Leadbeater's positioning of the Chakras differs slightly from traditionally
accepted locations in that there is no Manipura and the Anahata (heart)
is slightly to the right of the central column. Instead of the Manipura
he allocates a spleen Chaka (3rd from bottom).
Leadbeater claims to have seen been able to see the Chakras and so provides
a detailed description concerning there colour, location, and the number
of spokes/petals each had. The table below highlights his findings.
Name No. of petals Associated vertebrae Associated
nerve plexus
Crown 972
n/a
n/a
Brow or Frontal 96 1st
cervical Caratid
Throat 16
3rd
cervical Pharyngeal
Heart 12
8th cervical
Cardiac
Navel 10
8th
thoracic Coelac
or solar
Spleen 6
1st
lumbar
Splenic
Coccygeal 4
4th
sacral
Coccygeal
Leadbeater's replacement of the Manipura with the spleen Chakras has
obviously caused a great deal of controversy, however, this is not the
only original suggestion he made. He also challenged how the Charaks should
be perceived. He was the first to suggest that Chakras are energy/cosiousness
transformers, linking the various subtle bodies (the etheric body, the
astral body, the mental body, etc) by stepping down the frequency of the
consciousness-energy of the higher body, so it can be received by the
lower one. This challenges the Indian and Tibetan traditions, where the
Chakras are described as subtle centres of consciousness, but have no
energy-status of their own.
Most esoteric writers now tend to agree that the Chakras are energy/consciousness
receivers and transmitters that enable the person to assimilate the cosmic
vitality that is so necessary for physical and mental well-being. |