THE SECOND INITIATION
The Hierophant for the Second Initiation, The Lord Kuthumi
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The Initiation Ceremony itself takes place on the 3 higher sub-planes of the Mental Plane and is actually taken in the Causal Body of the Soul (see "The Causal Body of The Soul") regardless of its perceived effects at lower levels. It is not a physical or astral phenomenon. The effect is strongly felt in the astral body and, consequently, in the Solar Plexus Center, which leads to the misinterpretation that the Ceremony took place in the astral vehicle. There are minor Initiations that do occur on the Astral Plane, but none of the major ones take place at that Level. Here are the first 5 majors: Birth, Baptism, Transfiguration, Renunciation, and Revelation. The Hierophant for the first 2 Initiations is That One Who is known as The Bodhisattva or World Teacher, The Chohan (Lord) of the 2nd Ray for Planet Earth. Previously, it was Lord Maitreya for 2,600 years, and now it is Lord Kuthumi. The Lord of the World (Sanat Kumara) is always present at the Birth and Baptism but is not seen by the Candidate, Who may recognize His attendance at the Ceremony by the flashing forth of a 5-pointed Star above his or her head as a sign of His approval. He is not seen face to face until the 3rd Initiation. (If needed, link to "Who Is Kuthumi?".) The Ceremony takes place in the Hall of Initiation in Shamballa at the higher Aetheric Level. Besides the one being initiated, the Core Participants at this 2nd Initiation are The Hierophant (Kuthumi), the Triangle of Force (The Mahachohan, The Manu, and a 6th Degree Initiate of the 2nd Ray Dept.), and the 2 Sponsors Who stand at either side of the Candidate within the Triangle of Force (both are Ascended Masters). Standing behind the Primary Participants are Representatives of The Great White Brotherhood stationed according to ranking of Initiate Degree. There are 5 Stages of the Ceremony, each of which might be considered as a ceremony in and of itself. 1. Revelation of the Presence 2. Granting of the Vision 3. Application of the Rod 4. Administration of the Oath 5. Giving of the Sacred Word and the Secrets 1. Revelation of the Presence: The Presence revealed at the outset of the Ceremony is the Solar Angel Source (the Soul or Atman) of the individual. Face to face, the Higher Self is seen as a duality of 2 Divine Aspects, that of the 2nd Aspect (Love/Wisdom) and that of the 3rd Aspect (Intelligence in Action). There is a merging of consciousness so that intelligent love will express itself on the Physical Plane in service to the Race of Man through the Initiate of The Brotherhood, Who sees beyond any doubt the radiant glory of the True Self. (To learn more, go to "The Soul".) 2. Granting of the Vision: The multi-faceted Vision that is granted (by the Soul) has to do with the part that has been played in past lives and the part that will be played in future lives of the Divine Plan for Earth and Humanity. At this 2nd Initiation, it is the part being played by the Soul Group in the Planetary Scheme that stands revealed, whereas in the 1st Initiation it is more of a personal Vision of what must be accomplished in service to the Plan before returning to the Portal of Initiation (at the Baptism). The immediate task lying ahead is revealed along with the next step to be taken by the Human Family. Soul Group purpose is revealed along with the incarnate individuals in the Soul Group with whom there is an association and interaction. Karmic relations are demonstrated, and the intended effect is to produce greater consolidation of group relations to further the unification of purpose in bringing the Evolutionary Plan of The Hierarchy into manifest expression. The group (rather than the individual) endeavor is emphasized at this Initiation. It should be evident that The White Brotherhood is all about the developement of the Divine Plan which supports the Divine Purpose in the Cosmic Mind of Sanat Kumara and bringing it intelligently, lovingly, and willfully (the 3 Major Ray Energies) to fruition on Earth. Each Initiate-Member is given a role to play (and responsibilities) to that end. The true nature of the man-created Astral Plane is revealed (more later), and the Candidate is charged with contributing to its destruction by the use of the Will Energy (now more available) employed in directing the light of the lower mind (the intellect) toward the destruction of illusory thought-forms present in bewildering numbers (the method is shown). Inevitably, this astral state of consciousness must be eliminated for the Race of Man to advance on the Ladder of Evolution. It has nearly served its purpose in the Divine Plan of Earth. And the astral body of some future Race of Man will disappear as it merges into the buddhic vehicle (on the Buddhic Plane above the Mental). The Vision includes the incarnational cycles of the Soul through the various sub-races of the Root Races of Man, allowing better comprehension of karmic attachments and position in the Scheme. The Candidate is enabled to read the personal history in the Astral Light (a lower level reflection of the Akashic Records). 3. Application of the Rod: When the 2 revelations (Presence and Vision) have been given, there is then a pause and a moment of stillness and inner peace for the Applicant, Who now knows what lays in store, what must be done, and joy permeates the being. Lord Kuthumi ascends to the Throne of Initiation and prepares for the application of the Rod of Power. Its effect is to arouse and raise the kundalini fire up the Sushumna Channel in a particular manner to vivify and activate a certain center/chakra (usually the Throat Center) and to expand the Causal Body (of the Soul). The Rod is a transmitter of terrific electrical force from very high levels when used by The Hierophant, and that is one of the reasons for the presence of the 2 Master Sponsors standing behind and to the side of the Applicant -- to transform the electrical power down to a manageable level. Members of The White Lodge have been there outside of the Triangle of Force, assisting with the Ray Energies needed for the Ceremony. They chant certain Words of Power (Mantrams) to release and attract a particular Ray Energy (of the 7 Rays) from The Ray Lord in the Solar System Who embodies that Ray (one of The 7 Elohim). The Ray Energy goes from that Great Being to The Solar Logos and thence to our dense planet. (See "The Seven Rays Explained".) The Initiator then focuses the energy within His own body by the use of a secret mantram and serves as a Receiver and Transmitter of that Ray Energy when the Rod is used. This is the very High Source of the energy that gets directed to the One undergoing Initiation. All the while, The Brotherhood in attendance are ceremonially weaving, pacing, and forming geometrical figures while chanting the mantrams. When Kuthumi pronounces a certain secret mantram, the electrical force projects directly into the Rod and immediately passes to The 3 Adepts Who comprise the Triangle of Force (Mahachohan, Manu, 2nd Ray Master). They circulate it by an act of will through the Triangle and pass it to The Sponsors, Who modify the intensity of the force by passing it through Their Chakras. Kuthumi then utters another secret word, and the terrific fiery force is thrown into the bodies and chakras of the Applicant (from mental to astral to aetheric body) with a concentration on the center to be stimulated this time (usually the Throat). The astral centers receive the main focus of the force (the mental and astral bodies have chakra counterparts to those of the vital body). And the astounded Candidate would not be able to withstand the intensity and power of the force if given directly. (Check out "A Basic Primer On The Chakras".) A blaze of blue-white flame is all that the awed Initiate can see (besides The Initiator) shooting out of the Rod of Power, circling around the Triangle, passing through The Sponsors, and completely enveloping the Initiate in its purificatory fires which heighten the activity of all the atoms in all the 3 bodies of the personality and cause expansion and light intensification to the Causal Body in which the Initiation is being undergone. Receptivity to brain impressions by the Solar Angel is enhanced. The serpent fire at the Base Center has been raised to the Center being activated in the astral and aetheric bodies, thus intensifying its rotation, its vibratory capacity, and its power of influence. Following that, The 2 Sponsors withdraw into the ranks of The Brotherhood, and The 3 Adepts of the Triangle stand behind the Hierophant Throne for the rest of the Proceeding. Initiate Members of equal rank (2nd Degree) now come forward and surround the new Initiate to assist with the remainder of the Ceremony, and those of inferior rank (1st Degree) drop to the back of the Hall of Initiation so that a mantra-produced wall of silence can prevent any of them from hearing the secrets being imparted. 