Symbols of The Earth Pilgrimage

SYMBOLS OF THE EARTH PILGRIMAGE

Hilarion, The Great Teacher, gives examples commonly encountered in life of how the most mundane experiences and objects that appear in the screen of our reality mirror may be interpreted at symbolic levels. It is really a teaching about everything in life having a deeper and more instructively purposeful meaning than is evident on first glance or upon superficial consideration. This Third Density Material Plane is, virtually, an unending hallway of mirrors, and this lesson demonstrates how to go about interpreting those reflections that are present in one's personal reality and experience.

"The Race of Man has finally begun to glimpse the realities that lie beyond the confines of the five senses. These realities are much greater and, in a sense, much more real than the practical existence which Mankind takes to be its 'real world'. The time has come at last for Man to rise to the level which He has always deserved but which He has for eons rejected -- through fear, through captivation by pleasures and materialism, and through the whisperings of The Forces (Dark) dedicated to his destruction."

"The purpose of this writing is to explain, in a way readily accessible to all minds, the eternal dance of symbol and allegory with which Man has been surrounded since his inception on this Planet. For it has always been part of The Great Plan for The Human Race that there should never be any lack of reminder and encouragement with regard to the spiritual quest upon which all men are embarked."

"It was known that The Path would be hard, and It has been. From darkness into the light is a long way, and it has had its share of fear, sorrow, and catastrophy. But a New Dawn, a New Age awaits The Race of Man, and It is but a few short years off. It will be a time of reunion, a time when Man will again learn that all men are brothers and that all lesser life-forms on The Planet have been entrusted to his care and guidance by The Creator God. It is the forgetting of these two great truths which has ushered in the age of chaos, mass murder, and destruction which now besets The Planet."

"And yet out of this time of confusion and fear, there will grow -- hesitantly at first, but then with greater and greater certainty -- a conviction that man's destiny lies above the petty materialism and selfishness which now preoccupy the attention of all, that The Human Race was meant to play a key role in the ever-unfolding tapestry of God's Creation, and that it is at last time to lay aside all the childish concerns and unworthy pursuits and to walk, in love and light, together into a New Age of Glory."

"The purpose of these writings, which are being dictated from a Level referred to as That of The Fifth Initiation, is to act as guides to a higher form of perception of reality, so that the channeling of The New Age Energies will be in the most positive direction possible, thereby allowing the fullest outflowering of love, light, and service to take place."

"All of life's pattern, as it is lived on The Planet Earth, is literally alive with signs, symbols, allegories, and portents, were man's eyes only opened enough to perceive them. Not a day passes that does not offer, to each human in incarnation, a number of signs, warnings, or promptings that have a direct pertinence to that particular life-pattern. How much easier life would become if only these signals were heeded. So many men and women waste prodigious amounts of energy trying to force their life-pattern into a mold that is other than the one which is being signaled constantly to them, thereby leaching away strength that was meant to be channeled into positive avenues."

"Does the reader question our statement? An example will show what We mean. Think of the many instances when you have tried to contact some other person but were prevented from doing so by 'chance', or so it seemed. You telephone; he is not there. You try again later, and the line is busy. Still later, you ring the number a third time and are told that the person had been there but has just left. You leave a request to be called back, but it does not occur. Finally, in a fit of annoyance you give it up and turn your attention elsewhere."

"Does it not sound familiar? Patterns like the scenario We have just sketched occur countless times in each lifetime and must not be viewed as mere 'chance'. We have said before that very little in the life-pattern of a human can be ascribed to pure chance alone. In the hypothetical case We have just described, the events of the life are saying to the person, 'Do not try further in this direction. The timing is not right. Wait and the way will be shown.'"

"Myriad reminders and signals abound in the life of each human and point ceaselessly to the direction of spirituality, evolution, and advancement. These patterns and symbols exist in practically every phase of human endeavor. We hope that, after having read through this work, the reader will be able to look upon his daily experience with new eyes and that he will see significance and meaning in countless daily events which before he either ignored or passed off as 'chance'."

"Reality talks to every soul in incarnation. The dialogue goes on continuously, but all too few are aware, at the conscious level, that they are receiving these signals. By bringing the recognition up to the conscious mind, the seeker can make much greater progress in spiritual terms and can often clear out of the life-pattern many annoyances that arose due to his former inability to 'take the hints' that reality was handing him."

Driving Vehicles:

"We will begin by looking at the most mundane and common of life's activities, that of driving a car. How, the reader well might ask, can the act of driving an automobile possibly have anything to do with spiritualization? Let Us explain."

"In past centuries, in earlier ages, many human beings cared little about their fellow man and were not able to empathize with pain or hardship that another might be enduring. In those early times, men were rough with each other and abused each other physically without concern over the pain this might cause. Particularly did those who were large in body build oppress the smaller and weaker of their brothers, often gaining a following or an army simply through the threat of physical punishment."

"Many of these same 'bullies', who tended not to care about hurting others, are now employed as truck drivers. Indeed, they are attracted to the bigness of the large trucks by the quite obvious symbolism which equates the motor vehicle to the human body. They see the truck as the extension of, or the equivalent of, their own physical body, and since they once were large, strong men, it is a natural thing for them to wish to control the largest of the vehicles."

"But in driving their trucks, these individuals are forced to obey the many rules of the road. For example, they must drive only in one particular lane or on only one side of the road. This fact is taken by the subconscious as the equivalent of 'sticking to the straight and narrow', and the subconscious is thus constantly reminded that, in spiritual terms, there exists a path or a track which is the one to be followed if success is to be attained."

"Another concept which is constantly driven home to the driver of any motor vehicle is that of respecting the physical integrity of the bodies of others. At the symbolic level, all vehicles are the physical bodies of the drivers, and this equivalence is self-evident to the subconscious of every man. Indeed, when one dreams of a car or of driving a car, the chances are great that one's own physical body -- or the events occurring to the physical body -- are being symbolized."

"Every driver, however, takes great pains to avoid collision with other vehicles. This constant seeking to avoid contact is taken by the subconscious as a reminder to respect the bodies of others, not to harm them, etc."

"Thus it can be seen that, lying hidden behind the seemingly obvious and merely utilitarian activity of car-driving, there is a beautiful allegorical teaching regarding the way to treat others -- one which is constantly maintained before the subconscious attention of all who own and drive motorized vehicles."

Water:

"One of the most remarkable of the substances which Man has been given is water. It has been bestowed upon Man as the perfect symbolic reflection of his own emotional state. Water is, in dreams and other messages, very often the symbol of emotion. But here We wish to deal with its actual properties in greater detail. Those with a scientific background will recognize that water has certain special characteristics that are not present in other liquids or, at least, not to the same extent."

