SYMBOLS AND ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

I would like to give you some information on how symbols may be used in mystical exercises and how the symbol may serve as an instrument in the technique of initiation. The aim of all initiation is the integration of an entity’s personality and the elevation of consciousness. There are techniques that assist an integration and elevation of consciousness and how it may be facilitated. At all times since humankind has been on the planet the symbol has served as a powerful tool in that technique. Consider it now from that viewpoint.

The subconscious mind, when permitted to speak through the personality, will express itself in the language of symbols during dreams, visions, or psychic experiences. Such symbols will always emerge spontaneously and unannounced. Usually they will appear quietly, almost casually; at other times, they erupt into consciousness with great force. Most of them are enigmatical and possess multiple meanings. This is one of the many ways the Higher Self has of getting information through to the conscious mind.

These images or symbols must be extensively contemplated, their hidden meaning deciphered, until their concealed message has been comprehended and understood.

But the converse aspect of the situation is of importance also. Inasmuch as the symbol is the language of the subconscious mind, it is also the language which this mind can understand and by means of which it may be reached. Thus, symbols may affect the subconscious mind and arouse it into activity. When used in this manner, the symbol may serve as a powerful tool to stimulate the subconscious mind. Sometimes information will come into the subjective mind, which seems to lie between the subconscious and conscious minds, and this information can then be retrieved through the process of meditation.

It follows that a consideration of the use of symbols in meditation has two aspects: first, the action of symbols upon the subjective mind; second, the proper assimilation of those symbols, which emerge from the subjective or subconscious mind.

Consider the first. It is well known that symbols may be used to awaken realizations that lie dormant within the subjective mind. A Neophyte of the ancient mystical initiation was provided with a symbol and required to contemplate it in solitude, in silence. During a state of contemplation, the objective mind of the candidate was subdued and the subjective mind made receptive to inconiing impressions. Contemplation of the symbol exerted an influence upon the subjective mind through association and suggestion.

Inasmuch as the subjective mind reasons deductively only, the chain of associations awakened by the symbol through resonance stirs into action certain forces, and may arouse ideas or realizations that have lain dormant for several incarnations.

However, in order to unfold, and this is of great importance in modern day meditative training, the seeds of such realization must already have been sown, perhaps in previous incarnations.

Barren soil cannot give growth to rich fruit. Symbols can only reawaken that which is lying asleep. For every mind there will exist certain symbols that will not evoke any response. When this occurs, the effect of a symbol is not that of reawakening, it is the beginning of a new acquaintanceship. In this event, the symbol—so to speak—sows the seeds which may take some time to mature.

Those meditators who have trouble perceiving the required symbols in meditation are therefore asked to consider that they may have to ponder the given symbol for a longer period of time to allow resonance to build and the mind to accept the new information.

A powerful ancient traditional method of permitting a symbol to penetrate required the meditator to draw or paint a prescribed set of symbols with most painstaking care, and to do so in color. This activity forced the symbol to impress itself profoundly upon the subjective mind, and drew it into active participation. In ancient times symbols were also painted upon temple walls or were made part of the architecture. Intensive contemplation upon a symbol enables it to become effective. The ancient mystical philosophers knew this well.

By following the Ancient Wisdom, the method to be used in order to make a given symbol effective should now be patently obvious. First, the student should draw and colour the relevant symbol or symbolss, and do so with most painstaking care, so that the meaning may be absorbed during that preparation time. The symbols thus prepared must then be contemplated: Only ponder one symbol at a time until each symbol has activated.

The student must assume a borderline state or an altered state, simultaneously opening his mind to the power of the symbol. He must be patient. He must permit the symbol to speak to his inner self. Such exercises when faithfully pursued will reap their ultimate reward. Meditation will not be hurried, regardless of whether the student thinks that the symbol should appear rapidly or not.

Next, consider the second aspect of the usefulness of symbols; namely, the permitting of symbols to arise from the subjective mind or even the subconscious mind. The technique of properly accomplishing this is the subject matter of much deeper esoteric instruction which will not be elaborated upon here, except to add a few comments.

