Printer Friendly

"Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind." ²¹⁸ Job can now hear God speak directly to him. As the kundalini energy flows unimpeded throughout our chakra system, it can feel like we are in the midst of a whirlwind. Our being is filled to overflowing with insights and knowledge of the universe. We perceive life in a greatly magnified fashion. We are transformed into an Initiate.

"Gird up your loins now, like a valiant man; for I will question you, and you shall answer me." ²¹⁹ Recall that throughout his dark nights of the soul, Job has been sitting on an ashes heap. Ashes symbolize the negative energy that is slowly purged from our lower bodies ²²⁰ during the initiatory process. God is now asking Job to rise from the ashes heap and dress as a victorious, gallant man. Job, as an Initiate, possesses the capacity to converse one-on-one with God. He is to approach God with a realization of his own courage and power. Job is to recognize his true identity as a child-god.

On the surface, the following chapters read as if God is putting Job in his lowly place by showing him the greatness of creation. Not so. Heretofore, Job had pondered life while being spiritually unconscious and without knowledge. He had not understood fully the reason for his suffering. Now, Job has achieved cosmic consciousness.²²¹ He knows that he is a valiant man, that he can approach his Father/Mother God with his head held high. As Job's meditative experiences carry him throughout the universe, he is filled with reverence as he beholds the marvels of creation.²²²

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?" ²²³ Job is shown how the world is created. All events are recorded within the universal energies, or Akashic Records, and can be viewed like a movie. To behold creation would be a humbling experience, but one done in great love, not rebuke. Creation entails the establishment of a structure, or universal law, within which all things manifest.

"Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Or have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Where is the dwelling place of light, and where is the place of darkness?" ²²⁴ Death is revealed for what it is, a mirage. Job is traveling through the various dimensions of existence, viewing the planes of light and of darkness. To make a conscious choice to resist the sensuous temptations of the astral plane is a requirement for becoming an Initiate. Job is to choose to rise to the planes of Light, beyond illusion and the darkness of spiritual blindness.

"Who causes a flash of lightening and a clap of thunder? Who causes it to rain on a land where no man is, in the wilderness where there is no inhabitant.. Has the rain a father?" ²²⁵ Job comprehends that angelic beings are in charge of the thunder, lightning, rain, and all of creation.²²⁶ Knowledge of these angelic beings reveals how Jesus could calm the storm by speaking to it. So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still.' And the wind quieted down, and there was a great calm." ²²⁷ Jesus spoke to the angelic beings in charge of the storm and they obeyed. An initiate can do the same.²²⁸ Jesus taught: "The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father." ²²⁹

"Can you stop the movement of the Pleiades, or have you seen the path of Orion? Can you bring forth Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you stand in the paths of Aldebaran? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Or do you make ordinances for the earth?" ²³⁰ The true significance of the starry skies is revealed to Job. The term Mazzaroth indicates the zodiac with its twelve sign energies.²³¹ This portion of the Book of Job contains esoteric wisdom that is presently beyond humanity's capacity to comprehend. We can, however, meditate upon the basic outline of the astrological wisdom revealed. The above verses contain clues that inform us that Taurus is the zodiac energy being highlighted.

Within the constellation of Taurus, the pathway to illumination is revealed. According to Alice Bailey, Taurus holds the secret of divine purpose for our solar system.²³² Its zodiac symbol is the bull. The eye of the bull is the eye of revelation; for, Taurus veils a divine mystery.²³³ Thus, illumination is the theme of Taurus.²³⁴ The Taurean portion of the Mazzaroth reveals that Illumination plays a role in the divine plan for our solar system and for its human inhabitants.

