“Excuse my sudden intrusion, Master, for my query cannot wait any longer. What about the Higher Spirits living in the stars and planets?” Archippus inquired. “You mentioned them before, and I have been wondering about them ever since.”
“Right, Archippus. This is an important question. Heed me! Higher Spirits are actually divided into two categories.” The Master affirmed with a smile. “First, there are those known as the living Spirits, which are beings – like us – living on stars and planets, exhibiting only a spiritual form; they don’t have bodies. Secondly, there are those known as the Forming Spirits, also called the Divine Forces. No doubt these spirits betided from a superior order, God – the Father – who is the Great Monad. These invisible and immortal spirits, or gods, played an important role in the Kosmos.”
Bewildered, and yet eager for more, Archippus did not wait another minute, but dashed to ask, “Oh! And how did that happen?”
“Well, brother, you will be interested to know that the Secret Doctrine of the Ancients teaches that, long ago, these gods directed the formation of this world, the Earth. They formed it through the five elements which, as we know, are: Earth, the solid state; Water, the liquid state; Air, the gaseous state; Fire, the energetic state, and lastly; the Ether, which is the subtle, and sub-atomic state of matter.”
“The Truth I tell you! All planets befell from the Sun, and submit to the managing forces of attraction and rotation. Each planet represents an expression of the Universal Mind, and thus, it contains a kind of pre-psychic energy, which somehow differs in shape, but not in essence, from any other planet orbiting around the Sun. It assumes, as well, a particular role to play, and a special function to achieve, in the evolution of that Kosmos.”
“What about the evolution of humans, Master?” Hipposthenes of Crotona asked from his spot on the last row of the group.
“Here it is, brother,” the Master replied, patiently. “Our Sphere, the Earth, went through many phases of evolution with its Animal-Human life. Although the laws of evolution are one-and-the-same for almost all beings that dwell in space, I will explain, for you, the most important issue that relates directly to us, humans, as you inquired. Bear in mind that this particular Animal-Human evolution occurred not only by the Law of Nature, but also by an eternal Law of Divine Generation. You should also comprehend the fact that Time is the Spirit of the World!”
“And so, when the new species of Mankind surfaced on Earth, some Initiates identified it as a race of spirits, of superior monads. In fact, at some point in the history of the Earth, a long time ago, this new genus of Mankind had incarnated in the progenies of the previous ancient Animal species. And thus, this superior race boosted the Animal species one step higher in evolution, by transforming it into its Divine-Human spiritual image. It is truly a hierarchical process of intelligent evolution from Animal to Mankind and later, from Mankind towards the Divine-God.”
Baffled by his last statement, the ten mathematikoi became very still. No comment arose, not even among them. Their incomprehension did not go unnoticed by the Mathemagician. With his notorious determination, he refused to end such an important session of his Sacred Discourse without being fully understood. He turned to the Lyre player and requested, in a murmur, a different rhythm of music. At once, a different tempo streamed to activate the brainwork of the mathematikoi. Pythagoras believed that certain styles of songs positively affected the states of mind at special hours in each season. At that moment, for instance, he knew – all too well – the heavy load that burdened his students’ minds.
With the new melody, some voices rose timidly to follow the cadence. Others joined more assertively. Incited, their hands clapping, all the mathematikoi started to intone in one harmonious voice. A song of unity emerged to produce a powerful sense of euphoria. Long blissful moments carried them through the remainder of the night at the beach on that cool lovely night of spring.
An hour later, their lofty mood escorted them all the way to their last bedtime ritual before absolute quietness took over the night…
… And yet, in the depth of their unconscious and conscious minds, the intelligent evolution lurked in waiting.
* * *
The sun broke through the morning mist that surrounded the White City. A procession of believers, all dressed in white, the color of the Pythagorean Society, walked the narrow path around the hill. With great reverence, they headed towards the Temple of Ceres-Astarte. Like a river of pearls, they connected to one another, validating the same feelings of existence.
