A Central Teaching By Master Timothy Harris
	The Ancient teachings tell us that each one of us is a Divine Spark of God who has proceeded from the Divine World that has entered into this world of birth and death where we have fallen asleep to the fact that we are eternal. The teachings state that the logos of our soul must be reawakened through union with our own Divine counterpart, the God within in order to be finally restored. We are taught that we were and are created in the image and likeness of God. The Ancients teach that to discover this image and likeness is the ultimate purpose of life. This discovery takes us on an inward journey. The journey is the Initiatory Path to Enlightenment. To make this journey it is necessary to study and understand the Natural Laws of Creation and our relationship to these Laws. The Scriptures of all religions in one form or another, have a common sacred origin. The Seven Hermetic Principles as found in the Kybalion define the basic Laws of Creation and are universal. The language of the Kybalion on our site is somewhat dated but the teaching is not. The First Principle is that all manifestation is Spirit. The Second Principle states that as above, so below; as below, so above. The Third Principle is vibration, that everything is in motion. The Fourth Principle is polarity. This principle states that everything has opposites. The Fifth Principle is rhythm. This principle states that there is always an action and a reaction. The Sixth Principle is cause and effect. This principle states that there is a cause for every effect, an effect from every cause. The Seventh Principle is gender. This principle states that the masculine and feminine principles exist in everything. These principles may be seen in operation wherever we look in the world whether in the physical or spiritual worlds. Contained in the Seven Hermetic principles is the doctrine of samsara (reincarnation). Literally the word reincarnation means to incarnate again, to be re-embodied, or more accurately, to be re-enfleshed; to return after death to the physical world in another physical body. It is through this process that we grow. In sacred circles this process is called initiation. All initiations take place naturally, however in all religions, rituals have developed to celebrate and in some cases to consciously cause the commencement and integration of certain key experiences spiritually. Religions are a result of the desire to recognize and celebrate the mysteries of these initiations and recognize individually and in community something greater than ourselves. Baptism in the Western Traditions is one example. Baptism is a personal experience. During Baptism one enters into a personal relationship with God; one opens to receive of the Holy Spirit of God. On the Western Path,the Sacraments of Baptism, Communion and Holy Orders are seen and used as essential parts of Initiation. Rituals help us to grow and support us spiritually, no matter what path we take. Along with the Sacraments, the rituals for the Solstices and Equinoxes are also used as essential forms of Initiation. At Christmas we celebrate the Birth of Christ: the return of the light to earth; at Easter we celebrate the resurrection: the cycle of growth begins again, eternal life; at the Summer Solstice we celebrate the manifestation of abundance and life; in the Fall we celebrate the harvest and gather to ourselves all that is of value. Between the Harvest and Christmas we naturally enter into an inward period as we approach the longest night at Christmas time during which we begin to incorporate all we have received as Wisdom throughout the year. Ultimately, truth can only be experienced. The purpose of teachings and rituals is to bring the soul to the experience of the Divine. Jesus stated that he was The Way. The Way is a metaphor for the Initiatory Journey. Science understands that we are living on a planet which is spinning around the Sun in a vast universe we can hardly comprehend. The mystics understand the relationship between ourselves, this spinning ball and the universe. The unity of all life is the mystery which Initiation unfolds to the dedicated seeker. The drama of birth, death and rebirth is revealed in the orderly progression of the natural cycle of the earth around the Sun and our study of the natural world. The cycles reveal and form a conceptual framework through which we may approach reality. This reality is revealed to those who diligently study and practice retrospection, contemplation, loving action, loving devotion, meditation and prayer: The Way. Through our spiritual practice of The Way we become spiritualized, enlightened and transformed beings who carry the Light of the One ever more fully, thus is suffering and sorrow transformed in the World for ourselves and for others; one being at a time.
	Also See: The Kybalion: The Seven Hermetic Principals A Brief History of Esoteric Sacramental Initiation Gnostic.Org Site Index