Hermeticism

Today, I would like to present a centerpiece of Nina Rudnikova's work, an article titled The Solar Way from the Occultism & Yoga journal.

In this article, Rudnikova lays out the core concept of her worldview, which can be summarized as follows: Humanity is unknowingly part of a bigger world populated by numerous spiritual beings far more significant than humans in every regard. Our ultimate objective in life is to acknowledge the fact that we are part of a larger cosmos and work towards developing ourselves to actively participate in its life. This is the fundamental message that all religions have been trying to convey in their own way from ancient times to the present day.

Of course, she does not provide the details of the training required to achieve such a state of consciousness, but she does give hints. Rudnikova writes, "Non-identification with manifestations grants the keys to creative power and direct knowledge of the Sun" and "Such attainment is only possible when one's consciousness is rooted in the unchanging center, the Sun, which encompasses all periphery stages and the entire energy cycle of Life's manifestation in the system." Instead of identifying with manifested things, such as our bodies, Nina Rudnikova proposes identifying with our essence, which is the same as the essence of the Sun.

Rudnikova continues, "Merging one's consciousness with the Sun's... unlocks the key to dominion and signifies the second stage of the Solar Way." It stands to reason that such unity can be achieved through contemplation and meditation on the Sun. After all, as occultists often say, "What you contemplate, you imitate," or, as Hermeticists put it, "Think of a place, and you're there; think of a thing, and you are it."

Before you read my translation, I want to draw your attention to specific terms. In Rudnikova's works, the term "synthetic" refers to a unifying or integrative quality rather than an artificially created substance or object, as the word is commonly understood today. Additionally, the word "creativity" in her works refers to the process of creation rather than just the quality of being inventive.

"The ways of God are as numerous as the breaths of the sons of men."

The paths of God, the routes to ascend from the shackles of the material world to the liberation of the spirit, are innumerable and deeply personal. There are as many paths as there are unique psychic entities known as personalities. Each path represents a way to approach the grand esoteric journey of subjectively merging with the Essence of the Universe and engaging in cosmic creativity. Ultimately, personality is a bridge between matter and spirit, formed from an amalgamation of diverse vibrations or tones of psychic energy from the environment, which cluster around the nuclei of consciousness.

Despite the infinite permutations of psychic tones, our system contains as many foundational tones as there are resonators that transform the synthetic Solar Energy, that is, as many as there are planetary orbits (plus the Moon for the Earth). In their quests and individual paths to spiritual manifestation, people always group themselves into these sectors; this is the rationale and objective for the existence of various initiatory schools, systems, and cults.

Among these paths, there has always been a synthetic, sector-integrating way of directly utilizing the magnificent Solar Energy in its pure, unaltered form: the Central, Fiery, Swift, and Grand Solar Way. During moments of danger and times of spiritual crises, all that is positive and benevolent has consistently rallied around this path, seeking support and sustenance from it. This is true whether it be the mysteries of Ra in Egypt, Krishna in India, the Delphic temple of Apollo in Greece, or the Pelican of the Rosicrucian brotherhood.

Only the Solar Way, which merges and transmits the direct spiritual influx of the Sun, is truly synthetic. It alone can maintain the planet's psychic equilibrium. It alone reconciles and coordinates all other paths, shielding them from futile differentiation. Only the Solar Way possesses the secret of distributing the solar influx according to its aspects. Only it holds the key to centripetal and centrifugal orientation within our system. Only it directly transmits the divine Love and Wisdom that flows through the prism of the Solar synthetic consciousness.

"Discovering cosmic secrets and correspondences requires effort, exploration, and striving across numerous incarnations. Grasping the synthetic essence of the world at its three stages of manifestation synthesizes and supplants them all." A soul may traverse numerous incarnations from one sector to another, seeking enrichment and establishing balance until it uncovers its singular, universal, fundamental essence. The Solar Way embodies the direct revelation of the nucleus of all formal combinations and tonalities. Its stages correspond to the three steps of the Grand Arcanum of the Universe and the three phases of manifestation of the synthetic Essence of the world. This path is directed by Nature itself, which has set its milestones through the natural symbolism of cosmic phenomena. Its light emanates from the great Sun, the gateway to the realm of divine Life, Wisdom, and Love. It is ever-present with us; we and everything around us are imbued with it; its descending and ascending steps are marked by the signs of the planetary orbits.

All true Teachers of humanity, incarnations of the spiritual current of the luminous Center, spoke of the synthetic Solar Way. This is the Middle Way of the blessed Buddha, the path of Vedanta Advaita that negates all forms while affirming the essence; Moses, proclaiming the Divinity of the eternal Subject (“I am the Lord thy God”) and rejecting objective forms (“do not make for yourself an idol”); and the words of Christ: “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all else shall be added unto you.” They declared the resplendent Solar Way of non-identification with manifestations and of creative supremacy, which transcends all other paths.

