INITIATION IN THE AQUARIAN AGE.
I have hinted at the orientation which has been or will be carried out in connection with the three major world centres; I have also hinted at the relation of certain of the major initiations to these centres. These hints constitute a new line of thought. In this connection there are one or two points which I would like to develop in connection with this, so as to make the entire subject considerably clearer than it is at present. I would like also to relate these centres to the rays which are now in manifestation (either coming in, passing out or in full expression). Speaking with brevity, we could say that:
The first initiation is closely related to the planetary centre which is humanity itself. It will produce, when over, an increased stimulation of the intellect as it expresses itself as ordered activity upon the physical plane. It is also closely connected with the Third Ray of Active Intelligence. This third ray has been in objective manifestation since 1425 A.D. and will remain in incarnation throughout the Aquarian Age. Its cycles are the longest of any of the ray cycles. However, within these major cycles there are periods of intensified activity which are like the beat or pulsation of the heart and these periods last approximately three thousand years. They are, when out of incarnation, called "cycles of withdrawal but not of abstraction." They are three thousand years also in incarnation. One of these three thousand year periods of expression is now here and we can look for much development of the intellectual faculty and a marked increase of creative work during this time. This particular cycle of expression marks a climaxing point in the larger cycle. During the coming age, the intelligence of the race and its active development will assume real proportions and this with much speed.
The intensification of the life of the human centre will proceed apace and this is the reason why so many people (as I have earlier hinted) will take the first initiation. Students are apt to forget that the first initiation can be described, in reality as:
a. The grounding or externalisation of the Christ principle in humanity as a whole and upon the physical plane.
b. The flowering of the intelligence so that the initiate can work powerfully upon the mental plane and humanity itself be lifted up and aided throughout every part thereby.
c. The coming into activity of the throat centre and (because the third ray is closely connected with the first ray) the first faint orientation of spiritual man towards Shamballa can take place, becoming more and more intensified and pronounced at the time of the third initiation. I would like here to point out the numerical correspondences:
1. The third great world centre — humanity.
2. The activity of the third ray — active intellect.
3. The third initiation which marks the consummation of the 1st, just as the 4th initiation marks the consummation of the second, and the fifth of the third.
4. The third major centre — the throat centre.
5. The third race — the Aryan, as it expresses the first strictly human race, the Lemurian.
6. The third plane — the physical, the reflection of the third highest plane, the atmic.
7. The third periodical vehicle — the personality.
8. The third divine aspect — intelligence.
9. The third grade of divine messenger — Hercules.
10. The sustaining Life, the third or outer Sun — the physical sun.
These are a few of the correspondences which it is helpful for us to bear in mind in so far as they reveal divine quality, spiritual intent and universal objectives.
During the Aquarian age and during one third of its expression, that is, during the first decanate, esoterically considered, the vitalising of the human centre (spiritually considered) and in relation to the Plan and the steady growth of widespread creative activity, both in the individual and the race, will be increasingly seen. This will be due to the work and influence of Saturn, which is governed by the third ray. This planet is the planet of opportunity, of discipleship and of testing and the race can look for an increasing expression of Saturnian activity as that great divine Life continues His beneficent task.
The second initiation is closely related to the Hierarchy as a planetary centre and to the activity of the second ray. This initiation will produce in the initiate a growing sense of relationships, of a basic unity with all that breathes, and a recognition of the One Life which will lead eventually to that state of expressed brotherhood which it is the goal of the Aquarian Age to bring into being. This major centre, the Hierarchy, brings to bear upon humanity the focussed life of love and it is this basic love which the second decanate of Aquarius — governed as it is by Mercury — will bring into manifestation. Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods (that is, of the Hierarchy of souls), carries always the message of love and sets up an unbreakable inter-relation between the two great planetary centres, that of the Hierarchy and that of Humanity.
You have again in this connection certain fundamental numerical correspondences, which are based upon the coming into activity of an awakened heart centre in the race. This is the second major centre in the individual and is situated above the diaphragm, and through it the Hierarchy can reach the whole of humanity and the subhuman kingdoms likewise.
1. The second planetary centre — the Hierarchy.
2. The activity of the second ray — love-wisdom.
3. The second initiation, which relates the solar plexus to the heart, humanity to the Hierarchy and the personality and the egoic rays to the second, which is ever basically in manifestation.
4. The second ray centre — the heart centre.
5. The second race (the Atlantean) as it climaxes in the fourth, the next race.
6. The second plane — the astral plane. This is the reflection of the second highest plane.
7. The second periodical vehicle — the soul.
8. The second divine aspect — love-wisdom.
9. The second type or grade of Messenger — Christ. Buddha.
10. The sustaining Life, the second or subjective Sun — heart of sun.
To all these is related the sixth ray as allied to or subsidiary to the second.
