Seven Rays
Encyclopedia
The seven rays is an occult
concept that has appeared in several religions and esoteric philosophies, since at least the 6th century BCE, of the Aryan (Indo-European) peoples in both Western culture and in India. In the west, it can be seen in early western mystery tradition
s such as Gnosticism
and the Roman Mithraic Mysteries; and in texts and icon
ic art of the Catholic Church as early as the Byzantine era
. In India, the concept has been part of Hindu religious philosophy and scripture since at least the Vishnu Purana
, dating from the post-Vedic
era.
Beginning in the late 19th century, the seven rays appeared in a modified and elaborated form in the teachings of Theosophy
, first presented by H. P. Blavatsky The Theosophical concept of the seven rays was further developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the writings of the Neo-Theosophists
C. W. Leadbeater, Alice Bailey
, Manly P. Hall, and others, including notably the more recent Neo-Theosophical teachings of Benjamin Creme
and his group Share International
; and in the philosophies of organizations such as Temple of the People, The "I AM" Activity, The Bridge to Freedom
, The Summit Lighthouse
,. The Temple of The Presence (1995) and various other such organizations promulgating what are called the Ascended Master Teachings
, a group of religious teachings based on Theosophy.
As the New Age movement
of the mid-to-late 20th century developed, the seven rays concept appeared as an element of metaphysical healing methods such as Reiki
and other modalities, and in esoteric astrology
.
, Zeus
takes the bull-form known as Taurus in order to win Europa
. Taurus is also associated with Aphrodite
and other goddesses, as well as with Pan
and Dionysus
. The face of Taurus "gleams with seven rays of fire."
The 2nd century CE Chaldean Oracles
feature the seven rays as purifying agents of Helios
, symbolism featured in Mithraic liturgy as well. Later, in the 4th century CE, Emperor Julian Saturnalia
composed a "Hymn to the Solemn Sun," and in his "Hymn to the Mother of the Gods" spoke of "unspeakable mysteries hidden from the crowd such as Julian the Chaldean prophesied concerning the god of the seven rays." In Greek Gnostic magic of the same era, colored gemstones were often used as talisman
s for medicine or healing; they were often engraved with a symbol borrowed from the Egyptian deity Chnuphis: a hooded serpent or great snake. The snake was shown with a lion's head, from which emanated either twelve or seven rays. The twelve rays represented the zodiac
, and the seven rays represented the planets, usually with the seven Greek vowels engraved at the tips of the seven rays. The reverse sides of the talismans were engraved with a snake twisting around a vertical rod. These were known as "Gnostic amulet
s," and were sometimes also engraved with the names "Iao Sabao". Gnostic gems with Abraxas
also featured the seven rays.
In early Christian iconography, the dove of the Holy Ghost is often shown with an emanation of seven rays, as is the image of the Madonna, often in conjunction with a dove or doves. The Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai, circa 565 CE, shows the Transfiguration of Christ in the apse mosaic, with "seven rays of light shining from the luminous body of Christ over the apostles Peter, James and John." In the present day Byzantine-style St. Louis Cathedral in Missouri, the center of the sanctuary has an engraved circle with many symbols of the Holy Trinity. The inscription reads: "Radiating from this symbol are seven rays of light representing the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost."
During the 12th century, Saint Norbert of Xanten, founder of the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, discovered the spot where the relics of Saint Ursula
and her companions of Saint Gereon
and of other martyrs lay hidden while in a dream. In the dream that led him to this location, he was guided by "the seven rays of light... surrounding the head of the crucified Redeemer."
The Annunciation
is an oil painting by Early Netherlandish
master Jan van Eyck
, from around 1434-1436. The picture depicts the Annunciation
by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of God (Luke
1:26-38). In a prominent element of the complex iconographic work, the Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
descend to her on seven rays of light from the upper window to the left, with the dove symbolising the Holy Spirit
following the same path. The seven rays on which the doves descend are unique elements in the painting in that they are of the heavenly realm rather than the earthly realm, with the difference shown by the artist through the use of gold leaf
rather than ordinary oil paint. Only the seven rays are so treated, and while all of the other light sources in the painting cast shadows, the seven rays do not.
The Italian secret society
of the late 17th century, Knights of the Apocalypse
, was founded with the professed aim to defend the Catholic Church
against the expected Antichrist
, though it was accused of having political motives as well. They wore on their breasts a star with seven rays.
is a Hindu
and Vedic deity
depicted in three forms: fire, lightning and the sun. In Hindu art, Agni is depicted with two or seven hands, two heads, and three legs. In each head, he has seven fiery tongues with which he licks sacrificial butter. He rides a ram or a chariot harnessed by fiery horses. His attributes are an axe, a torch, prayer beads and a flaming spear. Agni is represented as red and two-faced, suggesting both his destructive and his beneficent qualities, and with black eyes and hair. Seven rays of light emanate from his body.
In the Gayatri
prayer from the Vedas
, the seven rays are described as the emanations of the Sun, identified with the creator of life, "Because the being who shines with seven rays, assuming the forms of time and illumines all... naturally shines with seven rays is called light or the effulgent power; the light of the Generator or Sun - the light is the sun, the sun is the light, they are identical."
The Vishnu Purana
, a post-vedic
scripture, describes how Vishnu
"enters into the seven solar rays which dilate into seven suns." These are the "seven principal solar rays," the source of heat even to the planet Jupiter, and the "seven suns into which the seven solar rays dilate at the consummation of all things..."
20th century Hindu scholar, poet and mystic, Sri Aurobindo
, described the Vedic seven rays of knowledge, or Agni
, as "the seven forms of the Thought-principle" and wrote that "the seven brilliant horses of the sun and their full union constitutes the seven-headed Thought of Ayasya by which the lost sun of Truth is recovered. That thought is again established in the seven rivers, the seven principles of being divine and human, the totality of which founds the perfect spiritual existence."
wrote in 1881 of what he described as connections between Vedic scripture, ancient Egyptian mythology and the Gospel stories. He theorized that Iao
, the "Seven-rayed Sun-God of the Gnostic-stones" was also the "Serpent Chnubis," and "the Second Beast in the Book of Revalation." In 1900, he elaborated further, describing the unity of "the seven souls of the Pharaoh," "the seven arms of the Hindu god Agni
," "the seven stars in the hand of the Christ in Revelation," and "the seven rays of the Chaldean god Heptaktis, or Iao, on the Gnostic stones."
Samuel Fales Dunlap, wrote in 1894:
Dunlap wrote that the idea of spirit as the ultimate cause is present in all of the great religions of the East (which in the terminology of his time included the area now known as the Near East or Middle East), and that this idea can be found in "the Seven Rays of the Chaldaean Mithra and the Seven Days of Genesis. From the Sun came fire and spirit." According to Dunlap, "this was the astronomical religion of the Chaldeans, Jews, Persians, Syrians, Phoenicians and Egyptians."
Dunlap compared the nimbus
of Apollo
to the seven rays of Dionysus
, presiding over the orbits of the seven planets. The seven rays are found also in the Chaldean mystery of "the God of the Seven Rays, who held the Seven Stars in his hand, through whom (as Chaldaeans supposed) the souls were raised." Prior to the Christian era, this deity was known as Iao
(the first birth) or Sabaoth (the Sun), and later described as "Christos of the Resurrection of Souls."