4. Administration of the Oath: The Oath, given by Lord Kuthumi, is a solemn pledge to NEVER reveal the secrets given, under pain of death (although They never allow it to go that far and strike the intended offender dumb before it happens, a very rare occurrence). It has 3 divisions: a. A promise to never reveal the portion of the Plan granted in the Vision, a phrase that encapsulates the purpose of the Initiate, and a pledge of determination to pursue unwaveringly the responsibilities given. b. A pledge of certain clarified relationship with all of Humanity and with all Members of The White Lodge. c. A pledge to never reveal the secret knowledge acquired regarding the real nature of energy and its manipulation and to only use the force, which has been placed at the disposal of the Initiate, to further the Divine Plan and to serve the Human Race. The Initiate repeats the Oath, phrase by phrase, after Kuthumi, and the 2nd Degree Initiates chant the Senzar phrase for "So let it be" at different junctures. (Senzar is the very ancient, world-wide language of The Initiate Brotherhood.) 5. Giving of the Sacred Word and the Secrets: a. These great words or sounds imparted to the Initiate (at any Initiation) are for the purposes of creative processes (by evoking the cooperation of the Deva Evolution, the Builders of Form) and for the specific direction of energy (in service to the Plan, of course). These words, given in the Mysteries, are the basis for the spiritual/altruistic work of the White Magician in accompaniment with the use of the directed will and visualization. They must be carefully guarded lest they fall into the wrong hands (or minds), for example the Brotherhood of Darkness. The Sacred Word is given by the 2nd Degree Initiates who separate off into 7 groups according to Ray influence (of the 7 Rays). The Word has 7 syllables, each to be memorized as an individual Word. Each group chants one syllable-word in rotation, while the colors and symbols of the Word are envisioned by the Initiate, which helps in the memorization of the 7-fold Word (by sight and sound). The 3 Adepts behind the Throne then chant the Triple Word, which blends the 7 Words (also envisioned by the Initiate). Finally, Lord Kuthumi pronounces the one Great Word that blends the 3 Words of The Adepts, the Sacred Word that affects all the matter on the entire Astral Plane (with its 7 sub-planes). In effect, though, the new Initiate will be allowed only to use the 7 Syllables in creative or energy work in furtherance of evolutionary ends. Use of the 3 Words (blending the 7) requires approval of one of The Departmental Heads (Manu, Bodhisattva, or Mahachohan), and that's not likely. Use of the single Sacred Word requires sanction of the entire White Lodge, even less likely to happen. So, the new Initiate, having memorized the 7-fold Word, may use that judiciously to accomplish his/her portion of the Hierarchical Plan and may be entrusted to draw the Greater Devas into the enterprise when so needed. b. The Secret imparted by The Hierophant at each of the Major Initiations is a 7-fold Secret. After the Oath of Secrecy and the Giving of the Word, the Initiate advances toward the Throne and places a hand on the lower end of the Rod, which is held in the middle by Kuthumi. The Triangulated 3 place a hand on the glowing diamond surmounting the Rod, and when all 5 are thus linked to the circulating energy coming from the Rod, the Secret is given. It includes something about one of the 7 Rays and its corresponding musical note and number. It provides something about one of the 7 Major Planes of the Solar System. It clarifies one of the 7 Laws of Nature that is the primary evolutionary Law of one of the 7 Sacred Planets in our System, thusly giving a key as to the nature of The Planetary Logos embodied in that planet and Who is The Ray Lord of one of the 7 Rays for the System. (The Logoi of the 7 Sacred Planets are The Distributors of the 7 Rays throughout the System, One for each Ray.) The Secret is both spoken and conveyed symbolically to the inner vision of the Initiate and appears as an oval with 5 hieroglyphical symbols in it for each part of the Secret, thus 7 ovals for the 7 Secrets. The formulas in the ovals are based on the following symbols: cross, triangle, cube, circle, lotus, line, cup, animal forms, and zodiacal signs. Various combinations convey one of the 7 Secrets. The Initiate has to commit them to memory, and this explains, in part, why the training involves so much emphasis on symbols and signs, which prepares for retention and correct interpretation (and visualization when needed). One of the Secrets given during the Baptism is called the "Secret of the Sea", which enables greater clarification of the Law of Karma and the Mystery of the Astral LIght. The relation and work of The Lords of Karma with Mankind are demonstrated in a vision, and thereafter the Initiate will be able to read the Akashic Records (on the higher Astral and lower Mental Planes) to discover actions in past lives necessitating karmic balancing and expiation in order to negate that which hinders progress and prevents liberation. This "Mystery of the Sea" relates to the fluidic realm of the Astral Plane and its eventual drying up, necessarily. In the Christian Bible it is prophesized as, "There shall be no more sea". The astral nature and its associated Astral Plane are destined, in the future of Man, to be removed from the consciousness and experience of humans because it was a temporary quality that has served its usefulness and because it is an impediment to evolutionary progress in the long run. The turbulent sea of emotions, desires, and delusions will be evaporated by the fires of mind when the Race becomes polarized in the mental body. From the lofty perspective of The Ascended Masters (5th Degree Initiates or higher), the 3rd Initiation is considered the first Major Initiation, and the first two are called Initiations of the Threshold. The 2nd is also called the Atlantean Initiation and Entering the Stream, and its Recipient is a Probationary Initiate (on probation until merging completely with the Soul while physically incarnate). Initiation may be viewed as a process of progressive divine-human integration, which facilitates the expression of the Soul through its reflected shadow, the human personality (for the first 3 Stages). The objective is to obtain the Initiate's cooperation in the Divine Plan through advancing understanding of that Plan and the increasing power to wield forces and energies to that end (particularly the 1st Ray of Will/Power). The Initiation Itself only marks the point of attainment of the Aspirant; it doesn't confer that attainment. (Refer to "The Only Path On Earth".) There are 4 minor initiations on the Astral Plane during the interim period of many lives between the Birth and the Baptism, being called the initiations of earth, fire, water, and air. These lead up to and culminate in the Baptism. (The first 3 Major Ones are on the higher Mental Plane.) The Path of Initiation offers a series of liberations (for the Soul) from the imprisoning walls of the 3 Planes of Manifest Expression (Physical, Astral, Mental), and the Baptism offers freedom from the control of the desire-nature evermore. The Plane of astral consciousness is left behind in the experience of the Soul. One of the pre-requisites is an intelligent mind that has become illumined (to some extent) by the Soul. The Path cannot be walked without developement of the mind, which is dedicated to service of the Race. The aim for the aspirant working toward the Baptism is to bring the emotional body to a state of serenity and stillness, which means that it is unreactive to all the provocations and stimuli in its environment. It remains