Appendix II, The Soul

3:54am Wednesday, October 21, 2009

There have been VERY MANY thoughts, personal experiences, and various stories that have been pleasantly plaguing my mind to share for this next blog. It has felt like I've been wracking my brain, incessantly, however, to decide WHICH "thing" to share next with all of you. Well, a couple of days ago I picked up a copy of a five-dollar astrology book at a used bookstore.

What I have decided to share with you for this blog entry is the second appendix from this book, the title of which I have listed for you at the end of this entry.

*****APPENDIX II*****

As a man begins to meditate he discovers that there exists within him a grand reality, a dynamic spiritual center to which men have given the name "Soul." He discovers that this soul is his very Self. The Inner Ruler, the God Within and the essence of his being. He perceives this not as an intellectual idea or a feeling but as a kind of "detonation in consciousness" which utterly transcends anything he has ever known. It is not thought or words that convince but an interior spiritual earthquake. For a time each man preceives himself as a body together with motivating thoughts and emotions. After meditation his conception of who and what he is becomes dramatically transformed. Having penetrated somewhat into the mystery of his own being he knows, past all intellectual question, that the surface self is only a fragment of his real being and that his Real Individuality is an Immortal Flame. He sees that the temporary life of the objective personality is but a partial expression of that Divine Presence which is his true Consciousness. He is then like a man waking from a dream who had not realized he was asleep. With a shock he is initiated into a new world and nothing seems as it did before. Life is suddenly imbued with a sharp joy and vitality. A new and wonderous life pulses through his being, and he is drawn up into a state of awareness for which there are no words. Life now has potent meaning or rather he perceives the meaning which was always there but veiled from his view. Having contacted the Reality within himself he knows past all dispute that within him and within every man is unlimited spiritual Power, Love, Joy, Beauty. The sharp contrast between the glorious reality which is Man of the Spiritual level and the temporary exile under which men labor is a painful one. Yet he realizes also the inevitability of the ultimate triumph of the spiritual within man.

There is established a covenant between the personal and the spiritual, between that which is temporary and that which contains all possibilities. From the time a man becomes aware of the Spiritual Flame within him, his life is never the same, for all the pleasures of life that men seek are unimportant by comparison. The search for personal happiness is seen to be but the reflection of a deeper aspiration for the life of the soul. We behold a world of shadows and illusions until the birth of that sense of Self which is the source of Beauty. There, in the heart of Man, is power to silence all egotism. Deep in the center of our being is the power to obliterate the ugliness of our limitations. We must, then, affirm that it is not possible to live superficially and self-centeredly once we have beheld this Magnet Life. In a moment we perceive, and swing out beyond space and time, and find knowledge of our purpose and destination. Unlimited is the Path thus revealed. All loveliness is destined, and the ladder of ascent is lost in Infinity, and the Heart of All is good beyond dreaming. Truly the vibrancy of the soul of man exalts and overwhelms. Yes, man is alive, and yet he sleeps. But life is motion toward the Good, and each soul already knows the path. No one can act with malevolence who stands face to face with his Inner Ruler. Therefore man arises from meditation with a new burden of a sobering and sacred trust.

Understanding how words veil what is said, we will not lose the thread of meaning or turn away in ignorance from our own glorious potentials. Likewise we will avoid becoming encrusted with all sorts of prejudices. We can dissect, analyze, examine and miss the message entirely. One reacts to words as a simple stimulus response mechanism, another pauses to probe the depths and grasp the essence. See how the word "soul" is already so badly abused that for many it becomes an empty sound. It is better for some minds to pronounce the formula of "Energy" or "Magnetism." The generally accepted religiousness obstructs our understanding of the fundamentals.

What is it that dwells on the threshold of the spiritual world and prevents entrance? The answer is simple, but where are those who will be shaken by the reply. How penetrate to the subtle meaning of the world, "selfishness." Many pronounce the word of Love, but few are moved by it. The multitude of so called spiritual communities are built of self-seeking. Everyone is ready to follow the next prophet, but few ask themselves about purity of motive. The mass of people do not distinguish between the Moon and the Sun, and the supposed formulas for spiritual regeneration are circulated like Sunday newspapers. But the sages have affirmed that the only ship that will reach port is the one which carries a white sail.

The living, burning sphere of spiritual power which is Ourselves is cloaked by thoughts bound within the circle of ego. The brilliant star of the Soul cannot be found in a mirror but in labor for the evolution of the world. Above the Gates are the words "Desire nothing for the separate self."

People seek new recipes to expand their consciousness, but the thirst for new images and experiences already bars the way, for personal desires do not propel us beyond the bounds of self-interest. The quality that sets us in motion is all important. The solemn thunders of the soul are evoked by the thought, "What can I acquire for the good of all." And this must come from the heart and cannot be superimposed on a personal craving.

Pure aspiration is rare, but, where it exists, the surrounding air sings and the clear fire of the soul creates sparks of beneficience. Someone will imagine this event as a symbolic image, but a literal understanding is a more accurate conception. The soul and the center of the Sun are radiant energy.

I will say that the soul is a shower of sparks and a whirlwind of light. Take all the Harmonies of the best and most musical moments; somehwere among them the soul whispered, but people forget. Our brains make a dense sounding board, and the Music of the Spheres does not often penetrate the fog of self-centeredness. People seek to purchase a spiritual experience. The world absounds with formulas for quick illumination. But all these illusions have one thing in common: they appeal to our self-interests. Whatever emanates from the world of the soul will guide us on the path of self-forgetfulness and and labor for the common good, for the soul is the antithesis of egotism.

The soul is unconfined consciousness and contains the whole world, yet the vortex of individual accumulations is never lost. The sages have proclaimed the absence of separation and the illusion of loneliness. On the path of ascension, consciousness itself can be shared. Those on the mountain know the inner secrets of the Heart. As pebbles dropped in a quiet pool, the circles of consciousness merge and blend. The soul and the heart are one principle, but both are beyond imagination. The power of the soul is but dimly realized. Wondrous is the memory of the source of the world. Revelation occus daily, and each soul is imbued with the knowledge of Life. There are no business firms which can mediate between the Divine and the human, and those who claim the sole repository of omnipresent truth display remarkable shortsightedness.

If the Soul seems an abstract concept, it means the Interior Rays have not yet penetrated the dense psychic accumulations of the personal aura. A pattern of thought can temporarily conceal the sacred center. Violent emotion forms an impenetrable barrier to the light of illumination. If Truth still appears a relative abstraction, it means the clamour of the outer life has distracted the consciousness.

There are no short cuts to the kingdom of heaven, but there is the steep path for those who love creative labor. If we aspire with a pure heart, theh key to the next step will be placed in our hands. Somewhere in the experience of each one who longs for something beyond the ordinary is a spark of light. It can be cultured into a flame through sharing. Perhaps somewhere we have seen the sacred signs and glimpsed reality. The most subtle is easily forgotten, but whoever desires to exteriorize the veiled splendor will receive help.

From the book, ASTROLOGY: Esoteric and Psychological, by James Davis