In this world cycle it might be said that the emphasis of all spiritual power is placed in the Hierarchy which is, at present, the divine intermediary, interpreting the will of God, which is the purpose of Shamballa. It transmits or steps down the divine energy so that safe application to Humanity becomes possible. It will be apparent, therefore, why in the second decanate of Aquarius the Hierarchy can, as the representative of Shamballa and with the aid of Mercury, bring into physical manifestation the coming Avatar. This becomes possible when the work of the first decanate is accomplished and when Shamballa has released and definitely re-oriented the energies of the third great centre, that of Humanity. This release and readjustment leads to creative expression and renewed spiritual life. Planetary alignment can take place and this is a planned objective for which the Hierarchy is preparing and for which the Avatar Himself is preparing at Shamballa.
The third initiation is connected with Shamballa as a planetary centre and to the activity of the first ray. It should be borne in mind that this is the first initiation in which personality and soul are united and fused so that the two aspects form one unit. When this initiation has taken place, it happens that for the first time some of its broader group implications become a reality and henceforth constitute the motivating impulse of the initiate's life. Aspiration ends and the intensest conviction takes its place. It is interesting also to note that Venus now comes into control in the third decanate of the Aquarian Age. Venus is esoterically recognised as that mysterious force which is a blend of love and knowledge, of intelligence and synthesis, and of understanding and brotherhood. Within the Hierarchy itself, the two great Messengers who have embodied the dual Venusian energy were the Buddha and the Christ. The Messenger Who will later come and express the Shamballa urge to synthesis, the hierarchial aspiration towards love and the desire of humanity for intelligent activity with combined power will gather all into Himself. All these qualities will focus in Him, plus another quality or divine principle of which the race of men as yet knows nothing and for which there is, as yet, no name. He will be a great and potent Avatar and is not along the line of our humanity at all.
The numerical correspondences might be noted as follows, remembering that the third initiation is, in reality, the first initiation of the soul, after complete identification with the personality within the life and consciousness of the Monad, the One and the First.
1. The first planetary centre — Shamballa.
2. The activity of the first ray — will or power.
3. The third initiation which is the first soul initiation, relating the base of the spine to the head centre, and the soul to the Monad.
4. The first major centre — the head.
5. The first truly divine race — the final race.
6. The third plane, which is in reality the first plane of soul consciousness, the reflection of the highest plane, the Logoic.
7. The first periodical vehicle — the monadic.
8. The first divine aspect — will or power.
9. The first or highest type of Mediator — the coming Avatar.
10. The sustaining Life, the spiritual sun — the central spiritual sun.
We will now consider the trend of the times and seasons as far as the rays are concerned:
RAY I — This ray is still out of physical manifestation but is beginning to have a definite effect upon the mental plane; there it influences the minds of disciples everywhere and lays the stage for the appearance of a certain group of disciples from Shamballa. Two thousand years from today, the influence of this ray will be felt powerfully on the physical plane. One hundred years hence its potency will be noted upon the astral plane.
RAY II — This ray is always in subjective manifestation and very potent because it is the ray of our solar system and particularly so at this time as the Hierarchy is approaching closer to humanity in preparation for the "crisis of love," and an imminent major planetary initiation. At this time, however, the second ray is becoming objective in its influence upon the physical plane. It will become increasingly so for the next two thousand two hundred years when it will gradually withdraw into the background.
RAY III — This ray will remain in objective incarnation from the point of view of humanity for a very long time — so long a time that it is needless for us to anticipate its waning influence. That planetary centre which is Humanity itself still needs the intensified application of these forces so as to stimulate even the "lowest of the sons of men."
RAY IV — This ray, as you know, begins to come into incarnation early in the next century and — in collaboration with the developing Saturnian influence — will lead many on to the path of discipleship. When the peculiar energy to which we give the somewhat unsatisfactory name of "harmony through conflict" and the forces of that planet which stage opportunity for the aspirant are working in combination and an ordained synthesis, we can then look for a very rapid adjustment in human affairs, particularly in connection with the Path. This fourth ray is, in the last analysis, the ray which teaches the art of living in order to produce a synthesis of beauty. There is no beauty without unity, without embodied idealism and the resultant symmetrical unfoldment. This ray is not the ray of art, as it is often claimed, but is the energy which brings about the beauty of those living forms which embody the ideas and the ideals which are seeking immediate expression. Many people claim to be on the fourth ray because they dream of the artistic expressive life. As I have told you before, creative art expresses itself upon all the rays.
