On Wednesday, July 2008 a post, in the blog Herescope, connected the God, Elousia, in The Shack to the archetypal Black Madonna that is found around the globe. The post references an article by Matthew Fox: The Return of the Black Madonna: A Sign of Our Times or How the Black Madonna Is Shaking Us Up for the Twenty-First Century.
In his article, Fox describes the Madonna as being an archetype who is familiar with the charkas which are components of Hindu and New Age spirituality. Those who participate in meditation believe that they can enjoy a kundalini experience in meditation. The Herescope article suggests that William P. Young’s protagonist, Mack, experiences a classic kundalini experience.
The Lower Charkas
In his third challenge from the Black Madonna, Fox says “The Black Madonna calls us down to honor our lower charkas. One of the most dangerous aspects of western culture is its constant flight upwards, its race to the upper charkas (Descartes: “truth is clear and distinct ideas”) and its flight from the lower charkas.” According to Fox, the Black Madonna will not allow us to flee the earth and the depths of our being.
The charkas are as follows:
Root Charka: The root charka represents the earth, self-preservation, our animal nature, taste, and smell. It is manifested in our lower limbs. The color for the root charka is orange-red. It is the seat of the kundalini. According to The Mystica “Kundalini is Sanskrit for "snake" or "serpent power," so-called because it is believed to lie like a serpent in the root charka at the base of the spine.”
Sacral Charka: The sacral charka represents water, sexual energy, and reproduction. It is manifested in the genitals. The color for the sacral charka is red.
Naval Charka: The naval charka or solar plexus represents fire, personal power, storage of the life force. It is manifested in the area of the naval. It is the location where astral energy enters the etheric field, which serves as a conduit for trance mediums to listen to the stars and to see paranormal creatures.
Heart Charka: The heart charka represents compassion, higher consciousness, unconditional love, and respect. It is manifested in the area of the heart and lungs. The heart charka has twelve golden petals.
Throat Charka: The throat charka represents creativity, self-expression, the search for truth, energy, and endurance. It is manifested at the base of the throat. The throat charka is a silver blue.
Brow Charka: The brow charka represents senses, intuition, telepathy, and meditation. It is locate in the area of the forehead. It is sometimes called the third eye. It is half yellow-rose colored and half blue-purple.
Crown Charka: The crown charka represents intuition, awareness, conscious evolution, and spirituality and floats above the head like a ‘crown.’ The most spiritual color, purple, is the color for the crown charka.
While it is the simplest charka, the root charka and the kundalini also represent one of the most desired manifestations of Indian spiritualism. When properly aroused the kundalini results in a new state of consciousness. According to The Mystica, those who experience kundalini describe the following sensations “pain, clairaudience, visions, brilliant lights, superlucidity, psychical powers, ecstasy, bliss, and transcendence of self. Kundalini has been described as liquid fire and liquid light.”
A Kundalini Experience in The Shack?
The Herescope article suggests that the experiences that Mack goes through when he visits Sophia are similar to a kundalini experience. The author of the article writes that “Upon hearing the sensual Sophia ask him, during his journey into the darkness, “Do you understand why you’re here?” the novel records that, “Mack could almost feel her words (clairaudience) rain down on his head first (the 7th chakra) and melt into his spine (the 1st chakra), sending delicious tingles everywhere (the 2nd chakra). He shivered (physical sensations) and decided that he never wanted to speak again (transcendence of self). He only wanted her to talk (bliss) . . .” (The Shack, 153). What do you think? Did Mack experience kundalini? If so, then it came to him at a spontaneous moment in the darkness via the voice of the goddess-like Sophia.”
The Bible’s Response to Serpents
The Herescope article suggests that the idea of kundalini should be compared to Genesis 3:1, which says, “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”
However, the Herescope article neglects to draw the comparison further. In Genesis 3:5 what the serpent offers is revealed, “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” The goal of kundalini is enlightenment, illumination and an expanded consciousness. There is a striking similarity between the object of kundalini and the promises of the serpent – both suggest a god-like consciousness.
Young, William P. The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity. Windblown Media. 2007.
Read more about William P. Young and The Shack at Suite101.
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