THE ASTRAL WORLD

The oldest occult teachings as well as the latest, inform

us that there are 7 planes of Being. The lowest of these places is
known as the MATERIAL PLANE. Second in order is known
as the PLANE OF FORCES. The third is ASTRAL PLANE.
The fourth is known as the mental plane.
Above this four planes which have no modern names
which can be understood by those dwelling only on the lower
planes. These higher planes are incapable of explanation to the
lower planes. Yet I shall refer briefly to some of those higher
planes, as we proceed with our study.
It should be mentioned that each of the 7 planes has 7
sub-planes; and each of this seven sub-planes has its own 7 sub-
divisions; and so on to the 7 degree of sub-division. So, you see,
there is a minute classification in these OCCULT teachings
about the planes of Being.
According to OCCULTISTS, this seven are as follows
(the older Sanskrit names, which are now superseded are only
being given for reference); DIVINE OR ADI, MONADIC or
ANUTADAKA, SPIRITUAL or NIRVANA, INTUITIONAL or
BUDDHI, MENTAL or MANAS, ASTRAL or KAMA, and
PHYSICAL or STUALA.
These worlds are not physically separate in the manner
which planets appear to be, but interpenetrate each other. They
for their differences on the relative density of the matter which
composes them, and the consequent differences in the rates at
which the matter vibrates.
Except for the physical world (densest) our knowledge of
them, so far as it, extends, is dependent on OCCULTISM and
the more exalted the vision of the OCCULTIST, the higher the
world to which astral vision can perceive. Each world has its
appropriate inhabitants, clothed in appropriate bodies, and
possessing the appropriate state of consciousness. The two
highest worlds, the DIVINE and the MONADIC, are at present
incapable of attainment by human powers. The remaining 5 are
attainable to a greater or lesser degree. The MONAD for the
purpose of gathering experience and for development often finds
it necessary to pass downwards into the material sphere. When
it has taken possession of the SPIRITUAL, INTUITIONAL and
higher MENTAL worlds, it may be looked on as a SELF or
SOUL embodying the will, intuition and intellect. It continues
eternally as the same entity, never altering itself except by
reason of increasing development, and hence is immortal.
These higher worlds however, do not afford sufficient
scope to the absolute MONAD and it presses still farther down
into matter, through the lower mental into the ASTRAL and
PHYSICAL WORLDS. The bodies with which it is there
clothed form its personality and this personality suffer and is
renewed. At the death of physical bodies the SELF has merely
cast aside a garment and there after continues to live in the next
higher world, the ASTRAL PLANE or ASTRAL WORLD.
At the death of the astral body another garment is cast
aside and the self is clear of all appendages. It is as it was before
its descent into the denser matter having now returned to the
MENTAL WORLD. The SELF finds itself somewhat strange to
this world or plane being to insufficient development, and it
again descends into matter. The round is completed again and
again and each time the SELF returned with a fresh store of
experiences and knowledge, strengthens and perfects the
MENTAL body. When at last this process is complete this body
is cast aside and the SELF is clothed with its casual body.
 Again it finds itself strange to this plane and the round of
descent into matter again begins and continues ‘till the casual
body is fully developed. The 2 remaining worlds are but
imperfectly known, but the intuitional as its names indicates, is
that plane where the SELF’S vision is quickened to see things as
they really are. In the SPIRITUAL WORLD the DIVINE and
the human become unified and the DIVINE PURPOSE is
fulfilled and the GREAT CHAIN OF BEING is completed.
To those who may find it difficult to form the idea of a
number of manifestations with each having its own rates of
vibration and occupying the same point of space at the same
time a consideration of the phenomena of physical world will
serve as an aid in understanding. For instance every student of
physics knows a single point of space may contain vibration of
heat, light, magnetism, electricity, x-rays, and other various
electromagnetic forces and manifesting its own rates of
vibrations, and yet not interfering with each other.
Every beam of sunlight contains many different colors
each with its own rates of vibration, and yet none crowd out the
others. By the proper laboratory apparatus each color of light
maybe separated from the others, and the ray is thus split. The
difference in the colors is simply from the different rate of
etheric vibration of the light.
Again, it is possible to send many telegrams along the
same wire and at the same time by using senders and receives of
different vibratory frequencies. The same thing has its
corresponding analogy in the case of radio and television. So
you see, even, on the physical plane we find many forms of
vibratory manifestation occupying the same point in space at the
same time.
The material plane, with which we are all familiar, has its
7 sub-planes, and likewise it’s 7 times 7 series of subdivisions at
first we are apt to think we are perfectly familiar with every
form of matter but this is far from being the case. We are
familiar with only a few common forms. The OCCULT
teaching shows us that on certain of the fixed stars and on some
of PLANETS of our own system, there are forms and kinds of
matter lower in vibration than the densest form of matter known
to us. There are in existence in other worlds and even in our
own, forms and kinds of matter as much higher than the highest
forms of ultra-gaseous matter known to us. This maybe a
startling statement, but every advanced occultist knows it to be
true.
Physical science formerly classified matter as follows.
1. Solid
2. Liquid
3. Gaseous

But modern science has found many forms of matter more

tenuous and rarer than even the finest gas. It now calls this
fourth class the ULTRA GASEOUS MATTER. But
occultist know beyond this fourth sub plane of matter, which
science is just now discovering, there lie three other planes,
still finer sub-planes.
Next higher in the scale of manifested BEING, we find
what is known as the PLANE OF FORCES, of which very
little is known outside of OCCULT SCIENCE. Although
physical science has been breaking into this field, it will take
the next century for physical science to proceed further in
this direction. The research into radio activity is leading
toward such further knowledge regarding this plane of
manifestation.
On the plane of forces we find 7sub-planes and likewise,
the 7 times 7 subdivisions. These are forces far below the
scale of the ordinary forces of NATURE known to MAN.
And likewise, there is a great series of NATURE FINER
FORCES at the other end of the scale which the ordinary
man knows nothing. It is these finer forces which account
for many of the wonders of “OCCULT SCIENCE”. In
particular the fine force called “PRANA” or VITAL FORCE
plays a most important part in all OCCULT phenomena.
Next above the scale of the PLANE OF FORCES we
find the great ASTRAL plane. The term “ASTRAL” is
derived from the GREEK word meaning “related to a star”
and was originally used in describing the heavens of the
GREEKS and the abodes of their GODS. From this sense
and usage the term, has widened in its application. It was
employed to indicate what might be called the
“GHOSTLAND” of the ancient peoples. This “ghost land”
was believed to be inhabited by beings of an ethereal nature;
not only disembodied SPIRITs but also Angelic beings of a
very high order.
The ancient occultist of Greece and other Western lands,
thus naturally fell into the custom of using the familiar term,
“ASTRAL” to indicate what we know now as the ASTRAL
PLANE. Of course the oriental occultists had their own
terms for this plane of manifestation, and these terms were
derived from old Sanskrit roots. But, as the use of Sanskrit
terms has a tendency to confuse most Western students the
best oriental teachers of today almost always use the old
Greek Occult words.