TO THE BLOG

LEGEND

the Key & 4th Fundamental

The Seven Ray Cycles

Occult Cosmology

Science of the Antahkarana & Ray Words of Power

Esoteric Astrology
Superimposition

The 72 Faces of Man
The Complete Sun Sign Guide
to the Path of Initiation

by Stephen D. Pugh

 

Formal Discussion

The Triple Aspects & Three Principal Aspects of the Sun

stage one: first aspect, & chakric diagrams

stage two: path of discipleship & reversal of the wheel

stage three: advanced states

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Formal Discussion

I have given you much for mature consideration and thrown some light upon your path. So I am brought to the point where I am now able to begin my formal discussion.

As students of Esoteric Science know, within the human body there are to be found seven major etheric force centers that are in the nature of distributing agencies and electrical batteries, providing dynamic force and qualitative energy.

They produce definite effects upon the outer physical appearance of the human being, and through their constant activity the life-qualities and point in evolution are clearly indicated. The etheric body itself is the subtle counterpart of the physical body and its nervous structure, and its seven energy centers condition and control the endocrine and lymphatic systems.

It is important to remember that the etheric body is uniquely constructed because it is the principal instrument of life and is the factor that produces and sustains the instrument of appearance, the physical body. It is the major energizing factor and is an exact replica of the outer form, being the true intermediary between the inner world and the outer personality equipment.

It is essential that the reader recognize and admit the inner emotional and mental structure of the human being and its close interrelation through the medium of the etheric body.

The true nature of the unfolding awareness and the method of growth of the inner consciousness will then be correctly noted. It will be seen that the gain of each life produces added control of the mechanism of contact, and results in increased sensitivity to the environment. It will be obvious that when we take into consideration the various types of energy which go into the constitution of a human being and can distinguish what specific energies are conditioning an individual, great soul service is rendered.

I now call your attention to the fact that the principal planetary forces connected with our solar zodiac make their contact with the individual human being via the medium of the seven focal points or etheric centers of force found along the spine.

It is through the study of the relationship between the various planetary forces and the individual etheric centers that we become informed of the interrelations that govern and control both the phenomenal and subjective worlds. It is of value to point out that these seven force centers of the etheric body are themselves in turn in direct relationship with the seven sets of major glands. (see diagrams, below)

Therefore, it will be apparent to you that the glands and the etheric force centers are themselves closely connected with the endocrine and nervous systems. The unfoldment of the nervous system parallels that of the inner psychical apparatus, while the glandular equipment accurately reflects the state of the etheric centers.

From the standpoint of the psychological history of a human being, this means that the glandular equipment, the physical apparatus and the response instrument become increasingly efficient while the inner coordination and integration proceeds.

Through the seven principal centers and glands the requisite experience is gained by the soul. Through their active agencies the life process is intensified and a wider range of experience through contact with an ever-expanding environment becomes possible. In due time this leads to the major expansions of consciousness that we formally term initiations.

Each initiation successively enhances the glandular equipment, the physical apparatus and the response mechanism. Put all of this together and you will see why, as we might logically expect, the soul's vehicles of expression, its mechanism of manifestation and its centers for experience improve as the conscious awareness deepens and expands.

There is proof of this truth from the standpoint of psychology, for our glandular equipment, physical body and response instrument become increasingly efficient while our inner coordination, alignment and integration proceed. It must be borne in mind therefore that evidence of the etheric centers is to be found in the nervous and glandular systems and these three must ever be related if modern astrological science is to appreciate and appropriate the new esoteric knowledge.

Just as important, I must emphasize, until you admit the Law of Reincarnation and Law of Karma you can have no real understanding of the initiatory processes of the Sun signs and their decanates.

Until these twin doctrines are grasped and accepted there can be no real understanding of the method of the evolutionary life-path of the soul, the unfoldment of its physical mechanism, or the nature of the response apparatus of the individual human being.

One of the outstanding and painful human dilemmas we face is the problem of the explanation of the inequalities in the physical equipment of human beings found everywhere. We seem as yet, incapable of recognizing or explaining the underlying causes that are responsible for the appearance and health of our physical bodies or personalities in general. Most of us, variously equipped but greatly limited by that equipment, lack inner synthesis, coordination and integration and are faced with an environment that is antagonistic and hostile.

Until we can integrate ourselves correctly into our material circumstances there will be no true understanding of the normal process of our evolution or of our relationships with others. You see, we have to demonstrate the proven capacity to coordinate our psychological process in time.

