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This article deals with the emergence of Star-Monads by virtue of the correspondences which exist between the macrocosmic universe or greater world, and the microcosmic universe of the human being.

It is accepted that God created the universe and the planets. The key to the validation of a STAR RELIGION is the direct link between the seven sacred planets and the chakras. The chakras, or "wheels", are psychic centres of energy associated with the spine and the endocrine glands. Their awakening is the basis of yoga - the means whereby human consciousness can expand into cosmic awareness.

The hermetic teaching is: "As above so below." The macrocosmic system of the planets has a direct relationship with the chakra system within the microcosm of each human body. Yoga is an applied science. There are several books available giving detailed information on the chakra system. Gichtel's diagram of the planetary-chakra link was published in mediaeval Europe. Gichtel was a lawyer and pupil of Jacob Boehme - a noted German mystic who wrote The Aurora.

There are three distinct natures of Christ. These are:

(a) One with the Father - the Star-Monad Star

(b) Son of the Father - the Higher Self Sun

(c) Christ in you - the Lower Self Moon

Each of these stages has its respective symbol related to the decent from the Monad-Star in the East or Aries-Easter, this being the first point of manifestation from the great Mother-Womb of Pisces, related to the Virgin Mary or Sea-Womb.

For those with kabalistic knowledge the incarnation of the Soul is linked to the stauros or stake on which Christ was crucified. The descent of the soul into incarnation is related to the sephira or centres on the middle pillar of the Tree of Life. The specific centres are Kether, Tiphareth, Yesod and Malkuth. The first three are associated with the Monad, Sun and Moon.

The Tree of Life gives the planetary rulerships of the various centres and associates these with specific angelic hierarchies. These teachings are part of the spiritual heritage of the Jews, as derived from earlier Chaldean and Babylonian teachings. The astrological basis of religion is to be found in Mithraism, Greece, Rome, Egypt, and in the Islamic cosmological teachings of Avicenna.

Astrological fragments were found in the Dead Sea scrolls, and in associated Gnostic texts. It is significant that Hindu astrology relates this stellar wisdom to yoga and the chakra centres along the human spine.

In the Christian teachings the reference to the "scroll with seven seals" is a veiled reference to the seven chakras along the human spine. (See The Book of Revelations.)

The hermetic teaching is, "As above so below." The macrocosmic system of the planets has a direct relationship with the chakra system within the microcosm of each human body. Yoga is an applied science. There are several books available giving detailed information on the chakra system. See (1) - (6) below. Gichtel's diagram of the planetary-chakra link was published in mediaeval Europe. Gichtel was a lawyer and pupil of Jacob Boehme - a noted German mystic who wrote The Aurora.

(1) Charles W. Leadbeater: The Chakras, Theosophical Publishing House London, 1952.

(2) Peter Rendell: The Chakras; Aquarian Press, Wellingborough.

(3) James M. Pryse: The Apocalypse Unsealed; New York, 1910.

(4) C.W. Leadbeater: The Science of the Sacraments; Theosophical Publishing House, London.

(5) Alice Bailey: Esoteric Astrology; Lucis Publ. Co., N.Y., 1951.

(6) Israel Regardie: The Middle Pillar; Llewellyn, St. Paul, 1985.

During the Eucharist Service the priest holds the solar wafer above the lunar waters of the chalice. He depicts, by dipping the wafer into the water, the marriage of the Sun and the Moon. At the same time the lunar water of the lower mind undergoes trans-substantiation into the wine of higher solar consciousness.

The altar arrangement shows three candlesticks on either side of the central cross, containing at the base the consecrated solar host. These seven sacred centres disseminate spiritual rays. References to the Seven Rays are to be found in the writings of Alice Bailey and other authors.

The Sun represents the consciousness of the Higher Self, which is related to Tiphareth on the Middle Pillar of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life.

Yesod is the lunar center directly underneath Tiphareth. The raising of consciousness from Yesod to Tiphareth is associated with the Middle Pillar technique as taught by Israel Regardie.

