The Seven Rays
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVEN RAYS
Taken from Alan Oken’s
Soul-Centered Astrology: A Key To Your Expanding Self
With Comments by Nancy B. Detweiler, M.Ed., M.Div.
COMMENT: We function on a combination of Rays. The two major Rays upon which you are functioning will be connected to your Sun Sign and to the Ascendant within your Astrological Natal Chart. The only way to determine the Ascendant is to have a computer print-out of your natal chart. Since the Sun represents your Soul in esoteric astrology, you can learn the overall intent of your Soul by knowing its Ray. However, it is important to remember that the natal chart is an extremely detailed map of your Soul’s purposes for incarnating into a physical body. Learning about one or two Rays on which you are functioning is simply a beginning. There is always much more to learn!
I offer this brief information to assist you in “Know Thyself” – a major task in preparing for ascension into higher consciousness. Understanding your family members as unique human beings with specific soul intentions is also helpful.
Description of the Rays – Quoting Alan Oken
If your Sun Sign or Ascendant is Aries, Leo, or Capricorn, you are functioning on the FIRST RAY OF WILL/POWER. “The energy of the First Ray acts as a catalyst, breaking up old existing conditions so that new ones may eventuate.
Soul Level: The use of spiritual will for the benefit of the collective; power utilized for the purpose of enhancing unity and beauty; the expression of will for the purposes and well-being of the group.
Personality Level: Ray of soldier, statesman, ruler, explorer, leader, government, politics, and administration.
General positive Traits: Courage, diligence, quick discernment, leadership abilities , inspires others, adventurous, not dismayed by initial failures, but remains persistent until goal is achieved.
General Character Difficulties: Limitless ambition, uses will for selfish purposes, manipulative of others through personal power, easy to anger, cannot take criticism, strong sense of personal pride.
To Be Cultivated: Compassion, humility, tolerance, caring, sympathy.”
If your Sun Sign or Ascendant is Gemini, Virgo, or Pisces, you are functioning on the SECOND RAY OF LOVE/WISDOM. “The Second Ray is called the Master Builder…. It represents the cohesive force in the universe…. The Second Ray is the energy behind what we call “universal love” … connected to the powers of intuition…. The Second Ray instills cooperation between people, philanthropy, and the urge to serve.
Soul Level: The urge to bring about a sustaining, loving wholeness to any group or life situation; the ability—through magnetic attraction—to bring about healing; the focus for the stimulation of consciousness, and hence for greater love/wisdom; the ability to see beyond differences into unifying principles.
Personality Level: Ray of teachers, people in the healing and service professions.
General Positive Traits: Naturally sympathetic and compassionate; eager to be of assistance; generous and philanthropic; calm, strong, and patient when dealing with the daily situations of life; faithful and reliable; lovers of truth who are very intuitive by nature.
General Character Difficulties: Coldness, if Wisdom aspect is overemphasized; indifference to others; misplaced affection—always feeling sorry for things; a negative, ‘Why is it always happening to me’ outlook to life; rarely satisfied with personal accomplishments.
To Be Cultivated: Faith in love as the healing force in life.”
If your Sun Sign or Ascendant is Cancer, Libra, or Capricorn, you are functioning on the THIRD RAY OF ACTIVE INTELLIGENCE. “The energy of the Third Ray … permeates into every form of life. The Third is the Active Intelligence of Divinity, and represents the inherent intelligence within all matter…. All of humanity is strongly governed by the Third Ray…. The Ray of activity. People who are closely connected to the Third Ray are very much on the go.
Soul Level: The birthing of ideas to benefit humanity; the structuring of time and activities to allow for group energies to flourish; inherent, objective intelligence ready to be used in service to humanity in all ways.
Personality Level: Ray of the astrologer, scholar, judge, banker, economist, chess master, abstract thinker.
General Positive Traits: Adaptability, clear intellect, articulate speech, and ease in communicating ideas; business skills; ability to plan in advance in logical ways; a fine capacity not to worry oneself or others about insignificant matters.
