Wednesday, December 30, 2009

The Hermit,



Actions...

being introspective
thinking things over
focusing inward
concentrating less on the senses
quieting yourself
looking for answers within
needing to understand

searching
seeking greater understanding
looking for something
wanting the truth at all costs
going on a personal quest
needing more
desiring a new direction

receiving/giving guidance
going to/being a mentor
accepting/offering wise counsel
learning from/being a guru
turning to/being a trusted teacher
being helped/helping

seeking solitude
needing to be alone
desiring stillness
withdrawing from the world
experiencing seclusion
giving up distractions
retreating into a private world

OPPOSING CARDS: Some Possibilities


Lovers - being in a relationship, sexuality
World - involvement with the world
Two of Cups - making connections, partnerships
Three of Cups - being in a group, being with others
Nine of Cups - sensual pleasure

REINFORCING CARDS: Some Possibilities

High Priestess - looking inward, withdrawing
Four of Cups - withdrawing, being introverted
Eight of Cups - searching for deeper meaning
Four of Swords - contemplating, being quiet
Seven of Swords - being alone, staying away from others

DESCRIPTION

The traditional hermit is a crusty, bearded character who has withdrawn from the company of men to live a life of seclusion and hardship. Card 9 supports this understanding. The Hermit represents the desire to turn away from the getting and spending of society to focus on the inner world. He seeks answers within and knows that they will come only with quiet and solitude.

There comes a point in life when we begin to question the obvious. We sense that there is a deeper reality and begin to search for it. This is mainly a solitary quest because answers do not lie in the external world, but in ourselves. The hermit on Card 9 reminds us of Diogenes, the Greek ascetic who is said to have gone out with a lantern in hand to search for an honest man. Diogenes is a symbol of the search for truth that the Hermit hopes to uncover by stripping away all diversions.

In readings, the Hermit often suggests a need for time alone - a period of reflection when distractions are limited. In times of action and high energy, he stands for the still center that must be created for balance. He can also indicate that withdrawal or retreat is advised for the moment. In addition, the Hermit can represent seeking of all kinds, especially for deeper understanding or the truth of a situation. "Seek, and ye shall find," we have been told, and so the Hermit stands for guidance as well. We can receive help from wise teachers, and, in turn, help others as we progress.

The Wheel of Fortune!




feeling a sense of destiny
using what chance offers
seeing life's threads weave together
finding opportunity in an accident
opening to luck
sensing the action of fate
witnessing miracles

being at a turning point
reversing
moving in a different direction
turning things around
having a change in fortune
altering the present course
being surprised at a turn of events

feeling movement
experiencing change
having the tempo of life speed up
being swept up in new developments
rejoining the world of activity
getting involved

having a personal vision
seeing how everything connects
becoming more aware
uncovering patterns and cycles
expanding your outlook
gaining greater perspective
discovering your role and purpose

OPPOSING CARDS: Some Possibilities


Two of Swords - being stuck, at an impasse
Four of Swords - rest, quiet, slow pace
Four of Pentacles - blocked change, no movement
Seven of Pentacles - assessment before direction change

REINFORCING CARDS...some possibilities


Eight of Wands - rapid pace, quick developments

DESCRIPTION

In Greek mythology, there are three women known as the Fates. They are responsible for spinning the destiny of each person at his or her birth. It is not surprising that the Fates are spinners because the wheel of fortune is an apt image for the elusive turns of a man's fate. This is the theme of Card 10.

The Wheel of Fortune is one of the few cards in the major arcana that does not have a human figure as a focal point. This is because its center is above the realm of man - in the higher levels (clouds) where the destinies of all are woven together in the tapestry of life. The tarot recognizes that each person sets his own path in life, but is also subject to the larger cycles that include him. We experience chance events that appear to be accidents although they are part of the great plan.

In readings, the Wheel of Fortune can indicate a vision or realization that strikes with great force. If you've been struggling with a problem or tough situation, this card can signal that you will find the answer if you stand back and view everything from a larger perspective.

The Wheel of Fortune also represents unexpected encounters and twists of fate. You can't predict surprises; you can only be aware when one is circling around. Indeed, Card 10 often suggests wheel-like actions - changes in direction, repeating cycles and rapid movement. When the energy of the Wheel arrives, you will feel life speed up. You are caught in a cyclone that may deposit you anywhere. "Round and round and round she goes, and where she stops, nobody knows."



ACTIONS

respecting justice
insisting on fairness
acting on ethical principles
being involved in legal concerns
committing to honesty
seeking equality
being impartial
trying to do what is right

assuming responsibility
settling old accounts and debts
being accountable
acknowledging the truth
admitting involvement
handling the situation
doing what has to be done

preparing for a decision
weighing all sides of an issue
setting a course for the future
balancing all factors
determining right action
choosing with full awareness

understanding cause and effect
accepting the results you created
seeing how you chose your situation
recognizing the action of karma
knowing that what is makes sense
making connections between events

OPPOSING CARDS: Some Possibilities


Two of Swords - avoiding the truth, disavowing your role
Five of Swords - lack of integrity, not doing what is right
Seven of Swords - shirking responsibility

REINFORCING CARDS: Some Possibilities


Emperor - justice, regulations, legal issues
Judgement - deciding, accepting past actions/mistakes
Ten of Wands - accepting responsibility, being accountable
Nine of Swords - guilt over the past, acknowledging mistakes
Seven of Pentacles - assessing where you are, deciding a future course

DESCRIPTION

On Card 11 we see the familiar figure of Justice. She has the scales of equality and impartial judgment in one hand, and the sword of decision in the other. In the tarot, Justice represents the understanding that life is ultimately fair and just. Even though the vagaries of day-to-day life tend to make us doubt this fact, Justice reminds us that there is divine balance. Notice the similarity between the Emperor and Justice. Both cards stand for universal order; the Emperor in its underlying structure, Justice, in the action of karma - cause and effect.

There is a serious feel to Card 11 - the tone of the courtroom. This card refers to legal matters of all kinds, but is not restricted to them. The courts are where judgments are made and decisions rendered. Our legal system is the official arena in which we explore the principles of Justice - fairness, impartiality and the quest for truth.

In readings, Justice often appears when you are concerned with doing what is right or making sure you receive your due. This card can also appear when you are feeling the impact of a past mistake or good deed. The cause you set in motion at one time is now returning to you as an effect.

Sometimes Justice is a signal to do what needs to be done. A time comes when responsibilities must be accepted, and accounts settled. The past will continue to haunt you if you do not recognize your mistakes and make amends for them. You will need to weigh matters carefully and perhaps make important decisions about your future course.

The Hanged Man!




The title of the "Hanged Man" means, in an occult sense, "suspended mind" because "man" and "mind" are from the sanskrit root (used by early occultists). The title refers also to the utter dependence of Human personality upon the Cosmic life. He hangs now as a co-worker with the Divine, having placed his own Ego out of the way of the Divine inflow. Only in this way can he attain the Higher Consciousness, and become useful to his People. The sacred tree of the grove represents the bridge to the other worlds, and it is the Consciousness which "hangs" upon the tree, which serves to unify Humankind with the Divine.

The mental attitude suggested by the Hanged Man, then, is "Not my Will, but Thine". This is ever the position of the Adept, as, indeed, it is the position of every person who works in any field of applied science. It is an illusive, personal thing which is but the reflection, or mask, of "Thy Will", which is the purpose or motive of the Cosmic Life - a Will absolutely free, and certain to be realized.

ACTIONS

letting go
having an emotional release
accepting what is
surrendering to experience
ending the struggle
being vulnerable and open
giving up control
accepting God's will

reversing
turning the world around
changing your mind
overturning old priorities
seeing from a new angle
upending the old order
doing an about-face

suspending action
pausing to reflect
feeling outside of time
taking time to just be
giving up urgency
living in the moment
waiting for the best opportunity

sacrificing
being a martyr
renouncing a claim
putting self-interest aside
going one step back to go two steps forward
giving up for a higher cause
putting others first

OPPOSING CARDS: Some Possibilities


Magician - acting, doing
Chariot - self-assertion
Seven of Wands - defiance, struggling against
Ten of Wands - struggle
Four of Pentacles - holding on, control

REINFORCING CARDS: Some Possibilities


Fool - faith in what is, going with the flow
High Priestess - suspending activity, waiting
Strength - patience, taking time
Four of Swords - rest, suspended activity
Ten of Swords - sacrifice, martyrdom

DESCRIPTION

The Hanged Man is one of the most mysterious cards in the tarot deck. It is simple, but complex. It attracts, but also disturbs. It contradicts itself in countless ways. The Hanged Man is unsettling because it symbolizes the action of paradox in our lives. A paradox is something that appears contradictory, and yet is true. The Hanged Man presents to us certain truths, but they are hidden in their opposites.

The main lesson of the Hanged Man is that we "control" by letting go - we "win" by surrendering. The figure on Card 12 has made the ultimate surrender - to die on the cross of his own travails - yet he shines with the glory of divine understanding. He has sacrificed himself, but he emerges the victor. The Hanged Man also tells us that we can "move forward" by standing still. By suspending time, we can have all the time in the world.

In readings, the Hanged Man reminds us that the best approach to a problem is not always the most obvious. When we most want to force our will on someone, that is when we should release. When we most want to have our own way, that is when we should sacrifice. When we most want to act, that is when we should wait. The irony is that by making these contradictory moves, we find what we are looking for.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Continuity of Revelation

The Continuity of Revelation


When we look at the world's religious teachings we tend to see the separate, outer forms, and see them as being unrelated to each other. Yet from our perspective there is only one inner religion, which manifests in many ways and many forms. There has been a continuity of revelation, a steady outpouring of the teachings held by the Spiritual Hierarchy throughout the ages of the world.

