The recognition of relation
As the incoming energies of the Aquarian age pour into the world, it’s important to gain an understanding of the nature of these energies for which humanity has no prior experience. We’re told that in preparation for this incoming 2000 year cycle, the energies will lead to the dissolution of outworn forms—to be replaced by new forms more appropriate for Aquarian energies. In trying to see beyond the present cycle which is necessary to clear the way for the full inflow of Aquarian energies, what should we look for?
Esoteric teaching tells us that the energies of Aquarius will stimulate the spirit of universality and foster the tendency towards fusion and synthesis. Perhaps the most profound effect upon the human kingdom will be the stimulation of group consciousness and group relationships, not only between individuals but between communities and nations, fostering the creation of blocs and alliances, some for selfish purposes, others for the greater, common good. Soul expression in Aquarius, Alice Bailey wrote, will foster the recognition of relation. Intense self-awareness will expand into a realization of group relationship—of the underlying bond of synthesis which binds all living beings in the web of life. No one, no group, no nation can escape the impelling power of the inpouring energies of Aquarius, energies which are now visibly compelling realignments, restructuring relationships, and destroying the remaining barriers to greater unity.
Living through this process can evoke in some a sense of sacrifice and anxiety when witnessing the destruction of old cherished ideals, but the keynote of Aquarius touches upon the essential beneficence which is the promise when the present cycle has been surmounted: Water of life am I, poured forth for thirsty men [and women]. As those familiar with the biblical reference to the last supper may remember, Christ told his disciples, as a sign of his return, to look for the man carrying a water pot, symbolic of the nature of service in the then distant Aquarian age. This image of the man with the water pot overflowing without emptying is symbolic of service as we will come to understand it in the Aquarian age.
Service is now well recognized as “a good thing to do” and the world today is full of inspiring, creative ways in which this kind of service is being rendered. Examples of even small children who are responding to this impulse make the nightly news. However, there is another, quieter but equally important type of service rendered through the power of the mind and the heart.
The Aquarian demonstration of service is circular and ever-renewing, as suggested in the esoteric mantram, “Give of thine uttermost on every plane, and thus, in giving, gain.” This is the true service of the soul, which is replicated in the function of the physical heart and the circulatory system. Just as the heart is the organ for the distribution of the life aspect, the blood, so the spiritual heart is the center for the distribution of hierarchical energies. When these spiritual energies are based upon a mental response to humanity’s needs and released through a group, they provide a powerful means to sustain and augment the contribution of those who are actively serving on the forefront of the world’s crises. “Pour your strength and light behind that of the workers who serve the Hierarchy upon the open battlefield of life”, Alice Bailey wrote. “Let them find in you someone whose eyes see clearly because they are not dimmed by the fog and smoke of the outer world battle.” Whether our personal circumstances and abilities are suited to action on the outer planes of life, or lie more appropriately in the position of the Observer who understands that, behind outer seeming, the compelling thrust of the universe is Love, we all can serve. Group meditation at the time of the full moon is an important way to distribute spiritual energies into human consciousness, where all lasting change begins.
