Death has always been part of the human experience, and yet we struggle with it like no other situation in life. Most humans today see it as an ending, a permanent loss always attached to sorrow and pain. A less subjective view is that death is the completion of one form of existence that allows transition into the next phase (for the Higher, Middle, and Lower Selves). We grieve for our loss when someone we love dies, but this is a grief due to lack of physical presence. The loved one continues on; she or he is never truly disconnected.
Our Ancestors saw death in a more natural way than we do today. They lived in a world that demonstrated to them each year what the cycle of life is all about: birth, life, death, and renewal. The seasons taught them; the life of plants and animals taught them. Our Ancestors knew that humans are part of the cycle and the natural order of things. Unfortunately when the One God came to displace the Many, the vital and connecting component of “renewal” fell from sight. The circle was broken, the Ancestral gates were jammed close, and only the matter of the Dead remained. When death is taught as the end, the lives of people can be easily controlled through its fear. This is especially true when you add in a dismal and horrifying eternal consequence for not doing as you are told.
The good news is that the Universe has no plans for your demise, and there is no place set aside to torment you in for eternity. The other side of that coin is that no place of eternal reward awaits you either. What does await you is what naturally happens to all humans and all souls that inhabit them. It happened long before any religion or spiritual tradition. It is happening still: birth, life, death, and renewal.
Death is not only an event; it is a process as well. I stress this because I feel we need to return to the Ancestral view of death as a natural thing. Once we see death in this way, we can then begin to sort out what is natural and what is concocted through human design. Because death is actually about the body, let us begin there.
From a metaphysical perspective, the body is formed through the creative elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. These not only initiate materialization through their presence, they also initiate decay when they withdraw from the body. In mundane science the process of forming a human body is limited to looking at fertilization, DNA, chromosomes, and cellular activity. In this view, the body is an assembly of atoms and molecules, and these are kept cohesive through the actions of electrons. However, electrons are also responsible for the degradation of the body when they initiate free radicals that damage cells.
One metaphysical thought is that bodies die in order to release souls back into the cycle of evolution. The physical science view is that bodies die because they deteriorate over time and can no longer sustain biological life. Another factor is, of course, death of the body due to injury. Injury to the soul can also result in the death of the body. This is reflected in the idea of people losing the will to live. The soul, while superior in consciousness to its human host, is not impervious to damage. Fortunately whatever happens to it is resolved over time.
Among the many teachings there is one stating that the process of death begins in the energy bodies before it does in the physical body. Some psychics believe they can “see” it in the aura. This is not unlike a doctor looking at a medical scan or X-ray and seeing a shadow that indicates a tumor. The underlying metaphysical principle is that things form in the non-material plane before they manifest in the Material Plane. Earlier in this book we saw a reflection of this principle in how a body is first envisioned in the Astral Plane, and then later condenses into a Material Body, a replica of the Energy Body.
Once death is unavoidable in the body, the energy bodies begin to wane. I often feel illness in someone's energy fields as a cold spot or a “pulling-in” area. This process is making way for the soul to be released from being bound to the flesh. The physical body draws upon the energy bands (described in Chapter Two) for sustainment as the organs begin to fail. This allows time for the soul to prepare to be “birthed” from the body. This is not unlike the fetus beginning to respond to the contractions of the womb as its birthing begins.
In physical death, rigor mortis is the mechanism, or contractions if you will, that serves to move the spirit and soul out of material captivity. Because there is no longer any energy being generated by the body, there is no likeness of energy to provide an environment conducive for the soul and spirit. This is like pouring out all the water from a fishbowl; the fish has lost what sustained it in the bowl. Rigor mortis begins 1–7 hours after death and disappears after 1–6 days, or when decomposition begins.
In one metaphysical belief the spirit is bound to the area where the body is located for up to seven days. The soul is still with the spirit during this time. Together they will learn important things about themselves by hearing what the Living have to say about them. It is something we all must face as we see ourselves as others did. The value of this is for the soul and the persona, for with it lays the ability to make changes. The persona remains as the being it was in life; that is to say it does not evolve on its own as can the soul. This is another reason why the work of the soul to redeem the Ancestors is important; the persona will one day become an Ancestor. There its consciousness can be enriched and elevated by Ancestors within the Collective who have already been liberated.
The late Dion Fortune, a renowned writer on metaphysical principles, provided some interesting insights into the process of dying and what follows after death. Of particular value is the section on the experience of those who are prepared to meet death and those who are not. She likens this to two men who take a sea journey. One is wealthy and educated about the destination; the other is a poor immigrant knowing little to nothing of the land to which he travels. The wealthy man enters the ship with joyful expectation while the immigrant enters with fear of what lies ahead.