The Star-Monad is Christ when He is "One with the Father." We are crucified when we are forced to enter a physical body to gain the experiences necessary for us to reach a state of perfection. At death we rise again from the tomb of the physical body, bearing with us the collective experiences of the past life.

Pisces is the Cosmic Womb of the Great Mother from whence cometh the Messiah. For this reason Venus is exalted in Pisces. As the Mother she gives birth to the Star-Monad in Aries, signified by Easter. At this time each Soul, as the Divine Fool, faces the symbolic death of descent through the seven planes.

Kepler regarded the Star of the Magi as the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Pisces, which was a sign of the Messiah to come. This Star is connected with Easter and "A-star-a", and depicts the emanation of an individuated fragment of the Godhead from the Mother Womb of Pisces. The three Magi signify the tripartite nature of the Son as:

We all possess these three faculties in our Higher Self.

Aries, as the ram or lamb of the shepherd, is shown at the foot of the cross. This is the sacrificial lamb which Abraham offered in place of his son Isaac (Star-Monad). Aries is the head of the ram, whose horns signify the outrushing energies of manifestation from the ocean of Pisces. The Sun as the Monad is exalted in Aries, being "One with the Father."

Taurus represents the Divine Verbum or Word of God, this being the chord of vibrations used by the Monad in its descent via one or other of the Seven Rays in the Pleiades in the neck of Taurus.

Mercury is related to the interaction of solar and lunar consciousness, which occurs within the cross of matter, depicting the physical body. Hence the composite glyph of Mercury or Thoth Hermes. He is the true shepherd who leads the Soul back to the Father's Kingdom.

Mercury is the ruler of Gemini, signifying the Twins. Note that the symbol of Mercury is in reality the true function of that planet. Within the cross of Matter, which is our physical body, we need to unite our lower Lunar personality with our higher Solar Individuality. Thus the Solar and Lunar glyphs form part of the integral symbol of Mercury. His winged sandals relate to astral travel and the guidance of Souls.

The Star-Monad is Christ when He is "One with the Father". We are crucified when we are forced to enter a physical body to gain the experiences necessary for us to reach a state of perfection. At death we rise again from the tomb of the physical body, bearing with us the experiences of our past life.

We begin with the three Mother letters which govern the Great Elements of Air, Water and Fire.

These are the letters which govern three of the elements. The fourth element of Earth is associated with the sephiroth Malkuth at the base of the Tree of Life.

These elements, planets and astrological signs are the foundation stones of astrology. The Tarot cards are placed on the Tree of Life as symbols to be used in path-working.

Christ was placed on the cross and crucified. A Roman soldier pierced his side with a spear and Christ's blood came to earth, symbol of the descent to the physical plane. This stake or tauros is the Middle Pillar of the kabalistic Tree of Life.

King Amfortas suffered from an incurable wound which could only be cured by the recovery of the Holy Grail. This contains the experiences of the Lower Self offered up to the Higher or kingly Self. The Spear represents the spinal column on which the Soul is impaled during its earthly life.

Chiron, though an immortal healer, suffers an incurable wound. He ultimately finds release by exchanging places with Prometheus. Note that Prometheus carried fire to mankind in a fennel stalk, another symbol of kundalini as the spiritual fire within the spine. The medical profession uses as its symbol the caduceus of the god Aesclepius, also Thoth-Hermes. The twin serpents entwining the rod are the energies of Ida and Pingala, these being psychic currents which play though the spine.

The symbol of the fennel stalk containing fire is a direct reference to the fiery energy of kundalini which resides at the base of your spine. The medical symbol of the caduceus is the staff of Mercury, or Thoth-Hermes.

Chiron, as the archer Sagittarius, is related to the pathway from Yesod (Moon) to Tiphareth (Sun). No true healing can take place for the Soul until this alchemical fusion has taken place. The Greek definition of sin is hamartanien, which means " to miss the mark." In order to hit the "bull" (Taurus) it is necessary to bring up the spinal energies of kundalini to activate the heart chakram on their way from Scorpio to Taurus. It is for this reason that the Mithraic religion showed the emblem of the bull, whose testicles were held by the scorpion. Another major symbol of Mithras was the Invincible Sun (ruler of Tiphareth and the heart chakram in each human being).

