Basic Metaphysics 101

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A Tragic Misconception

In a desert land of Arabian horses, an orphaned foal was raised by a family of camels. As the young colt grew, he did everything the camels did. He plodded tirelessly across the hot sands. He toted large burdens of cargo on his back, and he watered his parched mouth at every oasis. Once he kicked up his heels in a sudden impulse to run, but then only swayed at a lumbering pace, because-that's the way camels are supposed to run, aren't they?

After many years of camel life, the Arabian steed grew old and tired. One day, as his weary eyes looked out across a sea of land, he saw a magnificent horse galloping at full speed like the wind, his shiny mane streaming out from his noble head.

"What a beautiful animal!" exclaimed the elderly orphan. "What is it?"

"That's an Arabian horse, fastest and most beautiful of all the animals in our land," answered one of the camels.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful to run like that?" mused the old horse. But he put it out of his mind, and died thinking he was a camel.

"Daughter/Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours."

(Luke 15:31)

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus is revealing out true relationship with God.

Read Chapter 6 in A New Age Christian

In order to Know Thyself, we must look beyond the physical body. As seen in the Divine Self Chart, the physical body signifies the man or woman of dust. (Refer to the end of Lesson 1 in which the Apostle Paul speaks of the man of dust and the man of heaven.) For a relatively short period, the physical body houses the personality named Jack or Sarah.

The Divine Self Chart

Soon Jack and Sarah's physical body will return to dust, while their Soul/Higher Self/Christ Self and I AM PRESENCE remains as the man/woman of heaven. This permanent part of self is what lives eternally-the one life. Any number of physical embodiments as particular personalities may be included in this one eternal life of the Soul/Higher Self.

NOTE: Contrary to traditional Christian teachings, eternal = no beginning and no ending. The one eternal life that is your Soul's to live did not begin with your birth into the present physical body as the personality Jack or Sarah. Instead, your Soul/Higher Self is a being of spirit choosing to learn and grow through an incarnation in a physical body on Planet Earth.

Knowing Thyself involves recognition of our seven bodies: four lower bodies = physical, etheric, emotional/astral, and lower mental (the intellect); three higher bodies = the intuitive/buddhic/Higher/Christ Self, atmic, and I AM PRESENCE or MONAD. (Our seven bodies are referred to by various names, but mean the same.) In the above illustration, the Causal Body stores all the good energy we have created for use in serving others. The old hymn "Stars in My Crown" refers to this good deed energy stored in the Causal Body. Only the good we create lives on in higher realms, where the Causal Body merges into the I AM PRESENCE. The negative must be transmuted before we can ascend into higher consciousness.

Our seven bodies correspond to the 7 major planes of existence, each of which are characterized by seven levels of conscious awareness.

The Astral Plane corresponds to our emotional body. Gaining control of our emotions is the most difficult part of our inner spiritual journey. Note the Purple Transmuting Flame that relates to the Physical and Astral Planes. This is the eternal flame that burns as a lake of fire, mentioned in Revelation. This Flame is a symbol of God's grace, present to transmute all negativity that we choose to offer to it.

The hellish levels of the Astral Plane do not exist as God's means of eternal punishment. They exist because humanity created them by heinous deeds and emotions. One of the universal laws is "Like attracts like." When we focus our attention on savage actions, thoughts, and feelings, we create a level of existence that resonates with our savagery-thus, the hellish region. The average person, upon physical death, crosses over into some level of the Astral Plane. The Catholic Church calls the higher levels of the Astral Plane purgatory and teaches that the individual sojourn there is most often temporary. (We can remain there as long as we choose.) The biblical story of the rich man and the beggar, Lazarus, found in Luke 16:19-31 depicts the emotional turmoil that often occurs while the soul is in purgatory.

The purpose of purgatory is transmutation of negative energy. The eternal lake of fire is present for all to use in this transmuting process. Once the soul's astral body is largely transmuted, the soul ascends to the higher levels of the Astral Plane or the lower Mental Plane. Reincarnation into another physical body is available as a means to advance more rapidly on the inner spiritual journey. Earth has been an excellent schoolhouse because it offered life experiences on the plane of duality and learning to consciously choose the Good over all forms of negativity. However, this is changing-Earth is preparing to ascend into higher consciousness and its inhabitants may accompany it if they so choose.

