What are the Earth's Chakras?

The Earth’s chakras are seven locations that are believed to be places of energy, similar to the chakras of the human body that are described in Hindu belief. Each of the Earth’s chakras contains a site that is considered to be sacred to one or more religions and to many New Age practitioners. Hindu teachings suggest that the chakras of the human body allow energy to travel from one part of the body to other parts and that healing takes place when the chakras align and are in balance. The Earth's chakras are seen as functioning in the same way for the planet.

Mount Shasta in the U.S. state of California is often listed as the first of the Earth’s chakras, also known as the root chakra or the Muladhara. This corresponds to the chakra of the hips, legs, and lower back of the human body. Several Native American tribes recognized Mount Shasta as a sacred place.

Lake Titicaca, on the border of Bolivia and Peru in South America, is often listed as the second chakra. The second chakra is known as Svadhisthana and corresponds to the belly or sex chakra in the human body. Lake Titicaca is sometimes associated with the legendary city of Atlantis. The area also contains the ruins of Tiahuanaco.

Two sites in Australia are commonly listed as the third chakra, known as Manipura, which corresponds to the solar plexus chakra of the human body. Uluru and Kata Tjuta are held as sacred locations by the Aborigines of Australia. These locations are part of Aboriginal creation legends.

The fourth chakra, known as Anahata, is usually agreed to be in England, near Somerset, Shaftesbury, and Glastonbury. Legends of the Holy Grail are connected to these locations. This chakra is connected with the heart, lungs, and circulatory system in the human body.

The fifth of the Earth’s chakras, known as Vishuddha, is most often agreed to include three locations. These are the Great Pyramid, Mount Sinai, and the Mount of Olives. This chakra is connected to the throat chakra of the human body, and these locations have ties to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Chakra six, known as Ajna, is most often thought to be in motion and moves with the Earth’s rotations. Most think that this chakra, which is associated with the third eye, is currently in western Europe. It is believed that when the Age of Capricorn begins in two millennia, it will move to Brazil.

The seventh chakra, known as Sahasrara, is most often thought to be located at Mount Kailash in the Himalayas of Tibet. This corresponds with the crown chakra of the human body. Buddhists, Hindus, and the faithful of several other religions hold the mountain sacred.