I would really appreciate you guys help me understand what is meant when Ra said “we encouraged the initiate to learn to become each archetype and, most importantly, to know as best as possible within your illusion when the adoption of the archetype’s persona would be spiritually or metaphysically helpful.”
I understand somewhat becoming the the 7 classifications of Mind (Matrix, Potentiator, Catalyst, Experience, Significator, Transformation, Great Way, and The Choice). Adopting the personas of the the archetypes related to the mind make sense to me. And I feel like I could adopt the persona of each classifications of mind. However, I do not understand how you would adopt the persona say of the catalyst of the body or spirit, or even the great way of the body or spirit.
Can you help me understand how I would adopt personas or become an archetype related to the body or spirit?
Hello there, and welcome to this particular monkey house.
You might find this passage helpful. The rest of it can be found HERE.
Indeed, those who read and study archetypes are forever caught within the mind and are kept by their very mindfulness and scholarship from entering deeply into and becoming the archetypes that they study. However, those who release the archetypes at last from the stricture of mind and enter into them through the heart have entered into a path that has been followed by many. And as they walk the path that this story configures and suggests, they enrich that path by every thought that they think and every desire that arises in relation to this story and these characters, this myth and the archetypes that [the myth] pulls out of the geography of your deep mind.
To me, the quote above suggests that when we study the Egyptian Tarot cards, we are prone to fall into mental masturbation.
So, how do you “enter them through the heart?” Well, how do you enter anything through the heart rather than through the mind? I read here a suggestion that studying the way of the heart should precede study of the archetypes.
Personally, I think that’s excellent advice because making any progress towards living with an open heart has value, whereas mental masturbation is a cheap thrill with no lasting value.
One more thing to add. Puzzling with the archetypes didn’t seem to do Don Elkins any good, whereas, focusing on opening his heart might have helped him perceive an alternative pathway better than suicide.
@Mirror Thanks for sharing this passage from Q’uo.
I have some things to add here, which I hope are helpful.
What I interpret from what Q’uo said is that in my journey of working with the archetypes, at some point it is time for me to set down the mental studying and engage with them through feeling and imagination, immersing myself in this path from a more intuitive and feeling-centriic place. Letting eros flow, not necessarily in the sexual way, but in the sense of intrinsically intelligent life-force.
Another way of saying this is like the difference between studying meditation techniques and actually sitting down to meditate, which seems to require letting go of all of the study of technique and simply immersing myself in the practice.
Ra: I am Ra. The lobes of your physical complex brain are alike in their use of weak electrical energy. The entity ruled by intuition and impulse is equal to the entity governed by rational analysis when polarity is considered. The lobes may both be used for service to self or service to others. It may seem that the rational or analytical mind might have more of a possibility of successfully pursuing the negative orientation due to the fact that, in our understanding, too much order is by its essence negative. However, this same ability to structure abstract concepts and to analyze experiential data may be the key to rapid positive polarization. It may be said that those whose analytical capacities are predominant have somewhat more to work with in polarizing.
The function of intuition is to inform intelligence. In your illusion the unbridled predominance of intuition will tend to keep an entity from the greater polarizations due to the vagaries of intuitive perception. As you may see, these two types of brain structure need to be balanced in order that the net sum of experiential catalyst will be polarization and illumination, for without the acceptance by the rational mind of the worth of the intuitive faculty the creative aspects which aid in illumination will be stifled.
To put this into perspective we must gaze then at the stunning mystery of the One Infinite Creator. The archetypical mind does not resolve any paradox or bring all into unity. This is not the property of any resource which is of the third density. Therefore, may we ask the student to look up from inward working and behold the glory, the might, the majesty, the mystery, and the peace of oneness. Let no consideration of bird or beast, darkness or light, shape or shadow keep any which seeks from the central consideration of unity.
We are not messengers of the complex. We bring the message of unity. In this perspective only may we affirm the value to the seeker of adepthood of the grasping, articulating, and use of this resource of the deep mind exemplified by the concept complexes of the archetypes.
