From the blog series, Unlocking Your Karmic Potential
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The Challenge Chakras
You might have heard that chakras can become blocked; like any type of energy, or any part of our body, they can be in need of healing, strengthening, or cleansing (we’ll talk more about strategies such as ‘clearing’ cords, chakras in Chapter 6).
Sometimes, our chakras are programmed with deep karmic challenges that can present as blocks, or wounding, which I call soul heritage* issues, that contribute to creating that karmic cocktail. On average, most of my clients have up to three chronic challenge chakras, but I have seen individuals who have a much bigger, more complex set to work with.
They can also align or be influenced by collective traits found in one’s family, culture or society that the soul chose for you to be born into in this current life, adding to your complex nature just as developing current karma does.
These challenge chakras are where we will also find our shadows from blood heritage*: wounds, issues, stories in our current lifetime family that we have created around these – and dynamics that we try to hide, or avoid.
These chakras will influence the way you move through life and deal with the situations that you encounter.
And more often than not, we discover that the shadows there in the challenge chakras have obscured our greatest power, our inner gold – those karmic boons found in the core chakra.
Hints of what these challenges and archetypes might be are often found in what others see in us. What kind of impression do you make? How do your friends perceive you? Remember, the tricky part of this is that the answers are not always in how you think you appear, or in how you hope you do. We don’t always recognize what others can clearly see in us.
Recognizing the challenge chakras can also be found by examining the areas we tend to ignore or deny. You’ll see that I mention a lot of shadow elements with your Energy Archetypes, because it is in this realm where you can really find out what you need to learn from or look out for.
So it’s very important for you to consider what those challenge chakras may be, what shadows hide there, that could be blocking or sabotaging you in some way. I often use the analogy of stones in the path, that we stumble and trip over, sometimes again and again. When you transform these challenges – clearing the path of those ‘stones’ – you are able to stride confidently up the path free from fear of any shadows, creating a life of your choosing.
And here’s the thing: it’s not that there will never be shadows in our lives. We all have them, and we always will. There is a treasure chest of shadows to work with. But we can pull them into the light, name them and know them.
When we are able to actually be in relationship with them, they no longer unconsciously control us, sabotaging us at every turn. When they pop out from behind a bush on the path, instead of being blindsided, you can point to them knowingly, and keep on keepin’ on!
Time and time again, I have seen clients actively work to heal the challenges presenting in their chakras, and go on to reap the benefits of experiencing the fullness of the power and grace that embodying their Energy Archetypes can provide.
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How Energy Archetypes show up for you
Now that you’re beginning to understand your own energy archetypes, I wanted to share an example of how I’ve seen this work manifest in one of my clients. Remember, this is only a sample of how these energies can work through you. Everyone’s experience will be unique.
Mary was the Leader Archetype. She came from a family where her expressive nature wasn’t honored – in her house, you kept your head down, didn’t speak up or stand out. She’d had various trials and tribulations around this, and in response had shut down. She had become shy to the point of avoiding social interaction. She was reluctant to ever express her true feelings. But deep inside, there was a lion waiting to roar, to speak out and inspire people.
That’s because Mary had been born into this life, this family, with significant karmic potential around breaking through social barriers and being a leader in her own way. Yet her main karmic lesson, or challenge in our language, was based in speaking her truth.
And because of family wounding, Mary grew up thinking she wasn’t a leader by any measure of the word. In fact, she had no idea what it meant to be one. She didn’t identify with it at all, because it had never been modeled by the people around her. Remember that her soul would have chosen this plan and path before Mary was here; she was put into a family like hers because she would need to learn to overcome the barriers they had created for her. Once she could transform these challenges, she would be able to take off and fly.
But if she allowed the wounding to shut her down instead of challenge her, she may have never identified at all with her core chakra – expressed as her Energy Archetype. Why is this? Humans are hardwired to respond to discomfort. In fact, we often will not truly change a learned habit unless and until we are at a certain threshold of discomfort (and that threshold is different not only for every ego, but for every soul, as well). There’s a saying that it’s not the dream that wakes up, but the nightmare – I find this to be very true as a shamanic practitioner that works mainly in transforming shadows.
In our work together, Mary and I identified and then transformed the shadows that blocked the channel for her Leader within to express itself (which ended up being a past life where her karmic sibling had experienced crushing punishments for being outspoken and arrogant, creating deep wounding carried for multiple lifetimes, which amplifies the issues), and created a new, engaging path for her with practices that fit her daily life and sense of purpose.
She quit the job that had not been satisfying her, and began a business (and relationship!) aligned with the Leader that had been waiting to express itself for years. Mary had unlocked her karmic potential and never looked back.
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I want to caution here that the karmic lessons we carry are highly unique, diverse and complex, based on many lifetimes and events – remember, your soul constellation* – so please don’t get dogmatic about this system, look at it as guide or map.
And know that these aspects can shift and change as you evolve and grow. Your soul may release more patterns from this theme for you to address and deal with. The soul tends to bring through what it feels we can handle, so if you get through, say Level One, your soul may say ah, good we’re ready for the next level, let’s get to the juicy stuff! And the next thing you know, you’re at Level Ten thinking whoa, how did I get here?
In this way, we spiral through our evolution, while mirroring touch points that we learn from – it is never a linear experience, traveling simply from beginning to end with with basic awareness.
Inquiry
- What is at least one aspect of your Energy Archetype you recognize that serves your success in life AND one aspect that sabotages you?
- Is there a challenge chakra quality that you realize you could work on, now that you are aware of it? Name it, and decide on one one action you can take starting today to address it.
Determining your Challenge Chakras and Energy Archetypes
Once you’ve read through these articles, take a moment to explore and understand your Energy Archetype and Challenge Chakras.
Glossary*
- Blood Heritage: The heritage, or ‘genetics’ that we carry in our current lifetime, from one’s family, culture, era, etc, that influences and affects us – including our physical DNA, for instance, as opposed to one’s energetic DNA, as well as habits and patterns we develop. See Soul Heritage.
- Soul Constellation: When preparing for an incarnation, the soul will pull from a host of certain lifetimes experienced, emphasizing specific patterns, habits, supports and challenges from which to learn and grow – think of this as your carefully chosen ‘software design,’ as this informs the story of your life (your ‘code’, in this context).
- Soul Heritage: The heritage carried by the human being, from their soul’s lifetimes – think of Soul Heritage as the energetic DNA you carry. Your soul’s heritage informs it’s many lifetimes; note that karmically speaking, the soul’s heritage may carry karmic lessons, patterns, that are not being experienced or processed in a current life. See Blood Heritage.
Are you experiencing challenges in your life, in the guise of sabotage or negative intrigue, even with years of effort and hard work? There may be karmic patterns at play – I’d love to help you understand how your Energy Archetypes can serve your highest potential.
Reach out and let’s chat. Contact me here.
Next, in Chapter Six we’ll explore cords, clearings and more. Including why getting to the Root Cause energetically and karmically can be so effective.
Click here to read Chapter Six now.
Reader Note: Unlocking Your Karmic Potential … is series of articles I’ve created to help you navigate your journey here on Earth with greater soul-awareness. Think of it as a foundation from which to build a deeper understanding of the karmic lessons you are working through within this lifetime, the roles your spirit guides play, and why understanding things like energy, dreams, shadow work and chakras can make a profound difference in your life – a life lived with clarity, confidence and purpose.
