Individuation and Wholeness





THE SPIRITUAL PATH OF INITIATION




I. INTRODUCTION


Having made a transcendental synthesis of much long and hard work, we would say: First the Essence has to be liberated so that the light may shine inside us; then it has to be fused with ATMAN (the Being), to liberate ourselves from the mind; afterwards it has to be given to the ANCIENT MAN OF THE DAYS (the Father that is in Secret, the Monad), to become perfect and resurrected Masters. Finally the Essence has to be definitely absorbed in ISHVARA, the LOGOS, first emanation of the supreme PARABRAHAMAN (the great Ocean of the Universal Spirit of Life).


Samael Aun Weor, “The Mystery of the Golden Blossom”, Ch. 4


  1. Mastership and Wholeness. Mastership is achieved when the Intimate, Inner Being, Atman, is unified, conjoined with the Consciousness, the Conscious Will. This new entity may get together with the Divine; Wholeness is then achieved. This is summarized in the quote from Samael above.

  2. The means. This will be achieved by means of a process known as active imagination. The conjunction is achieved by a confrontation in the astral, mental or causal plane, that is, it is a process associted with raised consciousness of the adept. We have done this in other contexts: after quieting the mind, and invoking a Higher Being (say, the Guide, or a Subpersonality), we wait for images to come, and then interact with them, in particular with the image of the Higher Being. In particular, one converses with this Being! We shall study this process in detail in part III.

  3. Tension. When the Conscious Will meets the Intimate, at the beginning there will be tension. As the two interact and get to know each other – have perhaps experiences of all sorts together – this tension is released, as they come to terms with each other, giving rise to energy. This energy is spiritual energy, and used to fuel further exchanges and experiences.

  4. The transcendent function. The presence of this extra energy also energizes a power of the psyche known as the transcendent function. This belongs neither to the Conscious Will sphere or the Intimate sphere – but possesses access to each. It stands above them, participating in both. One can see a geometrical model:


Transcendent Function (Ally)


Conscious Will Intimate



The transcendent function’s emergence grants autonomy to the Conscious Will and also to the Intimate by relating to both independently, and in so doing unites them. One can then achieve an equilibrium between the two. It is an intermediary, identified with the Guide or Ally, a spiritual Being akin to a Guardian Angel. We shall develop our interaction with the Ally before our encounters with the Intimate.




II. INITIAL WORK


1. Initial state. Before we attempt the work described in Part 1, we must be aware of the initial state of our Unconscious – to attempt the conjunction with the Intimate, we must interact with the whole of the Unconscious. What do we have here?

  1. The Egos. We know about them, but see below (Part iv, most important)

  2. Other complexes: representations of the mind, subpersonalities, etc.

  3. Archetypes. We may meet The Devil, and so on. Most important is for men to meet the anima (feminine principle) and for women the animus (masculine one). We shall see these in some detail in practices, as well as the persona (the figure we present to the world). (See our notes on Mantras).

  4. The Ally. Most important in this work, the personification of the transcendent function. This guide has to be nurtured and interacted with – not only as a guide into the Inner Worlds, but as an arbiter, as mentioned above concerning the transcendent function. When our Conscious Will meets the Intimate, there will be difficulties,as we shall see in part iv. The Ally will be there to help.

  5. The Being. In particular, Atman, the Intimate, the Inner Being. The Intimate is in a latent state – the objective of conjunction is to make it become manifest.

  6. Other spiritual Beings. Of course, these can be found when digging into our Unconscious. They maybe positive (for instance, members of the White Lodge) or negative, black entities.


  1. Initial work. Our initial state is pitiful- we must change this.

  1. Awareness of the Unconscious. That is, you must have had astral or similar experiences as part of your initial Gnostic training. You must acknowledge the existence of the Unconscious, and you can only do that as a result of inner experiences, fleeting and temporary as these may have been. Indeed, we shall try to deepen and improve these experiences in the initial phase of our work.