Dion Fortune (as a Christian Mystic) points to a specific “angel” that she feels is attached to the death experience. Its alleged role is to place a deep sleep upon the fearful person as he or she passes from life. Fortune calls this entity The Great Anesthetist as well as The Angel of Death. In her view, the person later awakens in the death state and gradually becomes aware. When I first read this portion of her book, it reminded me of when I was young child. Sometimes I would wake up in my room and not know where I was; the room was unfamiliar. I think I may have even been uncertain for a moment as to who I was (but I was too drowsy to be alarmed). As I became more awake, everything slowly settled down and I understood my experience. Perhaps death is like that for some people.
At some point following the death of the body comes what is sometimes called “the second death.” This is when the Higher Consciousness of the soul separates from the spirit (which carries the persona). The soul reclaims its inherent Higher Consciousness unhindered by its previous attachment, and the spirit remains in its “Lower” Consciousness. This results in a severance; it has died to the soul just as the body died to the spirit within it.
It is well-documented that a dying person often describes seeing departed loved ones in the room. Science ascribes this experience to changes in brain chemistry; metaphysics points to an opening between the material and non-material realms (through which the Dead arrive and we pass). I see no reason that one notion need negate the other. Perhaps the chemicals enhance our senses, and in this altered state of consciousness we possess the ability to see another spectrum. This is not entirely unlike the fact that we cannot see various spectrums of light that exist without the use of a device.
Do the Dead actually come to us in the hour of our death? Do our Ancestors gather as well? Whatever the case may be it seems reasonable (from a spiritual point of view) to think that something is there to usher us over to the “other side.” Later we will explore that “place,” but for now let us look closer at the concept of guides or companions.
Religions and spiritual systems have long taught of benevolent beings that comfort and aid humankind. They are called angels, spirit guides, guardians, and ascended masters. Such beings are believed to “look after” us during life and then see us through to the Afterlife. Beliefs in their actual role at the time of death vary from system to system. Some mystics believe that they take on the appearance of loved ones in order to make us feel safe as we cross from life. This is the idea that the familiar makes us feel comfortable and eases our anxiety.
For people who did not form loving relationships in life there may not be anyone whose greeting presence offers comfort on the other side. Another factor plays a role in this situation. Many people who were pronounced dead but came back to life report the presence of a bright warm light. This light feels loving, and often within it can be seen vague humanoid figures that seem present to welcome the Dead. The prevailing idea is that we are not alone in death just as we were not alone in birth; caretakers are there.
Dion Fortune writes:
It is a great thing to know that as the physical world recedes from us, the coast of the next world is rising above the horizon of consciousness, and on that shore will be awaiting our coming all those who loved us and who have gone before us into the Unseen. We shall land amid familiar faces . . . but what of those who have no close ties with any in the next world . . . they will be met by those who knew unrequited love while on the earth.
The views of Dion Fortune, and many of the writers of her time, are vey simplistic and even poetic when it comes to the theme of dying and the Dead. Most of these commentators, being mystics, tended to bypass the importance of the Material Plane. Instead they favored the Spiritual Plane. Few distinguished the person from the soul, often regarding the reincarnated as being exactly the same person she or he was in the past life. It may boil down to semantics, but it does tend to somewhat muddy the waters as we try to sort things out.
In ancient myth and lore we often find the theme of the death crossing to a mystical island. It is typically a solo journey, and the Dead are met by mythical characters. Very often they are women commonly dressed in white or black. When arriving by boat, the vessel resembles a swan or some other being. The boat conveys the Dead to an island with white shores. A castle is present and usually appears in the center of the island. There are other themes in various cultures; some of them are not so pleasant.
An important message in these old tales is the idea that the Dead leave; they go to another place. Attached to this theme is the fact that we must let them go in peace. While grief is natural for the Living, it can hold back the spirit (or even the soul) of the person from dissolving ties to the Earth Plane. The Material Plane is designed for material beings. The Spirit World is the Natural Plane for non-material beings. Over the centuries humans have imagined many realms residing in the Spirit World.
Many older cultures, particularly pre-Christian or non-Christian ones, thought of the Afterlife being much like the world of the Living (at least in the formative periods). Some examples are the “Happy Hunting Grounds” attributed to some American Indian tribes, the Elysian Fields of the Greeks, Mag Mell and Tír na nÓg of Celtic religion, and so on. The general theme is one of eternal summer and all its pleasure and bounty. Nordic and Germanic views are less clear in old literature, but in general the Afterlife is intimately connected to the material world and is “beneath it” (in other words, an Underworld Realm). In old tales we find references to the “hall of the fallen,” the “field of the people,” and the “field of the warriors.” All of these have Earth Plane connections.
In old Chinese views of the Afterlife one's spirit is taken by messengers to the god of walls and moats, Ch'eng Huang, who reviews her or his life. If found virtuous, the soul can go directly to one of the Buddhist paradises, to the dwelling place of the Taoist immortals, or if not, it goes to the 10th court of hell for immediate rebirth. The latter is a temporary place of punishment. At the end of the term the soul drinks the elixir of oblivion and is placed on the Wheel of Rebirth.
