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- Jan 2, 2002
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It has been mentioned before that the fire element can be
transformed into light and conversely. Without light there
would never be any reception of color for the eyes; consequently, we
could not sue our eyes without the existence of light. From this
point of view, it is quite obvious that the sense of visual
perception is analogous to the fire element.
This element, related to the spirit, shows a specific property of
the Will. The mental property belonging to the air element is the
intellect with all its aspects, and it is imputed to the hearing.
The water element of the spirit is expressed in the feeling or life.
These three elements of the spirit, fire, air and water
together produce the earth principle of the spirit, which shows
itself in the specific quality of consciousness. The akasa
principle, in its simplest form expresses itself as conscience.
The magician will at once understand the great importance of this
analogy if he has already developed so far as to achieve the magical
equilibrium in the astral body by means of introspection. The next
ask he will be asked to fulfill is to analyze his spirit and to find
out which of the elements is predominant in his spirit.
In the case of people having a very strong will, which does not mean
stubbornness, the fire element will of course be predominant in his
spirit.
If the intellect or the intelligence with all its aspects is
prevailing in the magician's spirit, the element of air is supposed
to be the stronger one.
In case the magician should be above all an emotional character, the
water element will play the main part in him.
If he has a weak memory, the consciousness will be affected very
often, and one can take it for granted that the prevailing
element is that of the earth.
This classification serves to establish the efficiency of the
elements in the spirit and to arrange the development so that the
weaker elements are balanced by suitable concentration exercises and
deep meditation. The magician must neither allow the fire principle,
nor the water, air or earth to prevail, and has to know how to
classify his exercises in such a manner that the intensity of his
work will neutralize the elements.
Let me explain this problem in detail in the light of an example.
Suppose the magician's intellect to be on a very high level, his
will being weak and not quite up to the maturity of his intellect;
then he must try to strengthen his volition by suitable
concentration exercises that bring out the fire principle in the
spirit. He should mainly select exercises that train the eyes,
exercises of optic imagination, considering that the eye corresponds
to the fire element.
But if the magician has a strong will and a weak intellect, we shall
come to the conclusion that he has to give his keenest attention to
the hearing by imagination exercises, i.e., he has to choose
concentration and meditation exercises that fully engage the ear.
Should the magician own a strong will and a very good intellect, but
his emotional life or his feelings somehow lag behind, then he will
have to render his spirit more emotional, which he can accomplish
through such imagination and meditation exercises that influence the
feeling very strongly.
If the magician notices that his astral body as well as his mental
body incline mainly toward the earth element, which is to
say that his thoughts come very slowly in his spirit and that he
gets depressed, that indicates that the earth element prevails and
that first of all he must train his consciousness with the help of
suitable exercises.
The magician has to develop his spirit to perfect harmony with
regard to the elements, and to choose exercises corresponding to the
elements and at the same time to the senses, so that the will or
volition (fire), the intellect (air), the feeling (water) and
consciousness (earth) are enhanced and developed evenly.
The outcome of this description is the following schedule which I
will quote for the sake of a synopsis:
Element: Fire
Sense: Eyes
Quality: Will
Exercise: Optic
Element: Air
Sense: Ears
Quality: Intellect
Exercise: Acoustic
Element: Water
Sense: Perception
Quality: Feeling
Exercise: Emotional
Element: Earth
Sense: Taste/Smell
Quality: Consciousness
Exercise: Expand consc.
Element: Akasa
Sense: All in all
Quality: Personal values
Exercise: Realization
The akasa principle developing from concentration, there is no need
of descending to particulars. It is also superfluous to quote single
exercises of concentration and meditation, according to the specific
qualities of the elements prevailing in him; the scholar can easily
compile them. He will select imaginations of objects, pictures,
etc., for his concentration exercises if he has a weak will. After
all, he went through these exercises already in Step II of this
course. The above harmony schedule is a signpost, so to speak, a
compass to find out which element is preponderant and which exercise
has to be taken up more intensely.