Earth and its inhabitants are living within a transitional period-we are moving out of the Piscean Age into the New Aquarian Age, out of the plane of duality into the levels of higher consciousness where Love & Light exclude all negativity. We can see from the chart below the status of Earth inhabitants within the overall divine scheme of Soul evolution (not to be confused with Darwin's theory of physical evolution). The chart depicts the Soul's journey out from the heart of God > into dense physicality (the plane of duality) > and back to heart of God. This journey has taken eons (ages) and will require additional eons before the goal is accomplished. Once our galactic family is allowed to openly land on Earth's surface, we will discover the true extent of our Soul's

evolutionary journey. The above chart relates to the soul journey of Earth humans. Many presently residing on Earth are originally from other planets. These more advanced souls have incarnated on Earth at this particular time in order to guide Earth humans into higher levels of conscious awareness.

Although the number of active chakras are increasing as our level of consciousness is heightened, all Earth humans have seven more or less active chakras. These seven chakras are active enough to maintain life within the physical body. Our seven chakras are located in the etheric body and over the physical organs. As you can see from the chart below, each chakra is a center ruling the various powers of humanity, such as love, creativity, sexuality, and the instinct for survival.

Taken from Soul Psychology: Keys to Ascension, Joshua David Stone, Ph.D.

The 1^st Chakra is the root or base chakra located at the base of the spine.

Color = Red 1^st chakra rules our sense of smell.

If your 1^st chakra is open, you will feel peaceful and secure.

If your 1^st chakra is blocked, you will experience fears based on insecurity, the desire to cling to the status quo or material possessions, and/or the fear of change. You may lack the capacity to assert yourself in a loving, positive manner.

The serpent fire/kundalini energy rests in the 1^st chakra.

Affirmations for healing 1^st chakra dis-eases are:

"I AM secure in the knowledge that God and I are One."

"I AM the fulfillment of my needs and requirements."

The Divine Self Chart

The 2^nd chakra or spleen chakra is located over the spleen. Some metaphysicians state the 2^nd chakra is the seat of the soul.

Color = Orange 2^nd chakra rules our sense of taste.

If your 2^nd chakra is open, you will possess a strong sense of self-identity, self-esteem, and rootedness within the whole of creation. The urge to be creative is present.

If your 2^nd chakra is blocked, you will tend to be self-effacing and/or subject to an inferiority complex. Issues may center around money, sex, power, and control. You may have difficulty expressing your own unique creative talents.

The 2^nd chakra is our sexual center, the center of our creativity. It relates to the balancing of our masculine and feminine energies-the attainment of androgyny. The back of the 2^nd chakra relates to the subconscious mind.

Affirmations for healing 2^nd chakra dis-eases:

"I AM a beloved child of God."

"I AM made in the image of God; thus, I AM love, I AM powerful, I AM the light of the world, I AM co-creator with God."

The 3^rd chakra or solar plexus chakra is located over the navel/adrenal glands.

Color = Yellow 3^rd chakra rules our sense of sight.

If your 3^rd chakra is open, you will be aware of the unlimited power available to you as a God-child. You have the capacity for spontaneity and trust of others.

If your 3^rd chakra is blocked, you will feel powerless, inhibited, dependent. You may tend to manipulate your environment in an effort to feel powerful. May be fearful and easily intimidated.

The 3^rd chakra is our power/emotional center. If blocked, you may feel hate, resentment, and/or the desire for revenge.

Warning: We can become psychic through the 3^rd chakra; however, this solar plexus chakra places us in contact with the astral plane. Although much good is present in the upper levels of the astral plane, it is still the plane of illusion. Some degree of negativity is present on all levels of the astral plane, therefore misconceptions, misinformation, and outright trickery is possible. Psychic attunement to the astral plane opens us to possible manipulation. Ego involvement in psychic attunement is fraught with danger for this very reason.

The goal in ascension is spiritual enlightenment, to raise our psychic (better stated intuitive) skills to the level of clairvoyance through the 6^th chakra (the 3^rd Eye). Attunement to the intuitional/buddhic plane requires purification of our lower bodies-physical/etheric, emotional, and lower mental-through the process of holistic growth described in Lesson 1.

"I AM made in the image of God; therefore, I AM heir to all power."

"I AM forgiving. I AM compassionate."

The 4^th chakra or heart chakra is located over the heart and thymus gland.

Color = Green 4^th chakra rules our sense of touch.

If your 4^th chakra is open, you will radiate unconditional love and acceptance of others. You will feel no fear, for "perfect love casts out fear." (I John 4:18)

If your 4^th chakra is blocked, you will experience an inability to love unconditionally. You can be confused over the true meaning of love, believing it to mean "love me." You may feel starved for love, angry, have trouble forgiving self and others, and lack an optimistic view of life.

The 4^th chakra is our Love center.