Old Japanese views (primarily in Shinto religion) hold that after death the soul or spirit inhabits the Otherworld, where deities reside. There are several realms there, including Takamanohara (heaven, where the principal deities reside), Yomi (the Underworld and domain of the Divine mother of Japan), and the realm of Tokoyo (located somewhere beyond the sea). These worlds are much like earth in appearance; from a religious point of view they are neither a realm of rewarding paradise nor a punishing hell. The Afterlife is envisioned much like the world of the Living.
Over the course of time mystics inserted certain views and philosophies that shaped new thinking about the Afterlife. Mysterious islands, banquet halls, summer lands, and Underworlds gave way to the concept of inner planes of existence. One early model is the existence of four realms: Material, Lunar, Solar, and Stellar. Each represents a stage or phase of consciousness through which the soul evolves. Let us look at these worlds and their function in mystical thought.
The Material Realm, as we have seen, is where the consciousness is immersed in finite reality. It is the world of unyielding physical laws and principles. Like a person learning to crawl before walking, the soul is saddled with having to operate in a systematic existence. The flesh body must be mastered and then used to experience material reality. It is, in essence, the “deep-sea diving suit” of the soul; with it the soul explores the Earth Plane environment. The sea is an alien environment to air-breathing humans, and successfully exploring it requires the development of specific skills. It is the same for a soul in a flesh body in a material world. Such a realm offers lessons in fundamental and foundational understanding. All the myriad things taught in earthly existence can then be applied in expansive ways to other forms of reality.
The Lunar Realm is the Otherworld imagined through myth and legend. Its vibration or frequency is just above that of material form. The moon as seemingly being “above” the earth, and its characteristic changing of “body forms” (phase of the moon) may have contributed to assigning it to the next abode of the soul after death. In mystical thought, the Lunar Realm (not to be confused with the moon itself) is where souls reside that no longer require reincarnation (see subsection on reincarnation for clarification). It is here that the soul learns new lessons, and it learns how to apply material principles to non-material modes. One example is uncovering the forces within and behind material manifestations. This is similar to scientists discovering that material objects are not actually completely solid. Instead they are comprised of atoms and molecules, which have spaces between them. Material objects are masses of components that don't actually touch each other (and therefore are not solid in the way most people think). This opened up for scientists a more expanded view of material reality, which in turn led them to explore things like quantum fields and mechanics. This field offers us the view that nothing is actually as it seems.
The soul in the Lunar Realm learns about the forces that are behind formation and manifestation. It sees the layers, each one going deeper away from solidity and closer to pure energy. In this the soul encounters a different systematic reality than what it knew in the material world. It is no longer in an ocean; it is in a sea of atoms that respond to conscious direction and design. It is here that the process whereby “thoughts become things” functions as a mechanism. We no longer need to build with exterior materials; we create through holding in our consciousness the image of what we seek to manifest. The ability to wield this responsibly requires education and training, and so the Lunar Realm becomes a place of higher education once the soul has “graduated” from the school of the Material Realm.
Next in order of higher frequency/vibration is the Solar Realm. It is often regarded as the Plane of Forging. Its environment burns away material illusion and transforms lunar envisioning into Divine-like methodology. In other words it forges the soul's consciousness into a new “body” that operates within the Divine Plan. It is a consciousness that does not use or apply what was learned in Material or Lunar “classrooms” but instead merges with the universal consciousness of the “Great Instructor” itself. It is the difference between being a place of learning and being what is taught there.
In this newly forged consciousness of the Solar Realm, the soul reflects on what has been and what follows in accord with Divine Will. The self no longer exists in the Solar Realm as it did in the “lower” realms. It now knows itself as part of something greater than itself, that it is in service to as a being. With this realization, the vibration of the soul is heightened, and it is drawn upward to another plane of existence.
The last of the four realms is called the Stellar Realm. It is where we come full circle from point of origin to completion of cycle. There is a teaching that souls are sparks of consciousness sent out from the Source of All Things. In this light, you and I are the offspring of that which created the Universe. Some people say that the reason we stare at the stars is because we long for our true home.
In function, we can think of the Stellar Realm as the place where the collective experience of all souls is gathered and integrated. It is where we interface with the Source of All Things, and through the collective it knows all things. As mentioned earlier in the book souls travel in groups. These groups in turn belong to a greater Community, the Community of Souls. This is not unlike being residents of a state, which in turn is part of a country. I recall returning once from an unpleasant trip to another country. Even though my plane landed in California, I was happy to be back in America.
The longing of the soul to return to its natural realm is a driving force that inspires it to obtain liberation from the Cycle of Rebirth. Until then the soul will make many journeys using many vessels. Some journeys will be more memorable and transformative than others. Lifetimes may be long and others very short. In some cases incarnations take place to provide something for those individuals connected to the incarnate soul in its lifetime. Here the life is typically brief as in the death of an infant or a child.
