252 The Law of the Rhythmic Breath 



at right angles symbolize the human soul on the 

 wheel of life, held to its orbit by the circle (under- 

 stood) of the Spirit, the one and only source of 

 all life. There is, however, a profounder symbol- 

 ogy: The bent arms mark the soul's recognition 

 of its oneness with spirit, and its determination to 

 evolve out of the physical sheaths into synchronous 

 vibration with the spiritual plane; hence into the 

 state of spiritual consciousness. That is, to trans- 

 form its cross into a crown ! In all the oldest rec- 

 ords, the cross was always within the circle, which 

 symbolizes Divine Unity, time unending, and the 

 omnipresence of the unrecognizable. 



You are familiar already with the fact that there 

 are seven descriptions of life-currents corresponding 

 with the planets, and it will not be difficult for you 

 to understand that these seven fundamental forces 

 in Nature are also seven planes of being, which, 

 as Mme. Blavatsky explains very clearly, " are 

 seven states of consciousness in which man can live, 

 think, remember, and have his being." 



These different Principles, sheaths, or bodies 

 have received many names in the different religions 

 and philosophies of both the ancient world and the 

 modern; and have been variously classified as to 

 order. Any attempt to enumerate all these and to 

 reconcile them would make a book in itself. The 

 significant fact is that these different states have 

 been recognized in all religions and every philoso- 