Each of these revelations presents to humanity some aspect of the Path. Each revelation presents some clear picture of the nature of spiritual reality. They also, in exceptional cases, ground or anchor upon the earth a spiritual principle (that is to say, a planetary, solar, or cosmic principle) making it more accessible to mankind.

It is said that Hercules, in his twelve labors, symbolically presented to humanity the path of soul unfoldment. As Hercules passed through the twelve labors he also passed through the twelve signs of the zodiac. In doing so he represented the soul, as it reincarnated over and over again, gaining experience, overcoming the limitations of the lower nature, and passing triumphantly through to the Light.

Later, yet still many ages ago, he who is now known as the Hindu teacher Vyasu represented the passage of the human being through the door of the first initiation. In that far distant age, this teacher made the transition through the door possible.

Consider an unknown, unexplored territory. A few brave souls decide to undertake a journey, and carve a path through the wilderness. After they do so, the way is easier for others. There are markers on the path, guideposts on the way, and a trail, however faint, has been established. It is the same for these great teachers. They courageously went through the trials and difficulties of initiation, forged a path through the spiritual wilderness, and by their effort and sacrifice marked the way for others.

The second initiation was represented for humanity by the life of the Hindu teacher Krishna. We see the necessary teachings for the second initiation beautifully embodied for us in the story in the Bhagavad Gita, where Arjuna, the aspiring soul, seeks his way out of the realm of the emotions into the world of the soul.

The third initiation, is gloriously represented in the life of Gautama Buddha. He symbolized in his life the great struggle against the forces of illusion, the control of the mind, and the consequent liberation into the life of Spirit. The Buddha, in his Transfiguration under the Bodhi tree, made the way easier for all subsequent disciples on the path.

The Buddha also grounded a great spiritual principle, the principle of Light. The theme of illumination, revelation, clarity of mind, and inner vision runs throughout the Buddha's teachings. In the East, this has grounded the idea of the light of the "real mind" and made it apparent to humanity. In the West, this has resulted in the revelation of the light of the soul. Many of the great Greek philosophers echoed the Buddha's words and adapted them for the benefit of the West.

The Christ continued the process of revelation, and presented many things to humanity. First, the Christ symbolized for humanity the process of the fourth initiation, often termed the Crucifixion. It is this crucifixion that is fixed in the minds of humanity by the life of the Christ, and this has served to teach humanity the need for sacrifice and service to others.

Second, the Christ anchored the spiritual energy of Love more firmly on the earth. This is not to say that love was never mentioned in other previous teachings, but that it was presented to humanity in a new way and with a new emphasis. We can see this in the West by the growing understanding of humanity about the true nature of love. It has been hard for humanity to grasp this teaching and apply it, and humanity is still — through pain and sorrow — learning the lesson of the need for love. In the East, this emphasis upon love may be seen in the rise of the Mahayana teachings of Buddhism and their emphasis upon the development of bodhicitta, the "mind of compassion."

Third, the Christ presented the path of initiation as a whole to humanity. This path is represented in every aspect of His life as portrayed in the Bible:

The first initiation: the birth at Bethlehem.
The second initiation: the baptism at the river Jordan, representing mastery over the watery emotional nature.
The third initiation: the transfiguration on Mount Carmel, with the three disciples present, witnessing the vision of the three prophets.
The fourth initiation: the Crucifixion on the cross of four arms.
The fifth initiation: the resurrection of Christ.
In this manner the whole path of initiation was presented, however dimly, to humanity.

Today we are looking forward to the time when yet another revelation will be presented to humanity. We look forward to the reappearance of the Christ (or the Buddha Maitreya, or whatever other name you so choose) and the anchoring of a new principle of divinity. The Buddha anchored the energy of Divine Light on earth. The Christ anchored the energy of Divine Love. When the Christ returns again the energy of Divine Will shall appear and be anchored on the earth in a new way. The Purpose of God will be more fully revealed to humanity. But this event will only take place when humanity has learned to truly love and when brotherhood, right human relations, and goodwill are the dominant keynotes of mankind.

When the Christ returns again the emphasis will be upon the fifth initiation, the resurrection. It will be upon the living Christ and the living soul in the heart of every human being. The emphasis will be upon freedom — freedom from the limitations of the personality nature, freedom for the soul — our true Self — to fully express in every aspect of our lives, and freedom for humanity to move into a new age of love, peace, and happiness.

Thus we have:

Hercules — path of discipleship
Vyasu — First Initiation
Krishna — Second Initiation
Gautama Buddha — Third Initiation
Christ — Fourth Initiation
The reappearance of the Christ — Fifth Initiation.
There have, of course, been many other great teachers and prophets. It may be easy to imagine that one teacher ought to be measured as being higher than the others. Yet all of these teachers were and are simply representatives of the Spiritual Hierarchy and transmitters of the qualities of Divinity. Let us visualize them all, therefore, working in joyful cooperation in every sphere of human life. Let us remember that they all work for the benefit of every human being without exception.

The appearance of these teachers has stimulated all of humanity to new life and new awareness. They have stimulated the consciousness of mankind and accelerated humanity's progress on the Path. Today the awareness of humanity is once more being stimulated by the inflow of energies from the Spiritual Hierarchy. This is a tremendous opportunity for all disciples to take advantage of these inflowing energies and consciously hasten their own evolutionary process. The "hour of opportunity" has arrived for those who are willing to take it. This is not just an opportunity of a lifetime, it is a unique opportunity in the life of the soul, a life that stretches all the way from the time when the "door of individualization" opened and animal-man became human.

The Spiritual Hierarchy, the Kingdom of Souls, has always been present. There have always been members of humanity who were in touch with this Kingdom and who have spread the teachings of the soul in the world. They have worked in their little town, city, nation, region, or society in order to adapt the teaching to the time, the place, and the consciousness of the people around them. Today, however, the Kingdom of Souls is growing closer to humanity; the Spiritual Hierarchy is externalizing and coming forth into outer expression.

We should consider the remarkable nature of this event. Consider what has happened in the past when each of the various kingdoms has come into manifestation — it was a milestone in the evolution of the planet. Ages ago the hot gasses that made up this planet solidified and the dense earth appeared — the mineral kingdom was manifested on this globe. Many ages later, algae and other plant life slowly appeared, and the plant kingdom made its presence known. Still many ages later, various forms of fish and reptiles and mammals made their appearance, and the animal kingdom came into outer form expression. Consider what kind of change these made in the consciousness of the Planetary Life. New forms of expression were possible that were not possible before.

Still later, the "door of individualization" opened, and humanity — as we now understand it to be — came into existence. This was a revolutionary event in the consciousness of the planet and all life on it — not that mankind was or is so important, but because the Planetary Life had a means of greater expression, making new activity, new creations, and new energies possible. Through humanity, for example, the energy of "mind" has been grounded upon this planet, for humanity is the exponent of mental energy. Today, the exponent of the energy of "Love," the Spiritual Hierarchy, is manifesting, and the fifth kingdom of nature is making its sequential appearance in the world, with equally momentous results. Who can say what new life and new activity will be possible for mankind and all the lower kingdoms of nature as a result of this appearance? Who can say what transforming energies will appear? Who can tell what momentous changes this may make in the Planetary Life? We can only imagine what new possibilities will be present hundreds of years from now as a result of the decisions made today. Thus we are at a momentous point in the process of evolution, the birthing of a new kingdom of nature into outer activity and the revelation of the world of the soul. We have a unique opportunity to participate in this process and, by doing so, awaken to our own soul and Monadic life and thus to perfect freedom.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The 3rd Initiation,

Third Initiation

Between the second initiation and the third, our spiritual evolution is greatly speeded up. During this period we have to demonstrate that our control of the emotional vehicle is stable and that we are nonresponsive to emotional influence. Our work also proceeds on the physical level in order to bring down the knowledge gleaned by the Spiritual Intuition and use it in our daily life. Our work also proceeds on mental levels to establish the concentration and discipline needed for the achievement of the third initiation. So progress is made within all three personality vehicles, and necessarily so, for the entire personality nature is transformed by the fires of the third initiation.

In preparation for the third initiation, the focus of our attention moves from the emotional realm to the mental. This is an easy statement to make, but it consists of more than what may be seen on the surface. Our mental life as aspirants to the third initiation is more than being a scholar or genius, more than an intense preoccupation with thoughts and ideas, and more than a powerful ability to manipulate thoughtforms and create things of beauty. It consists of a mental focus that stands at a tabletop of achievement. When we hold this mental focus we look downward to the world of the personality and see the phenomena of thought, feelings, and physical forms. We look outward to the world and realize our unity with all humanity. We look inward and find group relationships and the group life — the life of the soul that has sensed its inner connection with all other souls. We look upward to the realm of the Spiritual Intuition and bring forth and manifest those concepts and ideas that are needed for the next step in human evolution. We thus plant our mental awareness firmly within the world of the soul and the soul consciousness, and from there we work — downward, outward, inward, and upward. The mind, therefore, is decentralized away from its central focus upon our little, personal self to a broader, wider, and more inclusive realm.

