02 Aug All About Merkaba: Sacred Shape & Meditation Technique
The Merkaba is a prominent symbol in spirituality; you may have seen it in Jewish mysticism or spiritual jewelry, but what does it mean? Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about this sacred symbol.
What is the Merkaba Symbol?
The Merkaba shape consists of two triangular pyramids facing opposite directions. Now let’s explore its history, meaning, and more.
History
The word Merkaba, which is sometimes spelled Merkabah, is a Hebrew word relating to the notion of chariot mysticism, which originates from ancient Hebrew texts, but similar notions also appear in the Old Testement of the Bible.
It is actually composed of three words; Mer, Ka, and Ba. The first meaning light, the second meaning spirit, and the third meaning the physical body. Although it has an ancient history, it has since become a symbol used worldwide in different spiritual belief systems as a symbol of enlightenment.
Merkaba Meaning
The Merkaba symbol is essentially a symbol of spiritual enlightenment. In its original context, it represented the path of ascension towards the universe or heavens – depending on your belief system – and it is all about reaching an understanding of the meaning of life, being at one with the Earth, and finding your soul’s purpose.
According to chariot mysticism, when the light, spirit, and body come together, you get the chariot needed for ascension. It’s a multi-layered approach to reuniting different directions and bringing together opposing energies – hence the complex and overlapping nature of the symbol.
In essence, the Merkaba symbolizes fulfilling your full potential and achieving higher consciousness through raising the frequency of your own energies to connect to the higher dimensions.
The two-star tetrahedron shapes in the Merkaba can be viewed as spinning triangles that follow a clockwise direction, creating an ascending energetic field, almost like a spiritual representation of our DNA as a divine vehicle. In fact, if you simplify the symbol by reducing it to flat lines, you will see two triangles that overlap, whilst facing opposite directions, similar to the Star of David, which was a shield of divine protection.
Other Interpretations
In sacred geometry, the Merkaba symbol represents a perfect balance between the body and the spirit, and the Above and the Below – or the higher realms and our Earthly experience. It can also refer to the balance of divine male and female energies.
What is Merkaba Meditation?
Merkaba meditation is a type of meditation that can be used to activate the process of Merkaba. Following the patterns of the sacred shape, it was first practiced in ancient Egypt and consists of 18 spherical breaths, involving different breathing techniques, yoga positions, and visualizations that help you to enter the state of Merkaba.
These techniques align the mind, body, and spirit, and open the heart to a state of unconditional love that exists beyond this world, making us one with divine energy. We highly recommend pairing this practice with a Merkaba object, like a crystal or crystal necklace.
How To Do Merkaba Meditation
Step 1
Take a deep breath in and open your heart. Visualize a bright white light surrounding you and place your thumb lightly onto your first finger, part the other fingers, and keep your palm facing upwards as you inhale carefully and fully through the chest and stomach.
Exhale softly with your abdomen and repeat seven times. Next, move your eyeballs slightly towards each other as you breathe out and look up, and then down. Any tingling you feel in the face and body is normal.
Step 2
Continue breathing in the same soft and rhythmic pattern, but bring the thumb to the second finger.
Step 3
Shift the thumb onto the third finger and continue the same breathing pattern.
Step 4
Join the thumb and little finger and continue breathing as above.
Step 5
Bring the thumb back to the first finger and breathe as you did during step one.
Step 6
Repeat the second breath and finger placement.
Step 7
For step seven, visualize a tube running from above your head to down below your feet, and feel life force energy moving from both the top and bottom of the tube towards your stomach.
Get your thumb, first, and second fingers together and keep your palms up. Continue breathing as you have been and as you inhale, your life force energy should meet in the middle of your tube and expand inside of you.
Step 8
Continue step seven, but visualize the light maximizing in size with every exhale.
Step 9
Continue the step above, but envision the light getting brighter and brighter with every exhale.
Step 10
Keeping the same position and breathing technique, continue to envision the light getting brighter as you inhale until it becomes blinding and forms a ball. Then, as you exhale, make a small hole with your lips and blow air out of it with a little bit of pressure. Envision the blinding ball of light extending through your fingertips and enclosing your body.