In the late 1940s, art historian and writer Ananda Coomaraswamy
was curator in the department of Asiatic Art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
and built the first large collection of Indian art in the United States. His writings in the field of perennial philosophy
and the Traditionalist School
included complex essays collating symbols of ancient wisdom and metaphysics from widely diverse cultures including Indian, Islamic, Chinese, Hellenic, and Christian sources. He wrote that the seven rays of the sun appear in both Hindu and Christian symbolism, representing similar concepts, and in particular the symbolism of the seventh ray that "corresponds to the distinction of transcendent from immanent and of infinite from finite." He added that of "our Axis of the Universe (skambha, divo dharuna, etc.) and Islamic qutb ..... The seventh ray alone passes through the Sun to the suprasolar Brahma worlds, "where no sun shines" ('all that is under the Sun being in the power of Death, and all beyond immortal')."
, a religious philosophy originating with Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
from the 1870s, and the seven rays appear repeatedly in the related writings. Theosophy holds that all religion
s are attempts by the "Spiritual Hierarchy
" to help humanity in evolving to greater perfection, and that each religion therefore has a portion of the truth.
Blavatsky wrote in the first book of The Secret Doctrine
of an " analogy between the Aryan or Brahmanical and the Egyptian esotericism" and that the "seven rays of the Chaldean Heptakis or Iao, on the Gnostic stones" represent the seven large stars of the Egyptian "Great Bear" constellation, the seven elemental powers, and the Hindu "seven Rishis." She stated that the seven rays of the Vedic sun deity Vishnu represent the same concept as the "astral fluid or 'Light' of the Kabalists," and that the seven emanations of the lower seven sephiroth are the "primeval seven rays," and "will be found and recognized in every religion."
In the second volume of the Secret Doctrine, Blavatsky discusses the "seven nervous plexuses of the body" and the seven rays they radiate, stating that this principle is found in the Rig Veda, in the mythology of Ahura Mazda
, in the beliefs of the Incas, the Chinese Yao, and the Egyptian Osiris, who "when he enters the ark, or solar boat, takes seven Rays with him." She describes the "seven wise ones" of the Veda as "the seven Rays which fall free from the macrocosmic centre".
Blavatsky summarizes the syncretistic principle of her doctrine as it relates to the seven rays:
In the third volume of the Secret Doctrine, published posthumously, Blavatsky described the "Seven Primeval Rays" as a group of celestial beings also known as "Gods" or "Angels
" or "Powers". She stated that this symbolism was "adopted later on by the Christian Religion as the 'Seven Angels of the Presence
.'"
According to Alice A. Bailey, each person has a soul ray that remains the same through all their incarnations, and a personality ray that is different for each incarnation. Each ray is also correspondent with certain Masters of Wisdom, and with particular planets, cycles, nations, etc. The seven rays are the basis for what Alice A. Bailey called New Age Psychology--she divides everyone in the human race into these seven psychological types.
Bailey stated that the seven rays that reach us on Earth
locally originate within the "Solar Logos," i.e., the consciousness of the "Divine Being" of the Sun
. According to Alice A. Bailey and Benjamin Creme
, the seven rays are focused to the Solar Logos, through Sirius
, the seven stars of the Big Dipper
in the Great Bear
, and the seven major stars of the Pleiades
form the "Galactic Logos," (the consciousness of the "Divine Being" of the Milky Way Galaxy), and have their ultimate origin within the mind of God
.
On the local planetary level, it is believed by adherents of the Theosophical tradition that the seven rays are transmitted from the Solar Logos through the God of our planet, Sanat Kumara
, then through the spiritual hierarchy of our planet which includes the "Masters of Wisdom" (Some writings term them the Ascended Masters
or the Great White Brotherhood
).
Each of the seven rays is believed to be associated with a different kind of occult energy
, and a different color
.
Alice A. Bailey and the Church Universal and Triumphant
assign different colors and in some cases different Masters to each of the seven rays. In Letters on Occult Meditation, Alice Bailey indicates that there is no simple correspondence between the rays and these colors. The colors, Masters, and Retreats indicated here are those indicated by both Alice Bailey and the Church Universal and Triumphant.
According to Alice A. Bailey and C.W. Leadbeater, the Masters live in immortal bodies at a residence on the physical plane
at the indicated location (although a given Master may physically travel extensively incognito to various locations, become invisible
, teleport to various locations, and walk through walls, as well as influence humans telepathically
and travel on the inner planes
, as required by the demands of his spiritual work).
According to the Church Universal and Triumphant, and other Ascended Master Activities
, each Master is believed to serve at a Retreat on the physical or etheric plane
at the geographical location shown after their name.
The "Gifts of the Holy Spirit" of the Church Universal and Triumphant for each ray are shown. For both Alice A. Bailey and the Church Universal and Triumphant, each ray has a jewel
which is believed to focus the energy of that ray, which is indicated.
In a section below, the characteristic magic
for each ray as listed by C.W. Leadbeater.
for each ray. This list indicates what he regarded as the most compatible type of magic to be performed by persons on each ray (although anyone of any ray can do any of these various types of magic).
movement gained in popularity, the concept and imagery of the seven rays appeared in a variety of settings.
In esoteric astrology
, the seven rays are considered to be split into three groups: the first two rays represent Will and Wisdom, respectively, and the remaining five rays together form the group that represents Activity. In a style of Reiki adapted by Carolyn E. Jackson the student passes through a sequence of levels by mastering the "key" to each level. The key for the second level is known as the key of "oneness" and is attained by passing through each of the seven rays. This, however, is not part of traditional Reiki
or other versions of the Reiki system.
According to psychic
counselor Samantha Stevens, an individual can use affirmations
, candles, color therapy, vibrational medicines and other methods to contact "archangels," which she defines as the "seven rays," based on Buddhist and Christian theories: "The Rays or Divine Flames (as they are sometimes called) represent elements in the perfectly integrated human being - one whose heart is aligned with their will and inspired by the Divine Imagination."
Light therapist
and Radionics
Practitioner Primrose Cooper writes that in using light as a healing modality, she finds it helpful to use the seven rays as defined in Theosophy to assist her clients in finding "psychological insight into their soul's purpose."
In recent years, there was the creation of a secretive group named "The Keepers of the Seven Rays". Their philosophy is the human being has seven emanations in which it finds itself, or connects with the Higher Self. These emanations are extensions of the Higher Self or otherwise called the Higher Will. These emanations reach out like arms and grasp onto the knowledge(of all types) needed for the full development of the individual into his/her Higher Potential. All a human has to do to use these emanations is to know basic moral law, what their body and/or psyche can and cannot handle, and listen.
Metaphysical philosopher Gurdjieff writes frequently of his "Seven Rays of Creation". According to Gurdjieff, the Seven Rays of Creation are the seven manifestations of Energy in our Universe. The first Ray contains all things (THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE) and all things obey the laws inherent in the First Ray. The First Ray then manifests itself in the 2nd Realm, the realm of Galaxies. From Galaxies to Solar Systems, Solar Systems to Planets. From Planets to Organisms on the planets, etc.
Music
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
concept that has appeared in several religions and esoteric philosophies, since at least the 6th century BCE, of the Aryan (Indo-European) peoples in both Western culture and in India. In the west, it can be seen in early western mystery tradition
Western mystery tradition
Western esotericism or Hermeticism is a broad spectrum of spiritual traditions found in Western society, or refers to the collection of the mystical, esoteric knowledge of the Western world...
s such as Gnosticism
Gnosticism
Gnosticism is a scholarly term for a set of religious beliefs and spiritual practices common to early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, Greco-Roman mystery religions, Zoroastrianism , and Neoplatonism.A common characteristic of some of these groups was the teaching that the realisation of Gnosis...
and the Roman Mithraic Mysteries; and in texts and icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
ic art of the Catholic Church as early as the Byzantine era
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. In India, the concept has been part of Hindu religious philosophy and scripture since at least the Vishnu Purana
Vishnu Purana
The Vishnu Purana is a religious Hindu text and one of the eighteen Mahapuranas. It is considered one of the most important Puranas and has been given the name Puranaratna...
