[cover: 24 Books of Esoteric Philosophy by Alice Bailey.]

[The content of this article was extracted from Alice Bailey's books after atomatically searching the text: “Spirilla".]

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<16> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 629-630.)

"... Sevenfold fire by friction. The seven brothers of Fohat. The seven manifestations of electricity, or of electrical phenomena. These are the seven Raja-Lords or Devas of the seven planes; they are the seven Fires, or those seven states of activity through which consciousness is expressing itself. They are the vehicles of consciousness and the seven vibrations. They are esoterically the "Brothers of energy."

Therefore it will be apparent that the sumtotal of logoic manifestation as it can be seen in existence in time and space is:

Seven Spirits..............sevenfold will.
Seven Rays.................sevenfold quality or psyche.
Seven Deva Lords.....sevenfold form.

The latter are literally the seven spirillae, or force vibrations within the logoic physical permanent atom. This needs to be carefully borne in mind and pondered upon. The seven Rays are the sumtotal of the psychic nature of the Logos, as it radiates through His physical form—His seven qualities, the aggregate of the expression of His desire, or love nature. The seven Spirits are the sumtotal of His Will-to-be aspect, the synthetic Life of His total manifestation, that which causes the persistence of the form, and its evolution for as long as the logoic Ego seeks physical existence. ..."

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<17> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 642-643.)

"... The occult Hierarchy is a great force centre, the heart, head, and throat of the Heavenly Man as these three centres function in a triple co-ordination. Paralleling their activities along the line of consciousness (and primarily consciousness or intelligence as it demonstrates through the third and fourth kingdoms) is to be found a great hierarchy of devas who concern themselves with the development of that portion of the body of a Heavenly Man which is not included in the active centres. Perhaps some idea of what I seek to convey may be gathered from an illustration. The occult Hierarchy is concerned with the unfoldment of the nine-petalled Lotus in the Heavenly Man, and in man (the former through reflex action between the cosmic physical and the cosmic mental), while the great deva Hierarchy is concerned with the permanent atoms, with the egoic body, and with the development of the spirillae. Thus the function of the Agnichaitans of the lowest furnaces—macrocosmically and microcosmically—will be seen and comprehended by the wise student. ..."

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<18> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 651-652.)

"... Therefore, those of us who see somewhat of the Plan are urged to spread the knowledge of the Wisdom Religion, and above all to break loose from the preconceived dogmas of pre-war days. It should be pointed out here that the war was a great occult event, and caused a vital change in many of the plans and arrangements of the Hierarchy. Modifications have been necessitated, and some events will have to be delayed whilst others will be hastened. One of the profoundest effects of the war was felt among the devas of the shadows, and primarily among those of the fourth order. The etheric web which protected certain groups in the human and animal kingdoms was rent in various places, and the results of that disaster have to be offset. Another effect upon the devas resulting from the war, as it worked, can be seen among the devas of Group A, or those devas who are (in an occult sense) the physical permanent atoms of all self-conscious beings. The fourth spirilla was tremendously stimulated, and its evolution hastened to an extraordinary degree, so that some of the lesser evolved men, through the stress of danger and experience, had this fourth spirilla brought up to, and beyond, that of normal humanity. Through this stimulation of the fourth spirilla of the units of the fourth Creative Hierarchy in this fourth round on the fourth globe in this fourth scheme, a tremendous push onward along the evolutionary path has been effected, and hence one of the great objects of the war has been achieved. A still more terrific stimulation was given in the fourth rootrace during the war of that period, and the result was the passing on to the Path of Initiation of many who normally would not even now be treading it. A similar effect can be looked for at this time, and the Hierarchy is preparing itself for the taking over of much of an extra-planetary nature owing to the almost immediate availability of comparatively large numbers of the sons of man. We must not forget that this stimulation of the spirillae affects the matter aspect, or deva substance. Man is literally deva substance, and a God, thus being a true reflection of the solar Logos.{12 13} ..."

