Theosophical Lessons from the Solar System
 
 
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
 
 
 
 
 
Regarding the mysterious trajectory of Initiates, Helena P. Blavatsky wrote: 
 
“Every true Adept had, and still has, to pass through the seven and the twelve trials of Initiation, symbolized by the twelve labours of Hercules (….).”[1]
 
Blavatsky knew what she was writing about. She was following the same course. The “twelve tasks” of Hercules symbolize the yearly journey of the Sun across the sky, and the initiatory challenges that each Disciple must face in due time.
 
Referring to traditional legends about the lives of adepts, H.P.B. added on the same page:
 
“….. If it is once shown that (…..) the trials of all these personages are made to correspond with the Esoteric significance of initiatory rites – all of which corresponded to the twelve zodiacal signs – then everyone will see the meaning of the travels of all those heroes through the signs of the Sun in Heaven; and that they are in each individual case a personification of the ‘sufferings, triumphs and miracles’ of an Adept, before and after his Initiation. When to the world at large all this is explained, then also the mystery of all those lives, so closely resembling each other that the history of one seems to be the history of the other, and vice versa, will, like everything else, become plain.”
 
The above statement applies in part to H.P.B.’s own life.
 
Although much of her personal existence and initiatory journey are well-documented historical facts, her life still remains a Mystery. Actual events may have legendary dimensions. The nineteenth century incarnation of the spiritual soul which is known to many as “HPB” constitutes a valuable source of information regarding the pilgrimage of every soul towards divine knowledge. [2]
 
Human Soul and the Sky
 
The journey of the hero is the journey of the disciple.
 
Each human being has his or her own personal relation to the Sun, and it can be expanded into the spiritual realm by proper study and contemplation.
 
Helena Blavatsky said to William Judge:
 
“The life-energies of [the solar] system come to it through the sun, which is a focus or reflector for the spot in space where the real center is. And not only comes mere life through that focus, but also much more that is spiritual in its essence. The sun should therefore not only be looked at with the eye but thought of by the mind. It represents to the world what the Higher Self is to the man. It is the soul-center of the world with its six companions, as the Higher Self is the center for the six principles of man. So it supplies to those six principles of the man many spiritual essences and powers. He should for that reason think of it and not confine himself to gazing at it. So far as it acts materially in light, heat, and gravity, it will go on of itself, but man as a free agent must think upon it in order to gain what benefit can come only from his voluntary action in thought.”
 
Every student of theosophy can develop a conscious contemplative view of the Sun as related to the higher principles of his own consciousness.
 
HPB went on:
 
“…We sit in the sun for heat and possible chemical effects. But if at the same time that we do this we also think on it as the sun in the sky and of its possible essential nature, we thereby draw from it some of its energy not otherwise touched. This can also be done on a dark day when clouds obscure the sky, and some of the benefit thus be obtained. Natural mystics, learned and ignorant, have discovered this for themselves here and there, and have often adopted the practice. But it depends, as you see, upon the mind.” [3]
 
The Sunlight Shines Through the Moon
 
The Moon is inseparable from the Sun in human life. Astrologically and mystically, our satellite represents the subtle energy of the lower self, or mortal soul.
 
The Moon interacts all the time with the emotional center in one’s consciousness, and with the Sun, which represents the higher Self. The light of the Moon is borrowed from the light of the Sun, just as the light and energy of one’s lower self is borrowed from the higher or spiritual self.
 
In the day of the full Moon, the constant dialogue between higher and lower self, between the central light and the auxiliary light, gets to its highest point. The full moon brings us the celebration of Light on Earth. It is the brightest moment of the month, from the point of view of the visible world. It is the day of maximum unity between sky and earth.
 
However, the increased light shows both beautiful and ugly things, depending on the contents of one’s life and of life in general. One must have patience and strength regarding the unbalanced things a Full Moon may show.
 
To dedicate one’s existence to Light means fulfilling the task of self-purification through altruistic efforts.
 
While the Moon is the mirror of the pilgrim’s lower self, the Full Moon constitutes the moment when one’s soul looks at another mirror, the spiritual Sun, which reflects our highest and most sacred potentialities. Blessing and severity are the two parts of such a process.  
 
NOTES:
 
[1] “Collected Writings”, H. P. Blavatsky, T.P.H., USA / India, Volume XIV, 1985, p. 140, text entitled “Facts Underlying Adept Biographies”.
 
[2] See the article “The New Paradigm”, by Jerome Wheeler.   
 
[3] From the text “Conversations on Occultism”, in the “Collected Writings”, Helena P.  Blavatsky, TPH, Volume IX, p. 400-K. The text was first published in various parts at “Path” magazine in 1894 and 1895, whose editor was W. Q. Judge. The information that this is a transcript of talks between Judge and Blavatsky is hard to find in the “Collected Writings”, but it constitutes part of the original title of the material in “Path”, which says: “Conversations on Occultism With HPB” (April 1894 edition, p. 17).
 
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The above article was published in the associated websites in December 2017.  It is also part of the November 2016 edition of “The Aquarian Theosophist”, pp. 1-3. Original title: “The Solar System, Within One’s Soul”.
 
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See in our associated websites the articles “Our Week and the Solar System”, “The Return of the Sun”, “The Magic of the Moon”, and “The Full Moon of May”.
 
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