Expansions of Consciousness and the Ray Types
For many people there seems to be a lack of meaning in life. Meaningfulness in life refers to a kind of aliveness that gives life a feeling of being more worthwhile. When one is in contact with the soul there appears a centre of meaning and order. When one is disconnected from one's soul there is a feeling of despair or chaos whereas when one is connected all is well again. This fluctuation continues and relates to a duality caused by the distinction of the ego-personality and the soul. The soul is the centre and totality of the psyche and is therefore able to reconcile all opposites. Once the individual has reached a certain level of development the dualities start to disappear as more or less conscious interchange occurs between the personality and the soul and ultimately soul personality fusion is attained.
There are two main energies affecting a person, the energy of the threefold personality (physical, emotional and mental) and the energy of the Soul. The energies of the personality and the soul will express themselves according to certain ray characteristics. There are seven rays or qualities of divine manifestation and the whole of created manifestation consists of a tapestry made up of the seven qualities of divinity. In essence the seven rays consist of the following qualities:
Ray 1 Will or Power
Ray 2 Love-Wisdom
Ray 3 Adaptability or Intelligent Activity
Ray 4 Harmony through Conflict
Ray 5 Concrete or Scientific Knowledge
Ray 6 Idealistic Devotion
Ray 7 Organisation or Ritual Order
The other energies affecting a person are those which control the seven centres or chakras. These are also determined by ray potencies and are dominated by either the energy of the personality or of the soul. It is the conflict between the different energies that results in good or bad health.
The conflict between the soul and personality is ongoing -- it is the basis behind religion, mysticism and spiritual understanding and is dealt with at length in the chapter on Soul and Personality integration. In this chapter I will look at how this conflict manifests physically and psychologically and assists in the evolution of man's consciousness. Stress and strain in the physical body can result from the effect of the soul energy making contact with the person and vitalising the centres in a rhythm according to the soul ray. The personality tends to work against soul control. It experiences itself particularly through the throat centre and the centres below the diaphragm, the manifestations of which can also cause problems.
At different points in a person's evolution different objectives are placed before him for working out so that he may progress. The working out of these objectives bring with them their attendant difficulties, a process that can be quite complex and present difficulties in determining the various illnesses and states of consciousness which result.
As the various crises occur it helps if the individual can have some understanding of what is occurring and that these are a normal part of evolutionary growth. Through these crises the individual learns wisdom. Although the individual suffers he can draw on inner resources, one of which is knowledge. At worst these crises can appear as if one is dying as within the psyche there is often a part of oneself that is dying. One is dying to the old way of life. This is a stage in which the glamours of the world no longer hold sway. When one realises that the world is an illusion, at the same time it becomes meaningless.
In the undeveloped person the main objective is to experience growth and gradual soul contact in the physical, emotional and mental bodies. This is achieved through living a full life and experiencing basic desires and emotions. The centres are sluggish and semi-dormant. Energy is all below the diaphragm.
The average intelligent person has the objective of responding fully to the need to develop an integrated personality for the soul to control and use. At this stage a person is not consciously aware of the need for soul contact. The energy of the centres below the diaphragm is more intensified and the person operates largely from the solar plexus centre and responds to the forces of the personality. All the centres are brighter than before.
First Initiation
The first expansion of consciousness, or initiation takes place when there is a dawning within the individual of the need to look more towards the life of the soul. He has gained control of the physical body and now a re-orientation takes place within him. This initiation is ruled by Pluto and Vulcan, both ray one planets indicating the needed will and power to break away from past beliefs, family and old patterns. The individual needs to step out of the crowd, the mass consciousness symbolised by Cancer and move towards individualisation as represented by Leo. He may feel he has been 'born again' due to his soul oriented attitude and may feel the need to repent of old ways. The individual may look at a more healthy lifestyle and work towards personal wholeness as represented by Virgo. Likewise he will feel the need to be honest to himself and look to how he can be helpful to others. Essentially he aspires towards a more spiritual life. Changes he will make in life will depend on his ray makeup. A predominantly ray one person may cut connections to old friends, whereas a ray two person is more likely to change the type of conversation he wants to have with them.
The individual will become more in charge of his emotional body and more mentally focused than he was before. The personality is still very much in control and only glimpses of the soul life are likely. At this point the first threads of the antahkarana are being built as a conscious line of connection between the aspirant and the soul. Changes take place to the physical body to purify it but the individual is not usually aware of the processes going on.
