Supernal Light: A Compendium of Esoteric Thought

By William A. Meader

Supernal Light can be defined as the guiding light of divinity that is hidden deep within each of us. As an individual increasingly awakens to the love and wisdom of the soul, this sacred light gradually begins to crest upon the shores of consciousness. Essentially, this book is a compendium of spiritual topics that can assist each of us in this awakening process. Rooted in the Esoteric Philosophy, it attempts to help the reader build his or her higher mind, which is the realm of consciousness wherein the soul is found. Subjects such as Revelation, the Purpose and Destiny of the Soul, the Evolution of Consciousness and the Nature of Mind are prominently featured in this book, as well as a deep exploration into the subject of Spiritual Initiation and soulful service to a world in need.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jul 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9798350915815

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Introduction

The destiny of every human soul is to be an agent of Supernal Light in support of humanity’s upliftment. It is to bring spiritual wisdom and love into the world as a force of betterment and transformation to others. Each of us is innately endowed with a longing to serve the larger whole, for service is one of the abiding qualities of the soul residing deep within. As the evolution of human consciousness proceeds, this longing becomes a predominant conviction in the way we conduct our lives. Once this has occurred, life will never be the same, for to be consciously aroused by the soul is to become a transmitter of Supernal Light in service to human need.

Supernal Light is the light that comes from on high. Essentially, it is the light of divinity itself, and is the sacred Life underlying all of Creation. It is the ultimate source of divine revelation, and holds within its radiance the Will, Love, and Intelligence of the Greater Life—God. In the ultimate sense, the evolution of all things is spiritually rooted in Supernal Light.

For those who are consciously walking the Path, the causal body—the inner vessel that houses the soul’s consciousness—is the agent of reception and transmission of Supernal Light. The causal body is a subject that we will deeply explore, and it serves a multitude of functions. Throughout the countless incarnations that we each have lived, lessons have been learned about life, love, and outer experience. These lessons are then refined into wisdom and stored in the causal body. As such, the causal body is best understood as the repository of all the wisdom that has been earned over the vastness of one’s incarnational history. This is one of the key functions of the causal body, located deep within the human psyche.

The causal body also acts as the recipient of Supernal Light from above, sensed within the mind as divine intuition. Serving as the vehicle of the soul, the causal body blends this divine light with the earned wisdom it already has stored within, and it does so for the purpose of delivering this divine synthesis to a world in need. The causal body can therefore be understood as the receptacle for the blending of personal wisdom and Supernal Light (divine intuition) in preparation for their expression in service to others. Within the Hindu tradition, this blended perception is referred to as buddhi-manas—the fusion of spiritual intuition (buddhi) with higher mind (manas). In truth, it is via the cultivation of buddhi-manasic consciousness that the portal to enlightenment is eventually entered.

On its own, Supernal Light is completely impersonal. As the transcendent light of God, the divine principles that it conveys are therefore universal, having wide and impersonal application. But when it is synthesized with the personal wisdom stored within the causal body, it becomes the perfect recipe for creating thoughtforms that have the power to serve and uplift others. The wisdom stored in the causal body adds the personal and experiential ingredient to the impersonal Supernal Light radiating through it.

To illustrate this point, let us say that the Supernal Light being gathered by the causal body is related to the Principle of Universal Oneness. On its own, this type of divine light can provide an individual with an intuitive realization about the oneness of all things. Such meditative insight can have relevance and application to a wide array of subjects, such as understanding cultural and historical variabilities through sociological studies, the quantum field studied by science, the unitive truths underlying world religions, or the intelligence of Mother Nature and her ecosystems. However, when this Supernal Light is fused with the personal wisdom stored within the causal body, it adds the quality of experiential knowingness to the topic at hand.

As an example, this blending of personal wisdom and Supernal Light could manifest through the mind of the quantum physicist who, with meditative insight, is able to realize and express the essential truth that the quantum field is the source of life itself. Alternatively, it could be the individual who is committed to serving humanity through sociological studies. Though well-educated in the study of vastly different societies, this same divine light could meditatively enrich the consciousness of such a person with the revelation that, beyond the social, economic, and racial diversities of humanity, we are fundamentally one—not just in kind, but in essence.

The goal of this compendium of esoteric thought is to provide the philosophic foundations that can support each of us to more effectively sense the Supernal Light that is seeking expression through us. When built into the mind, the ideas offered by the Esoteric Philosophy can become anchor points for the reception of Supernal Light, for the nature of this light is largely governed by the content of one’s mind and heart. Stated differently, what is held and understood within one’s higher mind becomes the place of reception for the downflow of a particular type of Supernal Light and its enriching effects. It imbues these thoughtforms with a deeper revelatory potential and adds the flavor of spiritual livingness to them.

