The Motion of the Rays and the Planes

In A Treatise on Cosmic Fire, pp 152-154 we find the following intriguing passage:

 “II. THE EFFECTS OF ROTARY MOTION

Every sphere in the body macrocosmic rotates. This rotation produces certain effects, which effects might be enumerated as follows:

1.     Separation is produced by rotary movement. By means of this action, all the spheres became differentiated, and form, as we know, the following atomic units:

a. The solar system, recognised as a cosmic atom, all the so-called atoms within its periphery being regarded as molecular.

b. The seven planes, regarded as seven vast spheres, rotating latitudinally within the solar periphery.

c. The seven rays, regarded as the seven veiling forms of the Spirits, themselves spheroidal bands of colour, rotating longitudinally, and forming (in connection with the seven planes) a vast interlacing network. These two sets of spheres (planes and rays) form the totality of the solar system, and produce its form spheroidal.

Let us withdraw our thought at this juncture from the informing Consciousnesses of these three types of spheres, and concentrate our attention upon the realisation that each plane is a vast sphere of matter, actuated by latent heat and progressing or rotating in one particular direction. Each ray of light, no matter of what colour, is likewise a sphere of matter of the utmost tenuity, rotating in a direction opposite to that of the planes. These rays produce by their mutual interaction a radiatory effect upon each other. Thus by the approximation of the latent heat in matter, and the interplay of that heat upon other spheres that totality is produced which we call ‘fire by friction.’

In connection with these two types of spheres we might, by way of illustration and for the sake of clarity, say that:

a. The planes rotate from east to west.

b. The rays rotate from north to south.  

Students should here bear carefully in mind that we are not referring here to points in space; we are simply making this distinction and employing words in order to make an abstruse idea more comprehensible. From the point of view of the totality of the rays and planes there is no north, south, east nor west. But at this point comes a correspondence and a point of real interest, though also of complexity. By means of this very interaction, the work of the four Maharajahs or Lords of Karma, is made possible; the quaternary and all sumtotals of four can be seen as one of the basic combinations of matter, produced by the dual revolutions of planes and rays. 

The seven planes, likewise atoms, rotate on their own axis, and conform to that which is required of all atomic lives. The seven spheres of any one plane, which we call subplanes, equally correspond to the system; each has its seven revolving wheels or planes that rotate through their own innate ability, due to latent heat—the heat of the matter of which they are formed. The spheres or atoms of any form whatsoever, from the form logoic, which we have somewhat dealt with, down to the ultimate physical atom and the molecular matter that goes to the construction of the physical body, show similar correspondences and analogies. All these spheres conform to certain rules, fulfil certain conditions and are characterised by the same fundamental qualifications. “

It seems that before we can consider the nature of the network resulting from the interactive rotation of the planes and the rays, it might be wise to consider what might be meant by the nature of planes as spheres. Many of us were introduced to the concept of the planes using charts like: The Seven Planes of Our Solar System, The Constitution of Man, from the Forward of Initiation, Human and Solar, or The Egoic Lotus and the Centers, from a Treatise on Cosmic Fire. In both charts the planes appear to be stacked upon each other, and it is easy to regard them as mutually exclusive of each other. However, considering the fact that the etheric subplanes fully interpenetrate the physical subplanes, might we consider another possibility? Could it be that every plane contains and interpenetrates all the planes that are grosser? The diagram below (Figure 1) seeks to illustrate the planes as spheres, using that premise.

Figure 1 is a cross-section through the Cosmic Physical Plane and its subplanes considered as spheres. The largest and subtlest sphere, Adi, contains and is present within the rest of the spheres; there is a part of Adi that is exclusively Adi. The next most subtle plane, the Monadic, contains and is present within the five more dense planes (Atmic, Buddhic, Mental, Astral, and Physical). The Atmic plane contains and is present within the four more dense planes, and this pattern repeats through to the Physical plane.

Figure 1. The Planes as Spheres

Regarding a subtler plane as being present within all the grosser planes seems to shed light on the question: does one consciously engage the subtler planes by going “up” or going “deep?” All the planes seem to be present on the densest plane, and this might show the value of the ability of the centers in the head to connect the subtler planes to the increasing wonder we know of as the brain brought to life by the consciousness indwelling it.

The quote from A Treatise on Cosmic Fire shows that rotary motion causes the shape of the planes (as well as the rays) to be spherical. Could we speculate what the resultant movement of the interaction of the rotations of the spheres of the rays and the planes might be? If we speculate, we would have to accept that our speculation would be a gross oversimplification, and simply a mental model that might be useful in breaking out of our usual considerations.  

Rays are said to be emanations through which macrocosmic beings manifest using the planes. Thus from the standpoint of any form on any plane, rays are their source of spirit. This would be true of any form: solar system, planet, human monad, or atom.  

