Kundalini embraces and transcends all worlds, all levels of creation, bridging the physical and the spiritual. While being of the highest transcendent divinity, kundalini is also intimately and imminently connected with the earth and physical body itself, being the life force which creates and sustains all of material reality. When it ascends, it moves and undulates, in the serpentine pattern of a double helix - thus precisely mirroring the structure of DNA, the molecule of life.
Kundalini is also known as Shakti, and the Serpent Fire or Serpent Power. It has been depicted in the art and mythology of almost all cultures, since the earliest periods, as a serpent, as well as twin serpents, or its winged form, the dragon. Known by many names throughout the world, it is encoded in mysterious symbolism. It is the fire of the Holy Spirit, the Pentecostal flame. It is the Water of Life and Blood of Life contained within the Holy Grail. In alchemy, it is known as the Elixir of Life, spiritual or philosophical gold, and the Philosopher's Stone. In Chinese medicine and Taoist sexual alchemy, it is sometimes known as ching or jing, the most refined and potent form of chi. It is the Sophia and Logos of the Gnostics.
Kundalini is frequently represented in a helixical and/or spiraling formation, often a double helix just like DNA - coiled in sleep, then entwining its way up the central axis of the spine (often represented as a tree or staff), and tracing the paths of the ida and pingala nadis (energy channels). When latent, it is said to sleep coiled three and a half times at the base of the spine, in or around the coccyx (tailbone).
When the serpent energy is fully risen, it is also depicted as a feathered entity, often as a bird with solar associations. The feathers symbolize its ascendence or upward movement : just like the wings at the top of the Caduceus staff, which in actuality depicts the twin serpents and the esoteric anatomy of the human being.
In many languages, any words or names with a predominant "ka" or "ku" syllable, prefix particularly, tend to relate to kundalini and serpents. Likewise, serpent and dragon symbology and mythology in any given spirituality usually hints at the presence of a kundalini tradition, often kept secret until now.
All enlightened cultures have instructed spiritual initiates in some form of kundalini symbolism, as well as maintaining a tradition of hidden teachings and practices which facilitate kundalini ascension. They assert that this experience is open to all who seek the divine with love, purity of heart, and determination. With kundalini, enlightenment and union with God are not for the next life or the afterlife : they are for the Now. Spiritual attainment is very possible for any human being within this one lifetime, and the various kundalini traditions have systematized this quick and efficient path to the divine, striving for immediate personal results.
Kundalini is the key to all scriptures, religious traditions, sacred symbolism, and esoteric ritual, as well as the key to the ultimate attainment promised by all paths. Kundalini unveils all Sacred Mysteries and encoded or occult knowledge, hidden from those whose eyes have not been opened. Kundalini masters are thus said to be transformed into Dragons - "that which can See".
Kundalini brings gnosis and direct personal contact with the divine, without the need for a priest or any other intermediary. The kundalini experience constitutes mystical ecstasy, intense and undeniable personal proof of spiritual wisdom and the existence of both personal and transcendental divinity. Through kundalini, we enter into a vivid and intimate personal relationship with the God of life and love.
Kundalini also yields the realization that all religions originate from the same mystical source and stem from the same ecstatic experience. All spiritualities, at their core, honor the same principles and seek the same union with Spirit. No matter which theories or systems are employed, the same archetypal themes and goals run in common throughout the world's cultures : kundalini connects them all, whether as serpent, dragon, sun-bird, Holy Spirit/Fire/Light, Horned Lord, the Goddess of Love, the Holy Grail, and similar archetypes.
All great spiritual masters have accomplished the awakening of the kundalini, devoting themselves to this aspiration until it is achieved. Their mission has, in large part, been to impart this same key to all initiates. Kundalini ascension is the central teaching, the essence of mastery, which yields all spiritual and worldly achievements. The Serpent Fire grants all healing, all knowledge, all power, all salvation. And the great Masters guide any who follow this principle.
