Chakra Symbols and Their Meanings and Significance

Are you looking for the symbols and meanings of the seven chakras? You can use chakra symbols for your health, healing, prosperity, leadership, manifestation, and spiritual growth.

You can work on the chakras at your own pace, and there is no limit to how much success you can achieve in your chosen field with the chakra symbols.

The human body is comprised of 114 chakras, each of which is represented by its own unique symbol. Each symbol for a chakra has its own distinct color, geometric shape, number of flower petals, animal, deity, and goddess connected with it.

In this article, you will understand the chakra symbols and their meanings. Symbols convey message which is hidden inside the chakra and the keys to open the mysteries. 

Chakra symbols are the psychic instruments and they can be used to re-align and re-balance your energy system.  Moreover, they can help you to learn how to overcome obstacles, let go of emotional blockages, and walk the path towards higher spiritual consciousness.

When your are using chakra symbols, you should know that all symbols are good and useful. All of them have specific uses. By working with the symbols you can have access to the energy and meaning that comes from the inner world. 

Here, you will know the chakra symbols for the 7 chakras as well as for the 114 chakras. You will also know the relationships between the 64 chakra vidyas and the codon purification.

Key Symbols used in Chakra System

The use of symbolic language of the chakras promotes deep awareness and in-depth transformations. The core chakra symbols can be classified into the following ten groups:

1. Triangle: The inverted downward-pointing triangle represents the spirit connecting with matter, grounding on the earth and our earthly existence, in our bodies. The upward side reflects the flourishing awareness that leads to the enlightenment.
2. Circle: The circles in connection with the lotus flower petals represent the cyclical nature of birth, death, and rebirth. 
3. Hexagram – Union of Opposites:  It symbolizes the connection between God and Man with the up-pointing and down-pointing triangles overlaid. It can also mean the union of male and female. The center represents the heart of power.
4. Lotus flower: Lotus flower symbolizes harmony, spiritual illumination and unlimited potential. The petals of a chakra are psychic channels. Lotus flowers take root in muddy river beds, yet they flourish and bloom the most beautiful flowers. The lotus flower is a very sacred and ancient symbol of spirituality. It represents spiritual development, enlightenment, and perseverance.
5. Snake: Serpents represent rebirth, transformation, and renewal. It is believed that kundalini energy (or life force energy) resides dormant at the base of the spine as a three and half coiled up energy like a serpent, since the day we are born. When finally awakened, the sacred serpent rises up through the body, opening up all of the chakras.
6. Colors: The chakra colors usually indicate the current emotional, spiritual and physical state of the person. Each of your seven chakras has a related color that follows the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet (or white).  Colors are associated with human psychology.
7. Animals: The chakra animals usually indicate the evolution steps and the types of obstacles at each stage. For example Elephant symbol represents strength and control. 
8. Goddesses: Each chakra is associated with specific goddess energy. The 114 chakras are associated with 108 Devi Shaktis and the 16 phases of the moon. The Devi Shaktis are the controllers and rulers of our desires, mindsets, emotional stability, abundances, knowledge, and prosperity.
9. Godly Energies: The chakra energies of God enable us to experience something of the Divine, at first through sensory perception and then later intuitively and deep oneness experience. Each chakra has a specific God. They are also associated with the deep blissfulness of oneness (Samadhi). 
10. Planets and Nakshatras: Each chakra is linked to specific position of the planets, stars, nakshatras and the galaxies. 

Chakra Symbols Colors Mantras for Meditations

Chakra Color Symbols: Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colors and include red, orange, and yellow. These warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of love, security, self-esteem, personal power, anger and hostility.

Colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors and include blue, purple, and green. These colors are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of joy, happiness, compassion, kindness, clarity of mind, sadness or indifference.

Om Symbol: The Mother of All Mantras is the primordial sound.  The past, present and future are all blended in this one all-inclusive sound. When chanted, Om or AUM frees the consciousness to remember its natural state of connection to infinite source energy or Creation. 

The curves of the symbol represent waking consciousness, dreaming, and deep sleep. The small curved line in the middle represents illusion, and it separates one from transcendence, which is represented by the topmost shape.

