The Seven Rays

Three aspects, four attributes: seven rays

Using the thread of ray influences, correspondences between planets and signs of sympathetic ray can highlight deep and significant formative patterns that are not ordinarily apparent. The way these patterns are represented in the individual horoscope represent the predominant qualities of a particular life. (see EA 489-92)

The entire system of esoteric astrology is predicated on three primary principles as embodied in the three crosses, and the seven rays, which are covered extensively throughout Alice Bailey’s books¹ and by many other authors since (e.g. Kurt Abraham). Their meaning can also be traced in the symbolic and geometric properties of the first seven numbers.

The rays are primarily expressed on Earth through the three signs of their ray triangles (the current controlling sign is highlighted bold (EA 490)) and at least one further triangle of energies involving a specific planet and one of the “big three”: Great Bear, Sirius, Pleiades (also see the triangle Great Bear-Sirius-Pleiades). From there, within our solar system they are channelled through the seven sacred planets, with three rays also expressed through a secondary non-sacred planet, and two by the Sun and Moon:

Although other triangles are specific to certain rays, these are the primary ray triangles as represented on the main navigation diagram (top left).

These seven qualities—three rays of aspect and four rays of attribute—form the foundation of an astrology that brings the crosses (cardinal, fixed, mutable), plus the elements, aspects, planets and signs of astrological symbolism together under a vision designed to aid personal growth in an esoteric context. Using this esoteric astrological approach we can find a place the universal, where the personal falls into place within the greater pattern.

Overall, this simplifies the complexity of all other astrological features into triadic groupings with the Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable modes acting as a framework, enhanced by a septenary series of ray qualities.

The Ray Cycles

The rays cycle in and out over periods longer than a human life. At any point in history, only certain rays are in manifestation, and either waxing or waning in power. Because the sustained power of Ray One would have destructive effects, it is only active for a brief time every 25 years (including the start and middle of a century). According to the information given, the other ray cycles start (and likely end) at those points during a century too, the most recent being Ray 4 (Esoteric Psychology I, 23-7):

• Ray One: inactive
• Ray Two: active since 1575 CE
• Ray Three: active since 1425 CE
• Ray Four: slowly becoming active since 2025 CE
• Ray Five: active since 1775 CE, declining in power
• Ray Six: rapidly becoming inactive since 1625 CE (gone by 2150)
• Ray Seven: active since 1675 CE

These larger cycles affect humanity as a whole, although all rays can feature in individual horoscopes during development, according the phase or area of focus for any individual, and the signs/planets involved. When rays are waning, or in decline, the challenge for those on those rays is to manage the more negative qualities of that ray. The decline of the sixth ray has witnessed religious extremism and rigid fundamentalism in many religions, as well as an increase in non-religious beliefs and movements, and the resulting divisions of social polarity (rigidity and confrontational defence are key indicators of a system in decline). This is likely to continue to be a struggle until the equinox has shifted fully into Aquarius roughly around 2150, if we take the start if the Piscean age as 0 CE (See Neil Mann, The Great Year).

The less drastic decline of the fifth ray and an increase in the power of the seventh has brought about a shift in mass attention from strictly scientific discovery (and logic) to an emphasis on (especially digital) technology and the connections enabled by the web.

However, the advent of Ray 4 in 2025 is now serving to ameliorate all these “waning ray” issues, but it will take some time before we see a real awakening to the necessity for mediatorship, and the acceptance of a consequent expansion in collective consciousness, as hoped for in popular concepts about the “Age of Aquarius”.