What is Cosmic Intelligence? Pt. 9 – John Barnwell & Douglas Gabriel

Below are Dr. Gabriel’s notes from today’s discussion.

The Solar Elohim and Lunar Pitris

We can read in, Theosophy World (Resource Center) that the Solar and Lunar Pitris are two of the seven classes of Dhyani-Cohens who are also called Dhyani-Buddhas, Angels, Archangel, Devas, Barhishads, Manasaputras, Pitris, Elohim, Prajapati, Kumaras, etc. The nature and powers of the Dhyani-Cohens far exceed those of human beings. These “ancestors” are only limited by the boundaries that separate the various solar systems in the cosmos.

The Sanskrit term Lunar Pitris literally means “lunar fathers.” According to The Secret Doctrine, these are advanced beings from the Moon Chain who gave the form of the physical body of human beings. They are called in The Secret Doctrine by many other names: Barhishads, Agnishvattas, Lords of the Moon, Sons of Soma, Sons of the Moon, Celestial Ancestors, Lunar Sons, Lunar Gods, Lunar Progenitors, Sons of Twilight, Moon-Gods, Lunar Monads, Lunar Fathers, Lunar Ancestors, Will-born Lords, and Sons of the Lord of the Lotus.

The Lunar Pitris completed the human stage of evolution during the Moon Chain. This was how the astral form of humanity was formed prior to the solid physical body.

The Solar Pitris, often called “Lords of the Flame,” or “Lords of Spiritual Life”, are said to be superior to the Lunar Pitris. They provided the intelligence for human beings and quickened the mind principle of human beings. They are also called the “Sons of Mahat” who work with the fifth principal of Manas (Steiner’s Spirit Self) to awakened the mind of humanity.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky used the term “Pitris” in her writings to refer to the divine fashioners of humanity (Progenitors, Forefathers, Ancestors) in The Secret Doctrine vol. II:

“The ancestors, or creators of mankind are of seven classes, three of which are incorporeal, arupa, and four corporeal, rupa. Occultism defines and limits the number of primordial races to seven, because of the “seven progenitors,” or prajapatis, the evolvers of beings. These are neither gods, nor supernatural Beings, but advanced Spirits from another and lower planet, reborn on this one, and giving birth in their turn in the present Round to present humanity.” (Page 611)

“Exoteric Hindu books mention seven classes of Pitris, and among them two distinct kinds of Progenitors or Ancestors: the Barhishad and the Agnishvatta; or those possessed of the “sacred fire” and those devoid of it. The Agnishwatta Pitris are devoid of fire, because too divine and pure; whereas the Barhishad, being the lunar spirits more closely connected with Earth, became the creative Elohim of form, or the Adam of dust.” (Page 77)

The Progenitors of Man, called in India “Fathers,” or Pitris, are the creators of our bodies and lower principles. They are ourselves, as the first personalities, and we are they. As stated, they were “lunar Beings.” The Endowers of man with his conscious, immortal Ego, are the “Solar Angels.” The esoteric name of these “Solar Angels” is, literally, the “Lords” (Nath) of “persevering ceaseless devotion.” (Page 88)

Foundations of Esotericism, by Rudolf Steiner, Lecture XXIII, Berlin, October 25, 1905, GA 93A

“The last human beings during the Old Moon existence are our physical forefathers. On the Earth they now developed somewhat further. The Earth-men of the pre-Lemurian Age are the actual descendants of the inhabitants of the Moon. This is why we call the inhabitants of the Moon the Fathers or Pitris of Earth-Men. They were irradiated and an inner fire shone through them. When human beings were going through an earlier stage of evolution, they were still more beautiful and nobler in their form.

During the Age which preceded the Lemurian Age, we have the Hyperborean Age on the Earth, that of the Sun Men, of the Apollo-Men. They were formed out of a still nobler and even more delicate substance. Then we go still further back to the very first Race, to the Polarian men. At that time they lived in the tropical polar climate, a Race which was able to attain to special heights through the fact that a remarkable and great help had been granted them. The most beautiful of the Moon Pitris descended to the Earth. The human beings with the best forms, consisting of the noblest components, received at that time help of a special nature, for beings were still connected with the Earth who had earlier reached a higher stage.

Let us think back to the time of the Old Sun. Man’s whole way of life was plant-like. The beings lived in the light of the Sun. Light came to them from the center of their own planet. In comparison with present-day man the Sun-man stood upside down and the Sun shone upon his head. His direction on the planet is the same as the growth of the plant on the Earth.

There were also Sun Adepts, who had progressed further than the other Sun-men. They passed over to the Moon. There also they had the possibility of being on a higher level than the Moon-men, and they developed to quite special heights. They were the forefathers of the Earth-men, but had hastened much further ahead. When now in the second Epoch of the Fourth Round the Hyperboreans lived in their soft forms, these Sons of the Sun were in position to incarnate and they formed a particularly beautiful Race. They were the Solar Pitris. Already in the Hyperborean Epoch they created for themselves an upright form, completely transforming the Hyperborean bodies. This the other human beings were unable to do. In the Hyperborean Epoch the Solar Pitris became the beautiful Apollo-men, who in the Second Race had already attained the upright posture.