Reaching the Temple, they crossed the threshold of the entrance from the right gate, for their Society deemed the right to be lofty, good, and divine. Theano, along with the Pythagorean women, practiced inside the temple one of their most sacred rituals of all times. With a great sense of devotion, they offered, at the altar, delicious homemade cakes, and beautiful bouquets of flowers that they had picked from the fields, on their way to the goddess.
Their gifts proffered in due form, they stepped out from the left gateway, considered low, evil, and dissolved. They lingered outside, on the terrace, enjoying the peaceful breeze. They conversed about life, and about both the good and the bad that dwelt through existence.
Soon, Theano – that beautiful Italian girl with a symmetrical body, and long black hair that gleamed under the sunrays, had lost interest in the female debate. The Sun and the sea seemed to concord in a game of beauty where the rays from above hit the undulations of the water below, producing amazing glitters. The sea impelled her forward to the banister and away from the group of her friends.
Her face, gorgeously tanned by the Mediterranean sun, created a contrast with her bright green eyes that seemed to be looking somewhere far beyond – she was looking at the sea. Pensive, she remained engrossed in her thoughts on the essence of life. A mathematikoi for some years now, she lifted her mind to a higher and deeper level of consciousness. She reflected on her previous spiritual journey through the realm of Numbers, the gods. She tried indeed, to hear the Music of the Spheres, to taste from the fruit of the tree of life, to know the good from the bad, and to touch the divine light through the knowledge she was receiving.
The image of Pythagoras took shape in a sparkling vision. She closed her eyes for a moment to inhale the total blossom of her love.
“Theano! What are you doing over there? Come back here!”
She ignored her friend’s call. Her thoughts deepened in the recognition that her union with her beloved Pythagoras in matrimony must be decided very soon; its happenstance a sweet reality.
“Theano?” The voice edged closer, her friends joined her at the banister.
“Hey! I might be wrong, dear, but you do look very much in love!” Tymicha – the wife of Myllias of Crotona – who was one of her friends, teased her and the others chuckled in glee.
Theano yielded her personal feelings, no longer strong enough to hide them. After all, her friends had shared most of her daily life for years. She smiled at them with a faint nod then declared with grace, “Love is a soul, sick with longing.”
Her clear voice echoed in the very heart of existence.
Her friends giggled in response. She shared their laughter in her honesty and purity of heart.
“Who is he, your love, Theano?”
“Ah! That… I cannot tell you now!” She dashed out. She whirled on herself, her eyes closed in ecstasy. She stopped, saw their disappointed faces, tilted her head sideways and uttered an apology, “I’m sorry, but I can’t.” She felt the heat on her face.
“Oh… come on Theano! Of course you can, tell us!” Cheilonis, her closest friend exclaimed, hurt by what she thought to be a lack of trust from Theano. “You cannot possibly hide the love of your life from us!”
“We love you, you know that Theano, don’t you?” Melissa – another young woman – contended, pulling her by the sleeve. “You know that we will be very happy for you! Come on dear, say his name!”
Kratesikleia, the eldest amo
ng them, grabbed her by the waist to whisper close to her ear, “Theano dear, we have been friends for such a long time. Don’t act this way as if you don’t trust us. Share his name with us!”
Theano looked into the blue eyes that expressed motherly care, yet she could not make herself reveal the secret.
“Come on, come on! Don’t be shy!” Vavelyca – the youngest of all – exclaimed, seizing both her hands and whirling with her on the terrace, laughing and repeating, “Say it, Say it!”
Theano burst out laughing wholeheartedly then screamed, “Okay, okay, but stop! I’ll tell you who he is, but stop it, you are making me dizzy!”
The young girl abided. In a flash, Theano found herself surrounded by a tight circle of avid eyes and bright smiles of anticipation. She took a deep breath, fixed back her long hair, and disclosed with a delightful beam, “My love, my friends, my eternal love is none other than the Master himself!”
