A Sevenfold Reality

The concept of the Seven Rays underlies the universe. By this we mean the seven fundamental energies that organize and maintain all that exists. This concept was referred to for the first time by Blavatsky and Alice A. Bailey and later has been further elaborated under the inspiration of Master D. K. The tables on the left show some examples.

Study

A good introduction to this vast and complicated subject was written by Nancy Magor and Michal J. Eastcott. Te complete text of this booklet is attached (In order to read this text you need a password which can be ordered on the contact-form). For more in depth information the following sources are available: the 24 books written by Alice Bailey and 5 of which deal the Seven Rays. The texts are to be found under the menu Deepening.

The Rays

According to this concept, everything is composed of seven rays at all levels; that means that each of the 7 rays, in turn, is made up of 7 sub-rays. In the knowable world, we see a number of manifestations: 7 roots in music, 7 days a week, seven colors in the visible spectrum (also: the rainbow), the seven major chakras in our body ….

The Seven Rays thus formed the basis for a new approach to psychology. In this context this approach is also called the New Psychology or Esoteric Psychology.

Rays express themselves, exoterically seen in a number of features. As the soul gets more control over the personality, these qualities positively manifest. During its evolution to mastery, a process that takes many lives, man will have to try again and again to achieve a number of properties. He has available, in addition to the Soul, a number of ‘vehicles’, which are each governed by a chief ray and a sub-ray. These vehicles are the Soul and the Personality, and as autonomous parts of the Personality: a Physical, Astral and Mental body. The “rays package” is therefore composed differently with each new incarnation: again there are always new learning processes to be undergone. Only the ray of the soul remains unchanged throughout the evolutionary process. It’s like a tonic or fundamental, above which other overtones are brought into vibration. Depending on strength and intensity of these parts, the person in incarnation manifests himself.
The tables below should clarify this.

	Special Virtues (Soul)	Vices of Ray (Personality)
I	Strength, courage, steadfastness, truthfulness arising from absolute fearlessness, power of ruling, capacity to grasp great questions in a large-minded way, and of handling men and measures.	Pride, ambition, wilfulness, hardness, arrogance, desire to control others, obstinacy, anger.
II	Calm, strength, patience and endurance, love of truth, faithfulness, intuition, clear intelligence, and serene temper.	Over-absorption in study, coldness, indifference to others, contempt of mental limitations in others.
III	Wide views on all abstract questions, sincerity of purpose, clear intellect, capacity for concentration on philosophic studies, patience, caution, absence of the tendency to worry himself or others over trifles.	Intellectual pride, coldness, isolation, inaccuracy in details, absent-mindedness, obstinacy, selfishness, overmuch criticism of others.
IV	Strong affections, sympathy, physical courage, generosity, devotion, quickness of intellect and perception.	Self-centeredness, worrying, inaccuracy, lack of moral courage, strong passions, indolence, extravagance.
V	Strictly accurate statements, justice (without mercy), perseverance, common sense, uprightness, independence, keen intellect.	Harsh criticism, narrowness, arrogance, unforgiving temper, lack of sympathy and reverence, prejudice.
VI	Devotion, single-mindedness, love, tenderness, intuition, loyalty, reverence.	Selfish and jealous love, over-leaning on others, partiality, self-deception, sectarianism, superstition, prejudice, over-rapid conclusions, fiery anger.
VII	Strength, perseverance, courage, courtesy, extreme care in details, self-reliance.	Formalism, bigotry, pride, narrowness, superficial judgments, self-opinion over-indulged.

Virtues to be acquired:

	To acquire
I	Tenderness, humility, sympathy, tolerance, patience
II	Love, compassion, unselfishness, energy.
III	Sympathy, tolerance, devotion, accuracy, energy and common sense.
IV	Serenity, confidence, self-control, purity, unselfishness, accuracy, mental and moral balance.
V	Reverence, devotion, sympathy, love, wide-mindedness.
VI	Strength, self-sacrifice, purity, truth, tolerance, serenity, balance and common sense.
VII	Realization of unity, wide-mindedness, tolerance, humility, gentleness and love.