We know this esoteric wisdom relates to the constellation of Taurus because the Pleiades, Orion, and Aldebaran are located therein. A giant, brilliant red star, Aldebaran is known as the eye of the bull of Taurus. The ancient Hebrews referred to Aldebaran as God's Eye. ²³⁵ Humanity's personal eye of the bull, or our 3^rd eye chakra, is illumined at the 3^rd Initiation.²³⁶ It is by means of our illumined 3^rd eye chakra that we come to view life through the eyes of God. Aldebaran is the brightest star within the constellation of Taurus and considered, in mythology, as the leader of the Hyades sisters.²³⁷

The star cluster, Hyades, forms the head of the bull of Taurus. The word Hyades means the rainy ones. ²³⁸ The ancients believed the Hyades have the power to bring the spring rains to a thirsty Earth.²³⁹ Aldebaran, the Hyades, and the Pleiades assist in the creation of periodic physical plane transformations, such as floods-often considered by humans to be cataclysmic events.²⁴⁰ Although land formations may change in the process, the event is transformational for the planet. Likewise, the cataclysmic events in Job's life have led him into his personal transformation, i.e. initiatory process.

The Pleiades follow the Hyades within the bull of Taurus. Within the Pleiades, the brightest star is Alcyone. Taurus' power to attract abundance is centered in Alcyone. This power of attraction symbolizes the ability of spirit to attract matter. Ancient wisdom states that Alcyone's constant magnetic pull on our solar system's Sun and planets holds Earth in position.²⁴¹ Esoteric astrology presents Alcyone as the star around which our universe revolves.²⁴² On the human level, Alcyone could signify the one who is illumined and therefore, knows how to attract matter from the invisible realm of spiritual substance.

Following, or chasing, the Pleiades is Orion, known in mythology as the Hunter or Seeker for illumination and thereby, immortality. The ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia identified Orion with their great Sumerian hero-king Gilgamesh.²⁴³ Gilgamesh is described as being 2/3rds divine and 1/3^rd human. Gilgamesh recorded his story for posterity.

He and a friend, Enkidu, set out on a six days journey to the Cedar Forest, where "they will slay the Guardian, Humbaba the Terrible, cut down the sacred cedar tree, and achieve eternal fame." Gilgamesh succeeds in killing Humbaba and returns to his city of Uruk. There the goddess Ishtar wants to marry him; but Gilgamesh refuses. In an act of revenge, Ishtar sends down the Bull of Heaven to create chaos in the city.²⁴⁴ But Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill the Bull of Heaven. Now, Gilgamesh and Enkidu have slain Humbaba and the Bull of Heaven. As a result, the gods decree one of them, Enkidu, must die. Gilgamesh is devastated by the death of Enkidu. He rebels against human mortality and determines to find the secret of eternal life.²⁴⁵

Up to this point in the story, the characters have been influenced by their desire nature. The goal of illumination within Taurus is to make the shift from a value system that seeks to make its mark upon the material plane to a value system that strives to accumulate eternal treasures in heaven. Just as severe trauma set Job on the Path to Illumination, so grief over the slaying of Enkidu sends Gilgamesh on his search for immortality. He hunts for and finds the only man known to have attained eternal life, Utanapishtim-the survivor of the Flood.²⁴⁶ Utanapishtim explains to Gilgamesh that he attained eternal life as a result of obedience to his personal god. Utanapishtim provides a test to ascertain Gilgamesh' qualifications for immortality. He fails the exam. In the end, Gilgamesh immortalizes himself by carving his story on the wall of Uruk.²⁴⁷ His search ends in defeat because Gilgamesh has not achieved illumination. He remains the Hunter for immortality, depicted in the skies as Orion chasing the Pleiades within the constellation of Taurus. Thus, Orion signifies the one who seeks illumination.