The same changes occurring in individuals at this stage, can also be seen happening to groups. Groups and individuals have a separatist outlook believing that 'my way' or 'our way' is the correct way. The focus is still very much on the form and the divinity outside of oneself, whether it be the sacred text as the word of God, the saint or the guru. At the same time one's religion, guru or path is believed to be the right one, the better one, or even the only one.
Between the first and second initiations more and more light is revealed to the person and he slowly begins to understand what is going on. The light of the soul is increasingly illuminating the personality vehicle. This light tends to make its presence felt through the mind.
As an 'aspirant' on the spiritual path the soul energy has begun to draw the personality magnetically towards it. The forces from below the solar plexus are transferred via the solar plexus to the higher centres. Eventually all the energies are transferred as follows:
Base centre - Head centre
Sacral centre - Throat centre
Solar plexus centre - Heart centre
The individual then has a much higher level of creativity and becomes aware of group consciousness.
Second Initiation
The next expansion of consciousness is the second initiation. At this point the aspirant becomes more of a disciple. The spiritual light that he has been experiencing through his mind has helped him to control his emotional nature and he has become more mentally polarised. The throat centre has become the main focus, and the ajna centre has become more active. Important planetary influences are those of Neptune, Jupiter and Venus. Ray 6 rules this initiation, as the goal is to know what love is. In order to get there, though, ray 6 needs to be worked through so an element of Mars is also evident. The focus on the form of divinity evidenced in the first initiation is now replaced by the search for divinity within. Neptune, in its ray 6 quality of devotion and sometimes fanaticism, is replaced by its ray 2 aspect of unconditional love and a search for the formless divinity. Jupiter representative of the guru of the first initiation is replaced by more of a focus on expansion of one's own consciousness. Venus, the need for another, is replaced by the search for unity in all and particularly a sense of Venus in its rulership of the ajna centre and divine vision. The higher attributes represented by these planets are not achieved until the third initiation, but there is more of a focus on achieving them.
By the time of the second initiation half of the body's atomic matter has been changed. The mind is now increasingly used as a revelation of the soul. As with the first initiation, the person may not be aware that he has undergone a change as it is such a gradual process.
After the second initiation the person learns more and more what love is, and the consciousness withdraws more and more from personality concerns, being used more and more as an instrument for the soul. The personality does not control the individual so much and likewise neither does it disturb his peace of mind. The problem of mental illusion is a strong disturbing factor but increased use of the intuition can help to overcome this. Further along the path intuitive wisdom can be used increasingly to dispel the glamours of maya.
The disciple promotes control of the centres by the soul through a process of stimulation, elimination and stabilisation. Such a process affects the organs and substances in the vicinity of the centres. Transference of energy is towards the ajna centre. Personality integration is at its peak and soul control is taking over. The person is now an intelligently powerful and creative person.
"A new factor now enters in, the discriminating faculty of the mind. By means of it, the disciple can bring the mental life under control and dedicate it to the life of the kingdom of God, which is consummated at the third initiation. Through the correct use of the mind, the disciple is led to make right choice, and to balance (with wisdom) the endless pairs of opposites" (Bailey, 1989b, p.100).
Third Initiation
The third initiation, ruled by ray 5, is powerful, transforming and of incredible proportions. From the point of view of the hierarchy it is the first major initiation. More and more people today, particularly those who have undergone the second initiation have the goal in mind that they want - 'Self-realisation.' In essence this is the achievement to be gained by the third initiation as this is when the consciousness has reached the point of personality synthesis and regular contact is maintained with the soul. More correctly speaking this is Soul realisation. Self refers to the spiritual, thus Self-realisation is not attained until the fourth initiation. The soul is sometimes referred to as the personality of the Spirit or Monad. This initiation is ruled by Mars, the Moon and Saturn. Mars provides the determination and courage to forge ahead and bring divinity into matter. Saturn is the Lord of Karma and rules all three initiations. Saturn rules Capricorn the sign of initiation and in which the Moon is exalted. The Moon symbolises one's past karma which is transmuted at this initiation. The prime impetus for the transfiguration of this initiation comes from one's guru or Higher Self. It is the will of the Spirit or Shiva, the positive, male aspect of cosmic consciousness, represented by Saturn, to arouse the kundalini, or negative, feminine aspect of cosmic energy or nature, represented by the Moon. The desire or energy to create this divine marriage is represented by Mars.
