Quick answer
The seven chakras come from Indian yogic and tantric traditions, where they are described as centres in a subtle body. There is no medical evidence that they exist as physical structures, that they can be “blocked”, or that unblocking them treats any condition. What the system does offer is a good checklist. The seven chakras map neatly onto seven areas of life, from basic security to meaning, and reviewing each one in turn is a calm way to work out where things feel stuck. Used that way, “unblocking a chakra” simply means attending to a part of your life you have been neglecting.
The seven-area life review
Each row below pairs a chakra with the area of life it is traditionally linked to and a question for your notebook. If you like working with cards, pull one Rider-Waite-Smith card for any row that feels tender and read it as a prompt rather than a diagnosis. Give yourself one evening for the whole review, or one row a day for a week.
| Chakra (traditional name) | Area of life | A review question |
|---|---|---|
| Root (Muladhara) | Safety and basics: housing, money, sleep, physical health | Which basic need have I been putting off dealing with? |
| Sacral (Svadhisthana) | Pleasure, creativity, closeness | When did I last do something purely because I enjoy it? |
| Solar plexus (Manipura) | Confidence, will, boundaries | Where am I saying yes when I mean no? |
| Heart (Anahata) | Love, grief, forgiveness, connection | Who do I need to reach out to, or let go of? |
| Throat (Vishuddha) | Honest speech, being heard | What have I not said that needs saying, and to whom? |
| Third eye (Ajna) | Judgement, clarity, trusting your own read of things | What do I already know that I keep second-guessing? |
| Crown (Sahasrara) | Meaning, purpose, perspective | What matters most to me this year, and does my week show it? |
After a breakup, which is when most people go looking for this topic, the review usually shows the same pattern: the heart row is sore, as expected, but the root and solar plexus rows are where the practical work is. Sleep has slipped, meals are irregular, money is tighter, and a boundary that was crossed for months has not been rebuilt. Fixing those does more for how you feel than any amount of work on the heart row directly. Tarot can hold the shape of the exercise: the Four of Pentacles for the root row (what are you clinging to?), the Five of Cups for the heart row (what is still standing behind you?), the Queen of Swords for the throat row (what is the clear, kind sentence?). None of this is energy work. It is a structured look at your own life, which is what tarot does best.
Keep in mind: Chakras are a traditional framework, not an anatomy, and neither chakra work nor tarot diagnoses or treats illness. If you have physical symptoms, see a doctor. If low mood, anxiety or sleep problems have lasted more than a couple of weeks, the National Institute of Mental Health’s guide to caring for your mental health is a good starting point, and in the US you can call or text 988 at any time.
Read the full guide
The hub looks at what spiritual awakening means in practice, how to stay grounded, and how tarot helps with reflection.