placid and quiet to all outward disturbances. Desires are transformed into aspirations of a spiritual nature. And it is made to reflect and transmit the wishes and desires of the Soul instead of the personality, which are always of a higher order. This is done by alignment with the purpose and intent of the Solar Angel by means of meditation, etc. Yogananda called it Self-realization. There is a technique used in preparation for this Initiation which is related to Raja Yoga. It involves the evocation of Soul LIght to illuminate the lower mind through meditative practices. The illumined mind then takes control of the astral body (immersed in glamours) and dissipates, as a fog in sunlight, the delusional perceptions we call glamour. This purification of the personal astral nature is a requirement of the candidate. In the training period given to accepted disciples (of an Ascended Master) for the 2nd Initiation (covering multiple lives), they are taught at night on the Astral Plane how to concentrate the energies below the diaphragm (Base and Sacral Chakras) in the Solar Plexus Chakra and then to refine and transmute them to the extent that these energies may be lifted up and transferred to the Heart Chakra (Anahata) above the diaphragm. This converts all the desires of the astral nature (feeding into the solar plexus) into higher aspiration and radiatory love. The desire nature becomes transformed, and the disciple grows into a server of the Human Race. These methods are held in secrecy until the evolving aspirant becomes ready under the watchful eye of The Master (if done prematurely, serious physical maladies may result, particularly heart disease). Baptism has always been associated with purification, and down the ages the agent that purifies has been water, which stands as the symbol for that great Sea of Emotions, the Astral Plane. The astral nature of the Baptized Initiate has become purified (by gruelling, tireless effort) and stands calm, placid, and waveless for the next phase of selfless service to the Race and Plan. A world server is blossoming forth with humility and an intelligent application of love to the work. There is a moment during the 2nd Initiation when the love nature and force of the Soul submerges the astral nature of the Initiate and consummates its control of the astral body. This leads to the substitution of love radiation for the emotional/desire nature in the personality. The Initiation Proceedings finalize the Soul's controlling dominance over the astral form and its nature, and love over-rides the former inclinations of the astral elementals for desire satisfaction and emotional turbulence. The astral aura then radiates love as originating in the Soul. Peace settles over the astral battlefield. Desires are henceforth aligned with divine purpose (of the Soul). Once this Initiation has been taken, there is more of an orientation of the Soul toward its Source, the Monad, so that the Initiate increasingly feels its attractive power and energetic influence. (The Soul is the Extended Expression of Pure Spirit, the Father in Heaven, the Monad.) The Initiate begins to have a growing sense of unity with all life, which will help to bring in the universal brotherhood that will find expression in the New Aquarian Age. There is an injunction given to the Initiate to begin to express the Will of the Monad. In cooperating with the Divine Plan by way of a life of service, there comes an increasing realization of the Father's Will being expressed in the service activities. It is the Will Aspect of God (1st Aspect or Shiva) that is increasingly realized and made available as the Path of Initiation is traversed. The Will Energy makes The Higher Initiates Powerhouses on Earth and will assure successful consummation of the Purpose of Sanat Kumara (and Earth), which is worked out in the Plan (made by The Hierarchy). The Center that is stimulated in this Initiation is usually (though not invariably) the Throat Center (Visshuddha) of the astral body (and subsequently the vital body), which impels the Initiate toward creative activity in service to the Race of Man. And the astral body centers are awakened into greater activity by the force from the Rod of The Bodhisattva. (In the 1st Initiation, only the vital body centers are affected.) Before Initiation, the centers rotate in 4th dimensional order; after Initiation, they appear as flaming wheels (those that are affected). Such is the power of the downpouring fire through the Rod. The center that is principally vivified depends on the Ray of the Monad, the Ray of the Soul, and that of the personality. Other factors that come into play are the remaining karma of the Candidate and the specialized line of work being undertaken on behalf of Humanity and The Master's Ashram. Astrologically speaking, the Major Initiations are prepared for in Scorpio (by tests and purifications) and are taken in Capricorn (as sun signs), the Gate of Initiation for Humanity. These are the birth signs of the individual. The planetary influences at the Baptism are Venus, Jupiter, and Neptune, primarily Neptune. And each Initiation is conditioned by the energies of one of the 7 Rays, this one being thusly influenced by the 6th Ray of Devotion and Idealism, which also conditions the Astral Plane. (To learn more, click on "The Sixth Ray".) The Planetary Logos of Neptune is the 6th Ray Lord of the Solar System, disseminating its energies throughout. This is the primary energy that conditions the astral body and the Astral Plane and which makes this Initiation possible. (The 7 Planetary Logoi of the 7 Sacred Planets of the System are called The Elohim and The 7 Spirits before the Throne in the Bible. Each of Them assimilates and transmits one of the 7 Rays to the entirety of the System after receiving it from The Solar Logos.) The first 3 Major Initiations can only be taken while incarnate in physical form in order to demonstrate the requisite consciousness through the brain. And in the forthcoming Aquarian Age, the first 2 Initiations will be taken as group Initiations, personal attainment being subordinated to the group. These will be supervised by The Masters walking the face of the Earth in physical form in what is called the Externalization of The Spiritual Hierarchy. There will be Temples of the Mystery Schools as the prominent feature of the New World Religion, and millions will take the Birth and thousands will take the Baptism Initiations. The astral form or sheath is one of the 3 energy fields that surround the physically-incarnate human being, those being aetheric body, astral body, and mental body. I hope to supplement and further clarify what I've already written about this highly important aspect of Humanity in "The Astral Body" (click link). This has been the most dominant and expressive aspect of the Race of Man since the beginning of the 4th Root Race of Man, the Atlantean, millions of years ago, and it continues to control the masses to this day. The astral body of Man is directly connected with the physical by way of the Solar Plexus Chakra in the aetheric body, which fully interpenetrates and fuses with the dense physical. The solar plexus may be considered to be the doorway into and out of the Astral Plane, and all of the emotions originating in the astral sheath are poured out through that Manipura Chakra. The astral energies of emotion and desire (of whatever nature) virtually pour into and through that Center. The Gastroenterologists of the world owe their fortunes to the Manipura and the ubiquitous negative emotions of Humankind. This personal energy field that has its existence on the Astral Plane is the source and cause of all the selfish desires and emotional reactions that so characterize human living, and it is unique to humans and animals on this planet, because we are the sole emotional experiment in the entire Galaxy of billions of civilizations. The others do not know or feel or understand emotions because they don't have astral bodies and astral natures. The average, mostly unthinking human is polarized primarily in the astral form and interacts with the world by means of the Solar Plexus Center. Thus, self-centered desires and longings and the wide range of emotions play such a prominent role in the life expression of those people, because the undisciplined astral energies are allowed unimpeded flow through the Manipura without