Mysticism Scale
Note the following descriptions of experiences carefully and indicate how much each description applies to your own experience:
+1= This description is probably true of my own experience or experiences.
-1 = This description is probably not true of my own experience or experiences.
+2 = This description is definitely true of my own experience or experiences.
-2 = This description is definitely not true of my own experience or experiences.
? = cannot decide (please try to avoid marking any item with ?)
(note: these items may be considered as applying to one experience or to several different experiences)
If you'd like to know your "mysticism quotient", check scoring directions on Religion 100 lecture notes
Note the following descriptions of experiences carefully and indicate how much each description applies to your own experience:
+1= This description is probably true of my own experience or experiences.
-1 = This description is probably not true of my own experience or experiences.
+2 = This description is definitely true of my own experience or experiences.
-2 = This description is definitely not true of my own experience or experiences.
? = cannot decide (please try to avoid marking any item with ?)
(note: these items may be considered as applying to one experience or to several different experiences)
- I have had an experience which was both timeless and spaceless.
- I have never had an experience which was incapable of being expressed in words.
- I have had an experience in which something greater than myself seemed to absorb me.
- I have had an experience in which everything seemed to disappear from my mind until I was conscious only of a void.
- I have experienced profound joy.
- I have never had an experience in which I felt myself to be absorbed as one with all things.
- I have never experienced a perfectly peaceful state.
- I have never had an experience in which I felt as if all things were alive.
- I have never had an experience which seemed holy to me.
- I have never had an experience in which all things seemed to be aware.
- I have had an experience in which I had no sense of time or space.
- I have had an experience in which I realized the oneness of myself with all things.
- I have had an experience in which a new view of reality was revealed to me.
- I have never experienced anything to be divine.
- I have never had an experience in which time and space were non-existent.
- I have never experienced anything that I could call ultimate reality.
- I have had an experience in which ultimate reality was revealed to me.
- I have had an experience in which I felt that all was perfection at that time.
- I have had an experience in which I felt everything in the world to be part of the same whole.
- I have had an experience which I knew to be sacred.
- I have never had an experience which I was unable to express adequately through language.
- I have had an experience which left me with a feeling of awe.
- I have had an experience that is impossible to communicate.
- I have never had an experience in which my own self seemed to merge into something greater.
- I have never had an experience which left me with a feeling of wonder.
- I have never had an experience in which deeper aspects of reality were revealed to me.
- I have never had an experience in which time, place, and distance were meaningless.
- I have never had an experience in which I became aware of a unity of all things.
- I have had an experience in which all things seemed to be conscious.
- I have never had an experience in which all things seemed to be unified into a single whole.
- I have had an experience in which I felt nothing is ever really dead.
- I have had an experience that cannot be expressed in words.
If you'd like to know your "mysticism quotient", check scoring directions on Religion 100 lecture notes
I must call your attention to the fact that I cannot possibly tell you what a man who has enjoyed complete self-realization looks like, and what becomes of him.
~Carl Jung, Letters Vol. II, Pages 474-475
Nothing is in us that was not there before, and
nothing that has once been can vanish. ~Carl Jung, Letters Vol. II, Page 502
I saw how we live toward death, how the swaying golden wheat sinks together under the scythe of the reaper, / like a smooth wave on the sea-beach.
~Carl Jung, The Red Book, Page 268.
This is the burden everybody has to carry:
to live the life we have got to live.
~Carl Jung, Letters Vol. II, Pages 515-516
How then can a man form any definite opinions about himself?
We are a psychic process which we do not control, or only partly direct.
Consequently, we cannot have any final judgment about ourselves or our lives.
If we had, we would know everything but at most that is only a pretense.
At bottom we never know how it has all come about.
The story of a life begins somewhere, at some particular point we happen to remember; and even then it was already highly complex.
We do not know how life is going to turn out.
Therefore the story has no beginning, and the end can only be vaguely hinted at. ~Carl Jung, MDR, Prologue, Pages 3-4.
