taijasi
Gnōthi seauton
Since the Festival of Easter (Aries Full Moon) is upon us, I wanted to post a few words about the Esoteric Tradition which recognizes the Full Moon Festivals throughout the year, as well as the gathering-times of the New Moon. This is a tradition which has grown over many decades, and I think we will see it increase steadily as science comes to verify the existence, nature, and relevance of the energies involved.
My own background and understanding is quite limited, but comes from over 15 years of participation in three different esoteric groups, as well as individual observance of the Full Moon Festivals on many occasions. Some students choose to meditate on their own, especially if they are not able to join with a Group in their community, but in most of the larger cities there are now esoteric groups which conduct Full Moon meetings in the tradition to which I am referring.
The background, for those who might wish to research the writings of individual authors, include the teachings of Alice Bailey, Lucille Cedarcrans, Helena Roerich, and others. I would be interested if others at CR – whatever one’s background and beliefs – might have participated in some type of Full Moon (or New Moon) meeting at some point. If so, what were your experiences? What were the circumstances? You could stop here, and ponder … then read on for the description I’m going to provide – and see if there are parallels. After my simple visualization, I am hoping to ground what I’m about to say with some very practical examples and illustrations. Perhaps you have some too!
The easiest way to understand, mechanically speaking, what occurs at the Full Moon, is first to get a good visualization of the Earth’s yearly orbit around the Sun:
One reason is because it is the major Festival of the West, wherein the Christ is recognized as the embodiment and representative of the great centre of Love on the Planet. Next month, at the Full Moon of Taurus, the great Festival of Wesak (vaisaka) will occur, wherein the Buddha is celebrated as the Avatar of the East, bringing Light. Following that, the Festival of Humanity occurs (also called “Christ’s Festival”), at the Gemini Full Moon, during which the energies of the two prior Festivals are released – energies which have been invoked by and directed through the Christ and Buddha, and held in store by the Spiritual Hierarchy (Government) of the world and by world Servers everywhere. These three Festivals together mark the Spiritual High Point of the year, as regarded by Esotericists.
So why is it the Full Moon Festivals which mark the time of Gathering, and just what is the nature of these “energies” which are being invoked each month (there are 13 Festivals in all, corresponding to the 13 Full Moons we have each year, and not the calendar months). Just what exactly does the moon have to do with it?
Nothing. Or rather, the reason for the Gathering at the time of the Full Moon ... will be apparent if you look at the image below. You’ll notice that when the moon if “Full,” it’s on the opposite side of the planet from the Sun. It is out of the way. For the past two weeks, we’ve moved from a waxing crescent, to the 1st quarter, to a waxing gibbous, and finally to a nearly-full moon of Aries. In terms of the lesser zodiac, if you position yourself where the Sun is and divide the sky into twelve equal sectors of 30 degrees each, we have moved precisely into the center of the sector called “Aries.”
Esotericists speak literally and seriously about Extra-Planetary and Extra-Solar energies (Divine and beneficent in nature) which reach our Solar System and make their way to planet Earth via the Sun, via the Seven Sacred Planets (of which Earth is not one), and finally via certain great Representatives of God’s Plan for this planet. The Full Moon occurrence is a time each month when these energies may reach us via the Sun unimpeded by the influence of the moon. Meditation two days prior, and two days following the full moon is most beneficial in the spiritual cycle, with a climax occurring in the exact hour of the Full Moon (Aries being 12:41 EDT on April 13, 2006). For an Esotericist, this is Easter.
The full significance of what occurs at the monthly full moons may not immediately be apparent, but consider it thus: Across the globe, in every country and in most major cities, there are groups of esotericists who gather in recognition of the above ideas. Where a group is not present, individual students "link up" with their spiritual Brothers across the globe, since the true magnetic links exist just as strong on the Inner Planes as the outer. Usually a meditation occurs on the hour, lasting either half an hour, or perhaps a full hour. A definite ceremony is followed by most of these groups, although the details will vary from one to the other. Most likely what occurs will be almost entirely inward, in the sense that group members are usually seated. Any ritual observed will be in the choice of mantrams used, a visualization followed, or in the style of invocation chosen.
