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  • Wisdom for practice
  • Wisdom is applied knowledge
  • Wisdom spreads itself

Wisdom for practice

Wisdom is for practice, not for continuous speaking. If we keep on speaking about the Masters, the Rays, and the Hierarchies, we are only missing our duties for the present.

Wisdom is applied knowledge

Knowledge, when applied becomes wisdom. We gain a lot of knowledge, but it has to be applied in daily life, then it transforms itself into wisdom. Through wisdom we will experience the existence.

Wisdom spreads itself

We need not be anxious to spread the wisdom without working it with ourselves. It is a wrong understanding if one thinks that he can spread wisdom. Wisdom knows how to spread itself. It only needs channels.

Capricorn

Part 1

DESCENT AND ASCENT

With the winter solstice at the 21st of December the Sun enters into Capricorn, while the opposite summer solstice is the beginning of Cancer. If in the zodiac you connect Capricorn and Cancer with a line, it marks the horizontal. The vertical line of the equinoxes, of Aries and Libra, intersects it in a right angle. The four lines form the cardinal cross of the heaven. If we connect their corners, we obtain the deep symbol of the square and cross within the circle.

The cardinal cross illustrates clearly the process of the descent and ascent of the life wave: Aries is the emergence of the divine idea within the spirit, it comes down and externalises into a form in Cancer. In Libra the deepest point of material embodiment is reached. In Capricorn the form dies symbolically, the spirit rises and returns again to its origin.

The two solstice signs Cancer and Capricorn are ruled by Moon and Saturn respectively. Both planets express the same on two different planes of time: Moon transits a sign in two days and a half, Saturn in two years and a half. Moon rules over the physical birth: the soul descends and dies for the spiritual world. Saturn rules over the spiritual birth. He teaches to overcome the self-conditioning and imprisonment in the „tomb of matter”, through patient work with oneself. Thus Capricorn symbolises the untiring energy and perseverance, which makes a man pursue slowly and persistently his goals, in realistically planned steps.

BECOMING TRANSLUCENT

Capricorn represents the dawn of the year and Cancer the dusk. The night leads into the darkness of ignorance, the way to the light leads from matter back to the spirit. That’s why from time immemorial the Dawning of the Gods, the birth of the Son of God as world saviour is celebrated at the beginning of the northwards journey of the Sun in Capricorn, and at Easter in Aries his culmination and entrance into a higher circle.

The birth of the saviour in us takes place, when through inner transformation the matter of our bodies becomes more subtle and translucent, until finally a light body develops. In the Bible it is called the „radiant white robe”. Then the individuality has become so pure and transparent, that the light shines through and spirit and matter meet each other „on the mount”. That’s why Capricorn is represented as standing on a mountain top. How deeply are we touched by the beauty of the dawn in the high mountain regions!

Capricorn is the third earthy sign in the zodiac: We have Taurus as the form aspect of Nature and Virgo as its beauty aspect. Capricorn represents the spiritual aspect, the transformed matter, which the light of the spirit can permeate. If however the Capricorn-personality does not get purified, it tends to harden and solidify. Such a man is guided by rational utilitarianism, reveres logical thinking and the intellect and is suspicious and disapproving towards spiritual topics. Bitter experiences through Saturn may be necessary, before he crosses the threshold of the intellect and the limitations of his crystallised opinions.

THE FIVE-POINTED STAR

The emblem of Capricorn is an enigmatic sign (♑), it represents a mythological animal, with the face of an ibex and the body of a crocodile. In Sanskrit this being is called „Makara”. Its name has different meanings: crocodile, hand with five fingers, or five-pointed star. Even in water the crocodile can make a firm grab. Strong as its grip we hold to things, just like with the five fingers of the hand we clutch onto memories and our ideas. Thus we tie ourselves to the personality. It is not by fighting against the personality that it gets subordinated to the soul, but by our strengthening the soul. Then the soul is the adviser and the personality executes what the soul advises it. Fidelity towards the soul and one’s fellow beings is the message as well as the keynote of Capricorn.

The five-pointed star symbolises the fifth principle in man, which makes him a man: the mind. The energies of the Sun in Capricorn as well as of the dawn help us to purify the thinking and make it transparent, so that the spirit can descend and the star can light up in white. At Christmas time you can see the white five-pointed star everywhere. Christmas is meant to be a festival for the soul, but people indulge in consumption, sumptuous meals and entertainment.