"In the first place, water is transparent in its pure state but can be made turbid or muddy by admixture with other materials, by pollution, and so forth. Pure, crystal clear, fresh water is the symbol for man's purest emotion, that of the universal Christ Love. The salt water of the sea is also very transparent, but the salt which is present in the water represents the 'grounding' of the pure Christ-Love emotion, since salt is mined in the ground, to change the universal Christ Love into the particular love that one individual will feel for another, e.g. in a man-woman romantic involvement."

"The taste of the salt brings saliva to the mouth as does the taste of sea-water. This corresponds to the physical excitement of the pair-bond love relationship, since it does lead normally to the intense experience of physical love-making."

"Most of the water which covers the earth's surface is salt water. Very little is fresh. Rivers and inland lakes generally have fresh water, but they constitute a very small percentage of the totality of water on The Planet. The reason for the preponderance of salt-water at this time is simply that very few humans are capable of the universal Christ Love, whereas most are able to experience the more earth-based emotion of 'romantic' man-woman love."

"Another singular characteristic of water is the fact that it has a very high specific heat when compared to all other naturally-occurring liquids. Specific heat is the term scientists use to indicate how much heat can be stored in a given weight of a substance. It is measured by heating a pre-determined amount of a material from one temperature level to another higher level and determining precisely how much heat energy is required in the process. The specific heat of water is more than double that of olive oil, about 7 times that of glass, and more than 30 times that of the liquid metal Mercury. When water freezes to ice, its own specific heat drops to about half the value when liquid."

"There is, of course, a hidden, symbolic side to the question of specific heat, entirely aside from the usefulness of the large value in technical terms (e.g. for heat storage purposes). The fact that water can store such a great amount of heat energy is directly related, on a symbolic level, to the capacity of the human Emotional Reservoir to store and provide energy to the body."

"It is The Astral Body Which constitutes this storehouse of energy and Which is being symbolized by the high specific heat of water. But only one emotion warms The Astral Body, that of love. All others -- hate, fear, self-pity, etc. -- only cool and weaken It. This is why those who indulge in the negative emotions are generally lower in energy and drive than those who emphasize the positive feelings of love, friendship, affection, and so forth. For The Astral Body can feed its own love energy directly to the physical body in terms of stamina, drive, etc. and must do so in order for the individual to fully manifest all of his facets and abilities."

"Let us now look at another of water's interesting properties, that of its ability to conduct electricity. Many other naturally occurring liquids, like the oils, cannot conduct electricity, and it may interest the reader to understand why, at the symbolic level, water should have this capacity."

"Electricity is not a form of energy which exists wholly within the physical space of The Universe. Unlike heat energy, for example, which is essentially related to the motion of molecules and atoms, electricity involves aetheric and fourth dimensional concepts in order to be fully understood. The important factor to understand is that electricity is essentially an aetheric phenomenon, and that Aether is the name given to the all-pervasive elementary stuff of The Universe, a material so fine that no present-day scientific instruments can detect its presence. And yet, It is distributed throughout all of three-dimensional space, even in interstellar regions where scientists believe that nothing whatever is present aside from a few random hydrogen atoms."
"In just the same way that The Astral Body is influenced by emotion, The Aetheric Body is influenced by thought and can be given health or illness by virtue of the nature of the thought processes in any individual. What is symbolized by this characteristic of water (the conduction of electricity) is the ability of emotion to engender thought. Thus, fear of aging, for example, causes the mind to project a picture of oneself as old, and this in turn causes first The Aetheric Body, and subsequently the physical body, to take on the aging characteristics."

The Wheel:

"The world of practical considerations is filled with certain symbols that are encountered on every hand, although few humans in incarnation are aware of the spiritual meaning of these symbols. Consider the wheel. This development -- a major one in terms of the practical progress of civilization -- is taken largely for granted by the conscious mind of The Race. However, at the subconscious level, the concept of the wheel is seen for what it really is, namely the perfect representation of the way in which creation unfolds."

"Let Us be more specific. To begin with, the symbolic representation of the wheel -- the circle with a dot in the center -- has been the symbol for The Sun in Astrology and Astronomy since their beginnings. Within this symbolic drawing, however, there is much more meaning than at first meets the eye. One might wonder why the dot is present in the sun's symbol, when there is no such spot visible on the sun's disk. The secret is related to the connection between The Sun and the concept of The Original Creative Force in The Universe."
"The Sun is rightly perceived by the subconscious of The Race as a symbol of The Creator God, and, indeed, this magnificent storehouse of inexhaustible energy and light is, in reality, a Facet of God Himself (The Solar Logos being The Creator of This Solar System). It may be thought of as one of the ways in which The Father has chosen to show Himself to His earth children."

"Now, in the symbol for The Sun, the central dot relates to the idea that God is at the 'center' of everything that is, while the circumference of the symbol designates that which has been manifested by His creativity. In occultism, God is referred to as 'the circle whose center is everywhere and whose periphery is nowhere'. The latter is a kind of riddle for The Initiate, Who is expected to understand that 'whose center is everywhere' points to the fact that God manifests Himself within everything in Creation, and that 'whose periphery is nowhere' confirms that God knows no limits, periphery being the outer limit of a circle."

"A deeper level of significance is also found in the circle/dot symbol. This is related to the nature of The Creative Act Itself and to the meaning of the numbers 1 and 2 in Numerology. The number 1 refers to the concept of The Creator in unmanifested form. This may be thought of as God prior to The Creative Acts Which gave rise to manifestation and corresponds to the center dot in the symbol We have been discussing."

"The Act of Creation may be symbolically conceived of in terms of this center dot 'breathing forth' a surrounding halo or nimbus, which comes from the center point and which, in turn, envelops it. The halo is the outer perimeter of the circle We have referred to."

"Now, the outer circle, in this form of the symbology, denotes the 'womb' of The Universe in which all things incubate prior to manifestation. Thus, although the circle does not, strictly speaking, denote the manifested Universe, it nonetheless is related to It by virtue of the nurturing and incubating function."

"The number 2 is connected symbolically with the outer envelope or periphery in the example under discussion, and, in Numerology, 2 is related to the same area as is designated by The Moon and the sign Cancer in Astrology, namely the concepts of nurturing, caring for others, protecting, shielding, incubating, and so forth. Indeed, The Moon in Astrology is the direct symbol of the female womb."

"At another level of symbology, the wheel is connected with the way in which progress, in the spiritual sense, is attained. The wheel is related to the passage of time and in its turning can be seen the perfect analogy to the circle of the seasons, the dawn ever renewing the day, and the eternal circuit of Sun, Moon, and Stars around The Planet Earth."

"Time is one of the ways in which God manifests Himself and is a gift of great importance to all beings who experience it. It has been said that God gave Man space so that He could try for perfection and time so that He could try again. It is true that time is a gift, and it can be helpful to conceive of it as deliberately provided in order that all creatures in The Physical Plane could strive for perfection."

