We will now assume that the aspirant is aware of the need for him to establish a new and higher rhythm in his physical plane life, to organize his time in obedience to the injunction of his higher self, and to produce, consciously and scientifically, those effects which - in his highest moments - are presented to him as desirable. He has now a certain amount of knowledge as to the equipment available for his task and has mastered some facts anent the etheric vehicle. The pairs of opposites are dearly seen by him, even if he is as yet influenced by one or other of them; he is aware of a basic disagreement between his vision of goodness and his expression of that goodness. He has learnt that he is a triple reflection of a higher Trinity and that this Trinity is - for him - the Reality. He understands that [247] mind, emotions and physical being are intended eventually to manifest that Reality. In the last analysis, he knows that if that intermediate aspect of himself, the etheric body, can be controlled and rightly directed, then vision and expression will and must finally coincide. He is also aware that the dense physical body (the outer tangible appearance) is only an automaton, obedient to whatever forces and energies are the controlling factors in the subjective, conditioning the man. Is that physical body to be controlled by emotional force, pouring through the sacral center and producing desire for the satisfaction of the physical appetites, or through the solar plexus leading to emotional satisfaction of some kind? Is it to be responsive to the mind and work largely under the impulse of projected thought? Is it perhaps to be directed by an energy greater than any of these but hitherto apparently impotent, the energy of the soul as an expression of pure Being? Is it to be swept into action under the impulse of sentient reactions, ideas and thoughts, emanating from other human beings or is it to be motivated and spurred into activity under the direction of the spiritual Hierarchy? Such are some of the questions to which answers must be found. The stage of aspiring, dreaming and of wishful thinking must now be superseded by direct action and by the carefully planned use of the available forces, swept into activity by the breath, under the direction of the inner eye and controlled by the spiritual man. Which energies can and must be thus used? What forces must be brought under direction? In what manner can they be controlled? Should they be ignored and so rendered futile by that ignoring, or are they forces which are needed in the great creative work?

It will be apparent to you that the first step the spiritual investigator has to take is to ascertain - truly and in the light of his soul - where exactly is his focus of identification. [248] By that I mean: Is his major use of energy to be found upon the mental plane? Is he predominantly emotional and utilizing force from the astral plane the greater part of the time? Can he contact the soul and bring in soul energy in such a manner that it negates or offsets his personality force? Can he thus live like a soul upon the physical plane, via the etheric body? If he earnestly studies this problem, he will in time discover which forces are dominant in the etheric body and will become aware consciously of the times and experience which call for the expenditure of soul energy. This, my brother, will take time and will be the result of prolonged observation and a close analysis of acts and sentient reactions, of words and thoughts. We are here concerned, as you can see, with an intensely practical problem which is at the same time an intrinsic part of our study and which will be evocative of basic changes in the life of the disciple.

This period of observation is, however, confined to mental and intelligent observation. It forms the background of the work to be done, giving assurance and knowledge but leaving the situation as it was. His next step is to become aware of the quality of the forces applied; in ascertaining this, he will find it necessary to discover not only his soul ray and his personality ray but to know also the rays of his mental apparatus, and his emotional nature. This will lead [249] necessarily to another period of investigation and careful observation, if he is not already aware of them. When I tell you that to this information he must add a close consideration of the potencies of the forces and energies reaching him astrologically, you will see what a stern task he has set himself. Not only has he to isolate his five ray energies, but he has to allow for the energy of his sun sign as it conditions his personality, and of his rising sign as it seeks to stimulate that personality into soul responsiveness, thus working out soul purpose through personality cooperation.