The focus of life is now towards the soul and the group. As a result of soul contact the individual is engaged in some kind of service, a natural expression of the soul. The individual also has a conscious awareness of 'being,' has control of the personality and exerts dynamic will and purpose. Soul/Personality synthesis has taken place and the individual becomes an embodiment of the soul. Now the 'initiate' has the purpose of mastering the science of soul/personality integration so that more and more the will and purpose of the Spirit or Monad can be manifested through form. By the third initiation personality endeavours are repulsed and replaced by soul purpose, particularly as expressed by the soul ray. This initiation is referred to as the Initiation of Transfiguration.
The important centre at the third initiation is the ajna centre and the atomic makeup of the individual has now been ¾ changed.
Finally the initiate has the goal of ensuring that all the centres are responsive to the ray energy of the soul and the other ray energies are subsidiary to it. The crown centre is now radiant and beautiful. The person is energised from three sources, the energy of the lower centres is lifted into the head, the soul energies are pouring into the crown, and the energies of the crown and base centres are merging.
Control by the soul energy is not complete until after the third initiation by which time the physical vehicle has been transformed and is not subject to health problems that are often experienced in the previous initiations.
Fourth Initiation
The fourth initiation like the third initiation before it is an initiation of immense importance in one's spiritual evolution. The third initiation has incorporated soul awareness into the personality so that one is now a 'living soul.' There are still aspects of the personality vehicles that need to be mastered and it is not until the fourth initiation that such mastery is attained. By the fourth initiation the personality is now totally given over to the soul to the extent that one now has total mastery over nature. This initiation is ruled by Pisces, the final sign of the zodiac, symbolising death and rebirth. Now the individual is 'liberated' and is no longer bound to the cycle of birth and death and need not reincarnate any more. That is not to say that he does not reincarnate but will only do so to be of service to humanity in some way. After the fourth initiation the Head centre is fully open and all the centres are vibrant and alive. The kundalini energy is fully aroused in the physical, astral and mental planes and vibrant from the base centre through the crown centre.
Higher Initiations
The fifth initiation is considered the initiation of the Master and it is at this point that the kundalini is fully aroused, not only in the physical body but at higher levels too. Now, Shiva and Shakti have finally merged in the cosmic dance of creation. The Soul has served its purpose as the personality of the Monad and it is now the Monad or Spirit which is embodied in form. There are seven planetary initiations in total, the seventh also being the first cosmic initiation. It is far beyond this work to contemplate the levels of awareness attained at these higher initiations.
The Initiations as Experienced by the Different Ray Types
In Bailey (1991, p.163) it is stated that, "There is nothing in the whole solar system, at whatever stage of evolution it may stand, which does not belong and has not always belonged to one or another of the seven rays." What we are concerned with here is that an individual's personality will be found to predominantly express one of the rays, as will the Soul, and that it is through the process of integration of the Soul and personality through the first to third initiations in particular, being affected by their respective rays that gives the unique experience of the individual to these initiations. At first when there is only minimal soul contact, as in the first initiation, the response will be mostly according to the personality ray, later, as the personality becomes more fused with soul quality, it is the soul ray which becomes more obvious.
I will take as an example an individual with a ray 6 personality and a ray 2 Soul. The personality may focus on narrow personal devotion to an ideal, religion or cause, he may be passionate about what he believes in, even fanatical to the extent of insisting that others follow the same ideals. The ray 2 Soul on the other hand is more concerned with an all inclusive spiritual love and understanding, detached, forgiving, and experiencing itself as a centre of divine love. So as the evolution of one's consciousness moves from being totally personality centred to Soul centred, this particular individual will move from the purely personality interpretation of ray 6 to the soul-filled interpretation of ray 2. There will be a gradual evolution from one to the other in which the individual will occasionally experience crisis, moments of 'light' or 'revelation' as the Soul and personality become integrated until eventual fusion of the two takes place.
As we are concerned with a person's growth from the perspective of the Soul ray, references given to how persons on different rays experience the initiations are relevant to the Soul rather than the personality ray. All the rays are to be found within the Soul and yet one will be more dominant at this time. There will be ups and downs, times when the individual feels his separateness from soul and other occasions when he really feels infused. On occasions when he experiences light and revelation the personality may suffer delusions of grandeur and self importance. This is all part of the process, and counselling techniques to help with the process of integration are looked at in a later chapter.
Throughout the process there is movement between the stages of alignment, crisis, light, revelation, repulsion, integration and fusion. During the journey from personality control to Soul control of an individual, there are many minor cycles backwards and forwards.
