Faith in the Long Arc of the Plan:
Following the drastic testing of Scorpio, balance is restored in Sagittarius, the sign of the Archer whose steady hand draws the bow taut prior to releasing the arrow of aspiration. Aspiration, idealism, and intuition are key themes of the Sagittarian experience. In today’s world, idealism is being severely challenged by the recurrent revelations of corruption coming to light in many societies. This is understandably a disheartening, discouraging time for many people who have held steadfastly to a faith in humanity, to a reassurance that, as the fourteenth century mystic Julian of Norwich promised, “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”
The positivity of this world view is not an idle refusal to face reality, but in fact a deeply anchored spiritual conviction. In Alice Bailey’s words, “faith is evidence of a well-grounded conviction”, but she also noted that the whole subject of faith, and its vital significance and potency, are little understood. It can seem to be a vain act of “whistling in the dark” unless the true meaning and power of faith are recognized. The well known statement, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen, contains a profound truth, for the esoteric meaning of “substance” is related to energy or, more correctly, to the force which lies back of matter—“that intangible something which is the basis of the objective thing”, in Alice Bailey’s words.
In this realization we can see the enormous creative possibilities of faith when it is coupled with clear intention and spiritual vision. When these are present, the power of group meditation takes on new significance, and the keynote of Sagittarius—I see the goal. I reach that goal and then I see another—points to a brighter future. The Archer’s arrow generates a clear shaft of light which is intuitive and focused—a shaft of light which invokes the intuition, transcending the doubts and fears of the concrete mind.
Idealism, another theme of Sagittarius, is the power to see the vision and to direct all one’s energy and effort towards it. In today’s cynical times, idealism can seem to be an indication that one is simply poorly informed, unacquainted with “reality”, but without idealism the seeker would not have a goal for the focus of aspiration. The seeker is told to enquire the Way and yet there is no one to give directions, Alice Bailey pointed out. Those who know the Way may not speak, knowing that the Path is constructed by the aspirant as the spider spins its web—out of the center of its own being. And so it is for the inquiring, searching human being: the Path that leads to the goal is constructed out of the substance of the individual’s life and consciousness.
Thus, confidence might be another theme of Sagittarius, for confidence is said to be an outward expression of an inward faith—in oneself as a soul and in humanity, the collective, evolving human soul. “It must never be forgotten that evolution is the story of the evolution of consciousness, not the evolution of form”, Alice Bailey wrote. Each generation is but a fragment of an evolutionary continuum that spans millennia of aspiration, failure, and renewed striving, in demonstration of the keynote, I see the goal. I reach that goal and then I see another. The efforts of the servers at work in the world now are laying the foundation for a future, better world for all living beings. We owe them all our gratitude and our cooperation.