At the third initiation the personality and the soul are blended and fused into one functioning whole. They no longer act separately. The energies of the Spiritual Will, Spiritual Intuition, and Abstract Mind meet and blend with the personality, and they become one Whole. This alignment and integration of soul and personality make it possible for us to directly contact the highest aspect of our nature, the Monad. We come into direct contact with the energy of Spirit, or Monadic aspect of the human being. There have been, prior to the third initiation, brief moments when the energy of the Monad has made its impact upon us — rare moments of great crisis and of spiritual illumination. The energy of the Monad has, nevertheless, in these moments been filtered through the soul — the soul acting as the mediator and transmitter of the energy of the Monad. Now, at the third initiation, these moments become more frequent, and the contact may be made directly, without the intermediary of the soul nature. The three aspects of the human constitution — Monad, soul, and personality — meet together consciously for the first time. The "Light of Spirit" then obliterates the "Light of the soul," which has in its turn outshined the "light of matter" — the three lights become One.

The third initiation, then, involves the entire threefold personality nature. Prior to this initiation, we have seen that the physical nature and the emotional vehicle have been brought under a measure of control and are able to act in response to soul purpose. Now we find that the entire personality nature is affected — the concrete mind, the emotional or desire nature, and the etheric body. This has three results:

The etheric vehicle — and consequently its reflection, the physical body — becomes fully responsive to the form-making powers of the mind. We become fully responsive to group purpose and group activity.
The emotional vehicle becomes fully responsive to the Spiritual Intuition, and the illumined Light and Love of the Intuition shines forth. We become a being who constantly reveals Divine Love.
The mental vehicle becomes responsive, for the first time, to the Spiritual Will. We begin to be responsive to the "Will of God," a phrase that indicates to us the the nature of the directing Mind of our Planetary Life, of Sanat Kumara.
These three become unified, and in that unification a new consciousness may appear. The temple of the human being is built and the indwelling Spirit is now ready to take possession of that structure.

The third initiation, then, begins a whole new process in our life, the process of unification with the Spirit aspect, the Monad. The whole path of evolution up to this point has been the awakening of the forces of our personality and their unification with the soul. At the third initiation this process is completed and a newer, higher process begins.

This contact with our Spirit aspect is hesitant and weak at first. When we first contact the soul, for example, we only have a vague and uncertain idea of the nature of that consciousness. So, too, at this initiation we have only a vague and uncertain idea of the real nature of Spirit. A whole new process of unfoldment is seen dimly before us: the "Way of the Higher Evolution." Having attained a measure of enlightenment at this third initiation we begin to see the goals that lie before us that are beyond the realm of enlightenment. A new method of living, a new way of knowing, and a new power of life is unfolded before us. This Way of the Higher Evolution leads us onward into higher worlds, kingdoms, and spheres of activity — often to realms entirely outside of our Planetary Life.

At the third initiation, our Monad begins to guide and direct our soul, just as at the first initiation the soul began to firmly guide and direct our personality. The soul life has been lived to the full; the soul has passed through countless incarnations and thereby slowly and steadily learned how to control and live through and within the personality nature. The process of living incarnation after incarnation of lives has reached a culminating point; the lessons that were to be learned in the world of personality experience have all been learned. Now it becomes possible for our Monad to begin working through our soul. The work continues on a higher turn of the spiral, and new possibilities open before our awareness. The three worlds of the personality now form only a sphere of active service for our indwelling life.

It should always be remembered that the soul and the Monad are what we really are, and who we really are. We may think of ourselves as minds and feelings and forms, but this is not our true self, our real nature. Our heritage is far greater, our inner spirit is far higher than any mind can conceive. Therefore as we unfold our soul consciousness we are unfolding our own true nature. As we take the third initiation, we are unfolding a still higher and deeper aspect of our self, the Monad. The whole process is one of unfolding and revealing our own essential nature and our own inner truth. We are not, therefore, moving away from our self to a soul or a Monad. We are instead coming into our own heritage; we are moving closer and closer to knowing our own Divine Self. We always have been, we always are, and we always will be the Monad, but this remains unrecognized due to the limitations of the personality. It is up to us to take the action necessary to discover our own true nature, follow the path of initiation, and discover our inner, Monadic life.

The third degree initiate is characterized by the Divine Will. We have learned, as esoteric students, to manifest the light that is within us, and to spread that light in service. We have learned, on the path of initiation, to manifest the love of the soul in every aspect of our lives. We now come to the point where the Will and Purpose of Divinity radiate forth, and work in and through the energies of Light and Love. The personal will and the will of the soul are both submerged in the Divine Will. This is done with full understanding and with perfect freedom. The Divine Will is never imposed, but is freely chosen by those initiates who choose it and who are ready to endure that blast of Cosmic Electrical Fire.

The third degree initiate acts consciously in cooperation with the plan of the Planetary Life. We have, in the past, learned how to cooperate with an ever growing band of servers. We have learned how to work with other servers to achieve soul purpose. Still later, we learn how to cooperate with the planetary Hierarchy, the Kingdom of Souls, and take our place within the Whole. Now, the third degree initiate learns a still higher form of cooperation — a cooperation with the plan and purpose of the Planetary Life itself, as represented by the personified manifestation of that Life, Sanat Kumara. The third degree initiate consciously cooperates with the plan and purpose not only of the soul, not only of the Spiritual Hierarchy, but also with the plan and purpose that emanate from the "Council Chamber at Shamballa." There is a new and direct relationship with Shamballa, "the centre where the Will of God is known."

The third degree initiate is no longer affected by the world illusion, and sees everything in its true nature. This is the consummation of a threefold conquest of personality limitations.

The dense material form's control over our actions and feelings — that is, the force of maya — is overcome at the first initiation.
The ability of the emotional vehicle to direct and control our choices and decisions — otherwise called glamor — is overcome at the second initiation.
The tendency of the mind to lead us off into realms of imagination and fantasy — or mental illusion — is overcome at the third initiation. The force of illusion no longer blinds the eyes of the initiate, and the World of Light and Power is seen and experienced. This is not some abstract realm of the imagination, but a subjective world that, to the inner eye, is as obvious as the physical world is to our physical eyes.
Prior to the third initiation we proceeded blindly; we took the existence and nature of the inner spiritual realities on faith and inner conviction. We relied upon the Intuition of our heart, the word of our Master, and the wisdom teachings of the ages for our knowledge and understanding. We aspired to some day see these things for ourselves. At the third initiation all this process is over. The scales fall from our eyes. Our inner vision is awakened and knowledge, faith, and belief are replaced by direct experience. Knowledge is gained directly from Intuitional apprehension; there is no more need to read books or study — the mental vehicle no longer needs to be built up or strengthened. For the third degree initiate, the Spiritual Intuition — the mind that perceives Reality — is fully active and can be used at will. The hidden world that lies behind all outer appearances is known and perceived. This is a clear, grounded vision that is seen with the eyes and heard with the ears — the subjective world of the soul becomes just as definite and objective as the physical world. The third degree initiate moves in a World of Light where thoughts and ideas are seen as the outer manifestation rather than the physical universe.

The third degree initiate has transcended "time" as we understand it. Prior to the third initiation we are focussed within our personality life, which is intensely preoccupied with the past. Past achievements, problems, and events are what preoccupy our personality nature. The soul, in its turn, is preoccupied with the future and the possibilities that lie ahead. The third degree initiate, however, has received a touch of the awareness of Monad. Then the past and the future are resolved into the Eternal Now. No longer preoccupied with the concerns of the personality, and no longer swept up by the forward-looking consciousness of the soul, the initiate always lives in what we would call a timeless realm — though it is only timeless from the standpoint of our limited consciousness.

We, in our personality consciousness, imagine that we have a soul, that other people have souls, and that there are millions and billions of individual souls in the world. From the angle of the personality this is quite true and accurate, but from the angle of the indwelling Spirit there is only one soul, only one consciousness, and only one Divine Awareness that pervades all things. For the third degree initiate, there is no longer any sense of "my soul and thy soul," but rather an all-pervading unity is sensed and known, and the sense of separateness is banished forever.

The third degree initiate is therefore relatively unconcerned with the happenings and affairs of the personality. We find, at this point, an all-engrossing focus upon the subjective worlds and the events and happenings that concern the Spiritual Hierarchy itself, as well as energies emanating from that still higher kingdom of nature, Shamballa.

After the third initiation progress is rapid, and the fourth initiation — often called the Crucifixion — looms ahead. At the fourth initiation all personality limitations are overcome, and all sorrow, sadness, and doubt are set aside. Having fully expressed our true soul nature, we demonstrate the qualities of Spiritual Will, Spiritual Intuition, and Abstract Mind. These three aspects of the Spiritual Soul blend and unite with the three aspects of the personality — mind, emotions, and body. The result is the liberation of the lower self completely out of the limitations of matter into joy, peace, and bliss.

After that, the fifth initiation, the Resurrection, is taken and the Being that was once a struggling aspirant is now a Master of the Wisdom, a Lord of Compassion, who works endlessly in the service of all life.

With the third initiation we have already moved out of the realm of knowledge of all except the most advanced students, and it does not profit us to consider the later initiations in any detail. Until we have done the work needed to achieve the first three initiations and have blended soul and personality, there is no need to aspire to the world of Spirit and Monad. Anything we might say about these things would only add more meaningless words to the pile that has already been built up by those who have speculated upon these matters. When the words "Spirit," "Being," "Life," "Divinity," and "Monad" begin to have some practical meaning in our lives, then and only then will it be time to move forward.

