Cabbalah
See Kabbalah
Caduceus
(Latin) The staff or rod of power of Mercury/Hermes who was the mediator, “the messenger of the Gods”, between the Deities upon Mount Olympus and humanity. This rod is entwined by two serpents, symbolising the Sushumna, Pingala, and Ida Nadis, and surmounted by a winged disc, symbolising the qualities of the Soul of Life, of the consciousness-aspect, that can fly freely in space, in the Airy element represented by Buddhi. The Caduceus is further explained in The Secret Doctrine by H.P. Blavatsky.
Causal Body
This is the outer sheath or form of the Soul of a person, and is found on the higher mental plane, the realm of the abstract or archetypal mind. It is formed out of the interrelation of the Devic substance of the higher mental and buddhic planes. It is the container of the consciousness aspect of the human individual, and as such is sometimes called the Ego. It is literally a spheric veil of mental substance containing a lotus or floral form, with nine petals of a predominant orange hue, surrounding a central bud of three petals, which hides the point of power, the radiant “jewel in the heart of the lotus”. These petals abstract into themselves the sum of the qualities developed by the evolving personalities rayed down into the realms of form from incarnation to incarnation, seen in terms of consciousness.
Thus it evolves on its own realm through the symbolic 777 Incarnations of the human personalities it has created in accordance with karmic weaving and the cyclic opportunity for expression of the group of which it is a part (for it is necessarily group-conscious). It evolves from a loosely held together basket work form until it becomes a brilliant sphere of conscious Light, of Radiant Delight, at the attainment of the third Initiation of its personality aspect, and finally explodes as a Nova in the night sky at the attainment of the fourth Initiation of its respective incarnate personality.
It also contains within its sphere of activity the permanent atoms of the incarnate personality.
It is the second aspect of the trinity Spirit-Soul-personality, and is the Son/Sun in full manifestation, the Cup or container of the Love principle of the Lord most High. Its major characteristic when consciously expressed by the personality is Joy in the Service that unifies the many into the One. It is asexual on its own realm and hence identifies not with the male-female forms of sexuality that concerns human beings so much, except in terms of “marriage” with its Deva complement. Thus the bodies it chooses to incarnate through depend entirely upon the type of karma that has to be worked out, and the gain in consciousness to be obtained in relation to the group Laws that condition its Being. It is the Christ within us, the hope of glory.
Catuṣkoṭi
Four limits: eternalism, nihilism, appearance, emptiness. Four-cornered logic. Also the fourfold system of dialectical negation: negation of the positive, the negative, of both, of neither. Four categories of existence, being, non-being, both being and non-being, and neither being and non-being.
Central Spiritual Sun
This relates to the Monadic aspect of the Logoi embodying our Solar System and finds its Source in the constellation Ursa Major (the Seven Rishis of the Great Bear).
Ceres/Demeter
The Goddess of the harvest, the productive principle in Nature, a form of the Earth Mother.
Chains, Planetary
One of the designated terms referring to the evolution of the rounds of life within the Solar Form. Life spirals through seven globes (or sheaths of a Planetary Logos) and there seven such globes of evolutionary development to a Planetary Chain. Seven such Chains of globes make a Planetary Scheme, which becomes the number of Incarnations of a Planetary Logos (7 x 7) within the duration of the Existence of One Life of a Solar Logos. There are seven planetary Schemes (the Bodies of manifestation of a Planetary Logos), plus three synthesising Schemes (Uranus I, Neptune II and Saturn III) constituting a Solar Form, as far as the vitalising of the life therein is concerned.
In relation to the above, our Earth globe is the fourth globe in a Chain of seven, which is the fourth Chain of the Seven that constitutes the Scheme embodied by our Planetary Logos. In addition to this, His is the fourth Scheme within the Solar System. The book A Treatise on Cosmic Fire by A.A. Bailey should be consulted for further detail.