The three Wise Men from the East saw the descent of the five-pointed star over Bethlehem. They realised that there this star incarnated itself in flesh and blood, and they announced the birth of the saviour. The three Wise Men are the representatives of the three great energies Light, Love and Will. If we daily receive the light of dawn, and particularly in Capricorn, with an appropriate preparation, we are blessed by the three Great Ones.

AWAKENING

The mystery of Capricorn and of the dawn cannot be understood completely by the objective consciousness. It slowly reveals itself, when we try to experience the transition from sleep to awakening consciously. In sleep we exist, but without awareness. When we awake, we exist and are conscious of our existence. After that our thinking comes in, then we speak and act. These are the four stages of existence: the one of the spirit, of the soul, of the mind and of the body. The spirit covers itself and becomes the soul. The soul covers itself and reaches the state of the mind. The mind covers itself and becomes the concrete physical plane of existence.

The wisdom teachings recommend to ask oneself certain questions during awakening: „Who am I?” - „You are the dawn”, the awareness of existence. „Where am I?” - „You are in the East!” The East is the source of Light. „With which name am I called?” If we don’t take up the name given to us in this life, gradually the name of our being discloses itself. Thus grows in us the awareness of the source of our existence.

Part 2

HEAVEN AND EARTH-BORN MAN

Science says that man has developed out of matter, during the evolution from mineral via plant and animal, and that the monkey is the ancestor of man. But even the highest developed animal cannot be compared with man, and between the brain of a monkey and that of a very primitive man there is a gap, which cannot be explained. The wisdom teachings speak of a “descent of man” from higher circles and explain that after the planet had been prepared and the material forms adequately developed, the heavenly man descended into the body to gain experiences. The one half of the human being is formed and enlivened by the forces involved in matter; they work out the forms of the mineral, plant and animal kingdom up to the lower part of the human mind. This part of man is called “the vehicle not different from the animal.” The higher part is the real man described in the scriptures. It is built by the devas (beings) from higher circles called the Solar Angels; in the East they are called Agnishvattas or also Kumaras - the eternal youths, which don't involve in matter. Their presence in us gives us self-awareness and the power to mould the beautiful soul. Through the dawning of the light of their presence we can gain control over the different planes of our personality. But just as light makes visible all objects in a room, however doesn't clean up itself, their light shows us what is all right with us and what is not. It doesn't interfere with our affairs, but gives us the inspiration to use our discriminating will and to correct our lives with greater clarity. The undeveloped mind is like a closed bud. When the flower turns more and more to the sun, then it will open up in time.

THE DAWN

Each time light overcomes darkness, this is a dawn. Whenever we think of the light, this is for us the dawning of the light. For the planet this happens once every 24 hours. In the lunar month it corresponds to the first phase after new moon, in the course of the year to the month of Capricorn. The effect of dawn upon the beings of earth is more profound as it seems to us. Like the mystery of the daily awakening the dawning of the higher awareness cannot be completely understood by the consciousness of objectivity. The sun's rays contain spiritual activity which will be showered upon the beings of earth during the first two hours after sunrise. They help us to make the mind transparent.

The sun rays of the dawn in Capricorn carry in themselves the double nature of matter-spirit in its ideal blend. Spirit meets man through soul in this sign. Capricorn is the third earthy sign in the zodiac, the spiritual and subtle matter, through which Light can permeate without getting arrested. In its lower aspect Capricorn however represents hardness, crystallisation, and material condensation. In the gross matter the possibility for permeation is little. Man shows rigid attitudes and fix convictions, his activities are mainly of an intellectual and utilitarian type. He believes in religion only in so far as the ethical and social side is concerned. He is sceptical towards all on principle and he is circumscribed and confined by the material.

The subtler the matter is the better the spirit can shine through. The true goal of Capricorn is the return from matter to spirit. Each year Capricorn offers to us the possibility to free ourselves from the dense matter of the body - without leaving the body - and to become a son of God. Thus every year, at the entrance of the sun into Capricorn happens the birth of the Saviour, and therefore this is the real day of the birth of Christ, the World Saviour. The winter solstice at 0 degree Capricorn is a symbol for the rising spirit, because the sun starts to go northwards, no matter whether we are on the northern or southern hemisphere. When the sun rises from south to north, the spirit also rises in the living beings of the planet, and the individual soul, which is a copy of the sun, also rises more easily.

