We now come to the end of our journey through The Seven Rays with a look at “Ray Seven – Ceremonial Order and Magic”. The energy of the universe has now moved from its most subtle or non-physical to its most dense, concrete, or physical. It is the physical world where we live, breathe, and have our being. We understand that the central will and purpose of God or the universe find their complete expression within our physical world. The descending behavior of energy works its way through the seven major stages of consciousness, if you will, and becomes that which we experience. Given some thought, the whole creative process is indeed amazing and magical! A study of esoteric principle, however, indicates to us that the universe is in fact an ordered system of “planned purpose”. There is meaning and organization to all that exists. God or the entire universe may not be as much of a mystery as we originally thought. We do therefore have the opportunity to participate consciously in the creative process itself with a little more understanding. Let’s go ahead then and look at the energy and quality of Ray Seven to help us along.
In order to function effectively in the physical world, we need to have some structure. Basically speaking, the incredible energy we are working with in the creative process needs to be channeled into a specific area. In other words, the creative process itself begins with an idea existing in the mind and works its way down to the physical world into some kind of form. Our thoughts and ideas become real. What we see today in our world is a manifestation of what we believe to be true and important. What we believe to be the truth of our reality becomes the various institutions of our world such as religion, science, government, etc. These are the “forms” that support our “beliefs” you see. These institutions are designed to provide a certain function and have their own contribution to make to the greater life of humanity and the world in which we live. Each area of human living has its own set of rules or parameters which help to define them. Rules, regulations, and boundaries are necessary, for, without them, we would have no real sense of what we’re working with or what we need to do in order to function properly and effectively in the physical world. The vastness or wholeness of our universe has now entered its most limited state. This idea of limitation is only temporary, however, and does have an intended purpose. As we break the whole of creation down into its component parts, we have a way to understand what the purpose and function of each part is. Once we discover and fully understand each, we will put it all back together and experience its essential oneness. This will happen at some distant time, of course! In the meantime, we are learning how to cooperate and participate within certain boundaries and accept a sense of limitation without knowing why. Our beliefs and ideas need to be given a foundation or physical representation, then, through our various institutions or departments of human living. This “structure” is the domain of Ray Seven.
Ceremony
The creative process has a rhythm within our physical world as well. To have a sense of this rhythm, we can look at our participation in all the ceremonial aspects of human living, such as attending our particular religious service or perhaps a wedding or graduation. Even the celebration of our various holidays is an aspect of ceremony. All of these things provide for us a sense of unity and a sense of belonging. These are things we can do together that show us the importance of group activity. Ceremony also provides us with a sense of consistency and reliability in our lives. This idea of ceremony applies to our daily and monthly routines as well. These all provide us with the experience of the “sequential order of things”. The greater universe operates in the same fashion. We might take notice that order and organization give us a sense of ease and comfort as we go about our lives.
Magic
The idea of magic in the creative process has some interesting implications. From the initial formulation of an idea within our minds to the manifestation of something physical is indeed magical. Needing to know how the creative process works is also magical. Those feelings of excitement and even mystery provide us with the motivation to acquire even more knowledge and experience, and this is a good thing. We are in a process of replacing that sense of awe with a proper understanding and practical application of the energies that comprise our universe and see them working in our life. I would say that learning how to live a life full of love, cooperation, and greater productivity is our main focus today. With each level of understanding, we acquire that essential wisdom. Does that sense of awe and magic disappear as we gain an understanding of our purpose? Not at all. There’s always a lot more to be discovered. Very exciting!
Ray Seven through our Institutions
Really, all things physical are a manifestation of 7th Ray energy. Everything from a rock to a tree, from a smartphone to a skyscraper is a physical creation of our ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. All our current institutions are systems of organization and order. Everything has a function and purpose. The underlying energy of Ray Seven is all about structure and foundation. There is a hierarchic order of all things in our world and all the worlds above us. There is a plan and purpose. The process of creation is an ongoing process. We can see this in every area of human living, as we seek to develop new and better ways, always to support our changing needs. We are finding ways for all of our institutions to be more efficient and thereby better serve the needs of humanity and our world. The advancements in technology are an outstanding example of this energy as well. The development of new and better products and services has certainly made life easier for all of us. The intended purpose or will of God is the betterment of all life, and for this, we are truly grateful.
Ray Seven through the Signs
Ray Seven moves through the signs of Aries, Cancer, and Capricorn. Since we currently have very little understanding of originating purpose or spiritual will, we’ll forego Aries and Cancer for now and focus on the practical aspects of Capricorn. We can, however, look to these signs in terms of leadership and the creation of new ideas. The initial creative impulse of Ray One in Aries finds its way to Ray Seven in Capricorn. In this way, spirit has become matter. An “idea” has now become a “form” or the physical world in which we exist. Capricorn, Saturn, and 7th Ray energy are all about forms, structures, and foundations. At a personal level, Capricorn individuals are very structured in their minds. They have an affinity to ceremony and the establishment of social order and norms. A Capricorn person who is slightly less evolved can be quite a challenge, as they are so dominated by this sense of structure. It’s very difficult to change their minds about anything! The personality aspects of Capricorn’s energy tend to manifest through materialism, unfortunately. Money, power, ambition, and acquisition are of paramount importance to many of these individuals. From a higher perspective, Capricorn involves the development of spiritual values such as love, equality, and freedom. This is the ultimate goal of Capricorn, if you will. We can view this dilemma or “condition” and apply it to the entirety of humanity currently! These tendencies are beginning to change as we speak, as we have the urge to transform into a better version of ourselves. As we progress through this process, we will begin to create those structures and organizations that benefit the needs of the greater whole.
The Overall Perspective
Ray Seven most appropriately finds its way through the sign of Aquarius. This is where we find ourselves today. We are in the painful process of re-orientation and re-organization, hence the current turmoil. We find ourselves suffering a great deal, that is for sure. We are slowly becoming aware that we need more in life. We wish to understand our purpose. We desire to be comfortable and free. This will involve the need for us to adjust our value system toward the things that are inclusive and therefore beneficial to all. We understand our purpose is to bring in the energy of “Ray Two – Love and Wisdom”. With a full understanding of love and its application through the establishment of equality in every way, we will come to a completion of purpose. The idea within the mind of God becomes a reality in our physical world. The energy of Ray Seven through the sign of Aquarius assures the distribution of loving cooperation to all individuals and all forms of life, equally. We are one group.
A Brief Conclusion
Thanks, everyone, for joining me in a brief discussion of “The Seven Rays”. Esoteric principle is a vast subject indeed. An analysis of the manifesting energies of the universe is certainly no exception. There is clearly so much more to be said. My goal in the Ageless Wisdom category is to give a brief overview of these topics in order to expand the mind a bit and hopefully provide an opportunity to think about this incredible world in a different way. It is, of course, always my goal and intent to make things practical, so they can be applied in real life. I hope you have found this information interesting and even provocative.
*If you would like to pursue a study of the Seven Rays even further on your own, take a look at “The Rays and the Initiations” by Alice Bailey or “Soul-Centered Astrology” by Alan Oken. These books provide a much more in-depth and detailed discussion of this most important topic.
All my love and support, stay safe and be well