The Soul and its Mechanism

One of my papers for The Arcane School required that I relate my current understanding of the nature of the Soul and its Mechanism. I was tempted to look at my old papers and begin with what I have written in the past on this subject because it is so daunting a task, but I resisted, wanting to honestly take the snapshot of my understanding in the here and now. This represents that snapshot.

Soul is a universal principal and an aspect of the divine trinity. It is synonymous with Consciousness and represents the second aspect of Love/Wisdom. We see this aspect, therefore in expression on every possible level of manifestation for it represents itself through the synthesizing of spirit and matter. The soul is love.

It is the binding agent of the universe, if I could put it so bluntly. Every form from the grossest mineral matter on the dense physical plane up through the highest manifestation displays an aspect of this principal, as it must. As above, so below, states the Hermetic aphorism. It binds the sub atomic particles that make the atom and binds the atoms together to form a molecule. It is the support system keeping all life forms in the plant and animal kingdoms coherent and growing. Without this cohesive energy and support the life form goes through the death process of restitution and elimination, returning the matter and energy of which it was made back to the reservoirs from which they were drawn.

In the higher life forms in the animal kingdom it is known as the anima mundi and is passed from life to life through the reproductive process, carrying with it the developed characteristics of the species and extending the refining process through many lifetimes producing ever more complex and diverse manifestations of the one life. Life evolves through generation after generation to higher and more accurate expression of its divine origin.

Within the human being we see this as one of the expressions of soul, the soul of the bodily nature. We also see the reincarnating entity or individualized soul. Man is the creature in which the lower evolution is met by spirit on the path of return. Spirit in manifestation as the Monad or divine spark clothes itself in matter of the higher planes of the cosmic physical plane in order to find expression in the lower three worlds through the use of the fleshy vehicle created through this refining process. It forms sheaths of the finer matter of the Atmic, Buddhic and the highest sub-planes of the Manasic plane, creating a causal body through which it will contact the lower three worlds of manifestation.

It creates a form on the lower three planes in order to better master these worlds and matter itself. It vitalizes the lower triune expression of concrete mind, emotions, and the physio-etheric body through the life thread or sutratma, and communicates with this lower self via the consciousness thread known as the anthakarana. Over many incarnations it develops an increasing ability to find expression through these denser vehicles and grows in its ability to express through this experience. It also gains facility in building and creates vehicle of higher caliber and sensitivity over time, which of course enhances the soul’s ability to establish contact in future cycles.

I see the life of the lower self in terms of a dream of the soul. Through the experience of dreaming it becomes a more adept dreamer and begins to gain in ability to control these dreams. At first when it enters this dream state, just as the personality mechanism in its dreaming, it is not aware of its potency and is in a sense just going along for the ride. Just as a personality can gain dream control or lucidity in the dream state with practice, the soul can become an ever more effective dreamer gaining in its ability to control the life of the personality over many lifetimes.

As this development continues the soul becomes more effective in seeing its purpose fulfilled during the cycle of incarnation. It is building the antahkarana and participating in the “waking state” of the personality. The outward expression of this is a more effective human being, manifesting the love of the soul outwardly and aiding and nurturing his brothers on the path, which he may still be treading unconsciously.

As this integration between personality and soul continues the aspirant and later the disciple is said to be leading a soul infused life. Under the soul’s influence this life becomes one of study (developing the mental apparatus), Meditation (further developing soul contact), and Service.

Service is the outward expression of the effects of this soul infusion and it is also a technique which aids in group awareness. Empathy and love for his fellowmen, community, and eventually all humanity is increased as he grows in this awareness and realization that we are all in this together and even that we are all component parts of one greater organism. An organism is an assemblage of lives working together as a whole, whether conscious of this fact or, as is usually the case, unconscious of it. Having some small percentage of these contributing lives working consciously helps to move the purpose of the greater life forward.

In connection with humanity and the One Life we refer to these workers and servers as working in harmony and “cooperation” with the plan to whatever level they can understand it, but how is this accomplished?

In order to gain control over the mechanism we must first gain an understanding of what it is. If all is energy, and energy follows thought as the occult wisdom teaches, then we must gain an understanding of the energetic underpinnings of the physical world, and then learn to direct these energies, as force through the use of the mind. Gaining a working knowledge of the constitution of man, or the anatomy of consciousness is an essential step in this process. It allows us to direct our consciousness consciously. There are many external forces directing and influencing the mass of humanity, but as the student learns more about himself and his surroundings he becomes a more self directed part of the overall picture. “The student learns by self devised and self induced methods” (HPB).