"The critical thing to appreciate regarding the cycle of time is that it never comes around to exactly the same condition again. There is always something added, some higher facet that is revealed. Civilizations rise and fall, each going through similar phases in the same order. But no two civilizations are identical, for that would mean that the evolution of The Race had become arrested. In each great civilization of Man, some new facet or quality is added. The perception of truth is enhanced. And the scope for evolvement is broadened. In this sense, the helix is often taken to be a better representation of the evolutionary process. The helix is in the shape of a coil spring, which can be seen end-wise to be circular. But from the side, each turn of the coil has advanced one step over the last."

"This concept is also represented in man's most common use of the wheel, namely in his vehicles. As the car or truck moves forward, the wheels rotate, but no wheel is ever in the same location after one rotation. It has moved to a different spot on the road."

The Potter's Wheel:

"One of the most complete symbols for Man involving the rotation concept is the potter's wheel. As the wheel rotates, the hands of the artist mold the blob of wet clay that has been placed on the center of the wheel."

"The wheel itself represents the reincarnational process. Each rotation is a life lived on The Earth Plane. The formless clay is the raw material which each Soul has to work with, Itself. The hands that form the clay are also those of The Soul. Through effort, the clay is gradually formed into a vessel for the holding of water. Each turn brings the vessel closer to the ideal shape."

"After this process is completed, the clay is still wet, has little resistance to outside pressure and forces, and cannot hold water without leaking."

"The potter places the formed clay vessel into his kiln to fire it. This represents the trials and difficulties with which Man is presented in incarnation. Hi is 'tried in the fire', so to speak, and the result of this process is that the ideal shape becomes firm and the vessel is enabled to hold water."

"The water which it holds can be thought of either as man's emotional side or as the 'waters of The Spirit'. In either case, the ability to contain the water without leakage represents the goal in terms of earth incarnation."
The Schooling System:

"It is time now to turn to other allegories which Man Himself acts out during earth-life in patterns of social behavior which are intended to remind Him, at The Soul level, about the pilgrimage upon which He is embarked."

"One of the most precise analogies to the rebirth cycle is found in the schooling system which is prevalent throughout the world at the present time. The schooling of a child is normally accomplished by having him attend 'school years' separated by summer vacations of various lengths. The school years, of course, correspond with the living of sequential earth lives, and the vacations can be compared with the between-life period in The Astral Realms. Indeed, one designation for The Astral Location (The Upper Five Levels) is The Summerland."

"Year after year, the child returns (usually) to the same school and finds himself again with the same fellow students. This will correspond to the arrangement by which a Soul returns to incarnation again and again with the same Group or Family of Souls."

"School is a time for learning lessons of an academic nature, whereas earthly incarnation presents the opportunity for learning the great Soul-lessons which must be mastered before the individual can hope to advance to Higher Rungs on The Ladder of Being."

"From time to time during a school year, the student will undergo tests or examinations, and these correspond to the tests which the soul (the personality) must endure while in incarnation upon The Earth. Each individual passes through a series of trials in which it is determined how well or badly he has mastered the lessons of The Material World."

The Economic System:

"Another facet of social life and custom on The Earth is a great teacher of brotherly behavior among men. We are here referring to the economic system in which each human being, in order to earn enough money to support himself and any dependents, must interact agreeably with others, serve them, please them, or whatever. Even though the smile and pleasantness may not always be heartfelt at the personality level, nonetheless there is developing a habit of service, pleasantness, etc. which, in time, will affect The Higher Self."

"Consider the greedy merchant who cheats his creditors and charges exorbitant prices for his goods. The ingratiating smile may be false, but the soul is learning to be pleasant nonetheless. He must, in order to survive, have the goodwill of his customers, even though he cheats them in the process. Slowly, very slowly, The Soul improves."

The Four Elements:

"Turning to another area, We wish to explore the many ways in which the ancient Four Elements -- Earth, Air, Fire, and Water -- are inextricably woven, symbolically, into the fabric of life on The Earth Plane. Occultists are generally aware that this four-fold division identifies the various astrological signs in groups of 3 each and that alchemy is also filled with references to the ideas for which these Elements stand."

"What many do not realize is that wherever one looks in the 'real' world, divisions into the 4 Elements can be found. This division, and the three-fold pattern reflecting the make-up of Man Himself (physical, emotional, and mental), literally cry out to be noticed -- and would be if Man but opened his eyes and saw clearly."

"Starting with the four-fold division, let Us briefly give a few examples. Man heats his dwellings in one of 4 ways, basically. He burns coal or peat. He burns oil. He burns natural gas. Or He uses electricity. The coal is Earth. The oil is liquid and thus corresponds to Water. The natural gas is the Air and electricity the Fire."

"Notice that there is a kind of hierarchy of preference in the sense of the pollution which results from each method. The Earth category is generally the lowest vibration, and, as a rule, the burning of coal produces the most smoke and air pollution. Oil and natural gas burn more cleanly. But the use of electricity for heating purposes does not put any chemical whatever into the atmosphere. In this hierarchy, the Fire category would be the most refined or highest vibration."

"Look further. The foods Man is permitted to eat during The Piscean Age are designated by the categories of Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. In order these point to root crops, seafood, fowl, and fruit. The latter includes all Plant Kingdom foods which require ample sunshine to come to ripeness. The citrus fruits, especially, are the highest form of Fire-category food."

"All foodstuffs are essentially transformers of energy for Man. This is true even of the seafood and fowl at the present time, although We must stress that these kinds of food, requiring animal life to be sacrificed, are quite low on the scale of vibration. Man's present spiritual level is currently low enough that He can absorb energy and sustenance from eating the dead bodies of lesser animal life. But in The New Age about to break upon The Planet, man's vibratory condition will be too high for these foods to be appropriate, and human beings will naturally turn from this form of cannibalism."

"We use the latter word deliberately because of the fact that the bonds between The Animal Kingdom and that of Man are far closer than is generally realized, even among seekers who have had special revelations on the subject. If Mankind could but see the question from This Level, He would be aghast at the savagery He is exhibiting by destroying the beautiful life-forms which God placed on this Planet out of love for The Human Race."

"After The Tribulation Years have passed, Man will still need to eat to survive, of course. And He will find again that the original categories will represent generally the main sources of his sustenance. But the level of the symbology will have been raised, along with man's own vibratory level."

"In the new breakdown of food categories, Earth will designate all foods that are taken as solid material into the digestive system. This will, at first, consist of the same fruit, vegetable, and grain sources as are now consumed, together with the dairy foods. However, with the passage of time, the level of the entire Race will rise until only the fruits need to be consumed in order to keep the physical vehicle balanced. Naturally, since Man has free will, individuals will have perfect freedom to eat anything they wish, but as knowledge and understanding spread, more and more will restrict their intake of solid food to the juicy fruits and, of course, will reap the rewards of energy, clarity, health, and longevity which that will bring."