RAY V — This ray has been in manifestation for nearly seventy years. It will pass out (by special and unique arrangement) in another fifty years, thus breaking into its own normal cycle, because it is deemed that the needed special impulse has been adequate and that the impetus given to the human "spirit of discovery" has served its purpose. Any further intensification of the mental processes just now (except through the general pervasive effect of the third ray) might prove disastrous. The ray cycles are usually set and determined, but, in collaboration with each other and because of the imminent spiritual Crisis of Approach, the Lord of the Fifth Ray and the Lord of the World have decided temporarily to withdraw this type of force. It will take about fifty years to do this.
RAY VI — This ray has been passing out of manifestation for quite some time now, as you know, and will do so with increasing rapidity.
RAY VII — This ray is coming into effective expression now; there is little need for me to add here anything further to the mass of information which I have given you in this treatise and in my other books.
One small point of interest but one of no especial moment to you is that the Lords of the Rays, through Their planetary Representatives, constitute a body of directing Forces in collaboration with the Lord of the World at Shamballa. Their capacity is advisory and directive but not authoritative. This may be regarded by some of you as the most interesting piece of information in this book. If this is your attitude, then it only indicates your unpreparedness for true esoteric teaching. Students need a greater sense of the real governing values and a sense of spiritual proportion. Planetary facts and solar facts (under which heading the above item of information might well be placed) can stimulate your imagination and widen your horizon; for aspirants and disciples, that is the major value. All information and happenings which are connected with Shamballa are always exciting to the neophyte who is apt to forget that he must make his contact with the more familiar Hierarchy before true and related perception is his.
I would have you study the tabulation which I gave you in Initiation, Human and Solar, and which you will find in the appendix to the first volume of A Treatise on the Seven Rays. I insert it here for the benefit of those who have no copy of the first volume of the Treatise, and whose attention should be turned again from the magnitude of the Macrocosm to the responsibility of the microcosm.
DISCIPLESHIP AND THE RAYS
Ray I — Force — Energy — Action — The Occultist.
Ray II — Consciousness — Expansion — Initiation — The true Psychic.
Ray III — Adaptation — Development — Evolution — The Magician.
Ray IV — Vibration — Response — Expression — The Artist.
Ray V — Mentation — Knowledge — Science — The Scientist.
Ray VI — Devotion — Abstraction — Idealism — The Devotee.
Ray VII — Incantation — Magic — Ritual — The Ritualist.
In the Aquarian Age, as a result of the existing combination of ray influences, humanity enters into an expansion of consciousness which will reveal to him group relations instead of his individual and self-centred personal relations. I would remind you that Aquarius is to be found in the upper half of the zodiacal circle and is exactly opposite to Leo which is found in the lower half. Leo is the sign of individual unfoldment and of the self as self-assertive. This highly individualised sign consummates in Aquarius wherein the individual finds full expression through the medium of the group, passing from service to himself and expression of himself as a personality to service of the group and a growing expression of the Hierarchy to which he steadily draws closer. To this end, the ray influences will increasingly and steadily be directed. Humanity has reached a stage where the sense of individuality is rapidly emerging. In every field of human expression, men and women are becoming definitely self-assertive. The Old Commentary refers symbolically to this in the following words:
"The Lion begins to roar. He rushes forth and, in his urge to live, he wields destruction. And then again he roars and — rushing to the stream of life — drinks deep. Then, having drunk, the magic of the waters works. He stands transformed. The Lion disappears and he who bears the water pot stands forth and starts upon his mission."
Those with vision can see this happening upon every side today. The water-carrier (another name for the world server) is starting upon his self-appointed task. Hence the anchoring upon earth of the New Group of World Servers, whose representatives are found in every land and in every great city. This, I would remind you, has taken place without exception in every land and they work on all the different rays; they express many points of view; their field of service is widely differing and their techniques so diverse that in some cases comprehension is not easy to the smaller minded person. But, they all carry the pitcher containing the water of life upon their shoulder, reverting to the language of symbolism, and they all emit the light in some degree throughout their environment.
To you, who live and work in this interim period and in this cycle of transition, with all its resultant outer chaos and upheaval, is given the task of expressing steadfastness, service and sacrifice. Those are the three words which I give you. I have no spectacular information to give you, as has sometimes been the case. Too much of this engrossing and novel information can lead to deep-seated insensitiveness. You need to absorb and to act upon the information you already have, before there is evoked from you that basic demand for further light which necessitates response from those of us who work within the limits of the Hierarchy. For that demand, we patiently wait.
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