| Basically, Baby, Infant and Young souls do not | | | | predominantly imbued by one of the Seven Rays. |
| have as yet coordinated personalities and their | | | | The physical body, for instance may be ruled by |
| souls are often governed by the lower instincts | | | | one of the Seven Rays, the emotional or astral |
| and impulses of their personality. Mature and Old | | | | body may be ruled by another. When the four |
| souls are more in control and their personalities | | | | lower bodies of the microcosm functions in |
| are integrated and functioning under the direction | | | | harmony their ruling Rays are in turn coordinated |
| of the Higher Self, the Soul. At each stage and | | | | by one specific Ray. When this occurs there are |
| level the soul's consciousness level expands. It | | | | three ruling Rays in the microcosm of man to |
| becomes more spiritually aware. Almost all | | | | consider: the Ray ruling the Monad (the Spirit), the |
| prophets were Old souls. They gave teachings to | | | | Ray ruling the Soul, and the Ray ruling the |
| the younger ones that eventually was | | | | Personality. Each microcosm, or each human being |
| misunderstood by them and created into dogmas. | | | | as a totality, may not have the same ruling Rays. |
| Young souls are incapable of spiritually guiding Old | | | | For instance, one person's personality may be |
| souls. Young souls merely believe that which they | | | | ruled by the second ray, another the third, or |
| feel to be true; Old souls know what they know. | | | | fourth, etc. |
| Young souls guess, Old souls perceive. It is said | | | | A study of these Rays help us to understand the |
| that Infant souls learn their karmic lessons | | | | Soul's make-up, its potentialities, its weaknesses |
| through suffering; Baby souls through pain; Young | | | | and strengths, its quirks, and karmic destiny. One's |
| souls through losing; Mature souls through anguish; | | | | Ray type/s may be considered as the nature of |
| and Old souls through terror. | | | | the power assumed in order for one to play one's |
| There is one principle that ought to be | | | | role in the cosmic scheme of things. The Seven |
| understood, and that is the appropriateness of | | | | Rays have spiritual, psychological and physical |
| activity and expression of souls no matter what | | | | attributes, powers, and virtues. Their |
| stage they are on. It is alright for a Baby soul to | | | | characteristics are represented by the seven |
| act as a baby, but for an Adult soul to act as one | | | | fields of endeavor: |
| is inappropriate and is retrogressive. It is possible | | | | [Please visit our website for the table] |
| to draw a correspondence between the three | | | | Each Ray may be perfectly or imperfectly |
| systems discussed above. | | | | expressed, and thus would seem that they have |
| The eyes have long been considered as the | | | | positive and negative qualities. However, the Rays |
| windows of the soul. This is an occult fact. The | | | | are actually neutral in nature. Some of their |
| soul's age may be intuitively felt by its | | | | attributes are: |
| eye-emanations, by the way it gazes, the force | | | | [Please visit our website for the table] |
| and quality that it's eyes radiates. Younger souls | | | | The Seven Ray types of men are represented |
| are said to have clear energetic eyes while older | | | | by the: King-First Ray, Sage-Second Ray, |
| souls possess a deeper, worn-out, experienced | | | | Server-Third Ray, Artisan-Fourth Ray, |
| look. Transcendental souls, or those bordering | | | | Scholar-Fifth Ray, Priest-Sixth Ray, |
| upon perfection, the Old souls, have eyes that | | | | Warrior-Seventh Ray. |
| radiates power, warmth, love, compassion, and | | | | We regret that we are not able to elaborate upon |
| sincerity. They often have a faraway look as | | | | the teachings of the Rays and how the raw data |
| though they were looking towards infinity. They | | | | given above adds up together. To do so would go |
| have eyes that see through you. | | | | beyond the scope of this paper. We advice those |
| The predominant soul age of the population of | | | | who wish to delve further to study the teachings |
| any country reflects upon its social life, its social | | | | of Alice Bailey and her modern interpreters. |
| mores, beliefs, and the perpetuation of its cultural | | | | SOUL AND IMMORTALITY |
| and traditional values. A country's soul-age can | | | | Immortality in a religious sense, is the conception |
| clearly be seen in how their internal and external | | | | of the survival or continuation of self-identity, |
| diplomatic affairs are conducted, and how their | | | | self-awareness, and all of the soul's innate qualities |
| people act in a crisis. A materialistic nation is | | | | and attributes through the "Great Initiation," as |
| basically composed of Young souls whereas a | | | | death is sometimes called. Some conceive |
| mystically-oriented society is comprised | | | | immortality as a potential condition to be attained |
| fundamentally of Old ones. Indonesia, the country | | | | by the individual through good works and moral |
| where this writer lives is mainly composed of | | | | living; others believe that immortality is an innate |
| Infant and Baby souls; with a smaller percentage | | | | state of the soul. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804), the |
| of Young souls trailing behind. Adult and Old souls | | | | German philosopher, defined immortality of the |
| are few in comparison. | | | | soul thus: |
| TYPES OF SOULS | | | | "The immortality of the soul means the infinitely |