"In the new symbology, Water will refer not to seafood but to water itself. Air will also refer to itself and more particularly to the prana of the air from which The Aetheric Body derives so much energy. Fire, of course, will refer directly to the sun's own light, which will be able to give energy directly to man's new, brighter body. This energy will pass into the body through the eyes mainly, for, strange as it may seem now, the vibratory rate of Man is expected eventually to be raised so high that He will be able to look calmly upon the sun's very face."

"The four-fold division could be traced throughout many of the categories which surround Man, but the foregoing will give a sufficient taste of it to allow the seeker to discover these patterns for himself. As always, meditation and the seeking of the silence within are the best methods of uncovering the wisdom of The Spirit."

"In connection with the three-fold division, this has primarily to do with areas which directly affect Man Himself or which pertain to his own inner life experience. For example, the 3 bodies of Man -- the physical, Astral, and Aetheric -- correspond exactly with the action/love/mental aspects of Man (The First, Second, and Third Rays), with the understanding that the category of action (First Ray) covers sensation, will, and energy as well."

"It is possible to find this triplicity even within the one general facet of love, for example. Man can express love and affection at the mental level (in words), at the emotional level (with feelings), and at the physical level (in the act of love or in loving gestures, etc.). Similar breakdowns occur with the other general facets as well."
"One may look at This Triangle of Being in a different light. Consider the 3 'worldly aims' to which so many people become attached. These are power, money, and fame."

"The power urge is simply a perversion of the physical, will side of Man. It is an attempt to find a mastery and control outside of the self and is a compensation for an inability to be the master and captain within."

"The drive to accumulate wealth is merely an urge to find, out there in the world, the symbolic substitute for love, which is money. At the subconscious level of The Race, money is equated with love, and he who overstresses the importance of gathering wealth is compensating externally for a lack of love -- or the lack of the ability to love -- which he feels internally."

"Those who seek fame, to be known widely, to gain notoriety and 'cause a stir' are seeking the worldly surrogate for inner mental activity. Fame is thus the perversion of the mental side of The Triangle of Being. People think about you, talk about you, write about you, etc. It is the mental activity of the other person that is being stirred up rather than one's own."

"These 3 eternal facets of being revolve about and permeate the entirety of man's physical life on The Earth, and much wisdom of a spiritual nature can be derived merely by contemplating this great symbolic figure (The Triangle of Being)."

The Sea:

"In the symbolism of The Material World, it is well understood that the sea corresponds to the emotion/feeling side of Man. Water is ever the symbol of emotions in dreams and in other forms of communication. The water which covers The Earth over all but one quarter of its surface is a distinct rarity in This Galaxy. Very few other inhabited Planets have atmospheric conditions which permit water to exist in liquid form, and Those that do have but puny reservoirs of the liquid, not comparable in any way to the magnificent seas and oceans of The Earth."

"In the common subconscious level (the collective unconscious) shared by all human beings, it is recognized that the sea represents the emotional side of The Triangle (of Being), that which when purified will shine forth as the human equivalent of God's Divine Love."

"Through incarnation after incarnation, Man seeks ever the experience of the sea. Much of his history has been lived on the oceans. The great cities of The Earth are, with few exceptions, ports and harbors. Men seek instinctively the solace and calm which only the sea can provide."

"But she has her darker side as well. Few humans have not, in some incarnation, been deprived of a loved one or of their own lives by the fury of the sea. Her treachery is known to all mariners. Her dangers are the watchword of all who sail upon her bosom."

"And yet men return again and again to the sea to sail her or to live beside her. She is like a magnet, attracting men life after life through her siren-song of proferred peace and solace."

"The spell of the sea is easy to understand when it is realized that all humans know, in their hearts, that it is the emotional side of their natures that must eventually be made to flower, and recognize, in the sea, the perfect reflection of human emotions. Her treachery, her beauty, her seductiveness, her howling storms, her calm serenity -- these all are found within man's own emotional nature."

"In living his life tied to the sea, Man perceives outside of Himself a perfect representation of that which lies within. So long as Man continues to allow his emotional side to storm and to destroy, so long will it be necessary for the sea to do the same. The great hope of Those Who planned this partnership between Mankind and the sea is that the outer experiences of the sea's negative side will allow Man to recognize his own emotional negativity and to seek to purify it."

Mountains:

"Mountains do not occur only on The Physical Earth. Because of their symbolic value, they appear in most of The Lower Planes of existence, including all of The Astral Levels. They are meant as a constant reminder that there remain still Higher Worlds to be attained. Look at the shape of the peak, thrusting upward like a signpost to heaven -- or at least a higher heaven -- a literal arrowhead showing the way."

"Consider the brilliant white of the snow-capped summits, designating the purity of purpose required of all who set their feet upon the upward path. And note how the rising slopes -- which at lower levels are home to grass and trees -- become denuded of all vegetation and even lose the covering of soil that trees and plants require for growth. This represents the necessity of sloughing off all extraneous baggage, all attachment to lower things before setting out on The Golden Quest."

Trees:

"The trees that clothe The Earth are generally of two basic configurations: the round or oval shapes found mainly among the fruit-bearing trees, and the elongated shapes found mainly among the conifers. Naturally, there is an infinitude of intermediate shapes. Here We are merely trying to point out a basic law."

"Now, the fruit-bearing trees are symbolizing by their general roundness -- think of the apple tree -- that they are involved in practical matters, that of providing needed food for Mankind. This is creativity at the everyday level and is essential. The best zodiac sign to represent this concept is, of course, Cancer. The latter is directly involved with nurturing and bring forth in a practical, creative sense."

"By contrast with most fruit-bearing trees, the evergreens do not directly offer to Man any practical gifts. The gifts which they hold out are far more spiritual and abstract. To begin with, it must be pointed out that the 'beings' which experience reality in the evergreen trees are of a very devotional character. They spend the whole tree experience in what could be called an attitude of prayer, if it were observed in a human. As such, these trees are able to offer to Man the supreme gift of spiritual solace."

"Many have, indeed, felt the peace and tranquility of a pine forest, the distant majesty of the giant cedars. Within these magnificent trees lies a strength which comes from waiting upon The Most High, a serenity that only a life of faith can inspire. And so would it be for any human who could follow the model which these beautiful servants of God provide."

"Many individuals have found out by experience that any evergreen tree, especially the larger ones, can produce a wonderful, calming effect on The Higher Bodies, merely by placing oneself within the tree's aura. The aura is usually as wide as the tree branches. By standing under the branches of a tree, one is automatically within its aura. A more pronounced effect is attained by standing with one's back directly against the trunk of an evergreen tree. For this procedure, it is best to face north."

