The Serpent Power — Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe) (1924)
may be the quality inherent in the astral centre which corresponds to it. When vivified by the “Serpent Fire” they become gates of connection between the physical and “astral” bodies. When the astral awakening of these centres first took place, this was not known to the physical consciousness. But the sense body can now “be brought to share all these advantages by repeating that process of awakening with the etheric centres”. This is done by the arousing through will-force of the “Serpent Fire,” which exists clothed in “etheric matter in the physical plane, and sleeps¹ in the corresponding etheric centre—that at the base of the spine”. When this is done it vivifies the higher centres, with the effect that it brings into the physical consciousness the powers which were aroused by the development of their corresponding astral centres. In short, one begins to live on the astral plane, which is not altogether an advantage, were it not that entry into the heaven world is said to be achieved at the close of life on this plane.² Thus, at the second centre, one is conscious in the physical body “of all kinds of astral influences, vaguely feeling that some of them are friendly and some hostile without in the least knowing why”. At the third centre one is enabled to remember “only partially” vague astral journeys, with sometimes half-remembrance of a blissful sensation of flying through the air. At the fourth centre man is instinctly aware of the joys and sorrows of others, sometimes reproducing in himself their physical aches and pains. At the arousing of the
1 Kundalī is called the Serpent (Bhujangī). She sleeps in the Mūlādhāra. As to what she is, see last note. She sleeps because she is at rest. Then man’s consciousness is awake to the world, Her creation, in which She is immanent. When She awakes and Yoga is completed man sleeps to the world and enjoys divine experience.
2 The end of Kundalī Yoga is beyond all Heaveu worlds. No Yogi seeks “Heaven” but union with that which is the source of all worlds.
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fifth centre he hears voices “which make all kinds of suggestions to him”. Sometimes he hears music “or other less pleasant sounds”.¹ Full development secures clairaudience in the “astral” plane. The arousing of the sixth centre secures results which are at first of a trivial character, such as “half seeing landscapes and clouds of colour,” but subsequently amount to clairvoyance. Here it is said there is a power of magnification by means of an “etheric” flexible tube which resembles “the microscopic snake on the headdress of the Pharaohs”. The power to expand or control the eye of this “microscopic snake” is stated to be the meaning of the statement, in ancient books, of the capacity to make oneself large or small at will.² When the pituitary body is brought into working order, it forms a link with the astral vehicle, and when the Fire reaches the sixth centre, and fully vivifies it, the voice of the “Master” (which in this case means the higher self in its various stages) is heard.³ The awakening of the seventh centre enables one to leave the body in full consciousness. “When the fire has thus passed through all these centres in a certain order (which varies for different types of people), the consciousness becomes continuous up to the entry into the heaven world⁴ at the end of the life on the astral plane.”
There are some resemblances between this account and the teaching of the Yoga Shāstra, with which in a general way the author cited appears to have some acquaintance,
1 According to the text translated, the sound of the Shabdabrahman is heard at the Anāhata, or fourth centre.—A.A.
2 There is no mention of such a “snake”. The Siddhis Animā, etc., do not depend on it. It is consciousness which identifies itself with the small or the great.—A.A.
may be the quality inherent in the astral centre which corresponds to it. When vivified by the “Serpent Fire” they become gates of connection between the physical and “astral” bodies. When the astral awakening of these centres first took place, this was not known to the physical consciousness. But the sense body can now “be brought to share all these advantages by repeating that process of awakening with the etheric centres”. This is done by the arousing through will-force of the “Serpent Fire,” which exists clothed in “etheric matter in the physical plane, and sleeps¹ in the corresponding etheric centre—that at the base of the spine”. When this is done it vivifies the higher centres, with the effect that it brings into the physical consciousness the powers which were aroused by the development of their corresponding astral centres. In short, one begins to live on the astral plane, which is not altogether an advantage, were it not that entry into the heaven world is said to be achieved at the close of life on this plane.² Thus, at the second centre, one is conscious in the physical body “of all kinds of astral influences, vaguely feeling that some of them are friendly and some hostile without in the least knowing why”. At the third centre one is enabled to remember “only partially” vague astral journeys, with sometimes half-remembrance of a blissful sensation of flying through the air. At the fourth centre man is instinctly aware of the joys and sorrows of others, sometimes reproducing in himself their physical aches and pains. At the arousing of the
1 Kundalī is called the Serpent (Bhujangī). She sleeps in the Mūlādhāra. As to what she is, see last note. She sleeps because she is at rest. Then man’s consciousness is awake to the world, Her creation, in which She is immanent. When She awakes and Yoga is completed man sleeps to the world and enjoys divine experience.
2 The end of Kundalī Yoga is beyond all Heaveu worlds. No Yogi seeks “Heaven” but union with that which is the source of all worlds.
p. 9
p. 10
fifth centre he hears voices “which make all kinds of suggestions to him”. Sometimes he hears music “or other less pleasant sounds”.¹ Full development secures clairaudience in the “astral” plane. The arousing of the sixth centre secures results which are at first of a trivial character, such as “half seeing landscapes and clouds of colour,” but subsequently amount to clairvoyance. Here it is said there is a power of magnification by means of an “etheric” flexible tube which resembles “the microscopic snake on the headdress of the Pharaohs”. The power to expand or control the eye of this “microscopic snake” is stated to be the meaning of the statement, in ancient books, of the capacity to make oneself large or small at will.² When the pituitary body is brought into working order, it forms a link with the astral vehicle, and when the Fire reaches the sixth centre, and fully vivifies it, the voice of the “Master” (which in this case means the higher self in its various stages) is heard.³ The awakening of the seventh centre enables one to leave the body in full consciousness. “When the fire has thus passed through all these centres in a certain order (which varies for different types of people), the consciousness becomes continuous up to the entry into the heaven world⁴ at the end of the life on the astral plane.”
There are some resemblances between this account and the teaching of the Yoga Shāstra, with which in a general way the author cited appears to have some acquaintance,
1 According to the text translated, the sound of the Shabdabrahman is heard at the Anāhata, or fourth centre.—A.A.
2 There is no mention of such a “snake”. The Siddhis Animā, etc., do not depend on it. It is consciousness which identifies itself with the small or the great.—A.A.
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