"O sweet clean earth, from whom the green blade cometh!
When we are dead, my blest beloved and I,
Embrace us well, that we may rest forever,
Sending up grass and blossoms to the sky."
The "secret of life" is my life, which is enacted round about me, my life and my death; for when the vine has grown old it is torn up by the roots.
All the tendrils that would not bear grapes are pruned away. Its life is remorselessly cut down to its essence, and the sweetness of the grape is turned into wine, dry and heady, a son of the earth who serves his blood to the multitude and causes the drunkenness which unites the divided and brings back the memory of possessing all and of the kingship, a time of loosening, and a time of peace. There is much more to follow, but it can no longer be told.
~Carl Jung, Letters Vol. II, Pages 514-515
”…forth then, my soul sped, throughout the Cosmos, seeing ever, new things and old; learning that man is truly space-born, a Sun of the Sun, a child of the stars. Thy bodies are nothing but planets revolving around their central suns.”
- Thoth
"The passing of every old man or woman means the passing of some tradition, some knowledge of sacred rites possessed by no other...Consequently the information that is to be gathered, for the benefit of future generations, respecting the mode of life of one of the great races of mankind, must be collected at once or the opportunity will be lost for all time." --Edward S. Curtis
In terms of interconnections, a dominant theme in all Native American cultures is that of relationship, or a series of relationships that are always reaching further and further out; relationships within the immediate family reaching out to the extended family, to the band, outward again to the clan, to the tribal group; and relationships do not stop there but extend out to embrace and relate to the environment: to the animals, to the plants, and to the clouds, the elements, the heavens, the stars; and ultimately those relationships that people express and live, extend to embrace the entire universe.In the Plains area, to give an example, one of the most profound rites is that of the smoking of the pipe. In this ritual smoking of the pipe, all who participate are joined in a communal ritual act, and when it is finished, everybody who has shared in the smoking of the pipe recites the phrase, in Lakota in this case, mitakuye oyasin – “we are all relatives.” We are all related, because in this rite we have all become one within a mystery that is greater than any of its parts.
—Joseph Epes Brown, Becoming Part of It, PARABOLA, Volume 7, Number 3: Ceremonies.
The starry vault of heaven is in truth the open book of cosmic projection, in which are reflected the mythologems, i.e., the archetypes. ~Carl Jung, CW 8, Page 195, Para 392.
The goal of individuation is not narcissistic self-absorption, as some might believe, but rather the manifestation of the larger purposes of nature through the incarnation of the individual. Each person, however insignificant in geopolitical terms, is the carrier of some small part of the telos of nature, the origin of which is shrouded in mystery but whose goal is conceivably dependent upon the enlargement of consciousness. If that be true, and I believe it is, then the task of individuation is wholeness, not goodness, not purity, not happiness. And wholeness includes the descent which the psyche frequently imposes upon the unwilling ego. – James Hollis, Swamplands of the Soul, Introduction.
"Whenever a person turns sincerely to his unconscious psyche and its knowledge (not, however, when he dwells on subjective thoughts and feelings) by considering its objective expressions, such as dreams and spontaneous fantasies, sooner or later the image of the Self will appear and confer upon the ego the potential for a renewal of its life."
--Marie-Louise Von Franz , Archetypal Dimensions of the Psyche
Real increase of personality means consciousness of an enlargement that flows from inner sources.
Without psychic depth we can never be adequately related to the magnitude of our object.
It has therefore been said quite truly that a man grows with the greatness of his task.
But he must have within himself the capacity to grow; otherwise, even the most difficult task is of no benefit to him.
More likely he will be shattered by it. ~Carl Jung, CW 9i, Para 215
All the tendrils that would not bear grapes are pruned away. Its life is remorselessly cut down to its essence, and the sweetness of the grape is turned into wine, dry and heady, a son of the earth who serves his blood to the multitude and causes the drunkenness which unites the divided and brings back the memory of possessing all and of the kingship, a time of loosening, and a time of peace. There is much more to follow, but it can no longer be told.