7 Chakra Mudras

Mudras are special symbols or hand positions that send energy to the chakras. According to the Sri Vidya traditions the Yoni mudra, Beeja mudra,  Sarva-Akarshani mudra, Sarva Samkshobini mudra, Khechari mudra,  Sarva Vasamkari mudra and the Maha-ankusha mudra are the seven mudras associated with the seven chakras in the body. 

Each finger of our hand is also associated with one of the five universal elements.

• Fire- The thumb relates to the fire element, connected to the solar plexus chakra.
• Air- The index finger represents the air element, connected to the heart chakra.
• Space- The middle finger represents the space element, connected to the throat chakra.
• Earth- The ring finger represents the earth element, connected to the root chakra.
• Water- The pinky finger represents the water element, connected to the sacral chakra.

Mudras direct the flow of energy and controls our emotions.

The  Ray 114 chakras online classes.

Chakra Animals & Symbols

For each of the Chakras, there are animals that are symbolic representations of the powers of the Chakras. The spirit animals are archetypal energies that vibrate with the same energies and powers of the Chakras. They will help you to tap into the energies that you need to gain strength, courage, and guidance. The chakra related animal symbols are as follows:

• Elephant chakra – The Root Chakra: The animal symbol of the root chakra is Elephant. It represents: Charges through blockages. Protects. Remembers. Loves closeness, affection and togetherness. Social. Effective.
• Crocodile chakra  – The Sacral Chakra: The Swadhisthana chakra Animal Symbol is the Crocodile . It encourages creativity. Balancing. Goes deep within for guidance and resurfaces with answers.
• Ram chakra – The Solar Plexus Chakra: The Manipura chakra’s animal is the Ram: Proud, strong, determined, willful and able to push through obstacles.
• Antelope chakra – The Heart Chakra: Antelope is the animal symbol of the Anahata Chakra. It shows: Inspirations, Tenderness, Leaps over pettiness, Grace. Sensitive and empathic, Often feels solutions rather than rely on pure logic to solve problems.
• White Elephant chakra – The Throat Chakra: The Animal Symbol for the Throat chakra is White Elephant. It Purifies. Communicates. Imagines. Harmonizes. Strives to share and develop harmony. Seeks creative, imaginative ways to convey thoughts, feelings and ideas.
• Black Antelope chakra – the Third-eye Chakra: The symbol of the Third-eye chakra is Black Antelope. It explores inner realms. Enjoys all kinds of travel – inner journeying and physical journeys. Trusting. Guided by inner vision. Truthful.

Ancient Hindu texts don’t exclusively reference a chakra animal for the crown chakra, Sahasrara, 7th chakra. 

Chakra Symbols and Meanings

Here, we discussed specific chakra based symbols and their meanings. 

1. Root Chakra Symbol Meaning

This energy center is where we build our foundation for grounding, security, stillness, courage, individuality and health. It is the first of the seven major energy centers of our body, located at the base of our spine; it is here where we connect with our physical body, environment, and Earth.

The root chakra is the survival center. The fight or flight responses stem from this Chakra. The Root Chakra is where we draw our life force and where the seat of raw energy or kundalini rises. This raw energy is transmitted to the other major chakras.

Root Chakra Worship Symbols

The key symbols of the root chakra:

• Color: Red is the color of blood and the red color of the root chakra promotes life energy and strength. Red color also attracts the most attention and is associated with strong emotions such as love and anger.
• Four-Petalled Lotus: The root chakra signifies the birth of human consciousness, the four petals of the root chakra lotus symbolize four aspects of consciousness: Manas – mind, Buddhi – intellect, Chitta – consciousness and Ahamkara – ego.
• The Square: The number four appears again as the square, representing foundational life energy, stability and rigidity. A stable structure for the adjoining chakras to rest upon.
• The Inverted Triangle: The inverted triangle represents the elemental symbol for earth, it is a reminder of the grounding energy associated with muladhara, chakra root.
• Four Elephants: The four elephants are guarding the root chakra. If an elephant is weak or overactive, the mind and body will be disturbed. 
• Fruits and Flowers: The fruits and flowers of the root chakra is shown in the figure below.