"Conversely, where an individual needs to be 'grounded' back into the everyday world, for example after excessive meditation or out-of-body experiences, the fruit trees are the best to seek out. In this case, the exercise is merely to stand facing the tree with the arms wrapped around the trunk. The face should be towards the south. A few minutes of this will ground most individuals well."

"What We have pointed out above with respect to the evergreen trees might have been obvious due to the importance which We have put on the concept of the triangle. The evergreen trees are generally in this shape and thus elongated, and therefore it would follow that an involvement with spiritual areas is being indicated. Think also of the hands of a person in prayer. Here too is the triangular symbol."

"By contrast, the roundness of the fruit-bearing trees is the symbol of fecundity, the quality or ability to bring forth at The Physical Level. However, this is only one level of the symbology of geometrical shapes. For example, the circle is the symbol for The Cosmic Womb, out of Which all material manifestation has come forth. Yet even there, at the much grander scale of cosmic symbology, the basic idea of fecundity applies."

The Mirror of Reality:

"To begin, there is an absolute necessity that the immense thought-form of hatred and bigotry which man's thoughts have cast over the whole Earth be removed. This sort of thought-form is made by man's own thoughts, and it is dissipated by man's actions. That idea is very important, and We will try to explain it more clearly."

"Whenever you think a powerful negative thought, a negative thought-form is created. Whenever you do the action which the thought suggests, you sap the strength of the thought-form and it disappears. Suppose you become extremely angry with someone, and you think about hitting that person, but you don't actually do it. This will create a thought-form around you which is of the same nature as the thought itself, one of physical violence toward someone else."

"Now, if you do not actually carry out the action corresponding to the thought, the thought-form will remain at The Aetheric Level. From That Level, it will try to manifest. It does this by seeking to make you do some act of violence which is similar to its own essence. If you give in to the pressure of the thought-form and indulge in some violent act, the 'substance' of the thought-form literally feeds into the muscles that are involved in the violent act, and this causes the thought-form to disappear."

"It is the same with the gigantic thought-form of hatred and bigotry which The Race as a whole has made and which hovers in the space surrounding this Planet. Over the past decades, there has been more hateful and bigoted thought than there has been action, and this means that the thought-form has continually increased in power. The action to which this thought-form corresponds is that of warfare and violence between groups, and such action is the only one which is capable of getting rid of this horrible cancer that sprawls upon The Living Earth."

"So you can see that, in a sense, it is necessary for there to be some form of conflict on a large scale in order that The Earth can be cleansed of this thought-form. This may sound as if We are saying that the war would be a good thing. Nothing could be further from our meaning. What We are saying is this: that it is Man Who created the conditions which are inevitably drawing The Race into conflict and that, even though that conflict will be a terrible ordeal for The Race, it will have at least the benefit of dissipating the dreadful thought-form of hatred and contempt which the thoughts of millions of men have created."

"But other positive ends will also be achieved by this time of war and difficulty. One of these is to demonstrate, in unmistakable terms, the nature of the habits which The Race has adopted. We are referring to habits of irritation, rivalry, aggression, bigotry, and so forth. We have said before that one of the reasons for a Spiritual Being coming into The Material Plane and taking on a physical body is to allow It to see Itself clearly and to understand Itself."

"In many ways, reality at your level is like a mirror, reflecting back to every Soul the true nature of Itself. The circumstances in the life of any individual accurately reflect various facets of that individual's nature, and by coming into a life which will conform itself to that inner pattern, the individual is allowed to see outside himself certain truths that relate to what is inside."

"For example, a man who marries a woman and who then proceeds to experience conflict constantly with her is merely living through a pattern which reflects some quality within himself. The marriage which he has made is like a stage on which his own internal conflicts can be acted out. By going through this acting out of conflict, his inner problem can be seen more clearly. Often the 'seeing' is not at the conscious but at the subconscious level. But either way, the lesson is learned."

"Now, in the case of Mankind as a whole, there is a necessity that the internal characteristics of rage, hatred, rivalry, and aggression be recognized, for unless this can be done, there will be no incentive for The Race to change. This is where the reality mirror comes in. When millions of human beings begin to experience, in hard reality, the results of the thought-form of hatred and aggression, they will be able to understand better than ever before that they do, in fact, have these flaws."

"Man spends billions of dollars on 'defense', or so it is called. He tells Himself that He must do so because the other side is also spending huge sums on armaments. But the result of all of this thought-power expended in designing and fabricating weapons of destruction must eventually manifest. And in so doing, it will show to all who experience it the true nature of their thought. When guns are made, guns will be used. When bombs are made, bombs will be used. The energy put into the manufacture of these things requires this to happen."

"And yet, this law which inevitably pulls thought down into manifestation is intended for man's benefit and salvation. Without this process, Man would never become aware of the things He harbors inside, and He would never be moved to purify Himself of his negativity."

Diamonds:

"Deep within The Earth the hardest natural substance is mined, diamonds. Made by the application of heat and pressure to carbon -- from which the human form is also primarily composed -- the individual rough diamonds can be cut and polished to yield 'gems of purest ray serene', to quote the poet."

"Consider the diamond more closely. Its great value stems, at least in part, from its glittering coruscation when it is lit by an outside source of light. The different facets refract a kaleidoscope of wonderful rainbow colors to dazzle the eye."

"Is not the diamond an excellent model for The Human Soul? When first 'mined', The Soul too is rough and in need of being 'worked and polished'. Some occultists will even recognize a connection in the fact that the rough diamond must have parts of itself removed before it can be perfect, for this too has happened to many Souls."

"And when all the faceting and polishing is done, The Human Soul is a fit jewel to reflect and refract into many colors The One Light of God, glowing not by its own light but by taking up and reflecting The Single Light of All That Is."

Cotton:

"The spinning machine, which converts raw cotton to a twisted thread, is performing the same operation as can be seen at work on individual Souls. The raw cotton is 'drawn out', just as the true traits of The Soul are 'drawn out' by the cycles of experience. The fibers are then twisted together to form a strong thread, in the same fashion that The Human Soul unites all of its facets -- the separate 'strands' of its nature -- to form a strong cord by which The Light of God can be anchored in The Earth."

Boats:

"The concept of anchoring a boat is full of instruction for the person with eyes to see. Here is a perfect allegory of the incarnating process. The boat is The Soul, Which puts down an earthly personality to anchor It to The Material Plane, represented by the sea bottom. To reach the bottom, the personality-anchor must descend through the waters of emotion. The anchor line is the vital link between the earthly personality and The Soul or Higher Self as We often call It in our writings. The Soul-boat is 'stopped' while the anchor is down, but when it is lifted again the boat can move on. If the anchor line breaks, the anchor itself cannot be returned to the boat, and ultimately the relentless sea disintegrates it."

