IV.  THE TURNING OF THE WHEEL

 ^[cccx]12

We come now to the consideration of another point, and one of very real moment; it emerges out of what we have been saying anent cycles and is the basis of all periodic phenomena.  One of the most elementary of scientific truths is that the earth revolves upon its axis, and that it travels around the sun.  One of the truths less recognised, yet withal of equal importance, is that the entire solar system equally revolves upon its axis but in a cycle so vast as to be beyond the powers of ordinary man to comprehend, and which necessitates mathematical formulae [1084] of great intricacy.  The orbital path of the solar system in the heavens around its cosmic centre is now being sensed, and the general drift also of our constellation is being taken into consideration as a welcome hypothesis.  Scientists have not yet admitted into their calculations the fact that our solar system is revolving around a cosmic centre along with six other constellations of even greater magnitude in the majority of cases than ours, only one being approximately of the same magnitude as our solar system.  This cosmic centre in turn forms part of a great wheel till—to the eye of the illumined seer—the entire vault of Heaven is seen to be in motion.  All the constellations, viewing them as a whole, are impelled in one direction.

The old Commentary expresses this obscure truth as follows:

"The one wheel turns.  One turn alone is made, and every sphere, and suns of all degrees, follow its course.  The night of time is lost in it, and kalpas measure less than seconds in the little day of man.

Ten million million kalpas pass, and twice ten million million Brahmic cycles and yet one hour of cosmic time is not completed.

Within the wheel, forming that wheel, are all the lesser wheels from the first to the tenth dimension.  These in their cyclic turn hold in their spheres of force other and lesser wheels.  Yet many suns compose the cosmic One.

Wheels within wheels, spheres within spheres.  Each pursues his course and attracts or rejects his brother, and yet cannot escape from the encircling arms of the mother.

When the wheels of the fourth dimension, of which our sun is one and all that is of lesser force and higher number, such as the eighth and ninth degrees, turn upon themselves, devour each other, and turn and rend their mother, then will the cosmic wheel be ready for a faster revolution."

It will, therefore, be apparent that the power of man to conceive of these whirling constellations, to measure their interaction, and to realise their essential unity is not as yet great enough.  We are told that even to the [1085] liberated Dhyan Chohan the mystery of that which lies beyond his own solar Ring-Pass-Not is hid.

Certain influences indicate to Him and certain lines of force demonstrate to Him the fact that some constellations are knit with His system in a close and corporate union.  We know that the Great Bear, the Pleiades, Draco or the Dragon are in some way associated with the solar system but as yet He knows not their function nor the nature of the other constellations.  It must also be remembered that the turning of our tiny systemic wheel, and the revolution of a cosmic wheel can be hastened, or retarded, by influences emanating from unknown or unrealised constellations whose association with a systemic or a cosmic Logos is as mysterious relatively as the effect individuals have upon each other in the human family.  This effect is hidden in logoic karma and is beyond the ken of man.

The wheels in order of their importance might be enumerated as follows:

The wheel of the universe, or the sumtotal of all stars and starry systems.

A cosmic wheel, or a group of seven constellations.  These are grouped according to:

a. Their magnitude,

b. Their vibration,

c. Their colour,

d. Their influence upon each other.

These cosmic wheels, according to the esoteric books, are divided into forty-nine groups, each comprising millions of septenary constellations.  For purposes of study by the Adepts, they are each known by a symbol, and these forty-nine symbols embody all that can be apprehended anent the size, magnitude, quality, vibratory activity, and objective of those great forms through which an Existence is experiencing.  The Chohans of high degree [1086] know the forty-nine sounds which give the quality of the consciousness aspect of these great Beings Who are as far removed from the consciousness of our solar Logos as the consciousness of man is removed from that of a crystal.  The knowledge thus appreciated by the Chohans is naturally but theoretical and conveys only to their relatively limited consciousness the general nature of the group of constellations, and the force occasionally emanating from them which has at times to be taken into calculation.  For instance, the interest awakened in the public mind lately by the giant star Betelgeuse in the constellation of Orion is due to the fact that at this particular time there has been an interplay of force between our tiny system and this giant one, and communication between the two informing Existences.

