We can begin with a question: why seven? Why not ten or twelve? Seven stands out in the structure of the world: seven colours of the rainbow, seven notes of the octave, seven planes of being, seven days of the week, the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades, the seven stars of the Great Bear. All are living forces carrying the one Life into expression.
From three to seven
In the cosmology of the Ageless Wisdom the one Life first expressed itself in a threefold formation: Life, Quality and Appearance; or Monad, Soul and Personality; Will, Love and Intelligence. From the three major rays four minor rays unfolded, revealing the sevenfold nature of divinity. Each great ray has a unique truth to teach humanity, yet we grasp the nature of the Divine only in their combination.
The higher and lower expression of each ray
The Tibetan says each ray finds both a higher and a lower expression in human civilisation:
| Ray | Higher expression | Lower expression |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Will | The science of statesmanship and government | Modern diplomacy and politics |
| 2. Love-Wisdom | The process of initiation as taught by the Hierarchy | Religion |
| 3. Active Intelligence | Means of communication and travel | The use and spread of money and gold |
| 4. Harmony | Occult brotherhood based on hierarchy | Architecture and town planning |
| 5. Science | The science of the soul, esoteric psychology | Modern educational systems |
| 6. Devotion | The essence of the religions | Churches and religious organisations |
| 7. Order | All forms of white magic | Spiritualism and fascination with phenomena |
One aspect of the first ray is courage; not the courage to fight, but the courage to hold certain knowledge steadily amid difficulty. The second ray is the great Law of Attraction, drawing the beloved to itself. The seventh ray is the capacity to coordinate inner quality with outer form, the ray that most clearly carries the principle "as above, so below".
The struggle between soul and personality
The personality ray changes from life to life and fosters a separative attitude; the soul ray fosters group consciousness and freedom from form. When the personality becomes strong and the three bodies are subordinated to it, a great struggle begins between soul and personality. During preparation for initiation the personality ray works to delay contact and to misinterpret. Eventually the soul ray becomes dominant and the rays of the bodies become its sub-rays. The disciple who understands and complies with this relationship is ready to tread the Path of initiation.
In Bailey's words, every person can learn to transmit the quality of the soul ray to the group, stimulating others to greater courage, clearer vision and deeper love. The precondition is learning to think of one another as souls rather than as personalities.