| There are no two Monads exactly alike, just as | | | | prolonged existence of one and the same rational |
| there are no two Souls exactly of the same | | | | being." |
| similarity. Each Monad, Soul, or entity are one of a | | | | The above statement implies that Kant believed |
| kind, each a distinctive facet of the One Divinity, | | | | souls would perceive and rationally understand |
| of the One Reality. Nevertheless, generally | | | | themselves to be the same as they were in the |
| speaking, it is possible to broadly classify the | | | | mortal state. |
| psychological aspects of souls. There are many | | | | Among the people of ancient cultures, the |
| systems of classifying humanity based upon body | | | | Egyptians were perhaps the first to give credence |
| type and psychological nature. Physically speaking, | | | | to immortality. For the departed they formulated |
| bodies may be classed as ectomorph, endomorph, | | | | specific rituals that would guide those souls in the |
| and mesomorph; and psychologically as | | | | many events of the afterworld, such as the |
| introverted or extroverted, etc. In metaphysics | | | | Judgement in the Hall of Osiris. It was believed |
| there are also various methods of classification. | | | | that their angel of death, the god Anubis, would |
| The astrological method seems to be the most | | | | assist the newly deceased to pass over to the |
| popular one. | | | | Otherside where in the Judgement Hall it would be |
| It is no coincidence that both the Chinese and | | | | weighed on the scales against Maat, or Truth. |
| Western astrological systems have twelve signs | | | | The famed "Book of the Dead" was a guide for |
| representing twelve types of men. However, | | | | the Ba, the soul, written in hieroglyphics upon the |
| esoteric astrology teaches that this sum is | | | | walls of the tomb so that the soul would know |
| erroneous. According to the esoteric teachings | | | | the things awaited it and what it had to do. That |
| there are actually 144 basic types. Exoterically | | | | immortality was a salient point in Egyptian beliefs |
| speaking, since the characteristics of each sign, | | | | may be seen by one of the inscriptions found on |
| both Western and Chinese have been | | | | a wall of a Fifth-Dynasty tomb: |
| well-documented in books we will not trouble | | | | "They depart not as those who are dead, but |
| ourselves explaining them here. | | | | they depart as those who are living." |
| Still related to astrology are the planetary types. | | | | The belief that the soul survived the body and its |
| This gets its name from the planets of our solar | | | | eventual return was one of the exoteric reasons |
| system and the sun and moon, although the latter | | | | that the Egyptians mummified their dead thus |
| two are not technically planets. Below we list the | | | | preserving it from deterioration. However, the real |
| positive and negative characteristics of these | | | | reason why cadavers were mummified is yet |
| planetary types of men (excluding the Plutonian, | | | | undisclosed. That they did not really expect their |
| for much is still not yet known of this type) as | | | | departed to return to the same body and be |
| extracted from Michael's Handbook: | | | | resurrected therein can be seen by their practice |
| The Moon or Lunar Type | | | | of the removal of the internal organs and placing |
| Positive: Calm, methodical, passive, patient, | | | | them in special urns. If the body was to be |
| tenacious, maternal, sympathetic, and receptive. | | | | reused they certainly would not have evacuated |
| Negative: Moody, introspective, cold-hearted, | | | | the internal organs. The practice of mummification |
| incommunicative, willfull, stubborn, unforgiving, | | | | is analogous to our modern practice of cryogenics |
| depressive, and destructive. | | | | in which newly deceased bodies are frozen. There |
| The Sun or Solar Type | | | | is always a hope among men that future |
| Positive: Radiant, creative, elegant, dignified, | | | | technology would be able to resurrect the dead. |
| refined, innocent, fun-loving, and childlike. | | | | What motivates men to preserve the dead body |
| Negative: Airy, aloof, intolerant, naïve, | | | | is the instinctive desire for immortality. Men have |
| indiscriminate, greedy, and juvenile. | | | | always believed that a future life is possible, |
| The Mercurian Type | | | | whether in this dimension or in some other realms. |
| Positive: Intellectually active, perceptive, witty, | | | | Cicero once wrote that, |
| clever, versatile, and clarity of expression. | | | | "There is in the minds of men, I know not how, a |
| Negative: Inconsistent, impulsive, explosive, | | | | certain presage of a future existence; and this |
| nervous, sarcastic, argumentative, and cynical. | | | | takes deepest root in the greatest geniuses and |
| The Venusian Type | | | | most exalted souls." |
| Positive: Harmonious, socially warm, loving, gentle, | | | | Why is the immortality of the soul believed in so |
| non-judgmental, loyal, easy-going, and friendly. | | | | emphatically in most religions and philosophical |
| Negative: Lazy, dependent, indecisive, careless, | | | | thought? In ancient times man was considered to |
| sentimental, and sloppy. | | | | be a dual creature. He had a physical body that |
| The Martian Type | | | | was tangible and corporeal; however the ancients |
| Positive: Vigorous, energetic, passionate, decisive, | | | | also recognized the fact that man had feelings |
| brutally honest, heroic nature, and forthright. | | | | and thoughts, and this was related to an intangible |