  2. Knowledge of some Aspects of the Unconscious. This is a new idea – we must get to know thes contents. Even more: we must stop being hostile to these inhabitants of the Unconscious. This is a new step, but we cannot get further if we resent our Egos, and the rest. We must accept them for what they are.

Of course we must try to get rid of them (in the case of the Egos), but should recognise that this is a long term project, and that for a while at least we must live with them. In any case, the Egos are a special case, because early in the path we find them together – as the Guardian. See part iv.
We shall employ in this endeavour the same technique (active imagination) that will eventually be used in achieving the conjunction between Consciousness and Intimate. Indeed, this step, of getting to know the guests of our Unconscious, will be used to develop the initial necessary capabilities.

  1. Receptivity. We approach the meeting with the Intimate – we must want to meet it! We must be receptive to the Unconscious.

  2. Special work. There are two special types of work we must undertake:
    - Becoming conscious of your Intimate. We should awaken the heart chakra. Do meditations on the Intimate.

- Develop our connection with your Ally (or Guide), by active imagination. This spiritual Being acts as mediator with your other guests in the process of active imagination, especially with your work with the Intimate. FUNDAMENTAL!




III. ACTIVE IMAGINATION


The method to achieve the conjunction between the Conscious Will and the Intimate is to engineer an encounter between the two; an interchange then occurs, which at least at the beginning usually takes the form of a confrontation.



The same method will be used when trying to get to know and come to terms with the rest of the inhabitants of the Unconscious: the Ally (most important), the egos, the subpersonalities, the archetypes, other Higher Beings from the Inner Worlds, etc. So below we shall refer to the object of active imagination as a Being.


In our work on meditation, we have experienced already the Unconscious, by deepening our Consciousness in the process known as astral, or mental, or causal, travel. We have to improve on this, according to the following guidelines:


  1. A quiet mind. As before, we achieve this by Koans, Pratyahara or Reflective Meditation.

  2. Raise your consciousness. This can be achieved in many ways – Reflective meditation does it, for instance, by invoking the Third Mind. Or concentrate on greenery!

  3. Evocation, intent and focus. The Conscious Will now invites the unconscious to communicate with it. We have now several choices. We can invoke a being – not necessarily the Intimate, to start with, as indicated above – and have a particular image of this being in mind. Or we may have a particular scene to return to. We should ignore images obviously unrelated to the purpose in question. We must show intent in our evocation, and then focus on the figure or scene, etc., we expect. Also, as you receive images, do not let this happen in a torrent of unrelated images, a vortex of stuff - this is why we show intent and then focus. If you get a clear image, keep it there, and try to interact with it until you have an explanation.

  4. Interaction, communication and feeling. Usually we try to interact with an inner figure embodying or representing the part of the Unconscious we are trying to engage. Note the emphasis on interaction, this is an ACTIVE process; the times in which astral experiences were mostly contemplative are truly behind us. Note that interaction must imply communication, and that a felt experience, a felt communication, is much more real than a pure intellectual experience.

  5. Verbal dialogue. It takes some practice to carry on a verbal dialogue with an inner figure, but once achieved it is a supreme way to exchange information and generate the necessary tension for the confrontation. To achieve this ability takes much practice. However, keep trying – everybody can do it. To start with, you can invent and vocalize inwardly the answers to your interventions – suddenly the answers will happen on their own.

  6. LET IT HAPPEN! This is the most important achievement, and it will take time. As you confront images, your Consciousness is in charge. It can stifle the experiences. On must get this cramp relaxed. One must develop an attitude that accepts the irrational, and the incomprehensible. One must have long experiences, stories and fantasies that go on and on. Interact with the beings. Interact with the Devil! Let your Consciousness become a traveller, not the guide! You must leave your thoughts or images proceed on and stand back at the same time. You are passive – do not try to direct the experience, let it happen.

