MENORAH CANDLES, MIRACLES, AND THE CHAKRAS  

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that  ~  Martin Luther King Jr. 

Miracles can happen. This is a very brief account of a miracle about religious freedom. It took place in the second century B.C.   

A group of Jewish freedom fighters called the Maccabees rebelled against Antiochus, a Greco-Syrian monarch who ruled Israel and banned them from practicing their faith. After a long struggle, despite being vastly outnumbered, the Maccabee warriors were able to recapture the Holy Temple from their oppressors. The temple was in shambles after being torn apart during the conflict. The warriors found only enough oil to light a lantern for one night but miraculously the lantern burned for eight nights. 

To celebrate this miracle, the Jews now light 8 candles on a menorah, or “lampstand,” to symbolize the above miracle. There is also a helper candle known as the shamash used to light the other candles. The celebration is known as Hanukkah, (Chanukah) or the Festival of Lights. It symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, resilience, freedom and unity for all.

Each candle of equal height might remind us that there is danger when “we lift one group over another and there is hope and beauty when we connect to one another as equals.”~Charlotte Albright  

“Light over darkness” is a metaphor that holds true for other faiths throughout the world. For example, the Hindus have their festival called Diwali. They light candles outside their home to symbolize the inner light that protects them from spiritual darkness. The Buddhist Day of Enlightenment is celebrated in early January when trees are strung with beads and lights, similar to the way Christians light Advent candles.

 

Sadly, the metaphor may not hold true today.  There is the war in Ukraine and now the recent tragic, unimaginable events of October 7th in Israel. The Israeli-Hamas war that has followed, with the loss of countless civilian life, is heart breaking. How will these ongoing conflicts end?  We hope for world peace and freedom for all. We hope for a miracle but hope requires action.

Renowned yoga teacher, Todd Norian, states:

“Whether you protest, donate to the cause, support your friends and communities or offer compassion, what is important is that you align with the passion you feel and do what is right for you in your heart.” 

Activist Rebecca Solnit in Hope in the Dark has this powerful statement :

Hope is not a lottery you can sit on the sofa and clutch feeling lucky. It is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency. Hope should shove you out the door, because it will take everything you have to steer the future away from endless war, from the annihilation of the earth’s treasures and the grinding down of the poor and marginal. To hope is to give yourself to the future – and that commitment to the future is what makes the  present more habitable.

The Menorah and the Chakras 

In ancient times the menorah had 7 candles, one for each day of creation. There were three branches on each side and one center mast. 

How do the chakras relate to the seven candle menorah? It is interesting.

Briefly, according to eastern traditions, the chakras are 7 bright energy centers that control the flow of life-force energy in our bodies.

 

The Chakrakey Academy is a recent online training program to help individuals understand who they are as multi-dimensional human spiritual being. The academy illustrates this connection between the seven menorah branches and the chakras in the following way – if you turn the menorah on its side, it is easier to visualize that the “heart chakra” candle is the center branch or a bridge dividing the upper and lower branches, or the interconnectedness  of the heart chakra and the upper and lower chakras in the body. 

The chakras can be visualized as ribbons of light or spiral candles originating along the spine and circulating throughout the body nourishing our organs and body systems (see my post, An introduction to Chakras, to learn more). Our bodies are part of nature, so we can think of this energy or prana as existing in nature as well.  

When our energy centers are balanced we return to our original  nature. This nature is one of equilibrium and goodness. However our chakras or energy centers can become blocked for a myriad of reasons. We all have faced traumatic events in our lives: illness, death of a loved one, divorce, and job loss, to name just a few. The blocked flow of energy to our heart and other chakras in the body can result in physical dis-ease as well as dysfunctional thinking. Dysfunctional thinking may allows us to harm ourselves and or others.

This then can spread globally. The many disturbances we are faced with daily can thus block our innate foundation of peace,  harmony and goodness. 

Hope is action. My hope is that if we can consciously energize and balance our energy centers or chakras, we can remove negative energy. We can then create vibrations of positive energy. What if these positive vibrations of peace could spread to others in our communities, in our states, countries, and throughout the world? What if we could  restore all beings to their original nature of goodness – what if we all could latch onto this hope? It would make the present day and our future more habitable. 

Here are some actions we can cultivate by balancing our chakras:  

1. The Root Chakra  (Muladhara, a red Hanukkah candle). This chakra is located at the base of the spine and can involve the legs and the feet. It connects directly to the earth’s energy. If overactive, doing some volunteer work or practicing compassion could help. If under active, walking on the earth and planting a garden to share with others would do wonders.

2. The Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana, an orange candle). It is located in your lower abdomen below your navel. It is associated with intimacy, birthing and creativity. Use your creative energy to help others. Meditation and prayer may help a blocked sacral chakra.

3. The Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura, a yellow candle). It is located in the solar plexus at the level of the 7th and 8th thoracic vertebrae and is connected to your strength, vitality, will power, ego and stamina. When this center is unblocked and opened you are ready to feel powerful and take on any challenges that come your way. Try an active, peaceful protest march. 

4. The Heart Chakra (Anahata, a green candle). Anahata means unstruck. It is located in the center of your chest but represents the heart and loving kindness. Now is the time to do a metta meditation, sending loving kindness to the universe especially all of the suffering beings. Try putting your hand over this chakra manifesting unconditional love, compassion, empathy and joy for yourself, your loved ones and the world. 

5. The Throat Chakra (Visuddha, a blue candle). It is located just above the collar bone and it means purification and is where you find your truth, speak up and sing praises for yourself and others.

When blocked, it may be hard to express yourself but if opened – just imagine the clear and honest communication you can have with others. Imagine clear communication between world leaders. 

6. The Third Eye Chakra (Ajna, a purple or indigo candle). It is located in the space right above and between the eyes and is related to perception, intuition, illumination and wisdom. It is your

“6th sense”. When the chakra is out of balance you may have trouble seeing the “bigger picture”. Meditation and soul searching are ways to  unblock this chakra and then you can trust your intuition to help yourself and others. 

7. The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara, a white candle or perhaps a crystal white light). You can also picture the color violet which has the highest vibratory frequency in the entire spectrum of colors. This chakra is located at or above the crown of the head and represents spiritual connection and transformation. It refers to your personal connection to spirit in the form of the divine, a higher power, nature, holy presence, life force or however you perceive this spiritual energy.  It represents cosmic consciousness. When truly balanced, it allows you to feel divine harmony and unity with all beings and everything in nature.

We light the Hanukkah candles to connect to the vibratory energy of all of the chakras. Our heart center is the bridge between the other six so here we generate and share light and love. Our hearts open as all of the candles glow. Let their luminosity and cosmic radiance spread freedom, peace, and harmony across the whole world. Let it be so.

Miracles can happen. 

 

References:

What to know about Hanukkah. Symbolism, History, and Tradition by Emily VanSchmus, www.bhg.com/author/emily-vanschmus/

Dartmouth

https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2019/12/menorah-symbol-light?tags=1926

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/what-are-hanukkah-candles/

chakrakeyacademy.com -Menorah-The Divine Pattern-What are Chakras

My pocket Chakra Healing – Anytime Exercises to Unblock,  Balance and Strengthen your Chakras by Heidi E. Spear

https://books.telegraph.co.uk/Product/Heidi-E-Spear/My-Pocket-Chakra-Healing–Anytime-Exercises-to-Unblock-Ba/24020041