For the ray 1 individual the process is essentially one of control, fluctuating between achieving control and being controlled. At first the goal is separative achievement until an alignment with the soul is attained and then he sees how his use of power has been misused. This leads him into crisis as he is shocked and disbelieving of what he has done. Light is thrown on his distortions of power and as he evolves he receives revelation of the source of spiritual power within himself. As soul contact increases he repulses worldly power and integration of personality and soul proceeds. Ultimately his goal becomes one of the use of power for achievement of the divine Plan.
For the ray 2 individual the process is one of the use of love. Initially he is concerned with worldly love but this increasingly seems to be lacking, particularly when love is lost and he questions what love is really all about. Alignment brings about a faint recognition of a broader more inclusive and unconditional love. He sees the loneliness that comes about when worldly love is taken away. He senses loneliness and feels there must be more to love. This calls for a detachment from worldly values, which at the same time leads to a crisis. Light reveals the fact that personality love is not real love. It is love misused. He gradually receives the revelation of his loving soul showing him a vision of a love beyond anything he has known before. Worldly love and attachment are repulsed in favour of real love, attained more and more as integration of personality and soul gradually lead to soul fusion and he realises that he is love. The personality then becomes an instrument of divine love and wisdom flowing through it.
For the ray 3 individual the process is the use of intelligence. Initially it is a manipulative use for the perpetuation of the glamorous forms with which he surrounds himself. Never achieving the immediate objective, he is constantly planning for the future. Alignment comes about when he learns to achieve a stillness through which he can disengage from worldly pursuits. This leads to crisis through a recognition of the futility of his action and entanglement. He senses the need for more stillness and gains a determination to stand in spiritual being. Fear and emptiness are felt when he attempts to stand still. The understanding that comes about from this crisis is the light which encourages him to follow the Plan and which is more clearly seen through revelation. Through repulse all the snares are removed and responsibility carries him forwards. With soul and personality integration the personality becomes an effective instrument of acute, divine intelligence, aligned with the Plan in an adaptable manner. Fusion follows giving a conscious soul infused personality intelligently executing divine purpose.
For the ray 4 individual the process is linked to the service of humanity which is also on the fourth ray. The fourth ray creates a kind of healing or harmony bringing all forms to an ultimate perfection and atonement through the indwelling life. It is this realisation that provides the incentive for alignment. Prior to alignment the fourth ray individual suffers from the ill effects of inconsistency, vacillation, self-centred creativity and an unwise, unbalanced struggle with dilemma after dilemma. He delights in the dramatic life. It is the faint recognition of divine harmony and peace that brings about alignment. Crisis comes about through the recognition that life is nothing but irreconcilable conflict and that there must be something more than this which, as yet, is not happening. He feels isolated, torn and despondent and yet is determined to stand. Light reveals where fighting is useless and unnecessary but also where it is productive. Revelation shows the warrior within who is capable of victory as well as the inner master. The two are known to be at-one. It also shows that both sides are one. The ray 4 individual then finds that repulsion of that which is beautiful to the personality eventually helps in integrating soul and personality, thus enabling the personality to be an instrument of divine harmony, peace and beauty. With fusion he becomes an agent of beauty and synthesis.
For the ray 5 individual the problem is one of mental materialism and uninspired matter-of-factness. Ultimately, though, matter and material expertise will fail to attract. More detachment leads to more alignment and eventual crisis. This crisis is particularly noticeable in the consciousness of the personality where a balanced point of view is achieved which the individual finds difficult as it leads to an ending of the joy-life and of desire. He now finds this arid and has a sense of loss as there is nothing left in the material world worth knowing. Detachment is needed from the preoccupation with the senses. The crisis leads him to consider that which is worth knowing -- the all illuminating mind of light behind this world. Revelation shows the relationship between the soul and personality and then repulse leads him to throw out worldly knowledge in favour of the true knowledge of the soul. He gains a mastery of the science of energy and becomes, more and more, an agent of the divine mind.
For the ray 6 individual the problem is one of dissociating himself from his vision, his truth, his ideals and so on which lack the wider love of God for all. He is lost in his devotion, driven by his idea and the glamour of his own thoughts. With alignment comes the realisation of the ill effects of his frenzied following of ill considered objectives. This is accompanied by a loss of savour of those things he was previously so dedicated towards. Alignment is through the faint recognition of the divine pattern or ideal behind things. He learns breadth of vision and a right sense of proportion. He senses a need for a peaceful standing still which at the same time evokes a crisis. This crisis shows him that none of the ways he previously followed is the way. He recognises that there is something which unifies all the other ways. His attempt at restraint deepens the crisis. Revelation reveals the divine idealist who respects all paths. Repulsion leads him to reject all partial dogmatic views and thus exclusivity disappears. The integration that follows renders the personality an effective instrument of inclusive idealism. The sixth ray individual is then able to join the 'group.' Fusion leads to a soul infused personality who is an agent of the divine pattern and the embodiment of the divine ideal.