  7. Resolution. Whatever happened between you and the being, you must close this section (see also (i) below) with a resolution – the original question or experience with the being must be resolved in some way – if only saying, we continue next time. Do not leave the being without this!


  1. Analysis. Maybe as part of the resolution, you must become aware of what you have achieved. Do not devalue your achievements! Your egos try to convince you that you achieved nothing


  1. . It is very important that you write about your experiences incorporating your analysis! Keep a notebook with all these writings.

  2. It is very important that you disengage properly at the end. A very conscious and deliberate declaration must be made about closing down.






IV. CONJUNCTION


We have, then, been performing the preparatory work for a while– getting to know the Unconscious, developing a relationship with the Ally, getting to know the Intimate, etc. We are ready to try and meet the Intimate in an application of the process of Active Imagination.


Beware: the conjunction has its own time scale – you cannot hurry it. To reach the conjunction of the Conscious Will and the Intimate may take a long time – maybe more that a lifetime! And the same can be said to the rest of the process, conjunction of the composite Conscious Will- Intimate with the Divine.


Once we start the process of conjunction with the Intimate, we shall receive guidance. It is convenient, though, to have an idea of what to expect.





At the beginning, Conscious Will and Intimate are separated. We are in the period described above: getting to know our Unconscious, developing our relationship with the Ally, etc. Your consciousness should have started to awaken; only a moderate achievement is necessary here; you should be in the Intermediate Phase between Dharana (Concentration) and the beginning of the Illuminating Void (Dhyanic state). Then:


Good Morning Midnight! You confront the Guardian of the Threshold. It is a period of depression and, sometimes, despair. To go beyond, to cross the Threshold, you must show that you can handle your egos, that you are not their slave. Once this is done, you may proceed.



The first level of approachment follows. It is a period in which the opposites are held in tension for the purpose of engaging the transcendent function. There are difficulties and apparent quarrels. During this phase, an individual experiences the Intimate from time to time, but is unable to sustain the experience.


The first conjunction takes place; the relationship is not strong. The Intimate sometime disappears getting stronger in private. The Conscious Will waits for its partner to come back.


The second level is an interval in which a more profound experience of the Intimate, the manifest Intimate, is achieved, one which is stable and consistent. This is the second conjunction. Like all unions, it is preceded by apparent death of the participants, to be reborn.


The third conjunction is the process by which the combine being, Conscious Will - Intimate comes into relationship with a greater reality, the Divine.



V. SPIRITUAL ALCHEMY




We describe now in detail the actual path of initiation. We base our treatment on an ancient alchemical treatise, The Book of Lambsprink , or De Lapide Philosophico Libellus was written by an unknown alchemist and published several times during the latter part of the l6th and the beginning of the l7th centuries.

Before engaging in the detailed analysis of this book, let us, once more, give a summary of our main process, taken from Ref. 2 (Chapter 3):


Let me summarize this overview of the process of self formation. The first level is a period in which the opposites are held in tension for the purpose of engaging the transcendent function. During this phase, an individual experiences the self (Intimate; Ed.) from time to time, but is unable to sustain the experience. The second level is an interval in which

a more profound experience of the self, the manifest self, is achieved, one which is stable and consistent. The third coniunctio is the process by which the manifest self comes into relationship with a greater reality, the reality of the psychoidal world (Inner Worlds, Ed.) Though the nature of this reality is difficult to describe, the imagery in the Book of Lambsprinck presents this realm as a world of spirits and energies that exist at a level deeper than our ordinary world.


We have 15 figures, and we shall descipher them in turn.




FIGURE 1. The forest and the nearby fish represent the world of the unconscious, seprated totally from the city and the other fish, the world of the conscious. The boat represent the transition from the spiritual to the material world. (This is a traditional symbol, like the boat of Charon bringing the dead across the Styx).




