vi THE CHAKRAS, vii

Much has been written about the chakras, but it is chiefly in Sanskrit or in some of the Indian vernaculars indigenous languages. It is only quite recently that any account of them has appeared in English. I mentioned them myself in The Inner Life about 1910, and since then Sir John Woodroffe’s magnificent work The Serpent Power has been issued, and some of the other Indian books original Indian writings have been translated. The symbolical drawings of them which are used by the Indian yogis were reproduced in The Serpent Power, but so far as I am aware the illustrations which I give in this book are the first attempt to represent them as they actually appear to those who can see them. Indeed, it is chiefly in order to put before the public this fine series of drawings by my friend the Rev. Edward Warner that I write this book, and I wish to express my deep indebtedness to him for all the time and trouble that he has devoted to them. I have also to thank my indefatigable collaborator, Professor Ernest Wood, for the collection and collation of all the valuable information as to the Indian views on our subject which is contained in Chapter V.

Being much occupied with other work, it was my intention merely to collect and reprint as accompanying letterpress to the illustrations the various articles which I had long ago written on the subject; but as I looked over them certain questions suggested themselves, and a little investigation put me in possession of additional facts, which I have duly incorporated. An interesting point is that both the vitality-globe and the kundalinî the serpent fire ring were observed by Dr. Besant and catalogued as hyper-meta-proto elements as long ago as 1895, though we did not then follow them far enough to discover their relation to one another and the important part that they play in the economy of human life.

C. W. L.

CONTENTS

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

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CHAPTER I

THE FORCE-CENTRES

The Meaning of the Word Introductory explanation. Preliminary Explanations. The Etheric Double. The Centres middle points. The Form of the Vortices whirlpools. The Illustrations. The Root Chakra root. The Spleen Chakra spleen. The Navel Chakra navel. The Heart Chakra. The Throat Chakra. The Brow Chakra forehead. The Crown Chakra Crown?. Other Accounts of the Centres. Psychic Forces . . . . . . . . . 1
explanations

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CHAPTER II

THE FORCES

The Primary or Life Force. The Serpent-Fire. The Three Spinal Channels. The Marriage of the Forces. The Sympathetic System. The Centres in the Spine. Vitality. The Vitality Globule. The Supply of Globules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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CHAPTER III

THE ABSORPTION OF VITALITY

The Globule. The Violet-Blue Ray. The Yellow Ray. The Green Ray. The Rose Ray. The Orange-Red Ray. The Five Prâna Vâyus currents of vital breath. Vitality and Health. The Fate of the Empty Atoms. Vitality and Magnetism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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CHAPTER IV

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHAKRAS

The Functions of the Awakened Centres. The Astral Centres. Astral Senses. The Arousing of Kundalinî the serpent fire. The Awakening of the Etheric Chakras. Casual Clairvoyance. The