Theos-Talk Archives (May 1997 Message tl00146)

Attention to: Jim Meier

>Date: Sun, 04 May 1997 06:35:58 EST
>From: jmeier@microfone.net (Jim Meier)
>From: THEOS-L digest 1007

>According to Bailey, the Wesak Festival is the 2nd of three full moon
>festivals that make up the Higher Interlude cycle of the spiritual year.
>The 1st is Easter (Aries) and the 3rd is this month's full moon of Gemini on
>May 22nd.  The 3rd Festival is also known as World Invocation Day, and the
>idea of the three Spiritual Festivals (and the lesser festivals at the other
>nine moons) is one of the main differences between the Bailey teachings and
>"orthodox" Theosophy.
>

I wondered about some sentences in your letter, and stumbled over two.
Those two sentences are:

>(and the lesser festivals at the other nine moons)

>"orthodox" Theosophy.

Commenting on your text about the Festivals I can now see that I made a
mistake by using the word "moved." I was thinking in Icelandic and the
selected English word is not accurate for what I had in mind.

I had in mind to remind us about the Cardinal Signs Festivals, and
especially about The Winter Solstice Festival. The theory about the Cardinal
Signs Festivals is well known to many students of Theosophy. And also; the
theory of the full moon periods is well known.
By my understanding, the greater Festivals do not depend on the cycles of
the moon.

Let us look at this again, and I will try to explain my mind.

By The Ancient Northern Cosmogony, the Winter Solstice Festival is believed
to be the most spiritual of all the Great Festivals. It is believed to be
the Great Event when The Sun God - The Solar Logos - looks into the lives of all
men. Looks into the life of every man, wherever in the worlds that man may
be. That is a blessing. That is the Holy gift, given to us every year at
Christmas.
This great Festival of Love and Brotherhood is not connected with the period
of full moon.

At the Winter Solstice Festival, the other spiritual Festivals of the year,
are synthesized.


About the other sentence: >"orthodox" Theosophy.

There is no >"orthodox" Theosophy -- it does not exist.
Our understanding and presentation of Theosophy can be "orthodox."
Persons and groups can be "orthodox."
But Theosophy can not be limited by our limited understanding.

Theosophy is a Way.  It is a Pillar.

Regarding the Festivals and the writings of Bailey.
Are you certain that the Winter Solstice Festival is not introduced in those
books.
Can you look into this?
One must have in mind that the writings of Bailey are of different quality.
I recall, that at one time when I was looking into one of those books, I
noticed the sentence: "notice that my first books are different." I am
quotating to this sentence, from my memory.
You see;  A. Bailey wrote for a group - not only for one single person.

Other Ashrams have presented "Teaching" in this century, through a number of
books. On certain ideas there is a basic difference. Not can all be right.
Let us therefore be careful when we decide on what is true.
It is necessary to make a comparative study, free from biasness.


Sveinn Freyr