NUMBERS TO THE KEY
by Nancy Maehl
Key AM I to the mysteries.
On four square I stand
Raising matter upward
From the cross.
Through circles twelve I pass.
ONE AM I,
Transfigured through the
seven.
I HIDE
Through cycles twelve I hide.
From Earth to Water,
From Fire to Air.
From six, transfigured I
Through seven.
A Lesson in Service
by Carol Ann Deans from Spain
Recently I had to attend the day centre at the hospital for treatment. I wasn’t feeling at my best when a young man swaggered in the door and plopped himself in the next chair. I nodded a greeting but I wrongly assumed that a young man wearing football shirt and combat shorts would have a thick local dialect that I wouldn’t understand. I looked up at the TV and saw a poor little skinned rabbit being splayed and ready to cook. Ugh! So, I picked up my Kindle as a distraction, and started to read.
Once we were both attached to the drugs dripping into our veins, the young man leant across and asked if what I was holding was a book. I explained it was electronic and held hundreds of books. We started chatting about how difficult it can be to hold a book when you are lying in bed unwell. He asked me about my health problems then he shared his story. Some of the sequences may be a little “lost in translation” but that didn’t matter.
At the age of 4 years he broke his neck. He was aware at that tender age of a strong sense of survival. “I want to live. I want to live,” he told himself continuously and the force of this energy remained with him. He recovered from that but later on in his life he had an accident on a boat and smashed his knees. He kept going. He had a car accident and broke a leg and hip and he couldn’t walk for one year. He kept going. And now, he tells me – Hodgkins Lymphoma!
He told me his strength grew. He was aware of his “interior life.” He had had plenty of time to think of what he had survived and why.
“To die is easy,” he said. “To live is the fight. To live with love and to smile. To think and understand. Is this not the reason for the evolution of man? Not to live like an automaton, not stopping to develop an interior life. This is where your Spirit, your Force, comes from!” he says, softly punching the area of his heart. He spoke of the never ending energy of the soul. He spoke of the rewards to your heart when helping another person. His love of the simple life with his wife.
By now, his eyes were sparkling, his life force shone and his heart was wide open from sharing.
“Senor” I said, returning to the subject of books, “There are many thousands of books written by Academics, Professors, Gurus and I have read many of them, but you have just summed up all of them. You are a Doctor of Philosophy in the University of Life.”
He shone, though shyly. I was humbled. Inspired. So touched by his simple language, which I understood clearly, and aware that I was being given an immense lesson in service. Who would have thought, in those circumstances, that a young man of little education, no outer wealth but so rich in experience, would turn to me, a complete stranger and give me the biggest lesson on the service one can give by speaking your truth.
What prompted him? Was this lesson only for me or perhaps for the man lying in bed, veins being pumped full of drugs, or for the nurse who was looking after us? The young man did not speak in whispers. He spoke strongly, freely, energetically. Not in any way inhibited, speaking his truth!
I felt I had had a living experience in service. I couldn’t have said it better than he did.
I am aware of my own Glamour around Service. For so long I have asked “How best may I be of Service” to the point of angst, thinking that Service was defined by Grand Gestures that swept good deeds over significant amounts of humanity, not really wanting to consider that my service may be only small gestures and to be content with that.
On reading of the patience required in “Effect of Service upon the Astral Body”, I understand more deeply the expression “He also serves who only stands and waits.” I don’t remember when or where I first was aware of this quote but it always stuck with me and gave me comfort when I felt as if any opportunity to take part in Service was passing me by. It does help to understand, if one seems not to be called upon for Service that perhaps it is just not the right time.
“Service can be briefly defined as the spontaneous effect of soul contact. This contact is so definite and fixed that the life of the soul can pour through into the instrument which the soul must perforce use upon the physical plane. It is the manner whereby the nature of that soul can demonstrate in the world of human affairs. Service is not a quality or a performance; it is not an activity towards which people must strenuously strive, nor is it a method of world salvage…. Service is a life demonstration. It is a soul urge, and is as much an evolutionary impetus of the soul as the urge to self-preservation or to the reproduction of the species is a demonstration of the animal soul. This is a statement of importance. It is a soul instinct, if we may use such an inadequate expression and is, therefore, innate and peculiar to soul unfoldment. It is the outstanding characteristic of the soul, just as desire is the outstanding characteristic of the lower nature…. It is simply the first real effect, evidenced upon the physical plane, of the fact that the soul is beginning to express itself in outer manifestation.” (Esoteric Psychology II 124-5)
The Way of Discipleship Leads to the Master
by Carol Ann Deans
I was struggling with this. No answers nor insights. I sat one morning just trying to get back into the discipline of daily writing practice and I noticed I was writing grumbling rubbish. “Wait a minute,” I said to myself, “I don’t have time for this.” I felt I knew nothing about anything. Completely dull. “Just like that seed thought, “The way of Discipleship leads to the Master”, I said. “Yes” I replied. “But does it?”
This is what I am told. This is what the books say. This is what my head says. I mean that’s why we do it. Yea? Or, is it still stick and carrot.
“Have I met the Master?” No.
“Do I feel closeness?” No.
Only once did I feel he was looking down at me. If I am lucky I feel Soul with me. A particular and beautiful sense of peace washes over me and I feel loved. But, the Master? Can’t say I have felt an energy close by or seen a figure. Though am I looking for the wrong figure? The figure of Jesus came to me and gave me comfort when I was in hospital. Am I not seeing the obvious? I must consider this. Who is the Master I hope to be led to? Reading and studying Seven Rays I assume it is DK the Master. Have I just made an assumption? I put down my writing and sit and meditate.