Kundalini is the key, the gift, the way, and the ultimate Truth. All the doors of the world and the universe are opened by this single key. Thus, repeated kundalini awakenings are imperative to every person who seeks spiritual evolution, freedom, higher self, and relief from suffering.
When awakened within the human being and raised up the spine, kundalini shines light through the rainbow of the seven chakras, from root to crown. Its rising is often accompanied by flashes of serpents, light, lightning, etc., in the mind's eye, as well as visions of God, heaven, or divine entities. The serpent power may create intense physical and spiritual sensations, feeling like a torrent of liquid fire and light moving upwards through the sushumna, the central spinal canal. It is an overwhelming yet incredibly soothing force which flows up to the brain and radiates throughout the body and soul, filling your entire being with the most gentle and loving embrace of the divine, often focused strongly in the heart area. Any pain or doubt is replaced with bliss, complete fulfillment, and oneness with the Universe - enlightenment and healing in their most profound forms. Many experience it as an indescribably intense and lengthy series of full-body orgasms within the embrace of God's unconditional love.
Psychic, astral, and spiritual abilities are enhanced by kundalini, which can induce such experiences of interaction with the non-physical world. Kundalini will cleanse the chakras, augment your aura (often with a beautiful golden light), and bestow the halo or nimbus at the crown of the head, visible to clairvoyants. Eventually the physical and subtle bodies adjust to the increased energy flow and power, learning to accommodate greater and greater amounts, within a relaxed state of gentle arousal. As one's vibration rises, more energy can be stored and channeled more effectively. It is a process of growth and unfoldment, a transformation, a tempering.
More than any other factor on one's spiritual journey, kundalini becomes the main source of personal growth and development, as well as the central focus of one's path. Every time a kundalini awakening is experienced, it yields some type of spiritual growth or personal help. Not only will it grant healing on all levels, but one may find their perception and intuition continually sharpening. One may experience spontaneous gnosis and sudden understandings of profound things. Mental and creative abilities will grow and flow effortlessly. You will develop a deep understanding of and compassion for humanity, and be able to exert influence over them in an almost magnetic fashion. Kundalini has even been associated with superhuman strength, worldly victory and success, miracles, divine favor - even physical immortality!
Basically, kundalini is like a human upgrade switch - one which is capable of continually uploading new software into your brain. This process is a continual refinement and unfolding on every level. Healing ability arises from kundalini. Clairvoyance develops from kundalini. The subtle bodies are strengthened and energized, allowing for lucid dreaming and astral projection. Such achievements will allow the Gods and Masters to eventually teach the initiate firsthand, in the nonphysical realms.
Kundalini and unconditional love are your ultimate key for entry into the celestial cities and astral temples of the ascended masters, and the heavenly realms of the Gods and Buddhas.
Kundalini also aids us in achieving balance and harmony with the universe, uniting our individual will with our "True Will" - the will of the divine. Thus, the Word of God can be manifested, and the divine Law followed without over-analyzing. It is not unusual for kundalini to activate the chakras or rise in a flash when one is doing exactly the right thing, or entering into new and higher awareness : When we manifest the Logos on earth, we are filled with divine light.
Kundalini is the ultimate positive attraction magnet. Not only for attracting blessings and gifts, whether physical or spiritual, into one's life, but also on the level of social and interpersonal relationships. After a kundalini awakening, one often carries a charismatic and energetic aura that casts a magnetic attraction on others - allowing one to open social doors easily and to explore new and existing relationships at a greater depth and intensity than ever before. Love and romance are taken to new heights and abundance. Additionally, this new allure will often fascinate observers, affecting them on a subconscious level and commanding immediate respect.
In Hinduism, yoga, and tantra, kundalini is closely associated with Shiva and Shakti. Shiva, as the highest God of creation and the Lord of Kundalini himself, is depicted with serpents entwined around his body. Shakti, whom kundalini is named after, is Shiva's consort and female half - the Mother Goddess of Love and the active creative energy that permeates the universe. Yogis therefore often describe kundalini shakti as the sacred feminine force who has descended into materiality and is seeking to reunite with her divine lover Shiva at the top of the head.