Step 11
Continue to breathe rhythmically with the same hand position and feel the life force energy flow from up and down, meet in the middle, and extend to a larger sphere.
Step 12
Continue step eleven for seven more breaths.
Step 13
Continue with this step again for another seven breaths.
Step 14
Keep feeling the love in your heart as you inhale, and as you do, shift the original meeting point of the energy from the stomach to the chest. Place your left palm on your right palm and do this until you feel truly connected to your higher self.
Step 15
Continue breathing and holding your palms together and become aware of the three pyramids superimposed on each other. One should be fixed in the body, one should sit near the mind and rotate counterclockwise, and one should rotate clockwise and manifest further down in the body.
Make a hole with your lips and breathe out with the star pyramids spinning in opposite directions with equal speed to enter the Merkaba state.
Step 16
Keeping the same position, keep breathing, and as you exhale through the mouth, feel the speed of the spinning pyramids doubling as they make a disk around your body at the base of your spine. Don’t worry if it feels a bit wobbly.
Step 17
As you breathe in, tell your mind to increase the Merkaba to nine-tenths the speed of light and start to exhale more forcefully.
Step 18
You should receive the final eighteenth breath from your higher self, which will take you through the speed of light into a higher state of consciousness.
Merkaba Crystals
If you want to utilize the Merkaba symbol physically, there are a couple of options. There are decorative Merkaba ornaments that you can place in your home, Merkaba jewelry that you can wear to keep it close, and the most popular of all – Merkaba crystals.
When you combine the sacred meaning of the Merkaba symbol with the healing power of crystals, you get super-charged tools of divine power. Most spiritual stores will sell Merkaba-shaped stuff, but you should stick to reputable sites and shops to ensure you get the real deal when it comes to crystals.
Like all crystals, you can keep Merkaba stones around the house to cleanse and raise the vibration of your home, wear the shaped crystal jewelry for deep chakra healing, carry some around with you in your pocket, or meditate with them for serious spiritual work, manifestation, and personal growth.
You can also keep Merkaba crystals by your bed, under your pillow, or fix them to a dreamcatcher for dreamwork, lucid dreaming, and astral travel. So what crystals suit the shape best? Let’s take a look.
Clear Quartz Merkaba
Clear Quartz is known as a master healer because of its incredible metaphysical properties. It amplifies positive energies, cleanses negative energies, and connects with the crown chakra, or the seventh chakra, to connect us with the spiritual realm.
Pairing the Merkaba shape with this crystal invites healing and blessings that will support you on your journey to spiritual enlightenment. In some cultures, they also believe the mighty combination to support healing of past life trauma and bad karma.
How to use it: The best way to use a Clear Quartz Merkaba stone is by placing it somewhere or significant, such as your bedside table, and meditating with it.
Rose Quartz Merkaba
Rose Quartz is known as the stone of love. It relates to the heart or the fourth chakra, which governs our ability to love ourselves and others unconditionally. Whether you’re trying to align and open your heart or heal from heartbreak or self-loathing, a Merkaba-shaped Rose Quartz can help.
It’s also a great stone for manifesting true love and attracting twin flames and soul mates, whether they’re platonic or romantic. The combination is also particularly effective if you’re trying to raise the frequency of your divine femininity, as both the heart chakra and the vibration of pretty pink Rose Quartz are feminine and nurturing.
How to use it: For the best results, wear a Rose Quartz Merkaba necklace, meditate with it, or sleep with it under your pillow.
Amethyst Merkaba
The vibrant purple Amethyst crystal is an incredible stone to pair with the Merkaba symbol because it’s a great all-around stone for healing, personal growth, and spiritual growth. It connects to the third eye chakra, or sixth chakra, which governs our intuition, spiritual sensitivity, and psychic abilities.
Intuition is also an essential element of the journey towards ascension and helps you to trust your intuition and inner guidance. When paired with the Merkaba symbol, it amplifies these vibrations and makes for an incredible stone for spiritual enlightenment.
How to use it: There is really no wrong way to use this stone, you can keep it close you to, wear it, and meditate with it to elevate your spiritual connection and soul journey.
