"The Labours of Hercules" - an astrological interpretation by Alice Bailey, gives a vivid account of the journey of the soul as it incarnates progressively through the twelve signs of the Zodiac. The labours that Hercules is required to perform symbolise the specific challenges that face all disciples as they seek to equip themselves to better serve their fellow human beings. It is an excellent introduction to a more esoteric understanding of astrology.

* The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. *This teaching on world glamour, its causes and cures, is one of the specialised subjects first given to the group whose personal instructions appear in the two volumes of "Discipleship in the New Age". The idea that a small group of dedicated aspirants could work together to help dissipate the heavy enshrouding glamours which oppress humanity and deflect the light of truth, was initially quite a startling one. Spiritual progress has for so long held no meaning for the individual other than his own personal growth, that to consider spiritual experience in direct relation to world conditions is for many a revolutionary idea. Nevertheless world glamour - the sum total of human ignorance, fear and greed - can only yield to the enlightened penetration of those in whom these emotional reactions have been transcended in whole or in part. Glamour is, of course, the result of a negative emotional focus; just as illusion results from a negative or unclear attitude of mind out of touch with the reality behind the outer appearance; so a man becomes the victim of strong self-created thought-forms built on personality forces and self-interest. This book deals with the misconceptions existing on all levels of the personality life - maya on the etheric level; glamour on the emotional plane; and illusion on the mental plane; climaxing in the sum total of all three combined in the personality - the so-called dweller on the threshold. The correct methods of working to dissipate world glamour and dispel world illusion, confirm to modern psychological techniques accepted and practiced for individual benefit. A higher form of energy must be brought to bear on the blocked condition. This means in practical terms, maya must be subjected to the inspiration and idealism of the emotional plane; glamour to the illumination of the mental plane; illusion to the light of the intuition. a buddhic energy; and the dweller on the threshold must be confronted by the Angel of the Presence, the soul. As this clarity and transformation of the personality proceed in the individual, he can begin to serve consciously, preferably in group formation, to lift and enlighten the world condition. Certain meditation formulas are given in this book which can safely be used by a group working together, but would require great care in the individual to prevent stimulation of any remaining personal glamours and illusions. We are working at all times with energy as an impersonal force, which can nevertheless produce a dangerous personal effect if the motivation is not selfless enough, the personality insufficiently pure or self-disciplined, and the dynamic power-to-work not sufficiently fused with love of humanity to create understanding and identification. "The need for the service of men and women free from illusion and glamour, has never been so dramatically present as it is today, and it is for these potential servers of a desperate necessity that I have written."

The science of esoteric astrology is said to be the basic occult science for the future. It will come into its own as the esoteric or soul factors begin to supersede the exoteric focus of the vast majority of professional and amateur astrologers today. This is the science which deals with those conditioning and governing energies and forces which play through and upon the whole field of space and all that is found within that field. The Ancient Wisdom teaches that "Space is an entity". It is with the life of this entity and with the forces and energies, the impulses and the rhythms, the cycles and the times and seasons, that esoteric astrology deals. Esoteric astrology can be applied by the trained worker in a variety of ways; in medicine, psychology, science, education; to an evaluation of human problems, of the destiny of nations, of a correct interpretation of world affairs, and so on. It is necessary, however, that at this stage the application of esoteric astrology to human life should be recognised as experimental and tentative, so that each individual worker can adjust his thinking and his methods according to his own wrought-out experience. As with all other aspects of occultism and esotericism, accuracy and facility to work depend entirely on a consciousness evolving out of control by the personality into the life of the soul, out of separateness and self-centredness into a realisation of unity, and absorption into a centre of group consciousness. Astrology is described in this book as "the science of relationships" - the relationship existing between all living organisms within the universe. Not only the qualities of the ray energies affect these centres of consciousness, but also the quality and energy of the ruling planets and the zodiacal signs. Seen from the exoteric outside, astrology is a vast and most involved and complex subject. From the esoteric inside, while it is still vast, all-inclusive and complex, it is also possible to perceive the thread which unites and the pattern which prevails throughout the whole system. A basic simplicity in the grand design emerges, therefore, which can serve to interpret the whole. The main chapter headings to this book provide the sequence in developing study: (1) The Zodiac and the Rays (2) The Nature of Esoteric Astrology (3) The Science of Triangles (4) The Sacred and Non-Sacred Planets (5) Three Major Constellations (6) The Three Crosses (7) The Rays, Constellations and Planets. In addition there is an appendix which summarises and tabulates many of the factors of fundamental importance to the study of esoteric astrology. This is a book for the true occult student. It may appear to be too highly specialised for some; but every esoteric worker finds eventually that his work requires an understanding of the basic astrological factors which affect all relationships and all forms of life within the ethers of space, so that he may learn how to cooperate intelligently in the evolution of the whole by the right adjustment of the part within that whole; until eventually "the many are absorbed into the One." The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths.