“The Master!”
“What?!”
“Oh… Theano!”
The shock was unanimous. The smiles vanished at once. Their eyes widened. Some gasped in astonishment with their hands to their mouths. Some frowned and shook their heads in disapproval. Their awful looks of compassion revealed, their assumption, that such a love was hopeless, and it mortified her. For them, the Master was simply a god.
Her joy was deflated by their reaction. She turned on her heels and walked away without another word.
Just around that same moment, the image of Theano took shape on the documents Pythagoras held in his hands. He halted his work on the new lessons planned for his akousmatikoi. From an aperture in the rock of the cave, the sunrays bathed him with an unexpected sense of her presence. In his mind, she stood staring at him with that particular look in her green eyes, which communicated the desire of her love. He, who had long lived outside the Circle of Necessity, akin to a true Initiate, felt awesomely weakened by his strong emotional feelings towards her.
Although a divine man, a Son of God who had heeded the Harmony of the Spheres, eaten from the tree of knowledge, and touched immortality, he seriously considered marrying Theano. He strongly believed that the divine order of Numbers had planned their encounter, and it stood now behind his possible physical union with her. It came to his mind then that the reason might lay in the fact that both he and Theano represented the fallen models, so to speak, of the One.
Marriage must be decided… and must be decided soon! He concluded with determination.
* * *
As seen by the esoteric teachings, two opposite and contradictory movements govern the world. They are parallel and strongly interconnected. This dual mechanism consists of both the material evolution and the spiritual evolution. It works on all levels of life.
The Fire-Energy begets the manifestation of God - the Great Monad - in the matter, and feeds it. This is to be considered the material evolution of the Kosmos and the Life that spawns out. On the other hand, the spiritual evolution is a whole process of conscious development of the Individual Monads, and their continuous trials to escape the Cycle of Death and Rebirth, or the Circle of Necessity. And when this happens, they re-join the Great Monad, the Central Fire that has formed them in the first place.
* * *
At last, the mathematikoi accomplished the entire program on Theology of the Kosmos, also known as Cosmology. Subsequently, Pythagoras determined to instigate their instruction on his sacred science of Psychology, called Theology of the Psyche or Soul.
Be it by curiosity or by high interest, the basic questions that human beings have debated through the ages constituted the main focus of the new program.
Who am I?
What am I?
What am I doing here?
Whither do I go?
For them to unlock the great Mysteries of all time, they would have to seek, and ultimately find the answers to these questions. Dwelling in this eternal dilemma, the Psyche always struggles to avoid falling into the duality of Darkness and Light, or more precisely, of evil and good.
Underneath the Temple of Ceres-Astarte, down in the crypt of Proserpine, the Philosopher assembled his 10 closest disciples. That day, he invited them to penetrate the narrow portal of the Psyche that would directly lead them to the discovery of the invisible world.
Thrilled with anticipation, they felt completely ready to undertake that fascinating adventure. They had purified their bodies through a period of sexual abstention and strict diet. They had trained their physical appearance to become symmetric models of Nature. They had fortified their minds by the intellectual assimilation of the knowledge of Sophia, Music, and the Esoteric Mathematics of the Sacred Numbers.
They were indeed ready!
“Know thyself, and you shall fathom the secrets of the Universe and the gods,” with authority, the Mathemagician summoned them to enter into a direct relationship with the Psyche, with their Souls. “Fellow brothers and sisters, behold the Sanctum Sanctorum, the Holy of Holies that beats high and deep inside your realms!”
In a unanimous voice, the mathematikoi hailed an enthusiastic avowal of obedience and commitment. They strongly believed the Truth to be the Ultimate Arcane behind their existence, and all existence as well. They comprehended its dwelling, deep inside each one of them, to perfection. They understood that the external fell short of the Divine Light that shone beautifully, and ever brilliantly, within.
