Message #405 - MAGICKNET Date: 12-06-95 21:51 From: Josh Norton To: The Cegorach Subject: Solar consciousness ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 93:9400/0.0 30c65694 Thus said The Cegorach to Josh Norton concerning Solar consciousness: TC> Hello Josh! Hi Larry! TC> What's 'solar consciousness' like? I.e., what qualities TC> typify it? What does it mean to have 'solar' consciousness? As usual, you're asking tough questions, but I believe I can give you something useful. I'm in a pedantic mood, so you're going to have to suffer through the long answer instead of the short one. Just be thankful I don't give you the REALLY long version! TC> Looking at your papers in 'Enochian Temples', particularly the TC> Set/Horus paper, I'm curious re: the IRNI formula. Whereas the I TC> phase, wherein consciousness 'dwells' in the triangle of TC> Netzach, Hod, and Malkuth and focussed in Yesod is pretty TC> easy to recognize (a sorta "I am here" arrow pops to mind TC> when I envision this), I'm much less clear on the "golden TC> rectangle" of the R phase. Let's see how I can work my way into this subject.... Most initiatory systems contain the principle that each person has a unique indwelling individuality, a conscious "I", that has an existence distinct from the body, senses, emotions, and intellect. For convenience's sake, I'll call this the "soul" or "solar self". (We'll ignore the more philosophical aspects of the matter for the moment, and stick with the subjective realities as they appear in the Ruach. Such issues as whether the "I" is really distinct from the rest of the being, whether it has an existence independent of that being, is immortal, reincarnates, etc., can become important at later stages of initiation, but are mostly distractions at this stage.) Let's build up to your question by looking at the state of a typical pre-solar-consciousness human being, focused in the lower triangle of the Tree of Life. The solar consciousness is, in some ways, best defined by contrast to the previously-existing states. In its ideal state, the soul serves as an intermediary among the various semi-independent functions ("sub-selves") that make up the subjective totality of the human being. It balances their activity, resolves conflicts among them, calls them into activity when needed, and acts as a censor. It perceives itself as apart from them and acts as their ruler, hence the symbolism of the "King" that is applied to Tiphereth. In the typical human being, the soul is not in this ideal state. The sub-selves are partially or wholly out of control; their innate reactions dominate the conscious "I" rather than being dominated by it. Because of the way human nervous systems develop, the parts that usually dominate are the senses, emotions, and the intellect (defined as the language-using and language-manipulating parts of the mind). These particular sub-selves come to their full development before the "I" is well enough established to control and direct them. As a consequence, much of their training and "programming" comes from outside sources (mostly other people) in ways that the person is not even aware of. Often this training is inappropriate or irrelevant to their innate tendencies, producing internal confusion and conflict, and maladaptive patterns of reaction. From an early age, the consciousness is wholly caught up in the activity of these parts of the being, and in their reactions to the external world. It is not greatly aware of the activity of "higher" or "deeper" parts of the being; the noise from these more active parts drowns out the signals. Around age 8, and continuing through late adolescence, a fourth sub-self begins to come into action. This one seeks to rationalize and codify the person's relationship to the external world, what he is or wants to be as a being-in-the-world, what he wants out of that world, and what he wishes to avoid. These definitions-of-desire have many sources. Some unconsciously reflect the innate "will" of the person's soul, but many more come out of the experience and training of the other three sub- selves mentioned above. Further, it seeks to increase the frequency of events that are pleasurable, satisfying, or "fulfilling", and to minimize the frequency of those that cause disturbing reactions in itself. To this end it seeks out new forms of behavior, emulating those that seem successful when other people use them, inventing new ones, and modifying those already present in the other sub-selves. As behavior and thought-patterns prove themselves to be successful, they get "locked in" as a more or less permanent part of the person's repertoire. They become stereotyped behaviors, things others think of as "typical" of that individual. Eventually these behaviors, their accompanying thought-patterns, and the definitions-of-desire get organized by this sub-self into the person's permanent self-image. [continued next message...] --- Maximus 2.02 * Origin: BaphoNet-Between-Rivers @ 201/434-3694 (93:9400/0) @PATH: 9400/0 9600/0 9000/0 9004/0