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Esoteric Psychology II - Chapter II - The Ray of Personality - The Appropriation of the Bodies
The psychologist will then employ:
  1. The modern exoteric science of psychology, with its emphasis upon equipment, upon the glands and their effects, upon dreams and their occasional effect, upon instinctual behavior (which is largely a reaction of the physical body) and upon all the latest conclusions of the investigating material scientists the world over.
  2. Esoteric psychology, such as is embodied in this Treatise on the Seven Rays. This indicates the types of energy and the forces which govern, control and determine the varying aspects of the average man's equipment, and condition his consciousness.
  3. Astrology, with its indications (little realized as yet) of a man's place "in the sun", and in the general scheme of things. These relate him to the planetary whole and give much information anent the time factors which govern every individual, little as he may think it.

It will be recognized that the astrology with which we are here concerned and which I will later somewhat elaborate, does not deal with the expression of the personality. It is the planetary and racial astrology which Those who work on the inner side, know to be of deep significance. It is the astrology of discipleship and the relation of the stars to the activities of the soul which They regard of importance. It is the astrology of initiation with which They are most profoundly concerned. Though the time is not yet, we shall some day be able to cast the horoscope of the soul, and make more clear to the awakening human being the way that he should go. Of this more anon.

It will also be apparent that, as the relationships of the different aspects of a man's manifested life appear, his seven centers are related to the seven aspects or qualities which [302] embody a man's essential divinity. The following is therefore of interest:

  1. The head center - Monad. Life. First aspect.
  2. The heart center - Soul. Consciousness. Second aspect.
  3. The ajna center - Personality. Substance. Third aspect.

These are the three major centers for the advanced man.

  1. The throat center - Mind. The mental aspect and energy.
  2. The solar plexus center - Emotion. The astral aspect and energy center.
  3. The sacral center - Physical.
  4. The center at base of the spine - Life itself. Monadic center.

The latter center is only awakened in its true and final sense at the third initiation. At that time the circle is completed. As was earlier stated, the etheric body is related to the monad and is the exteriorization of the life aspect. It is the etheric body, with all its seven centers, which is swept into activity when the basic center is awakened, and the kundalini fire is aroused. It might be of value to students to point out that frequently when a student is under the impression or belief that the kundalini fire has been aroused in him, all that has really happened is that the energy of the sacral center (i.e. the sex center) is being transmuted and raised to the throat, or that the energy of the solar plexus center is being raised to the heart. Aspirants do, however, love to play with the idea that they have succeeded in arousing the kundalini fire. Many advanced occultists have mistaken the raising of the sacral fire or of the solar plexus force to a position above the diaphragm for the "lifting of the kundalini" and have therefore regarded themselves or others as initiates. Their sincerity has been very real and their mistake an easy one to make. [303]

C. W. Leadbeater frequently made this mistake, yet of his sincerity and of his point of attainment there is no question.

The abstruseness and the difficulty of all of the above is very real and, living as the disciple does in the world of glamor and illusion, it is not easy for the average aspirant to sort out his ideas on these matters, or to see the extent of the subject with the perspective that is necessary. He has to start, first of all, by accepting the premise of the rays, and this he cannot prove, though he may do two things:

  1. Correlate the idea of these ray energies with the modern teaching of exoteric science that there is nothing but energy as the underlying substance of all phenomenal appearance.
  2. Regard the theory as one which, though as yet for him only an hypothesis, fits the facts as he knows them better than any other. He will then, one can safely predict, eventually change his hypothesis into a living fact, if he studies himself with care. One of the first things a disciple has to learn is that he is, indeed, the microcosm of the macrocosm, and that within himself has to be found the open door to the universe.

What is here presented is of sufficient difficulty and of adequate interest to merit careful consideration.

I wonder if the students have any idea how the ideals I seek to bring to their attention could illumine their lives if they took them into their "brooding consciousness" for the space even of a month. This aspect of consciousness is the correspondence in the soul body to the mother aspect, as it broods over, guards and eventually brings to the birth the Christ aspect. Lives are changed primarily by reflection; qualities are developed by directed conscious thought; [304] characteristics are unfolded by brooding consideration. To all this I call your attention.
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