1|00:00:01|520|00:00:05|120Well, hello friends. I'm taking the risk of just going on ahead 2|00:00:05|620|00:00:09|688almost immediately. So this is indeed 29 3|00:00:09|938|00:00:15|160June 2018, and slows 4|00:00:15|660|00:00:20|600down my conversion of the previous program. But time 5|00:00:21|100|00:00:24|160to really do these programs is at a premium. 6|00:00:25|200|00:00:28|550And so I hope it all works 7|00:00:29|050|00:00:32|790out well enough. Now we go on and we're in the first initiation 8|00:00:33|290|00:00:36|910work. And here's Pluto and Vulcan. We have a lot 9|00:00:37|410|00:00:43|069of that on page 70 of Esoteric Astrology, 10|00:00:43|569|00:00:47|350but it is actually referenced earlier in Esoteric 11|00:00:47|850|00:00:51|630Healing, Esoteric Psychology One, Esoteric Astrology, 12|00:00:52|130|00:00:55|800page 70. And here on 247: “A disciple who is 13|00:00:56|680|00:01:00|600upon the path is strongly influenced by 14|00:01:00|840|00:01:04|840Mercury and by Saturn. That's his discipleship 15|00:01:04|920|00:01:08|880path. But when he begins his training for the first initiation,” 16|00:01:09|380|00:01:14|200basically what this tells us is that, you know, basically you 17|00:01:14|700|00:01:19|320can be treading the path well 18|00:01:19|820|00:01:23|150before the first initiation. So some, you know, 19|00:01:23|650|00:01:27|630some people have said, “Well, the path doesn't really begin until 20|00:01:28|350|00:01:31|790the first initiation.” So it just depends on how you consider it. 21|00:01:32|670|00:01:36|510Some people say, “Look, there's no real discipleship until it's accepted discipleship. 22|00:01:36|750|00:01:40|670Everything is probationary until accepted discipleship.” 23|00:01:41|170|00:01:45|630But Mercury and Saturn giving the discriminative 24|00:01:46|130|00:01:50|480mind and the necessary, increasing emotional control 25|00:01:50|800|00:01:54|800and the kind of discipline that it takes to coordinate 26|00:01:54|960|00:01:58|880the dense physical vehicle, Saturn, and the etheric vehicle, 27|00:01:58|960|00:02:02|440Mercury—these can occur before the first initiation. 28|00:02:02|940|00:02:07|040But nevertheless, when he begins his training for the 29|00:02:07|540|00:02:08|240first initiation, 30|00:02:10|480|00:02:13|840he has to contend with the influences 31|00:02:13|920|00:02:17|440of Pluto and Vulcan. But humanity is really going through this today. You know, 32|00:02:17|980|00:02:22|260Vulcan is all that weaponry and all that war, and Pluto 33|00:02:22|760|00:02:26|660is death and exhuming the dead 34|00:02:27|160|00:02:30|580bodies of our past experiences and having to 35|00:02:31|080|00:02:34|460stare them in the eye and realize what we've been through and what is still 36|00:02:34|960|00:02:38|060unredeemed. And then Pluto also gives the power to redeem. 37|00:02:38|540|00:02:41|340So he has to contend with the influences of Pluto and Vulcan. 38|00:02:41|660|00:02:45|830And the training for the second initiation then brings 39|00:02:46|330|00:02:50|550him under Neptunian influences. We've discussed this before with Venus 40|00:02:51|050|00:02:54|630and Jupiter contending for control. And, you know, I finally figured that 41|00:02:55|130|00:02:56|590out. It's the battle between— 42|00:02:59|390|00:03:03|350battle between Narada, who represents 43|00:03:03|850|00:03:07|070Sanat Kumara, or, you know, whoever is the Lord of the 44|00:03:07|570|00:03:12|430World, and Brihaspati—Brihaspati, 45|00:03:13|190|00:03:17|830or Jupiter—tending the ancestral 46|00:03:18|950|00:03:22|070fires, which is maybe why, you know, the moon is— 47|00:03:22|310|00:03:26|390Jupiter is exalted in the sign of the moon, which is Cancer. 48|00:03:27|110|00:03:30|790So Jupiter has an aspect to its nature 49|00:03:31|510|00:03:35|190which is very much down to earth and 50|00:03:35|750|00:03:39|970deals with the traditional kind of form- 51|00:03:40|470|00:03:44|090related matters. Anyway, Narada is supposed to win. Venus is supposed 52|00:03:44|590|00:03:49|170to win. The solar angels are supposed to win, and not the ancestors. 53|00:03:49|250|00:03:52|610Okay. The link with the vegetable kingdom is then strong. 54|00:03:52|930|00:03:57|170And Venus is particularly the planet associated with the vegetable kingdom. 55|00:03:57|730|00:04:01|370You might kind of wonder when you're going through a jungle whether Jupiter 56|00:04:01|870|00:04:05|820is a bit out of control there and everything is allowed to grow. But anyway, 57|00:04:06|700|00:04:09|820Venus is very much with the vegetable kingdom and hence 58|00:04:10|320|00:04:13|180the frequent recognition of astral perfumes, 59|00:04:13|740|00:04:16|740which the disciple can note. And as I may have said before, when I was 60|00:04:17|240|00:04:20|700talking with Marian Walter, who was 61|00:04:20|940|00:04:25|380the youngest of the DK's disciples and the last living 62|00:04:25|880|00:04:28|300of DK's disciples, she lived to quite a ripe old age. 63|00:04:30|310|00:04:33|990She talked about the freesia as being the flower and maybe 64|00:04:34|490|00:04:38|230the perfume of Master Morya and the white rose, the flower and maybe 65|00:04:38|730|00:04:42|150the perfume of Master KH and the carnation, I think she said, 66|00:04:42|630|00:04:46|150as the flower of Master DK. 67|00:04:46|870|00:04:49|510And its fragrance there— 68|00:04:50|310|00:04:54|630so different of the great ones are identified with 69|00:04:55|430|00:04:59|130certain types of flowers and their fragrance. And I'm sure 70|00:04:59|630|00:05:03|090It's not for no reason, you know. It's just, “Oh, I like that flower. 71|00:05:03|170|00:05:06|530So that's my flower.” No, there's got to be something much 72|00:05:07|030|00:05:09|330more, much deeper involved there. 73|00:05:10|130|00:05:14|050So before the first initiation, 74|00:05:14|610|00:05:18|130the static mineral world within him has 75|00:05:18|630|00:05:20|850been broken up. Well, who would do that? 76|00:05:21|810|00:05:24|130You know, and let's think about that for a minute. 77|00:05:25|580|00:05:29|300Broken up so that it can… So that it can 78|00:05:29|800|00:05:34|300respond to the… Eventually to 79|00:05:34|800|00:05:37|340the jewel in the lotus, you know. But anyway, 80|00:05:37|740|00:05:41|660Vulcan is the hammer, and there is (EPI, p.247) the 81|00:05:44|700|00:05:49|220hint which can break up the 82|00:05:49|720|00:05:53|580mineral kingdom. And I think in a lot of our 83|00:05:54|830|00:05:58|710work on weaponry, which is under Vulcan, and the 84|00:05:59|210|00:06:03|390power inherent sleeping in the mineral kingdom 85|00:06:03|870|00:06:07|390is very Vulcanian. We're talking now about atomic energy. 86|00:06:07|550|00:06:11|230And Pluto is also involved in that hidden 87|00:06:11|730|00:06:15|510great power. So we're already into that age when the atom 88|00:06:16|010|00:06:19|350is being… Power of the atom is being liberated. And so 89|00:06:19|850|00:06:23|430much of the stasis, the resistance 90|00:06:23|930|00:06:28|350of the mineral kingdom is now being compromised and rendered etheric. 91|00:06:29|710|00:06:33|190And, you know, Master D.K. considers that a huge 92|00:06:33|690|00:06:38|030step forward and the death blow to materialism. 93|00:06:38|190|00:06:41|710Okay, so death blow to 94|00:06:42|270|00:06:45|870materialism. And, you know, his words have shocked many people 95|00:06:46|370|00:06:50|090because he talked about the two droppings of the atomic 96|00:06:50|590|00:06:54|490bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and he talked about it as a great spiritual 97|00:06:54|990|00:06:57|450event. Well, you know, 98|00:07:00|090|00:07:04|170in terms of liberating man from materialism, 99|00:07:04|670|00:07:08|730and maybe in the long run that is a tremendous necessity. 100|00:07:08|970|00:07:12|650When we look at Japan, at least presently, he's got a Capricorn 101|00:07:13|460|00:07:17|060personality. Did it have that during the war? It certainly had Scorpio. 102|00:07:18|180|00:07:22|260Maybe it did. And there's a lot of crystallization involved 103|00:07:22|340|00:07:26|100in Capricorn. So maybe that shattering 104|00:07:26|980|00:07:31|220was of necessity. Certainly Japan has had tremendous karma 105|00:07:31|620|00:07:35|940with radiation. Oh goodness. And even look at the recent 106|00:07:36|260|00:07:43|720problems caused by the tsunami tidal wave, contaminating 107|00:07:43|960|00:07:47|760much of the ocean, drifting towards the United 108|00:07:48|260|00:07:52|440States and other places, making so many places, or that particular 109|00:07:52|600|00:07:56|040place in Japan, virtually unlivable. 