This act of self direction represents the transmutation of the desire based aspiration into spiritual will and the student of occult wisdom becomes and active participant in the forwarding of the divine will or plan, as he understands it. Through the understanding of the etheric substance and centers of vitalizing force of the physical frame as well as the response mechanism to the directing energies of the astral and mental natures the student refines and perfects the mechanism, tuning it to the souls influence. Resonance with the higher vibrations of the soul simultaneously represents dissonance with the lower vibratory nature of what are called negative emotions such as hate.

Understanding of our unity with all life naturally fosters harmlessness. With what part of ourselves will we wish to make war? Who’s resources would we steal? What part of humanity deserves to starve once we realize we are one? What part of the earth shall we destroy when we realize she is our source and not a resource?

The individualization of consciousness is a stage which is important to our development. As is the case with every other stage, there comes a time when we must transcend it and move on. Becoming trapped within emotional consciousness curtails the development of mind. The mind can become a similar trap if it is not treated as the gateway to the soul. We must develop and then transcend each of these states of awareness, and then lose our separateness as well. As the Tao Te Ching tells us “The student grows by daily increment. The way is gained by daily loss.”

The three Temptatons of Jesus Christ

Attached Please Find…

A video clip of a recent Talk I did on the symbolic nature of the Gospel stories. This section, as indicated in the title of the blog is about the temptations in the wilderness after the Baptism at the river Jordan. Jesus is driven into the desert by the revelation at the baptism and undergoes several tests which, if seen symbolically contain a great wealth of information about the  spiritual path.

Course Corrections

There are moments in our lives that may seem unimportant at the time but their significance is realized later. Sometimes we have an intuitive understanding even at that moment but the “gravity” of it still needs to creep in over time. I am a little hesitant to share this particular story because it may seem unimportant and shallow at first but it was a moment of deep meaning and change for me. I am about to expose myself in a way that makes me feel just a bit uncomfortable but this at the same time makes it seem more important that I do.

After my father died I was left with the responsibility of bringing his work to the world. I did not feel there was anyone else that could or would accomplish this. The family as a whole has been behind me all the way and in my absence I am sure one of them would have taken up this mantle, but at the time it did seem that if this was going to happen, it would have to be me. I took the responsibility very seriously.

At the same time, I was trying to find an appropriate business in which I could invest so that we could make a living and support our family. My wife does not work outside the home and with little recent business experience it is difficult for her to find work that is not mundane, or earn a wage that makes the sacrifices we would have to endure worthwhile. There was some money from his estate and we were trying to find the best way to use this to change our circumstances. It was difficult for other reasons as well. We don’t drink, and have not for 9 years now, so buying a bar would not work even though I would like to have an outlet like that for my music. We don’t believe in eating meat so there was no sandwich shop, etc. I have left behind so much of the common interests of people that we struggled to find something we could do that would be popular enough to make money, but that we could believe in and not feel we were pedaling poison.

One day I was driving down the road listening to a motivational speaker named Jeffery Combs. We had met at a seminar and shared some conversation. I had given him a copy of Book I in my father’s trilogy and he had given me this CD. He was talking about wealth and success and those sorts of things and he said that sometimes we come across a situation where there is little or no risk, little or no “down side” and everything possible on the “up side”. It’s very rare but when you come across that you have got to go “all in”.

I realized that what my father had left behind really represented the “work” I needed to do, whether it ever made a dime to support my family or not. I would not be pushing sugar or some other addiction. I would not be compromising any principal in order to make a dollar. It was something I had set myself to and intended to do. Part of the issue with starting a business was that it would be an all consuming pursuit, especially at the outset and I did not want to be a prisoner to it because I had all of this other work to do.

I began to cry, and remember saying “OK dad, I’m in”. In with both feet, no matter what the results might be. I was using his money to complete his work, and it has become mine. It has cost a fortune but it was not a mistake. The work itself and the commitment have had a profound effect on my life. I have had moments of pain when I felt I had made a mistake in committing the resources, because I have not really gotten these books to the world… yet. It was just impatience.

I realize that if it takes the rest of my life, I can’t stop anyway, so how was starting a mistake? I do not compromise my ethics for money. I will not change my work for the lack of it. It was a profound lesson in detachment. Dad told me once that the sun doesn’t whine or complain when clouds get in the way and its rays are not enjoyed by anyone. It simply shines because that is its nature. He also said if these books were perchance never read that represented a mechanism for him to work on himself and had thus served a purpose anyway. They, along with the rest of the teachings to which I have now exposed myself, have changed my life in ways I could never have anticipated including its overall direction.

Sometimes when we take that leap of faith we think we know where it will lead and just hope we succeed in getting there. Sometimes success comes in the form of course corrections we can’t foresee.