* * * * *

In long ages past, the Spiritual Hierarchy assisted in raising the animal-men of the time to the human state. Today, they assist humanity in making a still higher ascent, out of the human kingdom into the Kingdom of Souls.

Knowing this, we come to understand the influence of the Spiritual Hierarchy and the Masters on the path of initiation. For there to be an initiation, there must be an initiator. We do not somehow initiate ourselves without any outside influence or assistance; initiation is made possible by the inflow of energy from the Spiritual Hierarchy, by the active aid of the Masters, and by the power of the One Who conveys initiation.

For the first and second initiations, the Initiator is the individual Who holds the office of the Christ, that Being Who is the Master of the Masters and the Head of the Spiritual Hierarchy. It is the Christ's influence, blessing, and outpouring of energy that so stimulates the indwelling soul that the initiation can take place.

For the third and later initiations, the Initiator is the Lord of the World, Sanat Kumara, the King of Shamballa. Sanat Kumara is the One Initiator, the Wielder of the Rod of Fire, and the First Hierophant. Sanat Kumara expresses the Will of the Planetary Life, and brings it down for the benefit of the initiate, as well as for the benefit of all evolution upon our planet. Each one of us who takes initiation adds to the light that shines forth from our little globe. Each ascent toward Reality brings all nature a little closer to expressing Divine Love. Sanat Kumara guides and guards all life, raising all beings upon this planet upward toward union with the Divine Will.

At the third initiation there is a sign of approval that radiates outward from Sanat Kumara to the initiate. This sign is the flashing forth of the image of a star. This has been well expressed in the following verse:

There is a peace that passeth understanding; it abides in the hearts of those who live in the Eternal. There is a power which maketh all things new. It lives and moves in those who know the Self as One. May that peace brood over us; that power uplift us, till we stand where the One Initiator is invoked, till we see His star shine forth.

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
It must be remembered that mankind's development is a gradual process over many millions of years. He progresses in steps or stages very slowly at first, but at an increasing rate as he reaches the higher planes of awareness. In the beginning the divine sparks descended into matter and through experience in the mineral, plant and animal kingdoms, eventually individualised as a human soul. This has been the normal evolvement for souls on this world, but on worlds in other Universes there exist many ways of evolvement. For example, one could exist as a beam of light or as a vibrational sound. In a few cases the souls now on earth have evolved from the Devic Kingdom or Angelic Realm. This has been achieved by changing life streams at the Nature Spirit stage, into the animal and then human kingdom. However, changing from one life stream to another is extremely rare at the lower levels of evolvement and is extremely difficult to accomplish in most cases. At a higher level the various lifestreams blend into one as they come nearer to perfection in the Celestial Realms. The Ascended Masters level normally has to be achieved before life streams can be changed. In fact, one of the paths open to the Masters is to progress on into the Devic Kingdom. The past races on earth have been many and varied, each race developing one of the major facets which make up the perfect man. The Atlantean race (4th root race) developed the emotions and the present Aryan race (5th root race) is developing the mental powers. The race to come (6th root race) will develop the spiritual powers and psychic abilities while the 7th root race will attain Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension. The 6th root race now being formed will come about in two ways. Firstly by the transmutation of members of the older races and secondly by souls being born into this New Race. We are particularly concerned with those souls now receiving a spiritual awakening to the existence of other planes of life. For it is out of these souls that the new race will be born, as their awareness increases step by step, barrier by barrier, initiation by initiation. There are individuals who will achieve in one life what it will take the average man another 2,000 years to attain and so they will jump ahead of the normal

evolutionary path of the remainder of mankind. Those that do attain to these heights of awareness will have passed either consciously or unconsciously through the barriers and initiations described in this book. The Barrier of Spiritual Awareness is the starting point of knowledge of the spiritual side of life. Below this barrier, people will tend to be rather materialistic and with little or no understanding of the religions, even though they may belong to an orthodox church. The majority of humanity, unfortunately, still fall into this category. Above the barrier of Spiritual Awareness people will have an interest in phenomena such as ghosts, poltergeists, seances, fortune telling and other similar topics. As their awareness rises, their knowledge of the hidden planes increases to a simple understanding of life after death and the immortality of the soul. Further study by reading or talking to people already aware of these spiritual truths, produces a desire in those souls to discover the real meaning of their life. In time, their consciousness becomes raised to perceive greater details of the Plan of Evolution. This can come about in many ways and a list of a few such possibilities is given below. • Research into UFO's and their purpose, • Research into the religions of the world. • Research into the writings of the Mystics. • Research into philosophical subjects and books. • Research into metaphysics and psychic phenomena. • Joining of a spiritualist church or group. • Joining of a society which preserves the ancient wisdom, such as the Rosicrucian, Theosophists, Knight Templars etc. Each soul has a different path and where one may advance through a study of UFO's, another will look into psychic phenomena or read books on the mystics. Some souls may study only one of the above topics, others may study two or three of them and in rarer cases all of them. All roads lead to God and whichever road you are on, it will sooner or later join other roads and eventually all these individual roads join to become a massive highway leading man ever higher into the celestial realms. Unknowingly, the soul's search for Truth is producing an effect on his Astral and Mental bodies and a stronger link is being formed between his Astral and Physical bodies thus precipitating him into further experiences at what can be called the Astral barrier.

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

THE ASTRAL BARRIER
Before dealing with the Astral Barrier, it is necessay to mention briefly the other bodies of man. In metaphysical literature one can find descriptions of the seven known bodies which man is said to possess, but it is probable that in actual fact he has 12 bodies or vehicles in which he may function. The five unknown bodies are at present dormant, but the permanent atom or seed is present within the Divine Spark ready to be awakened when conditions are right. It would appear that the now dormant bodies are for use at a level of superconsciousness in other dimensions which man on this world is not yet ready to access. The Divine spark it seems is joined to eleven other Divine sparks to form a Composite Being which at a later date, when all the bodies of each of the Divine Sparks have perfected themselves, will become a Logos. As the theme of this book is initiations it is not intended to go into too much detail of the various bodies and the planes and sub-planes on which they function, but an explanation will be given wherever this is necessary so that the various barriers and initiations can be understood. Extra Sensory Perceptions such as clairaudience, clairvoyance and telepathy begin on the Astral Plane and are abilities of the Astral Body. However, it should be understood that clairaudience, clairvoyance etc. extend into the mental realms and above, but what is known on Earth as E.S.P. is normally of the Astral type. The higher levels of spiritual perception are of a different order and cannot normally be tested by the accepted means of using cards on which there are a number of simple symbols. The Lower Mental body has similar abilities to the Astral body, but in its own realm it has a wider perception, as another dimension has been added to that existing at the Astral level. This widened perception increases with each plane of existence you rise up into. People who have the psychic gifts as mentioned above are either born with the particular faculty developed or gain it through one of the following methods: (a) Specialised Psychic Development, and

(b) Spiritual Development. Psychic development on its own is not to be encouraged for through this means certain abilities are gained but the deeper spiritual wisdom and awareness is often lacking. Spiritual development allows the development of an inner awarerness and a deeper understanding of the meaning of life. As the consciousness is raised by perfecting the lower self, the psychic abilities manifest naturally at the appropriate time. People on a truly spiritual path often develop the ability to become channels and become attuned telepathically to higher beings guiding them from the mental realms and above. At the appointed stage a link between the physical body and the Causal body (Higher Self) is made. People on mainly a psychic path will normally progress no further than the Astral level (i.e. mediums - whose work is solely on the Astral Plane or those who are quite satisfied with just psychic phenomena). As the soul progresses, and the link between the Astral body and the physical body becomes stronger, lower astral entities are attracted. These lower astral entities are normally of a playful nature, but can also be malevolent and can sometimes cause great disturbances to the aspiring soul who is blithely unaware of what is happening. In a sensitive person this is a difficult and sometimes fearful time, however in fairly insensitive people little or no impression is made, except for minor physical disturbances, i.e. feelings of physical discomfort. Sensitive people may possibly be subject to mischievious activities by unknown entities, particularly at night. The best way to overcome these annoying astral entities is to:(a) Laugh at them (metaphorica:lly speaking) and tell them to go away. (b) Never on any occasion fear them or take them too seriously. (They feed on fear.) (c) Create a shell of astral matter around you through which nothing can enter. (d) Create an aura of blue or white light around you. (e) Raise your vibrations and consciousness to a level beyond their reach. (g) Invoke the protection of a Higher Being. On passing the Astral barrier, which occurs when it is seen that you are not to be deterred from your spiritual path by the antics of these astral entities, a learning phase begins concerning the Astral plane and the pitfalls of communication with beings who inhabit its realms. However, this learning phase does not occur at exactly the same time for every soul, as experience of the Astral plane can occur anywhere between the barrier of Spiritual

Awareness and the barrier of World Acceptance. However, during this time the aspiring soul is learning by the means already described under the chapter on Spiritual Awareness. At this time many hours may well be spent looking into and reading about the ideas and experiences of other people or groups (Religions). It is likely that investigation of this type will continue until the aspirant begins to search within himself. Up until now he has followed the teachings and beliefs of others, now he seeks his own experiences and it is here that he leaves behind the dogmas and creeds of others and approaches the barrier of Self Leadership.

