The Chakra System in the Body Card Row
Has anyone else noticed that the chakras have a powerful correspondence with the seven Body cards?
I like mining the Ra Tarot for additional insights into the Law of One philosophy. I wrote recently about how the first four Mind Cards evoke Ra’s creation story. Ra's creation story in the first four Mind cards of the tarot
I’m not trying to redefine or tamper with the tarot archetypes or their meanings here. But I see another story in the Body Cards, separate from the archetypes' symbology. It’s like an overlay or secondary narrative.
Let me see if I can articulate what I see in the cards, and maybe you will too.
First up, the base chakra (red ray), which I see reflected in the so-called “Justice” card.
Ra: “Firstly, the basic energy of the so-called red ray. This ray may be understood to be the basic strengthening ray for each density. It shall never be condescended to as less important or productive of spiritual evolution, for it is the foundation ray.” (39.10)
I’m looking at the Justice card, and I sure do see a “foundation” represented there, like three solid slabs-worth of throne-bearing foundation.
I think it’s fair to call this a reasonable depiction of a “foundation” ray.
Next up, the orange chakra.
Ra: “The orange ray is that influence, or vibratory pattern, wherein the mind/body/spirit expresses its power on an individual basis.” (32.2)
“The orange ray is that of movement and growth of the Individual.” (40.3)
“Blockage will often demonstrate itself as personal eccentricities or distortions with regard to self-conscious understanding, or acceptance, of self.” (15.12)
In Card 9 (aka “hermit”), we see a solitary figure with a lighted lamp in the left hand. This is unique in these cards, since all the other flames are typically coming from various body locations (forehead, solar plexus, etc.). So this flame is unique to this person, their “personal light” as it were. I see in this card a person “doing the work” of knowing the self, as demonstrated by the quality and brightness of their personal lamp.
Onward to the yellow chakra. This is a “primary” chakra. (41.25)
Ra: “The yellow ray is a focal and very powerful ray, and concerns the entity in relation to, shall we say, groups, societies, or large numbers of mind/body/spirit complexes.” (32.2)
In Card 10 (aka “The Wheel of Fortune”), we see all kinds of figures: a devil crawling down the wheel, a less scary beast climbing up, and a noble lion sphinx at the top. There are even a couple of snakes thrown in there for good measure.
What this card evokes for me is the concept of dealing with otherselves (the creature climbing) and dealing with our own earthly addictions and foibles (the devil climbing down). All in all, it’s about dealing with a lot of catalysts. Ol’ yellow ray is the busy one in the Earth Life School. But of particular note, the card is urging the viewer to make a purchase on the top-level shelf, above the turning wheel.
And that is also Ra’s advice for yellow chakra work.
Ra: The next foundation ray is yellow. This is the great stepping stone, ray. At this ray the mind/body potentiates to its fullest balance. The strong red/orange/yellow triad springboards the entity into the center ray of green.” (39.10)
While the solitary figure in the previous card is exhorted to work on the light of Self (i.e., the lamp), the observer of this card is exhorted to achieve the “balance” of the lower three chakras by gaining purchase on the upper platform above the wheel (i.e., balance those spinning wheels/chakras).
Onward to Card 11 (aka “The Enchantress”)
We are now in the very center of the 3x7 grid. And the center of human energy is the green ray, or the heart chakra.
Ra: “The center of heart, or green ray, is the center from which third-density beings may springboard, shall we say, towards infinite intelligence.” (15.12)
“In the green-ray activated being there is the potential for a direct and simple analog of what you may call joy—the spiritual, or metaphysical, nature which exists in intelligent energy. This is a great aid to comprehension of a truer nature of beingness. (31.3)
“Green ray is the movement through various experiences of energy exchanges having to do with compassion and all-forgiving love. (41.25)
“The awareness of all as Creator is that which opens the green energy center.” (84.9)
“In forgiveness lies the stoppage of the wheel of action, or what you call karma.” (17.20)
This is, perhaps, the most important card in Ra Tarot. The female figure here faces the same crazy Earth-School catalyst as we all do in the Wheel of Fortune Card, but this person doesn’t see devils and creatures in these catalysts; rather, they see their nobility and spiritual purpose. Thus, the catalyst is viewed now as the noble lion.
