The 12 Chakra System: Names, Colors, Locations & Meanings

VICEDOMINI contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. If you make a purchase using one of the Amazon links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. Read our disclaimer for more information.

Most people begin their chakra journey with seven energy centers. The Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, and Crown Chakras form a familiar map of our relationship with ourselves, our emotions, our bodies, and the world around us.

But what happens when your spiritual exploration moves beyond the Crown Chakra? This is where the 12 chakra system enters the conversation.

In modern spiritual teachings, the 12 chakra system expands the familiar seven-chakra framework to include five additional energy centers associated with the soul, higher consciousness, universal connection, and spiritual awareness.

These higher chakras are often described as existing beyond the physical body, within what spiritual traditions call the subtle or energetic field.

The system offers a symbolic way to explore questions that reach beyond everyday experience. How do you understand your connection to something greater than yourself? What does spiritual growth mean to you? And how can you remain grounded while exploring deeper states of awareness?

In this guide, we'll explore all 12 chakras, their names, colors, locations, meanings, crystals, and commonly discussed frequencies. We'll also examine why different 12 chakra charts sometimes contradict one another and how you can approach this expanded system in your own spiritual practice.

⮞ Table of Contents

What Is the 12 Chakra System?

The 12 chakra system is an expanded spiritual energy model that builds upon the seven chakras commonly taught in contemporary yoga and chakra practices.

The word chakra comes from Sanskrit and means "wheel" or "circle." In Hindu and Tantric traditions, chakras are associated with the subtle body, a spiritual framework involving channels and centers of vital energy.

The familiar seven-chakra arrangement is one influential model, although historical traditions have described different numbers and arrangements of chakras.

Modern interpretations sometimes extend this map beyond the Crown Chakra, introducing additional centers associated with soul awareness, spiritual development, and connection to the wider universe.

In the 12 chakra model explored here, the first seven centers follow the familiar sequence from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Five additional centers continue symbolically upward:

• Chakra 8 — Soul Star Chakra

• Chakra 9 — Spirit Star Chakra

• Chakra 10 — Universal Chakra

• Chakra 11 — Galactic Chakra

• Chakra 12 — Stellar Gateway Chakra

These names represent one modern spiritual interpretation. They are not universally standardized, and other teachings may assign different names or positions to the higher chakras.

This distinction matters because the 12 chakra system is a spiritual framework rather than an anatomically established system. Chakras have not been scientifically verified as measurable energy organs, and their proposed locations, colors, and frequencies should be understood within the context of spiritual practice.

Still, many people find chakra symbolism valuable for meditation, reflection, and developing a deeper understanding of their inner lives.

12 Chakra System Chart: Names, Locations, Colors & Meanings

The following 12 chakra chart provides an overview of the system used throughout this guide.

Note: Colors and locations for chakras 8–12 vary considerably between modern spiritual systems. The table presents one coherent symbolic arrangement rather than a universally accepted classification.

The Seven Traditional Chakras Explained

Before exploring the five higher chakras, it helps to understand the seven familiar centers.

They provide the foundation of the expanded system, connecting everyday human experiences with the spiritual qualities associated with each chakra.

The Root Chakra, or Muladhara, is associated with grounding, security, stability, and our sense of belonging.

It represents the foundations upon which we build our lives: shelter, physical needs, routines, relationships with our environment, and the feeling of having somewhere to stand.

In chakra symbolism, a balanced Root Chakra reflects steadiness and the ability to respond to life's challenges without constantly feeling uprooted.

When exploring this chakra, consider your relationship with safety.

Do your daily habits support your well-being? Do you feel connected to your surroundings? What helps you feel present when life becomes uncertain?

Reflection: What makes me feel grounded, supported, and secure?

The Sacral Chakra is associated with creativity, emotional expression, pleasure, sensuality, and our ability to experience change.

Where the Root Chakra seeks stability, the Sacral Chakra introduces movement.

Its symbolism reflects the flowing nature of emotions and the creative possibilities that emerge when we allow ourselves to experience life more openly.

Exploring this chakra can encourage reflection on how you express feelings, experience joy, and respond to emotional change.

It also invites you to examine whether guilt, fear, or rigid expectations influence your relationship with pleasure and creativity.

Reflection: Where in my life could I allow more creativity, emotional honesty, and joy?

The Solar Plexus Chakra, or Manipura, is associated with confidence, personal power, determination, and the ability to act with intention.

Its fire symbolism represents transformation, motivation, and the courage required to make decisions.

This chakra invites you to examine your relationship with responsibility and self-belief.