Systemic wheels or the atomic life of individual constellations.  These again are divided into 343 groups, known to the Adept again through a series of characters forming a word which—through its ideographic nature—conveys essential information to the Adept.  The ideograph for our solar system may in part be disclosed—not the characters themselves but a digest of that for which the characters stand.  Our solar system is disclosed as being:

a. A system of the fourth order, having its force centres upon the fourth cosmic plane, and making its objective manifestation from the fourth systemic plane, via the fourth subplane of the systemic physical plane.

b. Blue in colour, esoteric orange and green.

c. A system which is occultly known to the Adept as "in an airy sign in which the Bird can fly."

d. A system formed of "three fires which form a fourth."

e. A system in which the Bird has "four tail feathers" [1087] and hence can occultly "mount to a higher plane and find its fifth."

f. A system which has four major cycles, and minor periods of manifestation which are multiples of that figure.

g. A system which in the alchemical phraseology of the Masters is viewed as being "a product of the fourth; the fourth itself in process of transmutation; and the living stone with four shells."  All this can be seen at one glance by the Master who has the ideographic word before Him.  Other ideograms are available for His use which give Him the immediate information as He studies the influences contacting our solar system.

Planetary wheels.  For these there are ten modes of expression.

Chain wheels, called in some of the books rounds.

The revolution of any one globe.

The cycle of the three worlds.

The wheel of a plane.

The revolution or cyclic appearance of a kingdom in nature.  This applies within a scheme but only to the four kingdoms in objective appearance.

The revolution of a planetary centre producing monadic appearance.

The monadic wheel, or the periodic appearance of units of the fourth Creative Hierarchy.  Thus we pass down the scale through all the kingdoms and forms till we arrive at the tiny revolution of an atom of substance.

In concluding our remarks concerning the diverse wheels of the universe, we will touch with brevity upon the "wheels" which concern the human monad.  This is a subject but little dealt with as yet, though a few words have been spoken anent the egoic wheel.

It must be borne in mind that the evolution of the [1088] Monad is a much more intricate thing than appears in the books as yet given to the public.  In those books the development of consciousness and its transition through the kingdoms of nature are the points dwelt upon.  Yet there have been earlier cycles which it will be only possible to comprehend as the history and evolution of the planetary Logoi become gradually revealed.  They are parts of His body of manifestation, cells within that greater vehicle, and thus vitalised by His life, qualified by His nature, and distinguished by His characteristics.  This will take the history, therefore, of a Monad back to the earlier kalpas.  Such history it is not possible to reveal, and no purpose would be served by such a revelation.  The fact only can be touched upon as it must be considered along general lines if the true nature of the Self is to be accurately known.

We might consider that the Monad of the human being passes through cycles analogous to those through which the Heavenly Man travels.  There is, first, the vast cycle of unfoldment through which a "spark" passes.  This covers the period of three major solar systems—that preceding this one, the present, and the succeeding one.  In these three, the totality of the cosmic Past, Present, and Future, embodying the three aspects of the divine Life of the solar Logos, are carried to the point of perfection in an individualised Monad.  It must be remembered that in this solar system, for instance, certain developments are only recapitulations of evolutionary processes undergone in an earlier solar system; the clue to this lies in the consideration of the manasic or mind principle.  The solar Angels, the intelligent individualising factor, were (from certain angles of vision) the product of an earlier system, and only waited for the time in the present system when the forms in the three kingdoms had reached the point of synthetic development which made it possible for them to be impressed and influenced from on high.  We [1089] have in this concept an idea analogous to the entering in of those Monads, during Atlantean days, who, having individualised upon another chain, tarried in the inter-planetary spaces until earth conditions were such that the occupation of adequate forms became possible.  The correspondence is not exact but is indicative of the truth.  The vast cycle of unfoldment (which rendered later evolution possible) preceded this solar system, and might be regarded as the monadic correspondence to a cosmic wheel.  In the old Commentary this point of development is hinted at in the words:

"The fifth did not appear as the product of the present.  The five spokes of that wheel had each a cycle of development, and one in which they were welded at the centre."

