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5 Planes of Existence
Introduction
Five Planes of Manifestation
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ZEUS, SON OF CRONUS
A symbol of the Higher Self; begotten of Time (Cronus)
and Space (Rhea).
"Zeus is called the father of gods and men, the most high and
powerful among the immortals, whom all others obey." - Smith's
Class. Dict.
“Hesiod calls Zeus the son of Cronos and Rhea, and the brother of
Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. Cronos swallowed his
children immediately after their birth, but when Rhea was pregnant
with Zeus, she applied to Uranus and Ge to save the life of the
child. Uranus and Ge therefore sent Rhea to Lyctos in Crete,
requesting her to bring up her child there. Rhea accordingly
concealed Zeus in a cave of Mount Ægaeon, and gave to Cronos a stone
wrapped up in cloth, which he swallowed. Zeus grew up in Crete. In
the meantime Cronos, by a cunning device of Ge or Metis, was made to
bring up the children he had swallowed, and first of all the stone,
which was afterwards set up by Zeus at Delphi.” - Smith's Class.
Dict.
This strange story which has puzzled scholars for 2,000 years is
simply a concise symbolic sketch of part of the world-process and
the birth of the Soul. The six children of Time (Cronos) and Space
(Rhea) are fundamental principles-planes of manifestation, i.e.
physical (Hestia), astral (Hades), buddhic functioning below
(Demeter), buddhic above (Hera), atma (Zeus), and Truth-reality
(Poseidon) the manifesting principle. On their emanation, these
principles are utilised or conditioned by Time in the world-process
of involution of qualities, and are afterwards given forth
(disgorged) to become active in the subsequent process of evolution.
The atman (Zeus) principle being above the lower manifestation,
cannot be conditioned by Time (swallowed by Cronos), so there is, as
it were, substituted the implanting of the latent atman, the Spirit
(stone) in vestures of the planes (wrapped in swathes); this is the
Soul conditioned by Time and to be developed by the involutionary
process. It is the first to appear in the evolutionary process as
the perfect pattern (Archetypal Man) of the many souls. The "setting
up at Delphi" signifies the establishment of the causal-body in the
sanctuary of the higher mind. Spirit and Matter (Uranus and Ge)
bring about the true birth of the Self (Zeus) on the higher buddhic
plane in a state of perfect peace (Crete) apart from Time. The Self
is brought up in the innermost soul (cave), being conditioned by the
higher nature (mountain).
“The stone swallowed by Cronus is none other than the Philosopher's
stone,' the Concealed Stone of many colours' (Golden Treatise), the
mystic " ‘seed' of transcendental life which should invade, tinge,
and wholly transmute the imperfect self into spiritual gold." - E.
UNDERHILL, Mysticism, p. 170.
The "concealed stone of many colours" signifies the indwelling
Spirit of many qualities.
"We are, so to speak, a portion of the Eternal Divine Substance,
detached from its source (or feeling itself to be such), wrapped up
in matter and put to sleep, rendered unconscious of its glorious
origin, limited in a thousand ways, and then bidden to evolve
towards that from which it came." - R. J. CAMPBELL, Serm., Our
Eternal Glory.
"The Highest Truth, the Truth of God's being and action revealed to
the finite thought of man, is necessarily mysterious. It comes to us
as we can bear it, shrouded beneath symbols and encased in formulæ.
These are the swaddling-clothes of the Everlasting." - H. P. LIDDON,
University Sermons, p. 202.
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