During the time of sunrise and particularly in the month of Capricorn, where the days have a special importance for inner purification, it is good to take the position of the five-pointed Star, looking to the East. While doing this we can visualise with closed eyes how the orange or golden light enters into us. The light permeates and fills us and flows through all parts of the body. This brings about a purification of the senses and the body.

THE LIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP

Capricorn is the tenth sign, it is also called the mount, where Moses, the lawgiver, receives the Ten Commandments from the Sun God with the name “I AM THAT I AM” out of the burning bush. It is also the Mount of Transfiguration of the New Testament, on which the soul is glorified, after the personality has been conquered: For 40 days Jesus had prepared himself in the desert through fasting and penance and overcome the shadow. Satan is Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, symbolising in his lower aspect the unpurified personality or the karma which circumscribes us. For him who willingly takes up the cross of his karma and works with it, Saturn becomes a friend and guide. For climbing the mountain of Capricorn inner determination and a focused use of all powers are necessary.

In the book “Supermundane - The Inner Life” it says: “The Great One taught people to pray within their hearts, upon the mountain, amid inspiring summits.” (§ 150) A meditation technique of the wisdom teachings recommends: “Imagine a great rocky mountain, and at the top of its peak it has a light. You are this Light, and this mountain is your personality. It is as rocky and strong as the mountain. Let your higher self overlook, observe and examine your lower self and keep in mind that you are the higher self, and let the meditation happen. The lower self may contemplate on the higher and the higher self on the lower.” When the higher self meditates on the personality, we visualise our lower self with its mental, emotional and bodily structures. It is like a pyramid with a crystal or a golden light on the top. We ascend to the light and propose that our body relaxes and our senses have a rest. We invoke the OM and imagine that the crystal sends forth the light. Regular visualisation of the personality from the light of the soul will show us day by day many things which we have to correct. By constant recollection that we are the soul we slowly ascend from the personality to the higher self.

For this to happen without hindrances, we also can visualise in our own being an orange five-pointed star in the heart centre on a daily basis. The five-pointed star you see everywhere at Christmas reminds us of the mystery of the fifth principle of man, of the mind. The shining five-pointed star in us, surrounded by a deep blue, is the form of the Lord in man. When our mind is purified and enlightened, we can receive the radiance and vibration from the Star of the Saviour.

Part 3

The Seed Principle for the Day

The hours of the dawn contain the seed principle for the day, and what is contained in the seed unfolds in the course of the day. If we are silent and vigilant inwardly, we can understand from the first few minutes or hours – up to two hours maximum – how the new day will develop. Our disposition for the day is the result of the interrelation between our own energy and the energies surrounding us. From these we realize the trend, however not the approaching events.

Sometimes we might not be in the mood of going into the activities of the day, while at other times we find it easy. This is normal and happens with all people. On those days with less inclination it is better not to begin something new or to start activities from our side, but only to respond to what comes up to us and what we have to do. Cross-currents intersect, and the day demands much more attention than other days. Influences also come from the moon phases like the new or the full moon. These forces have an influence on us until we have overcome the high and low tides of our mind. If we pay attention to the energies, they indicate to us their meaning, for example not to miss something we are supposed to do. If our mind is not in a good form, the quality of the day can be neutralized and newly adjusted by a good meditation. Then we are prepared to meet the approaching activities well. To observe the energies during the early morning hours is an interesting self study and can be developed to a science. For this it is important that we are silent and alone for some time, before we slowly begin the day afterwards.

Translucent Matter

The time of Capricorn carries in itself the hidden secrets of existence, here fundamental changes come about, which give a shape to the entire coming year. The highest principle which is above creation is concealed in the activity of this sign in man, where spirit meets man through the soul. Capricorn is the third earthy sign in the zodiac and symbolizes the subtle or spiritual matter, through which the Light can permeate without getting arrested. The subtler the matter is, the easier it is for the spirit to shine through. This is called the dawn of the spirit, and Capricorn is the morning of the year. From the 22nd of December on the light increases again, the days become longer, the subtle matter becomes lighter and brighter. Through the new ascent the spirit in the living beings of the planet rises and in this the matter is increasingly subordinated to the spirit. Therefore it is now the best time to make decisions and to dedicate ourselves to the spiral path of ascent with profound determination. Otherwise we will stagnate in circular monotony and get older without growing: “On the path to the Fiery World let us follow the spiral of spirit and heart.” (FW III, 280) With Aries the ascent reaches its climax and continues up to Gemini, until another phase of condensation starts again with Cancer. Therefore the arch ascending from Capricorn onward is the spiritual arch of the year.