The Monad has cycles analogous, though on a miniature scale, to those of the one Life Who permeates and animates all lesser lives. ^[cccxi]13  Certain of these cycles cover periods of time so vast, and so long past, that their history can only be conveyed to the investigating Adepts through the medium of sound and symbol.   The details of that development are lost in the night of other kalpas, and all that can be seen are the results,—the cause must be accepted as existing, though for us remaining inexplicable until the higher initiations are taken.

In the fact of the turning of the monadic Wheel covering the period of three solar systems, lies hid the mystery of monadic self-will, and the secret as to why some of the Monads refused to incarnate, whilst others "fell," and thus proceeded along the present lines of evolution.  They refused to incarnate because of internal group conditions brought about through the evolutionary processes of the past kalpas.  It will, therefore, be apparent that the question of what constitutes sin and evil is far more intricate than even appears upon the surface. From our [1090] limited vision, it appears to be "sin" to fall into incarnation, and equally sin or self-will, self-satisfaction, to remain unevolved upon the higher planes.  Yet both groups followed the law of their being, and the solution of the mystery lies in that which is to come.

If the student will with care meditate upon the fact that the three lower planes—the mental, the astral, and the physical—form the dense physical body of the planetary Logos and are, therefore, no principle, it will become apparent to him that through necessity certain units or cells in the body are more active in space and time than others.  He must also bear in mind that groups of Monads come into incarnation according to which centre in a Heavenly Man of a particular planetary scheme, or which centre of the solar Logos, is in process of vivification or cyclic activity, and that certain of the centres of a solar Logos and this particular solar system are in a condition of partial pralaya through the process of the absorption of the lower solar life forces by the centres of higher vitality.  Again, he must remember that the entire aspect of the Divine Life is not intended to reach its full unfoldment at any time in this solar system but must wait for the vitalising impulses of a later.  This is due to the fact that there exist in this solar system effects of causes originating in earlier kalpas or—to word it otherwise—the karmic seeds of earlier logoic activities.

Our solar Logos has not yet attained true rhythm, but for millenia of cycles the equilibrising process must go on.  Nor has our planetary Logos achieved equilibrium, and the even balancing of forces, therefore until His point in evolution and His objective vision is known and it is known also which centre in the solar body is vitalised by His life, it will be the part of wisdom to refrain from dogmatic assertion, and a too free utterance in connection with incarnating, and non-incarnating, Monads.  All are turning upon the monadic cosmic wheel; each is being [1091] swept into some form of activity upon the lesser revolution of this particular systemic wheel, but not all in any particular cycle are to be found revolving upon a specific planetary wheel.  Many wait for development and for more appropriate seasons in interplanetary spaces, and some must wait until the entering in of a new mahamanvantara.  Students should bear carefully in mind the words of H. P. B. where he tells students of the Secret Doctrine that the stanzas and their Commentary deal primarily with our particular planetary Logos.  This is oft forgotten.

It may interest students to know that there are certain colours, veiling these groups of non-incarnating Monads, at present totally unknown to humanity.  These will sweep into the consciousness of the human being in another solar system, or after the taking of the sixth Initiation.  All that we have on earth are reflections of the true colours, and likewise the reflection of the lowest aspect.

Every colour in the cosmos exists in three forms:

1. The true colour.

2. The illusory appearance of the colour.

3. Its reflection.

The reflection is that with which we are familiar; the appearance, or that which veils the reality, is contacted and known when we see with the eye of the soul, the Eye of Shiva, and the true colour ^[cccxii]14 is contacted after the fifth kingdom has been passed through, and group consciousness is merging in that of the divine.  Students will, therefore, note that the monadic cosmic wheel can be [1092] visioned in terms of "true colour," and is seen by the illumined seer as the combined blending of the primary colours of the three solar systems.