With widespread publicity concerning the near death experience, many people are now searching for a deeper understanding of death and the process of dying. Esoteric teachings on the subtle bodies and their interrelationship have much to offer to those pondering on and researching the mystery of death. Resurrection is the keynote of nature; death is not. Death is only the ante-chamber of resurrection.

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. *We have a recognised cleavage to be bridged in the world today, usually known as the cleavage between "East and West", but termed more accurately between "Orient and Occident". Behind the differences in culture, tradition, religion, ideology and social customs, however, there is growing interchange of thought and mental understanding. One powerful stimulation to this mental rapport may be in an increasing tendency for the westerner to cultivate the science of meditation long practiced in the East as an essential part of religious and spiritual experience. In this day and age, and as we move on into the mentally oriented age of Aquarius, with increasing numbers of men and women transferring from an emotional to a mental focus, the science of meditation as a mind training technique in concentration and invocation will become increasingly practiced in the West. However, there are deeper and more profound areas of life and consciousness to be penetrated and revealed in meditation. Meditation, in the occult sense, is not only a training technique for the mind, but a means of achieving alignment, union and identification with the soul, with the Christ, and ultimately with "the Father". As distinct from the experience of mystical union, occult meditation establishes a scientific process by which causes set in motion will produce identifiable effects, which can be repeated at will. This is a technique to be mastered by the mind; it involves intense mental activity followed by an absolute stillness, with the ability so to control and order the mind that it engages in action or becomes stilled to "reflection" at will. The first purpose of this form of meditation is the conscious integration of soul and personality, so that the livingness of the soul may impress and influence the quality of the personality life. This draws a man steadily into that centre of consciousness within the planet we call the spiritual Hierarchy, the Kingdom of God; the spiritual Man then assumes control, and the divine potential is unfolded. Since we are dealing in meditation with energy flow which is literally fiery and impersonal, there are pitfalls and dangers to be understood and avoided; these, too, are discussed. And also the colours and sounds corresponding to the various ray energies which, occultly speaking, are vibrations of different frequencies. In looking towards the future, the author predicts the growing influence of the science of meditation, leading eventually to the establishing of schools of meditation under the guidance and instruction of initiated disciples. These schools will be of two kinds: one, preparatory; and the other actually training the student for initiation. The ultimate objective of these comprehensive training schools will be to provide qualified disciples for planetary service. In all training work inspired by Hierarchy the motif is service - the spontaneous effect of soul contact in the selflessly motivated disciple. "The motive may be epitomised in these few words: The sacrifice of the personal self for the good of the One Self. The method may also be shortly put: Wise control of the personality, and discrimination in work and time. The resultant attitude will be: Complete dispassion, and a growing love of the unseen and the real. All this will be consummated through steady application to occult Meditation."

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. *In this era of a rapid increase in human intelligence and capacity to use the mind we run the risk of over-emphasis on intellectualism. "The mind is the slayer of the real" is a well-known reflection of an inherent danger. In this book "From Intellect to Intuition"' development of the intellect, while necessary, is shown as a means to an end and one step on the way to a fully awakened and active mental body. The intellect is the rationalising, analytical aspect of the mind, concerned with knowledge. It can be used as a stepping-stone to penetrate into new realms and dimensions of thought, and to touch and awaken the intuitive faculty of pure reason. Between the intellect and the intuition, however, a gap exists until it has been consciously bridged through meditation. Meditation is sometimes defined as "thinking in the heart"; correct meditation proceeds only when the heart and mind function together in unison. To touch the intuition, therefore, this blending of heart and mind is a necessity, since the intuitive sense is a faculty of the heart aroused by the activity of the integrated, three-fold mind. Meditation is also the deliberate application of discipline to the mind to render it controlled, concentrated and one-pointed at will. Right use of the mind in meditation opens the consciousness to the beauty, truth and goodness of the soul, through the five stages of concentration-meditation-contemplation-illumination-inspiration. These five stages lead to union with the soul - the "son of mind" - and direct knowledge of divinity, creating an instrument of intelligence for the soul to use in daily life. "The experienced voice of the eastern wisdom comes to us with one word: Meditation. The question naturally arises: 'Is that all?' and the answer is: 'Yes.' If meditation is rightly followed, and if perseverance is the keynote of the life, then increasingly soul contact is established. The results of that contact work out in self-discipline, in purification, and in the life of aspiration and of service. Meditation in the eastern sense is ...a strictly mental process, leading to soul knowledge and illumination. It is a fact in nature that ,as a man thinketh (in his heart) so is he.'"