What I mean by this is that the integration of our self into time must be correctly accomplished. Astrologers, for example, have only studied man from the angle of one lifetime and from the point of view of his present personal horoscope. Our ultimate Source and Goal remain uncharted. So we need to try to grasp the fact that the soul by contrast, impossible though it seems, views the entire period of manifestation over the total gamut of countless lifetimes, as a unified Whole.

It is therefore, in fact, a truly time-conscious identity possessing a real sense of inner and outer proportion, understanding of the immediate life-task, and sense of synthesis. Lifetime by lifetime, the triple mechanism of the soul is developed and perfected. Step by step we slowly make our approach to the goal of conscious and intelligent awareness. Step by step we master the physical body and make more adequate our mechanism of awareness and of contact. Little by little we approach the "place of recognition" and prepare ourselves to climb the mountain of vision and initiation. (EPI 156)

Fortunately, all of us are under right direction of our souls, even if during the brief interlude of any one lifetime we misunderstand and misinterpret the material or spiritual process indicated in our horoscopes (or those of others) and apply a wrong meaning or motive to the right activities. Our true task is ever to guide and assist others to take their next step forward thereby bringing the soul into fuller expression in their lives.

To this end the study of the zodiacal decanates is imperative and gives the key to the art of right living in accord with the divine and natural Plan of evolution. Human beings who would know their origin and destiny; who would win the power to measure in their hearts and minds the consciousness of a small human being by the scale of the great zodiac; who would know the basic principles of relations, spiritually and materially of the Cosmic Whole to all their own selves and parts; who would know the Law of their interdependence with all life; such ones are truly initiate.

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The Triple Energies

If we are to understand our three-fold human nature correctly, we must first contrive to unravel the three major strands of which it is woven and to separate them out for our individual study so that we can master the chief characteristics of each and recognize them with certainty when we find them in active manifestation. Once this is accomplished we must learn to combine them again and to recognize how they blend and harmonize. Our concern should be with the life expression of the three basic qualities of the major strands of energy found in man and their demonstrable focus, conscious and intentional, through the seven centers of force.

It is this triple esoteric combination of energies which enables an individual to make more rapid progress on the Path, fuse and blend the energies of the three major Aspects within and become a conscious soul on Earth.

By sympathetic comprehension we must first school ourselves in the meaning and truth of the Three Aspects, and each Aspect by itself alone, yet notwithstanding they are all One. Then and only then will we be in a position to deal wisely with all those with whom we are called upon to work.

I realize that it sounds somewhat intricate and technical, however what I give you now is the true A.B.C. of Sun sign astrology. Believe this triple hypothesis unless your intuition revolts. I do not wish to be dogmatic but give definite information, the correctness of which I leave to you and the future to prove.

Esoteric astrologers view the great experience of life as taking place upon the three Crosses or Wheels—the Mutable Cross, the Fixed Cross and the Cardinal Cross—within the Great Wheel or Circle of Life.

Consequently, the Whole or entirety of our life-experience or path is viewed from three different angles. The realization of the truth of the three principal Paths within the Great Wheel of Life is the key that unlocks the door to the Path of Initiation. Reflect with care upon this statement.

Under the Law of Correspondence and Analogy the three major Aspects have direct relationships to the trinity of Crosses found within the Great Wheel, the three Aspects of the Sun and the three decanates found in each one of the twelve Sun signs.

 

The Three Principal Aspects of the Sun

We come to what is a most interesting part of our astrological study for, as we can note, the first decan of each sign rules the physical body, while the emotional body is ruled by the second and the mental body ruled by the third. Thus the decanates simultaneously stimulate the development of the three-fold personality unit. Keep in mind however, one out of the three decans will be the major, dominant and outstanding influence during the corresponding and respective Aspect of the Path. Let me continue now by describing in detail the three major stages, phases or Aspects of Man and his life-path around the Great Wheel, technically understood. It is valuable to endeavor to grasp the larger picture or archetype and to vision the whole of that which transpires in the life history of the incarnating immortal human soul.