Given this, we will begin our inquiry with a topic that is foundational to this philosophy, and is cosmic in its scope. It pertains to the fundamental principle that a human being is not separate from divinity, but is instead an extension of the Divine (God). The notion that there is a gulf between God and Creation, long proclaimed by the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), is understood as only an illusion caused by the limitations of human perception. From the esoteric perspective, each of us is a spark of life arising from the One Flame (God). The essence of a human being is therefore a microcosmic rendition of a divine archetype.

Herein is the true meaning behind the biblical verse, "God created man in his own image."¹ It is a subject that is foundational to all the many esoteric topics discussed later in this writing, which is why it is the first one presented in this collection. Whether discussing the clues to the soul’s purpose, invoking spiritual revelation, or the experience of the dark night of the soul (to name just a few of the topics included herein), their accurate understanding requires that we recognize and honor the divinity that inherently exists within each of us.

The subject of spiritual initiation is also an important topic that will be presented and discussed. Understanding the developmental steps that support the evolution of consciousness is helpful when navigating the spiritual Path leading to eventual enlightenment. Essentially, each initiation is a milestone indicating that the soul has taken dominion over some aspect of the lower-self, the personality. The first initiation demonstrates that the soul has the upper hand over the appetites of the physical body; when the second door of initiation is traversed, one’s emotions are proven to be tempered and wisely used; whilst the third initiation indicates that the indwelling Self (soul) has mastered the ungoverned tendencies of the mind. And when these three initiations have been passed, enlightenment is near at hand, for then only the culminating tests of the fourth initiation remain to be surmounted.

Spiritual initiation has relationship to the sensing of Supernal Light as well. Indeed, each sequential initiation indicates that this divine light is able to be inwardly sensed with less and less attenuation. In this life or another, the day shall come when we are able to precipitate Supernal Light without any diminishment or distortion caused by the imperfections and impurities still existing within the personality. Such a time marks the moment when the disciple has entered the antechamber to enlightenment—a preparatory phase when the remaining vestiges of karma are finally and fully eliminated. Then and only then can one truly say, "Lost am I in light supernal, yet on that light I turn my back."² In these words, we have the attitude of the initiate who has finally arrived at the mountaintop of consciousness. Yet, while being inwardly bathed in the glory of Supernal Light, the initiate eventually realizes that he or she must turn back to deliver this divine radiance to a world in need. To such an individual, nothing remains but to fully live as a light-bringer in service to humanity’s upliftment.

When considering this subject from an astrological perspective, it must be remembered that humanity is currently in the very early stages of the Aquarian Age—an epoch that will condition humanity’s consciousness for the next two millennia. How we collectively begin this new evolutionary phase of development will largely set the note for several centuries to come. Aquarius is symbolized by a man carrying a jar of water upon his shoulder. What is not often realized is that this jar contains something called the Water of Life. Indeed, within the Esoteric Philosophy, the keynote for Aquarius states, Water of Life am I, poured forth for thirsty men.³ For those of us who are committed to soulfully serving humanity, this must also be our keynote.

To fully understand what is meant by Water of Life, it must first be realized that this is not a reference to water in the literal sense, nor does it pertain to the watery (emotional) nature of the personality. The Water of Life is a far deeper and subtler force, and in the nomenclature of esotericism it is relatively synonymous with Supernal Light. As a point of distinction, Supernal Light is the appropriate term used when addressing the revelatory nature of godly insight, whilst Water of Life is more indicative of its sacred livingness.

Esoterically understood, the man who is pouring this life-giving water is not an individual, but instead represents the New Group of World Servers. This is not surprising, given the fact that Aquarius is the sign of group consciousness. Members of this group are found within every nation, every religious background (or of no religious heritage), and span all social and economic strata of the human family. In truth, it is likely that many who read these words are consciously or unconsciously included in its membership. Much will be presented about this worldwide group of aspirants, disciples and initiates. For now, simply realize that their numbers grow with each passing decade, and that they are currently walking among us in the millions. And if it is true that each of us is a member of the New Group of World Servers, then it is likewise true that we each are water-carriers, destined to pour forth the Water of Life (Supernal Light) to a world in need.