* The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. The theme of "initiation" appears in various relationships throughout this series of books. An initiation is an expansion of consciousness - a means of opening the mind and heart to a recognition of what already exists in reality. It is, therefore, a result of the ability to transcend those glamours and illusions which veil the truth and limit the consciousness. As a living process, initiation is experienced by all forms of life, large and small, from the universal to the particular. The process of initiation in our solar system is based on a pattern which is duplicated and reflected within the whole, and throughout all its many parts. It could be called the thread of living energy, accepted and woven into the whole tapestry by each unit of consciousness in the creation of an ultimate synthesis. The Path of Initiation, therefore, is the Path of the Antahkarana. From this somewhat abstract realisation, the individual must concretise the process in an effort to perceive and to understand how the diverse and distinctive forms of life included in a whole organism perform a vital individual function which, in relationship with all other parts, contribute to the all-encompassing plan of evolution. Even this effort to stretch the mind beyond its normal limits towards comprehension of planetary purpose, plan and process, evokes a more inclusive awareness of relationships within the whole, and forces growth. A mind so stretched never quite returns to its original dimensions. One of the great values of this book is that it does stretch the mind towards a new conception of the intense activity involved at all levels of consciousness on the planet to create conditions in which evolutionary growth can proceed. The work of the planetary Hierarchy, and of some of the responsible workers within the Hierarchy, is outlined in a way which brings everyday human life into focus as an outer expression of qualified purpose through the Ashrams of the Masters. The three departments of Hierarchy form important planetary focal points of cosmic energy flow, each one imbued with purpose and responsible for an aspect of the Plan of God. The inter-relationship and interaction of the many kingdoms and centres of consciousness are revealed as tending towards the complete integration and alignment of our Planetary Logos within the systemic whole. The detailed procedures of initiation rituals revealed here stimulate the imagination; but essentially the individual aspirant treading the Path of Discipleship is thrown back on his own inner spiritual resources as the only means by which progress can be made and consciousness expanded. This he does to the extent that he becomes sensitive and responsive to energy wielded and projected by Hierarchy. A disciple is "one who serves" - eventually one who serves "the One". So the vast, dazzling and glorious process of evolution and initiation opens out in the depths and in the silence of the soul, and the disciple learns to relinquish all self-seeking - even for personal spiritual experience - and becomes absorbed with others in the service of the Plan.

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. Five volumes have been written under the overall title of "A Treatise on the Seven Rays". This sequence of books is based on the fact, the nature and the quality of the seven basic streams of energy pervading our solar system, our planet and all that lives and moves within its orbit. Of the specialised subjects presented in these books, two volumes are concerned with esoteric psychology - the first in relation to basic energy patterns and structures; the second particularly applied to the soul and the personality of man and to the working out of the Plan for humanity. Psychology is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "the science of mind", at one time considered a branch of metaphysics. Today we are more inclined to include all the conditioning subjective factors as psychological in nature - mental and emotional impulses and soul contact, to whatever degree it exists. These subjective influences constitute the whole psychological background to a man's attitudes and behaviour, and create the faculty of spiritual response. The "psyche" is, after all, the human soul, the centre of consciousness. Esoteric psychology begins with a consideration of the human being as a soul, manifesting in the form of a personality, consisting of mental, emotional and etheric/physical substance, and more or less in contact and control, depending on the stage of evolution in the personality consciousness. From the point of view of esoteric psychology, evolution is the evolution of consciousness, by which the imbedded fragment of the soul within the personality progressively identifies its spiritual source and becomes at-one with it. The seven differentiated streams of ray energy play a significant role in this evolutionary process. A blend of five energies in a human being determine his goals, his problems, his available qualities and energy resources, and the correct method by which - according to his dominant ray influence - he may unfold his consciousness and make spiritual progress. In this volume of Esoteric Psychology many of these distinctive ray qualities and methods are given as quotations, or interpretations, of "The Old Commentary" put into poetic and symbolic words. The seven rays are shown as the Seven Creative Builders, each one imbued with purpose and power, functioning together as a synthesis in occult obedience to the purposes of our Solar Logos. Such a detailed and comprehensive study of the ray energies influencing our planetary life and all kingdoms in nature is of inestimable value to the aspirant consciously preparing himself to become of planetary service as he learns to serve and to unite with his fellowmen.