First Aspect

During the first major Aspect of the Path, humanity follows the apparent retrogression of the Sun and attendant planets subject to the 'Great Illusion', backwards through the zodiacal signs. Do not forget, the great zodiacal ages run clockwise and are termed the "Involutionary cycle" and the "Path of Pursuit" or "Acquisition". (EA 109, EPII 342, LOM 238)

Technically speaking, the clockwise phase is known as the "Ordinary Wheel" period of existence, although it is also generally referred to as the "Path of Illusion". (EA 152 & 58)

The young, highly unconscious soul blindly proceeds from Aries to Taurus via Pisces during this long interlude of many if not countless lifetimes. From the much wider point of view of the soul, and not so specifically from the standpoint of the personality horoscope, the Mutable or Common Cross governs the entire lower phase of the first Aspect of the Path.

This does not imply that the human being does not incarnate into all twelve signs but only that the Beginner upon the Way is more potently responsive to its energies and forces. The natural action of the Mutable Cross drives the human being downward into material expression and deep immersion into the depths of material experience and the concrete physical plane. Serially and sequentially, through this forced materialistic process, the inner man is slowly and steadily being awakened to the nature of the form life.

Consequently, in time and due process, knowledge of substance, matter and outer creative activity is acquired. Obviously this period marks the stage wherein form, matter, substance, time and space are the controlling factors, imprisoning the soul within their modality of consciousness.

Quite clearly, this stage connotes complete unconscious self-identification with form life as being 'self'. In other words the self believes itself to be form. This is only natural, as the human being is occupied with the development of the three-fold materialistic personality through the satisfaction of physical, emotional and mental desire.

The entire phase of the period of physical personality development is conditioned by the backward action of the Ordinary Wheel.

This is the basic cycle of material evolution and the period wherein man is physically bound upon the Great Wheel. The physical life grows through accretion and the man is continually, countless lifetime after lifetime, swept back into inertia, blindness and bondage. What we must grasp though, is that through this process life in the three worlds of human endeavor is lived and the development of the strictly three-dimensional human personality consciousness takes place.

When the work of the first phase is complete, what is demonstrated is the potent expression of the physical magnetism of a developed personality.

Within the internal etheric constitution of an individual human being, the overall cycle of the Mutable Cross and the Ordinary Wheel experience stimulates the evolutionary unfoldment and development of the radioactivity of the three etheric centers found below the diaphragm and their corresponding glands in the endocrine system:

1. Solar plexus center and pancreas gland.
2. Sacral center and sexual glands.
3. Basic center and adrenal glands.

 

 

When the development and coordination of the three lower diaphragmic centers is complete the individual becomes fused and blended into the personality. This is a tremendous accomplishment, as the person began this cycle as the unconscious sum total of separative tendencies, uncontrolled forces and disunited energies.

Finally, the multiplicity of internecine personality forces are subdued by the soul. This makes possible the subjugation of the lower nature and produces a new alignment of the mind, emotions and body.

During the cycle of ordinary evolution, the three centers above the diaphragm are basically and primarily receiving centers. Their lower counterparts found below the diaphragm are galvanized into activity by the three higher receiving centers.

The three higher centers and corresponding glands are:

1. Head center and pineal gland.
2. Heart center and thymus gland.
3. Throat center and thyroid gland.

 

An interlude of lives intervenes at the high water mark of this period, wherein the inner soul begins the struggle to become liberated from the dominant control of the physical body and form side of life in general. What commences then is a growing dissatisfaction with the material world, and a subtle longing for something else other than this increases. Material desires become rapidly exhausted and the needs of the physical nature no longer loudly cry out or predominate.

Certainly the interlude period is marked with a growing dissatisfaction and discomfort. Inchoate longings gradually take form until the period of acquiescence and aspiration is reached. At first the aspiration is irregular and vague but gradually it assumes potency until the mind of the individual becomes invocative.

Duality is now consciously and uncomfortably recognized, while the higher way of the spiritual vision is definitely contacted. Personal desire begins to make way for a greater love, and at this critical juncture the dynamic power of love must be invoked. When this is sufficiently accomplished true evocation takes place. Through a great and culminating series of lives the corresponding lower and higher etheric centers have now successfully reversed their polarity, thus demonstrating the basic and fundamental reorientation of the inner consciousness.

When the repolarization process of the entire three-fold lower centers is completed, then the reversal occurs and from thence forth the disciple travels the Path of Light in the anticlockwise mode from Aries to Pisces via Taurus.