the restraining influence of a developed mind (the mental body). The aspirant on the Path of Liberation not only trains and develops and expands the mind but also comes to transmuting and raising the energies from the sub-diaphragmatic clearinghouse of the Manipura up to the Heart Center (Anahata) above the diaphragm. It is the mind, under the guardianship of the Solar Angel, that puts a harness on the emotions and the desires that have run rampant for eons. Until that becomes the dominant field of expression under the guiding light of the Soul, the astral nature remains unchecked and serves as the greatest impediment to spiritual advancement on the Path of Return to Source. All disciples to The Masters and Members of The White Brotherhood (entered at the 1st Initiation) have highly-developed minds, for that is part of the Plan for this Planetary Scheme, a Humanity polarized in the mental body and evolving from love-suffused intelligence through the abstract realm of higher mind to higher consciousness that is beyond mind (Buddhic Consciousness). The constantly-stimulated astral form (in one direction or another) of the average human abnormally sensitizes and developes the Solar Plexus Center which, along with the Sacral Center, simply govern the life through desirousness for sex and material life. These 2 major chakras rule the life of the masses. It should be no surprise, then, that the true Mystery Schools (of the Initiates) would always begin their training with the control of the astral form. (Again, refer to "A Basic Primer On The Chakras".) Another name for the astral aspect of the personality is the sentient body, sentiency being the capacity to perceive feelings and sensations. This gives a clue as to its purpose. The central nervous system of the physical body registers the sensations contacted by the 5 known senses (touch, hearing, sight, taste, smell), and its instinctive imperatives are survival, comfort, and procreation of the species (sex). But the astral counterpart is the apparatus of responsiveness to all those incoming sensations from the environment by way of desires, feelings, and emotional reactions. It greatly broadens the experience of the Indwelling Soul (and creates a lot of karma that prolongs the Incarnational Cycle). The physical body is very limited in its innate reactiveness to the sensory stimuli, but the astral body opens up a whole other world (virtually) for the experience of Man. (It just got out of control in Atlantean Days because of the infantile mind of the 4th Root Race.) This sentient body has counterparts to the 7 major centers of the vital body, and its energies flow thusly into the physical, compelling its responsiveness automatically unless modulated by the mind. Humans learn to think before reacting to desires and emotions. The well-developed mind over-rides the astral, and the astral over-rides the physical. Also, the individual astral form is a component part of the astral body of collective Humanity and is interconnected with all other astral forms, which accounts for such phenomena as mass hysteria, mass hilarity, and the emotional rampages of mobs. Their astral natures become synchronized. And sensitive people can take on the fears and emotions of others in this way. Most mediums and psychics have astral sensitivity and operate through the Manipura in receiving their impressions from the Astral Plane (and no higher) by way of their clairvoyance and clairaudience. They have astral consciousness (a holdover from Atlantean Times) and, consequently, a ready access to the Plane of Illusion where the astral matter conforms itself to wishful thinking, desires of every kind, ingrained beliefs (whether true or not), subconscious expectations, and emotionally-charged thoughtforms. The lower-evolved of the Earth have this astral sensitivity in common with them, being unencumbered by the thought process. The astral entities and the thoughtforms have led many astray. This lower form of psychism is undesireable and may present a danger to those who rely on it because of the delusions of all astral plane phenomena and dark entities masquerading as light entities. Love is the one true, positive emotion, which counteracts all the negative emotions that all originate in fear of one thing or another. It is a stabilizer and calming agent of the astral body. LIke all other emotions, it enters the Solar Plexus Center of the vital body but is immediately raised up to the Heart Center, from which it is distributed by the loving aspirant (or anyone). The facets (or aspects) of love energy may be recognized in kindness, caring, gentleness, generosity, empathy, compassion, helpfulness, and goodness. As valuable as it is, the emotion of love is, however, greatly different from the Divine Love expressed by The Higher Initiates (see "The Exalted State Of Buddhi"). A specific Ray Energy governs each of the 3 bodies of the personality, and as a generality for the average bulk of Humanity, the 2nd or 6th Rays govern the astral form (Love/Wisdom or Devotion/Idealism). For the mentally-advanced disciples, there are occasional exceptions to this rule. The nature of the elementals comprising the form are conditioned by that Ray Energy, which then determines its type of responsiveness. This astral aspect of humans is the major determinant of ill health. Roughly one-half of the physical body diseases of Man originate in the emotional body on the Astral Plane. The dysharmonious and harmful energies transmit firstly to the vital/aetheric body by way of the Manipura and then, inevitably, to the dense-physical body. Violent emotional fluctuation and the negative emotions based on fear are the main culprits, such as anxiety and despondency and sadness and worry and envy (to name a few). The greater the chronicity and intensity, the more likely an illness or disease to be the result. This alone is reason enough for purifying the astral nature. The astrally-caused diseases result from both an overflow and an obstruction/inhibition of the astral energies flowing through the Manipura. The overflow is from uncontrolled negative emotions and desires, but the suppression of those same emotions and self-centered desires is not the answer, because it produces a damming up and congestion of those energies in the Center (which is a common cause of stomach, liver, and abdominal cancers). In both cases, the answer is the transmutation of those astral energies into aspiration (spiritual) and love, which raises those energies up to the Heart Center, projecting them outwardly as service to others and re-regulating the flow through the Manipura to more normal levels. There is a link between the astral body of the human and the astral body of the Moon, which is a dead and disintegrating physical body, but its astral form is yet intact and impactful to Earth and all its lifeforms that have an astral nature and body. The emotional human, the mentally unbalanced, and especially those with undisciplined desire natures are most strongly influenced adversely during the Full Moon Period. Their astral form, in which they are focused, is overstimulated, and the responses we call lunacy abound: astral hallucinations, phobias, psychic impulses, emotional lability, and the like. (The astral elementals, the lunar lords, are hyper-stimulated in their activity during the Full Moon.) This astral vehicle of the human reflection on Earth allows the Soul to acquire knowledge of manifest existence by the sensitive-responsiveness of this personality aspect to the environing conditions. Therein lies its educational value to the Divine Indweller. Finally, it may be considered as the sum-total of the desires of the incarnate individual, and it fades out of existence when all those desires and emotions and their associated glamours in the astral nature have been conquered on the Astral Plane (a state of consciousness). The unique astral body of Man will be no more in future versions of Humankind who are centered in an intelligent mind, who have overcome all glamours/delusions (on the Astral Plane), and who have no more desires (longings) for the separated self. The Solar Angel will be in charge of its instrument in the world of form, and personal desires will have been transformed into spiritual aspiration for fulfilling the purpose of the Real Self. This is the intermediate Plane between the Physical and Mental Planes