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. *World problems are increasing in complexity as the population of the world increases, and as nations become inter-related and interdependent. It is important for the future of mankind that we understand and cooperate with the spiritual laws and forces at work within the interwoven structure of civilisation, so that the individual part - human and national - can be rightly related to the evolving whole. A nation is subject, as a man is, to the impact of energies emanating from solar and cosmic sources. These energies influence the nation as a whole through the "mechanism of response" equivalent to the Monad-soul-personality constitution of a man. Different nations are more receptive to some energies that to others; and all nations, subject to the evolution of national consciousness, have a destiny before them which is literally based on the qualities and the principles of the particular ray energy seeking expression through the national soul. In this book the ray energies affecting certain nations, world groupings and major cities are analysed in relation to meaning and purpose, and to the emergence of ideas appropriate to energy influences dominant at the end and at the beginning of an age. The world of humanity is shown as a state of becoming, guided and given opportunity by the spiritual Hierarchy - the inner government of the planet - from a stable state fo Being. The understanding, acceptance and fulfillment of spiritual possibilities weaves the destinies of all peoples together into a synthesis, in which each contributes to the whole the unfoldment of individual potential. A recognition of the soul destiny of nations in the light of the teaching in this book, has a practicality today in our search for international adjustments. The ray qualities affecting the peoples of the world can be used intelligently to promote understanding and unity. We are given a glimpse in this book of the beauty of energy synthesis when all component parts work together according to their own ray combination and the "the glory of the One". "The future will see right relationships, true communion, a sharing of all things ...and goodwill; we have also a picture of the future of humanity when all nations are united in complete understanding and the diversity of languages - symbolic of differing traditions, cultures, civilisations and points of view - will provide no barrier to right human relations. At the centre of each of these two pictures is to be found the Christ."

- Occultism is concerned with the scientific facts behind the spiritual idealisms many accept because of a natural human tendency to idealise. One of the most highly idealised concepts is that of the brotherhood of man. Occultism shows that the scientific basis for that ideal rests on the fact of the one etheric structure underlying all forms within the solar system, energised and held in being by one life force. Mankind is, therefore, one in life and in form; he is merely unaware of unity in his own consciousness. And evolution is essentially the means by which he becomes progressively conscious of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. In this whole process the faculties of man play an important part - the five objective senses with their five higher spiritual counterparts. The mental principle or faculty is of tremendous importance to humanity at this stage in his evolutionary unfoldment. The three-fold mind unifies as one faculty the higher or abstract mind, the soul - the son of mind, and the lower concrete mind. As this condition of mental fusion and control develops, the disciple is learning to use the mind in new ways, particularly in wielding energy which, as it vitalises and animates his etheric body, influences through radiation his effect on others. It is through this conscious, controlled use of mental energy that telepathic communication can be scientifically established with other minds by means of the etheric structure common to all. And by the same means the mind of the disciple, or of a group of disciples developing group consciousness, can be impressed by the clarity of thought and purpose of those members of the spiritual Hierarchy concerned with the working out of the Plan for humanity. The spiritual Hierarchy, we are told, works only through the minds of disciples, using the science of impression, and only for the purposes of the Plan. The impression is conveyed as a stream of ideas - those ideas inherent in the Plan for man - which the disciple or the group can then interpret and translate into self-chosen action. The form of telepathy now developing within the spiritually awakened aspirants of the world is not, therefore, that of the solar plexus centre which is of the animal nature, but the result of a mental polarisation and penetration in consciousness towards the soul and the Triad. This produces an open channel of communication in two directions - vertically towards the spiritual Hierarchy of the planet, seeking to impress the Plan on all receptive minds, and horizontally towards the minds of men united within the mental substance of human consciousness as one. The second part of this book discusses the etheric structure of the planet and the solar system of which each man and each form is an integral part; the pattern of the triangle in controlling energy flow and establishing a continuity of circulation through the whole system is of immediate importance to humanity. We are involved in the life of the Planetary Logos - "in Him we live and move and have our being" - and we are a contributing part of the present effort to bring the etheric body under the influence of the soul, symbolised by the triangle. To the extent, and at the rate, that we succeed, so is the planetary etheric structure changing in form to become more consciously integrated into the energy system of which our planet is one small unit. So the living process of unity is exemplified - the part contributing to the whole, and the whole affecting the part through every cell and atom of every grade of substance which it contains. The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths.