The sign of Capricorn is also called the Mount of Transfiguration, where the Sun God with the name “I am that I am” makes his appearance as the Burning Bush, to give the Ten Commandments in the tenth sign. Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn and of the law of karma is represented by Moses, who hands the law to his people. Moses is depicted as having two white horns on his head which symbolises the dawn of the light of law in man through the head-centre.

The Five-Pointed Star

The rays of the dawn carry in themselves spiritually stimulating energies, which are poured out over the beings of the earth, particularly at the time of Capricorn. They help us to make our mind pure and transparent in order to receive the energies of the over-soul. In the wisdom-teachings they are called the “Celestials of the fifth group” and are symbolised in the radiant five-pointed star. This star is also embodied in the shape of man with his outstretched arms, the two legs and the head. And number 5 is closely related to Capricorn and to man: Our mind is called the fifth principle, “the form of the Lord in man”. In the New Testament the three Wise Men followed a five-pointed star, which embodied in flesh and blood. They realised that it represents God in man and announced that the Son of God has come to bring salvation. The descent of light enables the ascent of man. Therefore each year at the beginning of Capricorn the birth of the Saviour is celebrated.

It is good to take the posture of the five-pointed star during the dawn and especially during Capricorn, looking to the East. In the body East is the face and particularly the forehead-centre. With closed eyes we visualize the solar light entering into us from the East, pervading us and flowing through the limbs of our body. With this we can visualize in our own being, in the heart centre a five-pointed star of orange colour. This purifies our five senses and makes the body tissue transparent. It vitalises in us the centre related to Capricorn, which the wisdom teachings call the higher heart centre, the eightfold lotus.

Man – the Dual Being

As humans we are dual beings, the meeting place of two principles coming from two different directions and living together in us. Our dual nature contains the spiritual and the physical. In the process of creation, out of the great, impersonal Spirit, the background of existence, a group of highest god-principles came out as spirit-soul units. From them rose a second group of principles incarnated in creation consisting of spirit, soul and intellect. Another group of beings started from the same source but deviated and took the opposite direction to prepare the physical forms. Later the second group entered into the bodies, and then only our existence became complete. The one group is the dweller of the house, our higher self, and the other group forms our dwelling place.

Taking off the Coats

Thus we have put wrappings around our inner nature: The mind, the senses and the physical body are coats covering us from top to toe and obstructing our sight. In order to see ourselves we have to take off these wrappings. Only when we stand as souls divested of all other things we can realize the Father, the centre. Therefore we are recommended to observe how we fall asleep and how we reawaken, for this observation leads us from the circumference to the centre of existence. When we stand in the centre, we can see how the circular waves of our life emerge from it, spread out and dissolve again. Then we stand beyond the current of events, we can enjoy its eternal movement without being drowned in it. Each time the sun is in Capricorn and gives its special rays, we are given access to this knowledge, if we are vigilant.

Part 4

Transition from Darkness to Light

For millions of years, the earth has rotated about it’s own axis once daily and around the sun once yearly. Its rhythmic movement, which shapes all life on earth, provides us with the experience of day and night, as well as summer and winter. Day and night represent two different energies, which are exemplified in various mythologies as two women, the two queens of the Lord. The Queen of Day is described as bright and good, the Queen of Night as dark and evil. But the one cannot exist without the other; one side of the earth is always in light, the other in darkness. Just as there is the process of cooling and solidifying, in which matter gains control over the spirit, there is also the process of warming, in which crystallisation is dissolved and the spirit returns to its original source. When we identify with the whole of existence, we can accept the effect of light and dark without identifying ourselves with one side or the other. Then it becomes apparent that joy and sorrow, as well as pleasure and displeasure, visit us alternately in life. We learn to just let things come, without drawing them toward us or avoiding them.

Capricorn marks the transition from the cycle of darkness to the cycle of light. Like with everything in Nature, it’s not a sudden transition, but a gradual transformation. The northward journey of the sun begins with the winter solstice at zero degrees of Capricorn, which is the shortest day and the longest night in the Northern hemisphere. This nodal point of the year corresponds to the new moon and the dawn at 6 o’clock in the morning, whereas the summer solstice in Cancer represents the full moon and the dusk at 6 o’clock in the evening. Capricorn and the rising sun stand for the rising spirit. Since the individual soul is a replica of the sun, these rising times are especially suited to spiritual activities that liberate us from the grip of matter. The dawn, as well as the sun in Capricorn, bestow very special rays with their light, the substance of which cannot be understood with the intellectual mind. In the eastern Scriptures these rays are referred to as the Celestial Beings of the fifth group. They represent Manas, the mind, and in us, the fifth principle. They help us in making the mind clear and transparent. Through them, we can more easily loosen the veils which have settled around and obscured the inner self.