Do you trust yourself to make decisions? Can you establish boundaries? Are your ambitions guided by your values or by the pressure to prove yourself?

Personal power becomes meaningful when it is exercised with awareness.

Reflection: Where am I ready to take greater responsibility for the direction of my life?

The Heart Chakra is associated with love, compassion, empathy, connection, and emotional openness.

In the familiar seven-chakra model, it occupies a central position between the three lower chakras and the three upper chakras.

This position is often interpreted symbolically as a meeting point between our everyday human experiences and our inner spiritual exploration.

The Heart Chakra invites you to consider how you give and receive love.

Compassion also includes the relationship you maintain with yourself. Healthy love requires room for boundaries, honesty, and individual needs.

Reflection: Can I offer compassion without abandoning my own needs?

The Throat Chakra is associated with communication, truth, expression, and the relationship between our inner experiences and the words we choose to speak.

Its symbolism extends beyond verbal communication.

It also concerns listening, expressing creativity, communicating boundaries, and finding language for experiences that are difficult to explain.

Working with this chakra may involve reflecting on whether you feel comfortable sharing your perspective.

Are there conversations you avoid? Do you listen with the same attention you hope to receive?

Reflection: What truth am I ready to express with greater clarity?

The Third Eye Chakra is associated with intuition, insight, imagination, and inner awareness.

In spiritual teachings, it is often linked to the ability to look beyond immediate appearances and explore deeper patterns of meaning.

The Third Eye also invites discernment.

Intuition can be a valuable part of personal reflection, but emotions, expectations, memories, and beliefs influence our impressions.

Exploring this chakra can therefore involve developing greater awareness of your internal experiences while remaining open to questioning your interpretations.

Reflection: How can I listen to my intuition while remaining open to learning and new perspectives?

The Crown Chakra is associated with spiritual awareness, contemplation, transcendence, and connection with something greater than the individual self.

In many modern chakra teachings, it represents the highest of the seven familiar energy centers.

Its symbolism invites reflection on consciousness, purpose, and our place within a wider existence.

For some people, this connection is understood through religion or spiritual traditions. For others, it may be experienced through meditation, nature, philosophy, or moments of profound stillness.

The Crown Chakra does not require you to adopt one particular belief about the universe.

Instead, it invites you to explore what spiritual connection means within your own life.

Reflection: What helps me experience meaning, stillness, and connection beyond my everyday concerns?

The Five Higher Chakras: Chakras 8–12 Explained

The five higher chakras are the defining feature of the expanded 12 chakra system explored in this article.

Unlike the first seven centers, these additional chakras do not have a single standardized sequence or set of attributes.

Different modern spiritual teachers describe their locations, colors, and functions in different ways. Some include the Earth Star Chakra below the feet. Others use terms such as Higher Heart, Causal, Solar Star, Divine Gateway, or Galactic Chakra.

Here, we follow the sequence introduced earlier to create a clear and consistent map.

These five centers are best approached as symbols of expanding spiritual awareness, rather than measurable points outside the body.

The Soul Star Chakra is often described in modern spiritual teachings as the first energy center beyond the Crown Chakra.

Its symbolism relates to the higher self, spiritual identity, and the broader meaning we assign to our experiences.

While the Crown Chakra represents spiritual awareness, the Soul Star is often interpreted as an invitation to explore that awareness more personally.

Who are you beyond the roles you fulfill every day? Which experiences have shaped your understanding of yourself? What values remain important as your life changes?

Some spiritual systems connect the Soul Star with past-life exploration or the idea of soul memory. These are metaphysical beliefs rather than scientifically established processes.

You can also approach this chakra without adopting those beliefs, using its symbolism to reflect on your identity, purpose, and personal development.

Reflection: What parts of myself am I beginning to understand more deeply?

The Spirit Star Chakra is associated in some expanded chakra models with spiritual insight and the development of higher awareness.

Its symbolism encourages reflection on how your understanding of life evolves through experience.

Spiritual exploration often introduces new perspectives, beliefs, and questions.

Some ideas may resonate immediately. Others may challenge assumptions you have carried for years.

The Spirit Star can serve as a reminder that wisdom involves more than collecting spiritual information. It also involves reflection, discernment, and the willingness to revise what we think we know.

Rather than searching for certainty in every experience, this chakra invites you to remain curious.

Reflection: Which beliefs genuinely support my growth, and which deserve closer examination?

The Universal Chakra represents the idea that individual existence is connected to a wider whole.

In modern spiritual interpretations, this chakra is associated with universal consciousness, interconnection, and awareness beyond personal concerns.

Its symbolism can encourage you to consider your relationship with other people, the natural world, and the communities to which you belong.