- "In every age I come back to deliver the holy, to destroy the sin of the sinner, to establish righteousness." So runs the well-known passage in the Bhagavad Gita (translation by Prabhavananda and Isherwood), giving works to an eternal hope in the human heart. In this book the reappearance of the Christ is recognised as inevitable within the continuity of divine revelation. Not only has God never left Himself without witness, but at definite periods in the history of human evolution, the "word of God", the projected potency of His vital life, has manifested in form in order to establish the principles to be demonstrated during the coming cycle. There have been many such messengers over the ages, manifesting through one or another of the great world religions or followed by a new form of religion based on the new revelation. Divine revelation and the periodic appearance of messengers, or Avatars, occur, however, according to cosmic law, when certain conditions exist within the whole scheme affected by, and affecting, every part, large and small. Then a chain of events is set in motion which under law must eventually work out. The part that our little planet Earth plays in this intricate and smoothly functioning system of inter-relationships seems to be of vital importance at this time. The esoteric and planetary significances of the reappearance of the Christ are suggested in this book as underlying causes for His Aquarian service to humanity. This is the beginning and end of an age - the beginning of Aquarius and the end of Pisces - marking also a major turning point in the evolution of human consciousness from individual need to the needs of humanity as a whole, from personal salvation to world service, and from materiality to spirituality. It seems that this climaxing transition must be "marked" in both its stages, beginning and end, by the Christ Himself, and a principle anchored in human consciousness, which embodies not only the love of God established for the age of Pisces, but also the new potency for the future, the "Will" of God, into which only the Christ is as yet fully and perfectly absorbed. The imminence of the reappearance of the Christ is sensed and expected by many, belonging as He does to all humanity irrespective of differing religious dogma and doctrine. "He for whom all men wait" will Himself determine the manner and the timing of His appearance and the area of His work in a way which creates no divisions or separations between men, either religious, social or ideological. Not only does He come as the first Son of God, but as Head of the spiritual Hierarchy, the inner government of the planet. He is, therefore, a great world executive, representing the Kingdom of God, and fulfilling a definite function in the world of men. He is coming to establish through precept and example in world service the principles on which a united, interdependent and interactive world may create its new material systems and spiritual institutions for the new civilisation. Preparation for the second coming is the responsibility of humanity; it is for those who know and accept the imminent return of the Christ to prepare men's minds and hearts to recognise and receive Him, and to create those conditions of balance and spiritual alignment which will ultimately draw Him forth into our midst. For no matter what message or revelation the Christ may embody when He comes, no matter what principle or energy He may anchor on Earth for human use, He is not coming to save humanity from the results of its own sins, but once more to show humanity how to save itself in the new conditions and new opportunities with which the world is faced. The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths.

Is there a higher purpose behind the relationships we have with domesticated animals? The answer is a resounding "yes". This book will deepen our understanding of the mystery of the animal kingdom. This compilation from the books of Alice Bailey explains the divine purpose of our association with domesticated animals, and the important role humanity has to play in their evolution.

To aid men and women endeavouring to prepare themselves for group service during this transitional era, the Tibetan Master, Djwhal Khul, suggested that a compilation be made of all that he had written with Alice Bailey on the Seventh Ray of Ceremonial Order. This book is the fulfilment of that wish.

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths.

The creative nature of the "Soul": On its own plane, the soul knows no separation, and the factor of synthesis governs all soul relations. The soul is occupied not only with the form that the vision of its objective may take, but with the quality or the meaning which that vision veils or hides. The soul knows the Plan; its form, outline, methods and objective are known. Through the use of the creative imagination, the soul creates; it builds thought-forms on the mental plane and objectifies desire on the astral plane. It proceeds then to externalize its thought and its desire upon the physical plane through applied force, creatively actuated by the imagination of the etheric or vital vehicle. Yet because the soul intelligence, motivated by love, it can (within the realized synthesis which governs its activities) analyze, discriminate and divide. The soul likewise aspires to that which is greater than itself, and reaches out to the world of divine ideas, and thus itself occupies a midway position between the world of ideation and the world of forms, This is its difficulty and its opportunity. This compilation from the books of Alice Bailey seeks to increase understanding of the immortal soul, addressing it's many aspects under sixty two headings.