Every evening when we go to sleep, we withdraw to the inside from an active state. During this time, while we are in deep sleep and not aware that we exist, the soul finds its way back its source. In order to unite with the soul, we should consciously relinquish the veil of name, thought, and body before sleep. Then, slowly, the inner light grows. Then the first thing we will remember upon waking will be that we are individual souls re-entering the sheaths. When the light shines day and night, one has become an initiate. Initiates aren’t conditioned by their own convictions. They work with the mind, but they also shed it after a work is complete. It is just as if they were working with gloves to which nothing can stick. They are in the world, but not of it. Capricorn is therefore also referred to as the entrance to the temple of higher initiation.

Making an new Approach to Discipline

We cannot expect to gain in light while remaining unchanged. Master Morya says that people like to the idea of being saved, but don’t want to be bothered. As long as the personality with its habits prevails, it, in order to derail our aspiring to the soul, presents things to us very logically. It whispers to us, “You did so much yesterday. It would be better to sleep in this morning and to forget about your morning meditation”. If we were asked if we would like to fly to the moon, we would say, “Yes of course”. But before and astronaut can fly to the moon, he submits to intense training for many years. The personality needs intensive training in order to become the instrument of the soul. To produce changes that express themselves in action, much determination is required. If we don’t introduce change into our lives, the decision to follow the path of Truth and of Light is not a firm one and life remains monotonous. Spiritual discipline demands a persevering effort and a gradual shift of one’s way of life. The month of Capricorn offers a special occasion to rearrange our attitudes and work and to take a new approach to discipline. Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, plays a supporting role: “Each discipline of the spirit produces striving. Each applied thought will afford growth to the spirit.” (Hierarchy, 28)

The Four Crocodiles

The ancient Scriptures tell us of four crocodiles in Capricorn. In Sanskrit they are referred to as Makara, which means dragon, as well as the hand with five fingers, which can grip. Crocodiles have a firm grip even in water and don’t let their victims go. The first crocodile is brown, the second grey, and the third reddish brown. The brown crocodile represents the physical plane and holding on to my property. The grey crocodile stands for impure emotional waters, and for the holding on to emotions and sensory experiences: We are hungry for experiences, but the happiness they provide doesn’t satisfy our hunger. The third crocodile, of dirty-orange colour, represents the mind and its ideas and convictions. These keep us firmly in their grip, preventing us from reaching the centre. When we also shed the mental robe, we reach the white robe made of the light of wisdom, which Jesus called “my glorious robe of strength”. This is the white dragon, which is in truth a blue dragon. It represents the over-soul, also represented by a white five-pointed star. When the over-soul descends into the form, the Christ-consciousness is born in a pure vessel through “immaculate conception”. Each year at the beginning of Capricorn, we celebrate the birth of the Saviour. According to the law of correspondences, this birth occurs in us in the higher heart centre related to Capricorn as well.

More Giving Than Taking

Today Christmas is everywhere a festival of businessmen and of sumptuous meals. However, it is actually meant as a festival for the soul. In many cultures there are rituals involving gifts, especially on astrologically significant days. When we give presents at the right time, at the right place, to the right persons, and with the right inner attitude, it provides joy, as well as an important harmonising influence. “With the person to whom you offer, you should not have a remunerative motive. The poised ones practise it,” says the Bhagavad Gita. Distributing time, money and energy in order to support others and in a wise manner is an effective method to dissolve our crystallisations and blockages, so that the energies can flow more freely. Therefore, in our lives, we should be givers more than takers.

Sources used: K. P. Kumar: Hercules: The Man and the Symbol / seminar notes / E. Krishnamacharya: Spiritual Astrology / The Mandra Gita. The World Teacher Trust - Dhanishta, Visakhapatnam, India. - A. A. Bailey: Esoteric Astrology, Lucis-Trust, London. ( www.netnews.org / www.lucistrust.org ). Hierarchy. Agni Yoga Society, New York (www.agniyoga.org ).