Labradorite Merkaba
Ocean blue Labradorite takes curiosity and spiritual exploration to a whole new level. So, combining it with Merkaba symbolism is a surefire way to ensure some wild spiritual experiences. The beautiful metallic blue-green gemstone can help you to gain introspective insight and provide a guiding light in times of trouble.
When these powers come together, you’ll achieve a higher level of understanding, consciousness, and transformation. It’s also a great sone if you’re looking to reinvent yourself, manifest a big change in your life, astral project, or do dreamwork.
How to use it: To use Merkaba Labradorite, meditate with it, wear it, or sleep with it under your pillow or on your nightstand.
Shungite Merkaba
Shungite is an ancient stone that is said to be able to absorb and dissolve any negative energy around it and has been around for two billion years, pre-dating organic life on Earth. When paired with the Merkaba shape, it provides the ultimate safety stone, giving you divine protection from negative energy, bad spirits, and bad influences.
How to use it: The best way to use a Merkaba Shungite is by wearing it, carrying it around, or keeping it somewhere central in your home.
Lapis Lazuli Merkaba
Lapis Lazuli is a semi-precious blue gemstone that has been used for healing and spiritual purposes since Ancient Egypt. It is especially resonant with the throat chakra, which governs our sense of identity, truth, communication, and creativity, and when paired with Merkaba, it helps us to be our true selves and follow our true path in life.
How to use it: To use your Lapis Lazuli Merkaba, sleep next to it, meditate with it, or wear it on a necklace for the best results.
Citrine Merkaba
Golden Citrine beams with positive sunshine energy and resonates with the solar plexus chakra to bring good luck and fortune to all those who use it. This chakra governs our sense of purpose, self-esteem, and joy, so it is a great one to pair with the Merkaba symbol because it can help to truly free you of self-doubt and align you with your higher purpose.
It also literally carries the energy of the sun, which can help give some celestial power to your spiritual ascension.
How to use it: To use Merkaba-shaped Citrine, meditate with it, wear it, keep it in your pocket, or keep it somewhere central in your home to fill the entire space up with light energy.
Hematite Merkaba
Hematite is a black root chakra stone; this chakra is the first chakra in the body and it is located at the base of your spine and governs your sense of safety and security in the physical world. When combined with Merkaba, it can help with the bodily aspect of your ascension to the divine wisdom
How to use it: We suggest wearing your Hematite Merkaba, carrying it around in your pocket, or sleeping with it under your pillow.
Moonstone Merkaba
Moonstone is another feminine stone. It’s also associated with peace and tranquility, so if you’re someone who struggles to relax enough to get into the meditative state necessary for certain types of spiritual work, it’s a great choice for you. When paired with the Merkaba crystal, it creates an incredible doorway to the divine and helps to manifest miracles.
How to use it: The best way to use your Moonstone is by keeping it somewhere central in your home or bedroom or sleeping next to it.
Carnelian Merkaba
Carnelian is an excellent stone to pair with the Merkaba symbol. It’s an orange sacral chakra stone and a manifestation stone, so if you’re looking to make positive life changes, this could be the one for you, especially if those changes revolve around creative work or your love life, as the sacral chakra governs our creative energy and sexuality.
How to use it: As it’s a chakra stone, Merkaba Carnelian is a great crystal to wear, but it’s also ideal for chakra meditations and to hold whilst repeating positive affirmations and mantras for manifestation.
Side Effects Of Activating Merkaba
Although it is ultimately an incredibly beneficial experience, there can be a few side effects of entering the Merkaba state. This can include a feeling of disconnect to the physical world, insomnia, and a feeling of weightlessness, as well as mood swings, vivid dreams, intrusive thoughts, and heightened sensitivity.
However, they’re only temporary and will pass the more you re-balance your energy to adapt to your new awareness. You can do this by spending time in nature, using grounding crystals, and indulging in physical activities like exercise.
The Bottom Line
The Merkaba symbol is a truly powerful symbol with a unique and ancient history, and it is one we can still put to good use today for personal growth and spiritual enlightenment. We highly recommend buying a Merkaba crystal if you’re looking to heal or further your spiritual journey.