THE CHAKRAS

or illusion through which we see it in action. It comes through countless millions of channels, showing itself on every plane and subplane of our system, and yet fundamentally it is one and the same force. It is in no way for a moment to be confused with that First Outpouring which long ago manufactured the chemical elements. From those elements, this Second Outpouring takes the material of which its vehicles at all levels are built. It appears as though some of its manifestations were lower or denser, because it is employing lower and denser matter. On the buddhic intuitional or spiritual level, we see it displaying itself as the Christ-principle, gradually expanding and unfolding itself imperceptibly within the soul of the man. In the astral and mental bodies, we perceive that various layers of matter are vivified by it. We note different exhibitions of it appearing in the higher part of the astral in the guise of a noble emotion, and in the lower part of the very same vehicle as a mere rush of life-force energizing the matter of that body.

We find it in its lowest embodiment drawing round itself a veil of etheric matter, and rushing from the astral body into the flower-like bells of these chakras energy centers on the surface of the etheric part of the physical body. Here it meets another force welling up from the interior of the human body, the mysterious power called kundalini the serpent-fire.

THE SERPENT-FIRE

This force is the physical-plane manifestation of another of the manifold aspects of the power of the Logos the Divine Word or Creative Deity. It belongs to the First Outpouring, which comes from the Third Aspect. It exists on all planes of which we know anything; but it is the expression of it in etheric matter with which we have to do at present. It is not convertible into either the primary force already mentioned or the force of vitality which comes from the sun, and it does not seem to be affected in any way by any other forms of physical energy. I have seen as much as a million and a quarter volts of electricity put into a human body, so that when the man held out his arm towards the wall, huge flames rushed out from his fingers, yet he felt nothing unusual. He would not be in the least burnt under these circumstances unless he actually touched some external object; but even this enormous display of power had no effect whatever upon the serpent-fire.

We have known for many years that there is deep down in the earth what may be described as a laboratory of the Third Logos. On attempting to investigate the conditions at the center of the earth, we find there a vast globe of such tremendous force that we cannot approach it. We can touch only its outer layers; but in doing even that, it becomes evident that they are in sympathetic relation with the layers of kundalini the serpent-fire in the human body. Into that center, the force of the Third Logos must have poured ages ago, but it is working there still. There He is engaged

A circular diagram represents the Navel Chakra. It consists of ten petal-like sections radiating from a dark, recessed center. The coloration is highly textured, featuring fine radial streaks of magenta, red, yellow-orange, and pale green. This circular figure is set against a solid black square, which is centered within a rectangular border of three parallel dotted lines.