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. Although this book was one of the first to be written by Alice Bailey in collaboration with the Tibetan, it is probably the most timeless, profound and least understood. "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire" deals with the underlying structure of occult teaching for the present era, with vast cosmic processes reproduced though all areas of life from universe to atom. It is, therefore, no book for the proof-demanding concrete mind, or for those who dabble in the spectacular and the phenomenal. The true student, however, the seriously applied aspirant, will find his mind stimulated and his consciousness expanded. The book is dedicated to Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, and is said to be "the psychological key to the Cosmic Creation". Certainly in its revelation of relationship and correspondences throughout the Cosmos, all aspects of life unfolding through consciousness are included, based on the aphorism - "Having pervaded the entire universe with one fragment of Myself, I remain." The One Life manifests through all form within the universe as fiery energy; and the three main streams of cosmic energy, differentiated into seven systemic rays, are shown in relation to the three aspects of fire controlling all manifested life: Electric Fire, the Fire of Spirit; Solar Fire, the Fire of Mind; Fire by Friction, the Internal Fires. A large section of the book is directed to a detailed exposition of Solar Fire, the Fire of Mind, since this is the dominant energy to be understood and controlled during this second solar system. The cosmic Laws operating through the system are shown in relation to the lesser laws of planetary origin and the laws of nature, operating through substance, as distinct from the life and the consciousness of the planet. In her foreword to the book, the author mentions a five-fold purpose within its teaching; briefly: (a) To provide a compact and skeleton outline of a scheme of cosmology, philosophy and psychology which may serve as a reference and textbook; (b) As an elucidation of the relation between Spirit and Matter, demonstrating as consciousness; (c) To show the coherent development of all that is found within a solar system and to demonstrate that everything evolves; (d) To give practical information about focal points of energy found in the etheric bodies of the Solar Logos, the macrocosm, and of man, the microcosm; (e) To give some information of the place and work of those sentient lives who form the essence of objectivity, and to indicate the nature of the Hierarchies of Existences who form out of their own substance all that is seen and known. These five objectives, and more, the book encompasses; for the effect in the individual consciousness is such that theories become transcended and the mind begins to experience through contemplative thought what the words on paper reveal to the intelligence. The finite human mind can touch its cosmic origins and its fiery essence when it opens to the three cosmic Laws of Synthesis, of Attraction and of Economy. The fire of love, the flame of life within the heart, is the touchstone for all intuitive thought, and the alchemist to the dense materiality of gross substance.

- It is an established and accepted occult fact that the soul works through the mechanism of the three-fold personality in stimulating the three worlds of human evolution - the mental, the emotional and etheric/physical planes of consciousness. In this book the method by which the soul and the personality vehicles interact and function together is clearly presented. The author also reveals the relationship between what the occultist accepts in the constitution of man as the vital body, the etheric network with its energy vortices, or centres, and the physiological effects on the body through glandular secretions directly into the bloodstream. This is the endocrine system of glands, which correspond in the physical body to the energy centres in the etheric body and which, therefore, react to the type and potency of force the etheric body circulates at any one time. Human behaviour, and the disposition of the physical body, are conditioned by the extent to which the personality vehicles either receive or reject the impulses of the soul; and this is conditioned by the emphasis or focus of consciousness at any one time. The physical vehicle is not a principle; it responds to any dominant force expressing itself through the etheric system of energy centres. A highly emotional condition, for example, in which the solar plexus energy centre in the vital body is overstimulated, powerfully affecting its physical counterpart, the pancreas gland, produces an oversecretion of the gland and a consequent general imbalance within the personality. It is obvious that in a highly evolved man, the personality vehicles are aligned, the etheric body vital and balanced, and the energy centres controlling the physical body receptive to the influence of the soul through the mechanism of the integrated personality. But until this condition is created in consciousness, the mechanism of response is more or less isolated in its personality glamours. It is said that the aspirant to discipleship really needs to know only two things: the constitution of man and the next step ahead. In this book the way the human constitution actually functions in its component parts is made abundantly clear. It is an accepted goal for the aspirant that he learns to make of his personality equipment an instrument for the soul to use. Knowledge of the relation between the subtle and the dense bodies, the etheric centres and the physical glands, energy and force, the soul and its personality mechanism, can lift the process out of the vague haze which normally surrounds it, giving to it the clarity and precision of a scientific formula. Not only, however, is this a matter of form and energy, the whole man is involved in the process and in the effects - psychologically, philosophically and spiritually; for energy flows as the result of thought, and the quality, nature and potency of thought is a matter of consciousness, which includes the whole way of living. Where the normal focus of consciousness is in daily life, there will be found the energy centre controlling the mechanism of response. The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths.

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. *Of the few specialised subjects included in these books by Alice Bailey and the Tibetan, education is of primary importance. Today we are losing the tendency to associate "education" only with the instruction of the young and with academic matters. Education is, or should be, a continuous process from birth to death concerned not so much with the acquisition of knowledge as with the expansion of consciousness. Knowledge of itself is a dead end, unless it is brought into functioning relationship with environment, social responsibilities, historical trends, human and world conditions and, above all, with the evolution of consciousness which brings the infinite vastness of an unknown universe within the range of the finite human mind. To oversimplify, can we say that education is a continuous process of learning how to reconcile the human and the divine elements in the constitution of man, creating right relationship between God and man, spirit and matter, the whole and the part? If this is education in the broader sense, it is more specific and more concentrated when considered in the light of child training. This book is so concentrated and specific. While presenting the need for wholeness - development of the whole person, spirit, soul and body as an integrated unity, and acceptance of the planetary whole as the area of personal experience and responsibility - the educational needs of the child today are set out in specific terms. Faults and inadequacies in the present educational systems existing in many parts of the world are enumerated, and methods for the future suggested. Emphasis is placed on the need for education in world citizenship. Even before this book was first published this need had become startlingly apparent. It is also clear, however, that since children naturally tend to accept without question those of other nations, other races, colour, belief and social background, a world consciousness and inclusiveness must first be generated in those adults responsible for the education and the training of the young. Therefore, this book includes a brief final chapter on "the science of the Antahkarana"' that is, with the creative effort to bridge in consciousness between the lower analytical, knowledge-gathering mind, the soul, and the higher mind which is an aspect of the divine Self, the spiritual man. This is a scientific process which can be studied and practiced as a meditation technique, combined with the effort to apply spiritual principles to the daily life under any and all circumstances. The building of the Antahkarana, literally a bridge between the subjective and objective worlds, creates a channel for the transmission of spiritual energies - light and love and power. These energies transform the daily life, irradiate the personality and infuse the mind with creative thought consistent with the needs of the emerging Plan at the dawning of a new age. So the enlightened adult can stimulate the soul of the child, enrich and enliven the mind, and provide right opportunities for full development of the spiritual potential.