, dating from the post-Vedic
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
era.
Beginning in the late 19th century, the seven rays appeared in a modified and elaborated form in the teachings of Theosophy
Theosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
, first presented by H. P. Blavatsky The Theosophical concept of the seven rays was further developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the writings of the Neo-Theosophists
Neo-Theosophy
The term Neo-Theosophy is a term, originally derogatory, used by the followers of Blavatsky to denominate the system of Theosophical ideas expounded by Annie Besant and Charles Webster Leadbeater following the death of Madame Blavatsky in 1891...
C. W. Leadbeater, Alice Bailey
Alice Bailey
Alice Ann Bailey , known as Alice A. Bailey or AAB to her followers, was an influential writer and theosophist in what she termed "Ageless Wisdom". This included occult teachings, "esoteric" psychology and healing, astrological and other philosophic and religious themes...
, Manly P. Hall, and others, including notably the more recent Neo-Theosophical teachings of Benjamin Creme
Benjamin Creme
Benjamin Creme is a Scottish artist, author, esotericist, and editor of Share International magazine, a monthly non-profit magazine and website....
and his group Share International
Share International
Share International Foundation is a spiritual movement founded by Benjamin Creme with its main offices in London, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Los Angeles...
; and in the philosophies of organizations such as Temple of the People, The "I AM" Activity, The Bridge to Freedom
The Bridge to Freedom
The Bridge to Freedom, an Ascended Master Teachings religion, was established in 1951 by Geraldine Innocente and other Students of the Ascended Masters, after she received what was believed to be an "anointing" to become a "messenger" for the Great White Brotherhood. This organization believed...
, The Summit Lighthouse
The Summit Lighthouse
The Summit Lighthouse is an international New Age spiritual organization founded in 1958 by Mark L. Prophet. Today it is the outreach arm of Church Universal and Triumphant, founded in 1975 by Prophet's wife, Elizabeth Clare Prophet...
,. The Temple of The Presence (1995) and various other such organizations promulgating what are called the Ascended Master Teachings
Ascended Master Teachings
The students of "Ascended Master Teachings" organizations believe that the Presence of Life/God - Individualizes as the "I AM", and incarnates throughout the created universes until it achieves The Ascension . The "Teachings" as all Religious Teachings.....
, a group of religious teachings based on Theosophy.
As the New Age movement
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
of the mid-to-late 20th century developed, the seven rays concept appeared as an element of metaphysical healing methods such as Reiki
Reiki
is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some...
and other modalities, and in esoteric astrology
Esoteric astrology
Esoteric astrology is a branch of Astrology that focuses on the spiritual evolution of a person or groups of persons. Mundane astrology focuses on the personality, or one's individual identity...
.
In Antiquity
In ancient Greek mythologyGreek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
takes the bull-form known as Taurus in order to win Europa
Europa (mythology)
In Greek mythology Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The name Europa occurs in Hesiod's long list of daughters of primordial Oceanus and Tethys...
. Taurus is also associated with Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
and other goddesses, as well as with Pan
Pan (mythology)
Pan , in Greek religion and mythology, is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, nature, of mountain wilds, hunting and rustic music, as well as the companion of the nymphs. His name originates within the Greek language, from the word paein , meaning "to pasture." He has the hindquarters, legs,...
and Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
. The face of Taurus "gleams with seven rays of fire."
The 2nd century CE Chaldean Oracles
Chaldean Oracles
The Chaldean Oracles have survived as fragmentary texts from the 2nd century AD, and consist mainly of Hellenistic commentary on a single mystery-poem that was believed to have originated in Chaldea...
feature the seven rays as purifying agents of Helios
Helios
Helios was the personification of the Sun in Greek mythology. Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion, while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn...
, symbolism featured in Mithraic liturgy as well. Later, in the 4th century CE, Emperor Julian Saturnalia
Julian the Apostate
Julian "the Apostate" , commonly known as Julian, or also Julian the Philosopher, was Roman Emperor from 361 to 363 and a noted philosopher and Greek writer....
composed a "Hymn to the Solemn Sun," and in his "Hymn to the Mother of the Gods" spoke of "unspeakable mysteries hidden from the crowd such as Julian the Chaldean prophesied concerning the god of the seven rays." In Greek Gnostic magic of the same era, colored gemstones were often used as talisman
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s for medicine or healing; they were often engraved with a symbol borrowed from the Egyptian deity Chnuphis: a hooded serpent or great snake. The snake was shown with a lion's head, from which emanated either twelve or seven rays. The twelve rays represented the zodiac
Zodiac
In astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude which are centred upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year...
, and the seven rays represented the planets, usually with the seven Greek vowels engraved at the tips of the seven rays. The reverse sides of the talismans were engraved with a snake twisting around a vertical rod. These were known as "Gnostic amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s," and were sometimes also engraved with the names "Iao Sabao". Gnostic gems with Abraxas
Abraxas
The word Abrasax was a word of mystic meaning in the system of the Gnostic Basilides, being there applied to the “Great Archon” , the princeps of the 365 spheres...
also featured the seven rays.
In Catholicism
During the 12th century, Saint Norbert of Xanten, founder of the Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, discovered the spot where the relics of Saint Ursula
Saint Ursula
Saint Ursula is a British Christian saint. Her feast day in the extraordinary form calendar of the Catholic Church is October 21...
and her companions of Saint Gereon
Saint Gereon
Saint Gereon of Köln , who may have been a soldier, was martyred at Cologne, allegedly by beheading, probably in the early 4th century.According to his legend, Gereon was said to be a soldier of the Theban Legion...
and of other martyrs lay hidden while in a dream. In the dream that led him to this location, he was guided by "the seven rays of light... surrounding the head of the crucified Redeemer."
The Annunciation
Annunciation (van Eyck, Washington)
The Annunciation is an oil painting by the Early Netherlandish master Jan van Eyck, from around 1434-1436. It is in the National Gallery of Art, in Washington D.C. It was originally on panel but has been transferred to canvas. It is thought that it was the left wing of a triptych; there has...
is an oil painting by Early Netherlandish
Early Netherlandish painting
Early Netherlandish painting refers to the work of artists active in the Low Countries during the 15th- and early 16th-century Northern renaissance, especially in the flourishing Burgundian cities of Bruges and Ghent...
master Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck
Jan van Eyck was a Flemish painter active in Bruges and considered one of the best Northern European painters of the 15th century....
, from around 1434-1436. The picture depicts the Annunciation
Annunciation
The Annunciation, also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary or Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the announcement by the angel Gabriel to Virgin Mary, that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus the Son of God. Gabriel told Mary to name her...
by the Archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she will bear the Son of God (Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
1:26-38). In a prominent element of the complex iconographic work, the Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are a medieval enumeration of seven spiritual gifts probably encodified by Thomas Aquinas along with five intellectual virtues and four other groups of ethical characteristics. They are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the...
descend to her on seven rays of light from the upper window to the left, with the dove symbolising the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
following the same path. The seven rays on which the doves descend are unique elements in the painting in that they are of the heavenly realm rather than the earthly realm, with the difference shown by the artist through the use of gold leaf
Gold leaf
right|thumb|250px|[[Burnishing]] gold leaf with an [[agate]] stone tool, during the water gilding processGold leaf is gold that has been hammered into extremely thin sheets and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades...
rather than ordinary oil paint. Only the seven rays are so treated, and while all of the other light sources in the painting cast shadows, the seven rays do not.
The Italian secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
of the late 17th century, Knights of the Apocalypse
Knights of the Apocalypse
The Knights of the Apocalypse was a secret society created in Italy in 1693.Agostino Gabrino, the son of a merchant of Brescia, was its founder. Its professed aim was to defend the Catholic Church against the expected Antichrist, but it was accused of having political motives as well...