Force and Form

When the light shines forth and men gain in understanding of the true nature of themselves and their surroundings we will come to the realization that we are all expressions of the same life force. This force is not the form which we initially feel is our being. It is using that form in order to express its being. Gaining knowledge and understanding of this essential truth will naturally and gradually move the focus of our awareness (our purest expression of that essence) from the form to the underlying life force.

In our infancy our consciousness inhabits a very small world in its appearance. We have little awareness of anything outside of our families. We have little influence even within the small confines in which we find ourselves. Later, as we grow in our capacities to understand and interact our sphere of influence increases and we realize we are a part of a world much larger than we had understood. That whole world was always out there but we were unaware. We become associated with a group or community and a school with friends. In the best of circumstances we begin to include those other environing associates in our thinking and planning.

For many people the group never grows beyond that small community and for some they will only treat their family members well and the rest of humanity remains “outside the wire” so to speak and left to fend for themselves while the individual fights against the world in order to protect and care for that small group.

When the light of the mind is increased through evolutionary development and the urge to study and ponder upon the information gathered the individual begins to realize that he is part of an increasingly larger group. Service of country through military service or public office may be the expression of this selflessness. Military service within the context of society is perceived as a noble and selfless act. This urge will eventually find expression in other service when the thought form we call our society is sufficiently altered by the awakening consciousness of the populace as a whole, but how does that happen?

It is brought about by the individual and collective efforts of those men and women of goodwill who surround the globe and find themselves in every single nation and community. As they learn and understand the world in these ever increasing circles of both influence and caring, it is their responsibility to that increasing perception of the whole to spread this newly gained knowledge to those around them who are increasingly able to understand and assimilate it.

When I realize that I am a part of a larger consciousness and my nature is pure energy, the form becomes less important. When I realize that my brother is the same as my self and in fact is my self, the form he inhabits is of no importance at all. It is not his identity. I focus on his identity as a soul and communicate soul to soul and then our forms no longer hinder.

The light of the intuition is like a flash of brilliance. It is a momentary access to an idea that is a part of the plan, embodying some aspect of the will of God. This is something we gain the ability to access by fostering communication with our higher self. The light of the soul is increased through right aspiration, study, service and meditation. When the light of the soul shines forth it is an indication that much work and service has already taken place. We are looking at a servant who has prepared and purified his various vehicles so that when this access is gained he is capable of understanding the form his service should take and strong enough to create it. His ability to then transmit this “new” information to his fellow man will determine its effectiveness along with their ability to grasp and interpret its meaning.

The shift will be in identification from the form to the life force within because we will better understand that life is the common thread within all forms. We will understand that consciousness is the expression of that life force and forms are the result of this process of conscious response and its creative efforts, and not the cause of anything. My body is a crystallized thought form created by my soul and my soul is an expression of a conscious fragment of the One Life. This gives me the potential through the re-identification of the focus of my consciousness to eventually gain access to the thoughts of the universal mind. To the highly developed consciousness there is no “ring pass not” and the more I am capable of perfecting its expression the closer I come to the One Life.

Where We Are Headed

We are, without a doubt within a period that will bring many changes to the way we live our lives and represents an example of the convergence of crisis and opportunity. I believe the objectives of the physical reconstruction of the world must include the following concepts, for we are expanding in our consciousness moment by moment and that expansion must be reflected in any successful realignment of the physical world. The world we see is, in every way, a product of conscious response to stimulus. That conscious response gets refined over time and the outward expression will become refined along with it. This is the true evolution. It is not the evolution of form, but the evolution of consciousness, which is obviously perceived in its outward expression.

Humanity is moving toward a better understanding of its own nature and the nature of the world it inhabits. The evolution of consciousness creates for itself a telos or direction toward more accurate expression of its divine nature. Only those experiments which yield movement in that direction are continued. In the human kingdom, this is movement toward the understanding of unity; the unity of all physical expression of the life force that is becoming better aware of its own nature through that physical expression. If this is in fact the direction that life is moving then the future societies will better express the need for an environment which will allow this development to flourish. “For the new construction of surroundings one should realize whither life is directed”.

If we are becoming aware of our unity with all men then they should be granted the same opportunity for growth which we declare for ourselves. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are granted by the US bill of rights but we are not so quick to grant those to all people until we establish our dominance and superiority. That kind of hypocrisy has to be eliminated. No man can be free until all men are free; but what is freedom? It, like everything else expresses itself on many levels. The freedom of self determination means nothing to someone who has no food. Free access to technology as a governing policy in a land without sufficient electrical power is worthless.

