Good Afternoon, After being questioned and finding myself stumbling through a overly long and complex explanation, I've been reaching for an analogy for the physical, etheric, and astral bodies in order to more simply explain them.
Please check my work on this attempt: The physical body is like a car, a complex system that is inert material but has potential capability. The astral body is like a driver whose imagined destination, and intention to get there, have the potential to provide the car with direction. The etheric body is like the fuel - turning the car and driver's potential into active capability; and it is also the throttle, steering gear, and gauges - an interface for the driver to exert their will while understanding the inner state of the car. All three are necessary for purposeful locomotion, and there is constant feedback coming from both the driver and the car, but always mediated through the gauges and steering and powered by the fuel.
Much modern suffering happens because we live in a dualist context of body vs spirit, with some people walking around refusing to acknowledge the usefulness and purpose of their "car," while others live in their "cars" so fully they deny there is a driver, and everybody who seeks a middle way without guidance (occult/esoteric teachings) often ends up driving their "car" around without calibrated gauges or throttle controls, sputtering about with poor quality fuel and stinky smog coming out of their tailpipe.
To extend this, the mental sheath is like a travelogue of maps and experiences that the driver records and refers to, until at some point the documentation is so complete that the driver ceases bothering to drive at all and moves on to other activities (transitioning from physical incarnation into a mental body.) Another problem we face is that increasingly we as a society are no longer taught to make our own travelogues (personal gnosis,) but instead referred to mass produced maps, which have no local flavor and are often out of date.
Science gives us car repair manuals, religion gives us motorist laws and seasonal racetrack days, and occult training spans the gamut from driver's ed, to vehicle maintenance and fluid changes, to cartography class.
(Before I subject others to this analogy,) does this track with your understanding?
I'm certainly open to thoughts and corrections from the commentariat as well.
Thank you as always for this space and your guidance. :)
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branchandroot
A car and a driver walked into a bar...
Date: 2023-04-10 08:42 pm (UTC)After being questioned and finding myself stumbling through a overly long and complex explanation, I've been reaching for an analogy for the physical, etheric, and astral bodies in order to more simply explain them.
Please check my work on this attempt: The physical body is like a car, a complex system that is inert material but has potential capability. The astral body is like a driver whose imagined destination, and intention to get there, have the potential to provide the car with direction. The etheric body is like the fuel - turning the car and driver's potential into active capability; and it is also the throttle, steering gear, and gauges - an interface for the driver to exert their will while understanding the inner state of the car. All three are necessary for purposeful locomotion, and there is constant feedback coming from both the driver and the car, but always mediated through the gauges and steering and powered by the fuel.
Much modern suffering happens because we live in a dualist context of body vs spirit, with some people walking around refusing to acknowledge the usefulness and purpose of their "car," while others live in their "cars" so fully they deny there is a driver, and everybody who seeks a middle way without guidance (occult/esoteric teachings) often ends up driving their "car" around without calibrated gauges or throttle controls, sputtering about with poor quality fuel and stinky smog coming out of their tailpipe.
To extend this, the mental sheath is like a travelogue of maps and experiences that the driver records and refers to, until at some point the documentation is so complete that the driver ceases bothering to drive at all and moves on to other activities (transitioning from physical incarnation into a mental body.) Another problem we face is that increasingly we as a society are no longer taught to make our own travelogues (personal gnosis,) but instead referred to mass produced maps, which have no local flavor and are often out of date.
Science gives us car repair manuals, religion gives us motorist laws and seasonal racetrack days, and occult training spans the gamut from driver's ed, to vehicle maintenance and fluid changes, to cartography class.
(Before I subject others to this analogy,) does this track with your understanding?
I'm certainly open to thoughts and corrections from the commentariat as well.
Thank you as always for this space and your guidance. :)