~Carl Jung, Letters Vol. II, Pages 514-515
”…forth then, my soul sped, throughout the Cosmos, seeing ever, new things and old; learning that man is truly space-born, a Sun of the Sun, a child of the stars. Thy bodies are nothing but planets revolving around their central suns.”
- Thoth
"The passing of every old man or woman means the passing of some tradition, some knowledge of sacred rites possessed by no other...Consequently the information that is to be gathered, for the benefit of future generations, respecting the mode of life of one of the great races of mankind, must be collected at once or the opportunity will be lost for all time." --Edward S. Curtis
In terms of interconnections, a dominant theme in all Native American cultures is that of relationship, or a series of relationships that are always reaching further and further out; relationships within the immediate family reaching out to the extended family, to the band, outward again to the clan, to the tribal group; and relationships do not stop there but extend out to embrace and relate to the environment: to the animals, to the plants, and to the clouds, the elements, the heavens, the stars; and ultimately those relationships that people express and live, extend to embrace the entire universe.In the Plains area, to give an example, one of the most profound rites is that of the smoking of the pipe. In this ritual smoking of the pipe, all who participate are joined in a communal ritual act, and when it is finished, everybody who has shared in the smoking of the pipe recites the phrase, in Lakota in this case, mitakuye oyasin – “we are all relatives.” We are all related, because in this rite we have all become one within a mystery that is greater than any of its parts.
—Joseph Epes Brown, Becoming Part of It, PARABOLA, Volume 7, Number 3: Ceremonies.
The starry vault of heaven is in truth the open book of cosmic projection, in which are reflected the mythologems, i.e., the archetypes. ~Carl Jung, CW 8, Page 195, Para 392.
The goal of individuation is not narcissistic self-absorption, as some might believe, but rather the manifestation of the larger purposes of nature through the incarnation of the individual. Each person, however insignificant in geopolitical terms, is the carrier of some small part of the telos of nature, the origin of which is shrouded in mystery but whose goal is conceivably dependent upon the enlargement of consciousness. If that be true, and I believe it is, then the task of individuation is wholeness, not goodness, not purity, not happiness. And wholeness includes the descent which the psyche frequently imposes upon the unwilling ego. – James Hollis, Swamplands of the Soul, Introduction.
"Whenever a person turns sincerely to his unconscious psyche and its knowledge (not, however, when he dwells on subjective thoughts and feelings) by considering its objective expressions, such as dreams and spontaneous fantasies, sooner or later the image of the Self will appear and confer upon the ego the potential for a renewal of its life."
--Marie-Louise Von Franz , Archetypal Dimensions of the Psyche
Real increase of personality means consciousness of an enlargement that flows from inner sources.
Without psychic depth we can never be adequately related to the magnitude of our object.
It has therefore been said quite truly that a man grows with the greatness of his task.
But he must have within himself the capacity to grow; otherwise, even the most difficult task is of no benefit to him.
More likely he will be shattered by it. ~Carl Jung, CW 9i, Para 215
SIRIUS RISING
A fixed star conjunct one of these points elevates the whole birth chart; it charges the individual’s destiny with a powerful, even grand kind of energy which literally “shines forth” all around the native. Interestingly enough, this seems to work fairly well in actual interpretation. If we borrow a few concepts from contemporary psychological astrology, we might wish to speculate as follows:
- A fixed star conjunct the Midheaven elevates the native in terms of fame or renown
- A fixed star conjunct the Ascendant creates an intensely powerful personality shaped by the nature of the star in question--They are particularly important when in the Ascendant
- A fixed star conjunct the Sun imprints its nature upon the individual’s spirit, while a fixed star conjunct the Moon imprints its nature upon the individual’s soul
- Fixed stars conjunct the Descendant or Nadir are said by Anonymous of 379 to have a positive influence on one’s marriage and foreign travels (Descendant) and upon the circumstances surrounding one’s old age (Nadir).