110|00:07:57|160|00:08:00|280There is a strong karma there 111|00:08:00|920|00:08:04|240regarding radioactivity. And one day we 112|00:08:04|740|00:08:08|030can know what it's all about. Edgar Cayce, I think, said, you know, 113|00:08:08|530|00:08:12|270that there would come a time—I don't have my reference exactly— 114|00:08:12|770|00:08:16|230but when Japan would have to sink into the sea. 115|00:08:16|730|00:08:20|230It's not a very pretty picture or anticipated. We don't know exactly what he 116|00:08:20|730|00:08:24|110meant, but there's been a big karma 117|00:08:24|510|00:08:27|710working out there. Now here, you know, is the corresponding 118|00:08:29|310|00:08:32|390reference, and it's from Esoteric Astrology. 119|00:08:32|890|00:08:37|739“At the first initiation, the disciple has to contend with 120|00:08:38|239|00:08:41|179the crystallizing and destroying force of Vulcan and Pluto.” (EA, p.70) 121|00:08:41|739|00:08:45|899Well, Vulcan crystallizes and also destroys, and Pluto destroys. 122|00:08:47|819|00:08:51|099So there is a constructive aspect to 123|00:08:51|599|00:08:55|259Vulcan. It's not so much with Pluto; it's more getting 124|00:08:55|339|00:08:57|499rid of that which must be ejected. 125|00:08:59|099|00:09:03|019“So the influence of Vulcan reaches to the very depths of his nature.” (EA, p.70) 126|00:09:04|510|00:09:09|270You know, it's like drilling, I suppose, and extending 127|00:09:09|770|00:09:13|230that influence of the will down to the very bottom of the aura where maybe 128|00:09:13|390|00:09:16|270we would experience the depths of a man's nature. 129|00:09:16|770|00:09:20|030“Whilst Pluto”—we can see it happening in today's world, and it's 130|00:09:20|430|00:09:24|110appalling, but it has to be lived through—“whilst Pluto drags 131|00:09:24|610|00:09:28|430to the surface and destroys with that arrow 132|00:09:28|930|00:09:32|780of it”—you know, Pluto has that upward pointing arrow, Vulcan has the 133|00:09:33|280|00:09:36|780hammer; they are adequate destroyers—“whilst Pluto drags to the 134|00:09:37|280|00:09:41|220surface and destroys all (EA, p.70) that hinders in the lower regions.” 135|00:09:41|700|00:09:45|300The lower regions, probably the baser part of our aura, 136|00:09:45|700|00:09:50|100which, if undetected, does prevent 137|00:09:50|260|00:09:53|820the free circulation and will always be lurking 138|00:09:54|320|00:09:58|210as a possible impediment when the disciple thinks he's going on. 139|00:09:58|290|00:10:02|170unencumbered, unimpeded. And he's got a lot of stuff that he 140|00:10:02|670|00:10:05|650hasn't dealt with karmically. So, you know, 141|00:10:06|150|00:10:10|050Plutonic people tend to help you bring that to the surface. Now, whether you appreciate 142|00:10:10|550|00:10:13|890having brought that to the surface is another 143|00:10:13|970|00:10:16|930matter. All right. 144|00:10:17|430|00:10:20|970So we're rolling along here more 145|00:10:21|470|00:10:25|640or less now. 146|00:10:26|140|00:10:29|600We're talking about egoic control. This is from Esoteric Psychology 2, 147|00:10:30|240|00:10:33|840page 14. “It should be remembered that very little 148|00:10:34|340|00:10:38|320egoic control need be evidenced when the first initiation 149|00:10:38|640|00:10:42|440is taken. (EPII, p.14) And yet it is the introduction into the 150|00:10:42|940|00:10:46|160hall of wisdom. It is entree into the fifth kingdom of nature, 151|00:10:46|660|00:10:50|290which is ruled by the ego and yet relatively 152|00:10:50|790|00:10:54|730very little control.” Okay, because I suppose, you know, it's an 153|00:10:55|530|00:10:59|770introduction and we have not yet mastered the full power of Saturn and 154|00:11:00|250|00:11:04|810Vulcan and these sort of first ray planets 155|00:11:05|770|00:11:09|250or planets that have the first ray coming through them. We haven't mastered that 156|00:11:09|750|00:11:13|610yet, not by a long shot. “That initiation 157|00:11:13|690|00:11:17|010indicates simply (EPII, p.14) that the germ of the soul 158|00:11:17|510|00:11:20|810life has vitalized and brought into functioning existence 159|00:11:21|290|00:11:25|210the inner spiritual body, (EPII, p.14) the sheath of 160|00:11:25|710|00:11:29|290the inner spiritual man, which will eventually enable 161|00:11:29|790|00:11:33|530the man at the third initiation to manifest forth (EPII, p.14) as a full grown 162|00:11:34|030|00:11:36|250man in Christ.” And you kind of wonder, 163|00:11:37|690|00:11:42|010is he not even 164|00:11:42|570|00:11:46|480more full grown at the fifth 165|00:11:46|980|00:11:50|520initiation where I think, you know, his real maturity? 166|00:11:51|020|00:11:54|200I mean, let's just say if 167|00:11:54|700|00:11:57|840a man is, let's say 35 years old, symbolically at 168|00:11:58|340|00:12:02|160the third initiation, will he 169|00:12:02|660|00:12:06|080be 49 years old — just before 50 — at 170|00:12:06|580|00:12:09|720the fifth initiation? This is all symbolism, 171|00:12:10|220|00:12:15|750of course. So the germ of the soul life has 172|00:12:16|250|00:12:19|630really affected the causal body egoic lotus. And as I 173|00:12:20|130|00:12:24|270say, you know, even though that causal body is underlay by 174|00:12:24|770|00:12:28|190the angel of the presence, it doesn't 175|00:12:28|690|00:12:34|110mean that it has the full blown Buddhic faculty 176|00:12:35|470|00:12:39|880alive and expressive until some later 177|00:12:40|380|00:12:44|400developments occur, probably around the fifth petal, 178|00:12:45|040|00:12:47|760when that petal being fully expanded, 179|00:12:49|520|00:12:53|440fully unfolded indicates the first initiation 180|00:12:53|840|00:12:57|200has been taken and other petals beyond that are also stimulated. 181|00:12:57|920|00:13:02|800Okay, so this, 182|00:13:04|160|00:13:07|850the germ of the soul life has vitalized and brought 183|00:13:08|350|00:13:11|530into functioning activity the inner spiritual body. And I think, 184|00:13:11|850|00:13:15|210you know, at first we have to call this the egoic lotus, 185|00:13:15|450|00:13:19|290the sheath of the inner spiritual man who — 186|00:13:19|790|00:13:22|529you know, we are the monad, we are the jewel in the lotus. We are 187|00:13:23|029|00:13:26|570the consciousness at the center of the egoic lotus. 188|00:13:28|010|00:13:31|610And we're more, even more, which will eventually enable 189|00:13:32|110|00:13:35|780the man at the third initiation to manifest forth as certainly 190|00:13:36|280|00:13:40|220a mature man in Christ and present at (EPII, p.14) 191|00:13:40|720|00:13:44|100that time the opportunity to the Monad for (EPII, p.14) that full expression 192|00:13:44|600|00:13:48|860of life (EPII, p.14) which can take place when the initiate is consciously identified 193|00:13:49|820|00:13:52|700with the one life. (EPII, p.14) That's a big hint. That's a big hint, 194|00:13:53|200|00:13:56|940friends. And this means that identification 195|00:13:57|180|00:14:01|120must be cultivated before the 196|00:14:01|920|00:14:05|680third initiation. Because to be identified 197|00:14:05|840|00:14:09|920with — and I even like the phrase — to be identified as 198|00:14:10|720|00:14:15|200the one life is to me the indication 199|00:14:15|700|00:14:19|480of the appreciation of oneness, completeness, the beginning of isolated 200|00:14:19|980|00:14:23|360unity at the third initiation. And it 201|00:14:23|860|00:14:27|610requires following the second initiation, the experience of what 202|00:14:28|110|00:14:31|730is the nature of will? What is Sanat Kumara? 203|00:14:32|230|00:14:35|690What is identification? These are all on the learning 204|00:14:35|850|00:14:39|210slate following the second initiation. 205|00:14:41|450|00:14:45|370“Between the first and second initiations, as has been frequently 206|00:14:45|870|00:14:49|370stated, (EPII, p.14) though not always much time can elapse.” And what is much? 207|00:14:50|410|00:14:54|170How many centuries, how many thousands of years? “And much change 208|00:14:54|670|00:14:58|330must be wrought during the stages of discipleship.” 209|00:14:58|830|00:15:02|250So here we have the idea that discipleship 210|00:15:02|890|00:15:07|130takes place also during 211|00:15:09|209|00:15:14|490the period of the probationary initiations, 212|00:15:15|850|00:15:19|210right? So you sometimes think, 213|00:15:19|710|00:15:23|140“Well, you know, you're on the path of discipleship. At once you 214|00:15:23|640|00:15:27|220reach the first initiation, all that stops.” But real discipleship 215|00:15:27|720|00:15:31|540might well be the accepted discipleship. 