Chakra (cakra)
“Wheel, or disc”. A chakra is literally one of the seven major (as well as the minor vortices of energy), that stem from points in the spine and are divided by means of “spokes” of energy into regions that have been likened to the petals of lotus blossoms in the etheric body of a person or Logos. They allow the entry of light (or conversely, prevent such entry) of differing qualities and potencies from one dimension of perception into another. They are the psychic centres within one, and depending upon the qualities of the particular chakras that are activated, so is seen the manifest quality or characteristic of that being. The major endocrine glands are the physical plane externalisation of these flowers. They are described in most books on yoga-meditation. The seven major centres are: the Base of the Spine centre, the Sacral centre, the Solar Plexus centre, the Heart centre, the Throat centre, the Ājña centre (the “third eye”) and the Head centre.
Chalice
The cup of the Holy Grail, containing the Blood of the Living Christ. It can also be equated with the Heart centre, which contains the accumulations of all of one’s past virtuous actions, as well as being the repository of the Christ-consciousness. It is the source of that type of prana termed Jiva, which gives the person his unique individuality. It also has its reflection in the solar plexus, which is the accumulator of all the pranas associated with the personality’s involvement in material realms. One can look to a divine triangle of solar plexus, splenic, and Heart centres as the Chalice containing the reservoir of all that concerns the personality’s involvement in the three worlds and the realms of enlightened Being, and which must be expressed outwards to the field of service. Each of the chakras can also be considered “chalices”.
Chandra
The Moon, or related Deity. See also Soma.
Chaos
Primordial substance. That which was before anything was created. See also Bythos.
Another way of viewing this term is that it concerns the absence of order, of true rhythm, and thus is associated with the forces of sickness, disease, and death, everything that concerns the effects of the workings of the dark brotherhood. They project the force of chaos in order to counteract the vibrant salutory work of the forces of Light, which is to produce order out of Chaos.
Chela
A disciple or pupil of a sage or spiritual teacher. More correctly a pupil of a Master of Wisdom.
Cherubim
A high order of Deva Lords, the watchers who guard the garden of Eden, the “four corners” that delineate its form. Esoterically they are the guardians of the four gates, directions, spheres, elements, or corners of manifest Space. They emanate from, or support the Throne of God, and for this reason each Cherub was a winged figure with four faces – of a man, eagle, lion, and an ox, as also are depicted the “four beasts” that support the Throne of God in Rev. 4:6-9. These signs relate to the fixed cross of the heavens, the signs Aquarius – the man, Taurus – the bull or ox, Leo – the lion and Scorpio – the eagle. The Cherubim, therefore, are the Devic complements of the Four Great Entities that form a unity with the One who sits on the Throne.
Chhaya
Sanskrit for a shade or shadow. This term thus refers to the astral image of the physical body, and has a direct reference to the forms of the second Root Race humanity. It can also refer to the sum of the periodical vehicles of the three-fold personality, for they are “shades” in relation to the luminosity of the Soul.See Dhyān Chohan
Chit (citta)
To know, become conscious.
Chitta (citta)
Organised mind-stuff, specifically refers to mental substance. The basic mind substance that is incorporated as our thoughts and deeds. The fundamental nature is Earthy, because it is moulded as the forms of the thoughts generated.
Citta-vṛtti
Modifications or movement of mind stuff.
Chohan
This is a Tibetan word that means “a great Lord” or “Master”. Esoterically, it refers to one who is greater than a Master of Wisdom, thus an Initiate of the sixth degree, who is indeed a great Lord, a Logos as far as systemic space is concerned.
Chotavan
A small rhythm of the fire of cosmic Space, experienced by the more advanced practitioners of Agni yoga. See also Mahavan.