Our decisions rarely exist in isolation.

The way we communicate, consume resources, care for others, and participate in society creates consequences that extend beyond our immediate experiences.

From this perspective, the Universal Chakra invites a broader understanding of responsibility.

You are an individual with your own needs and desires, while also participating in a world shaped by countless interconnected lives.

Reflection: How do my choices influence the world around me?

The Galactic Chakra appears in several modern expanded chakra systems, although its placement and meaning vary between teachings.

It is commonly associated with cosmic consciousness, higher dimensions, and awareness extending beyond ordinary human experience.

These concepts belong to metaphysical and spiritual interpretations rather than established scientific descriptions of consciousness.

Symbolically, the Galactic Chakra invites you to consider how your perspective changes when you look beyond familiar boundaries.

Human beings have always looked toward the stars and wondered about existence.

What lies beyond what we currently understand? How much remains unknown? What does our place within the universe mean?

The Galactic Chakra can represent this sense of curiosity and the humility that comes from recognizing the limits of our knowledge.

Reflection: What happens when I allow myself to explore the unknown without needing immediate answers?

The Stellar Gateway Chakra is the twelfth and highest center in the particular system explored here.

In modern spiritual teachings, it is sometimes described as a gateway to divine consciousness, universal awareness, or the experience of oneness.

Other systems assign this name to a different chakra number, illustrating why the specific tradition being used matters.

The Stellar Gateway represents the symbolic culmination of the journey through the twelve centers.

Beginning with the Root Chakra, the journey explores security, emotions, identity, love, communication, intuition, and spiritual awareness.

The higher centers then expand the focus toward the soul, broader consciousness, universal connection, and transcendence.

At the Stellar Gateway, the central theme becomes unity.

What does it mean to feel connected to life beyond your individual concerns? Can you experience wonder without losing your connection to the present moment?

The Stellar Gateway invites contemplation of these questions.

Reflection: How can I cultivate a deeper sense of connection while remaining fully present in my life?

Are There 7, 12, or 13 Chakras?

One of the most common questions about the chakra system concerns the number of energy centers.

You may encounter teachings describing seven, nine, twelve, thirteen, or even more chakras.

These differences exist because chakra systems have developed across different spiritual traditions, historical periods, and modern interpretations.

The Seven-Chakra System

The seven-chakra model is widely recognized in contemporary yoga and Western spirituality.

It generally follows a sequence from the Root Chakra to the Crown Chakra.

However, historical Indian traditions did not all use the same seven-center arrangement.

The Twelve-Chakra System

The 12 chakra system expands the familiar seven-center map by introducing five additional centers.

The identities of these five higher chakras vary between modern teachings.

Some systems use Soul Star, Spirit Star, Universal, Galactic, and Stellar Gateway. Others include different centers, including the Earth Star or Higher Heart.

The Thirteen-Chakra System

Some expanded chakra systems include an additional Earth Star Chakra, often symbolically located beneath the feet.

If a model includes the seven familiar chakras, five higher chakras, and the Earth Star, the total becomes thirteen.

Other teachings arrive at thirteen through a different arrangement.

This explains why some chakra charts label the Earth Star as Chakra 0 while continuing to number the remaining centers from 1 to 12.

Although the sequence contains thirteen centers, it may still be described informally as a 12 chakra system because the Earth Star is treated as a foundational or supplementary center.

The important point is consistency: before comparing chakra charts, check which centers are included and how they are numbered.

What Is the Earth Star Chakra?

The Earth Star Chakra is a modern spiritual concept often described as an energy center beneath the feet.

It is associated with grounding, connection to the Earth, ancestral roots, and the relationship between spiritual awareness and physical existence.

Some spiritual practitioners connect this chakra with Pachamama, a sacred understanding of Mother Earth within Andean worldviews. However, the modern Earth Star Chakra model should not be presented as an original or universal Andean teaching.

In expanded chakra systems, the Earth Star can symbolize the importance of remaining connected to everyday life while exploring higher consciousness.

This creates an interesting contrast with the Stellar Gateway Chakra.

One directs awareness toward the Earth.

The other symbolizes awareness extending beyond the individual.

Together, they invite a question: How can spiritual exploration deepen your connection to life rather than distance you from it?

12 Chakra Colors and Their Meanings

Colors are among the most recognizable features of chakra symbolism.

The familiar seven-chakra rainbow sequence is especially common in contemporary spiritual teachings.