Part I

~ Foundational Ponderings ~

Made in the Image of God

The search for God is a central theme in most world religions. Indeed, the yearning to feel the presence of a Greater Being is innate within each of us. For countless centuries theology has provided humanity with the thoughtforms needed in order to reconcile its relationship with the Divine. Over time these thoughtforms have become doctrinally established and emerged as a formalized religion within society. Due to cultural and geographical differences, these religious thoughtforms vary from one religion to the next. Yet underlying these differences is a common urge to establish a relationship between the macrocosm and microcosm, God and humankind. Religion can therefore be understood as the invocative appeal of humanity toward the Greater Life, and Its evocative response to that cry.

When considering the dynamics between God and Creation, there are two fundamental orientations offered by the religions of the world. Many theologies posit the view that God created the universe but remains relatively separate and disconnected from His creation. As a result, it is believed that there exists a gulf between God and the universe. Such religions then provide doctrinal means and methods of seeking connection across this gulf in order to gain intimacy with the Divine. This is largely the perspective espoused by the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

Conversely, most of the religions of the East proclaim that God and the universe are inseparably one. From this perspective, all that exists is the manifestation of the Divine. Whether couched in a monotheistic, pantheistic or polytheistic framework, this view maintains that a human being is not separate from the divine source but, rather, an extension of it. It is this viewpoint with which the Esoteric Philosophy finds agreement. It espouses that the gulf between God and Creation is understood as an illusion caused by humanity’s limited capacity to sense the unbreakable intimacy between a human being and the livingness of the Greater Life.

In truth, each of us is a ray of life coming forth from the Greater Life. We are therefore not separate from God, but are radiatory extensions of the Divine. Walking the spiritual path is thus a journey to ever greater integrations with the consciousness of the Greater Life. Every step forward indicates a deeper penetration and participation in the livingness of God. From this perspective it becomes clear that we are the divinity we seek. We are not separate from God, but made in the image of God.

When considering the Judeo-Christian viewpoint, a great irony and contradiction becomes apparent. Christianity has historically proclaimed that human beings are exiled from God (symbolized by being cast out of the Garden of Eden), that we are unclean creatures, and that the remedy to this is to be found through the divinity of Jesus. Human beings are therefore viewed as lowly and innately impure (the doctrine of original sin), far from the nature and likeness of God. Yet ironically, there are biblical references that seem to suggest otherwise. For example, in the Book of Genesis we read these words:

Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.⁴

Given the fact that the Abrahamic religions are all monotheistic, the use of the words Us and Our in this biblical quote is certainly suggestive of a polytheistic aspect to Creation. More important to the subject at hand, however, is that it speaks of the divine nature of humankind. And it is this profound truth that serves as the foundation for what we are now to explore. More and more we are discovering that the path to God leads to our own divinity. Indeed, every expansion of consciousness gives us a deeper sense of the eternal soul and its sacredness. Through a deep inquiry into this fascinating subject, we shall discover that the seeker and the sought are but One.

The Microcosmic Reflection

The destiny of every human being is to become a perfected reflection of the Greater Life. Each of us is a microcosm that is slowly evolving to become a carrier of the same attributes of God—the Macrocosmic Life. The reasons behind why we do not recognize this are many. Aside from the Christian view proclaiming that such perspectives are wayward and blasphemous, there are several aspects of human consciousness that are obstacles to seeing our own divinity. For example, we tend to be keenly aware of our personal shortcomings and imperfections which would seem to disqualify us from purity and godhood. We can recall the many mistakes and regrets in our lives, and feel shameful of our transgressions. Essentially, when self-criticism looms overly large within our minds, recognizing our essential divinity is seemingly impossible.

At this point I am reminded of the words in The Prophet that to measure you by your smallest deed is to reckon the power of the ocean by the frailty of its foam.⁵ Occultly understood, it is not that we are gods, but that we are gods in the making. Each of us is an expression of godlike divinity, but only as a potentiality. Sadly, it is easy to be preoccupied with our shortcomings to the point where even a hint of one’s divine nature is overshadowed by this, and therefore remains unseen.