For the ray 7 individual the problem is one of acknowledging the ill effects of building in the dark, manifesting forms without the light. To some extent ray 7 individuals are entombed in their own work. With alignment there is a faint recognition or sense of the true recognition of the Plan. He senses the need to construct forms that can be of value to divine purpose. A tremendous inflow of power is induced. He faces crisis as he recognises that he has not built true to type and realises that in future he will need to follow the blueprint of the Plan. As he waits for this pattern to come through he suffers the pain of ignorance. As the power flows in he is in crisis as to how to handle this power without losing balance. The light reveals how he has misused the power for selfish ends but also how it can be used for divine purpose. The continually growing light leads to revelation of the design and plan, and the role his soul has to play in the scheme of things. Repulsion of all building that does not fit the divine blueprint is followed by integration rendering the personality an effective instrument of white magic. Fusion follows and the individual becomes more and more a means for divinity to represent itself through matter.
Finally it is worth looking at how the various stages in this process can be facilitated. Remembering that essentially we are working within the stage of 'integration.'
When a client is intuitively aware of a change coming about, no matter how painful it is, it is not up to the counsellor to try to alleviate the pain but to encourage acceptance of the process. This could be encouraged through meditation. Energies may be creating all sorts of tensions but the therapist needs to allow the person to stay in it. As with spiritual emergency or other kundalini activity soul or Spirit induced change is self-healing. Tension is needed in order to precipitate movement. It is valuable to point out to the client any discrepancies between the perceived ideal and the reality. Encourage the client to evoke a vision of the soul which encourages and affirms his highest understanding of his own being and which he will uphold at all costs. For example, "I am the light," or "I am love," or "I am the will-to-good."
Perhaps the person can be encouraged to evoke the Master, the Will of the Master, courage, or to develop the will, whatever seems appropriate to enhancing his well-being. The client needs to call for, accumulate and strengthen the energy that will eradicate the obstacle.
When talking to the client it is important to talk to the adult rather than the child within. The person needs to use the adult to look after the child, to meet the need that wasn't met in childhood. The client can be encouraged to find different ways to do things and be assisted in becoming more sensitive to a new way of operating. The client can learn to cultivate inner seeing, hearing and sensing.
In the stage of crisis it is important to help the client understand that the pain of division is actually a sign of spiritual progress. The present pain is spiritually therapeutic. The pain will stop when a new pattern is set. Look at the soul's purpose as indicated by the ascendant in the birth chart. Get the client to take a light into the 'dark place' and to see that they are going through an important phase of growth. However, the counsellor should not try to step in and help them do their work for them.
In order to throw light on the problem the client should be encouraged in self-observation. No matter what the light reveals, the client should be encouraged to fearlessly look and see what is presenting itself. The mind is used to bring the light in, particularly as energy follows thought. To think is to create. The eye directs the flow and the light reveals the personality for what it is.
Occult meditation is useful for revealing the true nature of the soul. The soul on its own plane is beginning to reveal itself. What we need is to find a means of intensifying the awareness of the inner being, such as asking questions while the client is in a meditative state. The counsellor may need to give the client permission, for example, "Just allow the expansion/shift/energy," or, "What is the quality of the energy?"
When revelation from the soul comes blazing through, all things of the personality will appear ugly or repulsive. Such is the law of repulse when the personality is repulsed by the soul and yet at the same time the soul aims to integrate with it and infuse it. One should not spend time hating the things of the personality as by doing so they are given energy and wither up and dry out. Instead, drop them and build anew. Redesign the life. Tell the client to bring with him to the session all the memories of his experience and then at the end of the session he can take away his learning from the session.
Integration of soul and personality is the main essence of the process through which we are journeying. There is a lot of power in the integrative words so they need to be used wisely. It is important for the client to appreciate all of his qualities and to synthesise them. The more integrated one is, both within the threefold personality and also between soul and personality, the more work the individual wants to take on.
Fusion of soul and personality is the goal. We are not likely to see clients who are soul infused. In fact we are more likely to go to them for help! We are the soul, the greatest gift is being able to be who and what we are. Being a conscious soul means that we will be working in full accordance with the divine Plan.
Copyright © Charles Attfield, 1999 - 2001