The Seven Rays
– A Septenary Manifestation of Divinity –
As is well known within the Esoteric Tradition, all of Creation comes into being through the expression of seven unique qualities of divinity. Customarily referred to as the Seven Rays, these emanations arise from the One Life (God), and are living streams of ITS nature manifesting in and as Cosmos. In their infinite intermixing and blending, the diversity of all that we see and know arises. Perhaps most important is the realization that every human soul is found upon one of these Rays. Given this, to recognize the soul ray, deep within, is to discover one’s spiritual purpose in life—one’s Raison d’être.
Though I will write much about the Seven Rays in future blog entries, as an introduction it may be helpful if I were to simply name them so that you have the opportunity to sense meditatively which of these titles resonates inwardly. In and of itself, such an affinity is not infallible evidence of the soul ray, but it is nonetheless a beginning point in one’s search for it. Though there are many appellations available (both ancient and contemporary), below are the names most frequently used for each of the Rays:
First Ray: Will and Power
Second Ray: Love and Wisdom
Third Ray: Active Intelligence and Adaptability
Fourth Ray: Harmony through Conflict
Fifth Ray: Concrete Knowledge and Science
Sixth Ray: Idealism and Devotion
Seventh Ray: Ceremonial Order and Magic
It is important, particularly when new to this subject, to understand that the numbering of the rays is not indicative of sequentiality or ranking. Essentially, the Rays are equal but different. Each of them is a manifestation of a category or type of divine consciousness evolving through space and over the vastness of time.
Though the Seven Rays define the nature and parameters that characterize human soul types, this is not the only influence they have in the shaping of the human experience. For example, the Seven Rays represent the energetic source that facilitates the differentiation and evolution of the various kingdoms in nature; the emergence of cultural tendencies within a nation; and they govern the emergence of the societal institutions we live within.
The Rays represent the septenary manifestation of Divinity, and are the most fundamental and universal archetypes underpinning all that is. When looked at beyond their immediate application to humanity, they have correlation to the seven archangels noted in the Abrahamic religions, as well as the seven Rishi Lords revered in Hinduism. They are involved in the livingness inherent in various constellations of stars, the life force animating the planets within our solar system, and the underlying impulse that gives rise to the great astrological ages. From this it can be seen that the Seven Rays are universally pervasive, for there is no place or circumstance where they are not found.
William Meader
EmergentLight.com
