The Second Initiation
The Baptism,
or Liberation from the dominance of emotional nature and
from the egoistic sensitivity of the lower self.
Revelations and Mysteries: “the secret of the sea”;
1. The mystery of the astral light.
2. The law of karma.
become clear to the inner vision of the initiate.
Ray: Sixth Ray
Zodiac Signs involved: Scorpio
Plane: it takes place on the astral plane (dedication, glamour, devotion)
Centre: Solar Plexus, the Throat Centre is vivified
Once through the door of First Initiation, the beginning of the Path, the Disciple faces a new test. Just as, at the first initiation, the control of the dense physical has been demonstrated, so here the control of the astral is similarly demonstrated. The second initiation forms the crisis in the control of the astral body. It is perhaps one of the most important, because it concerns that aspect of the personality which gives the most difficulty to everybody: the emotional or astral body. The realm of the emotions and the susceptibility to emotional reactions which constitute the major human limitation—both from the individual angle and also from that of the national angle. As the mind asserts itself, the mists of illusion and desire vanish and clarity of vision emerges. This initiation releases men from emotional control and enables them to shift their consciousness on to mental levels, and from that higher point of focus to control their normal and well developed emotional attitudes. The initiate only longs for which is for the good of the whole, and in the line of the will of the Ego, and of the Master. In the initiatory process between the first initiation of the Birth of the Christ and the beginning of the conscious unfoldment of the Christ life and awareness, the life of the initiate has undergone a pronounced reorientation. He is now capable of an equally pronounced and often fanatical adherence to the programme of aspiration and of devotion to the good. The aspiration and longing to serve, love, and progress become so strong that rapid development is usually to be seen.
The three keynotes of the Second Initiation are: Dedication, Glamour, Devotion. These three aspects of evolutionary unfoldment must be recognised by every aspirant; their existence determines his place upon the Path, the initiation for which he is being prepared and the nature of his service for humanity. [1]
It is the dedication of the aspirant which invokes the fire. A relentless push towards the fire of the mind. The aspirant upon the higher levels of the astral plane is swept by the “fire of dedication”. This immediately focusses his will as it demonstrates on the mental plane, and this focussing in due time starts the serious undertaking of the shifting of his consciousness on to mental levels.
Then immediately the “fire” works, and the first reaction is the “meeting of fire and water”, and consequently the production of fog, mist, of glamour and illusion. All of these four words must be understood symbolically.
The glamours thus induced are dependent upon the ray and the point of evolution of the individual… They are overcome when “spiritual intention” is firmly determined and transformed into devotion.
The factor which leads to the dissipation of glamour is devotion — devotion to an individual, to a Master or to some idealistic project. It is finally an unlimited devotion to the Way, to the treading of the Path at any cost, and to the unswerving attachment to service — as constituting the major technique of the Path. [2]
You may be asked how the entrance upon the path of Service is defined. Certainly the first sign will be renunciation of the past and full striving to the future. The second sign will be the realization of the Teacher within one’s heart, not because it is necessary thus, but because it is impossible otherwise. The third sign will be the rejection of fear, for being armed by the Lord one is invulnerable. The fourth will be non-condemnation, because he who strives into the future has no time to occupy himself with the refuse of yesterday. The fifth will be the filling of the entire time with labor for the future. The sixth will be the joy of Service and completely offering oneself for the good of the world. The seventh will be spiritual striving to the far-off worlds as a predestined path. According to these signs you will discern a spirit ready and manifested for Service. He will understand where to raise the sword for the Lord, and his word will be from within his heart. [3]
The Second Initiation in the Christian world corresponds to baptism and the concept of baptism is always associated with that of purification. Water has always been the symbol of what purifies; it is also the symbol of the astral plane, with its instability, its storms, its tranquility. In its cycles of tranquility it reflects the good as well as the bad.
This second initiation—as now undergone—is to some extent one of the most difficult. It involves purification, but it is purification by fire, symbolically understood. The occult “application of fire to water” produces certain most serious and devastating results. The water, under the action of fire, “is resolved into steam and the initiate is immersed in the fogs and miasmas, the glamours and the mists” thus caused. Out of this fog and out of the glamours, the initiate must emerge; out of the present fog of human affairs humanity will also emerge eventually. The success of the individual initiate is the guarantee of the racial destiny… The fire of mind today has to be reckoned with in conjunction with the water of desire, and it is owing to this that much of humanity’s problem develops. It is because of this that the second initiation has become one of the most difficult which the modern disciple has to take. [4] It is the battlefield between the pairs of opposites. And men must learn to recognize these opposites before they can make the right choice that leads to spiritual victory.
Revelations and Mysteries at the Second Initiation
At the second initiation the “secret of the sea” is revealed, through which the initiate penetrates the mystery of the Astral Light, through which he can read the akashic records and ascertain the past and the Law of Karma.
This will enable him to work intelligently in the present, to begin to balance his karma, to work off his obligations, and to understand how karma in the three worlds can be negated.
The relation of that hierarchy of spiritual beings who are connected with the law of karma as it affects man is demonstrated to him, and he knows with first-hand knowledge that the lords of karma are no myth, or symbolical units, but are highly intelligent entities who wield the law for the benefit of humanity, and thus enable men to become fully self-conscious and self-reliant in the occult sense, and to become creators through perfected knowledge. [5]
The Rays at the Second Initiation: 6th Ray
The 6th Ray energy is a powerful transformer in the “ realm of waters” of the astral plane. The effect on the nature of the initiate, who passes the initiation of baptism, is easily seen.