{12} "Thus God dwells in all,
From life's minute beginnings, up at last
To man—the consummation of this scheme
Of being, the completion of this sphere
Of life: whose attributes had here and there
Been scattered o'er the visible world before,
Asking to be combined, dim fragments meant
To be united in some wondrous whole,
Imperfect qualities throughout creation,
Suggesting some one creature yet to make,
Some point where all those scattered rays should meet
Convergent in the faculties of man....
When all the race is perfected alike
As man, that is; all tended to mankind
And, man produced, all has its end thus far:
But in completed man begins anew
A tendency to God. Prognostics told
Man's near approach; so in man's self arise
August anticipations, symbols, types
Of a dim splendour ever on before
In that eternal circle life pursues.
For men begin to pass their nature's bound
And find new hopes and cares which fast supplant
Their proper joys and griefs; they grow too great
For narrow creeds of right and wrong, which fade
Before the unmeasured thirst for good; while peace
Rises within them ever more and more.
Such men are even now upon the earth,
Serene amid the half formed creatures round
                     Paracelsus by Robert Browning.
{13} 1. Man is an animal, plus a living God, within his physical Shell.—S. D., II, 85. S. D., II, 284.
   a. Man is the Macrocosm for the animal, therefore he contains all that is meant by the term animal.—S. D., II, 179,187.
   b. Divine consciousness is received from the living God.—S. D., II, 103.
   c. The animal forms the basis and the contrast for the divine.—S. D., II, 100.
   d. The light of the Logos is awakened in animal man.—S. D., II, 45.
2. Man is the Tabernacle, the vehicle only, of his God.—S. D., I, 233, 281; II, 316; III, 66.
Compare S. D., II, 174. Read Proverbs VIII.
Study Biblical description of Tabernacle:—
   a. Outer court, the place of animal sacrifice and purification.
   b. The Holy place, the place of consecration and service.
   c. The Holy of Holies.
The first corresponds to the life of the personality.
The second to that of the Ego, or Higher Self.
The last to that of the Monad, or Divine Self.
3. Man contains in himself every element found in the universe.—S. D., I, 619; III, 584.
   a. All in nature tends to become Man.—S. D., II, 179.
   b. All the impulses of the dual, centripetal and centrifugal force are directed towards one point—Man.—S. D., II,179.
   c. Man is the storehouse...he unites in himself all forms.—S. D. II, 303.
   d. The potentiality of every organ useful to animal life is locked up in Man.—S. D., II, 723.
4. Man tends to become a God and then God, like every other atom in the universe.—S. D., I, 183.
Compare the atom and the Microcosm, man. Illustration:—S. D., I, 174. Every atom has seven planes of being.—S. D., I, 205. Read S. D., I, 201.
   a. Every atom contains the germ from which he may raise the tree of knowledge. (Of good and evil, thereforeconscious discrimination).—S. D., II, 622.
   b. It is the spiritual evolution of the inner immortal man that forms the fundamental tenet of the occult sciences.—S.D., I, 694.
   c. Atoms and souls are synonymous terms in the language of the initiates.—S. D., I, 620-621.
5. Human beings...those Intelligences who have reached the appropriate equilibrium between Spirit and Matter.—S. D.,I, 132.
Read also carefully:—S. D., I, 267, 449; S. D., II, 190.
   a. On the descending arc Spirit becomes material.—S. D., I, 693.
   b. On the middle turn of the base both meet in man.—S. D., I, 214, 271.
   c. On the ascending arc Spirit asserts itself at the expense of the material.
   d. This is true of Gods and of men. See S. D., II, 88.
   e. Man is therefore a compound of Spirit and matter.—S. D., II, 45.
   f. In man the intelligence links the two.—S. D., II, 102, 103.
See note to S. D., II, 130. Compare S. D., II, 394.

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<19> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 657-658.)

"... 1. One of the seven Rishis of the Great Bear.
2. One of the seven Sisters, or a Pleiad.
3. The Heavenly Man of our scheme.

This interplay will be threefold and as far as we are concerned just now will involve a transmission of life force through the atomic matter of our planes, circulating in deva substance. This will materially affect certain types of humanity more than others, according to their ray and nature, and this effect will demonstrate in a vivification of the spirillae of the permanent atoms and of the centres. ..."

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<20> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 685-686.)