All students of mysticism know that during what is known as a borderline state, or an altered state of consciousness, the subjective mind will reveal its symbolic messages as visions or as psychic experiences. Such symbolic messages generally belong to two classes; their nature may be impersonal and reveal a universal law or cosmic truth, or a universal symbol that has been instructed by the teacher of meditation. Or, on the other hand, they may emerge to convey a personal message, relevant to the student's psychic development, for the purpose of guidance.

In each and every case the symbolical message will be cryptic, and it must be deciphered through extensive meditation and contemplation. When finally the symbol has been properly understood and assimilated, then it must be made to react upon the subjective mind and evoke from it a subsequent message.

Permitting the subjective mind to speak, interpreting its symbolical message, and finally allowing the symbol to react upon the subjective mind, results in a state of harmonious cooperation between man's two minds, resulting in an expansion of consciousness and a state of happiness.

The ability of any particular symbol to evoke a response depends largely upon the mental attitude and spiritual maturity of the observer. Any sign may transform into a symbol, provided its observer is in a receptive state of mind. Of this important fact the mystical philosophers were fully aware. The traditional ceremonies of initiation contain elaborate formulae for the express purpose of placing the Neophyte into a receptive state of mind during which the proffered signs could undergo a psychological metamorphosis into mystical symbols.

Only a mind possessed of a firm conviction that life possesses a deeper meaning than that exhibited by external appearances can be receptive to such stimulation. To such a mind, the physical world is like a cloak that covers a hidden treasure. A candidate for esoteric initiation must undergo extensive training to open his mind to this fundamental realization. On the other hand, the mind of one to whom appearance is reality, and to whom there is no distinction between shadow and substance, will be insensitive to the power of the symbol. A mind that functions rationally only will receive only intellectual stimulation from a symbol. The symbol, if sufficiently arresting, may evoke an intellectual or an aesthetic response, if it stimulates at all.

It follows that a given symbol may induce different reactions: it may appear alive to one person, it may be dead to another. Its influence will depend upon the onlooker's attitude toward life. But even then the symbol will evoke no response if there are no seeds that can unfold and mature.

The effectiveness of a symbol depends also upon its universality. Certain symbols seem to affect practically everyone. They contain a basic common denominator, essentially unconscious. They represent a universal human experience, an experience shared and comprehended alike by everyone, formulated in a most evolved, differentiated expression.

A mystical symbol is a living symbol. Symbols are fundamental tools in practical mysticism. The subjective mind speaks in symbols; symbols speak to the subjective mind. The proper use of the symbol facilitates a cooperation between man's two minds and enables him to attain a state of balance or perfect harmony.

Contemplation and meditation, when applied to symbols, serve a dual purpose. a) they permit the symbols to emerge and b) they permit them to act within provided a receptive attitude is maintained in an altered state of consciousness.

NB Tarot Image from "Wheel of the Year" Tarot Deck from Tarotopia.

From Personality to Soul Infused Personality

When you were created, you were given unique qualities in the configuration that only you have. Many others may have similar qualities, but they will be different to yours. You came down onto the earth plane to express and develop certain of these qualities for your journey in this particular lifetime. If you don’t know what qualities you have, look at your talents, what you are good at, what you like doing, or what you would like to do if you had the opportunity. Success in life is much more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life and forming a chart that you refer to, to keep you on track. Similar to taking a journey anywhere on earth, you need to define some details for yourself.

A map has a starting point so we will start from where you are right now. When you are asked to introduce yourself you would normally state your name, maybe your age if you are a young person, and what you do. But this doesn’t tell people who you are; it only tells them what your present occupation is. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional and cultural status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. These insights can only be gained through a process of introspection. People are different – and they respond to different situations in different ways. Personality Analysis using the four elements of fire, air, water and earth, relating to the four fixed signs of the Zodiac and the four holy creatures in Ezekiel’s vision, give excellent insight into the personality you have chosen to work with this incarnation.

Your vision relates to what sort of a person you want to be. This is why it is important to know your temperament and the qualities of the temperaments so that you can have a clearer idea of who you want to be and the traits you want to change into the opposite polarity, whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination or what you want to do should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. If you are following a spiritual path, you probably will want to be in the field of service to humanity. You can be of service simply by doing the right thing every day, white washing yourself of an evening and clearing any negative energy from your auric field.