The science of esoteric astrology is said to be the basic occult science for the future. It will come into its own as the esoteric or soul factors begin to supersede the exoteric focus of the vast majority of professional and amateur astrologers today. This is the science which deals with those conditioning and governing energies and forces which play through and upon the whole field of space and all that is found within that field. The Ancient Wisdom teaches that Space is an entity. It is with the life of this entity and with the forces and energies, the impulses and the rhythms, the cycles and the times and seasons, that esoteric astrology deals. Esoteric astrology can be applied by the trained worker in a variety of ways; in medicine, psychology, science, education; to an evaluation of human problems, of the destiny of nations, of a correct interpretation of world affairs, and so on. It is necessary, however, that at this stage the application of esoteric astrology to human life should be recognised as experimental and tentative, so that each individual worker can adjust his thinking and his methods according to his own wrought-out experience. to work depend entirely on a consciousness evolving out of control by the personality into the life of the soul, out of separateness and self-centredness into a realisation of unity, and absorption into a centre of group consciousness. Astrology is described in this book as the science of relationships - the relationship existing between all living organisms within the universe. Not only the qualities of the ray energies affect these centres of consciousness, but also the quality and energy of the ruling planets and the zodiacal signs. Seen from the exoteric outside, astrology is a vast and most involved and complex subject. From the esoteric inside, while it is still vast, all-inclusive and complex, it is also possible to perceive the thread which unites and the pattern which prevails throughout the whole system. A basic simplicity in the grand design emerges, therefore, which can serve to interpret the whole. study: (1) The Zodiac and the Rays (2) The Nature of Esoteric Astrology (3) The Science of Triangles (4) The Sacred and Non-Sacred Planets (5) Three Major Constellations (6) The Three Crosses (7) The Rays, Constellations and Planets. In addition there is an appendix which summarises and tabulates many of the factors of fundamental importance to the study of esoteric astrology. This is a book for the true occult student. It may appear to be too highly specialised for some; but every esoteric worker finds eventually that his work requires an understanding of the basic astrological factors which affect all relationships and all forms of life within the ethers of space, so that he may learn how to cooperate intelligently in the evolution of the whole by the right adjustment of the part within that whole; until eventually the many are absorbed into the One. The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919?1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless WisdomCa body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths.

*The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths. The final volume in this treatise on the seven rays contains the fundamental spiritual structure on which the next presentation of the Ageless Wisdom teaching will build. The book is in two parts; the first part enumerates and details the Fourteen Rules for Group Initiation. These are the rules for disciples and initiates, paralleling on a higher turn of the spiral, the rules for applicants contained in the book "Initiation, Human and Solar". The second part of this volume is concerned with the Rays and the Initiations, those nine major expansions of consciousness through which the initiate becomes progressively liberated from the various forms of our planetary life, ultimately proceeding upon his chosen Path of development and service within the universe. One of the outstanding principles unfolded through the pages of this book is that of the growth of the group idea - group service, group responsibility and group initiation. The possibility of group initiation seems to be one of the new emerging developments of the Aquarian era; therefore, the profound value to the disciple of the Fourteen Rules for Group Initiation. These rules embody great truths in symbolic form, into which the consciousness expands with the acceptance of occult obedience, and the meeting of all requirements on the Path of Initiation in a group penetrating together towards the centre of an ashram, and into the heart and will of the presiding Master. Because "the way to the innermost sanctum is the way of outer service", and because initiation is the effect of an increasing capacity to intuit the Plan, to register ashramic purpose and to act accordingly, "these rules are in reality great Formulas of Approach ...approach to a specific section of the Path and not approach to the Initiator. I would have you reflect on this distinction. The initiate is becoming increasingly aware of the dynamics of the Science of the Service of the Plan. This distinctive realisation can only come when his fused and blended personality and soul expression of will has disappeared in the blazing light of the Divine Purpose." Much of this teaching, while beyond the grasp of the average student today, is invaluable in expanding the mind to contemplate the larger patterns and processes in which the individual function may be viewed in perspective. In dealing with such abstruse matters, the author again demonstrates a marvelous capacity to relate the deepest and most profounds aspects of the Master's teaching to the life and the consciousness of the aspirant in the world today. Since there is no separation in life, and since the aphorism "As above so below" applies in every particular throughout the cosmos, and recognisably within the solar and the planetary lives, there is great value in the clear delineation of continuity. "Revelation concerns Oneness and nothing else. The practical nature of this truth is only recognised when the disciple attempts to do two things: To realise it individually and to bring the nature of planetary unity and of non-separateness to the minds and into the lives of men everywhere."