Yet when considering the long journey of evolution, the potential godhood of a human being must eventually be fully demonstrated via the outer garment through which we each live—the personality. Indeed, enlightenment is understood as the consummation of this process. To hold the evolutionary status of a Master of Wisdom is to fully express one’s divinity through the personality, and without an ounce of distortion. This is what it means to be a Master. It indicates that such a person has mastered the form through which his divinity seeks expression. When viewed within a multi-incarnational context, this is the destiny of every human being—to be a perfected reflection of the Greater Life. It requires that we recognize the profound truth behind the ancient Hermetic injunction as above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul.⁶

Principle of Hylozoism

In the West, God has historically been viewed in a markedly singular and absolute way. Even though the biblical verse previously mentioned points to polytheism, sadly the Abrahamic religions have dogmatically negated this notion. Within the Esoteric Philosophy, however, monotheism and polytheism have elements of truth to them. In the ultimate sense, Esotericism states that there is only one God, often referred to as the One Life. Yet it is also believed that all of Creation is the manifestation of this One Life. It is the One becoming the many. This is therefore not a story about God and Creation, but God as Creation. And, as a result of the One Life extending itself into layers of intelligent substance (the planes of consciousness), a fundamental spiritual principle arises—the Principle of Hylozoism.

Occultly considered, there is probably no tenet more important to understand than the Principle of Hylozoism. Without knowledge of this fundamental law, students are likely to find the Esoteric Philosophy to be contradictory, inconsistent, or otherwise impenetrable. In our examination of hylozoism, many of the points of confusion encountered in Esotericism find solution through an understanding of this principle. It is a subject that emphasizes two important truths which will help us gain insight into the Real. First, it gives us understanding as to the nature of Life and its relationship to substance and form. In this regard we will see that there is an inseparability of Life and substance. Secondly, hylozoism offers deep and profound insight into the relationship between the whole and the part, the macrocosm and microcosm.

The Principle of Hylozoism states that all things within Creation live. At the root of this proclamation is the understanding that within the totality of Creation there is only One Life. In some traditions, this singularity of life is called God. In others it may be called Allah, Brahman, or Universal Intelligence. Esoterically, the entire universe (seen and unseen) is considered the incarnation of this Universal Being. This is a staggering and profound idea. It suggests that underlying the vastness of the universe, with its seemingly infinite variety and diversity, is found a single living essence. And for reasons far beyond humanity’s capacity to grasp, this all-encompassing Universal Being has incarnated Itself in and as Cosmos. It is the One becoming the many.

Considering the existence of the One Life, it becomes apparent why hylozoism makes claim that everything within Creation is underpinned by life. For if there is only One Life, then how could anything escape its embrace? The division between organic and inorganic (living and non-living) substance, as advocated by contemporary science, is arbitrary at best. Science uses a very narrow set of standards to define life. Within the literature of Esotericism, we have been given to understand that human consciousness has not yet evolved to the point where we can know what life truly is. What we typically call life is not Life in the purest sense. It is only life as we observe it expressing through form. As a species, we have not yet come to realize the pristine nature of Life independent of form expression. Given this, it is not surprising that science uses narrow parameters for ascertaining life, for it knows no better. Occultly understood, all things live, even the stones we walk upon.

The second definition of hylozoism addresses the relationship between God and Creation—that within the entirety of Creation, every unit of life is a cell nested within a vaster unit of life. This is an important notion, one that has application at every level of entification. For example, let us consider a cell within the human body. From the esoteric perspective it is considered a unit of life, and therefore has a measure of consciousness. Without a doubt it is an infinitesimal and comparatively undeveloped unit of consciousness, but nonetheless has an intelligence within. Even so, a single cell is just a unit of life governed by a larger living system, namely, the consciousness of the human being expressing through the physical body. Yet, a human being is merely a unit of consciousness within a much larger life expression—humanity as a whole. Occultly considered, humanity is a single entity, and every human being is an individual cell found within it.

However, the Principle of Hylozoism has application beyond this. For example, humanity is seen as a unit of beingness within the Planetary Logos. The title of Planetary Logos is the name used in occultism to identify the Entity that ensouls our entire planet. All kingdoms of nature are understood as constituent parts of this living planetary being. In truth, terrestrial phenomena such as climate patterns, oceanic currents and tectonic activity are patterns of consciousness within the Planetary Logos that are manifesting through Its physical form—the Earth.

Interestingly, humanity is believed to be the throat chakra of our Planetary Logos. This idea is worthy to ponder. What this suggests is that the sum total of humanity’s consciousness is merely the vibration emitted by the throat center of a global entity, our planetary god. A question that naturally arises when considering this is, what is the function of a throat chakra? To answer this question is to gain insight into the spiritual role humanity must play as a constituent part of the Planetary Logos. The function of a throat chakra (human or logoic) is to act as an outlet for the creative ideations of the soul. This is why it is true to say that every human being is destined to become a spiritual magician. Indeed, enlightenment is not possible until we individually, as souls, learn to be creative agents in support of the Greater Life. This is an inescapable truth.