Your mission is the means by which you can reach your destination. It is really your vocation in life. To some extent, your mission depends on what you know about yourself and the talents you have inherited so that you can make the wisest judgment in your choice of service. Many people during this time want to work in the alternative health field or in some aspect dealing with “saving the planet.”

Your knowledge, skills, and attitude towards people and life all play a part in determining if you need a professional degree or some other qualification to help you achieve your vocation. This will determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you will need to gain along the way. This assessment will give you insights on your measures of success. If you have constantly tuned into your Higher Self and asked for guidance, you will find doorways opening for you to achieve whatever you have listed as needing. In planning out your life chart, you also need to have certain landmarks and a route. These landmarks will indicate your measures of success along the way. These measures must be specific, able to be accomplished, realistic, and within a certain time frame. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a degree in science and studying for an art degree in the same time period. You need to choose which one is of the highest priority for your main function in life, even though both might be appropriate for the type of work you wish to do.

Your life chart was organized before you came down into incarnation with the help of the Council of Twelve and your guides and mentors. If you are successful at making contact with your Higher Self, you will usually be able to map out your life chart quite successfully and fulfill your function while you are here on the earth plane. If you are walking a spiritual path, when you have fulfilled your function, you will usually be called home. You may elect to study the Ancient Wisdom before you incarnate again.

The purpose of trying to create your life chart is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But ofttimes your plans may be modified along the way due to delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, you may encounter turns, detours, and potholes and thus you must anticipate them and adjust accordingly. Delays and other situations can often be karmic so it is no use complaining or wishing it were different. Instead, put all of your energy into making it the best life that you can.

ANCIENT MAGIC

In the ancient times of Atlantis or even in ancient Egypt, there may have been greater magicians than the one we know as Merlin, but their names have not come down to us the way the name of Merlin has; there is something very special about this being; something mysterious that even children seem to be aware of.

Similar to King Arthur, Merlin has earned his place in the British psyche, as have Nimué, the Lady of the Lake, and the much misrepresented and often maligned Morgan le Fey. In this unconscious realm of the British psyche reside many ancient heroes, but Merlin is probably the most famous and best loved of all.

Merlin was an incarnation of one of the great masters of humanity and his energy is coming in once more with the violet Ray as it heralds the New Age, the sixth cycle of humanity. This begins to have an effect on the energetic construct of the physical realm; that is why the Merlin information is once more becoming available to those who are searching for the truth of what life is all about.

In the invisible realms existing side by side with, and now penetrating the physical, conscious plane, are the roots of all Magical traditions to be seen. Merlin’s vibrant energy and powerful symbolism is beginning to affect all seekers of wisdom and truth at this time on the planet. People everywhere are growing tired of working in a job that has no meaning for them just to pay the mortgage or rent, or other bills, and are asking: “Is this all there is to life?”

Magic is a natural state of being that has been suppressed for thousands of years, to allow the development of the intellect. Magical, mystical, metaphysical, or whatever name will be given to this natural state of human expression will become commonplace in the next age, now that intellectual development is well on the way.

We now see children being born with this natural magical ability; the ability to see the fae, the angels, the djinn or genies and communicate with them. Dragons, unicorns, centaurs and the pegasi are also drawing closer as the veils between the dimensions continue to become thinner.

Healing is also another natural ability of some children coming onto this planet. In the future many will heal themselves of their ailments as the reason for them will no longer be applicable on the earth plane.

Polarity is at the heart of magic, shaping its nature and fuelling its powerful energy. The magician of today walks a razor edged path between the inner and outer worlds, and as he balances his own energy, he also brings balance into the lives of others.

The magician is also aware of the paradox that allows him to pass beyond the veil and to bring back much needed information that is not normally available to the everyday person, and to assist the ones who seek the Path of Magic. This Path of Magic is nothing more than the Return Path to the Source, but it is based on your own hard work, your own personal practice and does not rely on any dogma.

To regard this world with awe and wonder is an approach far more likely to result in the universe sharing its secrets. Some people are too often inclined to arrogantly declare that they know everything there is to know. In fact, we are hardly scratching the surface of the eternal wisdom of the universe. The Masters of Wisdom say nothing of who they really are, but willingly share their secrets to those who are discerning enough to recognize them.

So do not disbelieve when others speak of Merlin, he exists; not in this dimension perhaps, but for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, he exists.