216|00:15:32|040|00:15:35|420And from another point of view, even our planetary Logos is the disciple. Even our 217|00:15:36|060|00:15:39|660solar Logos is the disciple. I mean, what being 218|00:15:40|160|00:15:44|140in cosmos is not a disciple if there 219|00:15:44|640|00:15:47|860is the possibility of rising to 220|00:15:48|360|00:15:51|890a next level of inclusiveness? Now, some problem 221|00:15:52|390|00:15:56|010is presented by the idea of great beings who are downwardly focused and 222|00:15:56|510|00:15:59|650lesser beings who are upwardly focused. Can a 223|00:16:00|150|00:16:03|130downwardly focused being, however great, 224|00:16:03|630|00:16:06|969be a disciple? Well, at some point, a reor (EPII, p.387)ientation towards 225|00:16:06|970|00:16:10|890the source of that downwardly focused being has 226|00:16:11|390|00:16:14|890to be undertaken. And then when there is the path of ascent, 227|00:16:15|130|00:16:19|250we can talk about the discipline that is necessary for discipleship 228|00:16:19|750|00:16:21|170on whatever level. 229|00:16:23|170|00:16:25|810So are we identified consciously with the one life? 230|00:16:26|050|00:16:30|690I've tried to offer that kind of program in the 231|00:16:33|330|00:16:37|730“Identify as Being” series, which has gone through many 232|00:16:38|210|00:16:42|170incarnations. You know, I get inspired, 233|00:16:42|670|00:16:45|880it goes on for a while, then I lose my steam, and then wait for 234|00:16:46|380|00:16:50|360a while and then get inspired again. And there are some 235|00:16:50|860|00:16:54|400webinars that are all about that. And you 236|00:16:54|900|00:17:00|400can find them on Makara. And it 237|00:17:00|900|00:17:04|040will help in the process of identifying as being, 238|00:17:04|520|00:17:09|480not just with being, because that implies “two,” and we are being 239|00:17:09|800|00:17:12|360itself. It's oftentimes felt through the heart. 240|00:17:13|060|00:17:16|420It's very other than everything, and yet it is everything. 241|00:17:16|980|00:17:21|940A lot of paradoxes appear, a lot of apparent contradictions, 242|00:17:22|440|00:17:26|620but there's nothing before you that is not the self- 243|00:17:27|120|00:17:30|820becoming of being. And you are the being that is 244|00:17:31|320|00:17:35|300self-becoming. Now all of that gets into the abstract esoteric 245|00:17:36|420|00:17:40|340philosophy, which just has to be 246|00:17:40|840|00:17:44|420more than words. Words are great. They lead you to a certain point. 247|00:17:44|920|00:17:47|300But you know the old saying: “You can lead the horse to water, 248|00:17:48|420|00:17:52|700but you can't make them drink.” And the 249|00:17:53|200|00:17:57|460words lead us to the water. But some different kind of process 250|00:17:57|540|00:18:00|780is required really, to absorb and 251|00:18:01|280|00:18:05|260assimilate the energy itself — and not just the words about the 252|00:18:05|410|00:18:08|450energy. So anyway, 253|00:18:08|690|00:18:12|690we're on our initiatory path and the egoic 254|00:18:13|190|00:18:16|930control grows and grows and grows until the fourth initiation. 255|00:18:17|410|00:18:20|290And then we discover in fact that it's really monadic control. 256|00:18:20|450|00:18:24|290You know, the monad is everywhere. It's just in 257|00:18:24|790|00:18:28|530its various attenuations or reductions of 258|00:18:29|030|00:18:31|650scope. It's narrowing, it's called by other names. 259|00:18:32|260|00:18:35|980But as I've often said, you know, everything is the monad. Everything is the 260|00:18:36|480|00:18:40|420one. Everything is being. The personality is the monad, the soul 261|00:18:40|920|00:18:44|660is the monad. The monad is the monad. And the monad is the 262|00:18:45|160|00:18:50|580one universal monad, the one universal being, the one universal 263|00:18:51|080|00:18:52|900Logos. Now those are just words again. 264|00:18:54|660|00:18:58|500But maybe every once in a while something flashes through which reveals 265|00:18:59|590|00:19:03|350the energy content of those words. 266|00:19:05|830|00:19:09|190Anyway, may we be more and more in 267|00:19:09|690|00:19:14|670egoic control. And you know, at the first initiation we tend 268|00:19:15|170|00:19:18|470to have some degree of spiritual discernment and we have 269|00:19:18|970|00:19:23|030that third ray operating. So we can in a way step into 270|00:19:23|270|00:19:27|210the causal body and be within the 271|00:19:27|450|00:19:31|090treasury of accumulated virtue. And maybe, 272|00:19:31|590|00:19:35|570you know, we can direct our lives from that point of 273|00:19:36|070|00:19:39|610view. D.K. says we don't succeed in meditating well because we just 274|00:19:40|110|00:19:43|770can't focus in our egoic lotus causal body. And that is 275|00:19:44|270|00:19:47|690found in “Letters on Occult Meditation.” And it's kind of a surprise because it's 276|00:19:48|190|00:19:52|060calling for a very high focus. It's one thing to bring the 277|00:19:52|560|00:19:56|980soul energy into your normal mind, but it's another thing to raise your consciousness 278|00:19:57|220|00:20:00|860and hold it steady at a steady point of 279|00:20:01|360|00:20:04|740tension within the higher mental plane within the soul body. 280|00:20:06|020|00:20:10|660What about this third ray personality? It's interesting to note the VP2 281|00:20:11|160|00:20:15|060again that prior to the first initiation, how much prior, 282|00:20:15|860|00:20:19|970immediately prior or a little prior, the personalities 283|00:20:20|130|00:20:23|970of (EPII, p.387) all aspirants to this great expansion 284|00:20:24|470|00:20:28|170of consciousness will be found upon (EPII, p.387) the third ray, which is like 285|00:20:28|670|00:20:32|290the solar plexus center, a great clearinghouse for energies and a great 286|00:20:32|790|00:20:36|290transmuting station, if I may use the term. So just the way the 287|00:20:37|170|00:20:40|290sub-diaphragmatic energies have to pass 288|00:20:40|790|00:20:43|890through the solar plexus. So all those energies and the 289|00:20:45|140|00:20:49|180chakra energies of the within 290|00:20:49|680|00:20:53|860the torso have to pass through the throat center. 291|00:20:54|020|00:20:57|460And it kind of sets up the foundation for the second 292|00:20:57|960|00:21:01|700ray to appear as the building or the temple on top of it, 293|00:21:02|200|00:21:05|540you know, third ray is the builder of the foundation. 294|00:21:06|100|00:21:09|700The foundation for what? Well, you know, for the holy temple, for King 295|00:21:10|200|00:21:13|970Solomon's temple, for building and learning to live through the 296|00:21:14|530|00:21:17|170causal body Egoic lotus. 297|00:21:18|290|00:21:22|530So, you know, it'd be interesting. We can assess if 298|00:21:23|030|00:21:27|169we discover those people who look like they are near the third 299|00:21:27|570|00:21:30|290initiation. Is it so? 300|00:21:31|010|00:21:34|450Not third, excuse me, first initiation. 301|00:21:34|770|00:21:38|170And in the case of 302|00:21:38|670|00:21:41|330these people who may be in this life, 303|00:21:41|830|00:21:45|330or you can sense it in a life or two to come, we'll take the 304|00:21:45|570|00:21:49|570first degree. Are they equipped with the third ray, and how 305|00:21:49|650|00:21:51|890does that manifest? 306|00:21:53|009|00:21:56|250You know, there is a problem. Can a third ray soul be 307|00:21:56|750|00:22:00|250equipped with a third ray personality until much later in 308|00:22:00|750|00:22:03|980the developmental sequence? Now, you know, there are some ray 309|00:22:04|480|00:22:07|685theorists who just give you a bunch of like 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 310|00:22:07|735|00:22:10|1403, 3, 3, you know, okay. 311|00:22:10|460|00:22:14|260D.K. in his assessment of his students never 312|00:22:14|760|00:22:19|100had such continuous repetitious 313|00:22:19|660|00:22:24|180ray charts. They were always filled with variety 314|00:22:24|680|00:22:28|260of some kind or another. And so, you know, since he's the expert 315|00:22:28|760|00:22:33|480on this and introduced the science, and since those people are 316|00:22:33|980|00:22:36|520pretty average spiritual aspirants, just the way we are, 317|00:22:37|640|00:22:41|200I think I tend to go more for the kind of 318|00:22:41|700|00:22:45|320ray chart that D.K. tended to offer and 319|00:22:45|820|00:22:49|520explain, rather than those repetitious ray 320|00:22:50|020|00:22:53|240charts which, let's say, see a fourth ray, so a fourth ray personality, 321|00:22:53|740|00:22:57|730fourth ray mental, oh, that kind of thing. There's just no evidence 322|00:22:57|890|00:23:01|170of it yet. At least that I have seen. 323|00:23:01|730|00:23:03|650So anyway, be on the lookout. 