Your January Chakrastrology Update

Take advantage of the energy the New Year brings and find emotional freedom this month.

What is Chakrastrology™?

Editor’s Note: Chakrastrology is based on the principle that each of our chakras (energy centers) is ruled by a planet, and that by working with both, we experience greater health and well-being. This wisdom is rooted in ancient texts and brought to life in a modern context. By looking at our chakras in terms of the planets, we get a major advantage in working with them and in seeing what’s influencing them now. For more information on Chakrastrology, scroll to the bottom of this article.

January 2018

The New Year began with a new moon in Cancer on January 1, setting the cosmic intention for the year on spiritual elevation, and personal revolution. The work destined for us in 2018 is internal—the kind of work that brings us close to our shadow so that we can more easily reveal our inner light. A grand formation of planets on New Year’s Day culminates in energy that propels us toward compassionate action and deep emotional healing. Whatever may stand in our way from behaving in accordance with our highest ideals must be let go at this time, or it will be to our detriment. Energy in this New Year is high, and clearly placed for us to take advantage of it.

Because 2018 starts with the Cancer new moon, along with the direct planetary influences of Venus, Pluto, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune, there are many forces present to help us work on the things we have probably put off for far too long. If you’ve felt yourself neglecting your spiritual practice, falling prey to old habits, building walls in relationships or suffering from a lack of drive, that all changes now. The best use of this energetic opportunity is to get down to business, and focus on our shadow work.

This includes being willing to sit with the discomfort of negative emotions, do therapeutic practices that help us get in touch with the hidden parts of our psyche, and accept what we find within in order to give it the space to change. The benefit of taking a hard look at the emotions, triggers and complexes that make us tick is emotional freedom.

Emotional freedom is the precursor to joy, compassion and connection.

We more clearly perceive what is right for us, have the clarity to make positive choices, and the resiliency to withstand life’s challenges when they arise. Because of this radically transformative time, which features the chance to aim for courage and clarity in our everyday lives, this month’s Chakrastrology focus is twofold: the heart chakra and the third eye chakra.

These two chakras are highlighted this month, first by the Cancer new moon on New Year’s Day, but also by the full moon in Capricorn on January 16.

All throughout the month, the moon, the sun and Venus work together. With the sun and the moon as the rulers of the third eye chakra, and Venus ruling the heart, we have a cosmic power trio that encourages us to keep refining, releasing and forgiving, in order to free ourselves from whatever holds us back emotionally.

While Capricorn is not generally known for its emotional connection, it is known for getting the job done. This month’s “job” is clear. It was set up on day one of the New Year, and throughout the month, we are encouraged to hone our intentions and become clearer and clearer on what holds us back from being emotionally available and connected to others.

The full moon in Capricorn is flanked on either side by Venus and Pluto, once again driving us to dig deep and challenge our beliefs about how we connect to ourselves and others. After heartbreak, many of us fall into the trap of believing that it is not worth it to love again. This is never the case, and suffering only ensues when we build walls between ourselves and those around us. The Capricorn full moon wants us to work on ourselves. Let go of the urge to distract yourself with worldly work, and instead, start focusing on what really matters.

When we fully engage with our spiritual practice, and with the things that connect us to ourselves and others (yoga, meditation, community activities, family gatherings, special date nights, etc.), we break down the walls that divide and build the connective tissue that brings us together. This is the reward of shadow work, the benefit of staying connected to our spirit, and working with the chakras to keep ourselves ready for the joy that is ready and waiting for us.

Recommended activities

The focus this month is on the third eye and heart chakra, giving us many rich opportunities to work diversely with our energy centers. By trying out new and different things, we overcome physical blocks, boundaries and preferences, which has a deeper influence on our emotional blocks, boundaries and preferences.

Step outside of your comfort zone this month and try something new, like a Les Mills Grit, Boxing Boot Camp or Mind Body Fusion class. Or, during your yoga practice, emphasize backbends to open the heart and physically feel vulnerability, to help your emotional body open to it. Take time every day to write down three items for which you are grateful. Nothing more than gratitude helps to knock loose the hard edges and lighten the dark corners of the heart and mind.

January Chakrastrology meditation

The sun, moon and Venus light up our hearts and minds this month, illuminating our third eye and heart chakras. The following meditation works to make these energy centers work together, so that we may see with our heart, behave in accordance with our highest good and make positive choices. Try doing the following meditation every single day, even before you get out of bed. Starting your day with this practice is a game changer for your mind, heart and attitude!

• Sit quietly in meditation and light a candle. Close your eyes, and bring your hands to prayer.
• Touch your thumbs to your forehead, and then to your heart, and then gently rest your hands into your lap.
• Notice your breath, and smooth the inhalation and exhalation to an even pace.
• As you inhale, say silently to yourself, “Love and gratitude to…” As you exhale, visualize the face of someone in your life. Rather than try and “think” these people up, allow individuals to arise in your mind’s eye naturally. No rhyme or reason necessary, just keep letting them appear.
• Breath after breath, one after the other, let your heart open and offer love and gratitude to those who appear…no matter who appears.
• Let go of judgment or expectation in this exercise, and simply let your heart open throughout this process.
• Close your meditation by writing down three things for which you are grateful that you can carry with you throughout the rest of the day!

Mantra of the month: “I illuminate my mind and emotions with the power of the compassion of my heart.”

Third eye and heart chakra smoothie recipe: Avocado, banana, acai, strawberry, spirulina powder and almond milk.

January’s Chakrastrology focus

Heart chakra + Venus
Focus: Compassion
Location: Heart, chest, lungs, shoulders, arms, respiratory and cardiovascular systems
Core mantra: “I am loved.”
Sanskrit name: Anahata (meaning “unstruck”)

Venus rules the heart chakra and lends love, compassion and forgiveness to our lives. Its influence also encourages us to seek beauty in all things: the way we live, what we surround ourselves with and how we present ourselves to the world.

Third eye chakra + sun + moon
Focus: Intuition
Location: Between the eyebrows, pineal gland, sinuses
Core mantra: “I am guided by intuition.”
Sanskrit name: Ajña (meaning “command”)

The sun and moon both rule the third eye chakra, and represent our conscious (sun) and unconscious (moon) mind. While the sun illuminates our core personality, the moon reveals the underlying urges, drives, habits, beliefs and thoughts that are behind everything we do. Creating more self-awareness is the key to balancing the sun and moon energies within us.

More on Chakrastrology

The ancient wisdom of the chakras reveals that there are “energetic hot spots” within the body where we store our experiences, emotions and beliefs. When we don’t examine these deeper elements of the self, then eventually imbalances in these areas manifest as physical sensations like tension or chronic pain. This is the inherent link between mind and body, and the chakras provide us a road map for unlocking it!

To take this understanding further and to see how our chakras are being influenced by the outside world, we look at their connection to the planets, which are yet another ancient body of wisdom. In alignment with the alchemical idea “As above, so below,” we watch the planets above us for insight into what’s happening within us. For millennia, astrologers have witnessed the influence of the planets on our day-to-day lives.

By recognizing the intrinsic links between the planets and areas of our body (the chakras), we also get invaluable information about how to optimize our health and well-being. This comprehensive system, known as chakrastrology, bridges the gap between outer and inner, and helps us make sense (and greater health).

Photo credit: Teddy Kelley, Unsplash