the human energy system that filter energy throughout our being in order that we have enough vigor to live our lives. Each of the seven main chakras corresponds to an organ, gland, color, musical note, and emotion.
Healthy chakras allow energy to flow freely through our physical and emotional bodies, and are a vital part of our happiness. If this flow becomes blocked, whether partially or completely, illness and unhappiness develop.
Psychotherapist and homeopath, Ambika Wauters discusses the link between archetypes and the chakras in her book, Chakras and Their Archetypes. She identifies seven archetypes and their functional and dysfunctional counterparts that correspond to each of the chakras. The archetypes represent a fixed pattern of human behavior. Whether we are male or female, we all follow archetypal roles. Creating healthy archetypes is paramount to achieving both physical and spiritual health.
The Chakras and Their Associated Archetypes:
- Positive archetype: Mother
- Negative archetype: Victim
- Positive archetype: Emperor/Empress
- Negative archetype: Martyr
Solar Plexus chakra:
- Positive archetype: Warrior
- Negative archetype: Servant
Heart chakra:
- Positive archetype: Lover
- Negative archetype: Actor
Throat chakra:
- Positive archetype: Communicator
- Negative archetype: Silent Child
Brow/Third Eye chakra:
- Positive archetype: Intuitive
- Negative archetype: Intellectual
Crown chakra:
- Positive archetype: Guru
- Negative archetype: Egotist
Archetypes are embodied in the characters that have appeared throughout the ages. Examples include the beautiful princess, the wicked witch and the knight in shining armor. They are projections of glamour and excitement. They emerge as the heroes and villains of every culture and are universal. According to Wauters, “we respond to archetypes because they mirror aspects of our own unconscious. Thus, when an archetypal character—whether hero or villain, wicked stepmother or orphaned child—is portrayed in a film or play, we are struck by the deep emotional response that character evokes and something within us resonates with them.”
The degree of positive or negative energy within each chakra relates to the archetype we are currently living out in our lives, Wauters states. In Chakras and Their Archetypes, we are taken step by step through an explanation of each chakra and its corresponding functional and dysfunctional archetype. We are given exercises to release old archetypal patterns, meditations to encourage peace and acceptance and affirmations to focus our mind and feelings on the positive.
By working through the chakras in this way, Wauters gives us the opportunity to heal any negative archetypes and the areas in our life in which you are subsequently trapped.
Once the negative has been dealt with, the positive can kick in and with that empowerment we will experience vitality and continued mental, physical and emotion growth.