My mind takes me back to being in hospital to the time when I asked Jesus to be with me and suddenly I find it difficult to breathe. There is a whoosh of energy from my heart to my throat and I think of an atomic explosion for some reason and say, “I don’t mind if I explode, I can do it now. I can be all of whom I am meant to be.”
A beautiful feeling of lightness and love washes over me. I feel tears falling. Gentle tears. I realise that Jesus is my Master. Love is my Master and that Love is the Knowledge I needed so much in these changing times. It doesn’t matter which Master I seek—Love is my Master!
A beautiful loving calm remains with me. An old memory comes to me of when I was a child, saying “I love Jesus” and then being so stung by the response I never said it again. Then the memory of being held by Jesus like a baby and being able to let go – recently in hospital. This is all I need to remember. Love is the first Knowledge. Love is my Master. My ravenous hunger for Wisdom must be fed with Love.
I think I can say I have my affirmative answer now:
The Way of Discipleship leads to the Master.
POEM
by Anuja Pandey from India
When You Were by My Side and Still I Couldn’t Feel You!!
One of those days,
When my patience has a test,
When you are near me,
And still my ignorance makes me feel like life is so unfair.
Everything has changed, cannot see what lies ahead!
Wish it is you who would save me from the despair, I have made.
A ray of hope I am searching for,
A ray of light within my heart.
A ray that can warm my cold skin,
A ray that can light up the dark.
Today I stand here waiting for your just once glance
Unrealistic it may seem to others, but to me it’s the truest love, my soul, my heart.
I know you are watching me silently and patiently.
Not that you don’t know what I feel like, but waiting for me to realize.
Why do I stand so still, why do I feel so blank?
Someday life will be at its best,
Bliss will be our daily bread.
Smile at everyone around you,
And smiles will be all around you.
The beauty of soul will be in the eyes,
When everyone will rejoice in the glory of most High.
Let no man break the serene walls and move out,
For within they find peace and love.
A star above the crown, guide along the path.
Shining like a brightest star in midst of the dark.
May the angels remind all the kingdom of god,
Where love is the feeling that rules the stars.
SIRIUS
by Andrew Nellist from the UK
The festival of August will be of future importance in contacting Sirian force, for Sirius is cosmically the ruler of Leo, but Sirius also works through Cancer-Capricorn and the planet Saturn. On the path of discipleship Sirius is influential “in working in a sevenfold manner through the seven rays and their seven groups as these constitute the active Hierarchy”. (Bailey, Esoteric Astrology 415)
Sirius is the great star of initiation because our Hierarchy, as an aspect of the second aspect of divinity, is under the spiritual magnetic control of the Hierarchy of Sirius. In this way the cosmic Christ works upon the Christ principle in the solar system, the planet, man and nature. Sirius is called the “brilliant star of sensitivity”. (Esoteric Astrology 197)
Cancer-Capricorn-Saturn as an expression of Sirian energy “enable the aspirant to tread the Path of Purification”. These energies pour through the Hierarchy upon the mass of men and enable the unit in that mass to “isolate himself and turn his back upon the past and find his way on to that section of the Path wherein he learns to feel.” (EA 466)
This feeling would be more in terms of sensitivity to spiritual Life through higher mind and love-wisdom than emotion or passion. Energies from Sirius relate to the love-wisdom aspect, to the attractive soul power of the solar Logos, and to the Hierarchy. Sirius controls our systemic Laws, including Laws of Karma and Periodicity.
There is a line of relationship through the soul, Christ, Shamballa, Venus, Jupiter, the Solar Lord and Sirius. There is also an important influence from the Triangle
Sirius—the Heart of the Sun—Hierarchy
When the light of the Sun is significant in August, we can reflect upon the Light of a brighter Star working themes of cyclic growth and destiny through the love-wisdom of the soul.
“We have the great law of Sirius, the Law of Karma, on the third sub plane of the cosmic mental plane, which law really controls our Logos, and His actions, in the same way as the ego—in due course of evolution—controls the human personality.” (Cosmic Fire 571)
POEM
by Kurt Abraham
PLAY, ORPHEUS, PLAY
Two Horses—Lampus and Phaethon—
draw the Chariot of the Sun across the sky.
Torch and Shining are the meaning of their names.
Eros is Dawn announcing the coming of brother Helios.
The Goddess awakens us to Her Brother’s Light.
It is a warming splendid dawning day.
What more of a daily bread could one possibly ask?
The Sun moves across the clock-work sky.
And then there is your Sun and mine
trying to get up and out of bed
when the inner sun will hardly shine.
Orpheus played music that the Sun would rise.
Some laugh even to this day at quaint myths and tales.
But not you and I, for we’ve read between the lines.
If the Sun is going to rise on this day
best be quick to see how the day will play.
The note that tames wild beasts and disperses clouds
is not that easy to find.
Each milieu creates its own weather.
Clouds, fog, rain—it’s never quite the same.
Oh, play, Orpheus, play.
Find your lost love beyond the River.
Find where she lays asleep or dying from some poisonous snake.
Awaken her, Orpheus—awaken and heal.
Love never ceases to play in such a way
that this fine day could be the very day
that makes all the difference in somebody’s world.