Sabian Symbols: Soul's capacity for growth
Soul's capacity for growth
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This universal idea is best expressed through planets in
Capricorn 3 (2° - 3°)YEARNING FOR REAL EXPERIENCE
Knowledge without experience is dry and theoretical, the soul is passionate and wants to know Truth Another driving force of our race is the will to increase our level of experience and to test ourselves to prove our worth when up against new challenges. In Sufism it is thought that Spirit throws up individual sparks of life, souls, and these are essentially motivated by the first principle of Creation in which the Creator explains, ‘I was a hidden treasure and desired to be known’. Souls come to know themselves only through experience; it is their first, last and only imperative, and this is what drives us all to reach further and deeper into life.
Rudhyar: A HUMAN SOUL, IN ITS EAGERNESS FOR NEW EXPERIENCES, SEEKS EMBODIMENT |
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A human soul, in its eagerness for new experiences, seeks embodiment
Avidity
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Appropriate renunciation is the greatest attribute of personal freedom
In every moment throughout eternity, another new version is created out of life’s infinite possibilities. Each version is special in itself, and yet contains all of the components that make up the universe. Whether we identify ourselves with the external, or with internal truth, we have to acknowledge that life – in all of its articulations – is a rich experience. We can ‘seek knowledge unto China’ – as the Sufis would say – or we can live out each day in a mundane predictable rhythm, and still eventually get to the point of it all: that life is truly amazing! For those of us who have unlocked the secret, it is life itself – rather than our circumstances – that delights. Each person, each day, each situation and each of our feelings is delightful. As we change, we grow. And as we grow, we constantly discover new perceptions, which often are surprising and sparkling. Those sparkles of consciousness are as droplets of pure spirit, and they need to be contained and supported lest they scamper away leaving nothing but a wistful sense of barely fulfilled promises. The people around us will be our containers; we look to them for understanding. Each person in our lives has a particular piece of the whole to reflect to us. We know of our personal evolution most authentically insofar as it is reflected in our involvements. So we see that a period of accelerated growth will require an intensity of interaction, probably not only in depth with one or more individuals, but also in a kaleidoscopic breadth of social intercourse. Just as a child seeks more and more adventures, we are avid to try out new ways to discover who we are and how we respond to new experiences. This is done in innocence, for the sake of it – as Irish say – ‘for the craic!’ There is no need to predict the worth of an experimental outreach or defend its purpose to those who are less carefree. Let them suffer the paralysis of analysis without our complicity. The danger of such lifestyle lies in its risk of irresponsible abandon. There’s a thin line between what is helpful and what is unhelpful. If we degenerate into ill-disciplined self-indulgence, then we can lose the wisdom and be blind to the very mystery that makes such a path meaningful. Detachment and spontaneity can so readily become shiftlessness and reckless incaution. Nonetheless, appropriate renunciation is the greatest attribute of personal freedom. We learn that ‘freedom from’ is different from ‘freedom to’, and some will have a clear insight about which is more wholesome. At a certain level of attainment, joy is optimised with a life strategy which promotes a continual reiteration of the need to release any limitation we hold of our sense of self. |