In terms of the correspondences between the 7 Sacred Planets, the Sun, and the Zodaical Energies present during each Full Moon period, I could not begin to do the subject proper justice in such a short post, but would ask if others might have some insight, or familiarity with these correspondences. The guidebook which I have studied for many years, and which has helped me almost more than any of Alice Bailey's writings, is called The Labours of Hercules. And as the History International special I saw the other night explained, each of Hercules' great Labours illustrates a challenge and an accomplishment of this Hero ... and symbolizes for us what we, too may accomplish as we mature spiritually. We cannot expect to fully succeed as we strive to meet the challenges of each sign, but not to worry - the cycle will repeat. Like everything else in nature, we are looking at a spiral, rather than a straight line. Mastery comes in many degrees, and is surely a lifetime in the making ... or more.
The spiritual keynote upon which most Esotericists will be meditating during the Festival of Aries, and during the April Full Moon, is this:
I have given short shrift to the true significance of the Festival of Easter as most Esotericists regard it, but that would take another post of equal length. Aries is not seen as "just another full moon," for it marks the beginning of a fresh cycle of spiritual Inspiration, Illumination, and resulting Enlightenment for all the World. The energies invoked by many millions of esotericists worldwide, reaching us through the Christ, the Elder Brothers, and the senior Disciples of these Masters, are further distributed through a vast network across the planet ... linking heart to heart, mind to mind, and outward, concerted effort with like effort, wherever the spirit of active altruism may be found. World servers seek to accomplish, albeit in smaller measure - but no less important to our planet at this time - precisely what the Christ taught us we may accomplish ... and promised we would accomplish, in time.
The closing line of the Great Invocation, which is used daily by many Esotericists - and always said at the Full Moon Meetings in the tradition I have described - seems appropriate here:
andrew
My own background and understanding is quite limited, but comes from over 15 years of participation in three different esoteric groups, as well as individual observance of the Full Moon Festivals on many occasions. Some students choose to meditate on their own, especially if they are not able to join with a Group in their community, but in most of the larger cities there are now esoteric groups which conduct Full Moon meetings in the tradition to which I am referring.
The background, for those who might wish to research the writings of individual authors, include the teachings of Alice Bailey, Lucille Cedarcrans, Helena Roerich, and others. I would be interested if others at CR – whatever one’s background and beliefs – might have participated in some type of Full Moon (or New Moon) meeting at some point. If so, what were your experiences? What were the circumstances? You could stop here, and ponder … then read on for the description I’m going to provide – and see if there are parallels. After my simple visualization, I am hoping to ground what I’m about to say with some very practical examples and illustrations. Perhaps you have some too!
The easiest way to understand, mechanically speaking, what occurs at the Full Moon, is first to get a good visualization of the Earth’s yearly orbit around the Sun:
Looking down from above, picture the Sun at the center of our Solar System, and consider the elliptical orbit of our planet Earth. Recall that we move around the sun counter-clockwise. As we have recently been farthest away from the sun, the season in the northern hemisphere has been winter, and the closer we move toward the sun, the warmer it gets. As the image below shows, we have reached Spring (at the bottom), and the Festival of Easter is upon us!
The vernal equinox takes us past the midway point, where days and nights are of equal length, and only at the summer solstice (Sol stetare – “sun standing still”) will we be at the closest point to the Sun. Exoteric science recognizes many changes that occur as the Earth approaches and distances itself from the sun, and the most obvious of these is the changing of the seasons … with the rather profound impact that this has upon all life on the Planet.
Currently we are very nearly at the Full Moon of Aries, called by Esotericists the Festival of Easter, and recognized by the Christians as simply `Easter.’ Why do Esotericists consider this Festival significant?
One reason is because it is the major Festival of the West, wherein the Christ is recognized as the embodiment and representative of the great centre of Love on the Planet. Next month, at the Full Moon of Taurus, the great Festival of Wesak (vaisaka) will occur, wherein the Buddha is celebrated as the Avatar of the East, bringing Light. Following that, the Festival of Humanity occurs (also called “Christ’s Festival”), at the Gemini Full Moon, during which the energies of the two prior Festivals are released – energies which have been invoked by and directed through the Christ and Buddha, and held in store by the Spiritual Hierarchy (Government) of the world and by world Servers everywhere. These three Festivals together mark the Spiritual High Point of the year, as regarded by Esotericists.