| Negative: Impulsive, irritable, pugnacious, defensive, | | | | factor that they conceived of as spirit or soul. In |
| quarrelsome, brutal, rude, lacking forethought. | | | | addition to this, the many supernatural phenomena |
| The Jupiterian Type | | | | such as hauntings and psychic contacts convinced |
| Positive: Grand, generous, benevolent, | | | | man that the soul was indeed immortal and |
| compassionate, kind, loyal, caring, affectionate, | | | | survive the death of the physical body. To the |
| and philosophical. | | | | ancients, another factor that gave credence to |
| Negative: Self-indulgent, extravagant, conceited, | | | | immortality is that the life-force accompanies the |
| wasteful, and craving attention. | | | | breath when man as a newly-born child makes its |
| The Saturnian Type | | | | first inhalation, and that they also depart |
| Positive: Paternal, calm, secretive, just, moderate, | | | | simultaneously at the time of death. The soul was |
| and self-controlled. | | | | conceived of as being released together with the |
| Negative: Immutable, inflexible, overly intellectual, | | | | last breath. Since the breath is indestructible, so |
| despondent, severe, aloof, and feelingless. | | | | likewise was the soul. The living body breathes, |
| The Neptunian Type | | | | the dead does not. Many cultures used the same |
| Positive: Spiritual, quiet, idealistic, imaginative, | | | | word to mean both breath and soul, or |
| sensitive, graceful, and artistically creative. | | | | life-essence. The ancient Greeks for instance used |
| Negative: Impractical, unworldly, uncertain, and | | | | the word, "pneuma" to designate the breath and |
| melancholy | | | | likewise the vital force that animates man. They |
| The Uranian Type | | | | also used the word psyche to designate the mind |
| Positive: Independent, original, strong-willed, loathing | | | | and soul. |
| restriction, and humanitarian. | | | | Another concept of immortality is that the soul |
| Negative: Eccentric, rebellious, and deviant. | | | | was never created and that it had always existed |
| *************** | | | | though its consciousness may not be as |
| 7-Ray Types | | | | developed as it is now. What has no beginning has |
| Aside from the methods of classification above, | | | | no end. Whatever had an inception is conceived to |
| the 7- Ray types have acquired popularity in | | | | have a termination. In the Phaedo, Plato has |
| recent years with the teachings of the early | | | | Socrates arguing for the immortality of the soul. |
| Theosophical leaders and the writings of Alice | | | | It is said that the belief in immortality is a direct |
| Bailey. The study of the Seven Rays is an | | | | extension of man's instinct of self-preservation. All |
| abstruse subject and there is much concerning it | | | | creatures struggle to survive, to maintain the |
| that has not yet been revealed by the Spiritual | | | | life-force; all of man's finer instincts imbues within |
| Masters. Nevertheless, that which has already | | | | him the sense of the continuity of self-identity |
| been given to humanity in the Alice Bailey | | | | notwithstanding the transitory process. It is |
| teachings are substantial and it takes more than | | | | instinctive in man to believe in a continuation of life |
| mere intellect to apprehend them. | | | | rather than its cessation. Subconsciously man |
| Before briefly explaining the Seven Ray types, it | | | | knows what the conscious mind only has a |
| would be appropriate to clarify matters regarding | | | | faintest realization. In "Ethics" Spinoza affirmed: |
| the Rays. We will attempt to present this simply, | | | | "We feel and know that we are eternal." |
| in accord with our present understanding of the | | | | From the scientific point of view, granted that the |
| subject. What are these Rays? Every object, | | | | soul survives the physical form, it is still no |
| entity, being, and particle radiates energy. The Sun | | | | assurance that it will maintain its integrity or |
| in our solar system radiates tremendous amount | | | | structure forever. For instance, why is it that |
| of cosmic energies for the purpose of nourishing | | | | some religious doctrines believe that the soul may |
| the planets and all beings therein. The Spiritual Sun, | | | | experience "the second death"? In what sense? |
| or the Spirit of the Sun, radiates a spiritual energy | | | | Also, when the soul is considered to be immortal |
| of a certain quality. This energy has three aspects | | | | does this refer to its form or its essence? If its |
| to it and four attributes, just as the physical light | | | | essence is considered immortal science would |
| spectrum has three primary colors and four | | | | agree, for it knows that matter and energy are |
| lesser ones. Each aspect and attribute of this | | | | interchangeable one for the other and is |
| primary spiritual energy in turn have specific | | | | essentially indestructible. Nothing is ever destroyed |
| qualities. These seven differentiations of the | | | | only converted or transmuted. However, as to |
| primary energy of the Sun are called the Seven | | | | the permanency of form, of structure--the |
| Rays. These Seven Rays are much higher in | | | | structure of the soul--this is questionable. Another |
| frequency than those detectable by our present | | | | vital scientific inquiry would be, "Is self-identity and |
| scientific instruments. | | | | consciousness related to the essence, function, or |
| Every component in the microcosm of man is | | | | form of the soul? |