Alice A. Bailey



These few words hold the blueprint of the divine plan for the evolution of human consciousness.  The crisis referred to was the global battle that raged during the first half of the 20th century—the two world wars that were viewed from the inner planes as one prolonged conflict.  At the time, the spiritual guides of humanity harbored the hope that the horrors of war would awaken us from the ancient illusion of separation, based on the outer appearance of things in the world of form, and pave the way for a new era born of the soul’s inner awareness of unity.

Tragically, it has taken the staggering crises of the 21st century to foster this awareness on a large scale.  In the wake of a decade of disaster, magnified this week by the devastation of Haiti, the words above ring true with heightened clarity.  With every passing year of this new millennium the outlines of the plan of evolution have become more lucid.  Growing numbers of us realize that hidden forces are catalyzing a global shift in consciousness from matter to spirit.  It appears that this intensifying time of transition is jolting us “out of the form and the material aspect of living—into the consciousness of the Soul.”

To ease the pain and sorrow of these times, it can be helpful to realize that a higher purpose is being served by events now taking place on our planet.  A divine plan is working out.  All who can read the “book of life” in the happenings of our time will discern the functioning of the esoteric principle that the destruction of old forms precedes the creation of new ones.  This truth applies universally to the life cycles of all forms—from the physical form of a human being to a community, a nation, and even a world order.  Form dies to free the spirit within to take on new form.  Spirit Itself never dies. 

For a seeker of any era, but particularly now as an old order is breaking apart before our eyes, truth is vital sustenance for the journey.  The light of truth nourishes the light of our souls and keeps us moving toward the source of light.  A new glimmer of truth may last for only a moment, like a flash of lightning that brightens the night sky.  But light invariably attracts light.  The magnetism of light draws us forward on the journey toward even greater light and higher truth.

But what is truth?  And how do we recognize it?  In the post-modern era, intellectuals came to believe that all truth was relative.  There was no unassailable Truth because everyone’s individual truth was deemed equally valid.  This was a needed corrective at the dawn of the global age, an age of pluralism that broke the stranglehold of religious and cultural absolutism, but it also led to a blind alley.  If there is no absolute truth, there can be no standard for integrity or morality of any kind.

In our time, within the swelling ranks of those who are awakening spiritually and stepping onto the Path, a higher dimension of truth is being recognized by the soul.  As Emerson wrote, “The soul is the perceiver and revealer of truth… We know truth when we see it… as we know when we are awake that we are awake.”  The proof that universal Truth exists is its power to ignite inner sparks of recognition.  Just as we know the power of beauty to expand the heart, and the power of goodness to heal, we know the power of truth to drive us toward the light.

The greatest source of truth available to us concerning this critical turning-point in human evolution is the body of modern esoteric teachings, known as the Ageless Wisdom, which describe this very moment.   In particular, the books that appear in the name of Alice Bailey were written to prepare humanity for this momentous turning-point on our evolutionary journey.  Their purpose was to help us bridge the chasm from the old age (of Pisces) to the new age (of Aquarius)—and from our identity as physical beings of material form to our identity as spiritual beings, or conscious souls. 

Most of the books of Alice Bailey were actually transmitted to her by an advanced member of the Kingdom of Souls—a master of wisdom.  His mission was to reveal to awakening souls the existence of a spiritual plane of Reality that lies behind the outer world of form.  This spiritual plane is the dwelling place of the inner guides and teachers of humanity, the Great Ones who form the spiritual hierarchy of our planet and oversee the working out of the divine plan.

The present aim of that plan is to impel the soul of humanity toward the higher Kingdom of Souls, so that each of us may find our role in this unfolding plan.  We are told that when human beings have become aligned with the divine plan, as the new era emerges, we will learn to work in conscious cooperation with the spiritual hierarchy toward creating a new order on earth.

We live in an ordered universe, despite the outer appearance of chaos at this time.  It looks to the outer eye as if life on our planet is moving in two divergent streams:  the material world is falling into chaos while a spiritual awakening is taking place; an old order is imploding while a new order is unfolding.  But the apparent divergence hides a greater reality.  The divine plan is working out in and through and behind the outer chaos.

As a result of the crises afflicting human beings around the globe, and their mounting toll of suffering, the Soul of humanity is emerging into outer expression in the world.  With every escalation of destruction—from September 11, 2001 to the earthquake in Haiti this past week—there has been a corresponding outpouring of compassionate giving and humanitarian aid.  As the scale of catastrophe grows, the heart of humanity opens wider.   External barriers are dissolving; soul consciousness is awakening; and all is in alignment with the divine Plan.

The awakened soul is the gateway to the new era.  The development of soul consciousness is as pivotal to the new age as was the development of mind in the cycle now ending.  As the ageless wisdom tells us, our kingdom in nature (the human kingdom) came into being when the spark of divine mind was implanted in the most advanced members of the animal kingdom of that time.  That spark endowed us with intelligence that would allow us to eventually master the material plane of living.  But it also contained a spiritual dimension that is revealing itself only now, as the soul comes alive within us and the new era unfolds.

Learning to see with the eyes of the soul can help us move through the portal to the new era with wisdom and equanimity.  As stated earlier, it will also help us discover the unique role that each of us can play in this time of world need.  Through the soul’s perception we recognize our oneness with all of humanity and feel impelled to serve and uplift the whole.  As the new age unfolds, we will come to know our place in the great Chain of Being.  We will recognize the Kingdom of Souls, from which masters of wisdom guide our evolution, and will learn to serve the lesser kingdoms on Earth in fulfillment of the divine Plan.

                                                   Nancy Seifer and Martin Vieweg
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 [1.17.10]

(This article is the introduction to a series on the plan of evolution and the role of humanity in bringing the plan into manifestation in the new era.  Coming articles will explore basic elements of the unfolding plan .)