Affirmations for healing of 4^th chakra dis-eases:

"I AM Love."

"I AM radiating the love of God."

The 5^th chakra or throat chakra is located over the throat and thyroid gland.

Color = Blue 5^th chakra rules our sense of sound.

If your 5^th chakra is open, you can truthfully affirm: "God's will is my will."

If your 5^th chakra is blocked, you are engaged in battle with God: "My will versus Your will." You may have trouble following your dream, tend toward addictive behavior, be overly sensitive to criticism, and have difficulty making decisions.

The 5^th chakra is our Will center, the center of communication and self-expression. From this center we-as co-creators with God-issue the fiat: "Let us .." (Fiat = an authoritative decree or command) The Spoken Word = the fiat of creation. "And God said, 'Let there be .. Let us make.." (Genesis 1)

When we issue the fiat, "Let us," we are affirming I, in cooperation with my I AM PRESENCE. Or. I, as a physical manifestation of my I AM PRESENCE.. In other words, "GOD, LET YOU & I .." Let is a translation from the biblical imperative . it is often a 3^rd person imperative. In the English language, we use Let to request permission. In the context of Genesis 1, "Let us" is a command. It is from the 5^th chakra-the Will chakra-that we make this command.

The 6^th chakra or 3^rd Eye chakra is located over the brow.

Color = Indigo 6^th chakra rules our sense of discernment.

The 6^th chakra is associated with the pituitary gland.

If your 6^th chakra is open, you have tapped into your Soul's wisdom and integrated it into your daily lifestyle. You have the ability to discern illusion from Truth.

If your 6^th chakra is blocked, you will lack the ability to discern illusion from Truth. You can have difficulty integrating knowledge into wise action, be closed to the ideas of others, and fail to learn from your experiences. There can be feelings of inadequacy.

The 6^th chakra (most often called the 3^rd Eye) is our Wisdom center. It relates to the conscious mind and has to do with spiritual vision, inner seeing, clairvoyance. The 6^th chakra places us in contact with the intuitive plane and above. Purification of our lower bodies is a requirement before we are granted the spiritual gift of clairvoyance into the intuitional/buddhic plane.

Affirmations for healing of 6^th chakra dis-eases:

"I AM a receptacle for all wisdom."

"I AM the wisdom to discern illusion from Truth."

The 7^th chakra or crown chakra is located over the top of our head.

Color = Purple 7^th chakra rules our sense of total awareness.

The 7^th chakra (most often called the crown chakra) relates to the superconscious mind, our I AM PRESENCE. The 7^th chakra is our gateway to higher spiritual energies. It is associated with the pineal gland. The 7^th chakra is the narrow gate through which we seek to enter the kingdom of God.

If your 7^th chakra is open, you possess the ability to trust life and to perceive the overall divine plan. You are selfless, inspired, and think in terms of the Oneness of all humanity.

If your 7^th chakra is blocked, you may experience energy disorders, such as chronic fatigue. Extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and other environmental factors may be present.

The 7^th chakra increases in size as we progress on the spiritual path (or through the 6 initiations depicted by the life of Jesus). Eventually, the crown chakra covers most of the top of the head. It is our center of Cosmic Consciousness.

Affirmations for the 7^th chakra: (Refer to the Divine Self chart)

"I AM THAT I AM."

"I AM Light Divine."

"I AM Love."

"I AM Will."

"I AM the resurrection and life eternal."

The lower chakras are concerned with receiving into our etheric and physical bodies two types of energy. The 1^st chakra = the serpent fire or kundalini energy from the Earth. The 2^nd chakra = the energy of vitality from the Sun.

The middle chakras are concerned with forces that reach us through our personality. These middle chakras are the 3^rd (solar plexus), 4^th (heart), and 5^th (throat) chakras. Remember the personality is the part of us that is named Jack or Sarah-the non-permanent part that exists during this one physical incarnation.

The lower and middle chakras are open enough to maintain life in every human being. There is no necessary connection between the first five chakras and spiritual maturity. For this reason, we see persons who are psychic and spiritually immature. We can be sensitive to the astral plane through the 3^rd chakra (solar plexus). The reason the ability to discern Truth from illusion is vitally important is that the spiritually immature or foolhardy individual cannot make intuitive contact with planes higher than the astral. Remember the astral plane is purgatory or the plane of purification. Though some of the information the immature psychic receives may be accurate, it is preferable to focus on attaining spiritual maturity and attunement with the Intuitional/Buddhic planes where Truth resides.