In the Stellar Realm the next lifetime is projected. The soul obtains an overview, and through this it gains knowledge of what the life has to offer in terms of aiding spiritual evolution. It does not know everything the next incarnation offers, but in general the key elements become known. However, this is not destiny; it is instead opportunities. While the incarnated soul will naturally move towards the glimpsed opportunities, there are factors that may impact accomplishing the goals. We can take comfort in the fact that the Source of All Things is exceedingly patient, and we have all the time needed to complete our successful spiritual evolution.
In a previous chapter we explored the general role of reincarnation. In this section we will look at some particular elements. What initiates the process of reincarnation, and do we have any choices in the matter? Are we subject to reincarnation or do we willing participate? These questions open us up to a fascinating journey.
It is clear that reincarnation joins a soul with a Material Body. Since the soul preexists the body, let us begin our exploration with the material form into which the soul will pass. The body is composed of various elements that come together to create it. This creation, from cell to organism, relies upon a harmonious and unified process. If everything works together, then the body is created as per the intended design. If not, the creation may not happen or it may be flawed in one way or another.
There is an ancient Greek myth about Creation that captures this overall theme. The myth tells us that before Creation all was in chaos. Chaos reigned because the four creative elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth were not operating in unison and harmony. Each was solely focused and not in relationship with the process of Creation. The myth tells us that the fifth element of Spirit (aether) entered into the chaos and drew the Four Elements together in harmony and commonality of purpose.
If we apply the model of the Four Elements and Spirit to the process of reincarnation and the body, then something interesting comes into view. A metaphysical teaching is that our bodies come together due to elemental forces. In other words the Four Elements join in unison to initiate and complete the process whereby our material bodies are fashioned. The activity of the Elements stimulates the awareness of the soul in the higher planes, just as in the Greek myth in which the fifth element is aware of the Elemental activity. This activity, the formation of the body, signals a response from the soul. An opportunity for the soul is forming; through it growth and evolution are available. Also offered is the role of redeemer of the Ancestors through the bloodline lineage of the body the soul will inhabit. But how much if any does the soul have to say in the matter?
It is commonly said in mainstream culture that birth is not the choice of the newborn; it was the choice of the parents. We looked at the Elemental role, which suggests that the formation of the body draws the soul. However, might it be that the soul first initiates the formation of the body when it has need or desire for reincarnation? Are we arguing which came first, the chicken or the egg?
One metaphysical view is that once the soul has completed an incarnation and delivered its experience to the Source of All Things, it rests. This rest is not one born of fatigue; the rest is one of contemplation and reflection. It reviews the past life, integrates it into the whole of all its experiences with other incarnations, and then opens itself to Divine Consciousness. Through directly communing with Divine Consciousness the soul is enlightened as to the next phase of its evolution. This is not so unlike a college counselor helping you to understand what courses you still need to take for your major in the upcoming semesters.
A little known teaching is that reincarnation begins with communion between a soul and the Ancestral Spirit. The bond is there because the soul was embodied in many of those who are now the Ancestors with the Ancestral Realm. Here the “discussions” take place about possible next lifetime opportunities and what they offer. It is not unlike a well-known actor being offered movie roles and reading the movie scripts. Sometimes the soul is the star, and other times it is a supporting actor; or it might even be a character who ends up not being all that memorable in the movie.
A teaching here is that the soul can gain an overview of the next lifetime. It sees the possibilities, the benefits, and the potential. The risks and challenges also become known to the soul. Little, if anything, is certain to occur in this vision once the soul is embedded in a flesh body. There are primary markers such as social status, marriage, children, health or lack thereof, and death. This last approaches at certain intersections in a lifetime when it is likely to occur; but the exact date is not sitting on a calendar ahead of time. One valuable guide map for the soul is the Natal Chart in Astrology. It is, in essence, a reference guide to the previously mentioned markers. With this foreknowledge we can move forward into territory that might otherwise be completely unknown.
Once the soul has accepted a new role, the Ancestors stimulate the forces that will eventually manifest a new body—the Elemental Body. They can do so because they are essentially in-between the Earth Plane and the Elemental Plane; therefore they are connected to both spheres of influence. The Ancestral influence, through energetic action, establishes the resonance that will cause the Elemental Body to form around a genetic lineage whose energy pattern (or imprint) is held in the Ancestral Spirit. In this way the Elemental Body will carry the DNA resonance, giving a nationality to the body. This is part of the metaphysical principle that states “like attracts like.” The partnership between the soul and the Ancestors is bound to this process, and from the ancient pool of light a flame of Human Consciousness is sent to join the body. All that remains is for the soul to take up residence and begin a new lifetime journey.