There are basic needs granted in the animal kingdom through its organization and integration with the plant kingdom that are the “right” of all animals. They include access to food and shelter and space to explore and experience. Human society as it has developed has banded together to create certain benefits of shared labor and specialization of trades that have made all of us better off in many ways. The problem is that these societies take away the free access to food and shelter at the same time. We are no longer hunter gatherers who can fend for ourselves and become dependent because of our specialization, on others in the group for the activities which are their specialty. This fact makes it incumbent upon the group to provide for those essentials which the group effectively takes away for the common good. Our common needs do go beyond just food and shelter. Shelter at this point includes energy. We also have a very real need for transportation. This and other aspects of life which we in the developed world take for granted have actually become necessities.

In order to create an environment where the survival instincts may fall away we must provide for those necessities in every land for every person. The resources of the world belong to all creatures. It is more than the environment that we live in; it is the organism of which we are a part. My brain has no more right to the use of my blood than my feet do, and I in the Western modernized world have no more right to the earth’s resources than a human being living is an undeveloped third world nation. Moreover, my use of those resources cannot negatively affect the other interdependent kingdoms of nature which have no voice in current decision making. We must protect them as we would protect parts of our own physical being.

We have become extremely adept at the preservation and repair of the human physical body, but only those with the economic resources can gain access. We do not treat all human beings the same way. As societies we have chosen to grant relative value to human life while we extol the absolute sanctity of all life. America must take care of Americans first, and we will have huge demonstrations against abortion while we neglect to even mention the 35,000 children who die each day due to starvation. Free and unfettered access to critical human need is the role of society and needs to be excluded from the “free enterprise system” which cares only about profit.

This means we free the human intellect from the driving concerns of survival. When a person has no need to worry about food or clothing, medical needs, shelter, and energy he is free to find a way in which he may express the true purpose of his soul. Some people will not aspire to great contribution and may find joy in what others consider to be the trivial. Every step on the path is equally is important as every other step. In the course of a life time or life times everyone will end up making a contribution which is appropriate to their particular level of consciousness. In our current system we are losing incalculable contributions from people who have no energy to spend on anything but pure survival. We occasionally hear a story about some unlikely hero who, but for some freak chance circumstance would have never been heard from.

There is a story I cannot verify, but will repeat for its symbolic value. It is about a boy who was hurt, I believe by falling in a hole on a farm. He was found and aided by a local peasant farmer and returned hurt but alive to his family which happened to be quite wealthy. The father of the injured boy offered the farmer a great gift that might be refused by some out of pride. He offered to take the farmer’s infant son in and raise him as his own in the wealthy home and provide for him a life and level of education the farmer could never have provided. The peasant farmer agreed, and we came to know the boy in his adulthood as one of the greatest leaders of western civilization. The potential existed in the boy, obviously, but if not for the event that brought his father into contact with the wealthy family we would perhaps never have experienced that leadership. Every day we are losing access to that kind of brilliance by having a great portion of our society living in fear for their lives and well being. Albert Einstein failed science and worked as a patent clerk. This boy could have more easily ended up in jail for theft of food or clothing had his circumstances not been changed.

If we raise the level of the living conditions of the poorest among us so that they have no worry about food and shelter, and we offer them free education so that they may better their own lives through struggle and challenge we lift the whole of society in unimaginable ways. There are some that would argue against such things because there are those who would simply take this aid and do nothing. That too is a stage and a step upon the path that is no better or worse than that of the true servant. It is something that must obviously be experienced by that soul at that time or it would not be happening. Barring the criminal mind, which too will fall by the wayside over time, the better you treat someone the better they will try to treat you and I think the appreciation of the masses of people who simply need a hand will show itself as an overwhelming counterbalance to any abuse.

I have, in my own life wished and worked for the time when I will be able to work full time as a servant of humanity without the financial concerns of everyday life taking my energy. We work full time just to keep the roof above our heads instead of spending our energy on constructive concerns and the betterment of humanity. The future society will not allow this waste of energy which enslaves the poor and builds the wealth of a few.

With free health care, comes free addiction counseling and detoxification treatment so that when an addict is ready there is help available. I have experienced the pain of knowing and feeling how far from the true expression of one’s nature you move when you are lost in life’s circumstance. There are many of those moments when an addict can be helped that are missed because there is no help available and a downward spiral that may have been stopped continues and perhaps leads to criminal behavior.

What we are talking about is freedom. Freedom of expression in that we become free to express the purpose of our soul, the reason we came into incarnation. If we have latent inside ourselves potentialities not yet realized, society’s role is to create that environment which will best draw forth or educe that potential. This is the real definition of education and it is the role every parent plays, for better or worse, in the lives of their children. I have heard the concept of the government as parents denigrated by some political factions, but maybe their parents were over controlling. The same people will tell you “it takes a village to raise a child” when it suits their ends. It does take a community to raise a community and that should be the goal.