Each color is associated with a particular theme:

• Red: Grounding, security, and stability

• Orange: Creativity, emotions, and expression

• Yellow: Confidence, motivation, and personal power

• Green: Love, compassion, and connection

• Blue: Communication, truth, and authenticity

• Indigo: Intuition, imagination, and insight

• Violet: Spiritual awareness and contemplation

The colors associated with chakras 8–12 are less consistent.

White, silver, gold, violet, pink, and rainbow tones appear frequently in modern interpretations.

Rather than treating these colors as fixed energetic measurements, you can use them as visual symbols during meditation or journaling.

For example, white may represent clarity, gold may symbolize wisdom, and rainbow colors may evoke unity or the integration of different aspects of experience.

The meaning comes from the spiritual framework and personal associations you are working with.

12 Chakra Frequencies: Do Chakras Have Specific Hz Values?

If you've explored chakra meditation, you may have encountered lists of frequencies associated with different energy centers.

Common examples include:

These numbers are commonly used in modern chakra meditation music and are often linked with so-called Solfeggio frequencies.

However, there is no scientifically established frequency in hertz for each chakra.

The additional chakras in the 12 chakra system have even less agreement regarding frequency assignments.

You may encounter different values for the Soul Star, Galactic Chakra, or twelfth chakra depending on the source.

A frequency such as 963 Hz is a measurable sound frequency. Its association with a chakra is a spiritual interpretation, not evidence that the chakra itself vibrates at that frequency.

This doesn't prevent you from enjoying meditation music.

Sound can be a meaningful part of relaxation, contemplation, or ritual. You don't need to believe that a particular number is required to access a specific energy center.

Choose sounds that help you feel comfortable, focused, and present.

12 Chakra Crystals: Which Crystals Are Associated With Each Chakra?

Crystals are frequently incorporated into modern chakra practices because of their colors, textures, symbolism, and personal significance.

The following associations are commonly used or compatible with the symbolic themes of the twelve centers:

These are symbolic associations rather than scientifically demonstrated effects.

Crystals can serve as meaningful physical reminders of an intention, a question, or a personal commitment.

For example, you might hold Rose Quartz while reflecting on compassion or place Clear Quartz beside your journal during meditation.

The purpose is to create a mindful ritual that feels personally significant.

How to Explore and Work With the 12 Chakras

You don't need to experience dramatic sensations, see colors, or achieve a particular spiritual state to explore the 12 chakra system.

A simple meditation can offer a meaningful starting point.

Step 1: Begin With Grounding

Find a comfortable place to sit. Notice your breathing and the physical contact between your body and the surface supporting you. Allow your attention to settle into the present moment.

You may imagine roots extending toward the Earth, using the image as a symbol of stability.

Step 2: Move Through the Seven Familiar Chakras

Bring your attention gradually from the base of your spine toward the crown of your head. At each center, reflect on its symbolic theme.

Consider security at the Root, creativity at the Sacral, confidence at the Solar Plexus, compassion at the Heart, expression at the Throat, intuition at the Third Eye, and spiritual awareness at the Crown.

There is no need to force a sensation or visualize anything perfectly.

Step 3: Explore the Five Higher Chakras

If you feel comfortable, imagine your awareness extending gently beyond the Crown Chakra. Move symbolically through the Soul Star, Spirit Star, Universal, Galactic, and Stellar Gateway.

You might associate each center with a question:

Soul Star: Who am I becoming?

Spirit Star: What am I learning about myself?

Universal: How am I connected to the wider world?

Galactic: What remains beyond my current understanding?

Stellar Gateway: What does unity mean to me?

Allow these questions to remain open.

Step 4: Return to Your Body

After exploring the higher chakras, gradually bring your attention back to your breathing.

Notice the room, the sounds around you, and the sensation of your feet or body resting against the ground.

This final step is especially important when exploring abstract spiritual ideas.

You can contemplate higher consciousness while remaining connected to the practical reality of your life.

Step 5: Journal About Your Experience

Write down any thoughts, emotions, questions, or insights that arose.

Avoid judging your meditation by whether you experienced something extraordinary.

Sometimes the most meaningful insight is simply recognizing what deserves more attention in your everyday life.

How Do You Know If Your 12 Chakras Are Activated?

The idea of activating the 12 chakras appears frequently in modern spiritual discussions.

However, no standardized or scientifically validated test can determine whether a chakra has been activated.

Different spiritual practitioners interpret activation in different ways.

Some describe sensations, colors, or altered states of awareness. Others use the term to describe personal transformation, greater self-awareness, or a deeper commitment to spiritual practice.

These experiences are subjective and can have many explanations.

A grounded approach is to focus on what your practice helps you understand or change.

Are you becoming more aware of your emotions? Are you communicating more clearly? Do your spiritual beliefs encourage compassion, responsibility, and curiosity?