Implicit in this image is the woman’s understanding that she is more than her body; she is a spirit inhabiting a body. She reaches out to the lion with two arms, like the bird in the Justice card, which points at entering a body with two wings. The woman remembers/recognizes her purpose for being here, and finally, her spirit is “at rest”. (Those birds are finally sitting still and comfortably perched on her.)
This Card is all about acceptance and forgiveness, of one’s own failures and foibles, but also those perpetrated by others.
Card 12 (aka “The Hanged Man”)
The next chakra is at the throat and is about communicating with otherselves. Blue-ray is also primary. (41.25)
Ra: “The blue-ray energy transfer is somewhat rare among your people at this time but is of great aid due to energy transfers involved in becoming able to express the self without reservation or fear.” (26.38)
“The blue ray seats the learning/teachings of the spirit in each density within the mind/body complex, animating the whole, communicating to others this entirety of beingness.” (39.10)
“Blue ray, which is the first ray of radiation of self regardless of any actions from another.” (41.25)
“Blue ray is the ray of free communication with self and with other-self.” (48.7)
This card depicts the body being in full sacrifice to the spiritual purposes of Mind and Spirit, freely given.
Isn’t that also the nature of the expected communication from blue-ray-active people? To express freely regardless of any actions from another? The exhortation is to be of service. STO! Speak your truth, people!
The next card in the body row is Card 13 (“Death”).
It corresponds to the indigo ray, or “third eye.”
The two harvested heads look, with complete awareness, at the great harvest of “experiences” that are reviewed and evaluated after death (all those hands and feet symbolic of experiences). (See 23.12, 47.15 for references to the after-death life review process.) Life-review seems to me to be a spot-on example of “clear seeing”, don’t you agree?
Lastly, we come to violet ray.
The tarot card for this is Card 14 (aka “Temperance”).
This figure literally has a flame coming out of the top of the head, and a full-sun halo surrounding the entire head. Indigo chakra drawn spot-on.
Conclusion
I’m not trying to change any of the technical meanings of these cards. I’m just proposing that by design (or accident), they also seem to convey the essence of the chakra system, as Ra describes it in the text. These correspondences are useful to me because I see the tarot as a “pocket Ra” document. It’s useful like a pocket bible or pocket constitution. The 22 cards are much easier to carry than the giant two-volume set. More than just a series of archetypes, the body row of cards is a pretty good proxy for the chakra system, and for the advice that Ra provides in the text for how to maximize their function.
Red: it operates automatically, no adjustments necessary.
Orange: blockages are about the Self (low self-esteem, negative body image). It’s hard to love another if you don’t love yourself.
Yellow: Try to achieve balance in the face of a flood of worldly catalysts.
Green: Acceptance, forgiveness, remembering you are more than your body, you are Spirit.
Blue: Service to others through freely given communication.
Indigo: Clear seeing/third eye.
You may not want to become an Adept or meditate on the archetypes. But you might want to balance or clear your chakras after an unpleasant experience. Pull out the associated card for the energetic injury, and see if it helps your self-healing focus.
If you are a tarot reader like me, this row of cards now has a whole new set of meanings and understandings. When one of these cards appears in a spread, I can start talking to the client about their chakras, if that’s where my intuition takes me. [That’s part of the joy of doing tarot readings. When, say, the Justice card pops up, am I supposed to talk about “justice,” the concept? About health (as I do when the card is reversed, it says the client has a health-related issue), or is it about the red ray and a lack of a solid “foundation” in their life (are they homeless? without friends or family), or do they lack “vital” energy (nutrition or food issues)?]
Anyway, just sharing.