"... This life vibration emanates from the soul of the mother (the correspondence to the Pleroma or universal soul) and is coincident with the awakening of the third spirilla in the permanent physical atom of the infant. It must be borne in mind that just as in each round all the preceding stages are rapidly recapitulated, and just as in the prenatal period the foetus recapitulates during the formative process the history of the preceding kingdoms, so in the solar system a similar procedure can be seen. When a certain point is reached and the lower three planes are vibrating, or energised, then cosmic incarnation becomes a possibility; the "Heart" occultly awakens, and the "Son of God," the expression of the desire and love of the Logos, is born.{24 25} The cosmic incarnation of certain exalted Beings is consummated, and one of the indications of this is the appearance of the egoic groups on mental levels, and the resultant individualisation. Method and time may vary according to the nature of any particular planetary Logos, but for each and all the "Heart of the Body" has to thrill with awakening life before the response comes from the lower. The lunar Pitris have to carry on their work in our scheme and system before the solar angels, thrilling with expectancy, take possession of the forms prepared through their endeavour, and stimulate them into self-conscious life and separated existence. Thus the four great schemes in the solar system, which are the vehicles for four of the planetary Logoi (Who constitute the logoic Quaternary), have to reach a certain stage of vibratory capacity, and of consciousness before a similar happening occurs in its fullness in the solar system, and the lower four and higher three are synthesised. The logoic heart is thrilling, and response comes already from all the schemes, as three spirillae are vibrating in all of them, but the Son of God is not yet fully and cosmically self-conscious. As response comes the centres awaken. One logoic centre is responding fully to the heart stimulation, and that is Venus, who is passing through the final round. ..."

{24} Compare S. D., I, 203; II, 108, 122, 279.
{25} These three planes are the correspondences to the three lower spirillae in the physical permanent atom of the solar Logos and the planetary Logos.

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<21> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 693-699.)

"... (b.) Hylozoistically considered.{31} In continuing our consideration of the fifth logoic Principle, we will now view it in its hylozoistic aspect. We have seen that it can be regarded as the force, the energy or the quality which emanates from the logoic mental unit on the cosmic mental plane; this necessarily has a definite effect on the fifth systemic plane, and on the fifth subplane of the physical plane, the gaseous. Before taking up the subject of the Agnishvattas in detail, there are three points which should be borne in mind.

First, it should be remembered that all the planes of our system, viewing them as deva substance, form the spirillae in the physical permanent atom of the solar Logos. This has earlier been pointed out, but needs re-emphasising here. All consciousness, all memory, all faculty is stored up in the permanent atoms, and we are consequently dealing here with that consciousness; the student should nevertheless bear in mind that it is on the atomic subplanes that the logoic consciousness (remote as even that may be from the Reality) centres itself. This permanent atom of the solar system, which holds the same relation to the logoic physical body as the human permanent atom does to that of a man, is a recipient of force, and is, therefore, receptive to force emanations from another extra-systemic source. Some idea of the illusory character of manifestation, both human and logoic, may be gathered from the relation of the permanent atoms to the rest of the structure. Apart from the permanent atom, the human physical body does not exist.

Again, forms differ as do kingdoms according to the nature of the force flowing through them. In the animal kingdom that which corresponds to the permanent atom responds to force of an involutionary character, emanating from a particular group. The human permanent atom responds to force emanating from a group on the evolutionary arc and the Ray of a particular planetary Logos in Whose body a human Monad has a definite place.

Secondly, it must be noted that in view of the above it will be apparent that we are, at this period of manasic inflow and development, concerned with the coming into full vitality and activity of the fifth logoic spirilla; this vitalisation shows itself in the intense activity of the mental plane, and the threefold nature of the electrical phenomena to be witnessed upon it.

a. The atomic subplane...manasic permanent atoms...Positive
b. The fourth subplane....mental units............................Negative
c. The egoic groups..........causal bodies...........................Equilibrium or neutral

This is in process of demonstration during the course of evolution. We are dealing here with the substance aspect and considering energy in its various manifestations. The response of deva substance to the inflow of force on the mental plane has a threefold effect in connection with the Logos or the Septenate:

1. It produces a greatly increased vitality in the logoic centres on the fourth cosmic ether, due to reflexaction, which is felt both above and below the plane of activity.

2. It stimulates the efforts of the highest specimens of the third kingdom, and a dual effect is produced through this, for the fourth kingdom in nature makes its appearance on the physical plane and the Triads are reflected on the mental plane in the causal bodies to be found thereon.