, was founded with the professed aim to defend the Catholic Church
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
against the expected Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
, though it was accused of having political motives as well. They wore on their breasts a star with seven rays.
In Hindu scripture
AgniAgni
Agni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
is a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and Vedic deity
Rigvedic deities
There are 1028 hymns in the Rigveda, most of them dedicated to specific deities.Indra, a heroic god, slayer of Vrtra and destroyer of the Vala, liberator of the cows and the rivers; Agni the sacrificial fire and messenger of the gods; and Soma the ritual drink dedicated to Indra are the most...
depicted in three forms: fire, lightning and the sun. In Hindu art, Agni is depicted with two or seven hands, two heads, and three legs. In each head, he has seven fiery tongues with which he licks sacrificial butter. He rides a ram or a chariot harnessed by fiery horses. His attributes are an axe, a torch, prayer beads and a flaming spear. Agni is represented as red and two-faced, suggesting both his destructive and his beneficent qualities, and with black eyes and hair. Seven rays of light emanate from his body.
In the Gayatri
Gayatri
Gayatri is the feminine form of , a Sanskrit word for a song or a hymn. Gayatri is a consort of Brahma and the goddess of learning. Brahma married her when there was a need for a companion during a yajna. Brahma had to start the yajna along with his wife...
prayer from the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
, the seven rays are described as the emanations of the Sun, identified with the creator of life, "Because the being who shines with seven rays, assuming the forms of time and illumines all... naturally shines with seven rays is called light or the effulgent power; the light of the Generator or Sun - the light is the sun, the sun is the light, they are identical."
The Vishnu Purana
Vishnu Purana
The Vishnu Purana is a religious Hindu text and one of the eighteen Mahapuranas. It is considered one of the most important Puranas and has been given the name Puranaratna...
, a post-vedic
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
scripture, describes how Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
"enters into the seven solar rays which dilate into seven suns." These are the "seven principal solar rays," the source of heat even to the planet Jupiter, and the "seven suns into which the seven solar rays dilate at the consummation of all things..."
20th century Hindu scholar, poet and mystic, Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
, described the Vedic seven rays of knowledge, or Agni
Agni
Agni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
, as "the seven forms of the Thought-principle" and wrote that "the seven brilliant horses of the sun and their full union constitutes the seven-headed Thought of Ayasya by which the lost sun of Truth is recovered. That thought is again established in the seven rivers, the seven principles of being divine and human, the totality of which founds the perfect spiritual existence."
Syncretistic interpretations
Egyptologist Gerald MasseyGerald Massey
Gerald Massey was an English poet and self-educated Egyptologist. He was born near Tring, Hertfordshire in England.-Biography:...
wrote in 1881 of what he described as connections between Vedic scripture, ancient Egyptian mythology and the Gospel stories. He theorized that Iao
Iao
Iao may refer to:* a Greek form of Yahweh* the purported secret name or abbreviation of a deity in Gnosticism, Greek mystery cults, and magic* Iao Valley, a popular tourist attraction on Maui, Hawaii* another name for the Wattlebird...
, the "Seven-rayed Sun-God of the Gnostic-stones" was also the "Serpent Chnubis," and "the Second Beast in the Book of Revalation." In 1900, he elaborated further, describing the unity of "the seven souls of the Pharaoh," "the seven arms of the Hindu god Agni
Agni
Agni is a Hindu deity, one of the most important of the Vedic gods. He is the god of fire and the acceptor of sacrifices. The sacrifices made to Agni go to the deities because Agni is a messenger from and to the other gods...
," "the seven stars in the hand of the Christ in Revelation," and "the seven rays of the Chaldean god Heptaktis, or Iao, on the Gnostic stones."
Samuel Fales Dunlap, wrote in 1894:
Moses was of the race of the Chaldeans. The Chaldean Mithra had his Seven Rays, and Moses his Seven Days. The other planets which circling around the sun lead the dance as round the King of heaven receive from him with the light also their powers; while as the light comes to them from the sun so from him they receive their powers that he pours out into the Seven Spheres of the Seven Planets of which the sun is the centre.
Dunlap wrote that the idea of spirit as the ultimate cause is present in all of the great religions of the East (which in the terminology of his time included the area now known as the Near East or Middle East), and that this idea can be found in "the Seven Rays of the Chaldaean Mithra and the Seven Days of Genesis. From the Sun came fire and spirit." According to Dunlap, "this was the astronomical religion of the Chaldeans, Jews, Persians, Syrians, Phoenicians and Egyptians."
Dunlap compared the nimbus
Nimbus
-General meanings:* Nimbus cloud, a cloud that produces precipitation* Halo , light or mist from an object* Halo , the disk or ring around the head of a sacred figure-Specific meanings:* Nimbus , A video game...
of Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
to the seven rays of Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
, presiding over the orbits of the seven planets. The seven rays are found also in the Chaldean mystery of "the God of the Seven Rays, who held the Seven Stars in his hand, through whom (as Chaldaeans supposed) the souls were raised." Prior to the Christian era, this deity was known as Iao
Iao
Iao may refer to:* a Greek form of Yahweh* the purported secret name or abbreviation of a deity in Gnosticism, Greek mystery cults, and magic* Iao Valley, a popular tourist attraction on Maui, Hawaii* another name for the Wattlebird...
(the first birth) or Sabaoth (the Sun), and later described as "Christos of the Resurrection of Souls."
In the late 1940s, art historian and writer Ananda Coomaraswamy
Ananda Coomaraswamy
Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy was a Ceylonese philosopher and metaphysician, as well as a pioneering historian and philosopher of Indian art, particularly art history and symbolism, and an early interpreter of Indian culture to the West...
was curator in the department of Asiatic Art at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
and built the first large collection of Indian art in the United States. His writings in the field of perennial philosophy
Perennial philosophy
Perennial philosophy is the notion of the universal recurrence of philosophical insight independent of epoch or culture, including universal truths on the nature of reality, humanity or consciousness .-History:The idea of a perennial philosophy has great...
and the Traditionalist School
Traditionalist School
The term Traditionalist School is used by Mark Sedgwick and other authors to denote a school of thought, also known as Integral Traditionalism or Perennialism to denote an esoteric movement developed by authors such as French metaphysician René Guénon, German-Swiss...
included complex essays collating symbols of ancient wisdom and metaphysics from widely diverse cultures including Indian, Islamic, Chinese, Hellenic, and Christian sources. He wrote that the seven rays of the sun appear in both Hindu and Christian symbolism, representing similar concepts, and in particular the symbolism of the seventh ray that "corresponds to the distinction of transcendent from immanent and of infinite from finite." He added that of "our Axis of the Universe (skambha, divo dharuna, etc.) and Islamic qutb ..... The seventh ray alone passes through the Sun to the suprasolar Brahma worlds, "where no sun shines" ('all that is under the Sun being in the power of Death, and all beyond immortal')."
In Theosophy
Syncretism is one of the core principles of TheosophyTheosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
, a religious philosophy originating with Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
Madame Blavatsky
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky , was a theosophist, writer and traveler. Between 1848 and 1875 Blavatsky had gone around the world three times. In 1875, Blavatsky together with Colonel H. S. Olcott established the Theosophical Society...
from the 1870s, and the seven rays appear repeatedly in the related writings. Theosophy holds that all religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
s are attempts by the "Spiritual Hierarchy
Spiritual Hierarchy
Spiritual Hierarchy is a term often used in Neo-Theosophy, and the Ascended Master Teachings, a group of religions based on Theosophy. It represents the concept of a group of self-realised Masters of the Ancient Wisdom, referred to by those adherent to the Ascended Master Teachings as Ascended...