However, Kundalini is life energy, and can therefore be experienced as both a male and female cosmic force. The tendency to depict kundalini as primarily female may be due to the male bias of most yogic literature, since female yogis were not as common and most would have been illiterate. More appropriately, for men it is often experienced as Shakti, and for women, Shiva; however, this is wholly dependent upon individual perception. Shiva and Shakti are known to be two halves of one whole, just as God is known in many other traditions to encompass both the masculine and the feminine. Thus, kundalini transcends any intellectual considerations or conceptions of gender.
The goal of kundalini ascension has evolved into a large field of study and practice, with many different methods employed, such as meditation, visualization, pranayama, mantra, yogic postures, etc. Many of these techniques have been oriented towards long-term training with a guru, or for strict ascetics living in isolation. However, the best, safest, and most consistent way to experience kundalini awakening is via the practice of tantra, which includes tantric sex with a loving partner. Tantra, as an act of meditative love and healing, and the highest form of "sexual magick", is geared towards our modern needs and lifestyle, allowing for rapid spiritual progress combined with highly satisfying pleasure - all while allowing us to retain our modern living standards, careers, and social relationships.
The goals of yoga and tantra are accomplished in their totality through the awakening and ascension of the kundalini. All yogic and tantric practices are originally based on, and designed for, the kundalini phenomenon. Even hatha yoga, the physical yoga commonly associated with fitness and flexibility, utilizes the positions (asanas) that naturally occur when kundalini is clearing the chakras of blockages. Kundalini, when not able to flow smoothly through an open system, can force the body into strange positions and movements in order to open blockages and facilitate its rise. So yogis backward engineered those positions and created the poses of hatha yoga to expedite their spiritual practices. This is why spontaneous kundalini awakenings occur occasionally during the practice of "everyday" yoga.
Yogis and tantrikas seek ultimately to bring the kundalini up to the crown chakra - the thousand-petaled lotus at the top of the head - so that complete enlightenment and union with the divine can occur. This creates the halo that is commonly seen in religious iconography. Yogic and tantric systems also acknowledge a large set of spiritual powers and enhanced psychic abilities which develop as a result of kundalini awakening, which are called Siddhis.
From a yogic perspective, when the double serpent of life is awoken at the base of the spine and reaches the third eye, the pineal gland within the center of the brain is made to vibrate, releasing large amounts of a natural psychoactive substance called DMT, the "spirit molecule". The results are heightened perception, cosmic consciousness, and a state of bliss and spiritual ecstasy.
Kundalini can rise spontaneously in any person who is undergoing personal growth and spiritual progress, but joining one's energies together with a partner, in a loving and trusting connection, will facilitate the surrender and balance of inner polarities which are necessary for a safe and fulfilling kundalini experience. In order to allow kundalini to rise fully, it is necessary for us to balance our inner dualities, represented also by ida and pingala. Kundalini only attains victory when the polarities within us are balanced - light and dark, solar and lunar, male and female, self and shadow self. Ida and pingala, and the twin serpents themselves, are inherently "solar" and "lunar", masculine and feminine. Thus, a love bond with a tantric partner allows for the perfect context and energetic contact in which such balance can be achieved, safely and easily.
Old karma, sins, and past wrongdoings can only be burned away through the purification of kundalini fire, accompanied by "right action" to manifest its unconditional love in all areas of life. Kundalini will purify the heart of "weight", gradually unraveling subconscious karmic patterns, healing past scars, and shining light onto concealed inner darkness. Kundalini brings the gift of redemption and the dissipation of old patterns and stored negativity. It is the true mechanism by which we obtain spiritual salvation, and is thus seen to embody the redemptive force and unconditional love of the Christos, the merciful Messiah and restorative Word of God.
During kundalini ascension, it is possible, and recommended, to meditate upon any recent pain, emotional issues, and karmic patterns that have been encountered. As one focuses on those, kundalini will pass through and heal these pains while dissolving the karma related to those issues, bringing redemption and restoring wholeness and peace to our inner being.