3. As earlier said, the dense physical is linked and co-ordinated with the etheric bodies of the solarlogos and of the planetary Logos. Therefore, the lower three planes are synthesised with the higher four, and the devas of an earlier mahamanvantara or solar cycle are brought into conjunction with those of a newer order who were awaiting just conditions. The physical incarnation of the Logos is completed. The lower three kingdoms, being negative to the higher force, the mutual attraction of these two and their interaction bring into being the fourth or human kingdom. The three fires of mind, Spirit and matter are brought together and the work of full self-consciousness begun.

Finally, the student should very carefully study here the significance of the numbers three, four and five in the evolution of consciousness. Numerology has hitherto been studied primarily, and rightly, from the substance aspect, but not so much from the standpoint of conscious energy. The Triad, for instance, is usually looked upon by our students as the triangle formed by the manasic-buddhic and atmic permanent atoms; the cube stands for the lower material man, and the five-pointed star has frequently a very material interpretation. All these angles of vision are necessary, and must precede the study of the subjective aspect, but they lay the emphasis upon the material rather than upon the subjective; the subject nevertheless should be studied psychologically. In this solar system, the above numbers are the most important from the angle of the evolution of consciousness. In the earlier system, the numbers six and seven held the mystery hid. In the next system, it will be two and one. This refers only to the psychical development. Let me illustrate: The five-pointed star on the mental plane signifies (among other things) the evolution, by means of the five senses in the three worlds (which are also capable of a fivefold differentiation) of the fifth principle, the attainment of self-consciousness, and the development of the fifth spirilla.

On the buddhic plane, when flashing forth at initiation, this number signifies the full development of the fifth principle or quality, the completed cycle of the Ego upon the five Rays under the Mahachohan, and the assimilation of all that is to be learned upon them, and the attainment—not only of full self-consciousness, but also of the consciousness of the group wherein a man is found. It infers the full unfoldment of five of the egoic petals, leaving four to open before the final initiation.

The five-pointed star at the initiations on the mental plane flashes out above the head of the initiate. This concerns the first three initiations which are undergone in the causal vehicle. It has been said that the first two initiations take place upon the astral plane and this is correct, but has given rise to a misunderstanding. They are felt profoundly in connection with the astral and physical bodies and with the lower mental, and effect their control. The chief effect being felt in those bodies, the initiate may interpret them as having taken place on the planes concerned, for the vividness of the effect, and the stimulation works out largely in the astral body. But it must ever be remembered that the major initiations are taken in the causal body or—dissociated from that body—on the buddhic plane. At the final two initiations, which set a man free from the three worlds and enable him to function in the logoic body of vitality and to wield the force which animates that logoic vehicle, the initiate becomes the five-pointed star, and it descends upon him, merges in him, and he is seen at its very centre. This descent is brought about through the action of the Initiator, wielding the Rod of Power, and puts a man in touch with the centre in the Body of the planetary Logos of which he is a part; this is consciously effected. The two initiations, called the sixth and seventh, take place on the atmic plane; the five-pointed star "blazes forth from within itself" as the esoteric phrase has it, and becomes the seven-pointed star; it descends upon the man and he enters into the Flame.

Initiation and the mystery of numbers primarily concern consciousness, and not fundamentally "ability to function on a plane," nor the energy of matter, as might be gathered from so many occult books. They deal with the subjective life, life as part of the consciousness and self-realization of a planetary Logos, or Lord of a Ray, and not life in matter as we understand it. A Heavenly Man functions in His pranic vehicle, and there His consciousness is to be found as far as we are concerned in this system; He works consciously through His centres.

To sum up: There is a stage in the evolution of consciousness where the three, the four and the five blend and merge perfectly. Confusion on this point arises from two causes which are the point of individual achievement of the student. We interpret and colour statements according to the state of our own inner consciousness. H. P. B. hints at this{32} when dealing with the principles; also the interpretation of these figures varies according to the key employed. The fifth or spiritual kingdom is entered when the units of the fourth kingdom have succeeded in vitalizing the fifth spirilla in all the atoms of the threefold lower man; when they have unfolded three of the egoic petals and are in process of unfolding the fourth and fifth and when they are becoming conscious of the pranic force of the Heavenly Man.

(c.) The Solar Angels and the Fifth Principle. We can now study the Entities concerned with this fifth principle and their effect upon the evolution of consciousness.

