Tuesday, 5 May 2015

THE KINGDOM OF THE GODS

THE HIDDEN LIFE

One day, in the year 1926, on a hillside at the edge of a beech forest in a secluded valley in the West of England; as I was seeking ardently to enter the Sanctuary of Nature’s hidden life, for me the heavens suddenly became filled with light. My consciousness was caught up into a realm radiant with that light which never was on land or sea. Gradually I realised the presence of a great Angelic Being, who was doubtless responsible for my elevated state. From his mind to mine there began to flow a stream of ideas concerning the life, the force and the consciousness of the universe and their self-expression as angels and as men. This description is not strictly accurate, however, because during such communication, the sense of duality was reduced to a minimum. Rather did the two centres of consciousness, those of the angle and myself, become almost co-existent, temporarily forming one “being” within which the stream of ideas arose. This, I believe, is essentially true of all interchanges which occur above the level of the formal mind, and especially at those of spiritual Wisdom and spiritual Will. In the latter, duality virtually disappears and oneness, uttermost interior unity, alone remains.
Daily entering that realm of light, I found that the great ocean of the life, the force and the soul of the universe had its myriad denizens. These are the Spiritual Selves of men and Super-men and the vast company of the Angelic Hosts, of which the Being who “addressed” me was a member. He was supernally beautiful, majestic, godlike, and impressive and impersonal to the last degree. As teacher to pupil, he began to tell of – and to enable me, with gradually increasing clarity, to perceive – the Angelic Hosts, their Orders and degrees. He told of their communion with men, as in ancient Greece, Egypt and Eastern lands, their place in Nature as Ministers of the Most High and of that great dawn of creation when, metaphorically, as the Morning Stars they sang together and as the Sons of God they shouted for joy. He spoke of the creative process as the composition and performance of a celestial symphony, of the Logos as Divine Musician and of His universe as a manifestation of celestial harmony. He told of the great Gods who assimilate the mighty creative chords in their primordial potency and relay them through all their ranks from the highest spiritual worlds to the realm of everlasting Archetypes, the great sound-forms upon and by which the physical universe is modelled. Therefore, he said, the music of the Creative “Word” passes on to the lower worlds, where lesser Hosts formatively echo and re-echo it, thereby building all Nature’s varied forms. Since the Great Artist of the Universe perpetually creates, the Creative Symphony is ever being composed and ever performed. Angels and men live amidst celestial harmonies, the everlasting music of the spheres.

Such, in part, is the vision which once I had and which still lives with me. With it there has come the knowledge that, in their real existence, the Gods who once were so near to men were none other     than the Angelic Hosts, that throughout the great racial darkness they have still been near, though unperceived, and that the time approaches when again the Major Creative Powers and Beings, the laws by which Cosmos emerges from chaos and the place of humanity in the vast process of divine manifestation will become apparent to mankind. For that day, it was intimated, man may well prepare. Ugliness must be banished, war must be outlawed, brotherhood must reign, beauty must be enshrined in human hearts and revealed through human lives. Then to a humanity united in one fraternity the High Gods will reveal their immortal loveliness and lend their aid in building a new world in which all men may perceive and serve the Supreme as Beauty and as Truth.

 GEOFFREY HODSON
Epson,
Auckland
New Zealand
1952

ILLUSTRATIONS
The following illustrations by Ethelwynne M. Quail, based on the researches of Geoffrey Hodson, and the accompanying information, was given out in the book, The Kingdom of the Gods by Geoffrey Hodson in 1952.

 1. A SEA NATURE SPIRIT


As far as my experience goes, variations of this type of primitive sea fairy are commonly to be seen skimming the surface of the oceans and the lakes of the world. Relatively undeveloped, the sea nature spirit has as yet little or no form. There is a rudimentary head which is the seat of consciousness, whilst a current of streaming white force suggests a body and a wing. More complex examples, with two or even more wing forms, are also to be seen.

