Wisdom of the Disenchanted

Good evening friends and welcome to the Festival of Virgo. We are told that there is no clearer or more adequate definition of this sign than "Christ in you, the hope of glory", for Virgo provides that which is needed for the mental, emotional and physical expression of the hidden but ever present divinity. This sign is, therefore, the opposite pole of spirit but stands primarily for the relation between the two – spirit and matter after they have been brought together originally in Aries and have produced a recognised duality in Gemini.

Virgo is concerned with the potencies of the Earth Mother and the substance that makes possible the successful manifestation of the Christ life, but the divine feminine shouldn’t be isolated and considered solely from the material angle. Without the emphasis firmly on the Christ principle which Virgo nurtures, esoteric knowledge of the matter aspect and the forces of nature are apt to degenerate into dubious magical rites and lower psychism. We are given a warning of these dangers in A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, where we read "The devas are the mother of the form, but the selfconscious unit, MAN, should realise his independence of the form, and should follow the path of Self-expression. This should be pondered on, for in days to come (when units here and there contact the devas, and inevitably pay the penalty) it may be helpful if the reason is understood, and man realises his necessary separation from these Essences in the three worlds. Approach between the two lines of evolution becomes possible on the plane of buddhi, but then it is an approach of two essences, and not an approach of the concrete to the essence. Man, while functioning in material, substantial forms in the three worlds, may not trespass across the separating line between the two evolutions. Only on the planes of solar fire or on the cosmic etheric levels may contact be permitted; on the planes of the cosmic dense physical plane (our mental, astral and physical planes) disaster only results from contact. I have dwelt on this point, for the danger is real, and near at hand."¹

The Tibetan is presumably warning here about contacting the devas with specific magical intentions in mind, for elsewhere he acknowledges that as conditions of harmony gradually evolve out of the present world chaos, certain types of devas and human beings will meet as friends. Heed should be taken of his remarks however, for as we steadily move into the Aquarian age, there is a resurgent use of ceremony and ritual to attune to and make contact with nature spirits of different grades and ranks for various purposes, much of this well-intentioned. There is relative ease of contact too for it is said that "Virgo hides the light that irradiates the world in Aquarius", and in turn, "Aquarius releases Virgo from her load". This relationship involves the lowest of the twelve Creative Hierarchies which Aquarius influences and is influenced by. Variously known as The Elemental Lives, The Baskets of Nourishment and the Blinded Lives, it is comprised of the residue of the last solar system. It is the energy of matter – the elemental life of the atom – and man’s contact with it through the Virgo-Aquarian relationship has facilitated his ability to bend nature to his will as is demonstrated in the amazing technological advancements of today. Technological progress is therefore likely to continue apace in this century bringing many developments that would previously have been considered as magic and producing solutions to many problems providing that it is used for the spiritual benefit of the whole and not for the material gain of isolated parts.

At the same time though, the strong appeal of ceremonial magic and ritual is seeing the reemergence of old practices steeped in myth and legend which are not appropriate for humanity’s current development or wellbeing. In her Collected Writings, H.P. Blavatsky elaborates on this, explaining the four kinds of Esoteric Knowledge or Sciences described in ancient scriptures. She lists them as follows: "(1) Yajña-Vidya, knowledge of the occult powers awakened in Nature by the performance of certain religious ceremonies and rites. (2) Mahavidya, the ‘great knowledge,’ the magic of the Kabalists and of the Tantrika worship, often Sorcery of the worst description. (3) Guhya-Vidya, knowledge of the mystic powers residing in Sound (Ether), hence in the Mantras (chanted prayers or incantations) and depending on the rhythm and melody used; in other words a magical performance based on Knowledge of the Forces of Nature and their correlation; and (4) ATMA-VIDYA, a term which is translated simply as ‘knowledge of the Soul,’ true Wisdom by the Orientalists, but which means far more." H.P.B. then goes on to say, "This last is the only kind of Occultism that any theosophist who admires Light on the Path, and who would be wise and unselfish, ought to strive after. All the rest is some branch of the ‘Occult Sciences,’ i.e., arts based on the knowledge of the ultimate essence of all things in the Kingdoms of Nature—such as minerals, plants and animals—hence of things pertaining to the realm of material nature, however invisible that essence may be, and howsoever much it has hitherto eluded the grasp of Science."²

Atma-Vidya, the knowledge of the soul, is the approach emphasised by the last two Hierarchical outreaches to humanity via Helena Blavatsky and Alice Bailey. And through the latter, the techniques for attaining soul contact and knowledge are given. Although it is not an easy path, when persevered with and soul fusion is finally attained on a permanent basis, the other Vidya’s may then be safely mastered and results obtained. Even so, Atma–Vidya sets small value on them we are told, for the greater ever includes the lesser. One of the main techniques for attaining Atma-Vidya is based on the law ‘energy follows thought’, and involves the disciplined use of imaginative visualisation. This is the AS IF technique where fusion with the soul and its qualities is visualised on a regular basis and, over time, the reality supplants the imagery in a safe and steady manner. At this point can we pause for recollection and then say together the Affirmation of a Disciple – which we are told that has been used by disciples in the Masters' Ashrams for thousands of years.