of our Solar System and should be considered as a Plane of Consciousness with its 7 sub-planes. Its origin, for this particular Planetary Scheme, began with the early formings of the 4th Root Race, the Atlanteans, whose purpose was to build and perfect the astral body (because this is the planet of the emotional experiment). Concomitantly, the sphere of the Astral Plane around this planet was likewise created, and the Ruler and Informing Life of the Plane is the Raja Lord Varuna, a god-like Being from the Deva Evolution. And each of the 7-sub-planes is ruled and informed by a Deva Lord subordinate to Varuna. This is considered to be the Plane of Illusion and Glamour (explanation forthcoming). Nothing is as it seems to be to those undergoing a respite there in their astral forms after a physical incarnation has ended (the majority of people). For most humans, who undergo the experience as they work off all the dross and misconceptions and bad habits before re-merging with their Solar Angel, it is a very real experience. But to The Ascended Masters it is non-existent and a grand illusion. They recognize it as a temporary field of experience for the unknowing masses of Humanity. (Link to "What Is An Ascended Master, Anyway?".) None of Them do any work ON the Astral Plane but send disciples to work within the illusive field of consciousness to help and instruct many who are ensnared by the distortion of reality (both physically and astrally). And there are many extensive thoughtforms of The Masters there, created by millennia of disciples, which is what is contacted most of the time by "channels" who believe they are bringing through a Master. Playful, disruptive, or downright evil entities may also masquerade as a Great One. Delusions abound there, and the doorway to the Plane is the Solar Plexus Chakra. The collective and cumulative human desires (of all kinds, lofty & lowly) down through the ages (millions of years) have actually created the Astral Plane, understandingly also called the Plane of Desire, a spherically-shaped Field of Consciousness surrounding the Earth with its 7 sub-levels or stratified states of consciousness (delusional fields of awareness). And the uncountable and ever-fluctuating astral forms that saturate the Plane come from thoughts and ideas that have been coloured by desire and emotion. Billions of human beings over millions of years have contributed entire lifetimes of such qualified astral imaginings. The lower 2 sub-levels of the Plane are distinguished by an emotional energy of fear, which reflects the astral nature and karmic burdens of the denizens who find themselves on those unpleasant spheres following the death to the physical body (with its aetheric counterpart) and the shift of the focus of consciousness into the astral body. It may be likened to the Purgatory of Christian belief (although it's an illusion). The appearance of this Astral Plane can be very confusing and overwhelming to one who knows very little about it. Due to the panoply of desires taking shape there and the transient formation of thoughtforms charged with emotional energy, the kaleidoscopic cacophony of astral forms appearing and disappearing and changing shape can be bewildering at the least. Billions of human beings (incarnate and discarnate) are contributing to it all the time. Every desire of every human is out-pictured there by the elementals of astral substance. It is a maze of distortion, fog, illusion, general disorder, and non-reality; and the only way to make any sense out of it is by use of the discriminating mind that is influenced by the Soul. Many are there who need the help of teacher-disciples from The Brotherhood to sort out the confusion and offer lessons which will aid the discarnate ones in eventually returning home and merging with their Source Level of Being (Solar Angel). This Illusionary Plane is a state of consciousness entered upon death to the physical by all the masses who are polarized in their astral nature but also by most people during their sleeping state. Everyone automatically goes to the sub-level that is commensurate with their vibrational frequency (and point of consciousness developement). The lower 2 levels are darkened, oppressive, fear-filled purgatories for the worst offenders of the Karmic Laws of the System, and the higher levels are light-filled spheres for the more evolved of the Race, the highest levels being called the Summerland by The Masters. There is no passage of time (once beyond physicality), so it takes just as long as it takes for each individual to reach an energetic compatibility with their Solar Angel for re-mergence into their Essence-Source. All the bad habits and wrong attitudes and misconceptions and deleterious emotions from incarnate life must be corrected, and so there are instructors and classes and learning programs of many kinds (set up by The White Lodge) to do just that. The Plane is a Way-station for human evolution in its upwardly-arcing drive to rise from physical-level polarization (Lemurian) to mental-level polarization (Aryan) by way of the astral. Though millions of years old, it is a temporary construct (and state of being). I want to make a point about the belief in a series (100's or 1000's) of incarnations for the Soul in a linear sequence. It doesn't happen, because the Solar Angel is outside of time and doesn't experience time (one of the illusions). All lifetimes are simultaneous for the Soul, all happening in its only moment of NOW. So the sojourn on the Astral Plane after a physical lifetime has ended isn't until the next incarnation. It's until that aspect of the Soul is ready to be taken back in to the Field of Love from whence it was projected. I smile to think that this explanation is in line with those who don't believe in reincarnation at all. (There's no re-incarnation but many-fold simultaneous incarnation.) The Astral Plane is considered the Plane of the dual forces, the 2 Paths, the great duality of manifest being (Physical, Astral, Mental). It is the principle battleground for the aspirant on the Path and is called the Kurukshetra in the Bhagavad Gita whereupon the disciple, Arjuna, is caught up between the 2 opposing forces and requires the counsel of Lord Krishna (representative of the Soul) to find his way out of the pitched battle. The dual forces which so powerfully pull on the aspirant are matter (materiality) and Spirit (spirituality/Soul). There are many lesser dualities which are called the pairs of opposites, but the most fundamental one is Spirit/Matter or Soul Nature/Form Nature. The Path of Spirit is the evolutionary path and the Right Hand Path of the White Magician. The Path of Matter is the devolutionary path and the Left Hand Path of the Dark Magician. They exert their pull in opposite directions, and the battle principally takes place on the Astral Plane. It isn't simply a battle between Dark and Light, but rather the tremendous battle is between the pull of the personality (and all of its interests in the world of form) and the pull of the Solar Angel (and the heavenly delights of spiritual consciousness). The battle goes on for many lifetimes leading up to the 2nd Initiation, and the 2 best weapons of the beleaguered aspirant are dispassion and discrimination. Dispassion and detachment from the desires compelled by the unruly astral nature is needed, and discrimination of mind in getting to recognize the 2 opposing forces and the narrow path that lies between them is required. That razor-edged path is the Noble Middle Path of The Buddha, which is the way to liberation. The opposites have to be recognized as such before they can be balanced, and then the aspirant has to walk a thin line between them (explained under "Duality"). Another way of looking at the battle is that the Solar Angel is pulling at the aspirant-disciple for conscious contact during meditation and through infusions of inspiration, intuition, and aspiration; and the astral elementals that compose the astral body (as representative of form nature) are pulling in their direction by means of all manner of desires that keep the aspirant enthralled with form existence. They are called the Agnisuryans in the "Gita" and are a mighty force to be reckoned with. The battle is on the Plane of Desire (Kurukshetra). The only solution is for Arjuna (the disciple) to hand over the reins of his chariot (form