FIGURE 2. This shows the war between the Consciousness (represented by the knight) and the chaotic unconscious, in particular the Guardian, the egos (the dragon). The sword of transformation stimulates change within the unconscious. Note that the Consciousness is fully prepared and protected, as symbolized by the armour.




FIGURE 3. We are already making progress. The knight nad the dragon have been replaced by animals with both feminine and masculine attributes, the unicorn and the deer respectively. The struggle is less intense, the Consciousness and the Intimate are closer, there is less tension in the psyche. Alas, the animals are still separated, by a crevasse: the split between them is still there!




FIGURE 4. The crevasse has disappeared, and the animals, masculine and feminine, are closer together. The union between thr opposites seems quite possible.The first conjunction seems to loom in the horizon.




FIGURE 5. Strange as it may seem, the first conjunction has taken place. The animals - a dog and a woolf - are fighting, and indeed do kill each other. This is necessary, union requires the death of past obsolete forms, and is accompanied by violence. Transformation has taken place, but both consciousness and Intimate have changed as a result. This process can be seen depicted in the bridge connecting two towns - the forest has changed, and is connected to the other town.




FIGURE 6. Alas, the relationship between Intimate and Consciousness that has developed as depicted above, is not very strong. This is a problem arising in the Intimate, that feels weak, and keeps disappearing into the unconscious. This is represented by the dragon, absorbed with its inner transformation and purification. It watches itself, busy with his own development. It wishes to move to the second conjunction. The Consciousness must wait for the Intimate to establish contact again.




FIGURE 7. It is very important that the Intimate should not be tempted to disappear again; it should be established in a fixed position from which it can keep its connection with the Consciousness. This is shown in this figure with the Initmate, represented by a bird, tied fast to the nest, while the Consciousness, also a bird, is in the nest. The Intimate is thus shown bound fast to the Consciousness and fixation has occurred.




FIGURE 8. At last! The second conjunction is here! But note, the two birds are devouring each other - there must be death and violence, a new relationship emerging from the ashes of the old one. Death is of course followed by a more permamnet union.





FIGURE 9. The King, representing the Intimate who has reached conjunction with the Consciousness, holds the sceptre of power in his left hand. The dragon, symbol of the egos, lies at his feet. There is no separation between conscious and unconscious, the forest and the city are intermixed. The composite being - known as the manifest Intimate - is triumphant and at ease.




FIGURE 10. Now the movement toward the third conjunction starts. The salamander, a creature that thrives in a fire which never destroys it, represents the new being, fixed and permanent. It has been placed in the fire by a higher being. The manifest Intimate does not die as it moves towards the next level of union, and enjoys the fires of the inner processes.




Figure 11. There are now three human figures, the young man - known as the son, or filius - representing the ally or guide, and the older man representing spirit, a spiritual guide.. The ally unites with the manifest Intimate, but remains linked to the wisdom of God, represented by the old man, which may be likened to the Holy Spirit or Sophia.




FIGURE 12. It is the turn of the guide or ally to go away, to the top of the mountain with the wisdom or spiritual guide so as to develops further.




FIGURE 13. The father eats his son, the ally, who has just acquired new powers. This symbolically it denotes the process of integration by which the manifest Intimate takes into itself the ally and its newly acquired powers.



FIGURE14. The king is ill after trying to eat the filius. This means that the integration can only work up to a point and no further.




FIGURE 15. This image depicts the attainment of the third conjunction. Both the Intimate and the ally are transformed. The king has lost his highly exalted position and the nature of his throne has changed, being less elevated. He is still the king but now shares his position with the son and the old man, a spiritual guide. The manifest Intimate is no longer alone in its own psychic center, for the ally is now present. The three figures each remain distinct and yet altogether portray the third level of the conjunction in which the Intimate and the ally are in harmony and deepest union and both are guided by the spontaneous movement of the imagination.


VI. REFERENCES



1. Israel Regardie, The Philosopher's Stone.Llewellyn, 197 .

2. Jeffrey Raff, Jung and the Alchemical Imagination.Nicolas-Hays, 200

3.--, The practice of Ally work . (Jung on the Hudson book series, 2007).