I am a point of light within a greater Light.I am a strand of loving energy within the stream of love divine.I am a point of sacrificial Fire, focussed within the fiery Will of God.And thus I stand.I am a way by which men may achieve.I am a source of strength, enabling them to stand.I am a beam of light, shining upon their way.And thus I stand.And standing thus revolveAnd tread this way the ways of men,And know the ways of God.And thus I stand.OM

While this Affirmation of a Disciple is a mantram, it doesn’t fall into the category of Guhya- Vidya that H.P. Blavatsky warned of as it is purely an evocation of the soul and its qualities through affirmed intent; it is not meant as an incantation and we do not aim to chant it in a specific rhythm or to any melody in order to awaken any of the forces of nature or mystic powers residing in Sound and the ether. The affirmation is however, an example of the positive use of the AS IF technique. And one of the results of its use is the ability to assume the stance of the spiritual observer and director of soul qualities in daily life rather than being immersed in, and at the mercy of, the forces of circumstance that govern the personality. As the crises and opportunities of life come our way, we become sufficiently detached from the personality and can serve with greater wisdom and judgement. In these fast and furious times, this necessitates slowing down the pace of the personality life rather than engaging in a flurry of activity. This is the translation of speed into spiritual tension, standing at the centre rather than the periphery of influence, and steadily becoming "the circle whose centre is everywhere and circumference nowhere." This is the spiritual ‘rootedness’ of discipleship work that paves the way for resurrection and ascension out of matter, safely and without any loss of connection with the field of service – humanity. It does however, herald a time when the last vestiges of the sense of personality are cast off, and the disciple becomes "a mere beneficent force in nature". And so the discipleship work of positioning, projecting and consolidating proceeds. Each meditation further transforms its practitioner into a flame of pure consciousness that can function at the heart of nature, transmitting the spiritual fire to the jewel of life that resides in each and every form contacted. And it is in this spirit that the events of daily life are approached. The measure of awareness of the spiritual self that is contacted in meditation is held and carried throughout the day, the divine flame is administered and the effects are carefully observed in line with the ever greater responsibility for thought and action being assumed along the way. This is the path of spiritual alchemy towards that beneficent force in nature that intuitively leaps to every opportunity to love and serve under the guiding will of the overshadowing soul.

It is true that as we stand ever more detached as the spiritual observer, the sense of duality that brought us to the path in the first place is heightened in some way. It is a higher duality though, not the duality of the spiritual self and the lower, sentient self so much, but a natural demarcation between the observer and the observed. This is part of the process however, and serves to move us on to the more advanced stage of discipleship that leads inevitably to the great act of at-one-ment that is made at the fourth initiation when identity becomes merged in the whole. Then, acting simply as a beneficent force in nature, the server—the potency used in service—and the served, form a continuum in which the initiate lives and moves and has his being. While sequences of events are still registered, the past, present and future are superimposed on one another in a way that annihilates the conventional sense of time and the immediacy of ‘Now’ is understood in terms of divine tension and directional force.

While the full realisation of this lies some way ahead, constant recollection of the esoteric life can, amongst other things, help span the chasm of time and space that seems to exist between this and the other side of death. All relationships on both sides of the veil re-establish themselves in a subtler, yet more vivid and creative way, and this because the maya of the outer senses is now bypassed. As the bridge of consciousness towards the spiritual self grows in strength, the ability to do this becomes natural and the initiate comes alive in the real world of relationships that are eternal, while yet spiritually progressive. The heart is the great engine and facilitator of these new group relations and the more we develop the ability to abide within its sacred chamber, the more we have access to the divine circulatory flow. Through the heart, the great building force that surges throughout the manifested universe is contacted and an intuitive understanding of the place all lives play in the greater whole is imprinted upon the higher senses. Thinking and speaking through the heart then automatically transmits a measure of this revelatory energy to others, helping to align them in the direction of their destined place and function in one of the force centres of the Planetary Logos.

