What Number Is the Alta Major Chakra? 8th or 9th?

The Alta Major Chakra can be considered either the 8th chakra or the 9th chakra, depending on the chakra system being used.

There is no single universal numbering system for the chakras beyond the traditional seven. Some systems place the Alta Major immediately after the crown and call it the 8th chakra. Other systems include another higher or transpersonal chakra first, which makes the Alta Major the 9th chakra.

So if you’ve seen the Alta Major described by both numbers, neither reference is necessarily a contradiction.

Why Does Alta Major Chakra Numbering Vary?

Most people first encounter chakras through the familiar seven-chakra system:

1. Root
2. Sacral
3. Solar Plexus
4. Heart
5. Throat
6. Third Eye
7. Crown

Once we move beyond those seven primary centers, the numbering becomes less standardized.

Different spiritual teachers and energy-healing systems include different additional chakras and arrange them in different ways.

These may include centers such as the:

• Alta Major Chakra
• Soul Star Chakra
• Earth Star Chakra
• Higher Heart Chakra
• Causal Chakra
• other transpersonal or higher-energy centers

As soon as additional chakras are added, their numbers depend on which centers a particular system includes and where it places them.

That’s why asking, “What number is the Alta Major Chakra?” doesn’t always produce one universal answer.

The chakra itself remains the same energetic center, generally associated with the base of the skull where the head and neck meet.

Why Is the Alta Major Chakra Called the 8th Chakra?

In the simplest expanded chakra model, the Alta Major is often considered the 8th chakra.

This model begins with the traditional seven chakras and then adds the Alta Major as another important center of spiritual awareness.

This placement makes intuitive sense because the Alta Major is closely associated with themes that extend beyond ordinary physical awareness:

• intuition,
• higher guidance,
• spiritual perception,
• inner knowing,
• awakening,
• and the integration of higher consciousness.

The Alta Major is also known by several evocative names, including the Mouth of God, Well of Dreams, and Zeal Point.

Those names reflect its association with receiving and integrating deeper spiritual awareness.

From this perspective, calling the Alta Major the 8th chakra represents an expansion beyond the traditional seven into a broader experience of higher consciousness and divine guidance.

Why Is the Alta Major Chakra Called the 9th Chakra?

In other systems, the Alta Major is described as the 9th chakra.

This usually happens because another energetic center has already been assigned the number eight.

For example, a system may place the Soul Star Chakra after the crown as the 8th chakra.

The Alta Major then becomes the 9th.

The important distinction is that the number changes because the map has changed.

It does not mean that one teacher is necessarily talking about a completely different energy center.

Both systems may still describe the Alta Major in essentially the same location and associate it with many of the same qualities.

So Which Number Should You Use for the Alta Major Chakra?

If someone asks simply, “What number is the Alta Major Chakra?”, the most accurate answer is:

It depends on the chakra system.

You can call it the 8th chakra when using a model that adds the Alta Major directly to the traditional seven.

You can call it the 9th chakra when using a system that places another higher chakra before it.

In practice, the number is usually less important than understanding which energy center someone means.

If they are describing the chakra at the base of the skull associated with intuition, spiritual perception, inner guidance, and higher awareness, they are generally referring to the same Alta Major Chakra regardless of whether their system labels it #8 or #9.

How Does the Alta Major Chakra Relate to the Traditional Seven Chakras?

The Alta Major is often treated as an additional or higher energy center rather than one of the classical seven primary chakras.

But it doesn’t function in isolation.

Its role can be understood in relationship with several other chakras.

Crown Chakra

The crown is associated with spiritual consciousness, unity, and connection with the divine.

The Alta Major may help higher awareness become more embodied and integrated rather than remaining purely transcendent.

Third Eye Chakra

The third eye is closely associated with intuition, inner vision, dreams, and spiritual perception.

The Alta Major can complement this intuitive awareness by helping us become receptive to deeper guidance.

Throat Chakra

The throat is connected with expression and communication.

What we receive intuitively eventually needs to become something we can articulate, embody, or act upon.

You can explore this relationship more deeply in the guide to how the Alta Major Chakra relates to the traditional seven chakras.

Does the Number Affect How You Work With the Alta Major Chakra?

No.

You don’t need to decide whether the Alta Major is officially #8 or #9 before meditating on it or exploring its energy.

The practical work remains essentially the same.

You may choose to:

• bring gentle awareness to the base of the skull,
• use meditation or visualization,
• practice breathwork,
• work with sound or humming,
• use affirmations,
• ground before deeper spiritual work,
• or simply notice how intuition and inner guidance arise.

If you’re beginning to work with this center directly, start with grounding before Alta Major Chakra work and then explore these Alta Major Chakra activation techniques.

If the energy feels cluttered, heavy, or overstimulated, you can instead begin with gentle practices for clearing the Alta Major Chakra.

The Number Matters Less Than the Role

It’s understandable to want a clean answer.

8th?

9th?

Which one is right?

But chakra numbering is ultimately a map.

Different traditions draw that map differently.

What remains consistent is the Alta Major Chakra’s identity as an important energetic center connected with spiritual perception, intuition, inner guidance, and awakening.

That is why its role in spiritual awakening and personal development matters far more than whether we place an 8 or a 9 beside its name.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Alta Major Chakra the 8th chakra?

Yes. In chakra systems that begin with the traditional seven chakras and add the Alta Major as the next energetic center, the Alta Major is considered the 8th chakra.

Is the Alta Major Chakra the 9th chakra?

Yes. In systems that place another higher or transpersonal chakra—such as the Soul Star—between the crown and Alta Major, the Alta Major may be numbered as the 9th chakra.

Is 8th or 9th more correct?

Neither number is universally correct because higher-chakra numbering varies among spiritual systems. The important question is which chakra map or tradition is being used.

Where is the Alta Major Chakra located?

The Alta Major Chakra is generally associated with the base of the skull where the head and neck meet. It is also known by names such as the Mouth of God, Well of Dreams, and Zeal Point.

Is the Alta Major one of the traditional seven chakras?

No. The Alta Major is generally treated as an additional or higher energy center beyond the traditional seven-chakra system, although it interacts closely with centers such as the crown, third eye, and throat chakras.

Does its number matter when activating it?

No. Whether your preferred system calls the Alta Major the 8th or 9th chakra does not materially change how you work with it. Grounding, meditation, breathwork, sound, visualization, clearing, and gradual activation can all be used regardless of the numbering system.