" to help humanity in evolving to greater perfection, and that each religion therefore has a portion of the truth.
Blavatsky wrote in the first book of The Secret Doctrine
The Secret Doctrine
The Secret Doctrine, the Synthesis of Science, Religion and Philosophy, a book originally published as two volumes in 1888, is Helena P. Blavatsky's magnum opus. The first volume is named Cosmogenesis, the second Anthropogenesis...
of an " analogy between the Aryan or Brahmanical and the Egyptian esotericism" and that the "seven rays of the Chaldean Heptakis or Iao, on the Gnostic stones" represent the seven large stars of the Egyptian "Great Bear" constellation, the seven elemental powers, and the Hindu "seven Rishis." She stated that the seven rays of the Vedic sun deity Vishnu represent the same concept as the "astral fluid or 'Light' of the Kabalists," and that the seven emanations of the lower seven sephiroth are the "primeval seven rays," and "will be found and recognized in every religion."
In the second volume of the Secret Doctrine, Blavatsky discusses the "seven nervous plexuses of the body" and the seven rays they radiate, stating that this principle is found in the Rig Veda, in the mythology of Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazda
Ahura Mazdā is the Avestan name for a divinity of the Old Iranian religion who was proclaimed the uncreated God by Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism...
, in the beliefs of the Incas, the Chinese Yao, and the Egyptian Osiris, who "when he enters the ark, or solar boat, takes seven Rays with him." She describes the "seven wise ones" of the Veda as "the seven Rays which fall free from the macrocosmic centre".
Blavatsky summarizes the syncretistic principle of her doctrine as it relates to the seven rays:
"...a key which reveals to us on indisputable grounds of comparative analogy... the Indian phœnix, the emblem of cyclic and periodical time, the "man-lion" Singha, of whose representations the so-called "gnostic gems" are so full. Over the seven rays of the lion's crown, and corresponding to their points, stand, in many cases, the seven vowels of the Greek alphabet AEHIOYW, testifying to the Seven Heavens. This is the Solar lion and the emblem of the Solar cycle, as Garuda is that of the great cycle, the "Maha-Kalpa" co-eternal with Vishnu, and also, of course, the emblem of the Sun, and Solar cycle. ... As well remarked by C. W. King: — "Whatever the primary meaning (of the gem with the solar lion and vowels) it was probably imported in its present shape from India, that true fountain head of gnostic iconography." (Gnostics, p. 218)
In the third volume of the Secret Doctrine, published posthumously, Blavatsky described the "Seven Primeval Rays" as a group of celestial beings also known as "Gods" or "Angels
Deva (New Age)
A deva in the New Age movement refers to any of the spiritual forces or beings behind nature. According to Theosophists Charles Webster Leadbeater and Alice A. Bailey, devas represent a separate evolution to that of humanity. The concept of devas as nature-spirits derives from the writings of...
" or "Powers". She stated that this symbolism was "adopted later on by the Christian Religion as the 'Seven Angels of the Presence
Angel of the Presence
In Judeo-Christian tradition, the Angel of the Presence is an entity or multiple entities variously considered angelic or else identified with God Himself...
.'"
Metaphysics of the seven rays
In Theosophy, the seven rays are said to be seven major types of Light-Substance (spirit/matter) (waves/particles) that compose the created universes. These are also believed to convey "Divine Qualities".According to Alice A. Bailey, each person has a soul ray that remains the same through all their incarnations, and a personality ray that is different for each incarnation. Each ray is also correspondent with certain Masters of Wisdom, and with particular planets, cycles, nations, etc. The seven rays are the basis for what Alice A. Bailey called New Age Psychology--she divides everyone in the human race into these seven psychological types.
Bailey stated that the seven rays that reach us on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
locally originate within the "Solar Logos," i.e., the consciousness of the "Divine Being" of the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. According to Alice A. Bailey and Benjamin Creme
Benjamin Creme
Benjamin Creme is a Scottish artist, author, esotericist, and editor of Share International magazine, a monthly non-profit magazine and website....
, the seven rays are focused to the Solar Logos, through Sirius
Sirius
Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. With a visual apparent magnitude of −1.46, it is almost twice as bright as Canopus, the next brightest star. The name "Sirius" is derived from the Ancient Greek: Seirios . The star has the Bayer designation Alpha Canis Majoris...
, the seven stars of the Big Dipper
Big Dipper
The Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...
in the Great Bear
Great Bear
The term Great Bear can refer to:* Ursa Major, the constellation, whose name is the Latin for "Great Bear".* Great Bear Lake, the largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada and the fourth largest in North America....
, and the seven major stars of the Pleiades
Pleiades (star cluster)
In astronomy, the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters , is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky...
form the "Galactic Logos," (the consciousness of the "Divine Being" of the Milky Way Galaxy), and have their ultimate origin within the mind of God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
.
On the local planetary level, it is believed by adherents of the Theosophical tradition that the seven rays are transmitted from the Solar Logos through the God of our planet, Sanat Kumara
Sanat Kumara
According to the post-1900 publications of Theosophy, i.e. the writings of C. W. Leadbeater, Alice A. Bailey, and Benjamin Creme, as well as the Ascended Master Teachings of Guy Ballard, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, Geraldine Innocente, Joshua David Stone, and other Ascended Master Teachings teachers,...
, then through the spiritual hierarchy of our planet which includes the "Masters of Wisdom" (Some writings term them the Ascended Masters
Ascended master
Ascended Masters, in the Ascended Master Teachings is derived from the Theosophical concept of Masters of the Ancient Wisdom or "Mahatmas", though they differ in important aspects...
or the Great White Brotherhood
Great White Brotherhood
The Great White Brotherhood, in belief systems akin to Theosophical and New Age, are said to be supernatural beings of great power who spread spiritual teachings through selected humans. The members of the Brotherhood may be known as the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom or the Ascended Masters...
).
Each of the seven rays is believed to be associated with a different kind of occult energy
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
, and a different color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
.
Qualities of the seven rays
The seven rays are listed below:Alice A. Bailey and the Church Universal and Triumphant
Church Universal and Triumphant
Church Universal and Triumphant is an international New Age religious organization founded in 1975 by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It is an outgrowth of The Summit Lighthouse, founded in 1958 by Prophet's husband, Mark L. Prophet...
assign different colors and in some cases different Masters to each of the seven rays. In Letters on Occult Meditation, Alice Bailey indicates that there is no simple correspondence between the rays and these colors. The colors, Masters, and Retreats indicated here are those indicated by both Alice Bailey and the Church Universal and Triumphant.
According to Alice A. Bailey and C.W. Leadbeater, the Masters live in immortal bodies at a residence on the physical plane
Physical plane
The physical plane , physical world, or physical universe, in emanationist metaphysics such as are found in Neoplatonism, Hermeticism, Hinduism and Theosophy, refers to the visible reality of space and time, energy and matter: the physical universe in Occultism and esoteric cosmology is the lowest...
at the indicated location (although a given Master may physically travel extensively incognito to various locations, become invisible
Invisibility
Invisibility is the state of an object that cannot be seen. An object in this state is said to be invisible . The term is usually used as a fantasy/science fiction term, where objects are literally made unseeable by magical or technological means; however, its effects can also be seen in the real...
, teleport to various locations, and walk through walls, as well as influence humans telepathically
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
and travel on the inner planes
Plane (metaphysics)
In esoteric cosmology, a plane, other than the physical plane is conceived as a subtle state of consciousness that transcends the known physical universe....
, as required by the demands of his spiritual work).