nature) to Lord Krishna (the Solar Angel) and surrender his will. The astral elementals are thereafter defeated and fall under the command of the Solar Lord, and desires lie dead and strewn across the battlefield. The fierce fighting (for control) is over, and the astral sheath is as unperturbed as the glassy surface of a pond. The Threshold of the Baptism approaches. It's a lengthy and exhausting battle of the lunar lords (elementals) against the Solar Angel to win the favor of and control over the body occupant, the personality, who builds the discriminative abilities by balancing and coming to know the pairs of opposites (pleasure/pain, wealth/poverty, selflessness/selfishness, good/evil, spiritual/material). They are continually weighed in the balance as the Middle Path is traversed, until one day in one lifetime a choice is made to start leaving behind the attractions of the flesh and to start paying attention to the Inner Voice of the Real Self. On that day, the Agnisuryans are destined for defeat, and the Solar Angel will increasingly assume the reins of governance over its awakening lower aspect (after eons of lifetimes in the time illusion). The Agnisuryans, by the way, are the builders of form on the Plane of Desire, building those energy forms and thoughtforms out of their own substance. They compose the astral sheath of every individual, and their nature is the underlying cause for desire satisfaction and emotional responsiveness. They also produce instinct, which manifests through the Solar Plexus Center (of animal & Man). And they are highly influenced by the Moon and are the vehicle of Lord Varuna. The Book of Life, spoken of in the Christian Bible, is the Akasha or Akashic Records. These are found on the higher astral sub-planes (but also on the lower mental sub-planes) and are reflected in what is called the Astral Light at lower astral levels. Purification of both the physical and astral bodies is required to have any kind of accurate reading and interpretation of that reflective Astral Light. The physical purification includes a long-standing vegetarian diet; serenity would be the word for the astral form. Otherwise, there are distortions in the stepped-down information derived from the so-called Records of Akasha. As an interesting aside, Specialized Devas from Sirius, Who are Agents of The Karmic Council, are the sum-total of the Astral Light. It's hard to imagine, but the substance of Their bodies comprises the reflected records that are seen in the Astral Light, just as the substance of 7 levels of Astral Devas forms the 7 sub-planes of the Astral Plane. The Devas and their elemental life are the Builders of all forms (physical, astral, and lower mental). The radiant light from the Astral Plane is steadily penetrating down into the Physical Plane, which is separated from the Astral by a veil of aetheric substance called the aetheric web. (The lower 3 sub-planes of the Physical are dense-physical, and the higher 4 sub-planes are aetheric-physical.) This web is to be dissipated in the near future, thusly rending the veil, greatly affecting the human eye, and producing aetheric vision universally throughout the Race. There will then be greater interaction with all phenomena and beings on the Astral Plane as during Atlantean Days. The masses are unconsciously polarized on the Astral Plane (through the dominance of their desires and emotions) at this stage of developement and must become consciously aware of this state of consciousness to rise above it. Scientific rituals will be taught (by The White Brotherhood) for accessing the Plane and for learning what it is all about so that the mental nature may expand and polarization of Humanity may be shifted (as a generality) into the mental body. The disappearance of the veil (being caused by incoming cosmic rays) will greatly facilitate this. The major field of expression of the 6th Ray of Devotion and Abstract Idealism is the Astral Plane and all the astral bodies of humans and animals that are existent upon that Plane (and state of consciousness). The 6th Ray has been the dominant controlling and qualifying energy of the Piscean Age but began to taper off and decline in importance in 1625 A.D., although it is not out of incarnation yet and still has a significant impact on the desires and emotions fostered in the astral form, especially in all those billions who are astrally-polarized and functionally centered in the Solar Plexus Center below the diaphragm. The 6th Ray brought us fanatical idealism and unthinking devotion to king and country and the separatist tendencies that led to wars and hatreds and bloodlust and dividing lines and empires (in its lower expression, that is). It swept the astral nature of Man into a frenzy and stimulated the ideologies of the world. Its influence in the 2nd Degree Initiate is to prompt devotion to human welfare and undeviating adherence to the divinely-inspired Plan. (Refer to "The Sixth Ray".) Glamour is the principle characteristic of this Field of Experience, which has a useful purpose in stimulating the developement of the discriminating mind to be able to distinguish between the real and the unreal, the true and the untrue. That discriminative ability is achieved by evoking and welcoming the Light of the Soul into the lower mind (intellect) by spiritual aspiration and meditative practices (to broaden the channel of communication). It is only the enlightened mind which can dispel the distortions of reality called glamour, calm down the rambunctiousness of the astral nature, and pull the aspirant out of that delusional field of experience. This is the mind in us which is also in Christ, as Saint Paul described it. When that mind has superceded the astral attractions of selfish desire and feeling-responsiveness, the whole Field (Plane) no longer has any influence, control, or even reality. Notwithstanding modern usages of the word, glamour, to The Masters it refers to self-deceptions and erroneous conceptions and false beliefs and delusions. What seems to be a reality but, in fact, is not a reality is a glamour. It is a distortion of the truth and, in fact, masquerades as the truth, so it is ever the enemy of the disciple on the Path. We keep coming back to it, but the mind which has been illumined by the Light of the Soul is the only means of recognizing and then dissipating these distorted astral thoughtforms that greatly hinder the progress of the Human Race. Illusion is a mental phenomenon generated by the lower, analytical mind on the Mental Plane, whereas glamours are those illusory concepts and ideas drawn down from the Mental World into the Astral World by "clothing" those illusions with desire or wishing or imagination (or even some kind of emotion). The deluded individual wishes something false to be true and invests some strong emotion into the enterprise, which consolidates the mental illusion as an astral thoughtform on the Astral Plane. For example, there is the glamour of materialism supported by the desire for money and the acquisition of things material. The idea starts in the mind but becomes astrally-oriented when desirousness and coveting and greed enter the picture. The individual glamour becomes incorporated into the collective glamour, further potentizing the astral thoughtform built by Man for unknown millennia. And it's a glamour because it's a false conception to believe in the need to accumulate things of the flesh beyond necessity for the incarnate reflection of the True Self, which has no such need. And the billions who are living through their Solar Plexus Centers (in the solar plexus life) are greatly influenced by these glamourous thoughtforms that envelope them and entice them, whose astral nature is much more powerful than the mental nature. There are vast thoughtforms of The Ascended Masters on the Astral Planes which must be considered as glamours because they're not real. They've been created by the devotion and self-oriented love and wishful imaginings and personal desires of millennia of devotees. These are the deceptive glamours contacted by most "psychics" and mediums who sincerely believe that they've contacted a Master. They have astral sensitivity because they are astrally polarized (bringing forth ancient habits from Atlantis). The Masters do not use those forms for teaching or anything else, because They consider them to be illusions. To