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

SELF LEADERSHIP
The barrier of Self Leadership is passed when the aspirant begins to seek his own pathway to perfection. It is the stage at which the Lower Mental Body is actively assimilating the basic spiritual truths. Thus this stage can be said to be an academic one culminating in an intellectual knowing of these great truths. At this time the aspirant will generally be doing a great deal of reading and will be learning the more general details of the spiritual realms, planes and sub-planes, and about the work of the Masters and the initiates. It is a time of sorting out the important truths from all the great religions and coming to an understanding of the paths of progression open to man. One will learn:• Meditation - its purpose and benefits. • Diet and the necessity of having a purified physical body. • Karma and its effect on one lives. • That the love of God and love of one's neighbour are the two most important tenets to practise when working toward Cosmic or Christ Consciousness. • Service to others is the way of achievement and initiation. • Faith is knowledge in action. • Determination is the will to succeed . Without these factors well grasped and understood and thoroughly ingrained in one's being, progress will be nil; for the greatest danger which everybody has to face is that of vanity, pride and arrogance.
q q q

Vanity makes you seek for self-aggrandisement. Pride makes you feel self-important. Arrogance makes you self-righteous.

Too many people who reach this stage stray from the path because one or all of these traits creep in and take control of the self. When I say the self, I'm referring to the lower self, which is the personality or the doer in the body. It is the very thing one should try to forget and put aside, thus allowing the Higher Self to manifest through the lower bodies. There are many who in their cock-sure self righteousness think that they have found all that there is to find, and know all that there is to know. Those on the true path must cultivate just the opposite characteristics and must learn to develop humility,

mental quiet and the ability to meditate, plus an attitude of self-analysis or enquiry. If the aspirant has begun to cultivate these facets, the Higher Self, being perfectly aware of this, will begin to influence the lower bodies. At first the influence will be felt in a subtle way such as an urge to do, or not to do a certain thing. These feelings will increase in strength and number and will eventually culminate in a telepathic channel being opened up between the physical vehicle and the Higher Self. In fact it is vital that this channel be opened up by the time the 750,000 barrier is passed, as a stage of karmic clearance at a mental and emotional level begins soon after. One of the first things the Higher Self will normally try to communicate to the physical body, is the necessity for a pure diet and the need to give up all forms of poison which man usually takes without thinking twice. Thus the aspirant may begin to cleanse the body by giving up various things such as: • Smoking • Alcohol • Meat eating • Drug taking, (except in cases of serious illness). The intake of of freshly grown fruit and vergetables will be encouraged. These must be as free as possible from all kinds of poisonous sprays, while the water used for cooking and drinking should be unfluoridated. Thus an intellectual knowledge is gained of the path to be followed to reach the higher consciousness. Now comes the time when this intellectual approach must be added to by the gaining of soul force. This begins gradually as the aspirant acts on the knowledge gained and the influences of the Higher Self. A daily meditation period should be started and during this time thoughts or prayers should be given out stating the desire to become a better or purer person, plus the desire to achieve the higher stages of consciousness. During these meditation periods contact with the Higher Self should be attempted if there is not already a channel opened up to the physical vehicle. Most important of all is the development of the will power and determination to succeed plus the attitude that spiritual development, and the attainment of the higher stages of consciousness are not only possible, but will be achieved. Too many people do not believe that they are attainable. If the aspirarit practises meditation regularly and carries out all the promptings and instructions of the Higher Self quickly, then he will soon find himself at the barrier of World Acceptance.

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

WORLD ACCEPTANCE
On passing the barrier of World Acceptance which is the First initiation, the aspirant takes a great step forward in his spiritual development. The difference between a person above this barrier, and a person below, is that the person above KNOWS HIS PATH, the path which he must follow in life to reach the higher initiations and levels of consciousness. It is not intellectual knowing, but soul knowing, and nothing can deter him from this path or persuade him otherwise - HE KNOWS. Another aspect of passing this barrier is that the aspirant will become extremely positive, confident and sure in his outlook and approach to life, for this is the first step on the climb to the higher realms. One of the first outer manifestations of the passing of this barrier will be when the aspirant takes up the spiritual work which he is destined to do for the time being. This spiritual work will be in the nature of some kind of service to others and will be in addition (in most cases) to his ordinary daily occupation. This spiritual service is one which will cater in some way for the needs of the soul at the Higher Self level. Many people are involved in spiritual work, but in most cases this work deals with the needs of the physical body or is a purely administrative function. To gain World Acceptance you must be prepared to give up your whole life to serving your fellow man. Not with meaningless mouthings, but to really feel, understand and live inside that person. To grow alongside him through all his difficulties and sufferings. To be able to go down to his level of understanding with no feeling of repulsion or shame, to shine like a glorious light in his presence and expand his budding consciousness into fruition. There must be warmth, benevolence, depth of soul (greater than you can envisage in your present understanding) and most of all - enlightenment. You must be prepared at any time in your eternal existence to incarnate again on any world in any physical existence to bring Peace and Love; ease of suffering and most of all, Hope to a struggling population, whether they be of the race of Human or some other race on a distant planet.

You are truly at a level worth having when you can go to the heights of consciousnes and yet have time and love enough to stop for a soul that is weighed down. This is your test of endurance of soul force, when even though you are advancing, you can bridge the gap between those above you and those behind you. Until you can commune with both, you are not ready for World Acceptance. For how can you carry out any of the forgoing unless you can descend from the heights you have reached, to give light and hope to those that come after? Those that you come to help need to feel your presence with great happiness, not a feeling of hopelessnes of ever being what you are. Have not all the Great Ones brought with them the peace that passeth all understanding, so that to be in their presence is to live in the warmth of God? When you can radiate with love and warmth, when your face turns towards those lowliest of souls, then are you ready! Your self denial must go further than your daily physical fare; you must put all around you before yourself. Never cause distress to any living soul. Let it be said that where you walk is Peace abiding, Hope everlasting and eternal, that all may see that YOU DID NOT LIVE IN VAIN. It is necessary to have a supreme awareness of the situation you are called upon to serve under. To be able to prepare those in your care for the great beyond, down to the smallest detail. Nothing must be too small for your loving attention. Man has no conception of what enlightenment of love means in the service of God for fellow man. It is a service of love, unwavering devotion, even in the midst of scorn from those you help. Therefore grow close to those immediately concerned with you, as they will be your strength upon the physical plane in which you are presently operating. At this point in time you cannot be aware of what confronts you, of the mammoth task which your final acceptance will mean, though its duty is one of great love and glorious exhilaration for those beneath its canopy. Each must prepare in his own way for that which is to come and none may say that he should follow in this way or that, for each have their pattern in the Universe. Just be considerate, while at the present time and state of your unawareness, until you realise what path they follow and THEN will you see that all are expanding in the same way, but which, due to your limited view-

point you were unable to grasp at the time. These are all part of the requirements needed to serve. Many will be the times you look down on a world and see such situations. At these times you must be fully aware of how to deal with these and help and give unswerving RIGHT GUIDANCE to every soul within your care. World Service is initiation into The Great White Brotherhood as it is known in the arcane wisdom. The brotherhood of Lords, Ascended Masters, Arhats, and disciples function mainly on the higher planes at the Atmaic and Buddhic levels of consciousness, but their activities extend down into the lower realms and even onto the physical world. The aspirant has now been initiated into this dedicated brotherhood and it comes all the responsibility and work this entails. (See "The Masters and the Path" by C.W. Leadbeater for a description of the initiation ceremony). The initiation ceremony is conducted on the Astral level, and during this time the Buddhic body gives an impetus to the Astral body. This is normally felt on the physical level as a great surge of love and joy which can be of tremendous intensity. People who are nearing a barrier may get all sorts of side-effects caused by the physical body not being able to adjust fast enough to the increased vibrations. These effects can manifest as:• Symptoms of a heady cold. • Headaches and dizziness. • Warm or flushed face and increased body heat. (In extreme cases delerium) • Inability to eat certain foods. (Restriction to a diet of pure vegetables and fruit. In extreme cases - fasting) • Feeling of irritability and restlessness. • Tension in the solar plexus area. • Sensitivity of the third eye area. • Sensitivity on the crown of the head. As one progresses, the body becomes lighter and purer and for this to occur, vast changes go on in the physical body. The degree of sensitivity of the physical body will govern the number and intensity of the side effects. As one progresses towards the 950,000 barrier, further side effects can occur, such as skin rashes, which are often due to karmic clearances. A phase of karmic clearance will occur soon after passing the 750,000 barrier and its duration and intensity will depend on the amount of karma the soul has to sort out before reaching the next barrier. This karma can manifest physically, emotionally and mentally and little can be said about it as it's a strictly personal affair. It is essential for the aspirant

to have a telepathic channel to his Higher Self so that the necessary answers can be obtained. The karma at this time is often to do with the sorting out of personal relationships, however it is essential to keep an open mind and be prepared to admit to past mistakes and be ready to look very carefully at one's motives, in both past and present lives. Self enquiy and analysis is the key. These phases of karmic clearance, studying books etc, do not occur at the same stage of development for everybody. The path of each person is an individual one so that it is only possible to generalise when a person will start a particular phase. Therefore what some people experience or learn before passing the 500,000 barrier, others may not experience or learn until after passing the 500,000 barrier. The description of the various barriers given in these chapters cover the general trend of events which occur during this time. Many people are unconscious of passing barriers until they have passed or are approaching the 750,000 barrier. Those people who function on a devotional or love ray may achieve very great heights before they come to the realisation of what they have spiritually achieved. People on the Love Ray can progress considerably faster when a conscious knowledge of the Law of Progression is applied to their life. The approach outlined herein is one of Love, Wisdom, Knowledge and Power, in combination and balance, particular suited to the mental capabilities and attitudes of the western man. (This approach is akin to Gnana and Raja Yoga which is followed in the East). As the aspirant progresses towards the next barrier of Divine Power Manifesting it will be necessary to purify the diet (if this has not already been done) by cutting out all kinds of meat and fish and reducing the intake of starches and preservatives. Food should be good, wholesome and fresh; guidance will be given by the Higher Self as to the diet most suitable. Cell salts should be taken regularly. In many cases where the physical body has been poisoned by bad food and drugs over a number of years, a period of fasting will be necessary to clear the body of the accumulated poisons. During this fasting period, vegetable and fruit juices, soups and broths can be ingested, but no solids should be taken whatsoever. The period of fasting can be anything up to 10 weeks and can be done in stages suitable to the individual, as it is necessary to accustom the body to fasting. Therefore a one-day fast is attempted first of all and as the body becomes used to this, the period can be extended gradually to two days, then three days etc. To be effective, the fast should preferably be in 7 day cycles. This is because the body works on a 7-day clearance cycle.