4. --, Healing the wounded God (Jung on the Hudson series, 2002).

5. --, The wedding of Sophia (Jung on the Hudson series, 2003).

6. Edward Edinger, The Mysterium Lectures.Inner City Books, 1995

7. Marie-Louise von Franz, Alchemy. Inner City Books, 1980.

8. Barbara Hannah, Encounters with the Soul.Chiron Publications, 1981.

9. C. G. Jung, Alchemical Studies. Princeton University Press, 1970.

10. --, Mysterium Coniunctionis. Princeton University Press, 1970.

11. --, Psychology and Alchemy. Princeton University Press, 1970

12. Samael Aun Weor, The Mystery of the Golden Blossom..

13. Richard and Iona Miller, The Modern Alchemist. Phanes Press, 1994.

14. June Singer, Boundaries of the Soul. Prism Press, Uk, 1995.




    THE PRACTICES



We summarize now the practices to be undertaken that constitute a practical Path leading to Mastership and Wholeness.

  1. First, and most important: meet and establish a relationship with your Ally, your Guide. This is fundamental; as we know, this spirit Being represents the transcendent function, and will help and guide you in your meetings with other Beings such as your Intimate. Get to kow your Guide, guive this spirit Being a name, etc. Use of ourse the techniques summarized in the Meditation concnerning Meeting a Spiritual Being, below.

  2. Using the same technique, meet your anima, animus, persona, subpersonalities, representations of the mind, egos, other Archetypes, other Higher Beings...

  3. Get to know, and becomie conscious of your Intimate. In particular,

- Development and further awakening of the heart chakra.

- Meditations about the Intimate. Affirmation of our Being. (See below).

.

  1. Meet your Intimate using the techniques given below in "Meeting a spiritual Being". You should be aware of the difficulties explained in the treatment above. After much work, and probably quite a long time, Conjunction and Wholeness await you!



MEDITATION ABOUT THE INTIMATE



Become conscious of your body, of your emotions, of your mind. See and feel the luminous waves radiate from your heart at each exhalation, and relax all of your body. There is consciousness in each cell of our body.

Concentrate on the Intimate, in our heart chakra. Pray, converse with our Interior God, tell him with love and devotion what our heart wants. Ask him to illuminate us, to help us know directly the wonders of the Cosmos.



MEDITATION ON THE INTIMATE

AFFIRMATION OF OUR BEING



“Only by means of the will can the INTIMATE control the Mind... there is no other way... WE AFIRM OUR BEING:

I am not the body. I am not the desire. I am not the mind. I am not the will. I am not the consciousness. I am not the intelligence. I AM THE INTIMATE.



...Among the crackling of the universal fire, the igneous roses of our understanding burn strongly when we affirm the majesty of our being.”

Samael Aun Weor

  1. Relaxation.

  2. Self Remembrance

  3. Mantra PANDER

  4. Modified Pratyahara. Get your mind empty of all thoughts.

  5. Concentrate on your physical body; acquire consciousness of your muscular system, of the skeleton, of the circulation of the blood, of the organs, of the nervous system, etc. Then reject this marvellous vehicle saying:

“I am not this physical body.”

Concentrate then on your etheric body, and say,
“I am not the etheric body.”
Meditate then on the astral and mental bodies, that are the two columns of the temple, supported by the cubic stone of Jesod (the etheric body); concentrate first on the black column (the astral body) and try to hear the peaceful and smooth whistle, like the sharp sound of the crickets of the forest, and say inwardly:
“I am not the astral body”.
Concentrate then on the white column (the mental body) and on the subtle voice, the hissing sound of the crickets: mentally vocalise the sound INRI until you reduce it to its essence, which is this smooth and peaceful whistle; get sleepy and reject the mind saying: “I am not the mental body.”