Where man is concerned these solar Angels, the Agnishvattas, produce the union of the spiritual Triad, or divine Self, and the Quaternary, or lower self. Where the Logos is concerned, whether solar or planetary, they produce conditions whereby the etheric, and the dense physical become a unit.

They represent a peculiar type of electrical force; their work is to blend and fuse, and above all else they are the "transmuting fires" of the system, and are those agents who pass the life of God through their bodies of flame as it descends from the higher into the lower, and again as it ascends from the lower into the higher. They are connected in their highest groups with that portion of the logoic head centre which corresponds to the heart, and here is the clue to the mystery of kama-manas. The kamic angels are vitalised from the "heart" centre and the manasic angels from the logoic head centre, via the point within that centre connected with the heart. These two dominating groups are the sumtotal of kama-manas in all its manifestations. The solar angels exist in three groups, all of which are concerned with the self-consciousness aspect, all of which are energised and connected with the fifth spirilla of the logoic permanent atom, and all of which work as a unit.

One group, the highest, is connected with the logoic head centre, whether solar or planetary. They work with the manasic permanent atoms and embody the will-to-be in dense physical incarnation. Their power is felt on the atomic subplane and on the second; they are the substance and the life of those planes. Another group is connected definitely with the causal bodies of all Egos and are of prime importance in this solar system. They come from the heart centre, and express that force. The third group, corresponding to the throat centre, show forth their power on the fourth subplane through the mental units. They are the sumtotal of the power of the Ego to see, to hear and to speak (or sound) in the strictly occult sense.

A hint may here be given to those who have power to see. Three constellations are connected with the fifth logoic principle in its threefold manifestation: Sirius, two of the Pleiades, and a small constellation whose name must be ascertained by the intuition of the student. These three govern the appropriation by the Logos of His dense body. When the last pralaya ended, and the etheric body had been co-ordinated, a triangle in the Heavens was formed under law which permitted a flow of force, producing vibration on the fifth systemic plane. That triangle still persists, and is the cause of the continued inflow of manasic force; it is connected with the spirillae in the logoic mental unit and as long as His will-to-be persists, the energy will continue to flow through. In the fifth round, it will be felt at its height. ..."

{31} Hylozoism:—From Greek "ule," matter; "zoon," animal; and "ism." Ism is a suffix embodying the doctrine or abstract idea of the noun to which it is attached. Hylozoism is the doctrine that all matter is endowed with life.
"When we have attained to this conception of hylozoism of a living material universe, the mystery of nature will be solved."—Standard Dictionary.31
{32} See S. D., III, 456.

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<22> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, p. 706.)

"... The planetary chains embody centres, and as they are awakened and come under stimulation, they swing into physical incarnation certain types of manasaputras. The type dominated by the fifth chain energy is little known as it is yet in process of evolution within another scheme, the fifth, so it is waste of our time to consider it. It is connected with the unfoldment of the fifth egoic petal of a planetary Logos on His Own plane and consequently with the activity of the fifth spirilla. When the hour strikes, these units of energy will "come in" from another scheme on a stream of cosmic energy which will swing through a particular systemic triangle, just as when the egos came in this round. ..."

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<23> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 711-712.)

"... We have dealt with the method of individualisation through the coming in of the Lords of the Flame because it is the prime method in this solar system; whatever methods may be pursued in the varying schemes and chains, this—at the middle stage—is the universal rule. Karmic conditions having to do with a planetary Logos may effect modifications, and bring into action manasadevas whose activity may not be the same in working detail, but the results are ever similar, and the divine Egos in their causal bodies have analogous instruments to work through....

A final point which is of profound significance is that the Agnishvattas construct the petals out of Their Own substance, which is substance energised by the principle of "I-ness," or ahamkara. They proceed to energise the permanent atoms with Their own positive force, so as to bring the fifth spirilla in due course of time into full activity and usefulness. All possibility, all hopefulness and optimism, and all future success lies hid in these two points. ..."

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<24> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, p. 741.)

