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The Aquarian Age Adapted from the writings of Alice Bailey. “…in Aquarius…the individual finds full expression
through the medium of the group, passing from service to himself and expression
of himself as a personality to service of the group and a growing expression
of the Hierarchy to which he steadily draws closer.” A Spiritual Revolution We all know that we are passing through a period of change and disruption upon our planet. The difficulties are everywhere—all around us and within us, and it is all too easy to feel overwhelmed with our seeming incapacity to make a difference or to find our way out of the present situation. The teachings of the Ageless Wisdom—ancient teachings that have been passed down through the generations and kept alive in oral, written and symbolic form—provide the basis for a different perspective upon just what is going on at this time, one that brings a measure of hope and expectancy for a better world. What is unfolding upon our planet is in fact a spiritual revolution, the likes of which the world has never known. The revolution will be global in nature and broader than any ideology, religion or spiritual movement—it will touch all aspects of our lives and bring about far-reaching changes in every area of human living. An Astrological and Astronomical Event There has long been talk about the so-called dawning of the age of Aquarius but perhaps little recognition of its actual basis in astrological and astronomical fact. Every 2,000-2,500 years our planet passes through a period in which there is a change in the constellation that qualifies the energy of our sun. At this time we are moving out of an age qualified by the constellation Pisces and into one ruled by Aquarius. All forms of life, within all kingdoms in nature, change and mutate under the stimulus of the new energies.1 As the sun moves from one sign of the zodiac to another there is always a period of several hundred years when the energies of the old, out-going constellation overlap and blend with those of the new and incoming influences and neither energy is fully controlling. We are passing through such a period now and it is always a fluid and shifting time as both the progressive and conservative elements within society strive to make theirs the dominant voice. What we are witnessing today are the birth pangs that ever accompany the entry of a new life. The old and outworn structures of the past, that may have been suitable to an earlier time and generation must give way to new forms and new ideas that better meet the needs of the new time and a new generation. The Outgoing Piscean Age and the Incoming of Aquarius Under the outgoing energies of the Piscean age the world’s great religions and educational facilities developed and great strides were made in the understanding of the physical world through advances in the arts and sciences. The predominant qualities that were developed during this age were devotion and a reliance upon external authority. Within the coming centuries as the incoming Aquarian energies come into increasing dominance, we will see the long-awaited principles of liberty, equality and fraternity becoming universally realized values. Brotherhood, we’re told, will be the keynote of the age—a brotherhood which is an outer expression of the essential inter-connectedness of all life. Under the impress of Aquarian energy the focus shifts from a dependence upon external authority to a recognition of the authority of the master within the heart, the human soul. An Age of Service The age of Aquarius will preeminently be the age of service. And while the seed of service was planted within human consciousness by the Christ 2,000 years ago, it will only find its full flowering within the coming age. Service is said to be the primary idea to be grasped at this time for in grasping it, we find release from the limitations and constraints of the personality and forge an alignment with planetary purpose. But while many people talk about service, it takes a keen sense of discrimination to serve “as Aquarius indicates,” in alignment with the full flowering of one’s inner potential. It is easy to be side-tracked down by-ways that could perhaps better be undertaken by others. There are relatively few people willing and able to serve the spiritual work of the world, making it all the more essential that those who are called this way make the effort to focus their energies along spiritual lines. Many people are eager to serve but it is not always understood what service really is and how difficult it is to realize.3 Always at the beginning of our entry onto the spiritual path we are asked whether or not we have counted the cost of the endeavor upon which we are embarking. Invariably, people will assert that they have. But only with time and the overcoming of the inevitable challenges will we fully understand the true implication of that initial oath. Only if we persist in our efforts may we eventually find that there are indeed compensations from traveling this way. What is Spiritual Service? Too often we give a too concrete interpretation to our understanding of service and, in this manner, we put the cart before the horse. That is why any sincere method of spiritual training places the emphasis upon meditation and the cultivation of the Commandments and the Rules of which Patanjali wrote. And then through our service work and by giving of our essential self, our spirituality can safely flower as it flows outward and touches all within our ever expanding environment. For what good are we if we remain “ivory tower” seekers, living detached and isolated from the world, caught up in intellectual abstractions and never coming down from the mountain top to share and “distribute” that which we know and have been given. Increasingly, our