Yet, people have misinterpreted the meaning of their message. They transformed the regally simple Middle Way into a church filled with absurd superstitions; the spiritual creativity of the Mosaic system degenerated into the wild fanaticism of a materialized religion. Christian churches no longer seek the Kingdom of God but yearn for all else that is added. Master M. spoke of the solar synthesis of religions and systems through H. P. Blavatsky, but the Theosophical Society became a narrow occult sect. Such is the fate of the truths brought to people, akin to the fate of valuable mechanisms falling into children's hands.

The magnificent Sun, the wellspring of consciousness and life, shines brightly in the vastness of space, infusing its love and creative energy into the orbits of the planets. The Solar Way, though natural, straightforward, and clear, often eludes human awareness. It is the path where consciousness dominates forms both within oneself and in the external world. In the fiery crucible of elevated solar consciousness ablaze with creative energy, the great Quarternary Law of differentiation operates, shaping the life of the solar system into what can be termed as the Solar Cross of the Elements. These four elements form the basis of all solar creativity, with their potential combinations being limitless. At their most basic level, they represent the four states of matter, giving rise to diverse physical forms. In the realm of the psyche, these elements manifest as four qualities shaping personality evolution: the courage to seek, the thirst for knowledge, the ability to focus and process, and the fervent pursuit of goals. The balance among these qualities determines an individual's worth and character.

The four mutually polar solar emanations permeate everything, weaving the objective world with their countless combinations. They envelop the subjective psychic cross of the personality from all sides and sweep it along in a stream of constant changes, binding it to the wheel of life with the great power of identifying consciousness with its manifestations. By non-identification of consciousness with these manifestations, one gains control over the four primary aspects. Non-identification of consciousness is attained by anchoring one's spiritual core, the ever self-identical I, the subject of changes, through direct knowledge of one's unchanging and indelible essence and origin in the Spiritual Essence of the Cosmos, the Cosmic Subject, or God. Self-aware consciousness synthesizes the four elements of the psychic cross, thus becoming its master. Self-aware consciousness combines them purposefully, according to its goal, and wrests them from the power of external influences that turn personality into a plaything of causality. This ultimately leads to the liberation of the personality.

"Conquer yourself, and you'll conquer the whole world," goes the saying, because a purposefully directed personality, consciously harmonized in its elements, acts as a powerful magnet of influence on its environment. Its initiative center dominates and controls the four elements of objective reality. Mastery over the elements of the world is a stronghold of knowledge, for this domination transforms knowledge into direct understanding, clear insight into things, their internal and external patterns, and their infallible evaluation. The painstaking detours of a speculative mind become unnecessary. Instead, non-identification with manifestations grants the keys to creative power and direct knowledge of the Sun.

Dominion encompasses control over two contrasting processes of solar creativity, which permeate all forms and consciousness. It grants the power to shape these forms and the responsibility for their transformed outcomes. Picture Amon-Ra, soaring amidst boundless space, propelled by the dual energies of two world forces that ignite his creativity. These forces, termed the centrifugal and centripetal forces of Eternal Life, work in harmony to uphold equilibrium. They coil within their potential as agents of creation, differentiating spiritual syntheses to manifest in myriad forms. Ultimately, they converge through the spiritual self-realization of consciousness, culminating in a radiant synthesis of the center.

Imagine two ladders of consciousness, each leading towards opposite directions. One ladder narrows progressively from the center to the periphery, enveloped in layers of form that differentiate and become coarser. Conversely, the other ladder widens from the periphery to the center, refining forms and fostering unity through creativity and the pursuit of deep spiritual harmony.

At the heart of evolution, involution, spiritualization, and materialization lies the solar creativity of the Universal Good. This creativity finds expression within the sphere of influence of its initiative, namely the planetary system. Here, the cooperation of two intersecting triangles of planets materializes and spiritualizes life within our solar world. The six Solar planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn — serve as stages in the transmutation of the creativity of the great Solar synthetic consciousness.

Having dominion over the two streams of Life and their seven-fold manifestation, including the radiant center of the system, requires control and the ability to replenish and adjust them with corresponding energy vibrations from the solar environment. This is achieved by maintaining a stance independent of identification with either the centrifugal flow governed by causality or the centripetal flow governed by purpose. Such attainment is only possible when one's consciousness is rooted in the unchanging center, the Sun, which encompasses all periphery stages and the entire energy cycle of Life's manifestation in the system.

Merging one's consciousness with the Sun's synthetic consciousness unlocks the key to dominion and signifies the second stage of the Solar Way. This journey consistently navigates through the centers of planes of consciousness along the ever-present yet elusive World Axis. Gaining dominion over these intersecting paths is facilitated by detachment from the outcomes of one's creativity and actions. Attachment to results, which are subject to the laws of either direction, can draw consciousness into one of the streams, rendering it susceptible to the reverberating impact of consequences on their causes, or the law of Karma.

