• The illustrations that follow are largely idealizations that will hopefully give more substance to the jumble of words that follow. This section will be about idealizations since it is an introduction. Reality follows in later pages.

• I have read elsewhere that the word chakras is ancient Sanskrit for wheels.

• Chakras are the wheels with depth, or stable vortices that link together more disparate levels of the spirit, pull together different qualities and interact with more universal levels.

• My view of chakras largely coincides with others, but I generally find their views to be dainty or focus on the passive, the currently popular intellectual view of spirituality ... not that I probably couldn't stand to be a bit more dainty.

• Almost all authors talk about "THE" seven chakras and then list or draw a particular set of chakras that somewhat disagree with other authors.

• It has always been particularly intriguing to me to see chakras in locations other than the prescribed seven when observing people.

• My sense is that you can at least develop chakras anyplace along a line from the crown of your head to the root of your torso. In fact, I have found it important to develop more than seven in myself.

• In older texts I have seen references to spleen and liver chakras which would be outside this line.

• Some authors actually go to the point of saying it is evil to develop chakras in certain locations ... in particular, as you may guess, the gonads. My sense is that the location of a strong chakra in a person usually relates to a particularly developed strength. As with all things, these abilities can be used more or less selfishly. In addition, strength or pouvoir-faire seems to increase as there is a better balance between satisfying the wants and needs of the individual and the satisfying the wants and needs of others.

• A viewer should make sure to consider my authoritativeness in my writing as me being authoritative about my own interpretation of my own experience. Other interpretations, insights and perceptions are welcome.

• Almost all representations I have ever seen of the chakras focus only on the front. My experience is that it is important for them to go all the way through as illustrated here.

• A chakra can go all the way through on a particular level of the spirit. This does not imply that it goes all the way through on a deeper level or connects very well to another level. My interpretation of my experience is that these levels are intertwined in at least a  four dimensional sense.

• Chakras should exhibit a yin/yang relationship between openness and closedness, malleability and firmness.

• The location of a chakra relates strongly to glands, organs and parts of the corporeal body in the area.

• Eventually, the items that follow will have more hypertext links to more detailed discussions. I gotta start someplace. Enjoy !!

I will start my discussion at the base and work up.

The Root Chakra. The label root chakra is used slightly differently by different people. It is one's connection to the earth, maybe even the molten core. It relates to the most basic sense of self. It should be connected to the crown chakra as illustrated, which occurs very rarely to any great extent. Its connectedness and strength also seem to contribute to a sense of groundedness.

The Gonads Chakra. It seems to me that the stronger the gonads chakra the less selfish and needy the person is sexually, though these people are also going to have a very real confidence and enjoyment. A strong gonads chakra is also almost always indicative of a strong stable self-exceptance and self-acceptance, balanced with other-exceptance and other-acceptance. This is not someone who runs around finding reasons to be jealous and try to run others down. The back part of the chakra has more to do with elimination.

The Intestinal Chakra. The intestinal chakra appears in everyone's system that I've ever seen as a primary chakra. A good intestinal chakra is reasonably described by the phrase "intestinal fortitude". This chakra is important in martial arts and centering, though my honest impression is they talk about it, but don't really know how to make use of it. It has much to do with a mentality of self reliance, and not expecting others to protect or sustain you in ways that you would not have others expect you to protect or sustain them.

The Gut Chakra. The gut chakra appears in everyone's system that I've ever seen as a primary chakra. It has much to do with discernment and intuition. It is a good thing to have "guts". "Butterflies" in the stomach can definitely be seen.

The Chest Chakra. This chakra or the heart chakra is always a primary chakra in every system I have seen. It is very similar in character to the heart chakra, but relates a bit more to the glands in the area and the use of the arms and shoulders. That is, how one carries burdens and reaches out to others. It also has much to do with self defense.

The Throat Chakra. The throat chakra is almost always considered a primary chakra in people's systems. It relates to the connection of the head to the rest of the body. For example, being able to verbalize feelings. It is usually the place where the head blocks off the "lower" things, particularly in intellectuals. This can be particularly difficult because intellectuals are very inclined to use words to disguise such blocks or disconnections. It also has a lot to do with a balance between talking and listening.

The Face Chakra. While this is fairly rarely developed to the point of being a chakra, in some people it is developed quite impressively. Does someone allow their emotions to show on their face? Can someone maintain their face without resorting to a lot of lies to cover up?

The Brow Chakra. The brow chakra appears in everyone's system that I've ever seen as a primary chakra. Rather than having a lot to do with intellectualism it has more to do with using one's intellect independently, accurately, effectively and creatively. Seeing with one's own eyes and thinking with one's own mind. Far rarer qualities than any of us would like to admit. But as usual this should be balanced with being able to see through other people's eyes, a type of empathy, or trying to see with God's eyes, another type of empathy. This "third eye" has much to do with seeing in the interior spaces.

The Crown Chakra. The crown chakra appears in everyone's system that I've ever seen as a primary chakra.

There are many things that I cannot communicate with the drawing since I am limited by my artistic abilities and the use of a pencil. The dynamism and almost electrical nature of the flows is unapparent. The contrast and intermingling between dark and light is understated. There are usually little nodes at major joints such as shoulders, elbows, knees and ankles.

The nature of what flows varies between people as you might expect. Weaknesses in these flows at some locations increase vulnerability to injury. Strength in these flows has much to do with health and ability.

The chakras can be looked at as the generators for the conduits. The nature of what flows can be characterized by the intermixing and integration of dynamics. It seems, the stronger, more connected at a level and connected between levels the conduits and chakras are, the better. While fragmentation, blocks, layering or build up of dross in the overall spirit have been acquired, often as defenses to the outside world or blind imitation of the outside world, they ultimately inhibit ability and health.

Apparently, the haric line and the conduits, and the spots where the chakras tie into them should be the deepest part of a person. This is important because at these deepest places people develop their connection to deeper more powerful levels of the spirit. How to develop this is a good question, and I have initiated an attempt to at least describe my own experience in some exercises.