FUT UREDEVELOPMENT ANDINITIATION 421
the very last Globe and Epoch, just before the Day of
Manifestation closes.
The time required for passing through these respective
Periods varies greatly. The further into matter the virgin
spirits descend, the slower their progress and the more
numerous the steps or stages of progression. After the nadir
of material existence has been passed and the life wave
ascends into more tenuous and mobile conditions, the
progress is gradually accelerated. The Sun Period is of
somewhat longer duration than the Saturn Period, and the
Moon Period is longer than the Sun Period. The Mars (or
first) half of the Earth Period is the longest half of any
Period. Then the time begins to shorten again, so that the
Mercury half of the Earth Period, the latter three and a half
Revolutions, will occupy less time than the Mars half; the
Jupiter Period will be shorter than the Moon Period; the
Venus Period shorter than the corresponding Sun Period;
and the Vulcan Period the shortest Period of them all.
The states of consciousness of the different Periods may
be tabulated as follows:
Period Corresponding Consciousness
Saturn......... Unconsciousness corresponding to deep trance
Sun............. Unconsciousness resembling dreamless sleep
Moon........... Picture consciousness corresponding to dream state
Earth........... Waking, objective consciousness
Jupiter......... Self-conscious picture consciousness
Venus.......... Objective, Self-conscious, Creative consciousness
Vulcan........ Highest Spiritual Consciousness
Having taken a general survey of the states of
consciousness to be developed in the next three and a half
Periods, we will now study the means of attainment.
ALCHEMY AND SOUL GROWTH