The Seven Hierarchies

The Seven Hierarchies
	Hierarchy	Nos.	Symbol Aspect	Force Type
1.	The Divine Lives.	1 or 6	Closed 12 petalled Lotus Golden.	One of the 6th Cosmic Force or shakti.
2.	The Burning Sons of Desire.	2 or 7	Seven colored Spheres, each with a central fire.	Two of the 7th Shakti.
3.	The Triads or the Triple Flowers.	3 or 3	A triple Flame hovering over a glowing altar.	Three of the 1st Shakti or type of force.
4.	The Lords of Sacrifice or The Initiates.	4 or 9	The Son, standing with outstretched arms in space.	Second of the 4th Cosmic energy.
5.	The Crocodiles or the Perfect Ones.	5 or 10	The five-pointed Star with the symbol of System 1 in the center.	Fourth of the 5th Cosmic force (Mahat).
6.	The Sacrificial Fires. The Aspirants.	6 or 11	A silver Moon surmounted by an equal armed Cross.	Third of the 6th Cosmic force.
7.	The Baskets of Nourishment or The Blinded Lives.	7 or 12	A Man reversed with his eyes closed.	Fourth of the 7th Creative force.
In closing, we might give certain of the symbols for the twelve Creative Hierarchies. It is not possible to give the symbols whereby the Adepts know them, for in those symbols would be revealed much that it is deemed wiser to guard in secrecy, but the symbols, as they are [1225] found in records accessible to disciples, may be given, and from the close scrutiny of these some knowledge as to the essential character of the hierarchy may be revealed.The symbols for the five hierarchies which have passed on may be stated as follows: A ball of green fire with three rays of rose. A sphere, divided by a Tau, in colors green and silver. A bird, with plumage dark and with the eye of radiant fire. Two stars of vivid rose linked by a band of violet. An ovoid of color indigo with five letters or symbolic words within its borders. These hierarchies are also classed together and viewed as one and are called in esoteric parlance: "The Lives of that which appeared, rotated and gathered to themselves the fifth aspect of Mahat." This symbol, which signifies the liberation achieved and the gains attained in System One, takes the form of a blazing altar of pure fire out of which is escaping a bird of green and gold plumage with five wings outspread. Above this symbol appear certain hieroglyphics in the earliest Sensa script signifying, "Still I seek." The symbols of the seven Creative Hierarchies now in manifestation are all enclosed in a circle denoting limitation and the circumscribing of the Life. All these hierarchies are Sons of Desire, and are paramountly an expression of the desire for manifested life of the solar Logos. They receive their primary impulse from the cosmic astral plane. They are also the expression of a vibration emanating from the second row of petals in the logoic Lotus on the cosmic mental plane.They are, therefore, one and all an expression of His love nature, and it is for this reason that buddhi is found at the heart of the tiniest atom, or what we call in this [1226] system, electric fire. For the positive central life of every form is but an expression of cosmic buddhi, and the downpouring of a love which has its source in the Heart of the Solar Logos; this is itself an emanating principle from the ONE ABOVE OUR LOGOS, HE OF WHOM NAUGHT MAY BE SAID. It is love limiting itself by desire, and for that which is desired. It is love pouring itself out into forms which are stimulated and aided thereby; it is the fulfilment of divine obligations incurred in the dim and distant kalpas which antedate the triplicity of solar systems which we can dimly vision, and it is the "Father of Light" (in a cosmic connotation) pouring Himself out for that which binds Him and which it is His dharma to lift up to His Throne. It is not possible to picture the revelation of the Love of the solar Logos as it reveals itself to the eye of the illuminated seer, nor to show the nature of the cosmic Lord of Sacrifice as He limits Himself in order to save. At each step along the Path, the extent of that love and sacrifice is opened up as the disciple knows himself to be in tiny measure also a Lord of Sacrifice and Love. It can only be appreciated as the two inner rows of egoic petals are unfolded; knowledge would not reveal it, and it is only as a man transcends knowledge, and knows himself to be something non-separative, and inclusive that this particular revelation comes to him. This is the secret behind the seven symbols, each one of which hides an aspect of the sevenfold Love of God as it is revealed through the hierarchy of Beings, or as the Son reveals it, Who is the sumtotal of the Love of God.We might at the same time consider the type of force wielded by a particular hierarchy. [1229]