"The discussion of boats leads Us to consider other aspects of life at sea. For example, there are 3 basic methods of propelling a boat -- by physical strength (paddling, rowing), by using wind power (sailing), and by burning fuel in an engine to turn a propeller (motor boats, etc.). Each of these methods pertains to one of the 3 sides of The Eternal Triangle, Which defines The Triune God in Whose image Man was made. The Triangle is that of body, mind, and emotion, and these are represented in the 3 means of sea-travel, just described."

"Rowing and paddling are the physical side. Sailing represents the mind, since air (or wind) is the element of thought. To burn fuel in an engine normally involves a liquid fuel like gasoline or oil, and liquid is the element of emotion. Moreover, these fuels are ruled by Pisces and Neptune, both water symbols."

"Boats float on the surface of the water, and thus they ride upon the interface where emotions (water) and thought (air) contact each other. In one analogy, the boat represents not The Soul but the personality itself, making its way through the seas of life, seeking to avoid disaster on the shoals and rocks, weathering the storms of adversity, finding at last the safe haven which is The Bosom of God."

"But Man has invented a boat which does not need to stay on the surface. The submarine is wholly immersed in the emotional waters without contact with thought or the restraint which rationality can bring to bear. How fitting that all submarines are vessels of war, for what activity is more antagonistic to reason and rationality than the wholesale slaughter of men and women?"

War:

"Indeed, war is full of allegorical material, if one understands the ageless symbols of The Universe. All guns, for example, from the smallest handgun to the huge artillery aboard the biggest battleships, are formed to represent the male organ in arousal -- even to fire spasmodically as if in orgasm. The planetary power of Mars is behind both the sexual stimulus and the destructive energies of war, as all astrologers well know."

"In the science of The Stars, Mars is known as 'The Lesser Malefic', a reference to the old view that The Red Planet brought only disaster in its wake. 'The Greater Malefic' is Saturn, deemed to be even more powerful than Mars in bringing dark consequences. It is interesting that the two material elements involved in the shooting of a gun are iron (to form the body of the weapon) and lead (to give weight to the projectile), for iron and lead are ruled astrologically by Mars and Saturn. Moreover, the material which provides the explosive power is a mixture of dry chemicals, and chemicals are ruled by Pisces and Neptune, both of Which are connected with emotionalism per se. But again, the air does not enter into this picture, hence the absence of the leaven of thought or rationality."

Internal Combustion Engine:

"In another technical development, however, Air does play a part, along with the other 3 of the ancient quartet of Primal Elements. We are speaking of the internal combustion engine, one of the most significant inventions of modern times. Consider its construction. The metal piston reciprocates in a metal cylinder, and here we have the physical or Earth Element. The fuel it burns is a liquid, universally represented by The Water Element. But air must be introduced to the cylinder along with the fuel in order to support combustion. Finally, the mixture is 'fired' by a spark to ignite it. These 4 Elements emblemize the body, emotions, mind, and spirit, and all 4 are essential for the proper function of the engine."

"Moreover, a distinct allegory of the human sexual act can be seen in the reciprocating piston and the life-giving fire at the top of the stroke. We have no wish to offend sensitive readers and will, therefore, follow this line of reasoning no further. Suffice it to say that this allegory is meant to point up the tremendous power that is inherent in human sexuality, which can produce great good if intelligently employed."

The Weaver's Loom:

"Let us revert to The Nineteenth Century and look at another great invention, the weaver's loom. Here, indeed, is the symbol of God's own handiwork on The Earth Plane, for He takes the many separate threads, which are Human Souls, and weaves Them together to form a tapestry of which He and He alone knows the final design. Moreover, since dark threads are just as important to the ultimate pattern as those which are white, silver, and gold, it is presumptuous for any one thread to conclude that another deserves no part in The Great Fabric of The Universe."

The Number Twelve:

"The Cosmic Design proceeds by stages, and for The Earth Realm the progression moves in steps of 12 -- the 12 Zodiacal Ages in each Great Year of 26,000 normal years (approximately). Hence each Age lasts a little over 2,000 years on average. Now, look at any traditional clock-face. You see the same 12 divisions. Moreover, the year itself is divided into 12 months, and the old English system of measurement had 12 inches to the foot. Everywhere, you find reminders of the importance of this pivotal number, including the 12 men whom The Master chose to carry on his great work."

"Remember that you too are called to carry on the great work, regardless of how you define it. It is the task of brightening The Light of God Which Mankind reflects out into this darkened Realm of Earth."

THE BOOK OF EARTH

"The Guides of your Life-stream (Humankind) have always sought ways of uplifting you, of teaching you the great truths of reality -- what We sometimes call the universals. One of the most wondrous 'books' you have been given to study is The Planet Itself. In this writing, We propose to discuss the great 'Book of Earth', since a true understanding of the wisdom It harbors will allow many to reach higher spiritual ground more quickly than otherwise."

"Walk into a nearby garden or park on a cloudless summer day and look about you. Allow your eye to be struck by the perfection of the color scheme that has been designed for you. Notice the red-browns of the soil, then the living green of the grasses and leaves, and finally the arching vault of blue over your head. These colors have not been selected at random. They were chosen to match the 3 basic tones of The Human Aura -- red, green, and (only rarely) blue."

"The red clay, like the red Aura, represents the earthiness of the natural kingdom, the materiality and practicality of the one who feels at home in solid reality. Those for whom the physical pleasures are important are designated by this color."

"Green is the color of the mind. The mental pursuits were given as a gift to Mankind in order to offer a first step of refinement away from a preoccupation with physical life per se. Mathematics, science, history, literature -- all of these were meant to provide an avenue of escape upwards from the life of pure sensual pleasure which is the worst side of the red color. Hence, in the parkland picture before you, the trees and bushes -- all things that are green -- are striving upward away from the red and ochre of The Earth."

"Yet they are all rooted in The Earth. Few species can exist without a connection to The Earth Mother. Likewise, in order for an individual to fully explore the great realms of mental study and speculation, he must remain anchored in an earthly body, must care for its needs and, most importantly, must feed it with pure emotions like love, laughter, hope, and compassion."

"All emotionality is represented symbolically by water, and, of course, the primary reason for a tree or plant to send roots down into The earth is to draw up water. Remove the access to water, and the plant will die. In like manner, remove a human being from access to healthy emotions, and he too will shrivel up."

"Surrounding and interpenetrating everything in the natural kingdom is the universal atmosphere of air. This all-enveloping substance represents The Universal Spirit of God, Which cares for all, Which feeds to all living forms the oxygen without which they cannot exist. Yet the air is invisible. In the same way, God does not make His Presence known in an obvious way. He waits for His creatures to acknowledge Him from within, and then He teaches them to raise their focus to a higher point so that they can see His face."

"In Nature, the blue canopy of the sky represents God's omnipresence, and those few individuals who�s Auras are primarily blue tend to be characterized by an awareness of that all-enveloping God Force."

