The Second Coming, Armageddon, & Resurrection
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org, please feel free to visit the school website)
We have now reached the end of the process of personal psychosynthesis, called self-realization in psychological terms or the Lesser Mysteries in the language of spiritual tradition. We may now explore the Greater Mysteries, the stage of development known as unification of the Personality and the Individuality or Union with the Divine. The Greater Mysteries consist of three stages. The first of these can be called the personal Christmas, the birth of Christ consciousness in the individual, or the Descent of the Light. Since Christ must be born again within each person, this dawning of higher awareness can also be likened to the Second Coming of Christ wherein he establishes his Kingdom on earth through us, his Avatars.
The second stage can be called the personal apocalypse, which culminates in the inner war of Armageddon between the lower and higher selves. The third and final stage allows us to be reborn in the spirit, and thus can be compared to the Resurrection that Christ underwent at Easter time, to the rebirth of the sun in Spring, or to other myths of resurrected gods such as Dionysus in the Greek or Baldur in the Norse pantheon. Higher consciousness must first be awakened in order for the struggle to begin between the personality and the spiritual self, since without such a spiritual awakening the personality would remain in control of the individual and no initiation would take place. The dawning of higher consciousness provokes a crisis in the individual, since the personality will most often try to remain in control and will not relinquish its power without a fight. Personal disasters thus become necessary in order to shift the center of gravity of consciousness from the lower to the higher self. Only then can the individual be reborn to a life centered in the spirit and infused with Divine Light.
The awakening of the spirit must be consciously sought after and brought about, it will not simply happen at Christmastime when you open your presents. We must seek to bring the Light of the divine down into ourselves.In Apocalypse Now (1988) the manifestation of this Light is said to exist on four levels: “On the spiritual level, Light is the very source of consciousness and wisdom, of love and feeling, and of energy and will... On the mental level, Light manifests itself as consciousness, knowledge, awareness, and clarity... On the emotional level, Light manifests itself as love and feeling... and as Courage, in the old French meaning of the word, which means ‘a new heart…’ On the physical level, Light manifests itself as life, vitality, and energy―the ability to use the physical vehicle as a responsive and well-trained instrument to achieve whatever purpose we have in mind in the physical world.” The personal second coming of Christ occurs at the end of one world, that of the personality or lower self, and the beginning of the next world belonging to the spirit or higher self. This descent of the Light thus represents an important crossroads in the life of the individual, the evolutionary crossing from a lower to a higher state of consciousness.
A study of the four gospels in the Bible, or of other death and resurrection myths which can be found as far back in the history of literature as the Sumerian tale of Innanna’s descent into the underworld, will give the student a metaphorical framework for the awakening of the divine Light in the individual. Pathworkings involving journeys to high mountaintops or into the sky can serve as exercises to contact the Light in the imagination. Rituals involving the use of powerful holy symbols (from the student’s chosen religious framework) representing death and resurrection will also bring the Light down into the personality.
Once the Light has descended (if this has not happened to you already), you will likely begin to undergo one or more spiritual crises or Initiations. The four preliminary or elemental Initiations make up what can be called the personal apocalypse. These crises involve the breaking of the false self that has become attached to the material world, also called the Personality or lower self. The first crisis, or Earth Initiation, breaks the physical body or the health of the individual. The second, or Water Initiation, breaks the heart or emotions. The third crisis forces you to change your basic philosphy of life in some major way. The fourth, or Fire Initiation, involves the breaking of the will, possibly through a near death or out of body experience.
Your preliminary self-realization work will have prepared you to face these Initiations and overcome the challenges contained in each of them. Realize that you are not being broken by these crises. Rather, it is your ego that must die so that your spirit can be reborn. The process can be painful, but the rewards are well worth any suffering you may undergo. It may be that you have already experienced one or more of these Initiations, especially if you have already experienced some kind of spiritual awakening earlier in life. In this case, you may be able to move on to the stage of Resurrection or spiritual rebirth more quickly. First, however, you will most likely face the inner conflict known metaphorically as Armageddon, or the war between the lower and higher selves. Apocalypse Now (1988) tells us concerning this inner battle: “The first fundamental spiritual insight into the true nature and function of Armageddon is that this term cannot be interpreted literally but, rather, symbolically; thus, it does not designate a war in the outer, physical world but an inner clash and conflict in the consciousness and soul of a human being. The second is that Armageddon, the Great Inner Conflict, takes place not only once but many times, on different levels of consciousness. As such, it is a most important and significant process that faces every human generation and, in particular, every candidate for spiritual initiation.” In the same way, every prophecy can be applied to the present generation in a collective sense and to each individual in a personal sense. Predictions thus can be understood as metaphors that guide the intiatory candidate along the spiritual path to Illumination. Even the prophecies of Nostradamus can be interpreted in this way.
In the inner war of Armageddon, the idea is not to fight against the personality and its desires but to transform and harness its powers to accomplish higher, spiritual tasks. Repression of the desires leads to projections and externalizations, and thence to conflict with the world or other individuals. Instead of demonizing the lower self and the unconscious, we must integrate these primal energies and forces into the field of consciousness. This can be partly accomplished by pathworkings that explore the underworld or the depths of the sea. Rituals using symbols of the lower realms such as Saturn or Pluto can also help to integrate these unconscious elements of the self. Care must be taken, however, that the Light accompanies the seeker into these darker realms. In regards to this work we read in Apocalypse Now (1988): “This, then, is the true work of the disciple: in the midst of all vicissitudes, variation, and tribulations of life, he must succeed in aligning, harmonizing, and integrating the consciousness and will of the Personality with that of the Individuality so as to become a living temple and instrument of the God within. This is the quintessence of the true work of spiritual regeneration, of the Great Work taught by all the genuine spiritual schools and traditions.”
