Time

A: You can do it psychologically and spiritually, for example in meditation. Whenever you are in a place where there are lots of people, be it at work, in a market or a public entertainment, shift levels from the ego to the Self. In such a moment when you are awake, you may perceive reincarnation at work in the passing show of history. Such an insight into the scale of the soul’s perception of reality is quite different from the moment ‘now’.

A: Time itself is neutral. It is your intention that makes it sacred. The most precious thing you can give to someone or to yourself is your time. Setting aside a certain time from mundane everyday life helps you to shift levels psychologically and spiritually. It can be a deeply emotional experience like listening to sacred music, or intellectual contemplation enriching your wisdom and understanding. You may practise in private or group meditation or religious festivals of your own culture. The first step is to rise from the ego/Yesod to the Self/Tiferet, where you may become aware of the Kingdom of Heaven and beyond, to experience the Divine presence.

A: Every level in the ladder of Existence has its own timescale. For example, for certain cells in our body a day is a lifetime, while the lifespan of our sun is like that of a cell within the vast body of the Milky Way. The galactic timescale can be compared with the World of Creation. Consider millions of stars being born, maturing and dying right now. Such a scale is truly cosmic.

A: One way is to consider how the left pillar of structure contains the past, the central pillar of equilibrium is the present, while the right pillar of dynamic represents the future in potential.

For example, a child does not have much past, so its structure is not yet fully developed, and its body is very small. However, its future is there in potential, so its dynamic is enormous. In contrast, an old person’s past experience can be seen in their physical and psychological structure, but there is not much future or dynamic left. On the central pillar of consciousness, you can observe how the past and the future are conditioned and work as a whole.

A: Wanting to know the future has been a human preoccupation for thousands of years. The greater prophets can perceive future trends at the level of the spirit, which relates to the element of air, so they see more clearly. The so-called lesser prophets can perceive the future at the psychic level, so their vision can be either accurate or distorted by the watery lens of Yezirah. The ancient world had its oracles. Needless to say, much superstition was involved. The Bible warns against false prophets. Use your discrimination and common sense.

A: At birth, the celestial pattern of that moment is imprinted on the psyche. A horoscope contains both your past and your future. Your birth chart is the end of term report of your last life, and it describes the lessons and possibilities of how your current life will develop and unfold in time. The script is there, free will comes in how you play your part.

There is a story about a Catholic, a Protestant and a Jew debating ‘When does life begin?’. The Catholic says, ‘Of course, life begins at the conception.’. ‘No’, says the Protestant, ‘life begins at birth with the first breath.’ ‘You are both wrong’, says the Jew. ‘Life begins when the kids leave home, and the dog dies.’

A: You could consider a lifetime as different seasons. The early life is governed by the Moon, Mercury and Venus. This is the time of the spring and growth. The middle life of the Sun, Mars and Jupiter relates to the summer and maturing. Pluto, Saturn and Uranus mark the autumn or the harvest time when you start to see the fruits of your life. Finally, the age of Neptune begins the winter, ending in hibernation and death.

A: The spirit of the time manifests through the movements of the outer planets Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. They influence the collective mood of the time and fashions. We as individuals respond differently depending on our personal horoscope. Likewise, a collective mood may be different in other parts of the world depending on the national character of a people. The sun also has a clear impact in its annual cycle through the zodiac. Moreover, the solar energy fluctuates in a 11/22-year sunspot cycle, creating periods of high or low activity in human affairs.

There is an even larger cosmic cycle of 24,000 years called the Precession of the Equinoxes. In this, each zodiacal sign governs approximately a 2,000-year epoch. The Age of Pisces was marked by a preoccupation with religion. Now we are well into the Age of Aquarius with much social change and a more intellectual approach.

A: It appears to be linear, but in fact the arrow of time moves in a circular fashion. Our perception of time is based on astronomical cycles, like the planet Earth rotating on its axis in a daily cycle. Or in the annual cycle, the arrow of time always comes back to your birthday and starts a new cycle.

The so called tik-tok time is a human agreement and a necessary tool for practical purposes. We need clocks and calendars to synchronise our societies as well as private lives.

A: Sometimes we can, but that would be called regression. It would mean going against the universal flow of time, so the consequences could be severe. You can see it in individuals and even nations who crystallise and refuse to develop further. They are left behind. Remember the biblical story of Lot’s wife, who looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. However, God is merciful and gives another opportunity to move on either through a life crisis or in the next lifetime.