While fasting, physical exertion should be cut to a minimum and the body should never be allowed to become too weak or depleted. If this occurs, stop fasting and commence eating normally again to build up strength. The fast should be broken by an apple as this sets up the peristaltic (pushing action) of the intestines and gets the gastric juices to flow. This can be followed by a salad or a very light meal. A prolonged fast (exceeding one week) should be broken very carefully as the body will take time to become used to solids again. Once again, guidance from the Higher Self is essential. Further learning during this stage from books, meditation etc., will occur as the Path unfolds and after this is the time when a soul mate will appear if the aspirant is to have a companion in the work he or she is to undertake. Before attaining the second initiation or the 950,000 barrier, the aspirant will have to become balanced physically, as the next stage of Divine Power Manifesting is a strain on the physical body. So this phase is generally one of removing karmic blockages which are mainly of a physical and emotional nature and which drain the energy and the willpower. The next stage requires a healthy physical body and a controlled emotional vehicle and once this is achieved the control of the mind now becomes important for the aspirant to pass the barrier of Divine Power Manifesting.

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

DIVINE POWER MANIFESTING
This barrier can be passed in two ways:Either by deliberately meditating to shift one's consciousness from the physical body to the Causal or Buddhic Body, or by experiencing a series of events which cause an expansion of consciousness to occur and a contact to be made with the consciousness of one of the higher bodies. (which are the Causal and those above). The first method requires the control of the mind as it is necessary to withdraw your consciousness into the centre of your being wherein the eternal "I AM" dwells. There are many techniques for doing this but the one outlined by Paul Brunton in his book entitled "Quest of the Overself"' appears to be one of the most suitable methods for people on this particular path. However, it should be realised that guidance can be obtained from the aspirant's Higher Self as to the technique most suitable for the individual concerned. Therefore do not follow blindly what other people have written. The second method requires a constant awareness of every situation you find yourself in, as the series of events will have been arranged by the Master guiding you and your Higher Self to suit your particular karmic pattern. The aspirant cannot normally affect the series of events which will happen to him by bringing forward their occurrence. He has to wait patiently for the right time and keep his mind and thoughts open to the highest influences. Whichever method is adopted the aspirant must consciously try to attune all his lower bodies to the Divine Essence which pervades all. His Lower Mental Body should be attuned to the Causal Body and and the Universal Mind. His Astral Body should be attuned to the Buddhic Body and Divine Love. His Physical Body should be attuned to the Atmaic Body and Divine Will. He must aspire within his Being to reach new heights of consciouness, to understand more of the realms in which the Higher Bodies live, and to realise more of the Higher Bodies thoughts, feelings, experiences and way of life. Above all he must be patient, for the experience of a higher state of consciousness only comes when he is suitably prepared and the time is right.

In this case the barrier is one you have to go "through". To achieve this, the particles of your bodies need to become finer by the process of purification which is undertaken in your physical, emotional and mental vehicles. This purification leaves spaces between your molecules owing to the waste matter which has been cleared out. The bodies then have to reach a certain space/solid ratio so that they may pass through the barrier. On reaching the other side of the barrier an expansion of consciousness occurs together with an increase in the size of your Causal Body. This increase in the size of the Causal Body is due to the fact that is is gathering matter of the same type and vibration in the gaps that are left between its molecules. From the table on Vibrational Frequencies shown earlier, it can be seen that this barrier coincides with the 2nd Initiation. Now initiation and the passing of the barrier do not normally occur at the same time, although they can. The ceremonies of initiation at the various levels are carried out at particular times of the year, which at present, are during the months of January, June and October. For example, if one passed a barrier in November initiation would then occur in January. This second initiation is carried out in the Lower Mental Body on the Mental Planes. In the past, various temples were used as places for initiation and the Great Pyramid at Gizah was perhaps one of the most famous. The aspirant was required to lay in the sarcophagus and by artificial means was induced to shift his consciousness from his physical body. This experience would create a profound change in his attitude towards life, as having once experienced the continuation of Life consciously in his other bodies, he would know that death was but the casting off of the physical shell. There is a great deal of difference between intellectually knowing this and actually experiening it! This barrier is the first main barrier on the path to Cosmic Consciousness. The other two main barriers being Divine Power in Action and Divine Power Perfectly Controlled. From now on the aspirant will experience the Divine Power Manifesting at particular times in his daily life. This could occur when a person needs help by either physical, etheric, emotional, or mental healing. The power can also manifest in many other ways, apart from the more wellknown powers of prophecy and healing. There are many levels from which healing is carried out, but it often operates from much lower levels such as the Astral or Mental Planes. However, Divine Power operates at least from the Atmaic level (and is channelled in most instances through the Buddhic Body) which accounts for some of the abilities demonstrated by Jesus. This power is manifesting only on occasions at this time and it is not until one is through the barrier of Divine Power in Action that it can manifest continually.

The three year ministry of Jesus was a demonstration of Divine Power in Action and various events in Jesus's ministry symbolised the different initiations. • Baptism by water - lst initiation. • Baptism by fire and the Holy Ghost - 2nd initiation • Transfiguration - 3rd initiation. • Crucifixion and Resurrection - 4th initiation • Ascension - 5th initiation. There are many channels for healing power in the world today who can operate above this level of vibration (950,000 cycles/nanno secs.) but only when they are overshadowed by a highly evolved spiritual being. When this overshadowing ceases, they drop below the vibrational barrier again. Having passed the barrier, the aspirant will pass through various phases before reaching the next barrier which is Control over One's Self. These phases are in many ways continuations of the previous phase, but at a higher level. Before the 750,000 barrier is passed, a sorting out of personal relationships on the physical level occurs, and before 950,000 barrier is passed a sorting out of karmic relationships occur on the astral level. So before the 1,250,000 barrier is reached, a phase of karmic clearance on a mental level occurs. This does not mean that all the karma on the physical, astral and mental levels is cleared before passing this barrier, but it does mean that as much as possible is cleared of that which is blocking your progress. Certain karmic relationships and character traits may be so deep and complicated that they could only be sorted out at an even higher level, i.e., when one's consciousness has expanded enough to deal with it. Therefore as one had to fast to clear the physical body of impurities, so one now begiris to fast to purify the mind and to lighten it, thus enabling the consciousness to be raised. For to be allowed to use Divine power one must be pure on all levels, free from our many human failings. One must be King over one's self!

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

CONTROL OVER ONE'S SELF
"Now you must become king over Yourself, the Self which is Not. Then you will rise to be Kings over the people, but not as warrior Kings, or overlord Kings, but Kings in the stature of Love, Light, Wisdom, Beauty and in all things that the craving heart adores when touched by the light of God." In many ways this is one of the hardest barriers to get through, as it involves controlling the lower self. Was not Jesus tempted 40 days in the wilderness by the Devil? He conquered the Devil, his lower self, and went on to demonstrate the wonders which can be brought forth when the lower self becomes completely at one with the Higher Self. The great danger during this phase is from pride and vanity. One must be unaffected by the mockery of the scoffers or the praises of the believers. One must remember that Divine Power comes from God and you are but a channel for it, therefore no credit is due to you for the wonders which can be achieved. There are certain fallen Angels who have rebelled against God and have become puffed up with their own importance; some of these Angels have vowed to lead all they can away from the true path. These Angels seek to mislead people by giving them a sense of importance and seek to flatter their vanity. Therefore they may indicate that you were an important person in a past life, or that you have come on a great mission, or that you are an aspect of a Master. The following is a message received by a member of Group New Age:"Beware of those who bear the Name but are not of the Name. The Archangel Kosmon rebelled against Me and he it is who captures those groups that reach the point where their pride and arrogance of their work overtakes them. Be staid on Me and seek no names, for those who come in Names ARE NOT. I say that those who state that they are those who are known on the inner planes cannot be of Me, for those who work with Me are reticent, they give not their names willingly or blindly. Know the Name that is whispered within, that is not blazoned across the pages of printed books for masses to read. Beware the Name that states its purpose and blazons itself loudly, for those who work with Me - both above and below - work in the secret of their heart. I have spoken."