General Character Difficulties: The tendency to be overly active and nervous; too much pride in one’s intellectual capabilities; selfishness through a sense of isolation; the manipulation of others, especially in terms of the use of other people’s resources; mind games; overly strong attachment to materialism.
To Be Cultivated: Tolerance, sympathy, devotion, accuracy in detail, open-mindedness to other people’s ideas.”
If your Sun Sign or Ascendant is Taurus, Scorpio, or Sagittarius, you are functioning on the FOURTH RAY OF HARMONY THROUGH CONFLICT. “The purpose of the Fourth Ray [is to be] an agent of balance. The Fourth Ray leads to that type of discrimination required for the life of the Soul and the way of service. It is thus the Ray of trial and error, so that we may move from the unreal to the real. The Fourth Ray is the energy behind what we may call ‘Divine Discontent’…. As the Ray of beauty and art, the Fourth Ray is also essentially the refiner—the urge for an ever-more-perfect representation of the Will of God in the many forms of Its expression…. The Fourth is the Ray of struggle, and those people who are especially connected to it will find a very special duality appearing in their lives…. As the Ray of the artist, the Fourth is especially connected to color. People who are closely associated with this Ray may find themselves with tremendous gifts.
Soul Level: The ‘Divine Artist’—one who seeks to raise humanity’s consciousness through the realization of the beauty and harmony existing in nature and in the world of forms; the mediator between heaven and earth, God and man; the Priest.
Personality Level: Ray of the mediator, interpreter, artist, and those healers whose treatments involve the harmonizing and balancing of the body’s energies and polarities—acupuncture, certain techniques of massage, color therapy.
General Positive Traits: Strong sense of equilibrium and symmetry; a poetic sensibility, especially about nature; imaginative and creative in the formation of one’s life-style; can sustain struggle and conflict until desired aims are achieved.
General Character Difficulties: Indolence, self-indulgence; may be overly passionate; may initiate conflicts unnecessarily; restlessness and a tendency to depression when goals cannot be accomplished. (Since the Fourth is very much a blend of Rays One & Two, when the energy of the First Ray of Will/Power is not in balance with the Second Ray, the resulting lack of direction for the expression of Will is clearly marked. This demonstrates as a poorly focused sense of personal orientation to life and a resultant lack of willpower.)
To Be Cultivated: Serenity, emotional balance, confidence, self-control, truth, clarity of purpose.
If your Sun Sign or Ascendant is Leo, Sagittarius, or Aquarius, you are functioning on the FIFTH RAY OF CONCRETE KNOWLEDGE. “The Fifth Ray is the expression of Love/Wisdom through the intellect. This occurs through scientific research and experimentation in order that the Plan of Divinity may be revealed through the mind of man…. It is the purpose of the Higher Mind to penetrate and purify the lower so that humanity may perceive, identify, and know the Mind of God behind all the forms of manifestation. This is the great work of the Fifth Ray.
As the sign of Aquarius is on the Fifth Ray and on no other, the scientist and researcher will lead the way into the esoteric realities in our time, and reveal through their work those metaphysical Laws and Principles which underlie the Ancient Wisdom Teachings.
[We are moving into the New Aquarian Age, thus the importance of this 5th Ray. LISTEN UP, ALL 5TH RAY PERSONS ] The more evolved of FIFTH RAY-influenced people will, through the scientific method, seek to prove the validity of metaphysical inquiry. The contributions they make to the well-being of society are limitless.
Soul Level: Those who work to be connecting links of intelligence between the abstract world of pure ideation and the concrete world of practical application; precision and exactitude in creating those forms and inventions which allow for the outpouring of Higher-Mind Intelligence.
Personality Level: Ray of the scientist, technician, lawyer, engineer, researcher, computer expert, and logician.
General Character Traits: Power to master a chosen field on expertise; detached observer in quest for truth; accuracy in speech; precise mental perceptions and vision for the application of knowledge; love of scientific inquiry.