According to the Church Universal and Triumphant, and other Ascended Master Activities
Ascended Master Teachings
The students of "Ascended Master Teachings" organizations believe that the Presence of Life/God - Individualizes as the "I AM", and incarnates throughout the created universes until it achieves The Ascension . The "Teachings" as all Religious Teachings.....
, each Master is believed to serve at a Retreat on the physical or etheric plane
Etheric plane
The etheric plane is a term introduced into Theosophy by Charles Webster Leadbeater and Annie Besant to represent one of the planes of existence in neo-Theosophical and Rosicrucian cosmology. It represents the fourth[higher] subplane of the physical plane , the lower three being the states of...
at the geographical location shown after their name.
The "Gifts of the Holy Spirit" of the Church Universal and Triumphant for each ray are shown. For both Alice A. Bailey and the Church Universal and Triumphant, each ray has a jewel
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
which is believed to focus the energy of that ray, which is indicated.
In a section below, the characteristic magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
for each ray as listed by C.W. Leadbeater.
Alice A. Bailey
| Ray | Colour | Cosmic Master Masters of the Ancient Wisdom The Masters of the Ancient Wisdom are reputed to be enlightened beings originally identified by the Theosophists Helena Blavatsky, Henry S. Olcott, Alfred P. Sinnett, and others. These Theosophists claimed to have met some of the so-called Masters during their lifetimes in different parts of the... |
Residence | Planet Rulers Planet A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,... |
Chakra/Gland Chakra Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices... |
Jewel Gemstone A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ray | Will - Power | Blue Blue Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal... |
Morya | Darjeeling, India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
Pluto Pluto Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun... /Vulcan Vulcan (hypothetical planet) Vulcan was a small planet proposed to exist in an orbit between Mercury and the Sun. In an attempt to explain peculiarities of Mercury's orbit, in the 19th-century French mathematician Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier hypothesized that they were the result of another planet, which he named Vulcan... |
Vishuddha Vishuddha Vishuddha also known as Vishuddhi, is the fifth primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.-Location:Vishuddha is positioned at the neck region near the spine, with its ksehtram or superficial activation point in the pit of the throat.-Appearance:This chakra is white with 16 purple or smoke... (5th) Throat/Thryoid |
Diamond Diamond In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions... |
| 2nd ray | Love-Wisdom | Indigo Indigo Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet... |
Koot Hoomi | Shigatse Shigatse Shigatse is a county-level city and the second largest city in Tibet Autonomous Region , People's Republic of China, with a population of 92000, about southwest of Lhasa and northwest of Gyantse... , Tibet Tibet Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people... |
Sun Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields... /Jupiter Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,... |
Sahasrara Sahasrara Sahasrara/ Sahastrara is the seventh primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.-Location:Sahasrara is either located at the top of the head in that one area, or a little way above it .-Appearance:Sahasrara is described with 1,000 multi-coloured petals which are arranged in 20 layers each of them... (7th) Crown/Pineal |
Sapphire Sapphire Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give... |
| 3rd ray | Active Intelligence | Green Green Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered... |
Venetian Paul the Venetian Paul the Venetian is one of the "Masters of the Ancient Wisdom" in the teachings of Theosophy and is regarded as one of the ascended masters in the Ascended Master Teachings . He is regarded as the Master of the Third Ray... |
"Chateau de Liberte, S. France & Temple of the Sun, NY" | Earth Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets... /Saturn Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,... |
Anahata Anahata Anahata is the fourth primary chakra according to the Hindu Yogic and Tantric traditions.In Sanskrit the word anahata - means unhurt, un-struck and unbeaten... (4th) Heart/Thymus |
Emerald Emerald Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness... |
| 4th ray | Harmony through conflict | Yellow Yellow Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green... |
Serapis Serapis Bey Serapis Bey , sometimes written as Serapis, is regarded in Theosophy as being one of the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom; and in the Ascended Master Teachings is considered to be an Ascended Master and member of the Great White Brotherhood. He is regarded as the Chohan of the Fourth Ray . C.W... |
Luxor Luxor Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple... , Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
Moon Moon The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more... /Mercury Mercury (planet) Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits... |
Muladhara Muladhara Muladhara is one of the seven primary chakras according to Hindu tantrism. It may be represented by the color red, although its root square form is usually yellow.-Location:... (1st) Base/Adrenals |
Jasper Jasper Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for... |
| 5th ray | Concrete Science | Orange Orange (colour) The colour orange occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum at a wavelength of about 585–620 nm, and has a hue of 30° in HSV colour space. It is numerically halfway between red and yellow in a gamma-compressed RGB colour space, the expression of which is the RGB colour wheel. The... |
Hilarion Master Hilarion The Master Hilarion, in the teachings of Theosophy is one of the "Masters of the Ancient Wisdom" and in the Ascended Master Teachings is one of the Ascended Masters . He is considered to be the Chohan of the Fifth Ray... |
Island of Crete Crete Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Venus Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows... |
Ajna Ajna Ajna is the sixth primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.-Location:The Ajna chakra is positioned in the brain, directly behind the eyebrow centre, while its ksehtram or superficial activation site is at the eyebrow region, in the position of the 'third eye'.-Appearance:Ajna is white in... (6th) Brow/Pituitary |
Topaz Topaz Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO42. Topaz crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and its crystals are mostly prismatic terminated by pyramidal and other faces.-Color and varieties:... |
| 6th ray | Love-Devotion | Red Red Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye... |
Master Jesus Master Jesus The Master Jesus in Theosophy and the Ascended Master Teachings, refers to the theosophical concept of Jesus as opposed to the Jesus Christ of the Christian religion.-Position in the Hierarchy of Masters of the Ancient Wisdom:... |
Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon Mount Lebanon , as a geographic designation, is a Lebanese mountain range, averaging above 2,200 meters in height and receiving a substantial amount of precipitation, including snow, which averages around four meters deep. It extends across the whole country along about , parallel to the... , Lebanon Lebanon Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among... |
Mars Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance... /Neptune Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet from the Sun in the Solar System. Named for the Roman god of the sea, it is the fourth-largest planet by diameter and the third largest by mass. Neptune is 17 times the mass of Earth and is slightly more massive than its near-twin Uranus, which is 15 times... |
Manipura Manipura Manipura , called "city of jewels", is the third primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.-Location:Manipura is located at the spine directly behind either the navel or the solar plexus, depending on the system, while its kshetram or superficial activation point is located directly on the navel... (3rd) Solar Plexus/Pancreas |
Ruby Ruby A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires... |
| 7th ray | Ceremonial Order | Violet Violet (color) As the name of a color, violet is synonymous with a bluish purple, when the word "purple" is used in the common English language sense of any color between blue and red, not including either blue or red... |
St. Germain Count of St Germain The Count of St. Germain has been variously described as a courtier, adventurer, charlatan, inventor, alchemist, pianist, violinist and an amateur composer. He achieved great prominence in European high society of the mid-1700s, and since then various scholars have linked him to mysticism,... |
Transylvania Transylvania Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... |
Uranus Uranus Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus , the father of Cronus and grandfather of Zeus... |
Swadisthana (2nd) Sacral/Gonads |
Amethyst Amethyst Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief... |
Ascended Master Teachings
| Ray | Colour | Ascended Master Ascended master Ascended Masters, in the Ascended Master Teachings is derived from the Theosophical concept of Masters of the Ancient Wisdom or "Mahatmas", though they differ in important aspects... |
Retreat | Quality | Chakra Chakra Chakra is a concept originating in Hindu texts, featured in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Its name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning" .Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices... |
Day | Gift of the Holy Spirit | Jewel Gemstone A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments... |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st ray | Will of God God God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism.... |
Blue Blue Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal... White White White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be... |
