Theosophical Lessons from the Solar System
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
Regarding the
mysterious trajectory of Initiates, Helena P. Blavatsky wrote:
“Every true Adept had, and still has, to pass through
the seven and the twelve trials of Initiation, symbolized by the twelve labours
of Hercules (....).”
Blavatsky knew what she was writing about. She was
following the same course. The “twelve tasks” of Hercules symbolize the yearly
journey of the Sun across the sky, and the initiatory challenges that each
Disciple must face in due time.
Referring to traditional legends about the lives of adepts, H.P.B. added on the same page:
“..... If it is once shown that (.....) the trials of
all these personages are made to correspond with the Esoteric significance of
initiatory rites - all of which corresponded to the twelve zodiacal signs -
then everyone will see the meaning of the travels of all those heroes through
the signs of the Sun in Heaven; and that they are in each individual case a
personification of the ‘sufferings, triumphs and miracles’ of an Adept, before
and after his Initiation. When to the world at large all this is explained,
then also the mystery of all those lives, so closely resembling each other that
the history of one seems to be the history of the other, and vice versa, will, like everything else,
become plain.”
The above statement applies in part to H.P.B.’s own
life.
Although much of her personal existence and initiatory
journey are well-documented historical facts, her life still remains a Mystery.
Actual events may have legendary dimensions. The nineteenth century incarnation
of the spiritual soul which is known to many as “HPB” constitutes a valuable
source of information regarding the pilgrimage of every soul towards divine
knowledge. [2]
Human Soul and the Sky
The journey of the hero is the journey of the
disciple.
Each human being has his or her own personal relation to the Sun, and it can
be expanded into the spiritual realm by proper study and contemplation.
Helena Blavatsky said to William Judge:
“The life-energies of [the solar] system come to it through the sun, which is a focus or
reflector for the spot in space where the real center is. And not only comes
mere life through that focus, but also much more that is spiritual in its
essence. The sun should therefore not only be looked at with the eye but
thought of by the mind. It represents to the world what the Higher Self is to
the man. It is the soul-center of the world with its six companions, as the
Higher Self is the center for the six principles of man. So it supplies to
those six principles of the man many spiritual essences and powers. He should
for that reason think of it and not confine himself to gazing at it. So far as
it acts materially in light, heat, and gravity, it will go on of itself, but
man as a free agent must think upon it in order to gain what benefit can come
only from his voluntary action in thought.”
Every student of theosophy can develop a conscious
contemplative view of the Sun as related to the higher principles of his own
consciousness.
HPB went on:
“…We sit in the sun for heat and possible chemical
effects. But if at the same time that we do this we also think on it as the sun
in the sky and of its possible essential nature, we thereby draw from it some
of its energy not otherwise touched. This can also be done on a dark day when
clouds obscure the sky, and some of the benefit thus be obtained. Natural
mystics, learned and ignorant, have discovered this for themselves here and
there, and have often adopted the practice. But it depends, as you see, upon
the mind.” [3]
The Sunlight Shines Through the Moon
The Moon is inseparable from the Sun in human life. Astrologically
and mystically, our satellite represents the subtle energy of the lower self,
or mortal soul.
The Moon interacts all the time with the emotional
center in one’s consciousness, and with the Sun, which represents the higher
Self. The light of the Moon is borrowed from the light of the Sun, just as the
light and energy of one’s lower self is borrowed from the higher or spiritual
self.
In the day of the full Moon, the constant dialogue
between higher and lower self, between the central light and the auxiliary
light, gets to its highest point. The full moon brings us the celebration of
Light on Earth. It is the brightest moment of the month, from the point of view
of the visible world. It is the day of maximum unity between sky and earth.
However, the increased light shows both beautiful and
ugly things, depending on the contents of one’s life and of life in general.
One must have patience and strength regarding the unbalanced things a Full Moon
may show.
To dedicate one’s existence to Light means fulfilling
the task of self-purification through altruistic efforts.
While the Moon is the mirror of the pilgrim’s lower
self, the Full Moon constitutes the moment when one’s soul looks at another
mirror, the spiritual Sun, which reflects our highest and most sacred potentialities.
Blessing and severity are the two parts of such a process.
NOTES:
[1] “Collected Writings”, H. P. Blavatsky, T.P.H., USA /
India, Volume XIV, 1985, p. 140, text entitled “Facts Underlying Adept
Biographies”.
[2] See the article “The New Paradigm”, by Jerome
Wheeler.
[3] From the text “Conversations on Occultism”, in the
“Collected Writings”, Helena P.
Blavatsky, TPH, Volume IX, p. 400-K. The text was first published in
various parts at “Path” magazine in 1894 and 1895, whose editor was W. Q.
Judge. The information that this is a transcript of talks between Judge and
Blavatsky is hard to find in the “Collected Writings”, but it constitutes part
of the original title of the material in “Path”, which says: “Conversations on Occultism
With HPB” (April 1894 edition, p. 17).
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The above article was published in the associated websites in December 2017. It is also part of the November 2016 edition of “The Aquarian Theosophist”, pp. 1-3. Original title: “The Solar System, Within One’s Soul”.
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The above article was published in the associated websites in December 2017. It is also part of the November 2016 edition of “The Aquarian Theosophist”, pp. 1-3. Original title: “The Solar System, Within One’s Soul”.
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See in our
associated websites the articles “Our
Week and the Solar System”, “The
Return of the Sun”, “The Magic of
the Moon”, and “The Full Moon of May”.
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