These creatures fly about the surface of the oceans in innumerable hosts. Sometimes they rise high into the air; at others they plunge into the water to reappear in a few moments in a flash of white light, catching the eye with its brilliance. After a moment’s concentration required to focus the appropriate power of vision, the swiftly moving, bird-like form appears to the observer, somewhat as painted by Miss Quail. The distance from head to tip of wing would vary from three to twelve feet, according to phase of manifestation and stage of development.

2. A SEA SYLPH


The sea nature spirit evolves into the type of sea sylph here portrayed. This example has reached individualisation and, with countless similar and different beings, may be seen in the upper air, chiefly above the seas. The average height of the central form at this level of evolution would be from ten to fifteen feet.

3. A SALAMANDER



Since, like their relatively formless element, nature spirits of fire are without a fixed form, descriptions of them are somewhat difficult to obtain and record. The suggestion is received of an underlying human shape, limbs and “hair” being build of streams of rushing fiery energy and only rarely conforming in shape and position to the human frame.

The face, however, when not veiled by auric flames, is distinctly human in appearance. Quite non-human, however, is its expression, whilst the upward-slanting eyes seem to be lit with a kind of unholy delight in the destructive power of their element. The face is triangular, chin and ears being pointed, and the head surrounded and outlined by flickering, orange-red flamelets, through which shoot flashing tongues of fire. Salamanders vary in height from two or three feet to the colossi of fire-power who are the Fire lords associated with the sun.

4. A MOUNTAIN SYLPH

 This is one of the many types of non-individualised sylphs commonly to be seen in the air over the land. It is in swift motion, with shining inner aura streaming in beautiful, wing-like shapes behind and above it.

Interpenetrating and extending beyond the form and aura here portrayed are the finer radiations, not shown, characteristic of every member of the Angelic Hosts. They are generally ovoid, composed of many brilliant hues, and extend for several yards on every side of the beautiful form within.

The orange sylph is possibly associated with the solar life-force or prana with which the air is charged, and which constitutes the vitality of all organic forms. The height of the central figure of the sylph is about five feet.

5. A LORD OF THE TREE FERNS - [Newara Eliya, Ceylon]

 Whilst the building Orders of the Gods play all important parts in solar and planetary creative processes, another Order is concerned with the evolution of consciousness within form. Trees and forests also receive similar assistance, the classical concept of the dryad of the trees being founded upon fact. Nearly all well-grown trees have attached to them, in addition to innumerable nature spirit builders, an advanced nature spirit or a God which throughout its life remains within or linked to the astro-etheric double and the aura of the tree. The presence of such a being, through the constant play of its thoughts and auric energies, greatly quickens the evolution of tree life and consciousness. Such nature spirits and Gods are subordinate to more advanced beings in charge of groups of trees of the same genus, as are found in large woods, forests and jungles. 

The tree fern God here portrayed was observed over the jungle in the mountain district of Ceylon, near Newara Eliya. Such a being assists the evolution of form and the unfoldment of consciousness of a very large number of tree ferns. It is of interest to observe that the patterns formed by the flow of the lines of force in the aura of this God reproduce within it certain of the tree fern forms.

The central form of this being is some fifty feet tall. The aura, however, is capable of extension for at least one hundred yards in all directions and was thus expanded when first seen high in the air, about a mile away. In the picture the outer aura is omitted and the inner aura is shown in phase of contraction, as when the God graciously hovered for a few minutes of mental communion. Through both form and aura currents of force, presumably from the tree fern Archetype, play down into successive areas of the jungle as the God moves above its domain and ministers to its charges.

6. A LORD OF THE PINES - [Cape Peninsula, South Africa]

 This being was observed in association with groups of stone pines in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. as the picture shows, the colouring and the lines of force in the inner aura – the outer is omitted – suggest somewhat the needle-like foliage of the pine. Many well-grown pines were found to have their own tree God resembling the one here portrayed, but smaller in size and lower in evolution. The stature of this God is about thirty feet.