From a mystical perspective the soul moves from the Stellar Realm and begins its journey into the Material Realm. The Lunar Realm reacts to the “astral” (meaning star-like) resonance of the soul and lends its substance to coat it with a spirit form body. Remember that earlier we connected the Ancestors (and the Dead) to the Lunar Realm. Therefore the Ancestors are aiding in directing this process of forming the Energy Body through Elemental forces. This will become the Material Body once the energy is condensed by the resonance of the Material Realm. You can envision this like putting your hand in a bowl of melted wax; the wax will form around the hand (essentially making a replica of what was introduced into its substance—your hand).
Once the soul enters into a flesh body in its fetus stage, the Higher and Lower Selves join together in a relationship of interconnected consciousness. This is formed first before Human Consciousness appears as the persona. Until that time the Elemental Body is growing in the womb with its own consciousness, which is evidenced in the generation of cells and the formation of organs, and so on. The persona (the human mind) is not controlling or directing this process of creating a fetus. It has yet to come forth and form a triad with the body and soul. An idea we will later explore is that communication between the soul and the body is always directly through the body as opposed to through Human Consciousness. This reflects the initial first bonding of consciousness between the body and soul. It does not need to remain this way, but more about that later on.
One intriguing teaching is that the “way of return” is connected to what is called the Star Gates, or the Four Gates of Atavaric Descent. The related teaching is that some souls have evolved beyond the need to return to the material, but they choose to come back in order to help those souls who struggle with liberation. These advanced souls, known as avatars, are said to enter the mortal world through the fixed signs of the zodiac: Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio. These are symbolized by the images of man, bull, lion, and eagle. This set of four beings appears in various mystical and occult teachings.
Not all souls that pass into the Material Realm through the Four Gates are advanced souls. Avatars use the fixed star signs (representing the gates) because the quality of a fixed sign bestows strength of purpose, which propels them to complete their mission. A companion teaching is that the descending soul passes through the Solar Realm, which imprints it with a “sun sign” as shown in the Natal Chart of Astrology. This becomes the energetic resonance of the soul on the Earth during a lifetime. It is also a spiritual map in the mystical sense.
The sign of Aquarius, representing Human Consciousness, gives the avatar the energy of the pioneer or trailblazer. Taurus establishes the form through which the avatar will present its teachings. Leo instills the creativity that inspires expansion, the opening of minds and hearts. Scorpio offers the commitment to the spiritual path that the avatar will walk. It may well be that the avatar is a soul that passes through each of the Four Gates before its final role as a spiritual master.
In a mystical view the four creatures of man, bull, lion, and eagle represent the traits that are necessary to build new worlds and to bring about positive and beneficial change. It is all about communication and the interplay of forms of consciousness that meet and act in mutual agreement. From this arises the power and resonance of three consciousnesses acting as one: body, mind, and soul.
In this section we will explore the different “conscious beings” within us and through which you and I experience and work with in each lifetime. The overall purpose is to aid growth and evolution. Existence is not still and inactive. As beings in the midst of it all, of we too share that same nature, quality, or condition. In this light, Elemental Consciousness is elevated as is Human and Soul Consciousness.
You may never have thought of the body as a separate being from the “you” that you believe yourself to be in the here and now. In this light, mystics promote the idea that when you are injured, do not say “I am in pain” but instead say “my body” is experiencing pain. This mindset keeps the two distinct. This is easier to understand if you take note that a painkiller only makes the mind become unaware or less aware of the pain; the body is still in the same pain situation of the material reality that is generating the pain. In this same light, do not say that you are ill or do not feel well. Instead, say that your stomach is upset or that your body has flu symptoms. This may come across as a game, but it is not. Its value is in keeping each of the three consciousnesses operating true to their intended roles.
The body is the way that Elemental Consciousness experiences a sensory reality. This elevates it through having to deal with the unique mechanisms of a flesh form as opposed to a simply energetic one (its former state). This is, in effect, the difference between theory and practice. You can read everything written about sailing a boat, but until you sail there is no realization (there is only knowledge). Knowledge gives you options but realization calls for focused action. Knowledge is like sitting on a train track knowing that a train is due to arrive soon. You have options: sit longer or get up. Once the train is bearing down on you, realization makes you act immediately. In this light we can say that the Elemental Body is here to realize the other half of existence, which is material reality.
On another level the role of the Elemental Body is to convert food into energy; this energy is used by Human Consciousness that inhabits it. The Elemental Body can do this because it originated as energy that was transmuted into material; it remembers its primal state and has not lost connection to it or its processes. At death the elements withdraw back into their original state, and this is when decomposition begins.
Human Consciousness inhabits the Elemental Body. It is seeded from the Ancestral Spirit, planted within the joining of the soul and the Elemental Body. This is much like the joining of a sperm with an egg that brings about the formation of a fetus. Through Ancestral connection to many incarnations Human Consciousness can attain a higher vibration and become a strong presence in the Ancestral Realm. From time to time these elevated Ancestral beings attach themselves to a human life and have significant impact on human culture, religion, and spirituality. Not all humans are reincarnations of past ones on this Earth; some human bodies carry souls from other dimensions such as the Faery Realm, or from other planets; but this does not concern us here in this chapter. It does, however, help us not to be confused by the fact that our planet has over 7 billion human bodies living on it, which is more humans than all previous time periods combined up until this current one.
