The whole of life is revelation
Sagittarius marks a point of balance after the tests and trials of Scorpio, for the Archer, the symbol of Sagittarius, has to acquire a steady eye, hand and stance before firing the arrow towards the target. Thus, direction is one of the major themes of experience in Sagittarius. It’s said that there is no true direction apart from thought, and thought is power. To learn the truth of this, we’re encouraged to work with a phase in our lives by applying mental direction to its outcome.
The keynote of Sagittarius is I see the goal. I reach that goal and then I see another. There’s a hint in this keynote which might help to explain why esoteric teaching encourages the spiritual seeker to “transfigure life in terms of accomplishment”. Aspiration is a vital driving force upon the Way, but it can only take one so far before fatigue or glamour and illusion might set in. Always the need is to proceed in spiritual development with humility, with persistence, and with courage in the face of obstacles—and in fact to welcome the obstacles, for they are our teachers. “Aim at achievement in accomplishment”, we’re told. Striving towards a definite goal on the physical plane, even a minor one, is important because tangible achievements externalize subtle, sensitive perceptions.
Conversely, even our perceived failures have their uses, for all experience is educational if we are willing to learn. The writings of Alice Bailey assure us that there is no such thing as failure in the pursuit of a goal, only loss of time. Time, as viewed esoterically, is a brain construct and the sense of time can lead to glamour and disappointment. In this frenetic age when so much is vying for people’s attention, maintaining the necessary one-pointedness is more of a challenge than ever. Perhaps it helps to think of the Path like the creation of a railroad in which the track is laid down one length of steel at a time. Similarly, the most skillful politicians work through compromise—not by settling for less, but as a means to advance step by step towards their ultimate goal. Of far more value than speed is persistence, the sheer dogged refusal to succumb to discouragement. Indeed, persistence is said to be the hallmark of the spiritual seeker, for it is literally a time-persistence—the power to endure, to hold out, to stand steady and to go forward undeterred. Perhaps that’s why we’re told that the capacity to plod is much to be desired!
The goal is achieved incrementally because revelation is a progressive matter. So rather than looking for spectacular achievements,, we should remember that much of the Path is characterized by “micro-recognitions”, the little insights and piercings of awareness that come to one at unexpected moments. These are the gifts of practical experience and, sometimes, of failure, which can bestow indelible lessons. They help us to understand why spiritual growth in Sagittarius must take place on level ground, on the plains of Earth, in the need to establish sure footing with every step on the way. And every step forward matters, for the whole of life is revelation, the writings of Alice Bailey tell us.
There is an element of faith, of positivity, in the keynote of Sagittarius that is is especially needed at this time when doubt and even cynicism about the possibility of a better future trouble many human minds. Esoterically, we know that the effect of increasing light is to reveal the surrounding darkness, which heightens the service of those who can strive towards the higher goal without ignoring the present reality. The achievement of each seeker extends the arc of light in the world that much more, so let us contribute our efforts to the worldwide group which is working in group meditation, with patience and unwavering focus on the goal, to provide a stabilizing force for humanity in this time of transition: I see the goal. I reach that goal and then I see another.