The technique for overcoming your lower self is firstly to know oneself. This is achieved by asking the right questions; a self-analysis of all your lower bodies is undertaken. At this stage, one may find out that some of your character traits stem from the particular Being within whose galaxy or star system one came into existence, as a Composite Being or as an individual man. This is not the place to go into the details of the creation of Beings, but basically within a particular Being there should be a balance of the two creative forces, positive and negative; however, in certain Star Systems this has not always been the case, resulting in an inbalance within individual Beings. The faults and failings of the lower self must be corrected and where these have particularly strong links with past lives the aspirant will receive knowledge of them in various ways. Complete knowledge of past lives will not be gained until one has complete mastery over the lower self. Only the lives whose remembrance will benefit your progression will be given at this stage. The emphasis at this stage is on discipline and one-pointedness. Discipline in many ways, of diet, of meditation, of the mind, of the body etc. Onepointedness in overcoming your faults, in expanding your consciousness, in doing the work which has been given to you to do, to the best of your ability etc. Progress up to the 950,000 barrier was by the expansion of one's knowledge and wisdom. Progress above the 950,000 barrier is by developments within oneself, such as purification of the body, the emotions and the mind; or expansion of consciousness to the Causal, Buddhic and Atmaic planes. Some barriers and hurdles have to be leapt (metaphorically speaking) i.e. 750,000 and 1,500,000 while others are veils which one has to go through i.e. 950,000, 1,250,000 and 1,750,000. The barrier of Control over Oneself is of great importance, as it is the key to the Manifestation of Divine Love.

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

DIVINE POWER PERFECTLY CONTROLLED
When the aspirant reaches the stage whereby Divine Power is sublimated or controlled into perfection by love, he is in perfect control of God's energy. In this realm or state of existence which is in the physical, the aspirant becomes a Master and is able to bring forth wonders and vibrate his surroundings into action in a perfected way. To pass this great initiation one must experience what is known as "the dark night of the soul". This entails a moment in time when the soul stands alone, deserted not only by his friends, but apparently even by God. This desertion is often preceeded by apparent recognition by people of the work which that particular soul has been doing. Taking Jesus's life as an example:There was the triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday and the delivery of a number of addresses in the temple on the Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday came the betrayal by Judas Iscariot followed by the trials before Pilate and Herod on Thursday; then on Friday the Crucifixion.Up to the time of Crucifixion Jesus had been spurned by man and while on the cross he experienced for a moment the awful feeling of being deserted by God - "Eli, Eli lama sabachthani", that is to say, "My God, My God why has thou forsaken me?" This appalling state called Avichi is a condition in which one stands absolutely alone in space and feels cut off from all life and even God. It is said to last only a moment, but to those who have experienced its supreme horror it seemed an eternity, for at that level of consciousness, time and space do not exist. The need to experience this condition is possibly, firstly, so that the aspirant can fully sympathise with those to whom Avichi comes as a result of their actions; and secondly, that he may learn to stand absolutely apart from everything external, triumphant in the knowledge that he is one with God and that this sense of isolation is but an illusion. The aspirant on passing this supreme test reaches a state of Cosmic Consciousness or Nirvana as it has been called. It is impossible physically to comprehend Nirvana but many great souls have done their best to convey in some measure the reality of this state of existence. It has been described as that consciousness which has its centre everywhere

and its circumference nowhere. This consciousness is of the Buddhic Plane where all is Light and where the unity with and of all creation is experienced as a living reality. On the third day Jesus rose from the dead showing that the last enemy "death" could be overcome. Not all who pass this initiation die and then become resurrected; many achieve Cosmic Consciousness without dying. Some may achieve it and be translated to another world or realm fully conscious while others may stay on earth in a physical body for a time to do some great work. Once this consciousness is achieved the soul is freed from the bounds of earth and its karma. Those who achieve this state without dying need to progress on to the next barrier which is transmutation of the body cells before becoming immortal. There have been many since the time of Jesus who have achieved this consciousness and have been resurrected and gone on to a higher state of existence. In 1417 after addressing the multitude on the greatness of man's accomplishment, Tsong Kappa became transfigured and disappeared with his body. He then returned at a later date and founded the Yellow Order or Reformed Established Church of Tibet of which Lhasa is the central hub. In the 18th century there were the Masters Morya and Germain who later brought about the foundation of the Theosophical Society (1875) along with the Master Kuthumi. In 1895 Lahiri Mahasaya who was a disciple of the great Master Babaji died and appeared later in a resurrected body to some of his disciples, as did Sri Yuktesar who died in 1936 and appeared later to his disciple Yogananda. More recently Christine Mercier and Annalee and Reason Skarin have achieved this state of consciousness and have passed into greater realms of existence. There are many souls in incarnation at present who have set themselves the attainment of this level of consciousness in this life. The coming of the New Age will greatly speed up man's evolution and the attainment of Cosmic Consciousness will occur much more frequently than in the past.

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

TRANSMUTATION OF THE CELLS OF THE BODY
It is reported that there are living in the mountains of India and Tibet and other remote places of the world, great Masters who have become immortal and whose age is many hundreds of years, thousands in some cases. To have achieved this state of immortality while still in the physical body requires a complete change in the molecular structure of the body. It is not achieved without a great deal of hard spiritual work and a ceaseless striving to obtain Godhood. Transmutation of the body's cells can begin after the 2nd initiation by applying a conscious effort and increases as the purification of your lower bodies proceeds. This transmutation is achieved by the will of the Higher Self and with the power of the Monad. "I transmute my cells by the power of the mind. I transmute my cells by the power of the Monad. I arrange my molecular structure in a different pattern from that hitherto used in the human body." Each cell has a hub or essence which is lying dormant; at the power of command of the Higher self and the Monad, this essence is aroused into action. This essence activates the normal human cells and transmutes them. Day by day this power acting on the essence modifies the cells in accordance with the Divine Pattern. No longer do the cells respond or vibrate towards the lower range of vibrations; they are now beginning to be tuned into the pattern of the Divine. How this comes about in man is: (a) by his longing for Divine Fulfillment. (b) by the unification of his purified lower quartet with the higher quartet. (Physical, Astral, Lower Mental and Causal bodies unite with the Buddhic, Atmaic, Monad and Divine Spark.) (c) by his attention to duty, sacrifice, love and charitableness. (d) by his determination to succeed in his chosen destiny however hard the path may be. Those around will see the transformation gradually take place; the face will

shine with an inner lustre; the flesh will become translucent; the limbs refined and perfectly shaped. Day by day the image of the perfect man unfolds. Those who would wish to attain this state of higher living must adhere meticulously to the principles outlined above and to the purification of all elements (molecules of matter) within himself and in his surroundings; for as transmutation occurs within the man, so will it occur in the living aura of his presence around him - both in the spiritual and the physical. (This does not refer to the Astral aura.) He will transmute the very air he breathes; his divine lesson learnt, he is aware that he walks on the earth as a living replica of the perfect God in miniature; still will his perfection improve, but he stands on the threshold of Godhood. The invocation given below can be meditated on daily, preferably twice a day and this will help mentally to align your body to the Divine:"I will align my body to the Divine. Every cell in my body will respond to that Divine Call. From this day forth I will become that which I most want to be, the perfect image of my Maker. Let these imperfect cells become activated so that the Divine Spark within them becomes the foremost part of their composition. I shall activate these cells by my constant thought on the Divine Will so that gradually my body may be turned from sickness into health, from death into eternal life, from helpless physical flesh into purest spiritual matter. So pure will my body become and so imbued with the Divine that no poisonous thing shall harm me. For my perfectly divinely orientated cells, being fully positive, cannot take in that which is not thus. Therefore will all harmful substances pass through my body untouched. Lord grant me this invocation, as I wish to succeed on the path of initiation. Take me through the lower initiations with this prayer, that I may become perfect in your sight and of those that stand with thee." Within each cell or molecule there is a Divine Spark which is the hub or essence referred to above. At the command of the Monad this Divine Spark within each cell is aroused into action. When the physical body is perfect or immortal, all the Divine Sparks in the cells are fully operative, thus forming a fully active and conscious link with the Divine Spark Body which is above the Monad. This Divine Spark Body is the Real Link with the Logos; it is the Divine Cell within His Body. With the cells now fully conscious and awake, even the body is now vibrating with the Divine. Every physical cell becoming an intelligence in its own right, knowing its oneness with its Creator. Thus the Oneness is both in the body and by the mind. Having achieved

immortality while still in a physical body, the Master now prepares for his Ascension into the Celestial Realms.

