From knowledge to mental liberation, stage 12
Symbolic animals
«Thought develops the function and, by concentrating, it creates a particular conscience.»
Birth of a particular conscience
Whilst the mind thinks, conscience makes it aware of thinking. Without conscience, the mind wouldn’t realize that it is thinking.
On the other hand, attention affects the conscience and mental concentration expands the boundaries of knowledge. Therefore the interaction between mind and conscience is very important to develop wider areas of consciousness. We must also remember that there are functions between mind and conscience.
«To know thyself» starts with the attention that we pay to the activities of each function. In other words, to know ourselves means to become aware of ourselves, linking the subtle functions (thoughts, intuitions, feelings) to the physical ones (impulses, sensations, emotions).
When the mind concentrates on a certain function it increases its vitality. This improves an area of experience that leads to a particular state of conscience. Therefore we can say that to practice a physical function (to work, to play, to have sex) or thoughts (to speak, to write, to study) develops the abilities of a particular conscience. Each function corresponds to a special consciousness.
Between astral conscience and higher conscience there are many graduations of consciousness, which depend on the quality of the mental work. We could say that in order to mature a high profile conscience we can drive our attention on thoughts that belong to a more and more complex and qualified level.
Although this thesis is true in abstract, it is only a theory, a charming speculation that doesn’t consider the human factor. The latter, despite reasoning, gives in to the drives of the lower nature, which is substantially animal. The mind should tame them and turn their energetic push into will power and intelligence. At this point the interpretation of symbolic animals can help the scholar to find out how animal impulses are and where are they.
In the old world, perhaps not to offend men’s susceptibility, the passion of the lower nature was represented by animals with the same impulses.
The study of astrological symbolism is the key to a subtle science. It is important to understand the nature of the animal inside every man, because that animal will guide us to its owner, which is not man, but soul. This is the meaning of the ascendant. Whilst the animal of the sign reveals the astral characteristics, the ascendant reveals the peculiarities of the subtle conscience.
Esoterical psychology interprets the symbolic language (See languages) beyond the hermetic schemes, by translating it into concrete knowledge.
The study of alchemic and astrological symbolism opens a window on mental tendencies, which can be skillfully transformed and re-used to give energy for more committing goals.
We will see how.
Sounds, tones and vibrations
The researcher can find refined analogies in the traditional symbolism of the chakras.
The Eastern tradition, as well as suggesting the nature of the animal drive, adds a syllable which reproduces the particular sound of that center. This allows the trainee to make it vibrate in his mind, creating the intonation that stimulates the chakra. In this case it is necessary to study the ragas, the oriental scale of harmonics, which is different from the tempered scale of seven notes used in the West.
By Athos A. Altomonte