"Finally, set within the beautiful blue of the sky is the very symbol of God's Countenance, upon Which the impure cannot gaze. The yellow of The Sun is the primary hue in The Aura of Those Master Souls Who have escaped from The Round of Rebirth and the karmic necessity but Who have voluntarily returned to incarnation in order to help rescue and uplift their earth brothers."

"We hope that this discussion will have led the reader to look on Nature with a deeper appreciation of the thought that has been given to planning The Earth Realm. But there is much more. Come with Us now on a special kind of nature walk. We shall not be learning nature's own ways but rather the beautiful allegories She is acting out for the benefit of Humanity."

"We pass first down a path that leads to the sea's edge. Before us stretches the boundless ocean, her constant murmur soothing our ears, her waves lapping upon the small pebbles of the shore. Look again at those pebbles. Note how they have been rounded and smoothed. It is not the water itself that has rounded them. Primarily, it is the action of tumbling against each other, falling and turning, which gradually grinds them smooth."

"In the beginning these pebbles were not smooth. Just like Human Souls many eons ago, they had sharp angles and rough edges, points that projected out and would have hurt the feet of anyone walking on them."

"The water represents the life of the emotions, the great currents of love, hate, joy, resentment, and sorrow in which Humanity has immersed Itself for so long. Driven by these emotional currents and eddies, Human Souls have collided against each other, 'rubbed each other the wrong way', and gradually they have ground down their rough edges."

"The turmoil, the clashes, the confrontations -- all have served to bring Humanity closer to the picture of a lovely, white-pebbled beach on which the feet of The Great Master could walk without being harmed. The Human Race has still a distance to go in this grinding-down process, but the end is in sight."

"We mentioned the whiteness of the pebbles a moment ago. Why white? Because the whiteness represents the soul purity which is achieved through the process represented by the grinding. And yet the white is not created by the grinding per se. It comes from the bleaching action of The Sun Which, in our analogy, represents The Divine Countenance. Thus, it is with the help of God's constant stream of spiritual light that Humanity purifies Itself, becomes white like the pebbles of a sunlit beach."

"Let us resume our nature walk. We now turn inland from the ocean and find ourselves walking along a footpath which many have trodden before us. Of course, all paths symbolically represent The Path, i.e. The Path of Spirituality. What can we see along this lovely walk?"

"Look first to the side of the path. See how the grass grows luxuriously there. Then look beneath your feet. The grass is sparse, fighting to stay alive, struggling under the constant footfalls of travelers. And yet, some blades still grow, still stretch upward to the light of The Sun. Here is a wonderful example of perseverance, of courage in the face of all the blows that the hammer of fate can deal out. Should not Mankind have an equivalent determination to grow despite the hardness of life with all its setbacks and adversity? Examples of this kind of courage are found everywhere in The Plant Kingdom and are there for the instruction of all who can read the book that has so carefully been written for them."

"Up ahead is a little stream. It babbles and tumbles as it crosses our path, proceeding always from a higher level to a lower one, running ever downhill. It is the earth's gravity which draws the water ever lower, and here is a little lesson regarding emotionalism -- that the emotions (water) by themselves tend always to sink lower and lower, influenced by physical materiality (The Earth). If there were no mechanism by which the water could climb up again, then eventually all water would end up in the lowest region of The Earth."

"And yet the water must rise, for the stream always runs. It is the power of the sun's light (God's Radiance) that evaporates the water and draws it up into the air to form clouds that later will yield rain to feed the stream. Hence, the elevation of the emotional nature of Man also requires the gift of The Light of God. The change of state from water to vapor represents a vibrational shift which human emotionalism must also undergo in order to be raised to the purity of The Christ Love."

"We stroll further and soon come to a giant tree that has fallen across the path. It has been there for a long time, and in places the trunk is rotting. Chips of bark lie in profusion on the path, because many travelers have clambored over the trunk to continue on their way."

"What does the fallen tree symbolize to us? It represents the obstacles that life casts in our path, which block our way, which require extra effort in order to surmount. And yet, the tree was once a living form, stretching its green branches to the light of The Sun. In time, the tree died, and its carcass became a blockage on the path."

"The things that are dead, outworn, and past their usefulness often constitute blockages in the life-patterns that many people live. The remnants of old love affairs, the memory of ancient friendships, the longing to recapture days that are gone forever -- these are like the trunk of the tree before us. Once they grew straight and tall, but now they have gone, and only the lifeless carcass remains to stop the way."

"Do not allow these obstacles to slow your progress. Do not permit the memory of old things to hold you back. The way is forward, ever forward, and you must walk into your future in confidence and trust."

"We quickly clamber over the fallen tree and continue on. Shortly we come to a place where the path enters a dark, thick pine woods. The light of The Sun noticeably dims as we walk into the midst of the tall evergreens, which close together over our heads."

"A wonderful aura of peace and tranquility seeps into us as we move forward among the giant pines. Though it is dark at ground level, the feeling of holiness in this place is so real we can almost reach out and touch it. Then we remember the shape of the evergreen tree, the triangular form that it takes. And is the triangle not the very symbol of The Triune Godhead? These trees are in a constant attitude of holy meditation, symbolizing with their shape as much the steeple of a church as the form of two hands clasped in prayer. How wonderful that the trees should give to Man so many practical gifts and then remind Him of his own spirituality by their very form."

"Our path now leaves the dark and holy woods and winds its way up a gentle incline. Halfway up, we look to the side and see a spring of crystal clear water bubbling out between a crevice in an exposed rock. The water murmurs joyfully as it comes to the surface then tumbles back down the incline to form a small rivulet."

"The water is coming up from deep within the body of The Earth, evidence that an underground pool or river is nearby. The water is under pressure and hence is thrust to the surface."

"Water, in this lesson, is the liquid of The Spirit that hides deep within even the most 'earthy' of all material things, The Earth Itself. This little spring is to remind us to look for evidence of the spiritual aspect in everything that is. Each rock, each pebble, each mountain, each hill is the residence of a special spiritual being which uses it for the purpose of learning. And the water that is found associated with all of these -- even though sometimes in a combined form -- is the reminder of the spiritual essence within."

"Even more should we remember that the various vegetable and animal species are vehicles for the expression of the indwelling Spirit. In fact, the proportion of water, in any form or any part of a form, is generally a good barometer of the vibrational level of the spiritual essence occupying that form. For example, the fruit of a tree is very evolved in terms of vibration and can greatly aid the evolution of a human being who consumes it. Most sweet fruit is very juicy, meaning that a high percentage of the fruit is water. By contrast, bananas are much drier, and one can conclude that the degree of spiritual refinement is less."

"As a general rule, a life-form that consumes another form with a higher water content than itself will increase its spiritual vibration, while the eating of a form with a lower water content will lower the vibration."