So why is it the Full Moon Festivals which mark the time of Gathering, and just what is the nature of these “energies” which are being invoked each month (there are 13 Festivals in all, corresponding to the 13 Full Moons we have each year, and not the calendar months). Just what exactly does the moon have to do with it?
Nothing. Or rather, the reason for the Gathering at the time of the Full Moon ... will be apparent if you look at the image below. You’ll notice that when the moon if “Full,” it’s on the opposite side of the planet from the Sun. It is out of the way. For the past two weeks, we’ve moved from a waxing crescent, to the 1st quarter, to a waxing gibbous, and finally to a nearly-full moon of Aries. In terms of the lesser zodiac, if you position yourself where the Sun is and divide the sky into twelve equal sectors of 30 degrees each, we have moved precisely into the center of the sector called “Aries.”
Esotericists speak literally and seriously about Extra-Planetary and Extra-Solar energies (Divine and beneficent in nature) which reach our Solar System and make their way to planet Earth via the Sun, via the Seven Sacred Planets (of which Earth is not one), and finally via certain great Representatives of God’s Plan for this planet. The Full Moon occurrence is a time each month when these energies may reach us via the Sun unimpeded by the influence of the moon. Meditation two days prior, and two days following the full moon is most beneficial in the spiritual cycle, with a climax occurring in the exact hour of the Full Moon (Aries being 12:41 EDT on April 13, 2006). For an Esotericist, this is Easter.
The full significance of what occurs at the monthly full moons may not immediately be apparent, but consider it thus: Across the globe, in every country and in most major cities, there are groups of esotericists who gather in recognition of the above ideas. Where a group is not present, individual students "link up" with their spiritual Brothers across the globe, since the true magnetic links exist just as strong on the Inner Planes as the outer. Usually a meditation occurs on the hour, lasting either half an hour, or perhaps a full hour. A definite ceremony is followed by most of these groups, although the details will vary from one to the other. Most likely what occurs will be almost entirely inward, in the sense that group members are usually seated. Any ritual observed will be in the choice of mantrams used, a visualization followed, or in the style of invocation chosen.
In terms of the correspondences between the 7 Sacred Planets, the Sun, and the Zodaical Energies present during each Full Moon period, I could not begin to do the subject proper justice in such a short post, but would ask if others might have some insight, or familiarity with these correspondences. The guidebook which I have studied for many years, and which has helped me almost more than any of Alice Bailey's writings, is called The Labours of Hercules. And as the History International special I saw the other night explained, each of Hercules' great Labours illustrates a challenge and an accomplishment of this Hero ... and symbolizes for us what we, too may accomplish as we mature spiritually. We cannot expect to fully succeed as we strive to meet the challenges of each sign, but not to worry - the cycle will repeat. Like everything else in nature, we are looking at a spiral, rather than a straight line. Mastery comes in many degrees, and is surely a lifetime in the making ... or more.
The spiritual keynote upon which most Esotericists will be meditating during the Festival of Aries, and during the April Full Moon, is this:
I COME FORTH AND FROM THE PLANE OF MIND I RULE
The way to consider this, is to imagine this as the utterance of one's Soul - the Christ within ... the Innermost essence of one's being. Aries is the first sign of the Zodiac, and thus it marks the point of the Soul's beginning of it's 12-sign journey. In the coming signs, the Soul emerges more fully into the world of form, orients itself to outward expression, learns discernment, asserts itself, and sets its focus definitely upon spiritual attainment, arriving finally as the Aquarian Server and ending its journey as the Piscean World Savior.
I have given short shrift to the true significance of the Festival of Easter as most Esotericists regard it, but that would take another post of equal length. Aries is not seen as "just another full moon," for it marks the beginning of a fresh cycle of spiritual Inspiration, Illumination, and resulting Enlightenment for all the World. The energies invoked by many millions of esotericists worldwide, reaching us through the Christ, the Elder Brothers, and the senior Disciples of these Masters, are further distributed through a vast network across the planet ... linking heart to heart, mind to mind, and outward, concerted effort with like effort, wherever the spirit of active altruism may be found. World servers seek to accomplish, albeit in smaller measure - but no less important to our planet at this time - precisely what the Christ taught us we may accomplish ... and promised we would accomplish, in time.
The closing line of the Great Invocation, which is used daily by many Esotericists - and always said at the Full Moon Meetings in the tradition I have described - seems appropriate here:
Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.
OM OM OM
andrew