324|00:23:04|850|00:23:08|290If you're a member of the new group of world servers, if you have taken 325|00:23:08|790|00:23:12|250the second initiation, which would make you perhaps a full-fledged member, 326|00:23:12|750|00:23:15|610and you're supposed to be on the lookout for those who are taking or have 327|00:23:16|110|00:23:19|330taken the first initiation, try to take a look and see 328|00:23:19|730|00:23:21|010where that third ray— 329|00:23:23|110|00:23:26|630it will affect the sacral center, it will affect the throat center, 330|00:23:27|190|00:23:31|030the mental elemental as well. So there's a transference 331|00:23:31|530|00:23:35|030from the sacral to the throat. And you can understand that not 332|00:23:35|530|00:23:39|150only is the seventh ray involved in that, but the third ray would 333|00:23:39|650|00:23:43|190be involved. The third ray being the ray of form and 334|00:23:43|750|00:23:46|790the sacral center being that which produces physical form. 335|00:23:47|690|00:23:51|610And then a higher creativity is found in the throat center where the 336|00:23:51|690|00:23:55|570third ray is found as well. Now, what's it 337|00:23:56|070|00:23:59|050called? Creative intelligence. All right, 338|00:23:59|450|00:24:03|210what else? There's just so 339|00:24:03|710|00:24:07|450much that you have to be able to rely upon your intuition to 340|00:24:07|690|00:24:11|370reveal the salient factors of 341|00:24:11|870|00:24:15|180any encounter. You can't, you know, when a person's in need, you can't say, 342|00:24:15|680|00:24:18|100“Wait a second, I got to check this out. In Cosmic Fire,” and you kind 343|00:24:18|600|00:24:20|860of leave, “Oh, sorry, I can't find the page. Just hold on.” You know, 344|00:24:21|360|00:24:25|540you can't do that. You have to be ready with your well-stocked 345|00:24:25|620|00:24:29|300Mind and your triadic antiquarian 346|00:24:29|800|00:24:33|460contact to be able to pull down or 347|00:24:33|960|00:24:37|460through the kind of energy that is needed by that 348|00:24:38|750|00:24:41|950individual. And that may take, you know, some practice. 349|00:24:43|870|00:24:47|310Right? Practice makes perfect. It's such a great Virgo mantra. 350|00:24:48|030|00:24:51|630And Virgo is all about discipleship and self- 351|00:24:52|130|00:24:55|710improvement. And we need that Virgo at certain stages 352|00:24:56|210|00:25:00|230of discipleship when we're really attending to 353|00:25:00|730|00:25:04|440the cleanliness and thus the godliness of our vehicles. 354|00:25:04|680|00:25:08|080So, you know, there's a lot 355|00:25:08|580|00:25:11|600of training to be done. First initiation on the sign Leo. 356|00:25:12|100|00:25:15|160In Leo, the self-centered man. 357|00:25:15|960|00:25:19|280And you know, heights of the self-centeredness can be reached when 358|00:25:19|780|00:25:22|960the fifth petal is being emphasized. The self-centered man becomes 359|00:25:23|460|00:25:26|920eventually the soul in life expression 360|00:25:27|240|00:25:29|980and focused on the achievement of the spiritual goal, 361|00:25:30|130|00:25:32|610goal of selflessness. 362|00:25:33|650|00:25:37|290We're told about that, you know, that heights of noted 363|00:25:37|790|00:25:41|570service can be reached in 364|00:25:42|070|00:25:45|610Leo and as well as in Aquarius. (EA, p.143) And everything can 365|00:25:46|110|00:25:49|730turn into its opposite and the sign of centralization 366|00:25:50|450|00:25:53|970and selfishness. And of the one who stands 367|00:25:54|470|00:25:59|440at the center of his own little universe with everything revolving around it can be 368|00:25:59|940|00:26:03|480transformed into decentralization, the vanishing 369|00:26:03|980|00:26:09|560point. And the one who serves 370|00:26:10|060|00:26:13|520others rather than narcissistically serving the 371|00:26:14|020|00:26:17|360only self he sees, which is his little personal self. We've got a lot of 372|00:26:17|860|00:26:21|600that going on in the world stage today. People just think they're the greatest and 373|00:26:22|100|00:26:25|340“only I can do this” and “only I” and all that. And you 374|00:26:25|840|00:26:29|700know, I advise them to try the old trick that: Stick your finger 375|00:26:30|260|00:26:32|020in a glass of water, 376|00:26:33|780|00:26:37|340okay. And then remove it and see what a big hole it makes in 377|00:26:37|840|00:26:41|300the water to show you how much you'll be missed when you're gone. 378|00:26:42|980|00:26:46|180In this sign (EA, p.143) he undergoes preparation for the 379|00:26:46|680|00:26:50|840first initiation and takes it also in the sign or under 380|00:26:51|000|00:26:53|960this sign (EA, p.143) when it becomes the rising sign. 381|00:26:54|120|00:26:57|280So there is a use of words which you 382|00:26:57|780|00:27:01|080should be familiar with: “in” and (EA, p.143) “under.” So you're born “in” a sign if it's 383|00:27:01|580|00:27:04|920your sun sign. And you're born “under” a sign if it is 384|00:27:05|420|00:27:08|680your rising sign. So you can practice even saying 385|00:27:09|180|00:27:12|520that “I'm born in X and I'm born under Y.” 386|00:27:13|240|00:27:17|020And the Y, of course, eventually becomes the more important of 387|00:27:17|520|00:27:21|140the two factors because it indicates soul direction. So under the 388|00:27:21|640|00:27:25|620sun when it's rising, becoming. And this is so interesting, the lion 389|00:27:26|120|00:27:29|540who seeks his prey, (EA, p.143) that is the personality (EA, p.143) 390|00:27:30|040|00:27:32|500who becomes the captive of the soul. (EA, p.143) 391|00:27:33|460|00:27:36|660So look, you know, we are the lion and we are the 392|00:27:37|160|00:27:40|700prey. The higher self and the lower self are both active. 393|00:27:41|200|00:27:44|550And until (EA, p.388) we can treat our lower nature as if it is prey 394|00:27:45|050|00:27:48|150and hunt it down and keep it from escaping and escaping, 395|00:27:48|650|00:27:52|590because pride and thinking a great deal of ourselves will help that 396|00:27:52|750|00:27:54|990lower self escape. Until we can do that, 397|00:27:55|550|00:27:58|750then we can't really, you know, begin the initiatory 398|00:27:59|710|00:28:02|990process. Or if we do, we'll get into trouble along some 399|00:28:03|490|00:28:08|430point when the big choice between selfishness and selflessness 400|00:28:08|930|00:28:11|830has to be, you know, decided. 401|00:28:15|030|00:28:18|750Excuse me. Okay, what about the first initiation 402|00:28:19|250|00:28:22|630in the sign Gemini? Look, like I said, in this book, you know, Egoic Lotus 403|00:28:23|030|00:28:26|550video book, every sign of 404|00:28:26|790|00:28:30|390the zodiac can be active in every petal and productively, 405|00:28:30|890|00:28:34|230constructively active. Think about the first couple of petals are going to take millions 406|00:28:34|730|00:28:38|390of years to unfold. It's not even feasible that the 407|00:28:38|630|00:28:42|870individual—not an individual at that point. But, you know, the primitive 408|00:28:43|370|00:28:47|270human being wouldn't be born in all the signs. And every sign has 409|00:28:47|770|00:28:51|190to somehow contribute to the development that should be 410|00:28:52|710|00:28:56|870achieved in that petal. 411|00:28:57|830|00:29:02|110So, you know, there may be certain signs which are more conducive 412|00:29:02|610|00:29:06|460to the unfoldment of a particular petal. Like, let's just say Scorpio really could 413|00:29:06|960|00:29:10|340connect with the eighth petal and the second initiation, and sort 414|00:29:10|840|00:29:14|620of Sagittarius, Capricorn with the ninth petal and the 415|00:29:15|120|00:29:18|980third initiation, and maybe Libra with its rulership 416|00:29:19|480|00:29:23|380by Uranus. The sacral center could appear a lot at the 417|00:29:23|880|00:29:27|300first initiation, which it does, and so forth. You know, so. 418|00:29:28|020|00:29:31|060But, you know, at the fifth, at the first initiation, 419|00:29:31|450|00:29:34|610the fifth petal is also a big target of 420|00:29:35|110|00:29:38|650unfoldment. It can be the autocratic, egotistical, 421|00:29:39|150|00:29:42|370narcissistic Sun, or it can be the Sun of the soul, 422|00:29:42|870|00:29:46|010shining in the life of the struggling aspirant. Or it can 423|00:29:46|510|00:29:49|890be the true aspirant and disciple in which the 424|00:29:50|390|00:29:53|490soul is really, as the Sun, really starting to shine. 