The redemption and forgiveness of sins which Jesus taught and promised through faith is obtainable to every individual by means of kundalini awakening, resulting in a direct personal experience of salvation on a soul level, and palpable contact with the forgiving and merciful Divine within ourselves. The intense and incredibly soothing light and love which spreads throughout the body is the redemption which Jesus offers, clearing away all sin and karma, and putting us back in touch with the divine on a personal level, reuniting us with the divine will to that we can follow God's will anew. This is followed by a deep sense of peace, safety, relaxation, and fulfillment. Thus, it is highly beneficial and extremely healthy to surrender to kundalini's healing love on a regular basis. It is given to us as a divine blessing and a means of salvation, from which we can transform ourselves into beings of love while allowing the divine back into our hearts and into our lives, regardless of prior mistakes.
The concepts discussed above are spoken of by Jesus Christ and John the Baptist in the New Testament of the Bible. When John the Baptist spoke of the process of baptism, he made allusions to the fire and water of the Holy Grail :
"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." - Matthew 3:11
This baptism of Fire and Holy Spirit came during the Pentecost, described thusly :
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1-4
The Holy Spirit, kundalini, comes to us in the name of God the Father and God the Son :
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." - John 14:16-18
"The Helper and Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." - John 14:26
"When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come." - John 16:13
"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." - John 14:10
The Holy Spirit is one with the Father and the Son. And when all four elements of creation are balanced within ourselves, the "fifth element", Spirit, is able to emerge and transform us. The Holy Spirit, so often accompanied by the symbolism of fire and water and wind, descends upon our head by virtue of the elements in balance within our own being, and the redemptive grace of God.
Kundalini, as the Holy Spirit, is the means whereby we become "born again" so that we may enter into the Kingdom of God - not after death, but Now :
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."
"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit."'' - John 3:1-6
When we raise the kundalini and achieve personal gnosis with Christ (the Logos or Word of God himself, according to John), we embody the Word, and thus become an embodiment of Christ in our own right. This is sometimes referred to as "incarnating the Christos" because we become co-creators with the original Logos, capable of speaking our universe into being through the power of love. And as long as one's energies are maintained, the Christos protects and grants all the help, guidance, and charisma one could need in order to act according to God's will on earth.
Christ is also Love and cosmic consciousness. Those whose hearts are opened by kundalini's love are thus said to "become Christified", since they embody and manifest the archetypal Christos energy, with its compassion and unconditional love, its warmth and creative fire. All the Masters have unveiled this Christ Consciousness within themselves, and then shared it with the world in devotion and gratitude to God.
Kundalini's spectrum of vibratory energy and manifestation, from highest divinity to material embodiment, is also reflected in the entities of Christian philosophy. In this symbolic context, these are all facets of the same energy, vibrating at different levels.
Satan (originally the Egyptian Set/Seteh) is the kundalini energy at its lowest, shadow manifestation. Usually dormant and sleeping in the sexual centers of the unawakened, it periodically manifests as lust and is wasted through unenlightened sexual release. This is the prison of sin and temptation often associated with the figure of Satan.
Christ is love and thus the heart energy of kundalini risen to the heart chakra - bringing healing love, mercy, redemption, and salvation.
Lucifer is the feathered serpent and light-bearer, bringing enlightenment through the third eye and/or crown chakra, meeting and unfolding within the divine light from above. Lucifer is also Venus, the Goddess of Love, Shakti reuniting with Shiva in completion.
The serpent can either grant healing bliss (like the brazen serpent upon the staff of Moses which healed the Israelites), or it can bestow a poisonous bite of intense pain and damage. As the Christos spoke through Aleister Crowley in the Book of the Law :
I am the secret Serpent coiled about to spring: in my coiling there is joy. If I lift up my head, I and my Nuit are one. If I droop down mine head, and shoot forth venom, then is rapture of the earth, and I and the earth are one.