"Have you seen the path of Orion?" may also be a reference to the ancient Egyptian mystery religions' initiatory process. Metaphysicians know the Egyptian pyramids to have been temples of initiation.²⁴⁸ Research done by Robert Bauval reveals the three pyramids at Giza to be aligned with the three stars in the Orion Belt. He also discovered that the shaft within the King's Chamber of the Great Pyramid at Giza was in alignment with the Orion Belt.²⁴⁹ It was within the King's Chamber that the neophyte underwent symbolically the second death in order to achieve the status of Initiate. The neophyte was buried symbolically in a stone sarcophagus in the King's Chamber. While his body lay in the sarcophagus, the soul soared through the celestial realms. There, he was to "discover first hand the eternity of Life, Light, and Truth, as well as the illusion of Death, Darkness, and Sin." Those neophytes, worthy of becoming an Initiate, knew how to maintain the physical body while spending three days in a closed sarcophagus. Many died in the process. After three days, the sarcophagus was opened and the neophyte was ushered into the Great Hall and received by the Hierophant of the Pyramid. At that point, he was proclaimed an Initiate.²⁵⁰ Thus, God's question to Job-"Have you seen the path of Orion?-might be re-stated: "Have you been initiated in the Great Pyramid at Giza?" As symbols of initiation and immortality, the alignment of the pyramids at Giza with the Belt Stars points to Orion, the Hunter, reminding humankind that immortality is granted to the one who seeks illumination and completes successfully the initiatory process into cosmic consciousness.

Job, having been initiated through his suffering, perceives the laws of the heavens and the ordinances for the Earth. The laws of the heavens decree for the inhabitants of Earth: initiation, illumination, and immortality. It is within the magnetic energy of the constellation of Taurus that we undergo the initiatory process that leads us into cosmic consciousness and the "peace of God, which surpasses all understanding." ²⁵¹

Next, the Truth relating to the animal kingdom is unveiled to Job. "Who has given prey for the lion? Or filled the appetite of the young lions? Who has multiplied the beasts in the field? Or who has provided food for the raven? For its young ones cry to God, and faint for lack of food." ²⁵² Just as the angelic kingdom is in charge of the thunder and lightning, so do angelic beings create a group spirit (or oversoul) for animals.²⁵³ Job, the initiate, can perceive these angelic group spirits caring for the animal kingdom. A parade of animals and their group spirits float through Job's consciousness. As he watches the parade, Job is reminded symbolically of his own human characteristics and process. God examines his readiness to be an Initiate.

"Do you know the time when wild goats bring forth in the steep rocks? Or can you watch the calving of hinds?" ²⁵⁴ The mountain goat is a symbol for Capricorn, the energy of initiation. Job is emerging from his initiatory process; he is being birthed into Initiate status. He could not have predicted the time of his emergence into the light and illumination that characterizes the Initiate. For Job underwent his initiatory process largely unconscious of the magnitude of his second death, meaning death to the lower self and resurrection into the Higher Self.

"Who has left the wild ass to be free, and made him to escape the yoke?" ²⁵⁵ The wild ass signifies the uncontrolled lower nature of humanity, with its stubborn resistance to being bridled. In order to become an Initiate, Job had to learn control over his lower nature. He had to accept and learn from the discipline of Saturn. Job had to develop self-discipline. God asks him, "Can you demonstrate control over your lower nature?"

"Will the unicorn be willing to serve you.? Can you bind the yoke on the neck of the unicorn? .. Will you have confidence in him, because his strength is great? .. Do you trust him, that he will winnow your threshing and gather your grain into the barn?" ²⁵⁶ The unicorn is the soul-centered symbol of Capricorn and signifies the Christed (or Cosmic) Consciousness. Now that Job is an Initiate, he will be tested. Will he surrender to the yoke of divine will unfolding in his life? Will he place his faith in the divine timing and know that all is well? Will he relax in the knowledge that he lives and moves and has his being within the energy of omni-present abundance? Will he recognize the single horn of the unicorn, reminding him that his one-pointed focus on Spirit renders all his needs met?

"The ostrich rouses herself up haughtily; then she comes and makes her nest; but she leaves her eggs in the earth to be warmed on the ground. And because she has the feet of a bird, forgets that the wild beast may trample them. She multiplies her young ones, though they do not stay with her; although her labor is in vain, she has no fear. God has increased wisdom, but he has not given her a portion of it. She raises herself high like a palm tree; she laughs at the horse and his rider." ²⁵⁷ Pride, and all its labors in vain, must be overcome by the humility that reflects and understands the words of Jesus: "I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak." ²⁵⁸ The Initiate knows that he is God manifesting through man.

