Glossary · chakra
Sahasrara
Also written the crown chakra
Sahasrara (‘thousand-petalled’) is the crown chakra, at the top of the head. It lies beyond the elements, it is drawn as a lotus of a thousand petals, and its seed sound is silence (some traditions use OM). It is the seventh and last of the chakras.
It is about meaning: the sense that your life belongs to something larger than you.
In balance and out of balance. In balance, purpose feels given rather than chased, and letting go comes easily. Out of balance, a person looks for meaning in title and praise and holds on to everything, or swings the other way into cynicism or escaping the world.
It has two planets. Surya (the Sun) is the soul (atma) in Jyotish; it changes sign once a month, at each Sankranti. Ketu, the south node of release and detachment, sits here too, about eighteen months in a sign: its seasons strip away what no longer matters. This pairing of planets and chakras is a modern bridge between yoga and Jyotish, not a rule from the classical texts, and the familiar rainbow colours are modern too.
A simple practice. Sit in silence for three minutes: no sound, no counting, nothing to achieve.
Questions
Which planet rules the crown chakra?
In the pairing used by withAshoka, the Sun (Surya) rules the crown chakra, Sahasrara, with Ketu sharing it: the Sun as the soul, Ketu as release. The pairing is a modern bridge, not a classical rule.
What is the seed mantra of the crown chakra?
Silence. Some traditions use OM; the practice here is simply to sit without sound.
What does Ketu do to the crown chakra?
Read through the chakras, Ketu at the crown is detachment: its seasons loosen your grip on roles, possessions and opinions. It can feel like loss, and it can feel like freedom.
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