These questions may be more useful than trying to prove that a particular energy center has opened.

Frequently Asked Questions About the 12 Chakra System

What Are the 12 Chakras?

In the model explored here, the twelve chakras are Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, Crown, Soul Star, Spirit Star, Universal, Galactic, and Stellar Gateway.

Other expanded chakra systems use different names and arrangements for the higher centers.

Are There Really 12 Chakras in the Human Body?

The 12 chakra system is a spiritual model, not a scientifically established anatomical system.

In this model, the first seven chakras are symbolically associated with areas of the body, while the five higher chakras are described as existing beyond the physical body.

There is no scientific evidence establishing twelve measurable chakra organs in the human body.

What Is the 12th Chakra?

In the model used in this guide, the 12th chakra is the Stellar Gateway Chakra.

It symbolizes spiritual transcendence, unity, and connection with a wider consciousness.

Other teachings may identify the twelfth chakra differently, including as the Soul Star or Divine Gateway.

What Is the Galactic Chakra?

The Galactic Chakra is a higher energy center described in some modern spiritual systems.

It is associated with expanded consciousness, cosmic awareness, and the exploration of realities beyond familiar human experience.

Its name, placement, and symbolism are not standardized across traditions.

What Color Is the 12th Chakra?

The Stellar Gateway Chakra is often represented through white or rainbow colors in modern spiritual interpretations.

However, there is no universally established color for the twelfth chakra, particularly because different systems assign different identities to it.

What Is the Frequency of the 12th Chakra?

There is no scientifically established frequency for the twelfth chakra.

Some modern spiritual sources assign particular hertz values to higher chakras, but these vary between teachings and have not been validated as physical chakra frequencies.

What Is the Difference Between the 7 and 12 Chakra Systems?

The seven-chakra system focuses on seven familiar centers from the Root to the Crown.

The 12 chakra system adds five centers that modern spiritual teachings associate with the soul, higher awareness, and universal consciousness.

The additional centers vary depending on the model.

Are There 12 Chakras or 13 Chakras?

Both numbers appear in modern expanded chakra teachings.

Some models include twelve centers in total. Others include an additional Earth Star Chakra, creating a thirteen-center arrangement.

Always check which chakras a particular chart includes.

What Are the 12 Chakras of the Earth?

The phrase 12 chakras of the Earth usually refers to a different spiritual concept: the idea that certain geographical locations function symbolically as planetary energy centers.

This is separate from the twelve-center personal chakra system explored in this guide.

Lists of Earth's chakras vary widely between spiritual authors, and there is no scientifically established map of planetary chakras.

Can You Activate All 12 Chakras?

Some spiritual traditions describe practices intended to activate or align chakras through meditation, visualization, chanting, or ritual.

There is no scientifically validated method for measuring chakra activation.

You can nevertheless explore the twelve centers as a framework for reflection, meditation, and personal spiritual practice.

Which Chakra Is Associated With Personal Power?

The Solar Plexus Chakra, or Manipura, is commonly associated with confidence, willpower, determination, and personal power.

It is the third chakra in the familiar seven-chakra system.

Is the 12 Chakra System Connected to Kundalini?

Kundalini is a concept found in Hindu and Tantric spiritual traditions, commonly associated with latent spiritual power and practices involving the subtle body.

Some modern spiritual teachers connect Kundalini with expanded chakra systems.

However, the contemporary 12 chakra system described here should not be assumed to represent a single traditional Kundalini teaching.

Do the 12 Chakras Have Symbols?

The familiar seven chakras are often represented through lotus designs, geometric shapes, Sanskrit characters, and other traditional or modern visual elements.

The five higher chakras do not have one universally recognized set of symbols.

Modern illustrations may use stars, light, circles, geometric patterns, or celestial imagery to represent them.

Final Thoughts: Exploring the 12 Chakra System

The 12 chakra system offers an expanded spiritual map, beginning with the familiar experiences of security, creativity, personal power, love, communication, intuition, and awareness.

From there, it moves into more abstract territory: the higher self, spiritual wisdom, universal connection, cosmic perspective, and unity.

Different traditions describe these higher centers in different ways. Understanding those differences can make your spiritual exploration more thoughtful and informed.

You don't need to memorize every chakra frequency or follow one rigid interpretation to find meaning in this system.

You can use the twelve centers as invitations to reflect on your life, your relationships, your values, and the questions that continue to shape your journey.

And perhaps one of the most meaningful lessons of this expanded map is that spiritual curiosity and grounded living can exist together.

You can explore the universe while remaining deeply connected to the life unfolding right in front of you.