General Character Difficulties: Lacking in compassion and sympathy; an overly narrow perspective; constant analysis and the splitting of hairs; pedantic; overemphasis on the form aspect of life; materialism; harsh criticism, mental pride, prejudice.
To Be Cultivated: Intellectual tolerance; devotion; active love, nurturing, reverence, and sympathy.”
If your Sun Sign or Ascendant is Virgo, Sagittarius, or Pisces, you are functioning on the SIXTH RAY OF DEVOTION & IDEALISM. “The Sixth has been the primary Ray of the Piscean Age—[the Age now ending]…. The religious creeds and ideals connected to martyrdom are still influential wherever the Sixth Ray energy predominates…. Terrorism, suicide, and all other urges for self-annihilation based on religious and/or philosophical idealism are very much under the influence of the Sixth Ray…. One finds in its expression those devotional qualities that keep families together, instill great and small philanthropic gestures, and denote such saintly people as Mother Teresa and St. Francis of Assisi…. The Sixth Ray is also the inspiring force of people for whom the principles of Love, Goodness, Purity of Heart, and Selflessness are living energies and form their way of life.
Soul Level: The urge to transform selfish and personal motivation into selfless, impersonal devotion for the good of all; the bringing about of circumstances which reorient the exclusive to the inclusive for the greater expression of Love/Wisdom.
Personality Level: Ray of the saint, martyr, evangelist/preacher, religious workers of all kinds, psychics, mediums, many kinds of healers, theologians, poets, etc.
General Positive Traits: Reverence and devotion; single-mindedness when attached to a cause; courage to fight for beliefs; love, tenderness, loyalty, sincerity, self-sacrifice.
General Character Difficulties: Fanaticism; blind devotion; bigotry and prejudice; exclusive attitudes; hero worship; overly dependent on others for emotional support.
To Be Cultivated: Tolerance; truth; common sense and practicality; flexibility to be supportive of other people’s views; balance of one’s feelings.”
[During the present transitional period, Earth is passing from the Piscean 6TH RAY Age
Into
The New Aquarian 7TH RAY Age]
If your Sun Sign or Ascendant is Aries, Cancer, or Capricorn, you are functioning on the SEVENTH RAY OF CEREMONIAL ORDER & MAGIC. “The Seventh Ray’s main function is to work for the infusion of the energies of spirit with the substance of matter…. It is the working of the Seventh Ray which aids in the fusion of the Soul and the personality, and the resulting reorientation of an individual’s life purpose and direction. It is this process of Soul infusion that can be symbolically rendered by the Seventh Ray alchemist as the process of changing lead into gold. The hope for the Aquarian Age, the Age of the Seventh Ray, is for such a ‘golden’ collective transformation and reorientation to take place for humanity…. The recognition of the esoteric value of crystals in terms of their healing properties has been reawakened from its origin in ancient, magical traditions. One should take note of the fact that the color particularly associated with the Seventh Ray is violet. Of all the many kinds of crystals available at the present time, the amethyst variety seems to be especially popular.
The function of the Seventh Ray is to change those forms, both physical and mental, which are no longer of service to the Plan of unfolding evolution of creativity…. The energy behind the New Age is Jupiter, esoteric ruler of Aquarius, and the planet most closely associated with the Second Ray of Love/Wisdom. It is this factor that is the great hope for the future of humanity.
Soul Level: The urge to gather, formulate, and harmonize various aspects of a given set of life circumstances into an ordered expression for the Will of God; the urge to make ‘heaven on earth.
Personality Level: Ray of the master of ceremonies of any event; film or stage producer; ritualist and shaman; organizational bureaucrat.
General Positive Traits: Care in detail, perseverance, strength, and self-reliance; the ability to bring forth order out of chaos; often able to merge the powers of will (Ray One) with cohesiveness (Ray Two) to produce material results (Ray Three).
General Character Difficulties: Too rigidly adheres to rules and regulations; may sacrifice self-determination to follow orders set down by superiors; may be very interested in omens and superstitions (especially if the Sixth Ray is also strong); pretentious, formal, follows ceremony mechanically.