Concentrate on the will, then reject the causal body saying:
“I am not the body of will”.
Concentrate then on the consciousness, and get rid of this vehicle by saying:
“I am not the Consciousness.”





Finally concentrate on the Intimate and take an infantile attitude by saying:

“I am the Intimate, I am the Intimate, I am the Intimate.”

Try to get absorbed into your Intimate, give yourself completely to your Living God, by voicing, with all your heart,

“I am Him, I am Him, I am Him.”



6. Vocalise inwardly the mantra PANDER and immerse yourself into a deep meditation to penetrate in the state of Samadhi into the universe of the Pleroma. You are in the Temple of the Living god.




PRACTICE ON MEDITATION


On Meeting a Spiritual Being


This is a general practice, that can be used to invoke, meet and communicate with a variety of spiritual beings; that is, beings inhabiting the spiritual worlds. So replace “spiritual being” by a particular being you want to meet with. Examples have been given elsewhere:


Your Guide (and establish a relationship so that your Guide, or Ally, representing the Transcendent Function, can help you get in contact n communicate with a variety of Beings.


The Intimate (most important, as this relationship makes up the path towards Conjunction).


The Guardian of the Threshold. You may want to meet an individual ego and ask it to go back to its original archetypal form (many egos are degenerate forms, such as the ego of sarcasm is degenerate wit).


The Persona (mask that we present to the world).

The Anima (feminine side of men).

The Animus (masculine side of women).


Subpersonalities.


Your Inner Christ.


Any alienated or lost part of your Being.


Higher Beings from the White Lodge: Jesus, Samael, Huiracocha, the Archangels, etc).


The possibilities are endless...


The path is:



  1. Relaxation


  1. Key of SOL


  1. Pray to our Intimate for help in finding this being.


  1. Mantralization : meeeeeeee - muuuuuuu

Eeeeeee: to awaken the throat chakra (magic ear), uuuuuu, the navel chakra (telepathy). Visualize the chakras as you mantralize. Other mantras are possible – you have to find the one that works best for you.

  1. Pratyahara.

  2. Raise your consciousness by concentration, perhaps on a sentence or a mantra – perhaps

ALOHA VA DAATH. IOD-HE-VAU-HE



INSPECTION (Steps 7 and 8)

During these steps we must eliminate critical attention.


  1. Evocation, intent and focus. We are ready for the meeting! Evoke the being! Do this with intent! Focus on what you expect! Visualize a door. Send a ray towards the door as you approach it. The door opens. You expect a figure representing the being to be in the space behind the door. Enter this place through the door. Then let an image emerge representing the being. It may be a woman, a man, an animal, an elf, an object, a monster, or anything else in the universe. Do not consciously try to find an image. Let it emerge spontaneously, as if you were watching a screen, not knowing what will shortly appear on it. Jung says, we must make the vision pregnant, that is, something must come out of it: it is alive!


If nothing happens, visualize an appropriate image – it will change in an appropriate manner if you get really into it!

  1. As soon as the image has appeared, give it the chance to reveal itself to you without any interference or judging on your part. Let it change if it tends to do so spontaneously, and let it show you some of its other aspects if it wants to.

Get in touch with the general feeling that emanates from it. In general: try to feel. A felt communication is a great one!

CONFRONTATION



9. Now let this image talk and express itself. It demands engagement. Give it space, so to speak, for doing so; in particular, find out about its needs. Talk with it inwardly (even if your image is an object, it can talk back to you; anything is possible in the imaginary world). Ask questions – interact. Try to have the being talk to you. If it does not, make up its contributions – little by little they will come forth without your intervention.

You have in front of you a being -an entity with a life and intelligence of its own.



10. Living it! You must apply whatever is said, ordered, or asked for to ordinary life!

For instance, ask your guide to undertake your daily experiences with you. Eventually, ask the Intimate to do this!

  1. Now open your eyes, and record in a notebook everything that happened so far.



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