Here is a link to a printable poster of the 9 Headed Hydras and the Initiation Process

Below is a text version

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The 9 Headed Hydra

From ancient recesses of the memory, from the racial and individual subconscious, and when soul contact is adequately established, there emerges from individual past lives and experience that which is the sum total of all phases of wrong mental attitudes; to these (as a whole) we give the name “The Dweller on the Threshold”. The Soul as the bearer of Light by which one may see the truth and the force through which all comes into a unity is the “Angel of the Presence”. The Nine Headed Hydra symbolically represents the “Dweller on the Threshold” and must be overcome before initiation can be taken. The Dweller represents the past; the accumulated tendencies, selfish desires. Hercules symbolically represents the “Angel of the Presence” who is the future, light , love and liberation. The Angel and Dweller stand face to face, and the battle between the pairs of opposites begins for the Disciple, experienced as internal tests.

The Hydras are arranged in relation to Pingala (blue), Ida (green) and Sushumna (red), shaded from darkest to lightest in order of abstraction.
There are nine heads of the Hydra which can be divide into three levels based on their plane of manifestation:

1. SCORPIO – the tests concerning the dense form: Sex, Material Comfort, Money. Synthesised by the functions of the sacral centre.

2. TAURUS – the tests concerning the desire element: Fear, Hate, Ambition. Synthesised by the functions of the solar plexus centre.

3. PISCES – the tests concerning the mental processes: Pride, Seperativeness, Cruelty. Synthesised by the throat centre

The body of the Hydra is Ignorance, which can be equated with the substance of the darkness wielded by the forces of evil.

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MENTAL HYDRA – PINGALA CORRELATION

Pride – Intellectual satisfaction, making the mind the barrier to Soul control. The principle of mind; the disciple’s most cherished possession, must now step down from its lofty position and allow the heart and the Soul to manifest and to take control, a great dificulty to accomplish. Pride in one’s accomplishment is the edifice of the developed personality, and humbleness cannot be obtained by simply desiring or working to be humble, for that in itself feeds pride.

ASTRAL (EMOTIONAL) HYDRA – PINGALA CORRELATION
Fear – Which conditions activity , and is presently the dominant astral energy. Fear helps to cause the many forms of warfare, terror, strife, and arenas of sickness upon our planet. It is the closing off to the outside world, the inward turning spiral, and opposes the natural expansion of the heart and love. It takes true courage to make the necessary sacrifices to grow on the path of love, to demonstrate that service to humanity is more important than petty personality concerns.

PHYSICAL HYDRA – PINGALA CORRELATION
Sex – The relation of the pairs of opposites, which can be selfishly utilised or divinely blended. Sexual domination, desire, beastly passions, bigoted attitudes, licentiousness and related sexual enterprises are the cause of much karma and must be understood and overcome. Absorption (esp. mentally) in transient sensual allurements distracts one from divinity and service. Suppression and overt expression of sexuality are to be avoided in order to find the loving middle way.

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MENTAL HYDRA- SUSHUMNA CORRELATION

Cruelty – Satisfaction with personality methods, which makes the mind the instrument of the sense of power. In the personality life it’s seen in terms of the concretising, rigid, material attitudes of mind. Those who manifest cruelty revel in the power they have over others and the situations that hinder them as they struggle to achieve. The mouth is the vehicle of power, and causes most pain to others, the heart must rule the mind with the power of Love.

ASTRAL (EMOTIONAL) HYDRA- SUSHUMNA CORRELATION
Hate – A factor conditioning relationships. Aggressive emotionalism that is used to attack others and the principle of life, or that which is not appealing the to the personal I. Hatred comes into manifestation by the frustration of desire and the ambition to control. It concerns the misdirection of the energies from the heart of Life and counteracts the workings of those on the path of Love. Equanimity is needed to counter this potent energy and its seeds.

PHYSICAL HYDRA – SUSHUMNA CORRELATION
Money – Selfishly cornered. Greed, the desire for personal financial empires and for the power that such accumulated crystallised energy brings must be understood and overcome. The use of money (or energy) creates Karma, therefore the nature of Intention must be understood as it is this that which directs money into altruistic group conscious endeavours or selfish personality empires, and attachment to samsaric life.

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MENTAL HYDRA – IDA CORRELATION
Separativeness – The isolating attitude and which makes the mind the barrier to right group relations. One must battle against desire for materialistic and separative pursuit in the world, progress on the Path depends upon the ability to receive and hold in consciousness the potency of the intensified Light that comes after the attitude of separativeness is transmuted into the expression of unity, of Oneness. One must fuse all divisions of mind into a unity.

ASTRAL (EMOTIONAL) HYDRA – IDA CORRELATION
Ambition – Conditioning objectives. This concerns the prostitution of creative energies for personal gain. It implies a ruthless grasp and conquest of things desired for the personal self no matter what the consequences upon those around. Spiritual ambition in disciples destroys right group relations and impedes the development of humility and loving sacrifice. It therefore opposes the desired spiritual accomplishment.

PHYSICAL HYDRA – IDA CORRELATION
Physical comfort – Life conditions selfishly appropriated. The incorrect use of time, the manipulation or misappropriation and selfish acquisition of commodities and resources of the three planes. One must be at all times mindfull, and correctly use and appreciate resources, understanding they represent the sacrificial lives of the deva kingdom. The Karma resulting from selfish indulgence or ignorant misuse of material and time resources in our world is great.

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