ESOTERIC ASTROLOGY
Volume III
A TREATISE ON THE SEVEN RAYS
by
ALICE A. BAILEY
Index Edition
Published by the Lucis Publishing Companies
The first and only publisher of the
24 books of Alice A. Bailey
www.lucistrust.org/books
COPYRIGHT 1951 BY LUCIS TRUST
COPYRIGHT RENEWED 1979 BY LUCIS TRUST
First Printing, 1951
Eighth Printing, 1971 (First Paperback Edition)
Eighteenth Printing, 2016 (Hardcover)
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 62006365
Ebook: First edition 2012. This 2018. ISBN No. 978 085330 420 3
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
The publication of this book is financed by the Tibetan Book Fund which is established for the perpetuation of the teachings of the Tibetan and Alice A. Bailey.
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The book has been translated into Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Swedish. Translation into other languages is proceeding.
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BOOKS BY ALICE A. BAILEY
Initiation, Human and Solar
Letters on Occult Meditation
The Consciousness of the Atom
A Treatise on Cosmic Fire
The Light of the Soul
The Soul and its Mechanism
From Intellect to Intuition
A Treatise on White Magic
From Bethlehem to Calvary
Discipleship in the New AgeVol. I
Discipleship in the New AgeVol. II
Problems of Humanity
The Reappearance of the Christ
The Destiny of the Nations
Glamour: A World Problem
Telepathy and the Etheric Vehicle
The Unfinished Autobiography
Education in the New Age
The Externalisation of the Hierarchy
A Treatise on the Seven Rays:
Vol. IEsoteric Psychology
Vol. IIEsoteric Psychology
Vol. IIIEsoteric Astrology
Vol. IVEsoteric Healing
Vol. VThe Rays and the Initiations
Contents
EXTRACT FROM A STATEMENT BY THE TIBETAN
Suffice it to say, that I am a Tibetan disciple of a certain degree, and this tells you but little, for all are disciples from the humblest aspirant up to, and beyond, the Christ Himself. I live in a physical body like other men, on the borders of Tibet, and at times (from the exoteric standpoint) preside over a large group of Tibetan lamas, when my other duties permit. It is this fact that has caused it to be reported that I am an abbot of this particular lamasery. Those associated with me in the work of the Hierarchy (and all true disciples are associated in this work) know me by still another name and office. A.A.B. knows who I am and recognises me by two of my names.
I am a brother of yours, who has travelled a little longer upon the Path than has the average student, and has therefore incurred greater responsibilities. I am one who has wrestled and fought his way into a greater measure of light than has the aspirant who will read this article, and I must therefore act as a transmitter of the light, no matter what the cost. I am not an old man, as age counts among the teachers, yet I am not young or inexperienced. My work is to teach and spread the knowledge of the Ageless Wisdom wherever I can find a response, and I have been doing this for many years. I seek also to help the Master M. and the Master K.H. whenever opportunity offers, for I have been long connected with Them and with Their work. In all the above, I have told you much; yet at the same time I have told you nothing which would lead you to offer me that blind obedience and the foolish devotion which the emotional aspirant offers to the Guru and Master Whom he is as yet unable to contact. Nor will he make that desired contact until he has transmuted emotional devotion into unselfish service to humanity-not to the Master.
The books that I have written are sent out with no claim for their acceptance. They may, or may not, be correct, true and useful. It is for you to ascertain their truth by right practice and by the exercise of the intuition. Neither I nor A.A.B. is the least interested in having them acclaimed as inspired writings, or in having anyone speak of them (with bated breath) as being the work of one of the Masters. If they present truth in such a way that it follows sequentially upon that already offered in the world teachings, if the information given raises the aspiration and the will-to-serve from the plane of the emotions to that of the mind (the plane whereon the Masters can be found) then they will have served their purpose. If the teaching conveyed calls forth a response from the illumined mind of the worker in the world, and brings a flashing forth of his intuition, then let that teaching be accepted. But not otherwise. If the statements meet with eventual corroboration, or are deemed true under the test of the Law of Correspondences, then that is well and good. But should this not be so, let not the student accept what is said.
August 1934
THE GREAT INVOCATION
From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.
From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.
From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out.
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.
Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.
The above Invocation or Prayer does not belong to any person or group but to all Humanity. The beauty and the strength of this Invocation lies in its simplicity, and in its expression of certain central truths which all men, innately and normally, acceptthe truth of the existence of a basic Intelligence to Whom we vaguely give the name of God; the truth that behind all outer seeming, the motivating power of the universe is Love; the truth that a great Individuality came to earth, called by Christians, the Christ, and embodied that love so that we could understand; the truth that both love and intelligence are effects of what is called the Will of God; and finally the self-evident truth that only through humanity itself can the Divine Plan work out.
ALICE A. BAILEY
CHAPTER I - The Zodiac and the Rays
[3] What I have to say first on this subject is entirely of a preliminary nature. I seek to lay the ground for a somewhat new approacha far more esoteric approachto the science of astrology. Certain things I may say will probably be regarded by the academic and uninspired astrologer as revolutionary, or as erroneous, as improbable or unprovable. As yet, however, astrology has not really proved itself to the world of thought and science, in spite of many definitely demonstrable successes. I would ask all of you, therefore, who read and study this section of A Treatise on the Seven Rays to bear in mind the above comments and to preserve a willingness to consider hypotheses and to make an effort to weigh a theory or suggestion and to test out conclusions over the course of a few years. If you can do this, there may come to you an awakening of the intuition which will translate modern astrology into something of real moment and significance to the world. It is intuitional astrology which must eventually supersede what is today called astrology, thus bringing about a return to the knowledge of that ancient science which related the constellations and our solar system, drew attention to the nature of the zodiac and informed humanity as to the basic inter-relations [4] which govern and control the phenomenal and subjective worlds.