"... The microcosmic correspondence can be seen in the following process. The physical permanent atom absorbs the entire life force of the physical body, and its inherent heat and light is thereby increased until at the fourth initiation the seven spirillae are fully vitalised, and vibrant. The internal heat of the atom, plus the external heat of the egoic body wherein it has its place, produces then that which destroys the permanent atom. Temporarily, and just prior to destruction, it becomes a tiny sevenfold sun owing to the radiation and activity of the spirillae. So with the physical sun of the system; it will in a similar manner become seven suns, when it has absorbed the life essence of the fully evolved planes, and of the planetary schemes thereon. The ensuing conflagration is the final work of the Destroyer aspect. It marks the moment of the highest development of deva substance in the system, the consummation of the work of Agni and his fire angels, and the initiation of Brahma. Atomic substance will then individualise (which, as we know, is the goal for the atom) and after the great pralaya the next solar system will start with the threefold Spirit manifesting through substance which is essentially distinguished by active intelligent love. This is necessarily incomprehensible to our fourth round minds.

We have thus considered the various types of pralaya, in so far as they affect the human unit; each unit finds its ways eventually into one of the cosmic astral centres of the particular cosmic Entity Who is the Lord of his Ray, and therefore at the great pralaya those human units who have achieved, and who have not passed to other distant cosmic centres, will find their place there. ..."

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<25> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 711-712.)

".. Again when an Ego is highly evolved he may choose during any particular incarnation to work paramountly through any one principle among the lower four; when this is the case the man's life on earth is significantly that of an embodied principle. He seems to strike one note and to sound out one tone. His work is clearly to be seen along one line. He is a fanatic of high degree, but accomplishes big things for his subrace, even though the physical brain may not be consciously aware of the egoic impulse. This process has a curious relation to the obscuration, or fading out, of the personality, for the particular principle embodied works through a corresponding permanent atom, and its spirillae become over-rapidly developed, and hence their term of service wears to a close. This is a fact which is nevertheless taken advantage of when a superman, or great adept, becomes the embodiment (during a rootrace) of a principle; the vestures or sheaths of which the permanent atom is the nucleus (through the innate strength of the developed spirillae) are preserved by the aid of mantric formulas. The vibration is perpetuated for a specific length of time, and for as long as the vesture or sheath may be required. A hint is here conveyed which may be of service.

Again, when a man has become a disciple he may, if he so wish, remain upon the astral plane and work there, and—at his pleasure, and under the adjustment of karma by his Guru—he may take immediate physical birth. A hint as to the mystery of the Bodhisattva may be found in these two thoughts, provided the student transfers the whole concept to the etheric levels of the cosmic physical plane, and remembers that on these levels the adept works altogether as a part of a group, and not as a separated Identity, as does the ego in the three worlds. Therefore, the energy pouring through Him may be:

a. That of a particular centre in the body of the planetary Logos in its total force.

b. That of a particular set of vibrations within that centre, or a part of its vibratory force.

c. That of the energy of a particular principle, either one of His own higher principles which He isseeking to bring to bear upon the earth, by taking incarnation for that specific purpose, or the energy of one of the planetary logoic principles, as it pours through Him via a particular spirilla or life current in the permanent atom of the planetary Logos. ..."

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<26> (A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp. 773-776.)

"... (f.) Activity of the Pitris. The joint activity of the solar and the lunar Pitris.53 in the process pursued by the reincarnating Ego is our next subject of consideration. The Ego, driven by desire for physical experience, has made the initial move and a vibration, emanating from the centre of the lotus bud, has reached the lotus petals, and has consequently vibrated in deva substance, or in matter vitalised by the Agnishvattas. As they are galvanised into activity (according to the group affected) the vibration is increased, and a dual sound is emitted. This dual sound is the basis of the mantram upon which the Ego's cycle of incarnation is founded. The vibration, pulsating through the outer circle of petals (for the two inner circles and the three central petals are not as yet responsive) arrives at the triangle formed by the three permanent atoms, and vivifies the three lower spirillae, causing a slight response in the fourth, and leaving the higher three yet dormant. In each round one of the spirillae has been 'created,' and in this fourth round (through the creation of the fourth spirilla) the fourth or human kingdom can come into being. The word 'creation' must be occultly understood, and means the appearance in active manifestation of some form of energy. Only in the next round will the fifth spirilla be an active functioning unit in a sense incomprehensible now.

Students should bear in mind that this applies primarily to the humanity individualised on this globe, and was also equally true in the earlier chain; units, however, which come into this fourth or Earth Chain from the earlier ones are much ahead of earth's humanity, and their fifth spirilla is awakening into organised activity in this round. All in Nature overlaps.