Responsibility

As the disciple learns and grows in his understanding it becomes increasingly important that he share that understanding with his fellow man. To fail to do so would be akin to having the body refuse to share its food with its feet, or any other part. We are all parts of the one life and on a different level we are all part on one humanity. The body shares the food and vitality it gathers from its environment equally with all of its parts as needed for the survival of the whole. If we have a condition where one area of the body were to hoard resources such as nutrition or the awareness of danger the damage would be done to the whole. Cancer behaves this way and through its selfish theft of resources and unbalanced growth it can cause the destruction of the organism of which it is a part. It treats its host much in the same way that we are treating the earth. Selfish purposes work against the evolution of consciousness this way.

If one member of the human family foresees a danger or the possibility of some beneficial action and withholds this information from the body of humanity for some selfish reason we all fail to benefit from the information and humanity suffers as a whole, not just the few who the knower may have been able to inform directly. If greed causes one man to hold a secret formula which increases the quality and yield of a certain grain for selfish profit and the result is that there is less food for the community.

It is incumbent upon the disciple to share his understanding with those around him who are ready for the information so that he may ease their suffering, or more accurately, to enable them to ease it for themselves. This is inherent in the knowledge that we are all one and the same. Christ said “whatsoever thou doest unto the least f these, thou doest also unto me”. This is a statement which illustrates that understanding. My feet are a part of me and if I neglect them I neglect my own well being.

My fellow man also is a part of me and if he suffers or is lost and I refuse to help him, humanity suffers. By opening up our hearts and minds and sharing our discoveries we raise the consciousness and the quality of the life of the whole. The process helps to foster group awareness and accelerates our development as better servers of humanity as we help others to become servers themselves. Failure to do so is an act of selfishness and separateness and will effect the disciple’s growth. “You have no right to evoke that which you do not share”. (The Tibetan).

As disciples and Aspirants we are bearers of light and our presence on the path helps to make it easier for our fellow travelers. We always hear the analogies of those who have “lost their way”. We need the light of the soul carried down through the mind. With a little more light we can see perhaps a few more steps of the path before us and make better decisions. When we open our minds we open them to the light that shines and it shines forth in us.

In our full moon meditation the keynote says “He who faces the light and stands within its radiance is blinded to the issues of the world of men; he passes on the lighted way to the great center of absorption. But he who feels the urge to pass that way, but loves his brother on the darkened path, revolves upon the pedestal of light and turns the other way.”

He becomes a light on the path and then the way for his brother is not so dark. “The seven centers within him transmit the streaming light and lo! The face upon the darkened way receives the light”. This is the disciple living the life of the soul, actively radiating light through the centers he is awakening through his service. His selfless caring for his brother on the path propels him in his development. This is why he need not desire anything for the separated self. The act of caring for and serving humanity is what develops the disciple’s group and soul awareness.

Is there really a War on Christmas?

It’s here… That time of year when to all of the pressures of everyday life are added the pressures of the holiday season. In addition to the bathroom remodel, the demands of Higher Ground, kids, the day gig, (I am an engineer) and everything else that seems to pile up over time, we now have shopping, family pressures, decorations, (inside and out) advertising blitz’s, the “must have” toys of the year and everything else that is attached to a holiday that is purported to be under attack. This is evidently caused by the courtesy extended by the use of the phrase “Happy Holiday” instead of “Merry Christmas”; or perhaps by having to share a season of well wishing with the evil celebrants of other less worthy holidays. It makes me wonder who is really under siege, and by whom.

Well if you get down to the true meaning behind the origins of the Christmas Holiday and that into which it has grown, I think its safe to say that Jesus lost that fight to Corporate America a long time ago. If we want to “put Christ back in Christmas” I can get behind that, but I think commercialism has been more of a nemesis than Kwanza or Chanukah could ever be. The modern Christmas celebration, including the Coca Cola Santa Clause that I grew up with, would be unrecognizable to anyone from the 19th Century, let alone the year zero. That leads pretty easily to what I want to talk with you about.

There are aspects of the real holiday that do survive. You will see the classic Nativity in front of a home or church and just for a moment you remember what we are celebrating. But what are we really celebrating? It is supposed to be the birth of Jesus Christ. A nice Jewish boy born 2000 years or so ago, who had a profound effect on humanity. I say “or so” because no one really knows the date. Many don’t even know he was Jewish. We just assume it was December 25th exactly 2008 years ago (or would it be 2009?). Now, if this was in fact the case, it would not have been called the year zero, it would have been 754AUC (referring back to the start of the Roman Empire). People in the year 45 BC didn’t call it that… how could they know? The calendar was later re-calibrated to center it on the birth of Jesus and the so called start of the “Common Era”. Are you confused yet? Wait it gets worse. Without getting too lost in all of this, does it seem strange to re-organize a calendar to a date and year we can’t identify? That gives you an idea of how unique the impact of this one individual.