425|00:29:53|990|00:29:57|700And the Sun rules all of… all of those, you see. 426|00:29:58|980|00:30:03|300Yeah, it's so easy as a Leo to… 427|00:30:03|700|00:30:07|460In the orthodox sense, to be ruled by Jupiter, 428|00:30:07|960|00:30:10|980which D.K. hints at, and kind of get puffed up and, 429|00:30:12|180|00:30:16|220you know, think… think that your own self is large and 430|00:30:16|720|00:30:20|580wonderful. And there you are sitting in the middle of your 431|00:30:21|080|00:30:23|680field of consciousness, obstructing the view of… 432|00:30:25|030|00:30:28|750I don't want to sit in the middle of my field as a personality, of 433|00:30:29|250|00:30:32|950my field of consciousness, and obstruct the reality around me. 434|00:30:33|190|00:30:36|950And that's where Master Morya gets kind of humorous, where he calls the 435|00:30:37|030|00:30:38|790ego “a ball of fat,” 436|00:30:40|390|00:30:45|110suggesting we get rid of it. So anyway, here's the sign Gemini, which 437|00:30:45|610|00:30:49|790he does with Virgo and with Capricorn and so forth, connect with the first 438|00:30:50|290|00:30:53|790initiation. The secret of Gemini has to be grasped at the 439|00:30:54|270|00:30:57|870first initiation. (EA, p.388) So you can think about the relationship between 440|00:30:58|370|00:31:02|110the higher and lower self there. Etherically physically, you can think about it as 441|00:31:02|610|00:31:05|710soul and personality. Because in a way, the soul has 442|00:31:06|210|00:31:09|670to begin taking over. The higher brother has to 443|00:31:10|170|00:31:13|230take over the lower six. Why six? 444|00:31:13|310|00:31:16|480Because Capella, what do we have? 445|00:31:16|980|00:31:20|960Pollux, the higher brother. And Capella is really consisting 446|00:31:21|460|00:31:24|280of six stars, three sets of doubles. 447|00:31:24|520|00:31:28|040Interesting, because it is the mystery of the relationship of 448|00:31:28|540|00:31:32|600the father, mother, and child. (EA, p.388) Just like Virgo, 449|00:31:33|100|00:31:37|120but different. The birth of the Christ child upon the physical plane 450|00:31:37|620|00:31:41|120is the consummating glory of the Gemini force. (EA, p.388) Christ is 451|00:31:41|620|00:31:45|100entering in. Gemini is the head of the cosmic 452|00:31:45|600|00:31:48|940Christ. It's a sign that has a lot to do with the Christ 453|00:31:49|440|00:31:53|500force. Though I do think that ultimately Pisces and temporarily 454|00:31:53|580|00:31:56|980Libra are very important for the Christ force because he 455|00:31:57|480|00:32:01|740is the Prince of Peace. But, you know, the relationship between the pairs of opposites 456|00:32:02|140|00:32:06|060has to be somewhat reasonably established constructively 457|00:32:06|540|00:32:09|900at the first initiation. And there may be a lot of back and 458|00:32:10|400|00:32:14|580forth and emphasis, etherically, emphasis 459|00:32:15|080|00:32:18|420physically. But eventually the forces that are conducted through 460|00:32:18|920|00:32:23|620the etheric body as higher forces have to suppress 461|00:32:24|120|00:32:27|780or transform the basically physical, instinctual nature of 462|00:32:28|280|00:32:31|420the lower self. So there, you know, 463|00:32:31|500|00:32:35|980there's a difference here between Virgo and Gemini. 464|00:32:36|480|00:32:39|500Both of them are connected with the first initiation. 465|00:32:40|380|00:32:44|300Virgo has a mother influence, 466|00:32:45|420|00:32:50|620a slow, nurturing influence 467|00:32:51|100|00:32:54|260within the womb of time. And the 468|00:32:54|760|00:32:58|460Christ consciousness comes to birth, maybe in Capricorn. 469|00:32:58|960|00:33:01|820If I saw a combination of Virgo and Capricorn, which, by the way, 470|00:33:02|190|00:33:06|190one of the theorists says, “Hey, that's Master Jesus.” Chart the initiated 471|00:33:06|690|00:33:10|070Jesus born in Capricorn and with Virgo rising. But that's on a higher 472|00:33:10|570|00:33:14|430turn of the spiral. But if I saw that, I'd say, “Well, there's the gestation 473|00:33:14|590|00:33:19|110here possible for the man of the Christ consciousness 474|00:33:19|610|00:33:23|230being prepared and then coming to birth.” But now we have 475|00:33:23|730|00:33:27|390this etheric physical alternation 476|00:33:28|440|00:33:32|120which has to be stabilized with the 477|00:33:32|620|00:33:36|680etheric winning basically at the first initiation. And Gemini can 478|00:33:36|840|00:33:40|400manage this. And we have to speak with the voice of the 479|00:33:40|900|00:33:44|680soul and not just with the chatter of our throat center, the third center, 480|00:33:45|240|00:33:48|560Gemini, the third sign, and so forth. We have to speak with 481|00:33:49|060|00:33:52|480the voice of the soul. And we have to conduct energy from 482|00:33:52|980|00:33:56|010Pollux, our higher self, through the aspects of our lower 483|00:33:56|510|00:34:00|290self. But it is a mystery. I find it a mystery anyway. The mystery 484|00:34:00|790|00:34:04|210of the relation of the father, mother and child. Now, in Virgo, we have that 485|00:34:04|450|00:34:08|210“I am the mother and the child.” I, God, I matter, am. In Gemini, 486|00:34:08|710|00:34:12|610we have a duality. “I recognize my other self, and in 487|00:34:13|110|00:34:17|730the waning of that self, I grow and glow.” It's a duality 488|00:34:18|770|00:34:21|250about, you know, it's not so much the father, it's the… 489|00:34:22|169|00:34:26|009Well, what is it? It's the sun supervising the 490|00:34:26|509|00:34:30|369waning of the material aspect. And so rather 491|00:34:30|869|00:34:34|809than a triplicity, it's a duality, and yet it is the third sign. 492|00:34:35|209|00:34:39|369And you do have to, therefore, (EA, p.388) look for a triplicity by numerical 493|00:34:39|689|00:34:42|649resonance. So I think I, you know, in this respect, 494|00:34:43|149|00:34:47|700I think I understand Virgo better than Gemini in relation to the first 495|00:34:48|200|00:34:51|860initiation. But if you're filled with Leo, 496|00:34:52|580|00:34:56|660Capricorn and Gemini energy and Virgo energy in your horoscope 497|00:34:57|060|00:35:01|020and you're at that stage, chances are the first initiation 498|00:35:01|520|00:35:05|140will be indicated. So ponder on this. 499|00:35:05|640|00:35:09|860You know, when (EA, p.388) I leave something behind that I don't completely understand, ponder on 500|00:35:10|360|00:35:12|020this. All right, now, 501|00:35:13|950|00:35:17|790interplay between the solar plexus and the heart chakra. 502|00:35:18|510|00:35:22|550You know, normally considered to be a kind of a second initiation 503|00:35:23|050|00:35:26|710phenomenon. You know, being transformed from the preacher 504|00:35:27|210|00:35:31|830to the teacher, as it were, and from the passionate 505|00:35:32|330|00:35:35|910to the dispassionate. You know, there are many transformations from the number 506|00:35:36|410|00:35:40|09010 to the number 12. Number 10, of course, is the solar plexus. But look 507|00:35:40|590|00:35:43|610what happens when you put them both together. 10 and 12 is the magical number 508|00:35:44|110|00:35:47|65022. So you get three sevens and then the whole, and you've got 22. 509|00:35:48|530|00:35:52|130So it's very important to put those things together. And as one was 510|00:35:52|630|00:35:56|170reading the Autobiography of Alice Bailey, one was getting the 511|00:35:56|670|00:36:00|170sense that there was a recapitulation, or at a certain 512|00:36:00|670|00:36:04|860point in her life as an ardent Chris (EA, p.388)tian preacher, 513|00:36:05|660|00:36:09|860she came into a transformation onto the second ray from 514|00:36:10|360|00:36:15|020the solar plexus to the heart center, and I think easily 515|00:36:15|520|00:36:19|980became a third-degree initiate with an illumined 516|00:36:20|620|00:36:25|900mind and a great appreciation 517|00:36:26|140|00:36:29|780of the (EA, p.388) relationship between hierarchy and humanity in which 518|00:36:30|280|00:36:33|610she was a major mediator. 519|00:36:33|930|00:36:37|370So, but, you know, the initiatory status of other 520|00:36:37|930|00:36:40|650people… it's not really our business. 521|00:36:41|050|00:36:45|130On the other hand, you can learn a lot by seeing 522|00:36:45|630|00:36:49|490how they operated and what kind of initiation it indicated. 523|00:36:49|990|00:36:53|890But (EH, p.594) obviously, if we get fixated on initiation as a way 524|00:36:54|390|00:36:57|790of self-aggrandizement, no, you know, 525|00:36:58|290|00:37:01|990it's not going to lead anywhere because then we're too anxious 526|00:37:02|490|00:37:05|990for the occult accolade. And if we're careless, we don't experience 527|00:37:06|150|00:37:09|670it either. So there's always that (EH, p.594) (EH, p.594) (EH, p.594) nice Libra, 528|00:37:09|910|00:37:13|430noble middle path which will lead to real progress. (EA, p.388) 529|00:37:14|150|00:37:17|190So what's this interplay about? Eventually, 530|00:37:17|690|00:37:21|230the… metaphysically speaking, beyond the physical, the solar 531|00:37:21|730|00:37:25|660plexus center begins to have a radiatory effect 532|00:37:26|160|00:37:29|340in response to the magnetic call 533|00:37:29|820|00:37:33|820of the heart (EH, p.594) center. So what are we really saying here? The heart center… 534|00:37:35|980|00:37:38|420And by the way, I want to spell center in such a way that it'll 535|00:37:38|920|00:37:42|620show up correctly. The heart center invokes… 536|00:37:45|020|00:37:47|900Center invokes the solar plexus. 