further elucidate, let us look at the concepts of Heaven and Hell. These monstrous lies were promulgated by the Roman Church (and their successors) for the diabolical purpose of gaining control over the masses and thusly acquiring massive wealth and power. This carrot (Heaven) and stick (Hell) approach was enormously successful until some light started to filter into the awakening minds of Western Civilization to remove the fear and begin to dissipate the grand glamour (which it is). Immense thoughtforms of this polarity were built upon the Astral Plane by millions through the centuries and may be encountered and experienced by true believers to this day (e.g. some Near Death Experiences), but they're nothing more than astral illusions and, consequently, glamours. These and all other such distortions of truth are destined for eradication from human experience when the mind becomes more fully developed and illumined by the Light from the Soul. When it comes down to the nitty gritty of the subject, the misinterpretations and perceived distortions of the true reality that are called glamour are essentially caused by the sense of duality, by the sense of otherness and separateness that comes from the identification of oneself with the form (the not self) instead of with the True Self (the Solar Angel). That is the foundational distortion of the truth or glamour, upon which all the others are built. Think of anything thought to be true but which is not true. The number of false conceptions generated by humans would be hard to calculate, and yet all of them are drawn down from the Mental Plane to the Astral Plane when they've been clothed with some form of desire/wishfulness or some emotional energy. They become astral thoughtforms of varying potency and populate the Plane of Desire to totally confuse the unwary and the mentally limited. These forms (astral energies, really) attract and ensnare and envelope all the billions who unknowingly live the astral life out of their Manipura below the diaphragm. These are the glamours that must eventually be conquered and eradicated by the awakening aspirant, who has finally come to a recognition of the great duality that there is a Higher Source for the incarnate life and that he or she has been misidentifying all along with the body/form aspect. The Real Self and the not self will fight it out for many lifetimes for the dominance of the incarnate expression, and all the dualities or pairs of opposites that are merely reflections of the greater duality are the underlying source for the many delusional glamours that side-track and delay and challenge the weary sojourner trying to break out of incarceration and return Home. The Soul (on the Higher Mental Plane) doesn't confront the illusions and glamours and dualities presented by Earth life. They have no meaning or existence in its state of unity with all other Souls and the Monadic Realm. So, the duality experienced by human living is relevant to the 3 Worlds of Man (Physical, Astral, lower Mental) and is resolved upon Soul-personality fusion at the 3rd Initiation (as is glamour and illusion). The remaining higher dualities are to be discovered on the higher Path of Initiation. So, the troublesome glamours (all pervasive) and the human-created Astral Plane itself may be attributed to dualism that resulted when humans forgot their origins and became absorbed in the purely material world surrounding them. All desires are also glamours because they serve the lower-separative self and not the purpose of the Soul, which is all-inclusive. Since the Soul is the True Self, the gratification of desires by the lower-incarnate self is applicable solely to a world of illusion that we call Reality. Desires are part of the illusion as is the whole Plane of Desire (Astral). If the entire Plane itself was fashioned by the desires of Man (from early Atlantean Times), then it could be said that this is the Plane of Glamour which entraps the unwary masses. And Gautama Buddha showed us the way to liberation from personal desires by enunciating the 4 Noble Truths. Kill out desire and you escape from the Astral Plane and take the 2nd Initiation. If all the desires of the lower self are glamours and all the clashing pairs of opposites are likewise glamours and all the emotional reactions of humans are essentially glamours (as seen from the Soul's perspective), then we can see why GLAMOUR is the principle characteristic of this Plane of Consciousness called the Astral. The polar opposite of glamour is illumination (mental), which is exactly what brings it to an end as long as the mind is held steady in that down-pouring Light from the Son of Mind, the Solar Angel. (If desired, go to "The Soul".) The existence of duality (or polarity) on Earth is part of the evolutionary Plan of God (The Planetary Logos) for this Planetary Scheme and first began when a relationship was set up between Spirit (the Monad, the One Life, on the Monadic Plane) and Matter. That relationship was the informing and enlivening of the different forms of Mother Matter with the life force of the Monad. To make that possible, the Monad reflected an aspect of Itself down onto the Higher Mental Plane, which we call the Soul or Solar Angel. Speaking symbolically, this Son of Mind is the Offspring of the marriage of Father Spirit with Mother Matter and is the Instrument (and Intermediary) through which the many and varied forms become indwelt and enlivened. The stream of life energy extends from the Monad down through the Soul to the particular forms experiencing life here. Not all Solar Angels chose to leave their lofty, unencumbered state of being and enter into the lower forms of life evolving in the Scheme (the minerals), because They would have to pass through the Mineral, Plant, and Animal Kingdoms over untold eons of time just to reach the Human Kingdom and its use of the principle of mind. These "rebellious" Angels weren't willing to endure such a sacrifice and were free to make that choice because of the Law of Free Will. Others were willing to so sacrifice and entered the great Incarnational Wheel of Life. This was the original Fall (or Descent) of the Angels and the so-called War in Heaven that was allegorized by the Initiate-Prophet Who wrote that portion of the Old Testament in the Bible (handed down from the Brahmin-Priests of India to the Chaldeans to the Babylonians). The "sinless" pure state was forsaken for the expansion of awareness offered by material existence. (The parable of the Prodigal Son, who went out from his Father's House and eventually returned with greater riches, was a teaching by The Christ which referred to the "Fallen Angels" and the riches they were acquiring by leaving the security of their safe Home and entering the world of form. Some of His teachings to His inner circle of Initiates found their way into the Gospels of His life but were never correctly interpreted.) Some Angels remained in "Heaven" and some were plunged into deepest and densest matter, and the principle of duality in all its variations and ramifications has been a founding principle for the Evolutionary Scheme since that time. And the greatest battles of those many dualities are fought on the Astral Plane in the astral nature of the aspiring human. The Baptism will never be given until the Solar Angel has been handed the full reins of control over that aspect of its incarnate reflection (the human personality). Soul dominance versus personality dominance is, itself, a reflection of the more basic duality: Spirit/Matter. The battle is consciously waged on both sides and goes on for 100's of lives. The elemental life (the lunar lords) composing each of the 3 lower vehicles (physical, astral, mental) is a worthy and fierce opponent to the Solar Angel. The struggle for control of each of the bodies culminates in victory for the Soul at each of the first 3 Initiations (1st - physical, 2nd - astral, 3rd - mental). The many, many pairs of opposites encountered at each of the 3 Levels (but predominantly on the Astral) might be considered as violent skirmishes compared to the ultimate battle between the personality force (and form life) and the Soul force (and spiritual life). The duration of the battle has been shortened by the Initiate Path laid out by The Ancient of Days, Sanat Kumara. (If you don't know, click "Who Is Sanat Kumara?".) The interplay of the pairs