The crackling flames burned brightly, flickering about vigorously within the fireplace that illuminated the room. It was the second lesson under the wise tutelage of his Granduncle, furthering his understanding of the Chakra systems according to the philosophy of the ancient Musai. With the notes he'd taken the night before, much of the day was spent gathering all the extra information he could on the subject. On his own, Tensai was unable to uncover the connection between the Muladhara, gravity, the skeletal system, feet, legs, and so much more.
"Well, you see Uncle, the overall theme of the Muladhara is essentially rooted in foundation...Being grounded, having a base support structure in a way." He'd pause for a moment, and his expression seemed truly befitting of a young professor deep in thought. "Gravity is the force that keeps us all tied to the planet, it's what gives us weight or else we'd all float away...Then there's our bone structure, without that we'd be the most useless creatures on the planet for obvious reasons. Of course it's really about the same foundation-like support of the skeleton though, which brings me to the next part." With a confident little smirk, Tensai pointed towards his own feet.
"Feet. Legs. That lower portion of the body that's always making contact with the earth. If you think about it for just a moment, most people on the planet are connected to the earth at the same time, just because of their feet...We all have to stand on something, those that are able anyway. I had a few ideas about how the Muladhara could tie into the sense of smell but...I think I need to do more study on that, I don't feel comfortable bringing something I'm not fully sure of to the table." With that out of the way, the boy fell silent and looked towards his elder for approval. "Sharp as a razor..." Muttered the old man in disbelief, shaking his head as if to ward off illusion.
Tensai wasn't able to understand the expression at first, but watching his uncle take another shot of rum added emphasis and gave the meaning away. The boy's only response was a respectful nod of the head to show appreciation for the veiled compliment. "You definitely take after your mother when it comes to processing information, though I suspect this area of information is something you'll master at a frightening pace. Your comprehension skills and creative thinking will be your best tools in this life." Tensai's grin became much more proud in moments, but the lesson had only just begun now that review was out of the way.
After clearing his throat with a disruptive cough, the old man continued sharing his mysticism. "The Svadhishthana, the second, is called by a few names. The meaning of Svadhishthana itself is said to mean 'One's own dwelling place', but it is also called the Sacral Chakra. Its purpose is that of movement and connection. It's strongly linked to things such as sexuality, animal instinct, competition, and contentment. Its basic orientation is that of self-gratification while also being symbolized by the color orange. When it comes to the senses, this Chakra is linked most deeply with touch. It is the Chakra most bound to the element of water. Since you've gone ahead and begun learning about their forces, Svadhishthana's is magnetism."
"The key to this Chakra is understanding one's right to feel, and to experience pleasure. A society that frowns upon emotional expression or considers sensitivity a weakness is one that encroaches upon our basic right to feel those things. Feeling is the way we obtain important information about our well-being. When the right to feel is impaired, we in turn become out of touch with ourselves...Numb and disconnected. Tying directly into this right, is the right to want. If we cannot feel, it becomes quite difficult to know what it is that we want. While we have a right to feel, and to analyze our feelings, it is you who ultimately makes the choices that follow." The old man's words would lower in volume until the last word, then fall silent so that sound of Tensai's brush marking upon scrolls alone mingled with the flickering of flames. Most people would never see the importance of such philosophical relationships and connections being made in the mind, but this boy wasn't most people.
[WC: 727]