Chrestos
Also, Christos, Krestos. A Gnostic term for the Christ. One who serves as an oracle for God, the purifier and anointed who has already trodden the Way and thus can reveal it to others. The term was taken from the dictionaries of the pagan Mysteries. Krestos referred to the neophyte who went through all the ritual sufferings and tests in preparation for Initiation, and after being anointed became Christ, the purified, or anointed. Note a similar concept of the words of Paul in Gal. 4:19 – “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” The process of anointment is also veiled by the words of Jesus in John 15:1-14 in the symbolism of the vine (of Initiation) and the husbandman.
Christ-consciousness
The type of awareness developed by one who is becoming a Christ. Compassionate understanding. See above, and also intuition.
Christos
Hebrew for Messiah, the anointed. See Chrestos.
Clairaudience
The faculty of hearing the sounds and impressions coming from astral realms, or from a great distance.
Clairvoyance
The faculty of seeing the aura, and the residents of the subtle planes of perception. Visioning astrally. This can be done by proper training of the physical eye, or through awakening of certain chakras.
Cosmos
The sum of manifest and unmanifest Space that can be said to be a product of the Mind of the Greater Deity that embodies/Created it.
Creative Hierarchies, Twelve
They embody the substance of all the forms in the phenomenal world, and are the evolving consciousness thereof. They are in part great Angelic orders, five of which are said to have “gained their liberation”, from the substance of the cosmic Physical plane, though the fifth is said to be on the verge of liberation. The remaining seven are the builders of the Solar System. In their various degrees they are the intermediaries between Spirit and matter, as is the soul of man. They transmit extra-Solar energy to “dense forms”, and their purpose is the evolution of consciousness in these forms. Each of the Hierarchies sacrifice something of themselves to help the lower. They are, each in their turn, “fallen angels”, as mentioned in the Bible. Humanity itself forms the fourth Creative Hierarchy, embodying the qualities of the sign Scorpio, the Hierarchical ruler of which is Mercury.
They are “interlocking energies which play through, transverse, return, stimulate and energise every part of the Solar System” (as stated in Esoteric Astrology by A.A. Bailey). They are the zodiac (the lesser zodiac in the heavens), the Emanations from the twelve petals of the Heart Centre of a Logos, because these Energies form the corporeal substance of our sheaths, and because each of the Hierarchies veils (embodies) and transmits the energy emanating from the zodiacal signs. Until a person has attained Initiate-consciousness he is completely dominated by these energies.
It can be said that these Hierarchies of Creative Lives principally express the Desire for manifested Life by the Solar Logos, and embody His active Love. They are the Qualities, the Builders, the Intelligences that use the Rays, “the primordial forms of certain lives who carry in their hearts all the seeds of form” as their vehicle of expression. The Rays veil the Hierarchies, and the quality of a Ray is dependent upon the quality of a Hierarchy embodying it. Also, the planes of perception are said to have an analogous function to certain of the Hierarchies as the sheaths of a Monad have to it. The planes act as agents to distribute the forces of the Hierarchies, through which the Hierarchies can express their evolutionary purpose.
Together, these Hierarchies constitute what might be called a Logoic “serpent of Wisdom”, forming an intricate multihued diamond pattern on its back that is the result of the interblending of the colours of the Hierarchies, Rays, and planes.
Crore
Ten Million.
Cross
This is most esoteric symbol, the symbol of substance that must be surmounted by the consciousness, the Christ aspect. Indeed the Christ is to be crucified upon it as demonstrated by the symbolism of the entire life of Christ-Jesus, leading to the attainment of the fourth Initiation, when he died upon it.
There are three major forms of crosses. The fixed Cross, the cross of the crucified Christ, the Son, or Heart of life. The Mutable cross (the swastika), which is the cross of the Mother, of constant mutable activity and rearranging direction. The Cardinal cross (in the form of an arrow), which is the cross of the Spirit, of the Father, of one pointed direction, and liberation from confinement to all aspects of form and limitation.
Crown chakra
See Sahasrara Padma.
Cyclopes
(From the Greek term kuklos = circle, and ops = eye.) They are Giants (associated with the Lemurian times, the Initiates of that period) with one Eye opened in the forehead.
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