College of Esoteric Education. http://www.EsotericCollege.org

THE MYSTIQUE OF TAROT- The Magician and the understanding of the four elements

The study of the Tarot in an esoteric sense will lead you through one of the doorways to the mysteries of life. The Tarot has been with us since the dawn of time in one form or another as it is a pictorial representation of the journey back to the Godhead. And we can see this even in many religious ceremonies today. For example, on the first card, the Magician, we see depicted the four elements, in the form of the sword, the wand, the cup and the coin resting on a table. If you look at the symbology depicted in some churches today, you will see something similar. It takes only a little bit of thinking to come up with the analogy. The cards are simply used to show the many blessings and pitfalls along the way. And as you work your way through each impression of the card, you will experience the energies associated with the archetype that the card represents.

Spiritual truth never comes as dogma; it comes as a small still voice from within, and is only relative to you and the lessons you have chosen to learn in this incarnation. This does not mean to say that you cannot assist others if they ask you, but the warning here, of course is, not to let your ego or personality colour the information coming through. Truth depends on the insight of each individual, so it is rather impossible to generalize about the problem of truth, except to say that each one will have their own truth and it will be relative to the degree of their spiritual maturity.

The capacity to differentiate between knowledge and wisdom is also tied up with this problem of truth. There is a wide difference between the two and it is much easier to gain knowledge than wisdom. Whereas knowledge depends on receptivity and understanding of the mind and experience coupled with the memory of such experiences, wisdom does not depend on knowledge at all, although both are identical up to a certain point. The source of wisdom comes from the causal principle or that which is termed the Godhead. Therefore wisdom does not depend on the mind or the memory, but on the maturity and purity of the individual entity and insights are passed on through the intuitive or inspirational processes. Therefore to develop a well rounded out personality, knowledge as well as wisdom must go hand in hand; neither one nor the other must trail behind.

The Tarot, therefore is the perfect tool to assist in unlocking the intuitive processes and can lead to profound insight and wisdom.

http://www.esotericcollege.org

THE CHANGING FORM OF HUMANKIND

Today I want to speak about past happenings that have been lost in the mists of time. One principle that you must gather to yourselves, absorb, and clearly understand is that mankind is utterly wrong in attempting to implant the image as he is today upon beings that existed in ages either gone by or yet to come in the future. You will begin to realize that there is no fixity; all is in constant flux in the universe.

Therefore, it becomes probable, even from that viewpoint that the life form humankind presently occupies was not the same in the past and will not be the same in the future. This time on the planet is a passing through, a fluxing, a continual movement through various forms and man is not correct, therefore, in attempting to interpret bygone manifestations through the eyes he is presently using.

Life forms that existed in the past were different; vastly different, There was a hybrid form for many, many millions of years. There was a hybrid in various forms, which embodied both animal characteristics and the oncoming complexity that is present mankind. In addition, there was a differing in the circumstance of existence, a difference in the life span, a difference in the population, always a difference. Wherever you look, there is a difference. This is needful for the continuing evolving pattern. Nothing remains the same.

However, the progression towards the present state was gentle; it was a gradual happening. There was no dramatic change and there was no drama. It was a gentle stepping through to complexity but that tale will not be told for some time.

With regard to almost historic times, the life span, as written about in other teachings, was much greater. At that time, the projecting One, the Energy Parent, was young and back in that time, it was required that the Spark, which is currently located between your shoulder blades in the spine, retire to its Parent in energy, and then re-enter the same body. The reason for this was – not the inability, because there is no inability in this universe – but the necessity to move forward in the development of the force needed to project itself as it presently does.

This has been a development over many millions of years and there has been no dramatic stepping up, there has been just a gentle progression. So, you may now see the reason for various customs, which are still extant among certain of mankind, in their extremely modified form

Now, this oncoming cycle is the last but one of mankind’s overall cycle. There have been five; there will be seven. This oncoming one is the last but one and during this period the withdrawal force gains in momentum.

The return path will be a mirror image of the outgoing path. That withdrawal force then, as it withdraws mankind, in fact all life, toward its projecting force is becoming a counterpart of the outward going. As death becomes less and less frequent, symbolism disappears and knowledge in its purity occurs once more, then this withdrawal path will be a precise counterpart of the outgoing path.