The monadic systemic wheel, which concerns this solar system alone, is distinguished by being the totality of the seven colours of the seven Heavenly Men, and from the vision of the adept of the fifth Initiation is the sumtotal of the primary colours of the egoic groups of the differing planetary schemes.

The monadic planetary wheel, which concerns the particular group of Monads incarnating in a particular scheme, is seen by the seer as the blending of egoic groups, but with the difference that the colour is a dual one, and the colouring of the personality ray of the incarnating Ego is also seen.

The egoic cycle, or the turning of the wheel of the incarnating Ego, is of the most practical interest to man, and has already been somewhat dealt with.  For purposes of clarity and elucidation, this wheel may also be seen as turning in three cycles and as making three kinds of revolutions, covering varying periods of time.

There is first, the Wheel of the chain, or the cycling of the Monad around an entire chain, and its passage through all the globes and kingdoms.  The consideration of this is complicated by the fact that in any particular chain, the Monads seldom begin and end their evolution; they seldom emerge, pass through their cycle and achieve their objective.  It is not possible to dissociate a chain from its preceding or succeeding chain.  Many Monads who achieved self-consciousness in the moon chain only entered into renewed activity in the middle of the fourth root race; others, who have individualised on this earth, will not succeed in reaching their goal upon this planet.  There is here a correspondence to systemic evolution, and there is an analogy between the Monads who refused to [1093] incarnate and the Egos who were unable to take bodies in the Lemurian or third root race.

There is next, the Wheel of a globe, or the process of evolution upon any particular globe.  The student must bear in mind that the Monad, after planetary dissolution, passes the time between incarnations on other and subtler globes, which are the correspondence to the interplanetary and intersystemic spheres.

There is also, the Wheel of a race, or the lesser cycle of incarnations—forming a definite series—wherein the incarnating Monad cycles through a number of lives in a particular race.

All these cycles of periodic manifestation are concerned primarily with the appearance, or the manifesting of the "sparks" upon one or other of the three planes in the three worlds, or in some part of the physical body of the planetary Logos.  The lesser cycles deal with this; the greater turning of the wheel concerns also the appearance, or flashing forth, of the sparks in the planetary or systemic etheric body, or on the four higher planes of our solar system.  We can picture to ourselves the glory of this concept; the downpouring of the streams of fiery sparks; their flashing forth into points of intensified fire as they meet conditions which produce occult "ignition"; and the constant circulation of the forty-nine fires constructed of the sixty thousand million human Monads and the countless streams of deva monads:  fire on every side—a network of fiery rivers of living energy, focal points of intensified brilliancy and everywhere the sparks.

There are a few more remarks to be made anent the turning of the various wheels, and we can then take up the consideration of motion and the sheaths.

Within all those wheels which we have enumerated, are many lesser wheels all governed by the same laws, actuated by the same three forms of activity, and all (in their totality) forming one great whole.  It will be apparent [1094] to all conscientious students that the founders of the symbolical method managed to convey in the symbol of the wheel an idea of the triplicity of all atomic activity:

If the student can picture those wheels in activity, if he can visualise all parts of the wheel as composed of lesser living wheels, and if he can work into his picture a hint of the interplay of all these fiery essences, coloured with certain predominant hues, he will become aware of conditions, and see before him a picture which is ever apparent to the illuminated seer.  If, before doing this, he can vision the whole of the systemic wheel as in a constant state of circulation, in which the tiny lesser lives are impelled by the force of the central solar life to pass throughout the extent of the wheel so that they come in contact with all parts of the wheel, and are impressed by all the varying types of "power-substance," then the general nature of the method can be somewhat ascertained.  We use the term "motion," but what do we really mean?  Simply, and literally, the manifestation of the energy generated through the bringing together of certain aspects of energy, and the triple result thereby produced; the activities resulting from this stream of dynamic electrical energy, emanating from some centre, which sweeps into response all that it contacts, and which holds the responsive units in some form or another.