The higher chakras are the 6^th (3^rd Eye) and 7^th (Crown) chakras. These two stand apart from the others and become active only after a certain degree of spiritual maturity has been achieved. The 3^rd Eye and Crown chakras are infinitely more complex than the other chakras. As we advance spiritually, the universal energy taken in is of much greater variety and extent. Service to others becomes essential as an outlet for the energy and to remain grounded. Jesus spent time in prayer and meditation; then, released the incoming energies by serving others. Recall the formula for meditation in Lesson 1.

At this level of spiritual maturity, we need to be able to answer the question: "How is the world a better place because I am living on the planet?" Each of us have a unique role to play within the divine plan and fulfilling that Soul agreement is a prerequisite for ascension.

Earth humans receive at least 4 types of energy from the Universe. They are:

1. Electricity or Light - a primary force that enters through the 2^nd or spleen chakra as white light. This white light is broken down into the color spectrum and spreads throughout the body.

2. Vitality - energy from the Sun. Sunshine is essential to good physical, emotional, and mental health. It is also an excellent source of healing. We can get plenty of sunshine-without sunbathing-by engaging in outside activities.

3. Life force or prana - affects human consciousness on the emotional and mental levels.

4. Kundalini energy - is referred to in the Bible and other ancient literature as the "serpent" or "serpent-fire." Kundalini energy lies dormant in the 1^st chakra. The power of kundalini energy is in sympathetic relationship to the unapproachable energies at the center of the Earth.

Humanity draws powerful Universal energies from the God above and the Earth below-our Father/Mother God. These powers meet within each of us and assist in our spiritual evolution. We cannot have one without the other. If one is greatly in excess of the other, there is danger. Hence the grave danger of activating the kundalini energy before our energy field has been purified and we are spiritually mature enough to control the force of this extremely powerful energy.

Warning: Many metaphysical books offer exercises for awakening this kundalini energy. My advice is: Do not engage in this artificial raising of the highly concentrated kundalini energy.

As we mature spiritually-through holistic growth, meditation, and loving service to others-the kundalini energy will harmlessly and naturally be activated, granting us the gifts of the spirit: clairvoyance and clairaudience to the Intuitional/Buddhic plane and higher.

There are no shortcuts. To attempt to raise the kundalini force prematurely can have devastating effects. This powerful energy can burn out our entire nervous system. It can also cause irreversible schizophrenia that can take this lifetime and several more lifetimes to correct. At the least, the premature raising of the kundalini energy will cause great physical pain as it burns away the pockets of negativity blocking its upward path through the chakras.

Patience is a spiritual discipline. Patiently allowing your chakras and kundalini energy to be activated naturally is the requirement for safe spiritual growth. Much purification of the physical body, the emotions, and thought patterns must take place before the kundalini energy can rise painlessly and harmlessly. Ascended Master St. Germain has given us the gift of the Purple Transmuting Flame to assist in our purification process.

Patience, self-discipline, purification, a holistic program for good physical, emotional, and mental health-all are required as we embark upon our inner spiritual journey. Done wisely, our spiritual growth will grant us all the benefits while we avoid the dangers.

The Narrow Path back to God requires more skills, self-discipline, and wisdom than does the Wide Path. To step onto the Narrow Path is a freewill choice. When we so choose, we make the intention: "God, I want to ascend to a higher level of consciousness. I want to be re-united with You. In order to do so, I am willing to undergo each of the six Initiations demonstrated by Jesus-a Wayshower and World Teacher." (See the article entitled "Ascension" on this website's home page.)

ADDITIONAL READING: I highly recommend Carolina Myss' book Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power & Healing and her Audio CD entitled Energy Anatomy. Carolina Myss, Ph.D.acts as a guide for holistic growth. Dr. Myss offers a variety of resources, including CDs, books, and retreats. Her materials may be purchased through this website's bookstore under the category entitled "Healing."

Another excellent book for holistic growth and empowerment is Twelve Powers in You, David Williamson, D.Min.; Gay Lynn Williamson, M.A. Psy.; and Robert H. Knapp, M.D. It may be purchased in this website's bookstore under the category entitled "Healing."

Read through the information on each of the 7 chakras, making note in your journal of those chakras that appear blocked-based on the symptoms listed.

Determine how you want to work through the difficulties blocking your chakras. Dr. Carolina Myss' book Anatomy of the Spirit is a very helpful resource regarding the chakras.

Journal your growth plan and your progress. Journaling is one of the most therapeutic ways to draw forth all repressed emotions. Seeing how you truly feel written on paper allows you to more positively deal with your feelings and to release them.

REMEMBER: Your journal is for your eyes only. You can be completely honest with yourself.

END OF LESSON 2