"Naturally, the raising or lowering exists only while the foodstuff is being consumed, but if repeated consistently one or the other can lead to a permanent change in the form doing the eating. Here then is another excellent reason to increase one's consumption of juicy fruits, since most such fruits have a significantly higher water content than the human body."

"Our walk continues. We come to a grassy field, and the path meanders around clumps of turf and small bushy plants. Ahead of us to the right is a bird-feeder in which some kind person has provided a quantity of bird seed. Much of the seed has fallen to the ground, where several large black crows are pecking away at it, cawing raucously from time to time. Above, perched on the ledge of the bird-feeder are tiny, colorful songbirds, floating their notes of joy upon the still air. How different are these two categories. The heavy, dark crows are harsh and grating in their sound, while the pretty songbirds delight the ear with their whistled calls."

"As we approach, all of the birds take flight. And even in flight we see a difference. The crows fly in straight lines with labored, regular wing strokes. The songbirds dart and turn, following unpredictable paths through the air."

"Here we see a graphic portrayal of The Darkness versus The Light. The crows represent symbolically The Dark Brothers about whom We have written elsewhere -- the joyless, malefic entities whose role is to tempt Mankind away from the true path to his own spirituality. The tiny, colorful songbirds symbolize entities of a much higher vibration, The Devas of Nature Who strive constantly to facilitate man's life on The Earth Plane."

"This is not to say that The Dark Brothers literally ensoul the crows. This happens only very rarely. However, since the form of any being always bears some relationship to the spiritual essence within, one can correctly conclude that the 'beings' in the crows are not as evolved spiritually as those in the tiny songbirds."

"We move on toward a lovely orchard in full blossom. Look at the nearest tree and see how it is formed. The trunk rises alone from The Mother Earth then splits to form two branches, then these branch and divide again. The process continues until the small twigs and shoots at the periphery of the tree are too numerous to count. And almost every twig holds a beautiful blossom."

"You are looking at a lovely representation of The Human Family of Souls. Each blossom represents a Soul, and each is connected back into the branching network, drawing its sustenance -- its very life -- from that connection to the whole tree, which represents The Life-stream Itself. But look more closely at the way the connections proceed. Each blossom is attached to one twig along with several other blossoms. These form a Family of Souls, exactly analogous to the Grouping of Which you are a part. Your own Soul Group consists of Individuals Which tend to incarnate together life after life, and thus They are tied more closely together than They are to other Souls outside This Grouping."

"Yet there are broader groupings as well. If you trace the tree's branching network further toward the trunk you will see that a small number of medium-sized branches each support a large quantity of blossoms at the exterior of the tree. These Groupings exist in The Human Family as well and are constituted by Those Souls Who tend to return again and again in the larger context: nations, racial groups, and so on."

"Finally, there are the largest branches, perhaps only two or three, which together carry the entire blessing of blossoms at their ends. Here we find represented the basic categories of Human Souls Which are distinguished by virtue of their origins."

"It is important to realize that not all Souls Who are now part of The Human Family have had the same beginning. For example, one Group Which tends to incarnate preferentially in certain racial types originated in another Star-system and was 'taken into' The Human Family after obtaining the proper consent. This Group now generally alternates between Arabic and Jewish incarnations, and the lesson they are all intended ultimately to learn is that of forgiveness. When one such Soul does learn to forgive those who have harmed him in some way, he graduates out of that alternating incarnational scheme and begins a round of different lives with different basic lessons."

"We stress that this is merely a general statement of the process. There are numerous exceptions, and it must not be assumed necessarily that every person who is Jewish or Arabic falls into this category."

"Return to the tree for a last look, remembering that every blossom represents a place where the tree will set fruit. The fruit, of course, represents the spiritual maturation of The Soul That is represented by the blossom. We could go further and say that the blossom represents the quintessential purity of The Soul before its descent into the cycles of matter, whereas the fruit -- let us call it an apple -- represents the fruit of all the lessons and incarnations. It symbolizes what each Soul has made of Itself. It is the gift of ourselves to God."

"Yet no two apples are the same. Some are larger, some smaller. Some are sweeter than others. Some are invaded by worms. Yet others fall to earth prematurely and decompose back into the earth, so that their juices mingle with rainwater and are reabsorbed by the roots of the tree. Is this not the story of Human Souls? Some are more spiritually attuned than Others. Some are riven with 'worms' that eat away the pure spiritual 'juices' of The Soul. And Some are so unevolved that They will have to 'fall prematurely' and be reabsorbed back into 'The Body of God' -- the earth in this allegory -- to be taken in anew by The Life-stream and once more projected forth as a fragrant blossom."

"Even the cycle of the seasons plays a part in this wonderful lesson of the fruit tree, for the renewal of Spring is the breathing forth of a Life-stream to begin a 'Day', whereas the death of Autumn represents the withdrawal of The Life-stream back into its passive, 'Night' phase."

"If We press the analogy, other correspondences come to light. For example, could not the leaves of the apple tree represent The Devic Kingdom or possibly Nature Itself? The leaves are a necessary part of the tree, helping it by their photosynthetic function. And in like manner, The Devas and The Kingdoms of Nature aid and instruct Mankind."

"We have given enough here to show how the natural world can be read like a wonderful book of instruction and precept at many levels, and We shall leave the reader to ponder for himself the many chapters that We might have written on this same theme. Consider the life cycle of many insects, especially the lowly caterpillar which spins a chrysalis and then emerges as a beautiful butterfly. Think of the structure of the typical wildflower with its blossom at the top and its roots in the earth. Ponder the mysteries of the spider and the intricacy of its web."

"Your spiritual horizons will broaden with every realization. Your love of Nature, The Earth, and God will soar to the heavens as you open your eyes to truth."

Symbol Expectations:

"Finally, let Us point out something that few suspect, that The Guides and Guardians of each individual are prepared to use, as the raw material for passing symbolic messages, anything which that individual expects to be used. Let Us be quite clear on this point."

"Take the example of someone who believes that when you see a dead bird it means that someone you know will soon die. For him, this particular indicator may well be used if circumstances are appropriate. For someone else who does not believe in this association, The Guides would not go to the trouble of arranging such an event. Likewise, if you are particularly interested in Numerology and wish to concentrate on its system of meaning, your Guides will very likely arrange for messages to be passed by causing your attention to pick up number patterns around you in everyday life -- on license plates, house numbers, etc."

"The rule to apply is: consider each indicator and try to figure out whether it could have been deliberately arranged for you. Do not become obsessed with the matter, for your Guides certainly are not. It is just that They are permitted to 'talk' to you in these ways, and because They love you so much, They wish to have as much interaction with you as possible."

"May the peace and blessing of all The Higher Beings Who
care for humanity's struggle be with you forevermore."

HILARION
(Lord of The Fifth Ray)