The Golden Star

VISION 6

The Astral Fire

“At the first stage, it is but a shallow depression of dimly glowing fire, diffused throughout the body, but of very little intensity. The wheel rotates so slowly that it can hardly be perceived. So it is in animals, and so it was in man of the early Lemurian Races; when man was no more than animal.

“At the second stage, a small point of glowing fire can be seen in the middle of the shallow depression, and the centre commences to rotate more rapidly. This shows the point when the Mind is beginning to be felt, and it corresponds to man’s development in the later Lemurian period.

“At the third stage, the point of light in the centre of the rotating fire becomes more active, and the rotary motion causes it to burn more brightly and to cast off rays of fire in two directions; seemingly splitting the vortex of fire in two parts. The motion is much accelerated, and the dividing flame shoots backwards and forwards, increasing and stimulating the glow of the centre until a much greater point of radiance is achieved. This is equal to the development of man in the days of Atlantis.

“Then comes the time when the centres are each divided into four parts. They have all become very active, and a cross has been formed within the periphery of each, rotating at the same time as the wheel itself; but independently. This causes an effect of great activity and splendid beauty and shows that the man has reached a stage of high development mentally. He is sensing the activities of two principles within, symbolized by the rotating wheel and the inner rotating cross, and he is also sensing the spiritual part of himself; though he functions in the material.

“At the next stage, the centre becomes fourth-dimensional—if one may use this term—and the inner rotating cross commences to turn upon its axis, driving the flaming periphery to all sides; the centre really becoming a sphere of fire instead of a wheel. The centres are seen as globes of radiant fire in the end, sending out rays which merge with the purifying fires that burn up all material dross.

“The evolution of the centres is very slow and gradual and proceeds in definite cycles of incarnations, which vary according to the ray on which the man’s mind functions.

“As there are seven such rays, as you know already, the time needed for the full development of the human Mind runs into millions of years. To each Ray there is a great Master, a Heavenly Man, and they are identified with the seven centres in the body of the Logos, the Grand Man of the Heavens.”

“What does a Heavenly Man look like?” asked Ma-uti, innocently.

“A very good description is found in Alice A. Bailey’s A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, which you should study,” replied Neteru-Hem smilingly. “She says:”

‘A Heavenly Man is distinguished by:

  1. His spheroidal shape. His ring-pass-not, during objectivity, is definite and seen.
  2. His internal arrangement and His sphere of influence, or that activity animating the planetary chain.
  3. His spiritual life control at any given period. It is the power whereby He animates His sevenfold nature.
  4. His eventual ultimate synthesis from the seven into the three and from thence into one. This covers the obscuration of the globes, and the blending into unity of the seven principles which each globe is evolving.
  5. His evolution under Law and consequent development.
  6. His group relation.
  7. His development of consciousness and of awareness.

‘A solar Logos, the Grand Man of the Heavens, is equally spheroidal in shape. His ring-pass-not comprises the entire circumference of the solar system, and all that is included within the sphere or influence of the Sun.’

“Dear Messenger,” said Ma-u, “what happens when a man passes through the Wall of Flames on entering these regions?”

“When the Mind of a human being has been completely purified, so that the Alchemical Marriage-Rites of Mind and Soul have been consummated, the Soul–Mind faces the Flaming Wall once again—after many previous trials and failures at the end of preceding incarnations—but this time, being perfect in goodness and purity, he does not fail as before, but unflinchingly enters that dread conflagration. No sooner does he enter than a host of dreadful monsters assails him from all sides. They have no real existence, and are but figments and remnants of all the previous imperfections and shortcomings from which he suffered during his earthly sojourns; but they seem real enough and are very terrible to behold. This is the final test, and even more severe than the flames. It is but seldom that the pure Soul-Mind retreats before these foul images, for he has learned Wisdom and knows that these shapes have no reality; yet they are so fierce and awesome in appearance that even then the Soul–Mind may waver and retreat. In this case, the Soul–Mind must undergo another incarnation, in which he has to learn to have greater faith and courage, and a greater ability to distinguish between reality and actuality, or between illusion (which is that which the senses realize—realization of reality), and TRUTH (which is actuality).

“When all these phantoms have been passed—and they retreat ever before the fearless spirit, just as all earthly terrors dissolve if faced with courage—then he reaches the other side of the fiery wall, and is received with loving care and warm welcome by the priests you beheld outside the Temple. Then there is rejoicing and gladness and bliss; for he meets with his equals who have entered here before, and unites with them in the spirit of Holiness and Saintliness for which they have all striven so long, along the different paths of experience and ordeal.”

“How long do they stay here, dear Messenger?”

“In terms of earthly time conceptions, they may be here for thousands or millions of years; yet these periods are as nothing in Eternity and pass like a flash. There is still much to learn before they proceed to higher, or finer realms, and a time of rest in this felicitous abode is the reward for all that strife and sorrow which has gone before. And yet, as I said before, it is but a foretaste of the blessings which follow.”

“Evil must be a great force if it can retard the progress of human beings for so many incarnations,” said Ma-u.

“No, my son,” replied Neteru-Hem, “evil is not a force. Goodness and evil are the two aspects which dominate the whole Cosmos of all thinking entities on earth under such appellations as Light and Darkness, White and Black, Love and Hatred. These are all realizations of the Mind and have no actual existence. There are, however, such things as positive and negative states of matter and mind; and we may divide them into positive Forces and negative Conditions. In this way we consider as positive forces such concepts as goodness, light and love, for instance; and under negative conditions we classify evil, darkness and hatred.

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