Taken still higher, the Planetary Logos is merely a unit of life within the Entity that ensouls our solar system. Sometimes called the Solar Logos, all planetary bodies contained within its circumference are component parts of it. Still further, the Solar Logos is a unit of life within a cosmic Entity, and serves as its heart chakra. Eventually we rise to the level of the Milky Way galaxy (called the Galactic Logos) which is composed of billions of solar logoi, and it too is merely a unit of life. When we consider the fact that astronomers now estimate that there are millions of galaxies in the universe, the magnitude and implication of this can truly astound the human mind.

In some circles, hylozoism has been called the chain of life. That is a fitting phrase indeed, for it clearly supports the idea that everything is an extension radiating from a condition of universal Oneness. This is why at times the Esoteric Philosophy is said to be founded on emanation theory. Herein is another applicable phrase, for all that exists is merely part of a streaming emanation descending from the One, resulting in the many.

Acceptance of the Principle of Hylozoism is something that can help each of us spiritually evolve. Because we are individual cells within the consciousness of a larger entity, such knowledge can be profoundly decentralizing. The great challenge when walking the spiritual path is to take the eyes off oneself. This necessarily diminishes the lower ego and its sense of self-importance. To understand the self as simply a cell within a vaster Being adds a needed humility to the journey. Humility is simply an adjusted sense of right proportion. It is right perception as to what is large versus what is small, and what is the container versus that which is contained.

Hylozoism is the principle that demonstrates the relativity of all things. One of the greatest challenges for new students of this philosophy is to shift into a relativistic way of thinking. Spiritual truths that were once viewed as absolute must eventually yield to the principle of relative truth. The most obvious of these is the notion of God. When we understand hylozoism, we are forced to accept the idea that God is a relative term. What world religions have defined as God, the perennial wisdom attributes to the Planetary Logos. Even though most religions will claim that their God is the maker of the entire universe, the magnitude of consciousness that any religion is able to conceptualize and truly grasp is only equivalent to the consciousness of our planetary god.

Interestingly, in the eyes of the Planetary Logos, God is perceived (and understood) as the Solar Logos. Therefore, God is recognized as any category of life more evolved that oneself. Looking at this idea in relation to the animal kingdom, human beings hold the position of God. Even the notion of enlightenment must be realized in a relative manner. The word enlightenment is most often used to suggest a perfected state of spiritual development. However, within the larger context which hylozoism forces us to consider, it is not an absolute perfection, but only relative within a certain range of development.

Considering the readiness of humanity to accept the principle of hylozoism, we can already see mundane indications of it within mainstream thinking. Most notable is the movement toward systems theory. This theory states that no system (human or otherwise) can be rightly understood without considering its interrelatedness to the larger system within which it exists. For example, to understand the economic processes within a given region, one must reflect on the economic principles governing the societal systems within the nation. True understanding of economic patterns is not possible unless the larger political, social, and environmental systems through which it functions are taken into account.

The health profession is another social institution that is increasingly using systems theory to support its work. The movement toward holistic medicine harkens to this. It emphasizes that to properly heal someone requires that a physician attend to not only the ailment, but to the larger system(s) that the patient participates within. For example, lifestyle, diet, and spiritual orientation all contribute to an individual’s physical health and well-being.

We also see this approach within the field of psychology. Sometimes called family systems therapy, this model holds that an individual’s aberrant behavior can only be understood as part of a family dynamic (or social context). A therapist taking this view rarely or never treats the individual, but instead uses family system therapy as the emphasized approach.

Admittedly, these examples are not directed toward the deeper understanding of hylozoism, with its emphasis on the livingness of our planet and its relationship to cosmic life. Nonetheless, they do acknowledge the importance of the relatedness of lesser to greater systems. In this way, the Principle of Hylozoism has taken root within the mundane aspects of human thinking. It is a good beginning and will continue to grow in our collective consciousness.

The Hylozoistic Principle is one of the most important tenets within the Esoteric Philosophy. In its attempt to give understanding to the so-called chain of life, it states that all units of life are nested within a greater, more expansive life. Given this, when one is consciously walking the Path, it is important to consider the constitution of the Greater Life (the Planetary Logos and Solar Logos) to better grasp the inner psychological markers within us that are intended to reflect the qualities of that Greater Life. In this regard, one of the most essential areas of consideration has to do with the divine triplicities, also known as the three aspects.

The