The serpent becomes venomous only when the ego fixates on lust, and the sexual energy is thus drained through ejaculation and climax, leaving us as material creatures without the Light. However, the pain of the serpent's "bite" can also refer to the pain we feel when kundalini is actively unraveling and transforming all the emotional and spiritual pain that is stored within our shadows and our bodies - brought to the surface so that it can be rapidly soothed and healed.
The above characteristics of kundalini, in its varying facets of manifestation, thus make it crucial for us to focus on love and remove lust from our consciousness, thus allowing us to re-enter the Garden of Eden. When lust wins, we are expelled from Paradise - our consciousness shifts dramatically, and we are drained of the high-vibration energy that was stored. During ejaculation and climax, kundalini rises in a brief burst of light, bringing the short-lived pleasures of climactic orgasm, and then falls to sleep again shortly afterward. Leaving behind only dissatisfaction and lethargy. Kundalini cannot ascend nor remain ascended when the sexual energy has been drained. Lust, as the lowest and "fallen" material manifestation of the kundalini energy, strengthens the ego, feeding its fears and limitations. Those are the chains of the Devil, which are in fact only self-maintained by the ego. Satan imprisons, but the Light of enlightenment (which the name of Lucifer encodes) can liberate us.
This idea is echoed in myths, in which a heroic or divine figure, such as Archangel Michael or Saint George, "slays the Dragon". This is in fact referring to the slaying of ego and lust, the shadow of the Serpent Fire. The shadow is tamed, and the fallen manifestation of lust and destructive mind slain, so that ego can dissolve and be transformed, united with higher self. Lust and fear are transformed into pure love and conquered by divine will. The hero of Light thus transmutes darkness in the name of God. This is an inner process which we must all undergo on our spiritual journey. Whereas, the many mythologies which speak of the serpent in a benevolent and beneficent form are referring to its ascended, higher-vibration aspects, to kundalini as a divine and creative force.
Once kundalini has healed and cleansed you from root to crown, reuniting you with the love of the divine, you will reach a state of bliss, in which all pain is gone and all desire dissolved. It is a state of profound joy and ecstasy, of floating in light within a deep inner peace and silence. The world is washed away, and all that exists is the perfect love of God. This is Nirvana. It is also known by the names of Samadhi and Satori, and is the living experience of Heaven or Paradise. Thus, kundalini allows us to return to the Light while fully and intensely alive, allowing us to restfully bask in it to restore ourselves to our original state, where we truly belong. Through kundalini, we are freed from suffering and craving. This is enlightenment.
Kundalini awakening will temporarily stir up the pain of the shadow self, to be observed, re-experienced, and released - but this is only temporary. By surrendering to kundalini fully, we are deeply comforted and relieved from all negativity, immersed in cosmic consciousness and love. Kundalini is the short way to Spirit. Pain is simply a symptom of karma, an indication that we have somehow separated ourselves from the divine will, through ignorance, forgetfulness, or foolish rebellion. But the Serpent Fire is extremely merciful and forgiving. Through kundalini, we are released from bondage.
This is the salvation and freedom which all humans seek, whether they are aware of it or not. All unhealthy and destructive activities, obsessions and fixations, directionless wandering... these are all an attempt to fill a hole that only kundalini can fill. All attempts to find and recover that state of divine love and grace. Now it is possible for all to obtain it.
Traditionally, the gift of kundalini awakening is also possible to share via a transference of power called shaktipat. By using shaktipat, an enlightened Master or guru is said to be able to awaken the seeker's kundalini by a mere touch, glance, or simple communication. This ability is unfettered by distance or time, but is considered to be wholly dependent upon the grace and will of Shiva himself. As such, the master or guru becomes a conduit for Shiva's awakening light.
Like tantra and kundalini itself, shaktipat is unlimited. All that is truly required is the presence of Love and surrender to the grace of God. The more pure of mind and heart the disciple is, the easier the transference may be achieved. A moment (or many) of "perfect love and perfect trust" would be ideal.
Signs and Symptoms of Kundalini Awakening
The Siddhis - Magickal Kundalini Powers and Perceptions