Now why do we have such a hard time setting this date? Don’t we have his whole life story? Well, yes and no. The two gospel stories that do cover the birth of Jesus conflict with each other, and the earliest of the books in the canonized Bible (Mark) which doesn’t mention the birth wasn’t written until about 60-70AD (we cant set that date either). Mathew says he was born while Herod the great was King of Judea and Luke tells us it was in the time that Quirinius was the Governor of Syria. Ironically, history indicates that those two things didn’t happen at the same time. In addition, census that put Joseph and Mary on the road to Bethlehem was most likely the one commissioned by Cesar Augustus in 6 AD. So we are left to wonder…

Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter what year it was as long as we have the day right. Birthdays don’t mean as much to me anymore and I’m not 2000 years old. We can still celebrate and just not have the right number of candles on the cake. Sorry, we don’t really know the day either. As a matter of fact in the first 337 years of the common calendar 136 different days were used to celebrate Jesus’ birth. That means there is a 1 in 3 chance; no matter what day you are reading this story, that it was Christmas Day at least once. In 337 Pope Julius decided that they had to do something. That mess was OK before, but Rome had basically adopted Christianity in 325 at the council of Nicea. I guess he figured they had to be more organized. So how did he decide? In the absence of reliable historical evidence where would you turn?

As beautiful and complete as the story of Jesus may be, it is not unique in some of its aspects. There are many avatars over the ages and in different civilizations that are celebrated as the “only begotten sons of God”. Edward Carpenter identified 21 common characteristics of these Scriptures and traditions in his “Pagan and Christian Creeds” starting with a virgin mother, (many of whom were named Mary) and including the flight from “a slaughter of the innocents”. Interestingly, many of them were (supposedly) born on December 25th. Are they copying Christmas? Not by a long shot. Christianity is one of the most recent tellings of this ancient story.

Dr. Annie Bessant explains this unlikely coincidence in her book Esoteric Christianity.

“He is always born at the winter solstice, after the shortest day in the year, at the midnight of the 24th of December, when the sign Virgo is rising above the horizon; born as this sign is rising, he is born always of a virgin, and she remains a virgin after she has given birth to her Sun-Child, as the celestial Virgo remains unchanged and unsullied when the Sun comes forth from her in the heavens. Weak, feeble as an infant is He, born when the days are shortest and the nights are longest…” Alice A. Bailey, in her definitive work on the subject, From Bethlehem to Calvary, states, “At the time of the birth of Jesus, Sirius, the star in the East, was on the meridian line, Orion, called ‘The Three Kings’ by oriental astronomers, was in proximity; therefore the constellation Virgo, the Virgin, was rising in the east, and the line of the ecliptic, of the equator and of the horizon all met in that constellation.”

Hence, we celebrate the birth of the “light of the world” at the birthing of the light at the winter solstice, along with countless other celebrations in varied cultures… which constitutes an attack in the minds of some, even though some of the traditions such as the Yule Log cross over and many of the traditions are much older.

Does this sound far fetched? Why would a Pope care about hokey astrological signs when dealing with purely Christian issues? If we dig a bit into history we find some interesting facts. Did you ever wonder why Easter Sunday moves around every year? The date is set each year in accordance with rules set in the same council of Nicea anchored to the Vernal Equinox. As a matter of fact it was among the reasons for the reform of the Julian calendar into the Gregorian calendar in 1582. The older Julian was skewed and over time the date of the equinox had drifted 10 days, effecting the Easter celebration. The new calendar bearing the name of Pope Gregory XIII would “reset” Easter to the date established in Nicea in 325 AD and correspond with the solar or tropical calendar, the actual time it takes for the earth to complete its path around the sun. So, as you can see there is precedent for this kind of basis for the timing of a Christian celebration

So where are we now? We celebrate a definitive event in human history, the date of which cannot be fixed, at the same time that many other celebrations occur, for many of the same reasons. Insecurity alone can be the reason for thinking that the other celebrations are less important or somehow diminish the one that is most important to us. In my father’s One Solitary Life series, this information is given in much greater detail including over a dozen virgin born Sons of God. If we look together at what the teachings of the world have in common we may find even greater reason for our faith. If differing civilizations and cultures all over the world center around the same tenets without the possibility of a common language to have effectively bridged or communicated these aspects of faith, does that diminish the tenets of any?

On the contrary, I believe it is compelling evidence of the central truths.

So is there a war on Christmas? Maybe so, but the combatants may not be who they seem at first glance. Let’s celebrate our faith together and truly honor the teachings and life of the Lord of Compassion along with all of the other celebrations of light around the world.