“The Truth I tell you! Every human Psyche is a partial element of the Great Soul of the World, and I mean the Great Monad. The human Psyche, de facto, lives throughout all the kingdoms of Nature. It started as a mere blind force at the Solid level. It behaved as a self-reliant, active force at the Plant level. It then vibrated through the receptive and instinctive impulses of the Animal level, and it lastly reached the Human level, which stands as the highest form in natural life. There, the Psyche tends towards the conscious Individual Monad. I tell you this! The psyche resides at all the levels of life forms where the anima and the spiritual energy evolve. Their evolution is gradual, and it transpires relatively through a series of incarnations.”
“So, the farther the living beings ascend in levels, the more the dormant faculties of their Individual Monads develop. That occurs by originating from total blindness, and ending with intelligence. Hence, the pre-psychic force is forever related to the elements of Water and Earth, in both the Solid and the Plant levels. However, after death, the psyche of the Animal life sojourns in the condensed element of Air, for it is strongly attracted by the gravity of Earthly life. It then returns to Earth to embody life repetitively. The human Psyche, however, is solely related to the Fire element. It returns, after death, to the Central Fire or Eternal Light, to be judged. If found guilty, it will take a physical shape here on Earth, once again, in order to redeem itself from the errors made in the previous life. If found innocent, it will then unify with the eternal light, and that occurs only after completing the cycle of reincarnation.”
He paused for a moment. His right hand on his forehead, his eyes closed, and his mind in deep reflection…
“If you allow me a question, Master,” a young mathematikoi, by the name of Dinocrates of Tarentum, advanced in puzzlement. “How then could you explain the evolution of the Animal psyche into the Human Psyche?”
“Easy! Envision this while I explain,” Pythagoras invited him to figure it out while he set forth to prove his theory. “Evolution, which constitutes the transformation process from Animal to Human, could never have occurred without the prior existence of some properly formed Kosmic Human Psyches. These must have descended to Earth from other spheres of existence, and built a preliminary spiritual essence in the Animal psyche to infuse them with divinity at a later stage.”
“How, Master?” Hipposthenes of Crotona wondered out loud. His pleading tone drew some faint smiles around him. “I don’t quite understand! Do you really mean that we came from the outside space?”
In a swift motion, Pythagoras’ inquisitive eyes browsed all t
he students, and noted their blank looks of incomprehension. For the second time now, they had failed to grasp this important concept of his. Previously, at the shore, their blankness had made him request a change of tempo from the Lyre player in order for their minds to develop the seed of his notion. He had meant to avoid overloading them with his teachings at the time. However, today he was adamant for their understanding.
“Let me put it in a more comprehensible way,” he proffered with the intention of imparting more details to aid them in their comprehension. “Our Human Psyche did not originate from Earth. The Kosmic Psyches, which shaped our Humanity, had existed long ago, on other spheres of very slight material density, almost insignificant ones. In the beginning, of course, these Psyches were invisible, pure spirits with great spiritual, divine, and mental faculties. With time, they changed, because their incarnations and re-incarnations occurred lightly and easily. They, in fact, developed into semi-corporeal bodies as they moved down from one sphere to another in this great Kosmos.”
“As the spheres consolidated on their way down to Earth, they slowly condensed into physical forms. As such, they gradually lost these faculties, called energies. On Earth, the last material level of heavenly descent, they materialized into Human beings. A great deal of their aforementioned energies waned. This is the Fall of the Ancient Man from the Kosmic Garden of Eden – from Heaven down to Earth.”
“This Fallen Man was physically modeled as such due to his interconnection with the fleshly substance of the Animal form, and its related elements. On the other hand, the Ancient Man’s Psyche achieved the impregnation of its residual spiritual and mental essence into the Animal psyche, and that in order to endow it with the left-overs of its divinity.”
Pythagoras the Mathemagician Page 31