I think you come close to the center of the situation here. Study is helpful in seeing the overview, but it is not a means of experiencing and radiating unconditional love. The rational faculty knows all about personal love, but it cannot actually receive unconditional love from the deeper self. It has to step aside and allow the intuitive faculty to do this. As you quoted above,
Is learning about meditation stifling meditation? No and yes, I would say. No initially. Yes if the study substitutes for “experiencing the self through the heart,” to misquote Q’uo.
To be fair, now, intuition is not the easiest skill to master, and the rational faculty is adept at eating its lunch, if you will. There is much to be learned and balanced here, to be sure.
I have spent considerable time studying (and then using) the Tarot. Still, I also had difficulty understanding how to “become” the archetypes until someone smarter than me reminded me that there is usefulness and great peace in accepting everything around you and everything that happens to you as part of your “Lifedream.”
Hmmm.
If I connected the things and happenings around me to one of the cards, I would get this little “aha” of understanding and peace, which, in my case, also meant a heart opening/awakening.
Doom-scrolling the news is like speed-dating this concept.
For example, if I read about death, destruction, and cruelty in the Middle East wars, I then remember/apply the archetypes Judgment and Magician (we are in a cycle of reincarnation, + we chose these lives.) The severe suffering in the Middle East is also a profound catalyst (Wheel of Fortune), allowing each person to know their true power (Strength). Yes, people who die are ultimately denied all further advancement in this lifetime. Still, death is also a natural and expected part of everything down here (Death), and it allows the soul the opportunity for another life (Judgement).
It looks pretty superficial to assign tarot cards to events in one’s life, let alone to things happening on the world stage, and yet, doing so somehow brings me peace. I simultaneously feel intense love for the suffering participants, and at the same time, I feel detached from the outcome because of The World and The Sun. Every single one of us will eventually graduate and be the better for it.
Maybe I am “becoming the archetype” when I do this exercise? I don’t know. I struggle with life’s weird sh*t like everyone else, but when I step back and assign the cards to the events, they lose power/angst somehow. They become things I can accept, things I can forgive.
Also, the Body and Soul “rows” of the Tarot are the ones I use most of the time for this exercise, not the Mind row. These last two rows of archetypes are practical and apply quickly to everyday occurrences.
It’s all quite Zen/Buddha, or as one of my other favorite books proposes, it’s “The Power of Now.”
Long post, short summary: Don’t “adopt” or “become” an archetype persona; instead, “apply” it to the situations before you.
If you are like me, peace and heart-opening will follow.
Useful or not, I would add a comment here. If you take a couple of steps back, you begin with the personality. The personality is concerned with matters of the first three energy centers or, one could say, with the illusion.
As the personality begins to hunger for a deeper experience of self, it may (1) drill more deeply into those energy centers and/or (2) move toward higher centers.
Ra speaks of something they call “inner light” and that it is proportional to your desire to seek and to serve. (From 57.14, "The inner light is that which is your heart of being. Its strength equals your strength of will to seek the light.)
I would say that your so-called Magical Personality is the bridge between the personality and inner light in the sense that it is an aspect of self that learns to work with inner light.
When a person becomes comfortable working with this aspect of self which works with inner light, then one may feel drawn to exploring the archetypal mind, including perhaps the tarot as presented by Ra.
Circling back now, the key element here is not the knowledge of this or that which so many seek, but understanding and development of the will. This is not simply saying, “I want that!” It is about discovering within the self (in meditation, perhaps) one’s underlying intentions, and bringing those outward. Put another way, what is your inner basis for seeking the light? The more you can uncover and accept this consciously, the more clarified you will will become, as a first step.
Of course, will needs to be balanced with faith and other things, but that’s a different discussion.
I’ll add on here, in an attempt to make this more practical, when we sit and close our eyes, our personality meets our inner self, and usually the both of them run around all over the place randomly. When the will to seek becomes strong enough, its resonance will clarify the mind. That is , when the will to seek is stronger than the will to chase after randomness, your mind will focus. This focus will help you become familiar with the part of you that can work with your inner light.