One Solitary Life – The Christ Epoch… is here

Well, Its done. I just signed off the galley for the last book in the One Solitary Life series, authored by my father Anthony J. Fisichella. It took him 10 years to write and it took 4 years and 10 days after he passed for me to complete this for him. The work itself is not finished because it has become my own. I will be doing whatever I can to make people aware of these teachings for the rest of my life, and by no means will it be limited to my fathers teachings. He never laid claim to this as anything he created. We all simply create our interpretation of these kinds of teachings and if we are able to help people understand better by that interpretation it has value. I can say it had value for me but only you can decide whether it is valuable to you.

It will probably be two weeks or so before I hold it in my hands but the book is done. An idea fostered in my fathers mind and nurtured in his heart for over 40 years. The book that became a trilogy out of the necessity of clarity. This is what he set out to write, the story of Jesus as interpreted by an esoteric mind. The mind of a metaphysician focused on understanding the hidden meaning behind the greatest story ever told. Not great because it is about Jesus, or The Christ (a distinction you will understand after reading the book) but because it is about each and every one of us.

My father always maintained that the story in The New Testament is true, even if it was to be proven beyond a doubt that Jesus never lived. Think about that. Even if the central character is proven fictional the story in its symbolic interpretation is unchanged. That is one of the things that make scripture timeless.

Dr. Annie Bessant said in her book Esoteric Christianity (this is a paraphrase because now I can’t find it) “Christianity is an ocean into who’s shallows a child could wade, with depths that would drown a giant”. If the New Testament is really just a historical account, its not a very good one. it contradicts itself and skips around leaving huge holes. If its seen as the hero’s journey and something we can aspire to… If its really about you and I… If it is a single view of a universal truth which is told and retold throughout the religious teachings of the world… WOW

My dad spent his life teaching this. He did a presentation on this whole subject a couple of years before he died that we were lucky enough to have recorded. It was two hours long and covers much of what the One Solitary Life Trilogy is about. Its listed on Higher-Ground.com and there is a link below. If anyone would like a jump on things. Get the CDs and if you do it before the book is released I will send you book III for free.

http://www.higher-ground.com/audio_one_solitary_life.html

All Saints Day

We have just passed All Saints Day, or All Hallows Day, which means little to most people, even those who know it as the day after Halloween. It is a Holiday designated to honor all of the saints who don’t have their own day. It could be argued that the day was picked in order to combat the revelry of Halloween when it was still called Sawin (Samhain), a Gaelic holiday celebrating the coming of winter. It simply means November and marked the end of the harvest. Throughout the history of agricultural communities this was a scary time of year, because whether the harvest was good or bad you had what you were going to live on for the course of the winter.

Celebrations varied and especially in modern times many ghoulish movies and other Hollywood type treatments have changed what the Halloween festival has become, but that is not why I am writing. I like the fun of Halloween. You get to go a little crazy in ways that other holidays don’t offer. In a way its more fun than Christmas or New Years eve.

All Saints Day, on the other hand never meant anything to me until 4 years ago. That was the day my father, Anthony Fisichella passed away in the wee hours of the morning, literally on Halloween night. I found out about two years later, from Liz Sterling who was a very intimate friend of his and with whom I have grown very close, that he had always said, “If you want to die, do it on Halloween, it is the easiest time because the veil is the thinnest between the worlds”. I had never heard him say it personally, and it is little more than an interesting tidbit. I am not saying he predicted his demise but I had always thought of his death as voluntary.

He had a severe Anurism right at his heart and had undergone surgery, which he survived. The problem was that he was in there for more than twice the amount of time that they had presumed would be necessary. This meant that he could have had some very severe complications in his recovery. I believe that during that kind of anesthesia part of you is conscious anyway but detached from the body and there is anecdotal evidence for this which we have all heard. When he came back into this broken body he would not have been very happy about it and I think if he had a choice he would have moved on, but that is not why I’m writing either.

He left behind the unpublished series of three books, One Solitary Life, with his literal dying wish that we make sure they were published. It took about a year before I could really work on them because I would hear his voice in my head as I read. Its like he reads to me. At first it made it impossible to work on his stuff, but has since become a comfort. I am not implying anything supernatural here. I am sure any number of people reading perhaps a letter written by a  loved one would have the same experience. A close friend of dad’s told me the same thing when we finally got the first book out. This is why I am writing. Not only have the first two books been published, but we are on the verge of getting book III.

Along the way Dad’s work has become my work and we have released his Well of Wisdom series along with an audio lecture on the One Solitary Life Books. I have begun speaking and been transformed in ways I did not anticipate. I never thought I would be publishing books, but even as I committed to that I had no idea of the effect the teachings themselves would have on me. I joined the Theosophical Society and the Theosophical Order of Service as well as the Arcane School in New York. Most importantly, I am living my life differently, and with more success because of the things I’m learning. I want to spread this info far and wide and in a sense, three years later, I am just getting started.