537|00:37:49|810|00:37:53|170No, SPX. Come on. 538|00:37:53|330|00:37:57|210The solar plexus… and invokes 539|00:37:57|710|00:38:02|050it. And solar plexus responds. 540|00:38:02|210|00:38:05|769And this is an evocation. So, 541|00:38:06|269|00:38:08|610you know, always the higher is going to call to the lower, 542|00:38:09|250|00:38:12|290and… and that causes the lower to reach towards the higher. 543|00:38:12|530|00:38:16|100The lower may not have had any idea whatsoever that the higher 544|00:38:16|600|00:38:20|540exists. But when that call comes, “What is this? You know, what is this? 545|00:38:21|260|00:38:24|780Something that has entered my field of consciousness.” You begin to reach 546|00:38:25|280|00:38:28|580out for it and, you know, maybe you 547|00:38:29|080|00:38:32|300don't have any idea that there's a higher power, but the higher power does 548|00:38:32|800|00:38:35|980something. I remember a moment in my life. I think it was a kind of 549|00:38:36|480|00:38:41|260a recapitulation. I suddenly felt this stimulation 550|00:38:41|760|00:38:44|510at the top of my head. I was a young man, and what is this? 551|00:38:45|010|00:38:48|910You know, am I dying? What is it? Anyway, I realized 552|00:38:49|410|00:38:53|190before long what it was, and it started me on the path of reaching out 553|00:38:53|510|00:38:57|190towards the source of that particular head center 554|00:38:57|690|00:39:00|710stimulation. When the (EH, p.594) first initiation is taken, 555|00:39:01|430|00:39:04|070the first great interplay is set up between the two, 556|00:39:05|590|00:39:09|230and the first coordinating activity 557|00:39:09|730|00:39:13|110is established. (EH, p.594) I would say, though it is— 558|00:39:13|190|00:39:14|170Oh, no, no. 559|00:39:16|400|00:39:20|280Okay. You know, I get too eager to 560|00:39:20|780|00:39:23|920plow ahead here. Let's just say, 561|00:39:24|640|00:39:27|960though it is more consummated at 562|00:39:28|460|00:39:31|800the second degree, that which is above (EH, p.594) is 563|00:39:32|300|00:39:35|640now related to (EH, p.594) that which is below. (EH, p.594) Sounds very Hermetic, doesn't it? But that which 564|00:39:36|140|00:39:40|480is below loses its identity, you know, “Waning of 565|00:39:40|980|00:39:44|280the self. And in that waning I grow and 566|00:39:44|780|00:39:47|920glow, recognize my other self, and in the waning of that self, I grow and 567|00:39:48|420|00:39:51|040glow.” But that which is below loses its identity 568|00:39:52|160|00:39:55|440in (EH, p.594) that which is above; it is absorbed. 569|00:39:56|080|00:39:59|800So this interplay—every time you see the word “interplay,” watch out 570|00:40:00|300|00:40:03|760for Mercury in Gemini. Interplay as a word 571|00:40:03|840|00:40:08|700and concept signals the work 572|00:40:08|780|00:40:12|540of Mercury—Mercury and 573|00:40:13|180|00:40:14|940Gemini. Okay, 574|00:40:16|380|00:40:19|260well, you know, a lot of us have been through this kind of thing, 575|00:40:19|660|00:40:22|860but we can always set up a better and better dialogue 576|00:40:23|360|00:40:25|980with the Solar Angel. 577|00:40:26|780|00:40:30|140And maybe that dialogue doesn't really become intensely 578|00:40:30|640|00:40:33|500complete until around the period of the fourth initiation. 579|00:40:34|440|00:40:37|680And maybe, you know, that's what would cause an initiate 580|00:40:38|180|00:40:42|280such as Jesus to cry out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 581|00:40:42|780|00:40:46|240me?” Meaning the Solar Angel is returning to the heart of 582|00:40:46|740|00:40:50|320the sun, or the central spiritual sun. And you're left on your own, 583|00:40:50|820|00:40:55|000having earned your wings, as it were. You're on your first step to becoming 584|00:40:55|640|00:40:58|200not only a man, but a deva at the same time— 585|00:40:58|520|00:41:01|140just the way the heavenly men are: 586|00:41:01|460|00:41:04|900man and deva simultaneously. Okay, 587|00:41:05|940|00:41:09|620so, you know, we're looking at these different kinds of things which indicate that 588|00:41:10|120|00:41:14|740Gemini is important at the first initiation. 589|00:41:14|900|00:41:18|420I mean, really, you can just about— When I went through it, 590|00:41:18|580|00:41:22|980you can just about find relevance 591|00:41:23|700|00:41:27|770of any sign at any initiation. I mean, Aries: you take the plunge into 592|00:41:28|270|00:41:31|690the fifth kingdom. Taurus: the light increases, 593|00:41:32|190|00:41:36|250the sacral center and throat are involved. Gemini: the interplay between 594|00:41:36|750|00:41:40|170soul and personality. Cancer: 595|00:41:40|670|00:41:45|370the personality is receiving the light, and there's a particular Christ 596|00:41:45|450|00:41:49|130force that's entering the causal body. And the monad is showing up in the temple. 597|00:41:49|690|00:41:52|970And Leo: you begin to know yourself as the soul. 598|00:41:53|400|00:41:57|240It is active at the first initiation. The heart is stimulated, and 599|00:41:57|480|00:42:01|640Virgo is that long period of 600|00:42:02|200|00:42:06|120slow gestation as we are coming to 601|00:42:06|680|00:42:09|960the birth. And of course the implantation 602|00:42:10|360|00:42:13|720has to occur well before the birth, and 603|00:42:14|600|00:42:18|040Libra: we are balancing the 604|00:42:18|540|00:42:21|920etheric and the physical, and we are 605|00:42:22|420|00:42:26|240learning how to regulate the sacral center ruled esoterically by 606|00:42:26|400|00:42:29|440Uranus and eventually by Saturn. And we're learning 607|00:42:29|940|00:42:33|800what right sexual relations may be and how 608|00:42:34|300|00:42:37|920to combine the sexual urge 609|00:42:38|160|00:42:41|120with the golden rule. And that, 610|00:42:41|620|00:42:45|320of course, is a big issue today because it looks like it's out of balance. 611|00:42:45|820|00:42:49|380You know, it's always been out of balance for a long time, but it hasn't 612|00:42:49|880|00:42:53|740been detected or made public. As my daughter, who's a very good esoteric astrologer, 613|00:42:54|240|00:42:57|380pointed out to me, “Dad, this whole thing really came up when Jupiter 614|00:42:57|880|00:43:01|900went into Scorpio.” It fits perfectly. 615|00:43:02|540|00:43:07|100And then, when it comes to be Scorpio, you're fighting the hydra 616|00:43:07|600|00:43:11|300heads, especially sex, money and comfort, the lower physical 617|00:43:11|800|00:43:15|910heads. And when it comes to Sagittarius, you aspire and you're becoming the 618|00:43:16|410|00:43:20|270one-pointed, increasingly one-pointed disciple. Capricorn is the 619|00:43:20|770|00:43:23|950sign of the first initiation and all five that follow 620|00:43:24|450|00:43:29|430it. Well, when it comes to Aquarius, 621|00:43:29|930|00:43:33|590you know, the riches of the higher worlds are beginning to enter your 622|00:43:33|750|00:43:37|790etheric body. And etherically, you have to make room for them so 623|00:43:38|290|00:43:41|720they can really enter. And Pisces, you're giving up a lot. You know, you're giving 624|00:43:42|220|00:43:46|520up the attraction to the personality, 625|00:43:46|840|00:43:51|480and you're surrendering 626|00:43:51|880|00:43:57|000to a higher force that we call the soul. And you're sacrificing 627|00:43:57|500|00:44:00|760and relinquishing many of the previous orientations and pleasures. 628|00:44:01|260|00:44:04|680Well, in the book, you know, I go into it in more 629|00:44:05|180|00:44:09|180intelligent and excruciating details, but basically 630|00:44:09|340|00:44:13|260the thing to learn from this is that take 631|00:44:13|760|00:44:17|140any sign, see what the petal is supposed to 632|00:44:17|640|00:44:21|780produce. What kind of living does 633|00:44:22|280|00:44:25|580the unfoldment of the petal produce? And then realize that any sign 634|00:44:26|060|00:44:29|940in any petal can lead you toward the objective 635|00:44:30|440|00:44:33|670of the unfoldment of that petal. Certain, you know, 636|00:44:34|150|00:44:38|030certain signs fit better with 637|00:44:38|530|00:44:42|710certain petals. Like both Leo and Scorpio are really in there with the fifth 638|00:44:43|350|00:44:46|990petal, you know, and in zodiacal 639|00:44:47|490|00:44:51|070order you can do this, and you can do it in elemental 640|00:44:51|570|00:44:54|910order with the earth signs ruling 641|00:44:55|410|00:44:58|950the knowledge petals, and water, the love petals, and either air 642|00:44:59|450|00:45:03|110or fire, fire or air ruling the petals of sacrifice. 643|00:45:03|610|00:45:07|150I tend to think of fire. And when it comes to synthesis and the 644|00:45:07|650|00:45:12|150Buddhic nature, I think a lot of the air signs in 645|00:45:12|230|00:45:15|590those petals which shield the jewel in the lotus. 