Soul Consciousness completely envelops the Elemental Body (and its energy fields) but is centered or anchored in the area of the solar plexus. That is to say it is here the soul affixes to, and interfaces with, the flesh body and Human Consciousness. The soul takes in energy through the solar plexus from within the bound atmosphere of the Earth. It uses this in the same way the flesh body uses food and water.
The three different “beings of consciousness” come together to accomplish a mutual transformation that benefits each one. Each one originates from a stream of life-forms moving along with the current of evolution. Together they bind into one triformis nature, a single being comprised of three separate ones. The body is the vessel, the soul is the navigator, and the Human Consciousness is the pilot. In unison they reach their destination through cooperation. However, pilot error can change everything. Proper communication is vital.
As previously noted, communication occurs naturally between the Lower Self and the Higher Self. We have referred to this as the Elemental Body and the soul. Human Consciousness must work with effort to directly communicate with the Higher Self. This is because of the three types of consciousness only the Middle Self can vary from its design and become conflicted. The Lower Self takes everything literally and responds in conformity with what it receives. The results are health or illness. The Higher Self is incapable of victimization and cannot be self-deceptive. Only the Middle Self can misinterpret its reality.
In order to better understand the relationship of the Three Selves, we can look at the imagery of the lover's card in the tarot. Because the old symbolism has morphed over time, I will use the Waite-Rider card that retains the esoteric imagery. Love, being an intimate relationship, is an ideal theme for looking into communication of body, mind, and soul. Let's examine the symbolism on this card in context with the teachings of the Three Selves.
The sun sitting overhead represents the radiant energy from which all beings derive their own inner force. It also represents the “guiding light” of ageless wisdom and is a sign to all below it of the unlimited potential of consciousness for all beings. The winged being in the upper center represents the higher consciousness. It is also the power of air as thought and the communication forces under the planet Mercury. Mercury is associated with the astrological sign of Gemini, which for our purposes here signifies twins—the material and spiritual (as above, so below).
The cloud formation directly in the center position represents the “Life-Breath” that is also known as Prana in Eastern Mysticism. Earlier in this chapter we noted that the Higher Self is connected to the body at the solar plexus and is nourished by the intake of this Prana substance. The winged being (settled into the clouds) holds it hands outward to downpour its influence upon the two humanoid figures below it.
On the left is depicted a woman, who in our scenario represents the Elemental Body. She looks up at the winged being, which represents the soul, and this posture shows her in direct communication with it. The figure on the right is depicted as a man, and he represents the Middle Self, the Human Consciousness. The Middle Self communicates with the Higher Self through the Elemental Body. The man looks at the female figure indicating direct communication with the Material Body. The soul, raising a hand over each of the figures, shows its unconditional love for both of the other components of the triformis consciousness. The mountain in the background represents the journey that awaits the three conscious Selves, and the upward climb of evolution.
Pictured with the woman on the card we see a tree with a serpent on it. Paul Foster Case, an acknowledged authority on tarot symbolism, refers to the snake as the Serpent of Redemption. Case links it to the theme of Moses lifting up a serpent on a pole to redeem the Israelites of their sins (as told in the Old Testament, Numbers 21:4–9). In the New Testament, John 3:14, a connection is made between the lifting up of the serpent and the lifting up of Jesus on a wooden cross (made from a tree) to redeem the sins of all. From an esoteric perspective we can see the basic theme of redeeming the Ancestors, which we explored earlier in the book. In chapter one, we encountered the tree in connection with death and the rebirth in the Material Realm. We also looked at human lineage recorded in a family tree design. You may want to review that chapter again.
The man on the tarot card is shown with another tree. It bears twelve fruits of fire, which represent the stars of the zodiac. Case refers to it as the tree of human life upon which the personalities (persona) or “self-conscious life-expressions” blossom. The man on the card is called “the namer of things” and in this we see that Human Consciousness is fully immersed in material existence to the point of distraction. Therefore there is little wonder that the Middle Self communicates through the body to the Higher Self.
The esoteric message is about the “union of opposite but complementary modes of existence,” as Case puts it. The underlying intelligence works to maintain a distinction between the Three Selves in terms of discernment. It is through discernment that the selves are arranged; to each one is apportioned its measure. Balance is the key, for if balance is disturbed then dis-ease occurs. This condition in turn begins to weaken or even dissolve the bonds that keep the Three Selves functioning in harmony as one.
The goal of communication is to master the body through some type of discipline, which will make Human Consciousness join with its organic host in a way that makes it then work as one being. One example is the martial arts. For many years I practiced Chinese Kenpo. Eventually the movements of my body blended with my consciousness to the degree where both reacted simultaneously to an event. There were still two distinct components at work, my mind and body, but each one fully trusted the other in communication. In time a spiritual condition arose which influenced my practice and discipline. It changed my body into an energy as opposed to my awareness of it as an object, and transformed my Human Consciousness from a “warrior” into a full participant in my life and its application. A warrior fights for a cause; a soul transcends the cause for a fight.