Then, with the third incarnation of the Earth he became a Moon-man. He bent over, the vertical becoming the horizontal (animal). In the Old Sun everything was contained which was later extrapolated as Moon and Earth. All life and all warmth streamed up from the center of the Sun. Then, in the next Manvantara (the Old Moon) the following took place: Out of the darkness of Pralaya the Sun emerged. A part of the Sun substance had the urge to detach itself. Then the one part severed itself completely and the two bodies continued side by side as Sun and Old Moon. The Sun retained the possibility of emitting light and warmth. The Old Moon retained the power of reproduction. It was able to bring forth again the beings who had been on the Sun, but they had to be dependent on the Sun for light and warmth. Because the Old Moon itself possessed no light, the beings had to orientate themselves towards the Sun. All plants therefore completely reversed their position on the Old Moon. The animals turned half round and human beings also only turned halfway; but to compensate for this they received on the Moon the astral body, Kama, and thereby, developed warmth from within outwards.

The Kama was at that time still an essentially warming force. This is why the human beings did not already then turn themselves completely towards the Sun. Life was in the darkness. The Old Moon also circled round the Sun, but not as our Earth does today. The Moon rotated around the Sun, in such a way that only one side was turned towards it. A Moon-day therefore lasted as long as a half year does today. Thus on the one side there was an intense heat and on the other side an intense cold.

On the Old Moon the predecessors of man again went through a certain normal development. But there were also Moon Adepts who hastened on in advance of the rest of mankind. At the end of the Old Moon evolution these [Sun and Lunar] Pitri beings were much more advanced than the rest of humanity, just as the Adepts are today.

Now for the first time we reach the actual Earth evolution. In the next Pralaya which followed the Moon evolution, the Moon fell back into the Sun. As one body they went through Pralaya. When the Earth eventually emerged out of the darkness the whole Sun-mass was united with it. In that epoch the first or Polarian Race began. Then the previous Sun-Men, in accordance with conditions at that time, were able to form this specially favored species, the Sons of the Sun, because the Sun was still united with the Earth.

During the Hyperborean Period the whole again divided. One part severed itself and the Earth emerged out of the Sun. Now the second or Hyperborean Race evolved. Gradually the seeds of the Moon-Men appeared on the Earth, the Pitris in various degrees of perfection. They all still had the possibility of reproducing themselves through self-fertilization.

‘Lucifer’ is the name given to the Moon Adepts; they are the bestowers of human intellectuality. This they gave to the astral and physical bodies; had it been otherwise the Monads would not have been able to enter into them and the Earth would have become a planetary monument to Jehovah’s greatness. By the intervention of the Luciferic principle human independence and spirituality were saved. Then Jehovah, so that man should not be completely spiritualized, divided the self-reproduction process into two parts[male and female]. Reproduction however became bisexual and thereby birth and death entered into the world. Previously this had not happened.

It was only through the Lunar Pitris that man became mature enough to have a body capable of receiving the Monads. It was only then that the body formed itself in accordance with the Monad. The other forms which were less advanced failed to satisfy the descending Monad; hence they poured only a part of their spiritual force into the imperfect human bodies and the third stream utterly refused to incarnate. Because of this there existed very poorly endowed human bodies and also others quite devoid of spirit.

In the middle of the Lemurian Age we find the first Sons of the Fire Mist; these incarnate in the fiery element, which at that time surrounded the Earth. The Sons of the Fire Mist were the first Arhats. In the first Lemurian human race those who had received only a small spark were little adapted to forming a civilization and soon went under

The original Arhats could not go astray; they are angels in human form. The Moon Adepts however had so brought things about that certain Monads waited before incarnating. Through this the principle of asceticism entered into the world – original Karma. The Luciferic Principle, the Moon Adepts, wanted to develop freedom and independence to an ever-greater degree.

We have thus learned to know a two-fold order of human beings: those who succumbed to the Jehovah Principle, the bringing of perfection to the physical Earth, and also spiritual human beings who were becoming more highly developed. Jehovah and Lucifer are engaged in an unceasing battle. It is the intention of Lucifer to develop everything upwards, towards knowledge, towards the light. In Devachan the human being can bring a certain degree of advancement to the Luciferic Principle.

Thus there exists in the world a Jehovah Principle and a Lucifer Principle. If the Jehovah Principle alone were to be taught, man would succumb to the Earth. If the teaching of reincarnation and karma were allowed to disappear entirely from the Earth we should win back for Jehovah all the Monads and physical man would be given over to the Earth, to a petrified planet. If however one teaches reincarnation and karma, man is led upwards to spiritualization.

Were the hosts of Jehovah to be victorious on the Earth, the Earth would remain behind as a kind of Moon, as a rigidified body. The whole earth is still a battlefield of these two principles.

The principle that leads the earth towards spirituality is Lucifer. Lucifer is the Prince who reigns in the kingdom of science and art, but he cannot descend altogether on to the Earth: for this, his power does not suffice. Quite alone, it would be impossible for Lucifer to lead upwards what is on the Earth. For this, not only is the power of a Moon Adept necessary, but of a Sun Adept, who embraces the universality of human life, not manifesting only in science and art.

Now there came a Sun Hero, similar to those who appeared in the Hyperborean Epoch, represented by Ezekiel as the Winged Lion. This Hero, Who gave the second impulse, is the Christ, the Lion out of the tribe of Judah. The representative of the Eagle will come only later; he represents the Father Principle. Christ is a Solar Hero, a Lion-Nature, a Sun Pitri.

The third impulse will be represented by an Adept who was already an Adept on Saturn. Such a one cannot as yet incarnate on the Earth. When man is not only able to develop his higher nature upwards, but working creatively is able to renounce completely his lower nature, then will this highest Adept, the Saturn Adept, the Father Principle, the Hidden God, be able to incarnate.