In the early stages of the impact of sixth ray energy upon his emotional nature a perfect vortex of force is generated, his emotional reactions are violent and compelling, his glamours are intensified and controlling, and his aspiration steadily mounts, but is at the same time limited and hindered by the strength of his devotion to some sensed ideology.
The effect of sixth ray activity upon the mental nature is, as you may imagine, a tendency—first of all—to the crystallising of thought, a reaction to imprisoning ideologies, and a fanatical mental adherence to mass ideals, with no understanding of their relationship to the need of the time or to their intended creative aspects. Intense conflict arises between the lower self and the higher self.
Later, under the influence of an increasing soul contact (itself the second aspect of his essential divinity), his emotional, kamic and aspirational nature becomes quieter and is more controlled through the agency of the mind; his alignment becomes astral-mental-soul.
When this state of consciousness has been achieved and the “waters” of the astral body are quiet and can reflect the beautiful and the true, and when his emotions have been purified by intense self-effort, then the disciple can step into the baptismal waters; he is then subjected to an intense purificatory experience which, occultly speaking, enables him “for ever to step out of the waters and be no longer in danger of drowning or of submergence”; he can now “walk on the surface of the sea and with safety proceed onward towards his goal”.
The zodiac signs at the Second Initiation
The sign of the zodiac in which the disciple is most tested with respect to the second initiation is Scorpio. This sign has an influence on the disciple already at the first Initiation, as it prepares him to face the crises and battles he will later encounter along the path.
In Scorpio the disciple undergoes those tests which will enable him to take the second initiation and demonstrate that the desire nature is subdued and conquered and that the lower nature is (by being lifted up in the air, i.e. into heaven) capable of reaching the goal for this world period, and that from the earthy foundations of Scorpio the personality can be so tested that it shows fitness for the world service demanded in Aquarius. This is beautifully expressed for us in the legend of Hercules, the Sun-God who overcomes the nine-headed Hydra or serpent of desire by being forced to his knees and from that position of humility lifts up the serpent into the air, and then deliverance comes. [6]
The 7 Planes of the Cosmic Physical Plane: the Plane of the Second Initiation
At the second initiation, the Astral plane of the man-disciple is activated. After this initiation the initiate is taught principally the facts of the astral plane; he has to stabilise his emotional vehicle and learn to work on the astral plane with the same facility and ease as he does on the physical plane; he is brought in contact with the astral devas; he learns to control the astral elementals; he must function with facility on the lower sub-planes, and the value and quality of his work on the physical plane becomes of increased worth. He passes, at this initiation, out of the Hall of Learning into the Hall of Wisdom. [7]
The centres at the Second Initiation
The result of the combination in one’s life of these three factors – dedication, glamour, devotion – are primarily two:
- The solar plexus centre will be brought, first of all, into a condition of almost violent and compelling activity. This activity is induced by dedication and produces glamour inevitably.
- The violent energies of the solar plexus centre will eventually be controlled by the quality of devotion. The solar plexus centre becomes not only a clearing house but the main factor in lifting both physical and emotional active energies from below the diaphragm into the heart centre.
Technically speaking the energies of the solar plexus centre are being transferred from the major clearing house below the diaphragm to the heart centre—one of the three major centres into which all the lower energies must transfer.
At the close of the initiatory process certain energies and divine aspects should be recognised by him as now playing a part in his thinking and his purposes—energies which heretofore (even if present) were quiescent and not controlling.
The old physical attitudes and desires may still at times assume control; selfishness may continue to play a potent part in his life expression, but—underlying these and subordinating them—will be found a deep dissatisfaction about things as they are and an agonising realisation of failure.
The throat centre is enlivened with energies that allow us to serve through the word, using the heritage of the concrete mind. [8]
The Second Initiation is thus that step which initiates in the Disciple the process of control over the astral body and his emotions and this enables him to proceed more lightly on the great Path.
Before him lies the third Initiation of the Transfiguration. Facing him is a great transition from an emotional aspirational focus to an intelligent, thinking focus. He has, theoretically at least, cast off the control of the astral body and nature; much still remains to be done; old desires, ancient astral reactions and habitual emotions are still powerful, but he has developed a new attitude to them and a new perspective to the astral body.
[…] “Every human being constantly finds himself in three battles. Although he may imagine that he is completely at peace, he actually takes part in three battles simultaneously.
The first battle is between the free will and karma. Nothing can excuse man from taking part in the struggle between these two principles.
The second battle takes place between the disembodied entities of good and evil, which surround man and influence him in one way or another. It is difficult to imagine the fury of the dark forces when they attempt to take possession of man.
The third battle resounds in the Infinite, in space, between the subtle energies and the waves of chaos. The human imagination is too limited to envision these battles in Infinity. Human intellect comprehends earthly collisions, but is incapable of looking into space and imagining the powerful storms and forces working there. Only when human emotions are completely controlled can man start thinking about the invisible worlds. One should develop such thoughts, for they alone will make man a conscious co-worker with the Infinite forces.”
Remember that you are always facing the Infinite. Even the loftiest words cannot express the Most Sublime, and only during brief moments can your heart record the exaltation of realization. Learn how to remember these moments, for they are the key to the future. […] [9]
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[1] A. Bailey, Rays and the Initiations, p. 682 et seq. | Initiation, Human and Solar, p. 85
[2] A. Bailey, Rays and the Initiations, p. 683
[3] Agni Yoga, Hierarchy § 196
[4] A. Bailey, Rays and the Initiations, p. 675
[5] A. Bailey, Initiation Human and Solar, p. 170
[6] A. Bailey, Esoteric Astrology, p. 143
[7] A. Bailey, Initiation, Human and Solar, p. 84
[8] A. Bailey, Rays and the Initiations, p. 683
[9] Agni Yoga, Supermundane § 161
