Happy Sunday!

“Above all the grace and the gifts that Christ gives to his beloved is that of overcoming self.”  ~ Francis of Assisi
 
For months now I have had a little tune running through my mind; it was a tune we were taught during Confirmation preparation to learn the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
“Wisdom, Understanding, Council, and Fortitude, Knowledge and Piety, Fear of The Lord”.
I know that for almost a year my mind has been searching for more understanding of these gifts.  I couldn’t help but recognize that magical number seven and wonder if these gifts taught to me as a youth in my Catholic training related to the seven chakra points of energy from the eastern spiritual faiths.
Last year I read “Anatomy of the Spirit” by Caroline Myss when I had questions about chakras.  At that time (see 2012 part 5) I had become interested in understanding the chakras from the little bit I have read about Reiki healing  plus other information on Kundaluni energy and yoga practices for releasing chakra blocked energy.  There had been information about specific characteristics to each of the chakras alluded to in the information I had gotten from the internet; Caroline’s book explained these traits to me.
I have come to the realization that Caroline Myss is my current Guru.  I am continually surprised by how her books and online lectures reveal to me the answers to the questions of my mind.  I have just finished reading her book “Defy Gravity”, subtitled “Healing beyond the bounds of reason”  as it was inspired by spontaneous healings that were occurring at her lectures related to her work on “Entering the Castle” when Caroline first moved into understanding the sacred.
In “Defy Gravity”, Caroline describes just what I was looking for in answer to my question about the gifts of the Holy Spirit – the correlation of seven Graces to the seven chakras.  As an addition to my lesson, Caroline also related the shadow side of each Grace, explaining the seven dark passions (aka the Seven Deadly Sins) and connecting each to its opposing Grace and energy center.
It is with awe and gratitude I accept the answers to my questions and the new understanding that I now have about the childhood lessons, learned by rote, that have just sat in my consciousness without my understanding the why of each.  This is my understanding so far:
 

• The first chakra at the base of our spine is our tribal chakra being about how we relate to society and the earth.  The Grace offered here is reverence (taught to us children as Fear of The Lord, but explained by Caroline as reverence for all people and life; “what is in One is in the whole”.  The shadow side is pride which gets us into big trouble when one group thinks it is better than the other – such as in war.

• The second chakra is located at your genitals and is about our one on one relationships with others as well as our creativity.  The Grace offered here is Piety, known as devotion to God; when one looks at all things, including people, as God, then it is devotion in the service of others.  The shadow side is avarice, coveting what another has, as well as greed.

• The third chakra is at your solar plexus and is related to personal identity, honoring your self, and personal integrity.  The Grace offered here is understanding, self awareness to understand the deeper truths about ourselves.  The shadow side is luxury, the sense of self entitlement, as well as sexual issues.

• The fourth chakra is located at the heart, being our connection to Divine Love.  The Grace offered here is fortitude, the courage to act on guidance toward your highest spiritual potential.  The shadow side is wrath, extreme anger within your heart.

• The fifth chakra is at the throat and is related to Divine will, balancing what your heart and your head tell you.  The Grace offered here is council, to be able to speak Truth.  The shadow side it gluttony, giving up your willpower to things outside of your true self (materialism).

• The sixth chakra is the ‘third eye’ on the forehead between the eyes connecting us to Divine Truth of who we are.  The Grace offered here is knowledge of Truth.  The shadow side is envy, thinking you’ve been cheated out of what another has.

• The seventh chakra is located over the head and is our connection to the spiritual realm.  The Grace offered here is Wisdom.  The shadow side is sloth, not even trying to connect with God.

I don’t know what may come my way in the future that this lesson has been given to me, a response to my own curiosity.  I am thankful to God and Caroline for answering my question.  I can only hope that this knowledge will be instrumental in my own growth and service to others.
Joel Osteen spoke this morning about Grace, that it is out there seeking us all.  He called it promiscuous as it will go with anyone.
We all live in the field of Grace, free will comes into play when we open ourselves to receive it.
“Your soul knows it can defy gravity.  And you know that you can learn the mystical laws.  The question is whether you can transcend the boundaries of ordinary reason:  that is the great challenge in this human life that binds us all.”  ~ Caroline Myss