When therefore this vibration from the central Will has arrived at the atomic triangle it is an indication that the entire lotus is turning its force downwards, and for the period of manifestation the flow of egoic energy is towards the lower, and consequently away from the higher. There is at this stage very little turning of egoic energy in the direction of the Monad, for it has not yet generated enough force, and is not as yet radioactive towards the Spirit aspect. Its activities are primarily internal and self-centred for the greater part of the time, or are directed towards arousing the permanent atoms, and not towards the unfolding of the petals. This should be carefully borne in mind.

The work of the solar Angels is of a triple nature:

(1.) Directing the vibration towards the atomic triangle. Here a very interesting fact must be borne in mind. The three permanent atoms, or the three points of the triangle, do not always hold the same relative position as regards the centre of the lotus, but according to the stage of development so will be the position of the atoms, and so will be the apprehension of the inflowing force. In the earlier stages, the physical permanent atom is the first to receive the inflow, passing it through its system to the astral permanent atom and the mental unit. This force is circulated four times around the triangle (this being the fourth round) until the mental unit is again contacted and the energy becomes centralised in the fourth spirilla of the mental unit. Then and only then do the lunar Pitris begin their work, and commence the co-ordination of the substance which will form the mental sheath, next working with the astral body and finally with the etheric body.

At a later stage in the evolution of man (the stage wherein the average man is now) the astral permanent atom is the first contacted, and the energy circulates through it to the other two. At the stage of advanced intellectual man, the mental unit takes the primary place. In this case there is now the possibility of the alignment of the three bodies which will later be an accomplished fact. The fifth spirilla in the lower two atoms increases its vibration. As we know, there are only four spirillae in the mental unit and the moment that that is in full activity, the co-ordination of the antaskarana becomes a possibility. Changes are now taking place in the egoic lotus, and the petals are unfolding, that unfoldment being partially dependent upon the vibration in the spirillae and their awakening.

The student should bear in mind the fact that as soon as the mental unit has become the apex of the atomic triangle a condition is brought about wherein force in the future will enter the three atoms simultaneously through the three unfolded petals of the outer circle, and the man has therefore reached a very definite stage in evolution. The direction of force, and its application to the atoms is the work of the solar Pitris. As evolution proceeds, their work in this connection becomes more complex, for the petals are unfolding, and the triangle is revolving more rapidly. ..."

{53} The joint activity of solar and lunar Pitris.—S. D., II, 258.
1."The spark hangs from the flame by the finest thread of Fohat.
   a. The three-tongued flame that never dies..Triad.
   b. The four wicks --------------- Quaternary.
   c. The thread of Fohat ---------- Thread of Life.
2.It journeys through the seven worlds of maya.
Macrocosmically---------------- the seven planetary schemes.
Planetary ------------------------- the seven chains of a scheme.
Microcosmically ---------------- the seven globes of a chain.
Note and meditate upon:—
"...the divine Septenary hanging from the triad, thus forming the Decad and its permutations. Seven, five and three."
3.It stops in the first, and is a metal and a stone; it passes into the second and behold—a plant; the plant whirls throughseven forms and becomes a sacred animal."
Compare S. D., I, 266.
Note the kabalistic aphorism:—"A stone becomes a plant; a plant, a beast; a beast, a man; a man, a spirit; and the spirit, God.—S. D., I, 267.
4.From the combined attributes of these, Manu, the Thinker, is formed.—See S. D., II, 179, 187.
5.Who forms him? The seven lives and the One Life.—See S. D., II. 268.
The seven groups of lives who form the three lower bodies. The lunar Pitris or fathers of the material forms.
6.Who completes him? The fivefold Lha.
Who unites the higher Spiritual Triad and the lower self?
   a. The fivefold Gods of the intelligence.
   b. The fifth principle of mind.
7.Who perfects the last body? Fish, sin, and soma.
   a. Fish, sin and soma collectively compose the three symbols of the immortal being.
   b. Fish—symbol of the buddhic principle, the manifested life on earth. Note the avatara of Vishnu. The sign of Pisces,the fish. Jesus the fisher of men.
   c. Sin—The fall of man, involution of Spirit.
   d. Soma—Moon. The work of lunar Pitris, providing bodies. Read stanza VII, 6, S. D., I, 285.