To Be Cultivated: Humility, gentleness, tolerance, open-mindedness, greater realization of world unity.”
COMMENT: You may combine a study of your Ray/Rays with a study of your Sun Sign by going to my website: www.pathwaytoascension.com and scrolling down the left hand column of my Home Page to “Your Sun Signs,” then compare these with “Your Destiny Number” based on your name and also listed in the left hand column.
We live in an orderly cosmos that knows YOU in great detail. YOU are an integral part of the Whole and your place within the Divine Plan can be filled by no other.
The more you get to “KNOW THYSELF” as the cosmos knows you, the more exciting life becomes.
COMMENT: The biblical symbolism of 3 Crosses on Golgotha depicts our spiritual journey. Below is a brief description of each of the 3 crosses, taken from Alan Oken’s Soul-Centered Astrology: A Key To Your Expanding Self.
Mutable Cross: represents “the totally personality-centered individual…. The focus of awareness and the underlying life motivation are underscored by ‘desire’—desire for the material life…. The passage of many lifetimes is related to the Mutable Cross, and serves to give the Soul the necessary ‘knowledge of earthly experiences.’”
COMMENT: The Mutable Cross is represented by the criminal who derided Jesus in Luke23:39.
Fixed Cross: “At this stage of human evolution, desire mutates to ‘aspiration.’ Once again, one may spend many lifetimes at this level, for the refinement of the lower vehicles (the physical, emotional, and mental bodies) is a long process. The increasing tension of duality ‘between heaven and earth’ becomes strongly felt, and a choice is eventually made as to the nature of one’s path in life. One is now conscious of the personality-Soul relationship. At this point, one is said to be moving onto the Fixed Cross. The purpose of lifetimes spent here is the revelation of ‘the true nature of Love.’”
COMMENT: The Fixed Cross is represented by the criminal who recognized that Jesus had done nothing wrong. Luke 23:40-42
Cardinal Cross: “Once a person has become fully anchored in his/her Soul’s orientation, and Love has merged with knowledge to become Love’s Wisdom, evolution takes on a very distinct focus—total Soul-centeredness. The individual is then said to mount the Cardinal Cross…. [It is on the Cardinal Cross] that a person (finally!) gets his ‘job’—his planetary purpose in terms of service to the collective humanity. It is at this point that the personality has become the total vehicle for the Soul, and the orientation of the life has transformed itself from a personal to an impersonal one. This is called the Path of Sacrifice…. In this case, ‘sacrifice’ means the will to manifest, the ‘leaving of the Father’s House’ and the descent into matter.”
COMMENT: In other words, at this point in our spiritual evolution, we have the privilege of making a freewill choice to ‘sacrifice’ the glorious realms of spirit and incarnate into a physical body for the purpose of serving humanity.
COMMENT: The Cardinal Cross is represented by Jesus, who willingly incarnated to serve humanity by showing us the Path of Initiation into Higher Consciousness. Read my article entitled “Ascension” by scrolling down the center of my Home Page at www.pathwaytoascension.com.
COMMENT: Each of have lived many lifetimes and are presently living in accordance with one of the three crosses. We can greatly speed up our inner spiritual journey by consciously intending to ascend with planet Earth by 2012. Jesus incarnated to show all of humanity the Way. He did not start a religion nor did he adhere to one. Even though he spoke in the synagogues of his day, there is not one recorded word that he spoke in favor of the religious authorities. Instead, he repeatedly rebuked them. I say this to say that all of humanity ascends in the same way—by mounting the Cardinal Cross—regardless of the religion to which one adheres or does not follow.
All presently incarnated on Earth have been granted the opportunity to ascend with Earth IF WE SO CHOOSE. Soon the Ascended Masters and our galactic brothers and sisters will openly appear on Earth to be sure all know the process of Ascension and have the chance to achieve it. Then, our soul’s “job” will be to assist in creating “a new heaven and a new earth.”