646|00:45:16|230|00:45:19|390Anyway, it's all a magnificent, intricate system. And you've got 647|00:45:19|890|00:45:23|750to think what was our planetary Logos doing 648|00:45:24|230|00:45:27|360as he was contemplating the planet that he was going 649|00:45:27|860|00:45:31|240to make and had to think it all through before releasing the energies 650|00:45:31|560|00:45:34|760that would make of it an actuality. And what a 651|00:45:35|260|00:45:38|440profound meditation he had to be entering. 652|00:45:38|940|00:45:44|040We're so far from it, you know, to carry out the absolutely 653|00:45:44|540|00:45:47|960super-logical relationships that we begin to 654|00:45:48|280|00:45:54|600discover when pure reason is 655|00:45:54|920|00:45:59|000part of our process and we can access 656|00:45:59|080|00:46:02|680it and use it. So, you know, you just have to 657|00:46:03|160|00:46:06|440realize there's more and more, appreciate more and more 658|00:46:06|840|00:46:10|600what is possible in our amazingly intricate 659|00:46:11|100|00:46:14|240system. You have to appreciate it. And the more we appreciate it, 660|00:46:14|740|00:46:18|200the more we're going to respect what the planetary Logos does, the more we're going 661|00:46:18|700|00:46:22|580to respect his purpose and the divine plan emanating from it. And those 662|00:46:23|080|00:46:26|100who carry out the divine plan. And we're going to want to be those who, 663|00:46:26|600|00:46:30|180respecting the beauty of the divine plan, want to really help carry 664|00:46:30|680|00:46:34|540it out. What's that idea that your 665|00:46:35|040|00:46:39|180first obligation is to the plan, and then to 666|00:46:39|680|00:46:43|380those whom the 667|00:46:43|880|00:46:48|130plan serves, then to those who serve 668|00:46:48|630|00:46:51|090the plan. I hope I didn't get the last two mixed up, but those are 669|00:46:51|590|00:46:55|410the three factors. Now what's this battle between energy and 670|00:46:55|910|00:46:58|490force? Okay. Also from Esoteric Healing. 671|00:46:58|890|00:47:02|810At the first initiation, and 672|00:47:03|310|00:47:06|970increasingly at all initiations, energy is brought 673|00:47:07|050|00:47:10|330into major conflict with the forces. (EH, p.595) 674|00:47:10|410|00:47:14|170And you know, one of the laws talks about that 675|00:47:14|670|00:47:17|370and the friction. Well, you know, 676|00:47:17|770|00:47:21|970soul forces are so wide and personality forces so 677|00:47:22|470|00:47:25|610narrow that their directions in space are different. 678|00:47:26|410|00:47:29|970And they're naturally going to be at first in conflict until an adjustment 679|00:47:30|470|00:47:34|250occurs. Soul energy sweeps into the etheric body and 680|00:47:34|750|00:47:38|050all the centers become fighting areas, with one center 681|00:47:38|550|00:47:42|480being emphasized more than the others (EH, p.595) in any one incarnation. 682|00:47:42|640|00:47:46|640So let's just put it like this. When this 683|00:47:47|140|00:47:50|240happens, sweep, 684|00:47:52|400|00:47:56|320sorry. There is conflict within each 685|00:47:56|400|00:48:00|880center and conflict between the 686|00:48:01|380|00:48:04|520centers. I mean, you can well imagine how throat and sacral 687|00:48:05|020|00:48:08|660can fight and how solar plexus and heart can 688|00:48:09|380|00:48:12|980fight and how heart and throat can fight. 689|00:48:13|480|00:48:17|700And you know, the different representatives of the rays have 690|00:48:18|200|00:48:21|460at first not looked too kindly upon each other. 691|00:48:21|539|00:48:24|860You know, let's just say when the sixth ray was in control, they wanted 692|00:48:25|360|00:48:28|900to kill out all the magicians. Seventh Ray, they wanted to kill out 693|00:48:29|400|00:48:32|020all the scientists. You know, 694|00:48:32|570|00:48:36|010they could go along with philosophers on the third ray for a while. 695|00:48:36|410|00:48:40|130They certainly didn't approve of the great breadth and 696|00:48:40|630|00:48:43|970inclusiveness of the second ray. And you even see this in the way the Baha'is 697|00:48:44|470|00:48:47|850have been persecuted by the more fundamental 698|00:48:48|250|00:48:51|810within their religion. Some rays naturally got 699|00:48:52|310|00:48:55|770along with each other and others were 700|00:48:56|270|00:48:59|090set together in conflict. And if you even think about it, even on the same 701|00:48:59|590|00:49:02|690ray line, 2 and 6 are fighting, see, and that's 702|00:49:03|190|00:49:06|810the same ray line. And maybe three and five are 703|00:49:07|310|00:49:10|850fighting. You know, the Scholastics ruled the day 704|00:49:11|350|00:49:15|130until Master R came along and said, “Well, why don't you try a few experiments 705|00:49:15|630|00:49:19|250and see what really works?” So right there, you know, thinking about what 706|00:49:19|750|00:49:23|650is truth and just deriving it from your mind compared with the 707|00:49:24|150|00:49:28|240fifth ray approach of experimentation, well, that produced two 708|00:49:28|740|00:49:32|320different worldviews and consequent battles, as naturally. 709|00:49:32|400|00:49:34|160Eventually the fifth ray took over. 710|00:49:35|680|00:49:39|800So the nature of the battle is no longer that betwixt the forces 711|00:49:40|300|00:49:44|240and each other, which does occur in one of these rules here, but is now 712|00:49:44|740|00:49:47|680between the energies and the forces, 713|00:49:48|640|00:49:51|600the higher energies and the lower. 714|00:49:52|840|00:49:57|000And it is this which creates the acuteness of the tests for 715|00:49:57|080|00:50:01|800initiation. (EH, p.595) A man is a battling kingdom and 716|00:50:02|300|00:50:05|960eventually tending towards harmony. But at first the fight must go on and 717|00:50:06|460|00:50:09|560the greater of the energies must attain 718|00:50:09|800|00:50:12|200ascendancy. Okay, 719|00:50:13|160|00:50:16|920and that's going to take a while. And it's very painful. And to 720|00:50:17|420|00:50:21|010be a human being is a painful thing. And for anybody who's located 721|00:50:21|510|00:50:25|490in the middle, pain is at first the result 722|00:50:25|570|00:50:29|370of the life process. Then later something 723|00:50:29|870|00:50:33|250higher and more beautiful is attained. It is this 724|00:50:33|750|00:50:36|810which produces so many physical ills among those 725|00:50:37|310|00:50:40|690who have taken or preparing to take the first and second 726|00:50:40|930|00:50:44|650initiations. (EH, p.595) Maybe things are a bit relieved by the 727|00:50:45|150|00:50:47|750time you're a true initiate at the third degree. 728|00:50:48|790|00:50:52|750So many… In other words, it's just a lot of friction. And friction 729|00:50:53|250|00:50:56|910is so often, you know, the cause of disease because 730|00:50:57|410|00:51:00|990you know, there's a wearing thin and a chafing and an exposure 731|00:51:01|490|00:51:05|310and there's an interference. You know, all those things you can 732|00:51:05|810|00:51:08|990imagine, you know, you start by rubbing your hands together, but if you keep doing 733|00:51:09|490|00:51:13|300that for an hour, you're going to feel it, you know, the friction will really 734|00:51:14|020|00:51:18|260take over. So we have to achieve harmony 735|00:51:18|500|00:51:22|100in the right way. Not just harmony for its own sake. And many people 736|00:51:22|580|00:51:25|860run towards that and they make a deal with the devil, you know, thinking they're 737|00:51:26|360|00:51:30|180going to choose harmony, but you can't really make a deal with the devil 738|00:51:30|680|00:51:34|980and you know, your lower aspects then maintain 739|00:51:35|480|00:51:38|020their control instead of the higher possibilities. 740|00:51:38|500|00:51:41|860So… And it accounts for the diseases of the saints. (EH, p.595) And what he's 741|00:51:42|360|00:51:46|310kind of saying is that saints may not be… Not all 742|00:51:46|810|00:51:50|790saints. Not all saints are 743|00:51:51|290|00:51:55|590initiates of the third degree. 744|00:51:58|150|00:52:02|230No. So, you know, many may be initiates of the second 745|00:52:02|730|00:52:06|430degree, although there are certain high saints. And just 746|00:52:06|930|00:52:10|870because the church decides to saint you… What's it 747|00:52:11|370|00:52:14|190called? I don't know, canonized, something like that, 748|00:52:14|430|00:52:18|150doesn't mean that you're necessarily in the eyes of hierarchy, 749|00:52:18|650|00:52:21|350a saint. It could be a political move, you know, let's just say that the 750|00:52:21|850|00:52:26|270Great religions are not beyond political manipulation. 