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“Neither the occultist generally, nor the Theosophists, reject as erroneously believed by some, the views and theories of the modern scientist. Only because these views are opposed to Theosophy. The first rule of our society is to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. The Theosophists, therefore, are the first to recognize the intrinsic value of science. But when its high priests resolve consciousness into a secretion from the grey matter of the brain, and everything else in nature into a mode of motion, we protest against the doctrine as being unphilosophical, self-contradictory, and simply absurd, from a scientific point of view, as much and even more than from the spiritual view. Truly, the astral Light of the derided Kabalists has strange and weird secrets for those who can see it; and the mysteries concealed within its waves are there, the whole body of materialists notwithstanding. These secrets, along with many other mysteries, will remain non-existent to the materialists of our age, in the same way as America was a non-existent myth for Europeans during the early part of the medieval ages, whereas Scandinavians and Norwegians had actually reached and settled in that very old ‘New World, several centuries before.” ~H. P. Blavatsky
Theories of Modern Science
Some people think that being spiritual means you oppose the theories and teachings of modern science, but that is not true. While spiritual people question the theories of science, we do not reject them outright. Science has given us much in modern society. Discoveries in science and engineering have made modern buildings, bridges, and roads possible. Discoveries in modern medicine may have made many of us too dependent on drugs for healing, but it has also cured many diseases. And modern science has given us conveniences like electric washing machines, television, and automobiles. Granted, there is a negative side to all of those things, as it is with everything in the realm of matter, but there is a positive side as well. The old Yin-Yang symbol illustrates this truth quite well.
Theosophy
Madame Blavatsky founded the spiritual school known as Theosophy, so she tends to relate to all things spiritual in terms of Theosophy. We should simply replace Theosophy with spiritual development to get a more general idea of what she is saying.
Render Unto Caesar
I think most spiritual schools, including Cosolargy, would agree with Blavatsky when she says that the first rule of the Theosophist is to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars. Spiritual people do not reject the material world as useless, or evil. We do not reject all material comforts and live naked in a cave, as some did in ancient times. We are allowed to enjoy material comforts for the sake of our physical body and mind, as long as we don’t get too attached to them. If you agree with those who refuse to leave their homes when told to evacuate because of wildfires, floods, or tornadoes, then you have become too attached to matter, and you need to work on that. The reason the spiritual student needs to avoid such attachments is that they can be used by the forces of darkness to pull us away from spiritual development.
Consciousness in the Brain
I recently wrote a lengthy article for the Cosolargy Blog on the subject of consciousness (click here to read the article), so I won’t go into it much here. Suffice it to say that the views of consciousness are changing rapidly today. Many scientists no longer accept that it is merely a creation, or as Blavatsky calls it, a secretion of the brain. Indeed, we are getting to the point where some are starting to accept what is called “Biocentrism,” which says that it is consciousness that is creating the material universe around us, or at least our view of it. This goes along with the studies in Quantum Physics that find that things are affected by the viewer of those things. That works in both directions, of course.
The Astral Light of the Kabalists
What Blavatsky is calling the astral Light of the Kabalists, we would say is the Spiritual Light that comes from God, and reaches us through the intermediary of the Spiritual Sun. This light does indeed have “strange and weird secrets” for those who learn to absorb it and the knowledge hidden within it. It is, in fact, the best link available to us between the realm of spirit and the realm of matter, so we should make use of it properly, and with humility and reverence.