The heart is also the great safeguarding organ in this age of rampant materialism and selfishness. Again in the words of H.P. Blavatsky, "We are in the Kali Yuga [a Sanskrit term meaning Dark Age] and its fatal influence is a thousand-fold more powerful in the West than it is in the East; hence the easy preys made by the Powers of the Age of Darkness in this cyclic struggle, and the many delusions under which the world is now labouring. One of these is the relative facility with which men fancy they can get at the ‘Gate’ and cross the threshold of Occultism without any great sacrifice." But, on the other hand there also lies hope for we also learn that…"All causes now bring about their effects much more rapidly than in any other or better age. A sincere lover of the race can accomplish more in three incarnations under Kali-Yuga’s reign than he could in a much greater number in any other age. Thus by bearing all the manifold troubles of this Age and steadily triumphing, the object of his efforts will be more quickly realised, for, while the obstacles seem great, the powers to be invoked can be reached more quickly."³

In such an age as this one therefore, dramatic developments can be expected – indeed all who have entered into spiritual training stand witness to this. And at this time through identification with the New Group of World Servers, we are part of the redemptive force of the Hierarchy and every thought that we have is infused with more power, more love and more light than would ordinarily be the case if we were working on our own in a bygone golden age. In light of H.P.B’s comments, what is required by all who would serve to their fullest ability in these times is the cultivation of an ever more vigilant attitude lest we fall prey to the glamours that would distract us from the narrow razoredged path. These are times when efforts are rightly being made to rise up against the deadening effects of materialism, but there is a search for re-enchantment that can lead us astray from the direct route to the soul. To enchant means to bewitch and charm, and is derived from the Latin ‘incantare’ meaning to chant a magic spell upon. Interestingly, it is closely related to the word ‘glamour’ also meaning magic and enchantment as in the phrase "to cast the glamour". The latter word, glamour is a variant of the Scottish word ‘gramarye’ an altered form of ‘grammar’, which in medieval times meant any sort of scholarship, especially in occult learning. It was also the name for a manual for invoking spells and demons, later becoming the magic spell itself, and sometimes called a ‘gramery’.

In the literal sense of the word then, disenchantment is something to be encouraged as we enter the New Age with all its enticements and trappings. And while there is much to be learnt from studying the divine feminine in nature, care should be taken not to fall into practices that evoke the anima mundi, the soul of matter. Lower psychic powers develop when the animal soul in man is put en rapport with the sentient factor in substance, and this can unwittingly take place through ancient rites that no longer have relevance for the consciousness of today’s civilisations and the new incoming energies of the Aquarian age. Certain evocations of ancient deities, ancestors, and magical practices connected with myth and legend can veil deep pitfalls for the unwary, as they can evoke deva essences suited to states of consciousness that humanity should by now have left behind. In the same vein, for the aspiring esotericist, even practices connected with ancient texts such as the Kabbalah can be a diversion for, according to the Tibetan, they are a "secondary line of esoteric approach to truth, and materialistic in their technique (embodying much of the magical work of relating one grade of matter to the substance of another grade)."⁴

There is an understandable desire in today’s world to long for re-enchantment and a more intimate connection with the earth, not least to compensate for the numbing effect that this materialistic, scientific age has had on the inner senses, and the destruction it has wreaked on the environment. Leading the way forward are those who are coming into direct communication with the second aspect of divinity, the soul, the Christ within, and expressing it in such a simple yet powerful manner that it is having a synthesising effect on human consciousness. The new group of world servers are expressing the principles that need anchoring in the world today. They demonstrate the light and love of the soul in an unglamorous, easily understood manner. They cut through complexity, bringing the clarity of the soul’s light to bear on the many seemingly intractable problems of modern times. Through their work, the divine masculine and the divine feminine are automatically being brought into harmonious rapport and the birth of the son – the Christ consciousness – is taking place throughout the world. All who are aspiring towards soul contact and its expression in service of humanity and the lower kingdoms of nature are members of the new group of world servers. And whether conscious of the fact or not, they are all working to a greater or lesser extent with the knowledge of the soul – Atma-Vidya – the wisdom of the disenchanted.

Laurence Newey

Festival of Virgo
London
August 2007

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1. A Treatise on Cosmic Fire. pp. 472-473. A.A.Bailey
2. Collected Writings Vol IX. pp. 252-252. H.P.Blavatsky
3. Ibid pp. 260 & 102.
4. Esoteric Healing. p 26. A.A.Bailey