It is not Chiron who is the true healer, but rather the redemptive powers of the Christ-consciousness within the heart. The Sun or Son is the ruler of Tiphareth on our Tree of crucifixion in the physical body. This is He, the Unconquerable Sun, seated in the heart of all beings within the anahata chakram. It is for this reason that the chakras, with their associated glands and planets, provide the microcosmic and physiological keys to the mysteries of the ancient civilizations.

Learn that the cause of disease lies in your daily actions, deeds and thoughts. Cease to do evil. Do good.

Ask yourself this question. Could any major religion in our modern world teach the correspondences which exist between the microcosm and the macrocosm of the greater world without thereby establishing the foundations for the Universal Religion which is to come?

This future religion will have cognisance of the nature of the star-angels, the seven planetary rays and chakra system, and the ineffable role of the World Mother. The angelic kingdoms exist and have a particular part to play in the future development of religion on earth. They have the ability to impart spiritual instructions to selected individuals, and they seek to establish a greater rapport with humanity.

Esoteric teachings define the planes through which the soul descends into incarnation. If we are destined to return to our Father's Kingdom it is to the heavens and the stars that we must turn our gaze. Truly, therefore, are we "children of earth and starry heaven", trusting in the Muse of Urania to provide the religious keynote for the advent of the Aquarian Age. Uranus re-entered Aquarius in 1995 and will be in its own sign for a further seven years. Pluto in Sagittarius can assist in bringing the symbols of the Collective Unconsciousness into spiritual awareness now.

It is possible to test the assertion that the chakra system is linked to the glandular system and the sacred planets by listing the planets in their order from the Sun to Saturn. When related information is set alongside the degree of fit can be established.

Columns A and B list the Seven Rays giving their customary qualities. These fit exactly with the planetary order. When we observe the kabalistic sequence, columns E and F are in exact correspondence, but note that the planetary order shows the transposition of the Sun and the Moon. Astrologically, the Sun rules the heart through the sign of Leo. Column C is composed of two triads on either side of the Earth-Moon system on which humanity is evolving.

Alchemy	The unification of the consciousness of the Sun and Moon. At-onement.
Chakras (Sk.)	"Wheels". Psychic centres related to spine.
Higher Self	Spiritual triad containing memories of past lives. Atma-Will, Buddhi-Intuition, Manas-Higher Mind
Kether	Top sephiroth of Tree of Life. Emanates nine lower sephira ending in Malkuth on the physical plane.
Kundalini	The serpent fire normally resident at the base of the spine. Partly used as nerve force.
Lower Self	Lower incarnating personality. Brain-Mind, emotions and physical-etheric bodies
Macrocosm	The Universe conceived of as a Divine Being. Home of the Star-Monad.
Microcosm	The universe enclosing the phyical body as an aura. It is in constant interaction with the Macrocosm.
Mithras	Founder of Mithraism which profoundly influenced the Roman legions. Gave astrological teachings.
Monad	Individual emanation from the Godhead. Star source of each human being linked by monadic Ray.
Okeanos	Son of Uranus (Aquarius) and Gaia (Pisces) hence the rulership of Neptune over Pisces. Venus exalted is the fecund Cosmic Mother who gives birth to Monads as 'drops from the shining Sea', otherwwise known as mulaprakriti which means the 'root matter' or Prima Materia of the alchemists. This spiritual matter is then used to construct the seven planes.
Sephira	The ten centres of the Tree of Life associated with the sacred planets and their corresponding angelic hierarchies.
Tiphareth	Centre of the Tree of Life. Ruled by the Sun and is associated with the Higher Self. It lies directly above Yesod on the Middle Pillar, which is a symbol of the spinal column. The Sun via Leo rules the heart.
Yesod	The lunar or emotional centre on the Middle Pillar. Alchemists sought gold by the unification of the contents of this centre with that of Tipareth.