- Alice Ann Bailey somewhat reluctantly agreed to attempt her own autobiography. What finally decided her to write about her life was a letter from a friend who, she said, felt deeply that "I would really render a service if I could show people how I became what I am from what I was. It might be useful to know how a rabid orthodox Christian worker could become a well-known occult teacher." From her conservative British background, Alice Bailey's life led her in many directions, but always in one direction - towards the time when through drastic personal experience of may kinds she had acquired a synthesis of outlook and understanding, and an absolute conviction that one divine life pervades and animates the one humanity; that the Plan for man requires the cooperation and service of trained and dedicated human beings intelligently informed about world affairs, in collaboration with those who form the spiritual Hierarchy, the inner government of the planet. Her life work became an integral part of this synthesis and this realisation. Without in the least losing any of her very human qualities and involvement, her soul took up its commitment to her Master, and her personality provided full cooperation in the field of her accepted service. Basically her work developed as a duality - her discipleship service to her own Master, Koot Humi, which included the establishment of the Arcane School; and her initially reluctant agreement to work with the Tibetan, the Master Djwhal Khul, in the writing of a series of books presenting the next phase in the continuity of the Ancient Wisdom teaching for the present and the immediate future. This work with the Tibetan Master started in 1919. In his introduction to "A Treatise on Cosmic Fire", Foster Bailey remarks: "The story of many years of telepathic work by the Tibetan with Alice A. Bailey is revealed in her Unfinished Autobiography published in 1951. This includes the circumstances of her first contact with Him on the physical plane which took place in California in November 1919. Thirty years work was planned. When this has been accomplished and within 30 days after that period (in December 1949) Mrs. Bailey gained her release from the limitations of the physical vehicle." This quick release accounts also for the fact that the autobiography is unfinished. As her work with the Tibetan developed, and as her own writing, lecturing and early Arcane School work began to demonstrate their usefulness, the Tibetan took advantage of his close telepathic link with AAB to establish certain activities required by the work of Hierarchy for humanity. The Arcane School, although never controlled or supervised by the Tibetan, was used to anchor such service activities as Triangles, World Goodwill and the distribution of the Great Invocation. Certain types of meditation work were also suggested by the Tibetan as a planetary service, particularly the Redemptive Meditations of Preparation for the Reappearance of the Christ and on Attracting Money for Hierarchical Purposes; and the Arcane School in 1947 began a serious study of the basic problems of humanity based on his book of that title. The Arcane School, therefore,as an increasingly useful and useable channel between Hierarchy and humanity, was used by the Master DK with AAB's co sent and cooperation to anchor certain needed esoteric principles and realities firmly in human consciousness and to demonstrate the fact that esotericism is a way of life, and not an escape into vague, mystical abstractions. Her whole life work, although devoted to two distinct services, demonstrated that synthesis of outlook and attitude characteristic of every world disciple. In the words of Foster Bailey, included in the introduction to the Autobiography: "By far the greater part of her life work has always been subjective. We have seen the outer effects, watched the outer comings and goings, helped her and loved her, sometimes criticised, sometimes complained, but always gone on with her, and because of her yet a little higher and a little better than would otherwise have been the case...Her chosen path is on the line of the World Saviours. She has gone back to her own Master KH for yet more daring work with Him and for the Christ." The books of Alice A. Bailey, written in cooperation with a Tibetan teacher between 1919-1949, constitute a continuation of the Ageless Wisdom--a body of esoteric teaching handed down from ancient times in a form which is always suitable to each period. Intended to precede and condition the coming era, the Alice A. Bailey writings offer an unparalleled spiritual approach to such subjects as the teaching on Shamballa and the Path of spiritual evolution; the spiritual Hierarchy; the new discipleship and training in meditation as a form of service; the teaching on the seven rays and the new psychology of the soul; the teaching on esoteric astrology; and the new world religion, which emphasizes the common thread of truth linking all the major world faiths.