The negative repercussions are rendered ineffective by embracing non-attachment to outcomes. Consequently, the individual gains mastery over Karma, both within themselves and in the world around them. Their actions shape the environment's Karma, transcending the force of reverse consequences. True creative dominion is reserved for those who embody self-control and self-creation, where the principle of "giving without expecting anything in return" becomes a natural driving force. Such individuals fearlessly radiate with the Sun's light and are untroubled by darkness. In this heightened state of consciousness, evil is perceived as superstition, and enemies cease to exist. Within the expansive framework of the grand creative Solar Way, all possibilities are considered, and all paths are evaluated.

In the realm of Divine Love and the expansive flow of Life that drives cosmic creativity, there's no space for self-centeredness and egotism. Such notions are swiftly consumed, rendered insignificant like moths drawn to the altar flame. The potent currents of Divine Love and Life give rise to centers of consciousness and creativity within the heart of the Universe's Sun. Divine Love fosters an enduring sense of unity among them, while Divine Life imbues them with the dynamic essence of perpetual change in their manifestations.

The elevated consciousnesses, firmly rooted in Divine Unity, harmonize their actions with the ceaseless stream of Mother Life. These Great Solar consciousnesses serve as a magnetic focal point in their surroundings, akin to the Divine Magnet of the universal consciousness at the center of all. They are entrusted with the task of manifesting Love and Life within the sphere of the solar system. Operating as creative prisms, these consciousnesses refract the brilliance of Divine Love and the currents of Cosmic Life in accordance with their individual potentials. The Great Solar consciousnesses harness the flames of divine Love and Life, fashioning them into a diverse array of creative combinations. This process gives birth to a spectrum of forms spanning the planetary orbits, each expression reflecting the unique potential of these elevated consciousnesses residing within the fiery energies of our Center.

The consciousnesses inhabiting the three planets beyond Saturn are collaborators and representatives of this spiritual creation. Each embodies one of the three principles of the spiritual realm: All-Being as its essence, Bliss as the outcome of liberation from reliance on forms, and Creative Omniscience as the foundation for its manifestation. Illuminated Solar Souls communicate with the consciousnesses of their cosmic brethren, exchanging energies and possibilities. They adeptly manage and transmute myriad cosmic radiations and emanations, imprinting their essence onto the forms of our solar-planetary world. Furthermore, they transmit their system's emanations to distant realms in space.

The Solar Way doesn't advocate blindly idolizing these elevated consciousnesses. Instead, it emphasizes respect for ideals as a vital aspect and indicator of expanding consciousness. Its goal is to steer individuals towards achieving a similar unity with the power of the Cosmic Spirit, all while preserving their unique creative potential. Selflessness is key here, enabling individuals to serve as conduits for cosmic energy and transformers of the divine flow of Love and Life. Only through this can one become a great creative Solar spirit, a genuine peer to the Great Teachers who have graced Earth with their wisdom. The synthetic essence of the Solar Way rejects exclusivity. Those who tread this path embrace all cosmic solar workers and creators of Universal Good with equal love and reverence—be they from the past, present, or future, whether known or unknown. They stand before them all, recognizing that one day, they, too, will join their esteemed ranks. Beyond time, the Solar Way unites its followers into a cohesive brotherhood. It transcends space, affirming an unbreakable connection with the radiant Center of consciousness accessible from any point on the periphery.

The Solar Way transcends form, transforming the Universe into the divine flow of the One Life, like foam on the surface of the Spirit's radiant ocean. In its ultimate stage, it releases consciousness from all objective phenomena, immersing it in the depths of the Subjective Spirit, where forms, names, and changes cease to exist. This path requires no specific institution; life itself becomes the school for its adherents, offering natural symbolism. Occult schools represent just one facet of Life's teachings. Like bees, those on the Solar Way gather wisdom from diverse sources, recognizing the value of each encounter.

Eschewing artificial symbols, the Solar Way finds significance in the eternal symbolism of Nature, crafted by the divine. Through the method of analogies, it unveils the hidden secrets of the world. Guided solely by one's inner divine Spirit, the Solar Way acknowledges no external authority. The principle of mutual assistance enriches its followers, ensuring everyone receives visible and invisible support from their surroundings. The Solar Way transcends the confines of organizations and societies, existing beyond all forms and conventions. It is gauged solely by individual consciousness, invisibly binding together all who embrace it into a genuine Brotherhood. Realizing the Solar Way doesn't demand extraordinary conditions; rather, it encompasses all aspects of life, with inner subjective transformation serving as the method of the journey.

This path doesn't mandate altering external circumstances; instead, it catalyzes their transformation. However, it does require continuous inner effort, heightened awareness, reshaping of consciousness, and unwavering self-discipline of both spirit and body. Though followers of the Solar Way may seem solitary outwardly, they are deeply connected to the Source and their spiritual siblings within their hearts, where all distinctions dissolve. This path holds paramount significance for the sisters and brothers of the Solar Way dispersed across space. Isn't it heartening to exchange greetings through this journal, which fosters the Solar synthesis of paths, guided by the editors' synthetic consciousness?