Ch 6
Throat Chakra—
Vishuddha
How do you feel about truth? In this chapter, truth is the operative word, while voice is its secondary focus. At the Throat Chakra, many people focus on voice and speech—that is, your ability to articulate thoughts and ideas. What is most important at the Throat Chakra is not how you communicate but what you communicate. The “what” is your truth, your deepest wisdom; the “how” is your channel for sharing your truth. Both the “what” and “how” of truth sit here at the Throat Chakra, which is located at the center of your physical throat (or your Adam’s apple).
How do you define “truth”? Some say truth is a personal quest to understand the values and beliefs that guide your life choices and decisions. Others suggest that there is a collective truth, a unified wisdom all can aspire to and seek to integrate. Let the intersection of these two approaches inspire you to explore individual and collective truths, using your gift of discernment to understand how to integrate what you see, learn, and experience into your life.
Embodiment Exercise: Throat Chakra Induction
The Throat Chakra holds the sum total of your lived experiences with voice, expression, and truth. Many people find that exploring this chakra is complicated because they were silenced or repressed in childhood. Think of the myth of the “perfect child” who only speaks when spoken to. You may not have lived this experience, but those who did now have an opportunity to heal the silenced child within whose voice was not welcomed, sought, or appreciated.
Perhaps your experience with truth and voice is different. Perhaps your voice has always been sought and appreciated, or perhaps you were encouraged to speak your truth as a child, but now, as an adult, you feel silenced—at work, socially, or within your family. Whatever your experience, you can use this meditation to guide your exploration of the Throat Chakra.
1 – First, bring your attention to the present moment and take a deep breath. Now, bring your attention to your throat, and swallow as deeply and intentionally as you can. (When you swallow, you regenerate the energies around your Throat Chakra. Anytime you feel lost for words or unable to articulate your needs, swallow and soften your neck.)
2 – Ask yourself, “What is my deepest truth?” Allow yourself a moment to answer. Yes, it’s a big—even overwhelming—question, but it is one you can use to move more fully into your soul’s intended purpose. Understanding and articulating your personal truth is the first step in acknowledging what you need to feel more fully alive.
3 – As an answer comes to you, simply sit with it. Feel into it. Inhabit and experience it in your body. Once you understand your deepest personal truths, other truths will open from there. For example, if your deepest personal truth is that energy is real, then other truths emerge: If energy is real, magic is real; if magic is real, anything is possible; if anything is possible, you are limitless; if you are limitless, your wildest dreams can come true.
4 – Dream free, dear one. Know that you are treasured beyond measure and trust that you are expressing yourself in service of the highest truth of All Beings. Let the peace of your inner truth surround you.
5 – When you feel connected to truth on every level, ask your ancestors and spirit guides to be with you as you integrate what you have seen. Welcome their presence as they surround you. They are here to help you love and honor yourself more deeply than ever before. When you feel fully wrapped in this blanket of support and wisdom, close your induction with the universal blessing: Amen, A’ho, So it is.
May you be comforted by the presence of your inner truth, always.
Correspondences for the Throat Chakra
GODDESSES
Aletheia, Veritas
GEMSTONES
Amazonite, Angelite, Aqua Aura Quartz, Celestite, Turquoise
TAROT CARDS
Major Arcana: Justice and Judgment
RUNE
Ansuz
ESSENTIAL OILS/HERBS
Bay Laurel, Blackberry, Blue Chamomile, Blue Yarrow, Coltsfoot, Common Sage, Elderberry, Eucalyptus, Fir Balsam, Geranium, Lemongrass, Petitgrain, Peru Balsam
PLANET
Mercury
VERITAS
Goddesses of the Throat Chakra
Two goddesses offer themselves for work on the Throat Chakra, where the voice of power emerges. Veritas, in Roman mythology, is the daughter of Chronos, the god of time. She is goddess of Truth—with a capital T—and has access to the Truth of the past, present, and future. Through her access to All Truth, she becomes an oracle, a seer of what lies ahead and a clarifier of what lies behind. Veritas reveals the connection between truth (the Throat Chakra) and insight (the Third Eye Chakra), and thus serves as a sacred bridge between these two energy centers.
Aletheia is the ancient Greek goddess of truth and remembrance and is Veritas’s counterpart in the Greek pantheon. In Greek, Aletheia literally means “not hiding” or “not hidden,” reflecting the parts of ourselves that need liberation. However, where Veritas sees the literal, Aletheia is capable of seeing the figurative; in her realm, shades of gray exist between the extremes of black and white. So it is with your truth: Somewhere between right and wrong are layers of depth and opacity that are worthy of exploration.
To work with these goddesses, simply call upon them by name and ask them to pull back any layers of illusion in your life, offering you unfettered access to complete truth so that you can live in the light of clarity. Amen, A’ho, So it is.
Gemstones, Essential Oils, and Herbs of the Throat Chakra
Throat Chakra Gemstones
The gems of this chakra are thought to be the gems of Lemuria, an ancient civilization associated with the dolphin kingdom, and represent wisdom that was encrypted and stored in crystals before that civilization’s collapse. AQUA AURA QUARTZ, one of the primary Lemurian gemstones, is a strong purifier of the aura and also promotes strength, tenacity, and prosperity.
AMAZONITE is the primary stone of truth and boosts confidence for public speakers, helping them articulate even the most difficult words and subjects with ease.