751|00:52:26|770|00:52:31|310The Catholic Church has a Third Ray personality, we are told, hence constant 752|00:52:31|630|00:52:34|910devious financial manipulations. And when you really look at Islam, 753|00:52:35|070|00:52:38|120it's got a lot of… The Third Ray too is coming, 754|00:52:38|620|00:52:42|320you know, in a way from an Eastern influence, and the 755|00:52:42|800|00:52:46|800rays of the East, of the Orient— 756|00:52:47|040|00:52:50|600Fourth Ray soul and Third Ray personality. 757|00:52:51|100|00:52:54|720And some of the doctrines where, you know, you're allowed to lie 758|00:52:54|800|00:52:58|480in order to promote the welfare of the religion. 759|00:52:59|520|00:53:04|440That's all Third Ray as well, you know, as you attempt to achieve 760|00:53:04|760|00:53:08|200advantage for your particular perspective. 761|00:53:08|700|00:53:12|640Well, we have to learn how to deal with each other according 762|00:53:13|140|00:53:16|920to the Golden Rule. It's very hard really, you know, especially when we're challenged 763|00:53:17|420|00:53:21|160and when the personality is threatened. Maybe I'll end with this 764|00:53:21|660|00:53:26|000thing, you know, you've read it before. It's from 765|00:53:26|500|00:53:30|290“The Rays and the Initiations.” I think it's about vegetarianism. 766|00:53:30|790|00:53:34|370The true disciple—true disciple, true aspirant who has taken the first degree, 767|00:53:34|450|00:53:37|810who is the true disciple—does not need vegetarianism 768|00:53:37|970|00:53:41|690or any of the physical disciplines, except for the fact 769|00:53:42|190|00:53:45|610that you can't become a good psychic without it, you know, and that 770|00:53:46|110|00:53:49|330for ten years, he tells us. So there's… What is the need? 771|00:53:49|830|00:53:52|930Maybe there's specialized training where it may be necessary, 772|00:53:55|090|00:53:59|050but some people revert, you know, to eating meat when 773|00:53:59|550|00:54:02|490they reach a certain point. So they think. And I don't think it does them 774|00:54:02|990|00:54:07|010necessarily any good because they have a hard time holding 775|00:54:07|510|00:54:11|410that particular vibration. But anyway, D.K. puts us 776|00:54:11|910|00:54:15|410in order here: “We don't need it for the reason that none of the fleshly 777|00:54:15|910|00:54:19|570appetites have any control over him.” So let's 778|00:54:20|070|00:54:23|530just say… Let's just say meat eating 779|00:54:26|350|00:54:31|630promotes fleshly appetites. 780|00:54:32|130|00:54:35|390And if you want to… appetites, okay? And if you 781|00:54:35|890|00:54:39|270want to disabuse yourself of those particular appetites, you may 782|00:54:39|770|00:54:42|830find that not eating meat will be helpful for a while. 783|00:54:43|630|00:54:47|030But the problem is shifting up, right? So his problem lies elsewhere. 784|00:54:47|530|00:54:51|030And it is a waste of his time and energy to keep his eye— 785|00:54:51|270|00:54:54|710single eye—focused on doing the right things physically, 786|00:54:55|110|00:54:57|830you know, around the time of the first initiation. We have to do that, 787|00:54:58|390|00:55:01|630and maybe for some time before the second. 788|00:55:02|130|00:55:05|430But, you know, maybe the true disciple, who is an accepted disciple and is on 789|00:55:05|930|00:55:09|510his way to the third degree, doesn't need that because he doesn't have 790|00:55:10|010|00:55:13|070to keep his eye focused on doing the right things physically because he has to 791|00:55:13|570|00:55:16|880do the right things morally, emotionally, mentally— 792|00:55:17|040|00:55:20|080because, says the Tibetan, he does them automatically. 793|00:55:21|280|00:55:25|320And his spiritual habits offset all 794|00:55:25|820|00:55:29|920the lower tendencies. And that's a lot about building in those 795|00:55:30|000|00:55:33|040preventive, helpful, 796|00:55:33|120|00:55:36|960protective habits which prevent us from 797|00:55:37|460|00:55:41|840reverting to old, disintegrated conditions automatically. 798|00:55:42|550|00:55:46|550These developed habits enable him to surmount the appeal of those desires 799|00:55:46|710|00:55:51|190which work out in the fulfillment of lower desire. 800|00:55:52|630|00:55:57|030So he has the edifice which protects 801|00:55:57|530|00:56:01|270him from reversion, from going backward 802|00:56:01|770|00:56:05|350into a lower state. No one is accepted into the circle 803|00:56:05|850|00:56:09|430of the ashram—that's a really important one—which is the technical 804|00:56:09|930|00:56:13|700name given to the status of those who are on the eve of initiation 805|00:56:14|020|00:56:17|460or who are being prepared for 806|00:56:17|960|00:56:21|260initiation. And probably in this case, you know, a relatively higher 807|00:56:21|760|00:56:24|900initiation, not the first degree. I mean, 808|00:56:25|400|00:56:29|820you know, you're not even the true aspirant until you've taken 809|00:56:30|320|00:56:33|780the first initiation. So we can't really talk about the ashram at 810|00:56:34|280|00:56:37|460the first degree and not in any, you know, powerful way. 811|00:56:37|960|00:56:40|810All D.K. students had taken that first initiation, 812|00:56:41|310|00:56:44|610except one, and they were on the periphery. So no one is accepted into the 813|00:56:45|110|00:56:45|810circle of the ashram, 814|00:56:48|770|00:56:54|090which is the technical name given to the status of those who are being 815|00:56:54|590|00:56:59|290prepared. All true disciples are being prepared for some initiation or the other whose 816|00:56:59|790|00:57:03|810physical appetites are in any danger of controlling him. 817|00:57:05|180|00:57:08|700Well, okay, you know, there's a lot of self-indulgence, 818|00:57:09|200|00:57:12|300and I know we all have some experience with it, 819|00:57:13|900|00:57:17|820but what does it take to be in danger of the physical appetites 820|00:57:18|140|00:57:21|660controlling? You know, there's all these seven deadly 821|00:57:22|160|00:57:25|460sins, damnable, as they're called. And some of them are very physical, 822|00:57:25|960|00:57:29|420you know, licentiousness, lust, gluttony, you know, 823|00:57:29|660|00:57:32|510sloth and so forth. They are very physical. 824|00:57:33|150|00:57:36|990This is a statement of fact. This applies particularly and specifically 825|00:57:37|490|00:57:40|910to those preparing for the first initiation. Basically, 826|00:57:42|430|00:57:46|310if the dense physical body is 827|00:57:46|810|00:57:50|830going to run you, then you cannot 828|00:57:51|330|00:57:55|070be brought forward as a candidate 829|00:57:55|950|00:57:58|890for the first initiation. So that's clear, 830|00:58:00|330|00:58:03|690and the ideal 831|00:58:04|190|00:58:08|250is sounded. And all of us have to work out our relation to 832|00:58:08|750|00:58:11|850the requirements. Succeeding sometimes, failing sometimes, 833|00:58:12|350|00:58:15|650but eventually succeeding. Okay, friends, so this is going 834|00:58:16|150|00:58:19|370to be the end of first 835|00:58:19|450|00:58:23|570initiation compilation webinar commentary number 836|00:58:24|070|00:58:27|850four. And today is the 29th 837|00:58:28|350|00:58:31|850of June, 2018. And now we're going to have the 838|00:58:32|350|00:58:36|410beginning, whenever that is, of the first initiation compilation 839|00:58:36|910|00:58:40|450video commentary number five. And on 840|00:58:40|950|00:58:43|730whatever day it occurs, if I'm lucky, if I'm fortunate, 841|00:58:45|330|00:58:50|330maybe it will appear soon, 842|00:58:50|810|00:58:54|530you know, maybe I'll have time this evening to do that if my computer 843|00:58:55|030|00:58:59|010doesn't ambush me with all of these notices that, oh, you can't save here 844|00:58:59|510|00:59:03|370and you can't do this and so forth. I don't have enough fifth 845|00:59:03|870|00:59:07|130ray to cope with that, especially when I'm in the saddle trying to do these 846|00:59:07|630|00:59:12|890things. All right, that's it. And yeah, 847|00:59:13|050|00:59:17|030first initiation. And it's the relationship 848|00:59:17|430|00:59:20|870of the initiations to each other, 849|00:59:24|150|00:59:27|750which are very important. Do I want 850|00:59:28|250|00:59:32|350to save this? Yes, I do. And I'm going to have to call it by 851|00:59:32|850|00:59:36|430still another number, am I not? I'm going to have to call it number 852|00:59:36|930|00:59:40|230three if I want to save it, am I not? Oh, golly. 853|00:59:42|800|00:59:45|920So I keep on saving multiple iterations 854|00:59:46|420|00:59:49|760of these things, and hopefully they work when I get back to it. 855|00:59:50|400|00:59:52|880So, all right, 856|00:59:54|320|01:00:00|600we will go on. We will go on. And to 857|01:00:01|100|01:00:06|570number five. And we have, at least in this particular 858|01:00:06|810|01:00:11|770one, we have another 859|01:00:11|850|01:00:15|130five pages to go. Another five. 860|01:00:15|530|01:00:17|610Okay, see you later. See you soon.