El Morya | Darjeeling, India India India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... |
Power Good will Faith |
Throat (5th) | Tuesday | Faith in God's will Word of Wisdom |
Diamond Diamond In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions... Sapphire Sapphire Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give... Star Sapphire Lapis Lazuli Lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color.... |
| 2nd ray | Wisdom of God God God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism.... |
Yellow Yellow Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green... |
Lanto | Grand Teton Grand Teton Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.- Geography :... , Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High... , USA |
Wisdom Wisdom Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and... Understanding |
Crown (7th) | Sunday | Word of Wisdom Word of Knowledge |
Yellow Diamond Yellow Sapphire Topaz |
| 3rd ray | Love of God God God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism.... |
Pink Pink Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century.... Rose Rose (color) Rose is the color halfway between red and magenta on the HSV color wheel, also known as the RGB color wheel, on which it is at hue angle of 330 degrees.Rose is one of the tertiary colors on the HSV color wheel... |
Paul the Venetian Paul the Venetian Paul the Venetian is one of the "Masters of the Ancient Wisdom" in the teachings of Theosophy and is regarded as one of the ascended masters in the Ascended Master Teachings . He is regarded as the Master of the Third Ray... |
Château de Liberté, S. France Temple of the Sun, New York |
Love Creativity Beauty |
Heart (4th) | Monday | Discerning of spirits | Ruby Ruby A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires... Diamond Diamond In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions... Garnet Garnet The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds... Rose quartz Pink Beryl |
| 4th ray | Purity of God God God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism.... |
White White White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be... Crystal |
Serapis Bey Serapis Bey Serapis Bey , sometimes written as Serapis, is regarded in Theosophy as being one of the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom; and in the Ascended Master Teachings is considered to be an Ascended Master and member of the Great White Brotherhood. He is regarded as the Chohan of the Fourth Ray . C.W... |
Luxor Luxor Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple... , Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... |
Purity Discipline Joy |
Base of the Spine (1st) | Friday | Working of miracles | Diamond Diamond In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions... Pearl Pearl A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other... Zircon Zircon Zircon is a mineral belonging to the group of nesosilicates. Its chemical name is zirconium silicate and its corresponding chemical formula is ZrSiO4. A common empirical formula showing some of the range of substitution in zircon is 1–x4x–y... Quartz crystal |
| 5th ray | Science of God God God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism.... |
Green Variations of green There are many tints and shades of the color green. A large selection of these various colors are shown below.- Green in nature :Green is common in nature, especially in plants. Many plants are green mainly because of a complex chemical known as chlorophyll which is involved in photosynthesis... Gold Gold (color) Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold.... |
Hilarion Master Hilarion The Master Hilarion, in the teachings of Theosophy is one of the "Masters of the Ancient Wisdom" and in the Ascended Master Teachings is one of the Ascended Masters . He is considered to be the Chohan of the Fifth Ray... |
Crete Crete Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Truth Science Vision |
Third Eye (6th) | Wednesday | Healing | Emerald Emerald Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness... Diamond Diamond In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions... Jade Jade Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:... Quartz crystal |
| 6th ray | Peace of God God God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism.... |
Purple Purple Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade.... Metallic Gold Gold (color) Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold.... Ruby Ruby (color) Ruby is a color that is a representation of the color of the cut and polished ruby gemstone. The somewhat deeper color of the uncut, unpolished ruby crystal is called rubelite.The first recorded use of ruby as a color name in English was in 1572... |
Lady Nada Lady Master Nada In the Ascended Master Teachings, a group of religions based on Theosophy, Lady Master Nada is the "Chohan of the Sixth Ray" , and is the Ascended Lady Master governing humanity's development of the Divine Qualities of Ministration, Service, and Peace. The colors of her Ray are purple and gold, and... |
Arabian Peninsula Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2... |
Peace Service Brotherhood |
Solar Plexus (3rd) | Thursday | Diverse kinds of tongues and interpretation | Ruby Ruby A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires... Topaz Topaz Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO42. Topaz crystallizes in the orthorhombic system and its crystals are mostly prismatic terminated by pyramidal and other faces.-Color and varieties:... Alexandrite Diamond Diamond In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions... with pearl Pearl A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other... |
| 7th ray | Freedom of God God God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism.... |
Violet Violet (color) As the name of a color, violet is synonymous with a bluish purple, when the word "purple" is used in the common English language sense of any color between blue and red, not including either blue or red... Purple Purple Purple is a range of hues of color occurring between red and blue, and is classified as a secondary color as the colors are required to create the shade.... Pink Pink Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century.... Aqua Aqua (color) Aqua is a tone of the color cyan which is identical to the color electric cyan, one of the three secondary colors of the HSV color wheel, along with magenta and yellow. It is precisely halfway between green and blue on the color wheel... / Teal Teal (color) Teal is a medium blue-green color. It is named after the Common Teal, a member of the duck family, whose eyes are surrounded by the color.Teal is one of the initial group of 16 HTML/CSS web colors formulated in 1987, shown below.... |
Saint Germain Count of St Germain The Count of St. Germain has been variously described as a courtier, adventurer, charlatan, inventor, alchemist, pianist, violinist and an amateur composer. He achieved great prominence in European high society of the mid-1700s, and since then various scholars have linked him to mysticism,... |
Transylvania Transylvania Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical... , Romania Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... Table Mountain, Wyoming, USA |
Freedom Alchemy Justice |
Seat of the Soul (2nd) | Saturday | Prophecy Working of Miracles |
Amethyst Amethyst Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief... Diamond Diamond In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions... Aquamarine |
C.W. Leadbeater
C.W. Leadbeater gave a list showing the characteristic type of magicMagic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
for each ray. This list indicates what he regarded as the most compatible type of magic to be performed by persons on each ray (although anyone of any ray can do any of these various types of magic).
- 1. FIRST RAY: Magic of WillWill (philosophy)Will, in philosophical discussions, consonant with a common English usage, refers to a property of the mind, and an attribute of acts intentionally performed. Actions made according to a person's will are called "willing" or "voluntary" and sometimes pejoratively "willful"...
of magician
- 2. SECOND RAY: Magic of Raja YogaRaja YogaRāja Yoga is concerned principally with the cultivation of the mind using meditation to further one's acquaintance with reality and finally achieve liberation.Raja yoga was first described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and is part of the Samkhya tradition.In the context of Hindu...
(Development of Mind)
- 3. THIRD RAY: Magic of AstrologyAstrologyAstrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
(Natural Magnetic Forces).
- 4. FOURTH RAY: Magic of Hatha YogaHatha yogaHatha yoga , also called hatha vidya , is a system of yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama, a Hindu sage of 15th century India, and compiler of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika....
(physical development).
- 5. FIFTH RAY: Magic of AlchemyAlchemyAlchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
(Manipulation of Material Substances).
- 6. SIXTH RAY: Magic of Bhakti YogaBhakti yogaBhakti yoga is one of the types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to a personal form of God....
(Selfless Service and Altruistic Love [ agapeAgapeAgape is one of the Greek words translated into English as love, one which became particularly appropriated in Christian theology as the love of God or Christ for mankind. In the New Testament, it refers to the fatherly love of God for humans, as well as the human reciprocal love for God; the term...
]).
- 7. SEVENTH RAY: Ceremonial magicCeremonial magicCeremonial magic, also referred to as high magic and as learned magic, is a broad term used in the context of Hermeticism or Western esotericism to encompass a wide variety of long, elaborate, and complex rituals of magic. It is named as such because the works included are characterized by...
(Invocation of Elementals, and DevasDeva (New Age)A deva in the New Age movement refers to any of the spiritual forces or beings behind nature. According to Theosophists Charles Webster Leadbeater and Alice A. Bailey, devas represent a separate evolution to that of humanity. The concept of devas as nature-spirits derives from the writings of...