How does the spirit help? It keeps its distance while still maintaining a connection to the situation at hand. Think of the teacher and the student. There are various levels of experience. The teacher teaches from their perspective. They are feeding the student useful knowledge. Do they tell the student all the answers? Of course not because the student needs to learn on their own how to relate to what is being given. The student in turn goes out into the world and applies their knowledge. (Mountain above, Thunder below - Yi means Nourishing)
How does the body help? There is a field of view that is narrow. When one nourishes their body with the appropriate nutrients then the body maintains the proper mind set. A fat person indulges in what the body cannot process. The mind becomes lazy. A thin person is active and is able to think clearly on most days. (Water above, Water below - Kan means Darkness)
What is in parenthesis? This is how I learn from spirit. Free will is on both sides. I recently posted how I do this To Where Is This Awareness Going It is your free will choice to seek within. They are always willing to help. It may take some time getting used to their presence. Do not worry they will help adjust you to their frequency.
If you do not have a meditation practice of your own then I suggest to start one.
For Beginner Meditation - Listen to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPni755-Krg with earphones on a low volume. Sit however you would like. I use a chair. Do not lean your head against anything. If your head begins to drop this means you are losing concentration or falling asleep. Set an alarm if you would like but nothing less than 20 minutes. Be sure the room is quiet. Cover the eyes with a blindfold or be in darkness. This allows you to see the images better. Think of nothing or just listen. If you begin to see images then relax and do not force an outcome. Here you may ask simple questions. Be sure to write everything down. Then use a dream dictionary to help interpret the symbolism. I use https://www.dreambible.com/ If you recognize a person in your mind then define their name https://www.behindthename.com/ and combine the meaning with a general trait that you see or saw in them. Unrecognized people can be described such as length of hair, color of hair, color of skin, type of clothing, etc.
Yes, this is why Confederation sources repeatedly remind us to ask for this help continuously. It’s easy to forget, but doing so, besides opening that door to assistance, also reminds us frequently of our quest to merge with inner light, if that’s what you’re into.
The “Assumption of the God-Form,” technique which you can find on Llewelyn, is a magical practice that is taught in occult schools that is probably the closest thing you can find to embodying the archetypes.
IMHO no. I do not get that feeling from the quote above.
I am on my 3rd year in studying the Tarot and I can say from the perspective of one who wishes to walk the path of goodness, that it is nearly impossible to study and reflect upon the Tarot and fall into the trap of just gaining wisdom only or looped thinking. If one has developed their 4th ray in the least bit and they begin the study of Tarot or Qabala, the balance between heart and mind will begin although it will be a slow process or a process that is curtailed for you or anyone personally.
I also would like to add that it doesn’t matter what Tarot is studied whether it be Rider Waite or Egyptian as it really depends what calls out to you personally. You may not resonate with this deck but resonate with another.
The best is to color the Keys (card) yourself according to the colors indicated on each Key. If you can find a deck that has coloring instructions and pencils. The colors in each Key correspond to the color on the Tree of Life and each Sephiroth. Therefore, it is important to use the correct colors when coloring your own Tarot deck. Of course I am only speaking of the Major Arcana.
The work you wish to do, will be guided by higher forces. The rational mind will then be used as a tool to comprehend what is being studied while the heart will feel the study in a deep intuitive sense. Eventually, one will come to reason as the heart and mind become balanced over time.
When we look at each Key, we already know the symbols but haven’t remembered them. As we study, we unlock the Memory…the Deep Mind. I feel it is most difficult to fall into a trap such as what was said, “Mental Masterbation” when we truly are students of the Light.
I think my reading of it holds up, but this is not to say that it applies to everyone.
But to actually embody some element of the deep mind, is this a function of intellect or of intuition? I would say the latter. i would say that intellect can analyze the deep mind, but not travel there. Just my view.
I’m sure Prof. Elkins’ intent was honorable when investigating the archetypes, but I feel its fair to say that his time would have better been spent investigating his emotional disturbances.
Therefore, as important as intent, perhaps, is being honest with yourself about what you really need. Or to phrase that closer to Confederation terms, what’s equally important is awareness of what you most deeply desire. And that, of course, is a very personal determination.
The language is universal; it is all the same archetypes. The only difference is the seeker’s preference of what symbology speaks to him/her the most or a resonance.
The story of Creation both in the macro and microcosm is always the same. The only difference if you will is the seeker’s subjective interpretation of each experience thus adding to the multi-layered and multi-dimensional information that is received by the Creator and really All as it vibrates inward, upward, outward and downward reaching all levels of existence.