I learned to fight effectively, and in doing so the need and the desire to fight disappeared. There is a formula behind this outcome. The Higher Self influenced both the body and Human Consciousness, and this was made possible by the latter communicating to the Higher Self through the body. The body said, “I am whole, loyal, dependable, and true,” and through the body the Middle Self said, “with my body I am without fear, and I am fearless to live.” The soul replied: “Let us move forward with unconditional love.” In this the three conscious Selves offered no conflict to each other. Communication was within a cycle, a wheel within a wheel. Any of these inner voices could speak in any order, and the message went unchanged at its core. Try rearranging these three statements together in a different order, and see how the message does not change but expands. When the message goes unchanged in the threefold consciousness, we have arrived at the threshold of enlightenment.
You can use other disciplines to create effective ways for Human Consciousness to communicate with the body. You might try yoga, meditation, dance, or other things that require a strong connection between mind and body. Solitary endeavors seem to work best as opposed to team sports. The less outside distraction, competition, or stimulation, the better the results will be. Remember, you are not the body; it is its own being. You are the director guiding it into a mutually beneficial relationship that is a full-time commitment.
In order to better understand the three-way communication, let us look at the inner mechanism. Human Consciousness forms and maintains the persona of the individual. As we noted earlier, it is in constant communication with the body, but this does not mean that it is not receiving direct communication from the soul. The problem is in the personality transmitting and not receiving from the soul.
The soul communicates directly with Human Consciousness in the dream state. This is often thought of as the subconscious mind operating when we are asleep. It takes discernment to differentiate between a dream that arises from the consciousness of the Elemental Body and that of a communication in the dream state directly from the soul. In most cases the dream is fragmented, while in the case of the soul, the dream seems very real. This is because the soul is bringing the consciousness of the persona into a relatively lucid state.
Developing the skill of lucid dreaming can help the persona to transmit directly to the soul without requiring the Elemental Body as the conduit. This is not an easy skill to develop, and in terms of meaningful and effective communication with the soul it can be problematic. The important thing is to listen as well as speak. The soul is an aid to evolution and not a fulfiller of wishes. The relationship between the soul and the persona needs to be an open and honest one with the goal being spiritual evolution.
The easiest way for Human Consciousness to work out any problems regarding soul communication is to call upon the Ancestors. As previously noted the soul and the Ancestors were in communication in the early stages of reincarnation. You have a direct link to them through your DNA (review Chapter Two). The ladder-like appearance of the DNA double helix is a symbol through which you can descend into the Cavern of the Ancestors. This is a spiritual corridor, a meeting point, through which the Ancestors can be directly approached. You can find a technique for this in Chapter Seven.
The end result of the process of reincarnation is, of course, the Material Body. As noted earlier it develops when the Ancestral Spirit joins with the soul in a quest of evolution and redemption. There is an element here of the principle called “karma,” which is a tenet that comes from Eastern Mysticism. Like many foreign imports it is not a perfect fit for Western metaphysical teachings that originate from the European Ancestors.
In this book we have spent a significant amount of time forming the idea of Elemental, Human, and Soul Consciousness. Now it is time to focus on the experience of the persona in the material world. Human Consciousness as the personality in any given lifetime inevitably wonders about the meaning and purpose of life. Here it encounters the Three Great Mysteries—where did I come from, why am I here, and what happens when I die? I think that humans may spend more time wondering if life serves a reason and purpose than they do savoring the “gift of pure being” bestowed upon them.
From a metaphysical perspective you and I exist as humans for three basic purposes. We are here in the Ancestral stream to fulfill the will of our lineage. We are here to experience the Material Realm for the solid lessons it has to teach us so that we aid the evolution of our souls, and so we share consciousness with the Ancestral Spirit while we are in a flesh body. Lastly, we are here to communicate our perceptions of material existence back to the Creator/Creatrix so as to inform it with a constant stream of consciousness. Each of the Three Selves is attached to one of these roles. The Elemental Body is tied to the Ancestral stream, Human Consciousness to communication with the Source of All Things, and the soul to the evolution of consciousness and being. This is not only for itself (the soul) but for the gain this brings to the beings of the body and mind as well. While we assign these roles and purposes individually, all three consciousnesses are mutually sharing and benefiting from them in a simultaneous fashion.