 7. A TREE NATURE SPIRIT – [Madioen, Java]

his sixteen-year-old Waringan tree grows in a garden in Madioen, in the Island of Java. It was planted by the lady of the house, who became much attached to it and felt it to be a living, conscious being from whom , she assured me, she received a sense of friendliness and rest.

When taking tea beneath its welcome shade, I became aware of the presence of this delightful tree nature spirit or dryad. I found it to be approaching individualisation, or evolution out of group into individualised consciousness [on the deva path of evolution], and to be well aware of the affection of the owner of the tree and responsive to it, which would beneficially affect its development. This nature spirit is approximately five feet tall.

8. A MOUNTAIN GOD – [Harrismith, OFS, South Africa]

Here is portrayed a mountain God intimately associated with the element of fire. It was observed at Loskop Mountain, near Harrismith in the Orange Free State, South Africa. the remarkable arrangement of the auric forces and the brilliant colouring are unique in my experience. Both are well portrayed in this fine example of Miss Quail’s art. The central figure at the time of observation was partly within the mountain and some fifty feet tall. A greatly extended outer aura, here omitted, shone with simitar but more delicate hues.

 9. A MOUNTAIN GOD – [Drakensberg, Natal, South Africa]

 

This being was observed in the Drakensberg Range in Natal. Two of the  most striking features were the remarkable mitre-like effect produced by the uprush of forces from the head and shoulders and the brilliant, four-funnelled force-centre in the region of the solar plexus through which power was flowing into the mountain below. The axes of the rapidly spinning funnels formed an equal-armed cross, the arms of which met within the form of the God and pointed forwards, backwards, to the right and to the left. In this picture the effect of translucency, characteristic of the appearance of all the Gods, is well portrayed. In the process, however, the impreeion of the tremendous power of the God and of the passage through it at high voltage of mighty forces from above, also of brilliance and radiance, is perhaps, not conveyed quite s adequately as in other pictures.

Watching this God throughout successive days, I was reminded constantly of the vision of Ezekiel. Certain currents in its aura were arranged in the shape of upward-pointing wings, far more three-dimensional than any picture could suggest. The chakras received and compreeed the descending forces, which were then directed into the mountain below. The central form in this case is at least sixty feet tall and it I s one of the most majestic and splendid members of this Order of the Angelic Hosts that I have ever been privileged to behold.

10. A MOUNTAIN GOD – [Drakensberg Range, Natal, South Africa]

This God was also observed in the Drakensberg Range in Natal, presiding over the region known as the Amphitheatre at Mont aux Sources. I have more than once received evidence of similarity of types and appearance in the various Gods of one mountain range. Comparison with the previous one reveals a similarity between the two Gods of the Drakensberg Range. In both of them the wing-like radiations and the intensely brilliant, vortical force-centres or “wheels” were noticeably common characteristics. The God is shown in phase of expansion, the auric wings extending at least half a mile from tip to tip, whilst the outflowing and descending energies have a very much greater range. In this picture, part of the outer aura is included. The central form is at least sixty feet tall.

11. A MOUNTAIN GOD – [H.H. Mountains, CP, South Africa]

The picture portrays the presiding God of a mountain range, which was observed high above one of the peaks of the Hottentots Hollands Mountains in Cape Province, South Africa. as I observed and gave my description to the artist, the downflow of power was os great and so brilliant as almost to conceal the form and aura of the God. The chief colours shown were lavender, gold and white, the central form of the God and the aura immediately surrounding it shining in those hues with a dazzling radiance quite impossible to reproduce. The uprush of golden-coloured, fiery power above the head was particularly brilliant, bestowing upon the God the appearance of a majestic Deva King wearing a crown of flames. In all cases of devic direction of natural energies, however prodigious the outpouring of power may be, the God always gives the impression of complete mastery of the forces flowing through and all about it. the central figure is at least eighty feet tall.