).
In other contemporary philosophies
In the mid-to-late 20th century, as the New AgeNew Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
movement gained in popularity, the concept and imagery of the seven rays appeared in a variety of settings.
In esoteric astrology
Esoteric astrology
Esoteric astrology is a branch of Astrology that focuses on the spiritual evolution of a person or groups of persons. Mundane astrology focuses on the personality, or one's individual identity...
, the seven rays are considered to be split into three groups: the first two rays represent Will and Wisdom, respectively, and the remaining five rays together form the group that represents Activity. In a style of Reiki adapted by Carolyn E. Jackson the student passes through a sequence of levels by mastering the "key" to each level. The key for the second level is known as the key of "oneness" and is attained by passing through each of the seven rays. This, however, is not part of traditional Reiki
Reiki
is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. The teaching was continued and adapted by various teachers. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing as a form of complementary and alternative medicine and is sometimes classified as oriental medicine by some...
or other versions of the Reiki system.
According to psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
counselor Samantha Stevens, an individual can use affirmations
Affirmative prayer
Affirmative prayer is a form of prayer or a metaphysical technique that is focused on a positive outcome rather than a negative situation. For example, a person who is experiencing some form of illness would focus the prayer on the desired state of perfect health and affirm this desired intention...
, candles, color therapy, vibrational medicines and other methods to contact "archangels," which she defines as the "seven rays," based on Buddhist and Christian theories: "The Rays or Divine Flames (as they are sometimes called) represent elements in the perfectly integrated human being - one whose heart is aligned with their will and inspired by the Divine Imagination."
Light therapist
Light therapy
Light therapy or phototherapy consists of exposure to daylight or to specific wavelengths of light using lasers, light-emitting diodes, fluorescent lamps, dichroic lamps or very bright, full-spectrum light, usually controlled with various devices...
and Radionics
Radionics
Radionics is the use of blood, hair, a signature, or other substances unique to the person as a focus to supposedly heal a patient from afar. The concept behind radionics originated in the early 1900s with Albert Abrams , who became a millionaire by leasing radionic machines which he designed...
Practitioner Primrose Cooper writes that in using light as a healing modality, she finds it helpful to use the seven rays as defined in Theosophy to assist her clients in finding "psychological insight into their soul's purpose."
In recent years, there was the creation of a secretive group named "The Keepers of the Seven Rays". Their philosophy is the human being has seven emanations in which it finds itself, or connects with the Higher Self. These emanations are extensions of the Higher Self or otherwise called the Higher Will. These emanations reach out like arms and grasp onto the knowledge(of all types) needed for the full development of the individual into his/her Higher Potential. All a human has to do to use these emanations is to know basic moral law, what their body and/or psyche can and cannot handle, and listen.
Metaphysical philosopher Gurdjieff writes frequently of his "Seven Rays of Creation". According to Gurdjieff, the Seven Rays of Creation are the seven manifestations of Energy in our Universe. The first Ray contains all things (THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE) and all things obey the laws inherent in the First Ray. The First Ray then manifests itself in the 2nd Realm, the realm of Galaxies. From Galaxies to Solar Systems, Solar Systems to Planets. From Planets to Organisms on the planets, etc.
Seven rays in popular culture
Books- Written by screenwriter and novelist Jessica BendingerJessica BendingerJessica Bendinger is an American screenwriter and novelist.She has written several films, including 2000's Bring It On, 2004's First Daughter and 2006's Aquamarine. She was also a writer and creative consultant for Sex and the City as well as a producer of the 2005 film The Wedding Date starring...
, The Sevens Rays is a paranormal coming-of-age story that delves into love, friendship, family and the supernatural.
Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
- The progressive rockProgressive rockProgressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Utopia, led by prolific musician Todd RundgrenTodd RundgrenTodd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
, wrote and performed a song entitled "The Seven Rays." The lyrics of the song center around the philosophies associated with the seven rays concepts popular with the new age movement, with much focus on the colors associated with each ray. The track originally appeared on the live album "Another LiveAnother Live-Side Two:-Personnel:*Mark "Moogy" Klingman - Harmonica, Glockenspiel, Keyboards, vocals, Korg Synthesizer*Roger Powell - Synthesizer, Trumpet, Keyboards, Vocals, Moog synthesizer*Todd Rundgren - Guitar, Vocals, Producer...
" (the band at that point was known as "Todd Rundgren's Utopia").
- Another progressive rock band, HawkwindHawkwindHawkwind are an English rock band, one of the earliest space rock groups. Their lyrics favour urban and science fiction themes. They are also a noted precursor to punk rock and now are considered a link between the hippie and punk cultures....
, have a song about the seven rays titled Seven by Seven.
- Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues refers heavily to the "seven rays" and the "Light of Seven" in his solo album "The Promise".
Further reading
- Abraham, Kurt. "Great Souls: The Seven Rays at the Soul Level" School for the Study of the Seven Rays, Lampus Press, 2002.
- Abraham, Kurt. "Techniques of Soul Alignment: The Rays, the Subtle Bodies, and the Use of Keywords." School for the Study of the Seven Rays, Lampus Press: 1997.
- Abraham, Kurt. "Balancing the Pairs of Opposites; The Seven Rays and Education, and Other Essays in Esoteric Psychology." School for the Study of the Seven Rays, Lampus Press, 1993.
- Abraham, Kurt. "The Seven Rays and Nations: France and the United States Compared." School for the Study of the Seven Rays, Lampus Press, 1987.
- Abraham, Kurt. "Introduction to the Seven Rays" School for the Study of the Seven Rays, Lampus Press: 1986.
- Abraham, Kurt. "Threefold Method for Understanding the Seven Rays." School for the Study of the Seven Rays, Lampus Press, 1984.
- Abraham, Kurt. "Psychological Types and the Seven Rays." School for the Study of the Seven Rays, Lampus Press: 1983.
- Bailey, Alice A. The Seven Rays of Life New York: 1995—Lucis Publishing Co. Compilation from all the Alice A. Bailey books of material about the seven rays.
- Baker, Douglas The Seven Rays: Key to the Mysteries Essendon, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom:1977 Baker Publications
- Creme, Benjamin Maitreya's Mission Amsterdam: 1986 - Share International Foundation.
- Hodson, Geoffrey The Seven Human Temperaments Adyar, Madras, India: 1952—The Theosophical Publishing House.
- Hone, Mo. "The Seven Rays Today" A New Appreciation of the Ageless Wisdom and Esoteric Astrology. Pluto Network (UK) 2006
- Leadbetter, C.W. The Masters and the Path Adyar, Madras, India: 1925—The Theosophical Publishing House.
- Prophet, Mark Studies of the Human Aura Colorado Springs, Colorado: 1975 - Summit University Press (Claimed to have been dictated from "KuthumiKuthumiThe Master Kuthumi, sometimes spelled Koot Hoomi, Kut Humi, rarely Kut-Hu-Mi, Master K.H., or simply K.H. in Theosophy, is regarded as one of the "Masters of the Ancient Wisdom." According to Theosophy, Kuthumi is considered to be one of the members of the Spiritual Hierarchy called the Masters of...
") Chart on pages 120-121 of the seven rays from the perspective of The Summit LighthouseThe Summit LighthouseThe Summit Lighthouse is an international New Age spiritual organization founded in 1958 by Mark L. Prophet. Today it is the outreach arm of Church Universal and Triumphant, founded in 1975 by Prophet's wife, Elizabeth Clare Prophet...
. - Wood, Ernest The Seven Rays Wheaton, Illinois, U.S.A.: 1925—Theosophical Publishing House