At this point in the life-career, the evolving individual now treads the Reverse Wheel. Having finished his work, the disciple descends from the whirling Cross of many changes (the Mutable Cross) only to remount a new cross, the Fixed Cross of the Heavens. In travail the personality equipment has been painfully forged but the mechanism which will enable him to free himself from the "path of the great illusion" is now prepared and ready. (EA 81)

Second Aspect

It is only upon the Reverse Wheel and the second Aspect of the Path that right orientation is achieved and the human being swings into correct rhythm of progress, thus following the normal zodiacal current and correcting the "original sin" of wrong orientation. (EA 254)

The second Aspect of the Path is termed the "Path of Reality" because one is now entering the signs from left to right and not backwards as before from right to left. (EA 58) For this reason, the highly evolved self-conscious individual is spoken of as one who ever "faces the East". (EA 90)

The interlude of the Reverse Wheel and the cycle of the Fixed Cross lead to the emergence into outer manifestation of the subjective Aspect in man; its chief concern is that the inner soul should be brought forward into physical birth and outer objective recognition.

During this period the psyche becomes conditioned in an inner subjective manner totally different from that of the conditioning effects of the physical environment and material circumstances. Herein are established the basic essentials of good character. Self-discipline proceeds side by side with aspiration. The physical body is a focus and the control the form side has over the life of the soul must be broken.

At this stage an aspirant to Truth starts to demonstrate the qualities of their soul, preparing themselves to begin a series of tests and trials leading to initiation. Through the process of the Reverse Wheel, the evolving individual gains knowledge concerning their innate divinity and eventually attains full soul-consciousness.

The principle point to grasp is that the second major Aspect of the Path is the period wherein the soul renounces the outer material life of the personality. Its activities therefore cover the entire phase technically known as the Path of Discipleship. It is during this phase that the soul proceeds to detach itself from the personality and reattach itself to the One who sent it forth—the Monad, Spirit or Central Life.

There has been much given out during the past century in other books concerning this Aspect of the Path. What is of importance is that it concerns the soul consciousness as it begins with its preparation for initiation, and consummates in the perfected human soul.

The outstanding life-quality or virtue of Love is exhibited because the energies of the human soul produce harmony and are the unified, blended and controlled effect of that Love.

Here the soul, through alignment, enters into the right use of time; or rather the brain, which is the only time-conscious factor, is no longer the dominant attribute. The mind of the disciple, as the agent of the soul, sees life and experience as it really is.

It is now possible for the accomplished individual to become someone who is qualified to take one of the initiations. Becoming aware of what one should do and what one should give up is the preliminary step.

Disciples now seek to escape sufferings that come with their present kind of life; they wish for enlightenment and aspire to achieve the highest state of happiness that exists. Becoming qualified, however, must be undertaken in proper successive stages, in clear, precise, simple steps, one by one.

The salient task is to become conscious of how to reach the goal, how to practice and how to learn, thus achieving an excellent life. This is ultimately attained through learning about and then committing oneself to keep definite inner pledges and moral vows. If these vows are kept they produce happiness and enlightenment. In the interim, everything about one's character now begins to improve; the way one thinks, the way one acts, day by day, month by month, year by year, lifetime by lifetime.

At this stage of discipleship, the worlds of so-called 'superhuman' evolution open up and the safe unfoldment of the supernormal powers of the soul through the medium of the three-fold human personality takes place.

 

Third Aspect of the Path

The third Aspect of the Path is the cycle wherein the Great Wheel becomes dominated and controlled. The third stage is concerned with the realization of the highest Aspect or central Life-purpose.

The highly evolved man or woman becomes no longer identified with their personal vehicles of expression because on a higher turn of the spiral another shift in major life expression has taken place. Neither the center of experience—the soul—nor the vehicles of expression—the three-fold lower personality—are considered from the angle of consciousness.

It is for this reason that an individual is at this stage, is referred to as a veiled Reality. They personify the synthetic expression of the soul symbolized through revealed divine quality and demonstrated through the means of the personality, the material world, the physical plane; in short, the totality of the form life.

It is in this latter stage that the higher psychic faculties come into play, for only the initiate has full control of all faculties and powers of the soul and knows when and how to use them most profitably and with the least expenditure of energy. The state of consciousness of the illumined and liberated human soul is such that any language I would seek to employ would only serve to blind and to hinder true understanding. All that could be said would be a superficial attempt to define and describe that which is really essentially indefinable.

In the psychological sense I could speak only in symbols, parable and metaphor. Of so lofty and exalted a nature that it can only be described in terms of release, of negation and through emphasis on that which it is not, the consciousness of the advanced initiate is characterized by a state of No-thing or Non-being which is only capable of comprehension and expression when the physical plane is of no further use to the perfected spiritual life.

(continue to The Stages)