As a result of success with this hermetic classification, the akasa
principle will reveal itself to him.
transformed into light and conversely. Without light there
would never be any reception of color for the eyes; consequently, we
could not sue our eyes without the existence of light. From this
point of view, it is quite obvious that the sense of visual
perception is analogous to the fire element.
This element, related to the spirit, shows a specific property of
the Will. The mental property belonging to the air element is the
intellect with all its aspects, and it is imputed to the hearing.
The water element of the spirit is expressed in the feeling or life.
These three elements of the spirit, fire, air and water
together produce the earth principle of the spirit, which shows
itself in the specific quality of consciousness. The akasa
principle, in its simplest form expresses itself as conscience.
The magician will at once understand the great importance of this
analogy if he has already developed so far as to achieve the magical
equilibrium in the astral body by means of introspection. The next
ask he will be asked to fulfill is to analyze his spirit and to find
out which of the elements is predominant in his spirit.
In the case of people having a very strong will, which does not mean
stubbornness, the fire element will of course be predominant in his
spirit.
If the intellect or the intelligence with all its aspects is
prevailing in the magician's spirit, the element of air is supposed
to be the stronger one.
In case the magician should be above all an emotional character, the
water element will play the main part in him.
If he has a weak memory, the consciousness will be affected very
often, and one can take it for granted that the prevailing
element is that of the earth.
This classification serves to establish the efficiency of the
elements in the spirit and to arrange the development so that the
weaker elements are balanced by suitable concentration exercises and
deep meditation. The magician must neither allow the fire principle,
nor the water, air or earth to prevail, and has to know how to
classify his exercises in such a manner that the intensity of his
work will neutralize the elements.
Let me explain this problem in detail in the light of an example.
Suppose the magician's intellect to be on a very high level, his
will being weak and not quite up to the maturity of his intellect;
then he must try to strengthen his volition by suitable
concentration exercises that bring out the fire principle in the
spirit. He should mainly select exercises that train the eyes,
exercises of optic imagination, considering that the eye corresponds
to the fire element.
But if the magician has a strong will and a weak intellect, we shall
come to the conclusion that he has to give his keenest attention to
the hearing by imagination exercises, i.e., he has to choose
concentration and meditation exercises that fully engage the ear.
Should the magician own a strong will and a very good intellect, but
his emotional life or his feelings somehow lag behind, then he will
have to render his spirit more emotional, which he can accomplish
through such imagination and meditation exercises that influence the
feeling very strongly.
If the magician notices that his astral body as well as his mental
body incline mainly toward the earth element, which is to
say that his thoughts come very slowly in his spirit and that he
gets depressed, that indicates that the earth element prevails and
that first of all he must train his consciousness with the help of
suitable exercises.
The magician has to develop his spirit to perfect harmony with
regard to the elements, and to choose exercises corresponding to the
elements and at the same time to the senses, so that the will or
volition (fire), the intellect (air), the feeling (water) and
consciousness (earth) are enhanced and developed evenly.
The outcome of this description is the following schedule which I
will quote for the sake of a synopsis:
Element: Fire
Sense: Eyes
Quality: Will
Exercise: Optic
Element: Air
Sense: Ears
Quality: Intellect
Exercise: Acoustic
Element: Water
Sense: Perception
Quality: Feeling
Exercise: Emotional
Element: Earth
Sense: Taste/Smell
Quality: Consciousness
Exercise: Expand consc.
Element: Akasa
Sense: All in all
Quality: Personal values
Exercise: Realization
The akasa principle developing from concentration, there is no need
of descending to particulars. It is also superfluous to quote single
exercises of concentration and meditation, according to the specific
qualities of the elements prevailing in him; the scholar can easily
compile them. He will select imaginations of objects, pictures,
etc., for his concentration exercises if he has a weak will. After
all, he went through these exercises already in Step II of this
course. The above harmony schedule is a signpost, so to speak, a
compass to find out which element is preponderant and which exercise
has to be taken up more intensely.
As a result of success with this hermetic classification, the akasa
principle will reveal itself to him.
