Why Arcana Emphasizes the Full Moon Rhythm

We locate that "somewhere", not in space, but in time and in certain relationships. We hold that the cyclic recurrence of the full moon marks a rhythmic beat which facilitates conscious interplay between the spiritual guides of humanity and those people who deliberately invoke spiritual guidance. We are taught that at the time of the full moon it is as if a door opens between the light and seekers after enlightenment, between the world of ideas and the human mind, between the true executives of the planet and the rank and file of workers for the common good.

In the symbology of the sun, moon and planets we are taught that the Being whose body of manifestation is our earth, the planetary Logos, regularly intensifies His meditation at the time of each full moon. Just as we have our daily meditation, He establishes contact at regular intervals with His source of direction, stimulation and whatever influences gods are guided by. At these times of contact, all dedicated work on the mental plane is facilitated and meditation is more effective.

It is good workmanship, then, to take advantage of this rhythm. Meditating groups who plan and regulate their work so as to intensify their meditation from the new moon until the full moon, and then energize their service activities from the full moon until the new moon, are part of a dynamic movement to mobilize and coordinate the meditative strength of the world.

This has nothing to do with overall conformity of method, or standardization of form, or promotion of any sort of super-organization. It is simply a sensible preparatory step towards the realization of a new universal religion. It is simply acting upon a legend as old as creation and as new as tomorrow: the legend of the sun in its journey through the heavens, blazing a trail for the soul of humanity and charting both the direction and the tempo of man's evolutionary progress.

"In legend is expressed the sense of creative energy. And in a short formula is defined the hope and the achievement. It is a mistake to believe that legend pertains to fantastic antiquity. The impartial mind will discern the legend spun through all days of the Universe. Each achievement of the people, each leader, each discovery, each cataclysm, is veiled in winged legend. Therefore, let us not disdain the legends of truth, but let us discern keenly and cherish the words of reality. In legend is robed the will of the people and we cannot cite one legend which was false." (AGNI YOGA, p. 18)

All parts of the world do not use the same calendar. By the clock, high noon in London is an hour or more before dawn in San Francisco. But the evening of the full moon is one time to every man and sets a dependable universal time.

Uniform worldwide timing in man's invocative approach to God, and God's responsive approach to man, embraces in one broad cyclic experience:

One God,
One Humanity, and
The long chain of graded lives in between.

Into this unified experience can be fitted, comfortably and importantly, the whole gamut of different doctrinal beliefs and different forms of worship, the different tonal inflections and different local atmospheres that man in his individual diversity seems to require.

This is essential oneness including essential diversity. It is a cooperative whole that hold no threat to its many parts.

Three common denominators--one time, one God, one humanity--afford a simple workable formula for a vast vertical alignment of spiritual interest between different levels of consciousness, and horizontal coordination of meditative service all around the world. Thus, when the meditator deliberately uses the full moon time to draw closer to his own spiritual guide and at the same time strengthens his relation with those in his environment who are likely to benefit from the good energies he has dedicated himself to channel, he is participating significantly in the spiritual life of the world.

The validity of this teaching is subject to experiment and proof: if it works, it can be considered true. A fair and reasonable experiment would be faithful attention to every full moon occasion within an appropriate group affiliation for several years. (Obviously, if your full moon observance is irregular, you are not adhering to the rhythm.) If it works, the individual participant in a participating group will quicken his awareness of forces and influences that are moving together for GOOD. He will find his place of maximum usefulness among those forces and influences. He will discover and develop his special contribution therein.

Printable Version

Meditation Training Index

home