I'm working on the corresponding "Macrocosm and Microcosm" piece (from CGD) for the Heathen GD, and thinking about planes. The whole essay is posted here: https://gullindagan.dreamwidth.org/7575.html
But I wanted your thoughts on how I've divvied up the plans, I opted for 3 planes with 3 sub planes each, and to not really going into what I'm calling the "spiritual" plane, but you called the "intellectual" plane. Do you think this works or do you have any suggestions? I think "spiritual" maybe isn't quite right, but it's as good a word as "intellectual" which I think is supposed to be a translation of "Nous". I'm using the three gifts from Odin, Lothur and Hoenir as the structure. Here's the section describing the planes: "But what is this world? What is the reality that the body is embedded within? Well, in most esoteric traditions they split up reality into multiple planes. Some have seven, some have four, some just have two. In esoteric Heathenry we can say that there are three main levels, with three sub levels each, coming to nine total. These three main levels correspond to the three gifts given by the Odin, Hoenir and Lothur. Odin gave önd, which is “breath” or “spirit”. This corresponds to the highest plane, the spiritual plane, the plane of higher intuition and pure consciousness. Hoenir gave óð, which means “mind” or “feeling”. This is corresponds to the astral plane, the plane of emotions, images, thoughts and feelings. Lothur gave lá and litu góða. This is the gift of blood, vitality, voice and movement. These belong to the physical plane. These planes are a part of our every day experience, though most people haven't been trained to tell them apart. The lowest, or most outward, sub-plane of the physical plane is pure, unconscious matter. This is the plane represented by the pieces of driftwood. Just a little higher are the etheric sub-planes. They are still part of the physical plane, but they are slightly more subtle. The first of these is the sub-plane of blood, of vitality. This is warmth, energy. You experience this sub-plane when you go up in an elevator and feel a little hiccup in your whole body, or when you feel energized after bathing in sunlight or cold water,. You can also feel the lack of this etheric energy when you're depleted from stress, exhaustion, or overindulgence. The next sub-plane up is the sub-plane of sound and movement. You can't see the sound waves when you hear somebody's voice, but they are there, still part of the material universe. They can be detected and measured. The astral plane is the next plane, and is also easily observable through experience. This plane is the plane of emotions, thoughts, feelings, perception, memory and imagination. The lowest of these planes is the sub-plane of negative feelings, emotions and thoughts. When you're trapped in feelings and thoughts of self-pity, hatred, and jealousy, when you imagine hurting yourself or other people, you are in this realm. The next sub-plane is of more balanced thought and emotion. This is the realm you experience when you plan your future, read books and think about the concepts in them, or remember somebody fondly. The highest sub-plane of the astral is the plane of abstract images, thought, and exalted emotions. This is where theoretical mathematicians work, this is also where you are working when you're having a really good meditation. This is also where you are when you experience pure joy, or true compassion. The highest plane, the spiritual plane, is subtle and transcendent, but you also experience it every day, whether or not you realize it. This is the plane of higher intuition, meaning, and consciousness. Have you ever felt inundated by the knowledge that all things are impermanent and that you will die? The emotions belong to the astral plane, but the intuition that triggered the rush of beautiful and transcendent feeling belongs to the spiritual plane. Are you conscious? How do you know that you are conscious? That knowledge, of what you are, the undeniable self-evidence of consciousness, is a glimpse into the spiritual plane. What you are essentially is beyond this plane, but the direct knowing comes from this plane. It's too subtle to split up into three sub-planes that would be meaningful at this time, because we are barely conscious of it at all."
I'm also open to constructive criticism/ideas from anybody, and you're welcome to comment on the original post too.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2023-04-10 03:18 pm (UTC)But I wanted your thoughts on how I've divvied up the plans, I opted for 3 planes with 3 sub planes each, and to not really going into what I'm calling the "spiritual" plane, but you called the "intellectual" plane. Do you think this works or do you have any suggestions? I think "spiritual" maybe isn't quite right, but it's as good a word as "intellectual" which I think is supposed to be a translation of "Nous". I'm using the three gifts from Odin, Lothur and Hoenir as the structure. Here's the section describing the planes:
"But what is this world? What is the reality that the body is embedded within? Well, in most esoteric traditions they split up reality into multiple planes. Some have seven, some have four, some just have two. In esoteric Heathenry we can say that there are three main levels, with three sub levels each, coming to nine total. These three main levels correspond to the three gifts given by the Odin, Hoenir and Lothur. Odin gave önd, which is “breath” or “spirit”. This corresponds to the highest plane, the spiritual plane, the plane of higher intuition and pure consciousness. Hoenir gave óð, which means “mind” or “feeling”. This is corresponds to the astral plane, the plane of emotions, images, thoughts and feelings. Lothur gave lá and litu góða. This is the gift of blood, vitality, voice and movement. These belong to the physical plane. These planes are a part of our every day experience, though most people haven't been trained to tell them apart.
The lowest, or most outward, sub-plane of the physical plane is pure, unconscious matter. This is the plane represented by the pieces of driftwood. Just a little higher are the etheric sub-planes. They are still part of the physical plane, but they are slightly more subtle. The first of these is the sub-plane of blood, of vitality. This is warmth, energy. You experience this sub-plane when you go up in an elevator and feel a little hiccup in your whole body, or when you feel energized after bathing in sunlight or cold water,. You can also feel the lack of this etheric energy when you're depleted from stress, exhaustion, or overindulgence. The next sub-plane up is the sub-plane of sound and movement. You can't see the sound waves when you hear somebody's voice, but they are there, still part of the material universe. They can be detected and measured.
The astral plane is the next plane, and is also easily observable through experience. This plane is the plane of emotions, thoughts, feelings, perception, memory and imagination. The lowest of these planes is the sub-plane of negative feelings, emotions and thoughts. When you're trapped in feelings and thoughts of self-pity, hatred, and jealousy, when you imagine hurting yourself or other people, you are in this realm. The next sub-plane is of more balanced thought and emotion. This is the realm you experience when you plan your future, read books and think about the concepts in them, or remember somebody fondly. The highest sub-plane of the astral is the plane of abstract images, thought, and exalted emotions. This is where theoretical mathematicians work, this is also where you are working when you're having a really good meditation. This is also where you are when you experience pure joy, or true compassion.
The highest plane, the spiritual plane, is subtle and transcendent, but you also experience it every day, whether or not you realize it. This is the plane of higher intuition, meaning, and consciousness. Have you ever felt inundated by the knowledge that all things are impermanent and that you will die? The emotions belong to the astral plane, but the intuition that triggered the rush of beautiful and transcendent feeling belongs to the spiritual plane. Are you conscious? How do you know that you are conscious? That knowledge, of what you are, the undeniable self-evidence of consciousness, is a glimpse into the spiritual plane. What you are essentially is beyond this plane, but the direct knowing comes from this plane. It's too subtle to split up into three sub-planes that would be meaningful at this time, because we are barely conscious of it at all."
I'm also open to constructive criticism/ideas from anybody, and you're welcome to comment on the original post too.