The lower self or Personality wants to dominate the world and possess the riches it contains. It becomes demonic when the instincts, appetites, and desires of the Personality become ends in themselves that rule the life of the individual. The lower self keeps us alive and increases our wealth though its strivings, but it lacks a conscience in the same way that a wild beast has no compassion for its prey. Predominance of the Personality causes strife, misery, and contradiciton to multiply in the world. By contrast, the Individuality or higher self brings peace, harmony, and inspiration. As Apocalypse Now (1988) informs us, “When our center of consciousness and being has finally reached and been properly rooted in the Individuality, then we shall learn to operate and fight in the outer theater of life with the weapons of love and light.” This love and light can be expressed as great works of art or music, for example, that inspire others to live a life of compassion and kindness toward all beings.
The lower self resides in the first, second, and third chakras of the subtle body. The first chakra relates to physical survival, which at the present time translates into money. The first chakra motivates the individual to work, or failing that, to hunt, beg, borrow, or steal in order to survive. The second chakra concerns itself with emotional security, which, after the breakdown of the family, has been subconsciously reduced to the pursuit of sex. The third chakra gives us the desire for social status and the symbols of success that lead to acceptance in society. Third chakra motives might include the desire to wear nice clothes, own a car or a house, or succeed in a career. Symbols that evoke the desires of the three lower chakras can be seen in advertisements that offer gratification of these lower drives. The first three elemental initiations break the attachment of the lower chakras to the material objects that drive them. Thus, poor health may make it impossible for you to work. A divorce may plunge you into a state of complete emotional insecurity. Loss of a job or house may reduce your social status to that of a homeless beggar. Corresponding ego deaths will occur in each of these cases, leading to the possibility of spiritual rebirth in the elemental planes.
The Fire Initiation which involves a breaking of the will leads to an opening of the heart chakra, and awakens empathy and compassion for others. The near death experience which often accompanies this Initiation causes the center of consciousness to shift from the physcial body to the astral body. Since the astral body cannot die, a successful Fire Initiation indicates that the individual has attained immortality or eternal life.The taste of death brings an awareness of life’s value, and begins the inner conflict of Armageddon which ideally results in the triumph of the higher self and the activation of the higher chakras or spiritual centers.
Rebirth on the elemental levels also requires conscious effort and participation. Otherwise, you may be unable to recover from your apocalyptic crises. Physical or first chakra rebirth can be facilitated by getting extra sleep, exercising more, and eating a healthy amount of nutritious food. In some cases it may be necessary for you to move to a more hospitable climate, or to escape from the pollution of the city and seek a more natural environment. Meaningful, spiritually oriented work can then be sought and engaged in for the maintenance of your physical well being. Emotional rebirth can be assisted through painting, music, and spending time in nature, as well as social activities, prayer, and medtiation. Mental or third chakra resurrection comes through the development of a life of the mind, which should include reading good books, discussion of ideas with intelligent friends, meditative reflection, and writing. On the fourth chakra level, Apocalypse Now (1988) informs us: “Resurrection, or spiritual rebirth, involves not only a new state of consciousness and a higher level of being brought forth by the action of the Divine Spark in our Souls, it specifically involves a whole new perception and understanding of the meaning and purpose of one’s life and of the events therein.” The death of the ego and subsequent resurrection of the spirit involved in the Fire Initiation leads to the opening of the three higher chakras and the corresponding spiritual awakenings that these centers of higher consciousness represent.
The fifth chakra, located in the throat or speech center, corresponds to a higher meaning and purpose in life. Thus, the opening of this center gives us a voice with which to express our deepest selves on all levels. Poetry, music, and art originate in this center. The opening of the fifth chakra coincides with the discovery of the True Will. The sixth chakra or Third Eye, when opened, gives us the power of second sight. This power allows us to travel objectively in the astral and mental planes, transpersonal regions of the inner world or higher unconscious. The sixth chakra also corresponds to Christ consciousness or the awareness of Divine Love as the primary force in the universe. Apocalypse Now (1988) tells us concerning the sixth chakra: “When this chakra is fully opened, the personal gratification of the lower self is completely transmuted in order for that person to bring a particular higher principle of existence into manifestation, and one becomes an Avatar.” In other words, here lies the inner hero or shaman who can fight the outer war of Armageddon on the world stage with the weapons of love and light.
The opening of the seventh chakra represents the highest spiritual goal now known to us: union with the Divine, or attainment of godhead. Here the individual becomes the physical incarnation of a divine principle, and executes the will of Heaven on earth. Prophets such as Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, and perhaps even Nostradamus, achieved the opening of the seventh chakra and were thus able to express the Word of the Divine as prophecy.
The second coming, resurrection, and armageddon are elemental events that take place in the Christ consciousness. The psychosynthesis of the lesser mystery and the greater mystery takes place after the event of the personal apocalypse. The personal christmas can be the birth of self realization awakening spirit and opening the seventh chakra to love and light. In your pathworking the apocalyptic crisis can bring about apocalypse now according to the Mayan calendar prediction. Once the apocalypse has come the divine spark can initiate divine love and the third eye chakra can be fully opened.