Root Chakra Fruits and Flowers

2. Sacral Chakra Symbol Meaning

The Second chakra is known as sacral chakra or Svadhisthana. The word Svadhisthana means the “dwelling place of the self”. The Second Chakra is centered on personal identity or personal play in the external world.

The Svadhishthana Chakra or Sacral Chakra symbolizes creative potential, the ability to harbor fulfilling relationships, as well as our reproduction energy. Suppressing such vital energy or obsessing over negative thoughts and patterns cause blockages. This chakra releases a person from controlling behavior and fear of abandonment. Restoring balance to the Sacral Chakra creates an empowered and confident individual.

Imbalance in the Sacral Chakra can manifest into low confidence, lack of motivation, inability to create intimate connections with others, lack of interest in self expression or artistic abilities, infertility,  and urinary problems. 

The symbols of the sacral chakra:

• Color: The orange color of the sacral chakra is symbolic of the rising consciousness just like a sunrise. Orange is the color of activity and purity. It is in this chakra that we design the life we want. 
• Six-Petalled Lotus: The six petals of the sacral chakra lotus are associated qualities that must be overcome to purify the second chakra – anger, jealousy, cruelty, hatred, pride and desire.
• The Circles: The circles symbolize the cyclic nature of birth, death and rebirth.
• The Crescent Moon: The moon symbolizes cycles – chaos, never-ending change and constant movement.

“Kundalini awakening is the most peaceful, blissful experience when you balance the 114 chakras. If you know the hidden meanings of the chakra symbols, kundalini awakening is easy.” – Sri Amit Ray

3. Solar Plexus Symbol Meaning

“Manipura” means a lustrous gem. The jewel or qualities associated with this chakra strengthen the digestive system and diaphragm. The Solar Plexus focuses on the power and autonomy of metabolism.

It represents the color yellow that brings brightness and balance of energy. When the Solar Plexus Chakra is in balance, a person experiences confidence is self-motivated and has a sense of purpose. When surrounded by negative energy, he or she can suffer from low self-esteem, feel troubled making decisions, and have control issues.

The symbols of the manipura chakra:

• Color: Yellow color of the third chakra is a very emotional color. It reminds of courage, optimism and self-esteem.
• Ten-Petalled Lotus: The ten petals of the solar plexus chakra represent the ten pranas that exist in each of us. The ten pranas are basically energy currents and vibrations. We have five pranas and five upa pranas.
• The inverted triangle: The inverted triangle symbolizes the energy of the lower three chakras concentrating and spinning upwards towards the higher chakras.

4. Heart Chakra Symbol Meaning

In Sanskrit, Anahata means “unstruck” or “unbeaten”. This signifies an impartial and infinite love allowing a deeper understanding of self and others. It is located in the region of the heart, in the center of the chest. It invites a person to meditate on the different levels of relationship experiences with an open heart.

The symbols of the heart chakra:

Color: Green color of the heart chakra promotes general well-being and good health. It symbolizes compassion, happiness and hope. Green gives you the feeling of being healthy and can be motivating in many ways

Twelve-Petalled Lotus: The twelve petals of the heart chakra symbolize the twelve divine qualities associated with the heart – peace, bliss, love, harmony, empathy, understanding, purity, clarity, compassion, unity, forgiveness, and kindness.

The Hexagram: The hexagram is represented by two triangles, an upward facing triangle and a downward facing triangle. The two triangles represent the male and female energies intermingling to create a six-pointed star.

5. Throat Chakra Symbol Meaning

The energy of the Vishuddha or Throat Chakra can prove to be your greatest strength if used effectively. The ease of communication in expressing emotions is a basic need. When our communication, with others and with ourselves flows, we experience more clarity and positivity of thoughts. When we have more clarity, our intention and actions are clear too and any toxic impurity holds less power over us.

The throat chakra is how we express who we are to the world. The Sanskrit word “Vishuddi” means “especially pure,” pointing to how this chakra vibrates highest when it’s unbound, honest, and without reservation. 