"Have you given the horse strength? Have you clothed his neck with armour?"²⁵⁹ The proud ostrich laughs at the horse and his rider. As a beast of burden, the horse symbolizes the lower nature of humanity being forced to carry the load of our true spiritual identity.²⁶⁰ Conversely, our spiritual existence is hampered by our lower nature and its desires. The horse carries its rider into the battles of life, unafraid of the sights and sounds of war. Once Job is victorious in the battle with his lower self, he is free to dismount, or better still, the horse sprouts the wings of illumination (Pegasus) and both soar into the heavens with awakened consciousness. The ostrich will no longer laugh; the former beast of burden now soars into the heavens.

"Is it by your wisdom that the hawk was created and wings his way toward the south." ²⁶¹ The ancient Egyptians used the hawk as a symbol for the Sun, the Light of the World.²⁶² In soul-centered astrology, the Sun signifies the Soul. To wing the Soul's way to the South is to aim for the highest point within the astrological Soul Map, the 10^th house cusp, ruled by Capricorn and the energy of initiation. Job is now an Initiate.

"Does the eagle soar at your command?" ²⁶³ As an Initiate, Job's conscious awareness can soar intentionally above the material plane. He can continue to live on Earth while maintaining his consciousness within the higher realms of Spirit. Job is learning to infuse the material world in which his physical body resides with the intuitive knowledge and life substance of the world of Spirit.

We will continue on Job's journey in the next lesson.

******

"I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago
was caught up to the third heaven-whether
in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows.
And I know that such a person .
was caught up into Paradise and heard things
that are not to be told.
that no mortal is permitted to repeat." ²⁶⁴

218 Job 38:1.

219 Job 38:3.

220 Our lower bodies are the physical, etheric, emotional, and lower mental parts of self.

221 Heline.  New Age  414.

222 Heline.  New Age  414-415.

223 Job 38:4.

224 Job 38:17, 19.

225 Job 38:25-26, 28a.

226 Heline.  New Age  414-415.

227 Mark 4:39.

228 Heline.  New Age  415.

229 John 14:12.

230 Job 38:31-33.

231 Heline.  New Age  416.

232 Alice Bailey, Esoteric Astrology  (New York:  Lucis Publishing Company, 1951) 376.

233 Bailey.  Esoteric  376, 384.

234 Bailey.  Esoteric  393.

235 http://www.winship.com.au/annew/Aldebaran.html

236 Bailey.  From Bethlehem  383-384.

237 Blavatsky  785.

238 http://www.pantheon.org/mythica/articles/h/hyades.html

239 Burt  51.

240 Blavatsky  785.

241 http://www.astro.wise.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Taurus.html

242 Burt  51.

243 Bailey  Esoteric  679.

244 Burt  51.

245 The Bull of Heaven, or Taurus, creates chaos by leading humanity to value only their materialistic and sensual desires.  Gilgamesh and Enkidu are spiritually evolved enough to resist the temptations presented by the Bull of Heaven.  They kill, or resist, any hold these temptations may have over them.  However, they are not yet fully divine.

246 The Epic of Gilgamesh, trans. Maureen Gallery Kovacs, (Stanford, California:  Stanford University Press, 198;5) xix-xxi.

247 The biblical story of Noah's survival of the flood is reminiscent of Utanapishtim.

248 Manly P. Hall, Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic, & Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy  (Los Angeles, California:  The Philosophical Research Society, Inc., 1978)  LVII.

249 Robert Bauval & Adrian Gilbert, The Orion Mystery:  Unlocking the Secrets of the Pyramids  (New York:  Crown Publishers, Inc., 1994)  124, 174-176.

250 Hall  XLIV, LVII.

251 Philippians 4:7.

252 Job 38:39-41.

253 Heline.  New Age  417.

254 Job 39:1-2.

255 Job 39:5.

256 Job 39:9-12.

257 Job 39:13-18.

258 John 12:49.

259 Job 39:19.

260 Hall  XCII.

261 Job 39:26.

262 Hall  LXXXIX.

263 Job 39:27a.

264 II Corinthians 12:2-4.