In the course of life we are not limited to these three specific roles. There are many sub-roles operating as well. For example, our lives have an impact on the lives of people around us. So we can say that another role we play in life is to be one of the lessons that others encounter. The resonance of our personas draws us together through what is needed in that scenario. Our presence and activity can be purposeful or coincidental. This seems evident in the fact that we can make mistakes or cause someone pain through error as opposed to intentional design. I do not believe that everything is preordained, but I do believe there is an incredible mechanism at work that moves, sorts, and connects things together as life unfolds in front of us all. This is not performed in a “puppet master” way; it is done through action and reaction, cause and effect, but with the added element of conscious observation and awareness. This is not unlike a chess master in the midst of an ever-changing board where pieces are moving; some are under his direct control while other pieces are not. There is, however, still the attentive consciousness that makes it all one thing operating in a relationship of time, space, and event.
An important mechanism for Human Consciousness is the ability to control or influence environment. This helps to minimize “random occurrence” in one's life. One basic example is that having a home to be in at night minimizes the things that can happen to you in the world that evening. That particular environment is largely under your control for the time being. If you had no place to stay and were living out on the streets, your experience of random occurrence would be greatly increased as many things might happen to you that are outside of your control. In fact, that particular environment is controlling your experience of it.
The environments that we find ourselves in can greatly affect us. This includes being in the company of friends, family, lovers, and even coworkers. Their words, feelings, moods, and behaviors can change our very own in the moment. This can be either positive or negative, but the point is that it changes the energy (whether we want it to or not). This is why our consciousness should be developed to the point that we can maintain our state of being despite the energy projected on us. It is a question of balance.
Because our environment can impact us without our consent, it is empowering to be able to influence it and thereby cease its ability to influence us. This requires tapping into our center, the place of balance. We often feel a disruption at this center in a tense, stressful, or uncomfortable situation. It manifests in the area of the stomach and solar plexus; some people describe it as a knot in the stomach. In essence that is what it is, an energy knot that is hindering the flow of your natural balanced energy.
When we maintain our balance and temper our reaction to changes in environment, we then make changes to the environment around us. It stabilizes the forming environment, and then our resonance can ripple outwards through it and thereby introduce a new one. Meeting anger with anger, hatred with hatred, and loathing with loathing does not change the environment; it only strengthens it and its influence on everyone in that energy field. These qualities are primal and reflect our fears. It is Human Consciousness that must take the reins and establish harmony within the Elemental Body. To do so strengthens the bonds between us and the Ancestors because it is about growth and evolution. Once these bonds are in harmony, the soul quells the inner conflicts and disturbance.
If we extend this principle further out from the immediate environment, we then come to the state of being of our own lives. What is the environment that we call our lives? Do we feel resentful, victimized, persecuted, or held back? Do we feel sorry for ourselves? If so we have lost sight of the fact that the lessons we need to learn are the reasons these very things impact our lives. The good news is that we are not meant to suffer, we are meant to be transformed by it all.
Instead of wailing against our lot, if we accept it as meaningful to change, then interesting things begin to develop. One of the hardest things to do is to accept that the negative condition of our lives is justified. In other words, what we did or failed to do brought about the condition of this lifetime. It need not all have been in this lifetime, but can be carried over from a previous existence. If we can stop feeling wronged long enough to accept that we are not victims but full participants, then the bonds of “karma” begin to weaken. When we accept responsibility, then we come into favor with what some people call the Lords of Karma. This in turn lessens the intensity and tenacity of delivering the needed lessons to us.
Positive energy displaces negative energy when we do not lay responsibility on another person even when that person truly wronged us. To see ourselves as blameless only serves to maintain the imbalance that holds us to the negativity. If instead we acknowledge our role, we can begin to dissolve the bonds. Perhaps our role in the matter was that we trusted someone who was unworthy of that trust. Maybe we allowed a wrong or injustice to occur because we didn't react properly in a situation, and we allowed someone to take advantage of us in our weakness or confusion. It may also be that we put ourselves in danger or vulnerability, which allowed someone to harm us. When we do not remove ourselves from the equation, we can then heal the inner environment of our lives. Such a healing ripples all the way back to our Ancestors.
As you may be beginning to see, this is all about intentional consciousness, directed thought, for thoughts are things. Being in the flesh allows consciousness to create on the Material Plane. One of the things we can apply is known as the Law of Compensation. The only constant thing in the Universe is change. Therefore to hold to the idea that we can never accomplish this or that, or that we will never have this or that, is contrary to the process of existence itself. Nothing stays the same, so why hold ourselves to self-deception? To do so does not help us evolve, and does not help us redeem.
The Law of Compensation works as follows. If someone steals your cell phone, instead of focusing on the loss, you call for compensation instead. You sit, focus your mind, and request “of the Universe” that you obtain a cell phone that is the model up. In this way you move the energy forward; you do not bring it back to where it was because that negates the law of change. Acknowledge your loss and then request compensation. You can, and should, do this with all aspects within your life experience. This not only serves you, it serves the Ancestors by improving the way for the next generation through you (if not physically then spiritually). Who knows how the changes you make in the environment will affect the forward-flowing stream itself? Dare to master your environment; dare to be fulfilled and abundant. You are the hope of the Ancestors; you are their champion in this lifetime.