So, while it won’t change All Saints Day for anyone else, I thought it was worth mentioning that even though it has taken 4 years to do, we are near the end of the task of finishing Dad’s work and I have already begun my own. It will be the moment of a lifetime when I hold “The Christ Epoch” in my hand. An idea that started in my fathers mind crystallized on the physical plane for the benefit of whatever portion of humanity stands ready for his message. A message that has already transformed his son.

Namaste

Doug

Summer’s Gone, along with another friend

Well, the summer is over and the beautiful changes that represent autumn in Colorado are here. This was an eventful summer including 3 more 14ers (look for more video soon) and a few visits to Crestone, Vegas, and other treks across the state. I did some work in San Diego and Boise too. The last 6 weeks or so saw the business side slow to nothing and I had to get a job. I start Monday at a company called Linx and I’m pretty excited about it. It will mean some big changes because I’ve worked from home for so long. Change is good, but some of it comes hard.

I lost a good friend named Kurt Linn last weekend. He was killed in an off roading accident up in Summit County which is in the area of Breckenridge. He was a close friend and confidant as well as a gifted musician/sonwriter and Singer. Many of us who live out here take advantage of the summer weather to go up and have some fun and there are some of these kinds of mishaps every year. Last year my friend Brad Lowderback was badly hurt and lost his girlfriend Dara doing the same thing. As a matter of fact Brad was hurt in the same area and was up there for the first time since his accident the day Kurt ws killed and was told about the accident without knowing who was involved. Its so strange the way things happen. He knew Kurt too and we had played in a band together a couple of years back. It didn’t last very long but that happens too.

It made me think about friendship. I don’t have too many friends. Kurt did, and Brad does too. There were lots of people at the Funeral and lots who showed up for Brad at the various benefits and visiting the hospital, but there aren’t usually that many who stick around for very long, especially when things get tough. I lost a lot of those friendships when I quit drinking, and that’s a long time ago. The people I know at this point are not that many in number but they are important to me, like Brad. I’m glad he’s Ok. I’m going to miss Kurt.

We need to do a better job of taking care of each other, and ourselves, on every level. I said each other first for a reason. If we are all looking out for each other, than someone is always looking out for us. Some people say you have to take care of number 1. Then if there is anything left for the other guy, thats fine. The thing is we are always harder on ourselves and a little more careless than we are with our friends or family members. Most of us are really better at looking at what our friends are doing than we are at what we may be doing to ourselves. Then we fail to listen to those people we say we care for and respect too. People did try to tell Kurt not to take the chance that took his life, but Kurt was his own man and he figured he knew what he was doing. Sometimes that’s just not the case. Its a shame.

Kurt is gone, and he left a hole. Its going to take time to fill. Sometimes we don’t understand why things happen the way they do. He had just had an accident that broke his leg pretty badly and it sparked some changes in him. He began to think differently about the consequences of his actions and what was important in his life. That is the first sign of someone who is on the path; responsibility. Maybe that was the purpose of Kurt’s life, to find responsibility. He was just really starting to think in different terms and I was happy to see it. That last mistake was a costly one, but we all do things that could lead to a tragedy and most of us get away with it. Whether its driving home drunk, or taking a chance on a ski slope that we look back at and say whoa, or trying to see how high on this ridge my truck can make it. Just stop and think about whether its worth knowing..

Life goes on. I don’t believe in living in a cocoon, just being sensible. You could die anyway and if there is a consciousness that lives on after the body no longer functions, as I believe there is, than I want to be able to look back and say I lived. We don’t know if there is life after death, and I hope its a long time before I find out, but we need to make sure there is life before death. Kurt knew that and he lived it. Its a shame we have to do without him in this world now, but he lived on his own terms while he was here and I don’t think he would change that for 100 extra years. He might second guess that last decision, but it was his.

Sometimes I think my wife is too cautious, and she probably is, but sometimes I take chances I shouldn’t take either. What you are, above all else is a conscious being. If you are consciously going about your life than I think there will be no regrets. Some people are just running on auto pilot and not really living. That might make people more sad when they look back at your life (or when you look back) than having lived a shorter cycle on this planet. 95 years of boredom or 44 years of fun. As long as you do it with purpose as a conscious choice I guess its just a matter of those left behind trying to figure out something they can never understand anyway.

Summers gone and the beginning of the end of another cycle is coming. The trees are crying but soon they will sleep and reawake when the cycle is ready to begin again. Goodbye Kurt. I’m gonna miss you bro.