Group Consciousness

“Behind, in the distant past of the race, humanity faced such a crisis as is now upon us. The race was then fecundated with intellect, if I may use such a phrase, and the human or fourth kingdom came into being. The great latent power of self-consciousness was born, and men became individuals. Now the race faces another fecundation, this time with Love and the fifth kingdom in nature, the kingdom of God can be born and can function upon the outer world of manifestation. Group consciousness will be seen and the power to identify oneself with the group and not with one’s own selfish interests. The New Group of World Servers, standing at a midway point between the spiritual Hierarchy and the world of men, are the agents of this process…” (A. A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology II, p. 743)

“Hence, my constant emphasis upon the necessity of thinking in terms of good will to the whole. The very effort so to think is part of the technique required to expand the present human consciousness, and in these words I have stated the basic principle underlying the new technique of world unfoldment and integration. The development of self consciousness and of the uniquely separative individual has been the right and desired technique in the past. The development of group consciousness, through the activity of the New Group of World Servers, is intended to be the right and desired technique of the future. (Ibid., p. 657)

Attention is drawn to the theme ‘Group Consciousness’ prompted by today’s celestial event, which is particularly significant for the work of renewal that is driving the expansion of human consciousness, necessary for the manifestation of the New Age. Today, in fact, in the heliocentric Heavens, the heavens of causes, fly together in space conditioned by the energy of Aquarius: Venus, sacred Luminary (attested at the level of the Soul), Alter Ego of the Earth, vehicle of the energy indicated as the 5^th Ray, which in Aquarius boosts the inflow of such energy aimed at building, with the constructive force and science of the Mind (Manas) and according to Law and Golden Rule, the new solar Culture and the Right Relations between the Kingdoms, expression of the universal Brotherhood, and Pluto, the Guardian with Vulcan of the 1^st Ray, of Will and Power, the Principle of destruction and death that disintegrates forms in order to spiritualise them, that unleashes that Will of renewal focussed on creating the conditions that allow the new lines of the future to be constructed according to the Golden Proportion.
Aquarius, the Sign that radiates the manifesting power of the 5^th Ray, constitutes, with its fundamental notes, the reference influence for the evolution of the human consciousness of the coming new Age:
Universal Love and Mind – Synthesis: connection and fusion of the many into a synthetic and working whole, into a universal Oneness…
Golden Ratio: the rule of the manifesting power of the 5^th Ray that branches, forks, divides without undermining the reality of the One, and generates controlled oscillations in the innumerable forms, striving for the realisation of the Golden Ratio…
Service and Group Consciousness, the highest form of collective and individual consciousness combined to serve the divine plan.
Indeed, in the esoteric Teachings we read that the majority of initiates reach the culmination of their experience in Aquarius and so, liberated, they dedicate themselves to serving the world… to bring water of life to humanity, joining the ranks of the Hierarchy.

The article From the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius reminds us that the gift of the Age of Aquarius will be the replacement of the reign of personal consciousness, however necessary it may be at an early stage of the journey, with the group consciousness, … which will allow the progressive materialisation of Brotherhood in the human race…

“The time has now come when there are enough people to be found who—having themselves made the religious and the mental approaches to truth definite factors in their consciousness in some small measure, and having established enough soul contact so that they can begin to touch the world of ideas (upon the intuitional levels of consciousness)—can employ a new technique. Together and as a group they can become sensitive to the incoming new ideas which it is intended should condition the new age that is upon us; together and as a group they can establish the ideals and develop the techniques and methods of the new schools of thought which will determine the new culture; together and as a group they can bring these ideas and ideals into the consciousness of the masses, so that schools of thought and world religions can be blended into one, and the new civilisation can emerge. It will be the product of the mental and emotional fusion of the techniques of the Piscean Age, and it will thus produce an eventual manifestation upon the physical plane of the plan of God for the immediate future. (…) The effort of the future will be to bring down into manifestation the consciousness of the soul through the pioneering efforts of certain groups. It has therefore… to be a group effort because the soul is group conscious and not individually conscious; the newer truths of the Aquarian Age can only be grasped as a result of group endeavour. (…) Today many are seeing the vision, sensing the plan, and dreaming dreams which they can work out together. This they can do because they recognise each other, because they are beginning to know themselves and each other as souls, because their understanding is united and because (and this is of prime importance) the light of the intellect, the light of knowledge, the light of the intuition and the light of understanding is evoked within them; it enters not from without; and in that light, together, they see Light. It is a group activity, a group recognition, and the result of group at-one-ment.” (Alice A. Bailey, The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, pp. 29-31)

