Coralee's Compass: The Chakras — Your Guide to the Chakra System

Vasundhara – she who holds treasure – is the chakra that anchors us not just in our own body, but in the body of the Earth itself. Located approximately 30–60cm below the soles of the feet, beneath the ground, it sits outside the physical body entirely, forming the deepest root of the entire chakra system. Where the Root Chakra grounds us in our body and personal survival, the Earth Star grounds us in the Earth's body – in planetary consciousness, ancestral lineage, and the felt sense of belonging to life on this planet.

When balanced, there is a profound sense of being held by the Earth – a settledness that goes beyond the personal, a connection to the rhythms of nature and the wisdom of those who came before us. When depleted or blocked, we may feel unmoored in a way that no amount of ordinary grounding seems to reach – disconnected from nature, caught in ancestral patterns, or struggling to feel fully present in physical life.

Its colour is deep brown, black, or magenta (traditions vary), and its seed sound is a deep, resonant LAM – the same as the Root, but at a slower, earthier octave, or simply the silence of the ground itself. Crystals that resonate with the Earth Star include Black Tourmaline, Smoky Quartz, Hematite, Obsidian, Shungite, and Black Kyanite.

Earth Star Chakra guide coming soon.

Mūlādhāra is the foundation of the seven main chakras – the energy of belonging, safety, and being rooted in the physical world. Located at the base of the spine, it governs our most primal needs: shelter, food, security, and the felt sense of having a right to exist. When balanced, we feel grounded, steady, and at home in our body. When depleted or blocked, fear, anxiety, and a sense of rootlessness can take hold.

Its element is Earth, its colour is deep red, and its seed sound (bija mantra) is LAM. Crystals that resonate with the Root Chakra include Red Jasper, Garnet, Smoky Quartz, Black Tourmaline, and Hematite.

Root Chakra guide coming soon.

Svādhiṣṭhāna is the seat of creativity, sensuality, and the flow of life. Located just below the navel, it governs our relationship with pleasure, emotion, and the creative impulse – the part of us that makes, feels, and desires. When balanced, we move through life with ease, joy, and creative vitality. When blocked, we may feel emotionally numb, creatively stuck, or caught in cycles of guilt and shame.

Its element is Water, its colour is warm orange, and its seed sound is VAM. Crystals that resonate with the Sacral Chakra include Carnelian, Orange Calcite, Sunstone, Peach Moonstone, and Tiger's Eye.

Sacral Chakra guide coming soon.

Maṇipūra is the centre of personal power, will, and self-definition. Located in the solar plexus, it governs our sense of identity, our capacity to act with intention, and our relationship with confidence and self-worth. When balanced, we feel purposeful, clear, and capable. When out of alignment, we may struggle with self-doubt, control, or a tendency to give our power away.

Its element is Fire, its colour is bright yellow, and its seed sound is RAM. Crystals that resonate with the Solar Plexus include Citrine, Yellow Jasper, Pyrite, Golden Tiger's Eye, and Amber.

Solar Plexus Chakra guide coming soon.

Anāhata is the bridge between the lower and upper chakras – the place where the earthly and the divine meet in the open field of love. Located at the centre of the chest, it governs our capacity for love, compassion, forgiveness, and connection – both with others and with ourselves. When balanced, we give and receive love freely, with open hands. When closed, grief, resentment, or loneliness can settle in the chest like a stone.

Its element is Air, its colour is emerald green (and sometimes rose pink), and its seed sound is YAM. Crystals that resonate with the Heart Chakra include Rose Quartz, Green Aventurine, Malachite, Rhodonite, and Jade.

Heart Chakra guide coming soon.

Viśuddha is the centre of authentic expression – the place where our inner truth finds its voice. Located at the throat, it governs communication, creativity through sound and language, and the courage to speak what is real. When balanced, we express ourselves clearly and honestly, and we listen with equal depth. When blocked, we may swallow our words, struggle to be heard, or speak without meaning.

Its element is Ether (Akasha), its colour is sky blue, and its seed sound is HAM. Crystals that resonate with the Throat Chakra include Aquamarine, Blue Lace Agate, Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli, and Celestite.

Throat Chakra guide coming soon.

Ājñā is the seat of inner vision, intuition, and the capacity to see beyond the surface of things. Located between the eyebrows, it governs our perception – both outer and inner – our ability to trust what we sense, and our connection to wisdom that transcends the rational mind. When balanced, we see clearly, trust our intuition, and hold a wider perspective. When blocked, we may feel mentally foggy, disconnected from our inner knowing, or prone to overthinking.

Its element is Light, its colour is deep indigo, and its seed sound is OM (or AUM). Crystals that resonate with the Third Eye include Amethyst, Labradorite, Lapis Lazuli, Fluorite, and Iolite.

Third Eye Chakra guide coming soon.

Sahasrāra is the thousand-petalled lotus at the crown of the head – the point where individual consciousness opens into the infinite. It governs our connection to the divine, to universal wisdom, and to the understanding that we are both deeply individual and part of something vast and whole. When balanced, there is a quiet sense of peace, presence, and belonging to life itself. When closed, we may feel spiritually disconnected, purposeless, or trapped in the small self.

Its element is pure Consciousness (or Thought), its colour is violet or brilliant white, and its seed sound is the silence beyond sound – or AH. Crystals that resonate with the Crown Chakra include Clear Quartz, Amethyst, Selenite, Howlite, and Moonstone.

Crown Chakra guide coming soon.

Beyond the Crown, the chakra system continues into the transpersonal realms – centres that exist outside the individual body and connect us to progressively wider fields of consciousness. These are not chakras of personal healing in the everyday sense; they are the gateways through which the soul remembers its larger nature.

Different traditions name and number them differently, but a widely used framework describes five higher centres:

8th – Soul Star (Wela): Just above the Crown · silver or gold · the seat of the soul's purpose, karmic records, and akashic memory. The first step beyond the personal self.
9th – Spirit/Stellar Gateway: Further above · brilliant gold or white · connection to the higher self, spirit guides, and the soul's broader journey across lifetimes.
10th – Universal Gateway: Planetary and solar consciousness · the point where individual awareness begins to merge with the consciousness of the Earth and Sun.
11th – Galactic Chakra: Galactic consciousness and divine will · where we align with the greater patterns of cosmic evolution.
12th – Divine Gateway: Pure Source connection · unity with All That Is · the outermost point of the chakra system as it dissolves back into the infinite.

Crystals that are often associated with the higher chakras include Phenacite, Danburite, Moldavite, Petalite, Azeztulite, and high-vibration Clear Quartz.

Higher Chakras guide coming soon.