THE EPOCHS OF THE WORLD

The material world has come into being because interferences have occurred in the divine creative radiations traversing cosmic space.  










Forces Reaching Earth 

The earth and its inhabitants are not yet conscious of the forces which reach the earth from out of the cosmos and maintain it. Consequently the inhabitants of the earth aren´t able to control these forces and transform them at will. The earth receives these radiations from out of the cosmos and is immersed and bathing in these waves of energy. Everything that happens on earth is a direct reaction to the action of these radiations... a kind of resonance resulting from their interaction. The Sun magnifies to a tremendous extent the radiations of the particular constellation in which it stands at any given moment as it radiates its force to the earth simutaneously with the radiations of the constellation concerned. This fact has a bearing on the way in which the four seasons have come into being.

The Vernal Point 

The movements of the earth give us the impression not only that the vault of stars is rotating about us, but also that other movements are taking place. One of the most important movements the earth makes is that its axis describes the surface of a cone. Whereas one of the end points of the earth´s axis remains relatively fixed, the other describes a circle. Because of this movement, the vernal point in the cosmic wheel is slowly displaced. Seen from the earth, it appears to be moving backward. The time it takes for the axis of the earth to complete one full conical movement -- moving from the vernal point in the zodiacal circle right round to its starting point again -- corresponds to 25,920 terrestrial years. We call this a cosmic year. Divided by twelve, this number gives us a cosmic month, namely 2,160 terrestrial years, the time it takes for the vernal point to move through one zodiacal sign.  

Vibrations From Cosmos 

The vibrations from the cosmos have such a great effect on the earth that they even influence world history. The leading ideas in religion, science and art are the result of the radiation of the particular constellation in which the vernal point is moving throughout the course of a cosmic month. The incarnated spirits on earth -- that is to say humanity -- must always achieve a new epoch by reaching a new milestone in human development and establishing themselves in the ideas of the time.

Groups of Spirits 

A nation is a group of spirits, the incarnation of certain concentrations of energy. Each epoch brings to the earth a different group of spirits, a different race, and when this race has fulfilled its task of carrying out the new ideas and developing a new civilization for the space of a cosmic month, it leaves the earth in order to develop further on another planet. In every race, of course, there are always individuals who don´t quite `make the grade´ before the end of the epoch. These remain behind, like dregs in a drink, and must continue to develop on earth. That´s the reason why a nation experiences a sudden decline after achieving a high point in civilization. The highly developed fathers of the nation are followed by degenerate and weak-willed descendants, and the nation which was once greatly esteemed gradually falls into debility and disrepute. These descendants are the dross of the nation which has reached the highest degree of earthly development, become spiritualized, and departed from the earth.  

(Article is from "Initiation" -- teachings of Ptahhotep, High Priest of Ancient Egypt.)