Consciousness is said to be a creation resulting from the interrelationship of spirit and matter; the interrelationship in our consideration would be the rays and planes. Taking that understanding of consciousness, it would seem that neither spirit or matter manifest until they interrelate; and that their interrelation creates both manifestation (the whole field of what we call spirit-matter) in all its grosser and subtler grades, and simultaneously the consciousness to be aware of these grades of manifestation.

In one very real sense, consciousness can only be conscious of spirit-matter, its own birth-mate. In Figure 2 note the motions of the rays and the planes: rays rotating longitudinally, planes rotating latitudinally.

Figure 2. Motions of the Rays and the Planes Relative to Each Other

If we take the vector produced as rays and planes rotate and interact in their respective motions, we can see that the path is one of a spiral. (See Figure 3) To see this, start from the “north pole” of the illustration and start moving south in the same direction of rotation a ray sphere does. This southward movement immediately encounters the westward movement of the spheres of the planes. At each point of interrelation both consciousness and manifestation are created, with the vector of the pattern being simultaneously south and west. This movement of sphere on sphere interacts in a spiral, and this spiral moves to the equator and then on to the south pole.

Figure 3. Spiral Path of the Interaction of Rays and Planes

This is the vector of interrelation as seen on the “surface.” If we look into the interior of the sphere we can see the same motion, a clockwise spiral (as viewed from the north pole), throughout the entire sphere, right down to the very central axis of rotation. However, we need to realize that in this visualization, we are considering the sphere as a whole as homogeneous; and, of course, it is not. As stated above, the subtler spheres contain the grosser spheres.

Really going out on a speculative limb here, it might be that the rays are similarly “shaped,” in that the first ray is more concerned with the whole and occupies the entire ray sphere, the second ray relates the first ray to the rest, etc. So it is possible that the most outer shell of the interaction of rays and planes is the interrelating atomic plane (Adi) and the first ray, and would thus be regarded as the realm (both in manifestation and consciousness) as “pure spirit.” 

In a corresponding way, it might be that the second ray sphere is contained within the first ray sphere, the third within it, and so on. Similar to the planes, the core, the densest sphere, would be the realm of the seventh ray; but again, this densest sphere would be the only sphere where all the rays and planes are equally present. This, to some degree, explains the correlation of the association of certain rays with certain planes, i.e., fourth ray with the fourth plane, seventh with the seventh, etc.  

In Figure 3 the interaction is represented as points but only to convey the direction of motion. There would be an infinity of simultaneously interacting points. The general vector is a spiraling sphere (See Figure 4) or a torus, but contained within it, created within it and because of it, are the myriad spiraling spheres within spiraling spheres that make up the lesser beings who live and move and have their existence within the greater being. Each sphere is a tiny replica of the larger sphere containing it and giving it life; all spheres fractalize from the large to the small and the small to the large. This means that each sphere is also a tiny version of rotating rays and planes. For example the solar system has its rays and planes, but also the planet has its rays and planes within the greater system; both reside within the greater cosmic rays and planes. (See the Figure I cannot represent.) 

It is rotary motion that causes each sphere to become a manifesting separate entity, and because it is then subject to the law of matter, it not only rotates but begins to orbit some greater being to which it is attracted. This motion adds to the simple spiral, the motion of inward and outward. For example, beings on the Atomic Plane are attracted to the mass of the core, the densest plane, and this typifies the motion of involution, as these beings move through the increasingly dense planes. In involution, spirit-matter is drawn in ever tighter orbits and carries the consciousness associated with it into greater density.

We understand involution a bit better than evolution because spirit-matter is being involved, and we have greater brain understanding of the laws of matter, like gravity, acceleration, mass, etc. We have a little less understanding of how evolution works in these interrelating seven-fold spheres. We do know that evolution has something to do with consciousness responding to Will. In evolution, the consciousness associated as spirit-matter wakes up to the call of the Will, pure spirit (first ray) existing as and in the rarest plane. This causes a new straight-forward motion to be added to the mix. This motion is experienced in the human as inspiration and initiation, as it causes the orbit to expand rather than contract. The entity increasingly spirals out from the dense to the rare, from matter to spirit in spirit-matter, eventually breaking free from the imprisonment of the dense. (See Figure 4)

Figure 4. Path of Interaction of Rays and Planes as a Torus

Given all these interrelated motions what we end up describing is the motion of a torus, and actually two tori superimposed on each other and turning upon themselves. The involutionary torus spirals into greater density, while the evolutionary torus spirals into ever greater rarity. All of these movements, rotary, spiral-cyclic, and forward, are occurring in one synthetic motion caused by the interrelated movements of the planes and the rays.

One last consideration might be that of all of this interaction in time. We almost cannot help but interpret all of this in time as we are used to it, as one event after another. Yet in this toroidal interaction involution and evolution could be seen as simultaneous, as everything happening at once.