January—March 2014

CONTENTS:

Editorial ‑ Ring Out the Old, Ring in the New
The start of a new year always brings the possibility of renewed hope, of taking charge again and leaving the past behind. A common practice at this time is to review the gains and losses of the past year before moving on into the new.

Initiation ‑ Djwhal Khul
THE GOAL OF INITIATION is held out by the Masters to all Their disciples and They stand ready to give the needed instruction. I would remind you at this early stage that only that which you know for yourself and experience consciously within yourself is of importance and constitutes the truth for you.

The Need for Green ‑ Laurence Newey
As humanity awakens to its divine heritage and becomes the light bearer of the planet, a shift from the type of hectic activity we see today will of necessity take place. Instead of the physical plane being characterised by frenetic movement from A to B—from here to there and back again—a steady incorporation of the spiritual disciplines into daily life will make constructive use of the energy that is currently dissipated in irresponsible living.

Near-Death Research and Theories of Consciousness ‑ Joann S. Bakula, Ph.D.
The first account in Western history of a Near-death Experience (NDE) appears in the last pages of Plato’s Republic, where he recounts the narrative of the warrior Er. Er was killed in battle, but later recovered while on the unlit funeral pyre. Er described a colorful afterlife, not unlike the Near-death Experiences (NDEs) found in current research.

The Esoteric Symbolism of the Rain Cycle, Part II ‑ S.M. Rose
In ancient Hindu tradition, the heart centre is called the Anahata and, with air, shares the visual motif of an upturned crescent, or saucer shape. Thus, both the heart and air are attributed the ability to receive from above. This shared visual symbolism perhaps describes air as essential to all life on the physical plane, just as the Anahata is essential to the inner life of a human being.

Thoughts on Glamour ‑ A Student
Unlike the exoteric struggle over goods and status, however, the esoteric battle occurs within the aspirant, between one’s separatist self and one’s soul. The feelings create a smokescreen between the self as individual and the self as soul; one cannot always see through the smokescreen to the trail ahead.

Psychosynthesis: A Framework for Authenticity ‑ Sara Cohen
Highlighting that there are different levels of reality and self-awareness, psychosynthesis proposes we are best served by differentiating the changing content of our personality from the stable and permanent centre of self-awareness from which we observe this whirling activity. On this issue, Assagioli says that if we were to assert: “destroy the ego, get rid of the ego, it’s an illusion”.

Thomas Carlyle: A Forerunner ‑ Mark Simpson
Carlyle’s slight confidence in revolutionary activity, and his infamous disdain for democracy, is consistent with his devout Calvinist upbringing, idealizing patience, humility and obedience in the face of suffering. Less known to his readers, but possibly of equal importance in providing him with a profoundly spiritual conception of what constitutes change, is his strong early interest in mathematics, geometry, geology and astronomy.

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