The Pathway to Cosmic Consciousness and Ascension

ASCENSION
There are a number of terms which need defining to understand clearly the phases through which the evolving soul can pass at these higher levels of consciousness. These are translation, transmutation, resurrection and ascension. Translation is the passing fully conscious from this world to another world or realm. It is achieved by all those who reach Cosmic Consciousness. Translation can occur while in the physical body, but it is most likely it would be a spiritual translation, i.e. one could be taken to another planet physically or one could incarnate on another world without any loss of consciousness or separation due to the death of the physical body on earth. Transmutation is the transforming of the cells of the body from the human patten to the Divine Pattern. Once fully accomplished the physical body becomes immortal. Resurrection is the creation of a perfect divine body from the cells and molecules of the old physical body, after it has died. Thus transmutation and resurrection both achieve the same goal of an immortal body, but transmutation does not involve the death of the physical body. Whether or not it is necessary for the physical body to die before the final manifestation of the Divine Pattern is not clear, but it seems unlikely. Therefore death and resurrection occur probably only to fulfill an individual's karma or life work. Ascension is the transforming of the immortal physical body into a 'light body' and ascending with it into the celestial realms (the atmaic plane). On achieving the first initiation the aspirant received initial acceptance; final or divine acceptance occurs on achieving the fifth initiation and the Master then passes on to greater work in the service of the Logos of this or another Solar System or Galaxy. Various paths are now open to the Master, one of which is to pass into the Devic Kingdom and evolve on to the higher realms through the Angelic

Hierarch. Another path is to join the Hierarchy guiding this world. Whichever way the Master chooses, many more initiations confront him on his eternal path of progression. If the Master chooses to remain in the Hierarchy of this world he would face the following initiations:q q q q

6th initiation - Chohan of the Rays 7th initiation - Bodhisattva or the Manu 8th initiation - Buddha 9th initiation - Lord of the World

To have ascended into the Celestial Realms or the lower mental plane of the Cosmos is to have become a Cosmic Being. As a Cosmic Being you would have full realisation all the time. There are no limits in the upper realms or in the bodies which dwell in them. You can develop when on those planes to whatever degree you like. Every minor gift down here becomes a hundredfold up there. The limited perception here on Earth, becomes a vision of the Universe there, when one spiritual abilities are freed in those celestial realms. Seeing and Hearing become instantaneous "knowing" and recognition before the thoughts are hardly processed. Language is a flutter of colour, spreading out in billows of light. Each thought making its impact in a fantastic display of tints and shades which can be read by those on the realms of consciousness. These continuous patterns and billowings flow through the ethers as these entities converse with one another. At an instant thought you are transported to another place. You think, pick up your molecules (of the particular body you are in) and transport them and they are reassembled in a flash at the point of destination. For your Celestial Body is moving as fast as your thoughts and therefore its molecules obey the directions of thought. Think and it is done. Also the molecules and particles of ethers around you will respond in like manner; as you think, you create. The molecules start to vibrate and spin in response to your mind's action and low and behold what you thought of stands before you - in full blown creation, ready to enjoy and behold for as long as you wish it to be there. So different from the physical plane where you envisage a thing and it takes years to build the creation which was in your mind. On the higher realms you can leave this thought creation intact for another to enjoy, or having taken away your thought power and attention from it, it will

gradually disintegrate and the molecules and particles will assume their normal existence in the ethers until conjured up again by you or another entity. Now begins the Master's work of guiding and helping on still evolving worlds and during the many eons of time spent helping this or other worlds to progress, he will be preparing for his ascension into the Cosmic Celestial Realm at which level he would become a Logos. END

Sunday, November 22, 2009

first degree initiation druid oak circle

first degree initiation druid oak circle the circle is cast,

initiate is brought to the gate of the circle and challenged by the priestess. discourse: an initiation is a symbolic death and rebirth, a rite of passage that transforms each person who experiences it. in the craft, it marks acceptance into a coven, and a deep, personal commitment to the goddess. it is a gift of power and love that coveners give to each other : the experience of those inner secrets that cannot be told because they go beyond words. for the individual, it becomes a change that causes revelation and understanding and sparks further growth and change. when one confronts the guardian of the threshold, one must be willing, in spite of fear, to go on, not to run away, and to face (her/his) defenses even though the process may be painful. the candidate for initiation must realize that it is (she/he) and no one else, who controls (her/his) progress in the craft. an intiation creates a strong emotional bond and a deep, astral tie between coven members, so the candidate must be considered very carefully. death and rebirth are the theme of initiation. death is the root of our deepest fears, and the true face of the shadow. it is the terror behind vulnerability and the horror of annhiliation. what pulls us to our risk that confrontation is desire and longing, for those splitoff parts of ourselves that lie on the other side of the abyss, which alone can complete us and free us to love. we must strip ourselves of our defenses, pretentions, masks, roles, of our "clothing and jewels" in order to cross that threshold and enter into the inner kingdom. death is seductive, for once the frightening threshold is crossed, there is no more fear, and hope are both dissolved; all that is left is rest, repose, relief, blessed nothingness, the void. but know you that in the void is the "mother state" so the crown of death becomes the circlet of rebirth. death precedes new life, and we learn the great mystery - not as a doctrine, not as a philosophy, but as an experience : there is no annihilation. priestess : stranger, you who stand at the gates of night and day, the gate of death. to enter you must wear the clothing of your birth. remove your garments and cleanse yourself in the sacred waters of life, then come again with your defense. take initiate to the ritual bath. after bath is over bring intiate to the gate of the circle. priestess steps forward with athame and says: "who comes to the gate?"

initiate : "it is i, (name), child of earth and starry heaven." priestess : "who speaks for you?" sponser : "it is i, (name), who vouches for this one." have intiate blindfolded and bound and then lead inside the gate of the circle. the priestess holds the point of the blade to the initiates heart and says: "you are about to enter a vortex of power, a place beyond imagining, where birth and death, dark and light, joy and pain, meet and make one. you are about to step between the worlds, beyond time, outside the realm of your hum,an life. you who stand on the threshold of the dread mighty ones, have you the courage to make the essay? for know that it is better to fall on my blade and perish than to make the attempt with fear in thy heart!" initiate : "i enter the circle with perfect love and trust." priestess grounds the point of her blade to the earth, kisses initiate and draws initiate into the circle, saying: "thus are all first brought into the circle." bring initiate into the circle. priestess reads while coven members spin the inititate around. "naked and helpless, bound and blind, were you born from the womb of the earth. naked and helpless, bound and blind, will you be claimed at the end of your days. naked and helpless, bound and blind, will you be born again. experience now the flow of life and feel joy within your confusion. for life and death are here one, as joy and sorrow are one, as the many herein are one. we offer to you perfect peace" stop initiate from spinning abruptly, remove blindfold and cord. the priestess now leads the initiate to each of the four quaters, desoil, saying : "hail, guardians ofthe watchtowers of the (north, east, south and west) and all the mighty ones of the craft. behold (name) who will now be made a priest and witch." bring the initiate back to the northern altar and place (her/him) far enough away from the altar to be thrust forward. the priestess asks the question "are you ready to pass the ordeal?" initiate : "i am" (thrust intitate toward north altar) priestess : "in like manner were you trust forth from the womb. from death comes rebirth by the gifts of the great mother. by the gifts of her consort, the horned one by our beliefs, have you been guided to this point, be awakened, be reborn." priestess : in other religions, the initiate kneels while the priest towers over them. in the traditions of the wise, we are taught to be ever humble and so i kneel to you and say to you blessed be thy feet that hast brought thee in these ways

blessed blessed blessed blessed

be be be be

thy thy thy thy

knees that shall kneel at the sacred altars (phallus/womb) without which we would not be breasts, formed in beauty and strength. lips, that shall speak the sacred names.

after the fivefold kiss the priestess takes the initiates measure. take the length of the body first, then head, and then the chest. priestess : are you willing to swear the oath? initiate : i am. priestess : are you willing to suffer to learn? intiate : yes [if desired, prick finger and put blood upon the cord] priestess : repeat after me. - i (name) do of my own free will, most solomly swear to protect, help, and defend my sisters and brothers of the craft. i will always keep secret all that must not be revealed. this i do swear on my mothers womb and my hopes of future lives, mindful that my measure has been taken, and in the prescence of the mighty ones. have initiate crouch and bind one hand and foot lightly for scourge : 3 times, 7 times, 9 times, 21 times - this makes forty in all. priestess : you have bravely passed teh test. are you ready for your new life? inititate : i am. priestess : "arise, (name), newly made (priest/priestess) and witch. join us and all who travel our new path. three bells are rung. initiate is unbound and helped to rise. the measure is now given back to the priestess. priestess : in the burning times, when each member of the coven held the lives of the others in her hands, this would have been kept and used against her should she endanger others. but in these more fortunate times, love and trust prevail, so take this, keep it or burn it, and be free to go or stay as your heart leads you." priestess then consecrates initiate with oil, wine and lips saying: i consecrate thee with oil. i consecrate thee with wine. i consecrate thee with my lips. so mote it be. priestess: i present you the meaning of the working tools of the craft. the athame and sword - in ages past, it meant many things to many people. for the alchemist, it was a symbol of purifying fire. in the magicians handws, it was a protection against malevolent spirits and hostile enchantments. for the lusty pagan it represented virility, victory and fertility. there were legends that said the sword or athame possed a prescence all its own and could shine like the moon and emit lightning bolts. we witches and pagans today, think of teh sword and athame in these

sundry ways and use it to cast the circle with the blue flame which expands into a protective sphere of light. we should add our generations symbol to the list of the ancient ones by depicting the edges of the blade as love and wisdom, with the point being power. as you cast your circle with these working tools, think of these three things in perfect balance and so shall be your sacred space. the the the one scourge - it represents the school of severe lessons to remind witch of the trials and tribulations one must go thru to reach source of life. if one desires to grow and change for the better must know it is not done without pain.

the pentacle - it represents the union of the elements with the spirit. pagan kelts like the egyptians, revered the pentacle as a sign of the underground goddess known as morgan. in her honor, the solar her gawain carried a pentacle on his blood-red shield. the center of the apple cut side ways symbolized kerridwens cauldron womb. the censer - the censer is a minature altar on which sweet essances are burned to prepare a sacred space and provide a suitable atmosphere for magical workings. incense is a very subtle substance which vibrates on many planes of existance, thus carrying our supplications to higher realms." priestess : we salute you, (name), in the names of kerridwen and kernunos, newly made (priestess/priest) and witch." now priestess presents initiate to the four quaters by leading (her/him) to each altar saying: "hear oh mighty ones of the (north, east, south, west), (name) has been consecrated a (priestess/priest) and witch of the druid oak circle." now coven dances spiral dance around initiate, charging (his/her) aurua. cakes and wine, sing, chant-whatever. `close the circle in the usual manner.'