The arrow of Sagittarius leads us to freedom and the "clear shaft of light which is the intuitive and focussed attitude" of the disciple who is overcoming the usual obstacles of ambition and pride whether personally, socially, or mentally — all ego-building. These are the very obstacles in the path which lead to freedom when seen from the threshold of initiation. Only the intuition is sufficient to lead a person to the "foot of the mountain of initiation" (EA 177).

The one-pointed disciple becomes the initiate in the story of the soul told through the zodiac where the arrow of Sagittarius leads to birth in Capricorn, both related to the 3rd ray of intelligence (EA 67). We could call this the near-birth experience of Sagittarius leading to the actual birth experience of initiation in Capricorn, which Christmas symbolizes in the inner world or psychologically. After the Herculean battles and near-death experiences symbolized by the battles in Scorpio, dedication to direction and intuition in Sagittarius lead to near-birth culminating in initiation in Capricorn. The intelligence required is a redirection of thought to intuition, a purification of perception, an expansion of consciousness, and a new clarity of reason, fully utilizing the 5th ray of concrete knowledge which precedes the third initiation.

This entails identifying the dominant thought forms of solar plexus (the consumer), the sacral center (sex), and the base of the spine center (fight or flight, domination or fear) as basically territorial, as all three are demonstrations of our own animal nature. Territory as it applies to the human kingdom means nationalism, competition, and economic dominance or fear, not unlike the competition for territory, mating and food of our wild brethren. Whether it's the pecking order topped by the alpha male or the career ladder of the corporation or its correspondence in the ladder of initiation appropriated by personalities still living on the social plane, the impetus is still the same — self-aggrandizement. And the power structure naturally uses whatever enhances its power: networking fear and dominance is what power traditionally does.

Let us remember that the Tibetan gave us two different interpretations of which center humanity occupies: the throat center (EXH 89) and also the ajna center, then with the animal kingdom representing the throat center (EA 455). It is easy to see by the dominant thoughtforms how humanity's animal nature represents the throat center.

All of these powerful thoughtforms are reinforced by social networking today, which was begun, after all, by male college students evaluating the desirability of their female classmates! And here, on this younger level, we have an illustration of what the Tibetan taught regarding the link between mind and love, or intelligence and relationship, especially in relation to the first major initiation, the Transfiguration.

"It is the relation of these two energies [rays II and V, love-wisdom and concrete intelligence] which makes the initiation of the Transfiguration possible. What is the effect of this ray upon humanity as a whole and at this time? …very great and of supreme importance. It is the fifth in order that is destined to be the instrument, the vehicle or implementing instrument for the second. The Universal Mind, as it works through all the planes of our conscious planetary life, is the creative agent and the form- building factor which makes the revelation of love possible" (Rays V 593).

The Tibetan also wrote that humanity represents the ajna center as the 5th ray: "Intuition, the goal. The energy of initiation. Development of inclusiveness. Five centers rapidly awakening. The focal point of personality. The human kingdom, the fourth kingdom in nature" with the "Throat centre — Animal — 3rd ray....intellect, the goal. The energy of Illumination. Creating in the light. Four centers functioning. Focal point of the instinctual consciousness. The third kingdom in nature" (EA 455). Perhaps we may interpret this as the energy of intellect expressing as the 5th ray of science and now the 7th ray of organization, all aspects of developing intellect, but still far from the developed Intelligence as it's described in relation to the 6th initiation of Decision. At this stage the Master's choice affects the energy of intelligence in its will aspect and the planet will become known by the phrase 'God is the will-to-good' instead of as now 'God is love' (Rays V 654). Pure perception, unaffected by social conditioning, comes from intuition. Dilgo Khyentse writes: "Pure Perception. Samsara is nothing other than how things appear to you; If you recognize everything as the deity, the good of others is consummated" (p. 82).

As the seed of the will-to-good expresses in intuition flowering forth as understanding and acting with goodwill may our own Divine Intelligence cascade through the scale of will, intellect, science and organization 1-3-5-7 to create the new beginning that lies ahead for us and for the world.
Joann S. Bakula

References
Bailey, Alice A. Esoteric Astrology. NY: Lucis Pub Co.
---------Externalisation of the Hierarchy. NY: Lucis Pub. Co.
---------The Rays and the Initiations. NY: Lucis Pub. Co.
Khyentse, Dilgo. The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones: The Practice of View, Meditation, and Action. Boston: Shambhala.