understanding becomes refined and the focus shifts increasingly towards the subjective aspects of life as we learn to serve behind the scenes, as do the great Teachers. This is not to say that we are not active in the world, but rather that our primary purpose moves into more subtle realms of work. The Technique of Spiritual Supply The symbol that rules our lives is the “even-armed cross of discipleship,” upon that cross we take our stand, receiving inspiration from above (the vertical axis of the cross) and giving of ourselves in service (the horizontal axis)-- all the while maintaining our focus in the center, the midway spot. Our spiritual life can only become effective as we learn to “distribute” that which we have received into our environment. As we travel that path, we find that our understanding of the term “environment” expands as we come to view ourselves eventually as planetary citizens. There is a beautiful symbolic teaching that encapsulates the changes Aquarian energy will bring about--both within our daily lives and within our service work. It states, “When the sun progresses into the mansion of the serving man, the way of life takes the place of the way of work.”2 The mansion of the serving man relates to our entry into Aquarius with its symbol of the water carrier, the dispenser of the water of life. The Christ’s Last Supper was a symbolic representation of the sharing and sense of brotherhood that will find its full flowering within the Aquarian age. “The way of life” indicates the effortless quality, or state of being, that will develop under Aquarius. At the present time, the servers of the world are, by and large, burdened by the weight of the service work that they do. They are assuming major responsibilities yet they have not always learned the art of spiritual supply and, as a consequence, they are often drained by the process. As the influence of Aquarius begins to condition us more fully, the sense of burden eases as we begin to tap into that “life more abundant” in which all spiritual teachers live and move and have their being. As Aquarian energy comes to condition us more fully, we will learn to serve effortlessly, freed from the confines and impositions of the personality self and into alignment with the soul. The Emerging Group Consciousness Another one of the major shifts that will develop under Aquarius will be the shift away from the powerful self-focus that controls so many people today and into a state of consciousness that is aligned with a collective, group centered way of living and being. In fact, we’re told that in the not too distant future this group approach to life will become so dominant that people will find it impossible to think and act in terms of the isolated individual. We will increasingly think in terms of the good of the whole and of the group. The group approach to service involves new ways of working—ways that are more organic and group centered in their structure. This does not alleviate the need for centralized leadership (although in some cases it can), but rather places the onus of responsibility upon the leaders of groups to assure that their consciousness (as far as possible), is in alignment with planetary purpose. If this alignment can be attained, the energy that always emanates from the group heart can maintain a perpetual distribution of energy throughout the group life, permeating it with hierarchical intent and uplifting and stimulating all aspects of the greater whole. The group then becomes magnetic and of spiritual moment in the world. Letting in the Light Meditation becomes the fabric by which the group maintains its spiritual effectiveness. It is the means of contacting, holding and distributing spiritual energy. And even if our meditation is generally undertaken alone, we should ever hold in mind the essential group nature of all that we do. Towards that end we can begin each meditation period by linking up in consciousness with our group brothers. Over time, we come to realize that our “sitting for development” has a much larger, universal purpose and is, in fact, part of a vast planetary process through which we effectively place ourselves in alignment with the rhythm of the planetary heart beat. Humanity is beginning to understand and accept its responsibility and destiny within the divine Plan as mediators between the three lower kingdoms and the spiritual kingdoms. Our goal, as a group, is to “let in the light.” In the past there were many individuals capable of this alignment with their souls but there was little group effort. Today this is changing and we are attempting a group alignment and consecration as channels for service, in pure self-forgetfulness. The group stimulation and the united effort enable the entire group to reach a point of realization that would be unimaginable alone. If this group work is able to be carried forward successfully, we’re told that its growing momentum will create such a potent magnetic impulse that it will be able to reach those exalted Lives Who watch over humanity. Working silently, in unison, behind the scenes, we can release a floodtide of light and inspiration upon the worlds that will work out in vast changes in consciousness and the amelioration of conditions in our needy world. This is happening now. The following thoughts from the Tibetan may bring a measure of understanding of the objective that stands before us at this time: "Radiance we are and power. We stand forever with our hands stretched out, linking the heavens and the earth, the inner world of meaning and the subtle world of glamour. "We reach into the Light and bring it down to meet the need. We reach into the silent Place and bring from thence the gift of understanding. Thus with the light we work and turn the darkness into day." 4
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