of opposites, whether they be Spirit/Matter, good/evil, evolution/devolution, selflessness/selfishness, or Solar Angels/Lunar Lords, is the foundational theme of the evolutionary process in a Universe of Duality (and a planet called Earth). In fact, the governing influence throughout the long history of the existence of the Human Kingdom on this planet (for 18 million years) has been the 4th Ray of Harmony Through Conflict, Conflict being the lower aspect of the Ray Energies as they manifest in Man and it being essential to the interplay of the opposites. That interplay of a conflictual nature, that confronts Man for eons of lifetimes, is the catalyst that develops the discriminating mind (as has been mentioned), and eventually, after a wearisome sojourn on the Wheel of Incarnational Life, the battle-hardened warrior chooses the Path to the Soul over the darkened, thorny path of material orientation. And the higher aspect of the 4th Ray (Harmony) then comes into play. Duality has fulfilled its purpose through pain and struggle (on this Planet of Sorrows). (See "The Fourth Ray".) To reiterate in order to solidify the point, the opposing pairs to be found in the astral nature on the Astral Plane are but illusional reflections of the most essential pair, Spirit and Matter, and are dealt with mostly on the Path of Discipleship (to a Master). One pulls toward the material, and one pulls toward the Solar Angel. The perilous path between the two dualities is narrow and razor-edged, requiring a weighing of values and the developement of an analyzing mind that can discriminate and discern one value from another. The narrow path itself is a mental stimulant that eventually allows the final decision to be made (materiality or spirituality, Dark or Light). It is mandatory that the narrow path (the Middle Way) be walked by the disciple, because the self-initiated tests and trials related to balancing the opposites bring about the faculty of discrimination. Without it, no distinction is made between good and bad and evolution and involution. The Middle Way leads to the Portal of Initiation. In the realm of desires and delusional glamours, it leads to the Baptism following epic, prolonged struggle. These well-known and frequently-encountered pairs of opposites are faced on the Path of Discipleship (on the Astral Plane). Other dualities are faced on the Physical and Mental Planes but aren't relevant to the discussion. For the astrologically-inclined, it is during lives lived under the zodiacal sign of Libra that the pairs of opposites are best comprehended and balanced in the mind, and the scale is the symbol of that balancing. Discrimination would be the pivot point of the scale, and the Astral Plane would be the principle field of balancing. (The System of Astrology was formulated by advanced Initiates back in the mists of time and holds the keys to the evolution of Man.) The energy of the 6th Ray, which governed the Piscean Age, augmented the conflictual nature of the 4th Ray's influence on the Human Race and led to the divisions and separations exemplified by nationalism and sectarianism, but that was part of the Plan for the human experience. The 7th Ray (of Ceremonial Order), controlling force for the Aquarian Age, will lead to fusion and synthesis, especially the higher with the lower: Life/form, Spirit/Matter, Soul/personality. The work of unifying the lower aspect with the higher aspect will be facilitated by the 7th Ray. Spiritual progress will be accelerated for the Race of Man. (If intrigued, click on "The Seventh Ray".) A final point begs to be offered regarding this mysterious universal feature of polarity for all life that finds expression at one of the levels of manifestation (Physical, Astral, lower Mental). All in manifest existence has within itself a nature of duality, has both positive and negative poles, has both masculine and feminine features, has both indwelling spirit and outer form at some level. And everything in manifest existence has a specific polarity to everything else in existence, being either positive or negative in the relationship. This Law applies to atoms, to microbes, to trees, to insects, to planets and stars and constellations and Planes of Existence. All things and all life are of positive or negative polarity with respect to each other. Duality is within and duality is without every expression of God in the Bipolar Universe. Monad is positive to the negative Solar Angel, which is positive to its negative personality, which is positive to its negative 3 lower bodies to illustrate superficially. The whole matter is called the Mystery of Polarity, and the key to unlocking its powers for creative purposes isn't given until the 4th Initiation (the Renunciation). The Principle of Duality underlies all of Creation in this Universe, and it all began with the Originating Principles of Unity and Disunity (Oneness and Separateness). The Universal Logos creates the Universe and the Day of Brahma commences; The Universal Logos dissolves the Universe and the Night of Brahma ensues. The All That Is exhales and life explodes outwardly; The All That Is inhales and life coalesces back to its Source. The very origins of this Universe are dualistic, and that duality is reflected in every extended expression proceeding from The Creator God Who brought it into being. This second great step in the Hall of Wisdom that confronts the sojourner, who traverses the Initiate Path of Liberation, is the hardest one to take though probably the most crucial in this emotional experiment being keenly observed by the galactic civilizations who know no such aspect in their makeup. The emotions and the desires and the warring pairs of opposites and their resultant thoughtforms of glamour were all intended to be an integral part of the human experience and found their zenith of expression during the great 4th Root Race, the Atlantean. Their goal in the greater scheme was the creation and perfection of the astral body, and to that end they were successful. The problem with the delusional astral nature is that it has overextended its welcome in the Human Family and outlived its usefulness because the 5th Root Race was intended to be the stage for developement of the mind, but astral consciousness (mediated through the Solar Plexus) continues to dominate the masses of the human species as late as our current 5th sub-race of the 5th Race. The astral elementals (comprising the astral sheath) must finally be subdued, and the only way for that to happen is for the mind to be flooded and illumined by the LIght of the Soul through meditative practices and aspirations of a more spiritual nature (such as serving others selflessly). The masses, not just the small minority of mentally-oriented, must become polarized in the mental body and leave behind the tenacious fixation for the astral life and the domination of the species by the astral form. This is made possible by turning from the endless but all-too-transient allures of the material side of life and gently handing the reins of governance over to the Son of Mind (Soul) Who will see to the awakening and growth of the mind in its reflected shadow on Earth. The means for this transformation is laid out in the Path of Liberation that has come to be called Initiation, and The Teachers Who are guiding the laggard Human Race will take the sincere aspirants under wing and provide the tools and incentive for approaching the Threshold of the Initiation Chamber. (If interested, go to "What Initiation Is Really About".) In the times to come, when the Aquarian Age is well underway and The Great Ones of Earth's Hierarchy are openly walking the Earth in physical forms, Schools of the Mysteries will be established all over the planet, and the preparatory training for the Birth and the Baptism will be an integral component of the New World Religion to be founded by The World Teacher, the forthcoming Avatar of the Christ Consciousness, Lord Kuthumi. So successful will be these Mystery Schools that the Ceremony for Initiation will be limited to groups and will no longer be for the individual (for the first two). The astral nature slowly and finally comes under control, and the troublesome illusion of the Astral Plane gradually fades out of existence. (Link to "Who Are The Spiritual Hierarchy?".) James Oliver Cyr, M.D. |
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