FUT UREDEVELOPMENT ANDINITIATION 417
11—Reptiles.
12—Birds.
13—Mammals.
The first three divisions correspond to the remaining
three Revolutions of the Mercury half of the Earth Period,
and their nine steps correspond to the nine degrees of the
lesser mysteries, which will have been taken by humanity in
general when it has reached the middle of the last
Revolution of the Earth Period.
The fourth division in the list of the advancing animal
kingdom has four subdivisions: Fishes, Reptiles, Birds, and
Mammals. The steps in consciousness thus indicated
correspond to similar states of advancement to be attained
by humanity at the end of the Earth, Jupiter, Venus, and
Vulcan Periods and which any qualified individual may now
attain by initiation. The first of the Great Initiations gives the
stage of consciousness which will be attained by ordinary
humanity at the end of the Earth Period; the second that to
which all will attain at the end of t he Jupit er Period; the third
gives the extension of consciousness to be reached at the
close of the Venus Period; the last brings to the Initiate the
power and omniscience to which the majority will attain
only at the end of the Vulcan Period.
The Objective-Consciousness by which we obtain
knowledge of the outside world is dependent upon what we
perceive through the medium of the senses. This we call
“real,” in contradistinction to our thoughts and ideas which
come to us through our inner consciousness; their reality is
not apparent to us in t he sa me way as that of a book or table,
or other visible or tangible object in space. Thoughts and
ideas seem misty andunreal, ther efor e we sp ea k of a “mere”
thought, or of “just” an idea.
The ideas and thoughts of today, however, have an