From the occult standpoint, all that manifests is spheroidal in form, and is appropriately called a wheel, yet (in dense physical manifestation) the forms are diverse, and many, and unless etheric vision is present, the spheroidal forms of all lives are not apparent.  How can this [1095] be explained?  There are three major reasons for this illusion, and these we might here touch upon, finding in the word "illusion" ^[cccxiii]15 the key to the mystery.

We have been told in connection with the dense physical body that it is not considered a principle and is not (in this second solar system) expressing those qualities which are characteristic of the solar Logos and His present incarnation.  We are told, further, that the grosser dense forms of substance, all that is objective and tangible upon the physical plane, are vibrating to a key which is characteristic of the preceding system, being a left-over (if so it might be expressed) of an earlier kalpa.

These two points must be carefully borne in mind and latitude allowed for them, when endeavouring to express the truth anent motion.  Therefore, a number of the atoms of matter are as yet governed by an internal life which has for its main, distinctive feature, the faculty of a much closer adhesion, and a decisiveness of grouping that is inherently characteristic of the present body of manifestation of the solar system.  We must remember when considering this, that all that is dense and gross in all forms, concerns only those forms on the three lower subplanes of the lowest systemic planes; the forms are constructed of matter of all the planes, but the percentage of gross matter is as we can plainly see but small.  Interaction for the mineral monad exists, and completely negatives the vibration of the three lower subplanes of the physical plane; it passes eventually into forms which are more closely allied to the "true form."

The mineral monad has a problem slightly at variance with that of the other kingdoms, for it is specifically an [1096] expression of the lives which were classed as the failures of a previous solar system, and which were doomed to immerse themselves in the forms of the mineral kingdom.  Liberation for man comes when he succeeds in freeing himself from the vibration of the three lower planes of our solar system, from that part of the logoic manifestation which constitutes His dense body, and which He does not therefore regard as a principle.  It will, consequently, be apparent that there is a correspondence worthy of study to be found in the relation between the mineral monad, a human being, and a solar Logos.  Viewing these three as an esoteric triplicity much light may be gained by meditation upon them as

a. The residual vibration of system 1,

b. The medial point of activity of system 2,

c. The subjective energy of the present system.

In the comprehension of this, and in the realisation that there are forces present in nature which are in the nature of left-overs, we have the clue to much of the puzzling side of manifestation, to the cruelty and death, the suffering, and the agony which are seen in the vegetable and animal kingdoms.  In the term animal kingdom I include man's physical body.  We have also the clue to some aspects of the left hand Path, and a clue to the problem of the basic cause of the appearance of such existences as black magicians.  Just as no human being can escape the effects of energy generated by him in an early life, so the solar Logos Himself is working out and so held back by influences which are the result of His earlier activities in System 1.

The dense physical forms are an illusion because they are due to the reaction of the eye to those forces about which we have been speaking.  Etheric vision, or the power to see energy-substance, is true vision for the human being, just as the etheric is the true form.  But until [1097] the race is further evolved, the eye is aware of, and responds to the heavier vibration only.  Gradually it will shake itself free from the lower and coarser reactions, and become an organ of true vision.  It might be of interest here to remember the occult fact that as the atoms in the physical body of the human being pursue their evolution, they pass on and on to ever better forms, and eventually find their place within the eye, first of animals and then of man.  This is the highest dense form into which they are built, and marks the consummation of the atom of dense matter.  Occultly understood, the eye is formed through the interplay of certain streams of force, of which there are three in the animal, and five in the human being.  By their conjunction and interaction, they form what is called "the triple opening" or the "fivefold door" out of which the animal soul or the human spirit can "look out upon the world illusion."

The final reason why the spheroidal true form of everything is apparently not seen on the planet can only at this stage be expressed through a quotation from an old esoteric manuscript in the Masters' archives:

"The vision of the higher sphere is hidden in the destiny of the fourth form of substance.  The eye looks downwards and, behold, the atom disappears from view.  The eye looks sideways and the dimensions merge, and again the atom disappears.

Outward it looks but sees the atom out of all proportion.  When the eye negates the downward vision, and sees all from within outwards, the spheres again will be seen."