ANGELITE (in crystalline form, known as CELESTITE) invokes the angelic realms to attract the presence of angels, including archangels, in your spaces. Carry this gem with you or sleep near it to feel more connected to your own personal angels and guides.
TURQUOISE has been revered for centuries among Native Americans who consider it a potent purifier and healer, as well as a stone that strengthens and protects warriors in battle. In ancient Persia, it was revered as a source of good fortune.
Connect with your Throat Chakra gemstones during times of fear or confusion. Here’s how to do this: Lie down in a comfortable position and hold one to three of your favorite light blue Throat Chakra stones in your right hand, the Receiving Hand, through which energy enters your body. (Some people feel their left hand is their Receiving Hand; go with what feels right for you.) Set the intention to receive peace, wisdom, and truth, which are the gifts of the Throat Chakra. Then transfer the stones to your left, or Projecting Hand, to send this energy out into the world as a blessing for all.
Then, place one of the stones on the center of your throat, and allow yourself to receive the Blue Ray of truth through its vibrational healing pattern. Finally, become mindful of your saliva, the vehicle of your life force energy anchored in the Throat Chakra. Swallow deeply from this place of illuminated truth, connecting to your own center of spoken wisdom. Trust this wisdom; it is your deepest knowing, inherited over time. May it serve you well.
Throat Chakra Herbs and Essential Oils
Coltsfoot brings love and psychic visions, while Blackberry offers protection and prosperity to the bearer. Elderberry protects the bearer from physical harm and is a master healer. Common Sage is best for healing and grounding, and Lemongrass heals a broken heart. Bay Laurel brings psychic power, and Eucalyptus is cleansing, uplifting, and healing on all levels. Petitgrain is calming and helps ensure a good night’s rest when blended with lavender and Blue Chamomile, another essential oil known to soothe frayed nerves and calm a nervous mind. Blue Yarrow brings water element energy to clear stuck energy and repairs the aura while Peru Balsam helps deepen meditation and aligns your chakra system. Fir Balsam grounds you deeply in the forests of grandfather trees, easing worries and concerns and helping you to be fully present in the moment.
A beautiful way to work with these herbs and essential oils is to make an incense or perfume called The Peace of Truth. Have you noticed how peace arrives when you are centered in your personal truth, your attention anchored in the present moment? It is so easy to worry about the past or future instead of allowing yourself to connect with the joy of right here, right now. In these moments, remember how futile worry is. Nothing you worry about can be changed by your worry; and, in fact, the things you fear can manifest if you send too much energy their way. So, simply be here, now.
This simple but very effective recipe shown here shows you how to craft an incense blend to help you make a scent association with this concept of mindful presence.
The Peace of Truth Incense Blend
Ingredients
• 1 ounce (28 g) dried eucalyptus leaves, crushed
• 1 ounce (28 g) bay laurel leaves, crushed
• 1 ounce (28 g) sandalwood powder
• 3 drops each of petitgrain, Peru balsam, and fir balsam essential oils or absolutes
Combine all the ingredients with a mortar and pestle until your desired consistency is reached. Whisper prayers of peace into your blend as you grind, and blow your breath, your sacred life force, into the ingredients. When you are finished, add a small chip stone of a resonant gemstone or mineral, and then store the mixture in a tightly sealed jar until ready to burn on a charcoal disk. Whenever you burn this blend, receive the peace of its ingredients with gratitude. Allow them to uplift and bless you. Amen, A’ho, So it is.
Tarot Card, Rune, and Planet of the Throat Chakra
Major Arcana: Justice and Judgment
In Tarot, Justice and Judgment are two very different cards—one is mundane, the other spiritual in nature. Justice represents outcomes, decisions, and matters of judgment in the mortal realm. In the Major Arcana, it is reflective of legal process, at times, as well as one’s own personal inclination or temptation to judge others. The Judgment card reflects a higher calling to truth and a higher order of accountability than we find on the mortal level. There, judgment reflects the possibility of rebirth through reflection and redemption. Both are accountings of right and wrong, but their scope is by nature different. One calls you to look down and out, across your life and your decisions. Where can your personal judgment be enhanced or improved? The other asks you to look up and across, to the span of the universe, to listen for signs and heed the call of your soul. Your transformation is at hand, and at its core is your truth. Truth may either inspire your rebirth or facilitate it; either way, these cards are both strong signs that your soul is in a state of evolution.
Rune: Ansuz
Ansuz is the rune of clear communication and transmission of information, as well as the rune of truth, although the way Ansuz expresses truth is through wisdom. Ansuz is one of the primary runes associated with Odin himself, King of the Norse pantheon and father of the runic system, which he downloaded during a nine-day journey in the forest where—suspended from the Tree of Knowledge—he received the runes and their meanings as guidance for his path and teachings. Meditate on this rune to understand how to align truth and communication in your life.
Planet: Mercury
Mercury is the planet of communication and the messenger of the solar system. In Greek mythology, Mercury was the messenger to the gods, swiftly delivering important news and messages to them from Mount Olympus. When Mercury is direct, communication on Earth is swift and easy, with fewer chances for miscommunication; however, when Mercury reverses its forward movement and turns retrograde, which happens twice each year, be mindful of chances for miscommunication. It is best not to sign contracts or formalize business dealings when Mercury is retrograde. Knowing what sign Mercury is in within your own natal chart can help you understand better how you prefer to communicate, which in turn can help you articulate and speak your truth more effectively.