Aquarius is the coming expression of the group consciousness which is the first and immediate revelation of the ever present Christ consciousness on a large scale in humanity. (Ibid., p. 155)

It is now worth recalling, with regard to group work, some of the indications offered by the Teaching:

“(…) the work of the new type of server is directed towards those who are establishing soul contact and who can therefore work under the new incoming Aquarian Law. This centres around the capacity to stand, not only in spiritual being, but together with others, working with them subjectively, telepathically, and synthetically.” (A. A. Bailey – Esoteric Psychology II, p. 132)

“(…) we have the following objectives in the group work of the New Age… : 

1. Group Unity. This must be achieved through the practice of love, which is part of the practice of the Presence of God, through the subordination of the personality life to the group life, and constant, loving, living service.
2. Group Meditation. These groups will eventually be grounded in the kingdom of souls, and the work done will be motivated and carried forward from the higher mental levels in the demonstration of the contemplative life. This involves the dual activity of the life of the disciple, wherein he functions consciously both as a personality and as a soul. The life of the personality should be that of intelligent activity; that of the soul is loving contemplation.
3. Group Activity. Each group will have some distinguishing characteristic and this will be dedicated to some specific form of service.

When the groups are properly established (and the time is imminent) and after they have worked together subjectively for a certain necessary period of time (to be determined by the quality of the life of the individuals composing it, and their selflessness and service) then they will begin to function outwardly and their life aspect will begin to make its presence felt. The various lines of activity will emerge when the group vibration is strong enough to make a definite impact on the consciousness of the race. Therefore, it will be apparent that the first and foremost requirements are group integrity and group cohesion. Nothing can be accomplished without these…
One of the characteristics distinguishing the groups of world servers and knowers, is that the outer organisation, which will hold them integrated, will be so nebulous and fine that, to the outer observation, it will be practically non-existent. The group will be held together by an inner structure of thought and a close telepathic interrelation. The Great Ones, Whom we all seek to serve, are thus linked, and can at the slightest need and with the least expenditure of force, get into rapport with each other. They are all attuned to a particular vibration, and so must these groups be attuned. There will be thus collected together, people demonstrating the wide difference in nature, who are found on differing rays, who are of varying nationalities, and the product of widely separated environments and heredity.” (Ibid., pp. 182-184)

“… The new groups will come into being largely as an externalisation—experimental as yet—of the groups which have functioned behind the scenes, motivated from the central group, the Hierarchy of Masters…
It must be remembered, however, and with constancy, that unless there is a subjective coherence, all outer forms must eventually disintegrate or never cohere at all. It is only the subjective links and the subjective work that determines success, and these must (particularly in the new group work) be based on egoic relations and not on personal attachments and predilections. These help where there is at the same time a recognition of the egoic relation. Where that exists, then something can be formed which is immortal and as lasting as the soul itself.” (Ibid., p. 186)

When “the spiritual state, dealing with the integration of the personality and the soul, thus evoking the consciousness of the Whole… is accomplished, group consciousness is added to self-consciousness, and this is the second great step on the way to God consciousness…
The difficulty today is that we have on every hand people at all different stages in the integrative process; all of them in a ‘state of crisis’…” (Ibid., p. 409)

But it is precisely in this period of crisis and transformation, in which chaos seems to prevail, that we are witnessing the germination of the seeds of the new age. Indeed, the New Group of World Servers is now recognising its function and assuming its responsibility to be and act as an intermediary between Hierarchy and Humanity, becoming the bearer of that Chalice which, turned to Heaven, makes celestial notes and music resound into the heart of humanity.*