The symbols of the throat chakra:

• Color: Blue color of the throat chakra promotes the feeling of being intelligent and trustworthy. It also stands for logic and communication.
• Sixteen-Petalled Lotus: The sixteen petals of the throat chakra is associated with the sixteen vowels of sanskrit. The vowels are light and easy to pronounce, signifying the airy quality of communication. This is why a blocked throat chakra influences the ability to communicate.
• The Inverted Triangle: The inverted triangle represents a channel to our consciousness and soul, a direct expression of our higher self.
• The Circle: The throat chakra is symbolized by a circle resting within a triangle, which represents the full moon. This symbolizes a purified mind.

6. Third Eye Chakra Symbol Meaning

The third eye chakra is located at the center of the forehead, and is closely related to our pineal gland. It represents our cosmic connection to the Universe, as well as our personal connection to all living creatures. A balanced third-eye chakra results in a deep spiritual connection to all things Divine.

A healthy third-eye chakra means you are aligned with your Higher Self and fully trust your intuitive voice.

Our intuition speaks to us through our third eye, and is the center of spiritual transformation.  Third-eye strongly associates with imagination, psychic skills, abstract and big-picture thinking, dreams, insight, illusion, and understanding.

The image of the Third Eye chakra symbol contains two elements frequently associated with wisdom: the upside down triangle and the lotus flower.

The symbols of the forehead chakra:

• Color: Indigo color of the third-eye promotes the feeling of being wise and spiritually developed. This color stands for self-knowledge and inner peace.
• Two-Petalled Lotus: The two petals of the third eye chakra symbolize a sense of duality between the Self and God.
• The Inverted Triangle: The inverted triangle represents your connection to the divine and true enlightenment.

7. Crown Chakra Symbol Meaning

The crown chakra, also known as the crown lotus, or the thousand-petaled lotus, is the most subtle of the chakras. It exists at the very top of the head, where a crown would sit, near to the cerebral cortex. It is the culmination of awakening Kundalini energy in all the chakras, which rises up the spine to the crown chakra and causes spiritual awakening.

The symbols of the thousand-petaled lotus, crown chakra:

• Color: White color of the crown chakra, the thousand petals represent the connection to the divine. Our unity with other beings and the universe. The lotus flower symbolizes prosperity and eternity of these integral connections.
• The Circle: The circle represents the full moon. A symbolization of openness, an awakening of the conscious mind.
• The violet and white are the colors of the crown chakra. They make you feel connected to everything. Violet and white seem sublime or even spiritual in their interplay.

Codons, DNA and the 64 Chakra Vidyas

The chakras in human body are related to the DNA and the codons. The helical structure of the DNA is the symbol of the serpent power of the chakras. There are 64 wisdom in the Ray chakra tradition to purify the chakras. These 64 vidyas are related to the codons. 

What is codon?

Proteins are made of amino acids. Different amino acids are specified by 3-letter “words” called CODONS. There are 4 nucleotide letters – A, C, G, & T/U – so 4³ = 64 possible codons. Each codon corresponds to a single amino acid (or stop signal), and the full set of codons is called the genetic code. 

64 codons and the chakras

How chakras are related to the codons?

DNA methylation is one epigenetic mechanism that changes the way genes perform. When methylation goes awry, it contributes to disease. The epigenetic pathways has a strong association with the human diseases. Epigenetic factors are chemical modifications of the regulatory proteins that do not change the underlying genomic sequence. However, these modifications change the behavior of the gene expressions. 

In our Ray 114 chakra system, there are 64 special vidyas or wisdom and each wisdom is associated with specific Goddess of divine energies. These ancient 64 chakra vidyas are associated with the modern codon and the epigenetic factors. The use of symbolic language for understanding the chakras promotes awareness and in-depth transformations.

As you know, the key function of DNA is to specify the manufacture of proteins. A codon is a sequence of three DNA or RNA nucleotides. The codons specify which amino acid will be added next during protein synthesis. There are 64 possible codons in human DNA. Of these 64 codons, 61 represent amino acids, and the remaining three represent stop signals, which trigger the end of protein synthesis.

Summary

In conclusion, we have discussed the chakra symbols and their meanings. Symbols convey message which is hidden inside the chakra. Symbols contain the hidden keys to open the mysteries of the chakras.  Chakra symbols are the language of expressing the hidden dimensions of the energy centers. You can use the symbols for aligning and balancing the chakras. 

The  Ray 114 chakras online classes.