Sirius (10 Cancer) This star is said to be a mixture of Mars and Jupiter. It is said that for those born in the night-time, Sirius behaves more like Jupiter, gifting its natives with leadership ability, wealth, and honor, along with more Martian attributes such as energy and a temperament that is unruly, high-spirited, and willful. Those born by night received the Mars side of the Dog Star: such natives were said to be despotic, insolent, coarse, agitated, and prone to act through passion and resentment. But the day-born received a Jupiterian influence if Sirius was at the Midheaven, in which case its natives also acquired eloquence and mercy – though all the same, they didn’t always “come to a good end.”[xviii] Sirius is unique in the sense that its risings and settings, as well as its conjunction with planets, were used for “mundane” or political predictions[xix] – a practice which may have to do with its importance in ancient Egypt, where it symbolized the goddess Isis in search of the broken pieces of Osiris (Orion) as well as being an important marker in the beginning of the old Egyptian calendar. Similar mundane and political meanings were attached to several stars in India, notably Canopus.[xx]
As noted in our discussion of important stars which lie far from the ecliptic, the lunar mansion of Ardra was anciently associated with Sirius (though it is now marked by Betelgeuse). It is interesting once again to note that the standard Hindu interpretation of Ardra upon the Ascendant or conjunct the Moon is almost an exact match for the old Hellenistic Sirius: Those born under Ardra are said to be passionate, tempestuous, bold, haughty, excessive, treacherous at worst and filled with vital energy at best. In the ancient mythology, Sirius was an incarnation of Shiva in his destructive aspect as a wild hunter who chases the Primordial Cosmic Man (Orion) through the night sky and kills him. No wonder he is a bit cranky and “ferocious.”
THE FIXED STAR SIRIUS
in The Ascendant
Canis Major is one of Orion's hunting dogs. The brightest star in this constellation is Sirius, often called the Dog Star. The dog's ability to sense and follow unseen persons for miles symbolized the transcendental power by which the philosopher follows the thread of truth through the labyrinth of earthly error.
There are continued dowser references to the search for the truth of a situation [the fruitful search], and tracking a 'trail of bread crumbs' or a series of 'signs.' In Ancient Egypt it was first Hathor, the great mother goddess, who was identified with Sirius. But Isis soon became the major archetype, sharing honors with the title of Sirius as the Nile Star.
Isis began her search for Osiris as the Dog Star rose, and by tradition, the Earth Goddess left the fields and vales to look for her daughter [see Eleusis] at this time of year. The phrase "Dog Days" sprang from an ancient reference to the first days Sirius is viewed on a clear night, and pre-dawn light. This occurs during the last week of August, after Sol enters the sign of Ceres/Demeter, The Virgin [Virgo]. The time traditionally coincides with an internal akashic shift, within the viscera, part of the physical anatomy ruled by Virgo.
This constellation is said to represent the dog set by Jupiter to guard Europa whom he had stolen and conveyed to Crete. According to other accounts, however, it was either Laelaps, the hound of Actaeon; that of Diana's nymph Procris; that given by Aurora to Cephalus; or finally one of the dogs of Orion.
-Vivian E. Robson, Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology
A shortened list of men and women with Sirius at the Ascendant cusp, or inside their Ascendant [First House, Rising Sign] follows. An ASC degree before 13° places Sirius above the Ascendant, the ASC degree @ 13° places Sirius exactly conjunct the Ascendant, and the ASC degree between 13° and 20° places Sirius inside the First House, with ‘Dog Star’ emphasis on personality, health, and still time.
Most ancient cultures observed the rising ‘Dog Star’ with ritual, mystery drama, and re-dedication of the home fires to their household gods and goddesses. Many refer to the Ascendant first when they look for their power animal.
The following are excerpts from the essay “The Festival of Sirius” by Malvin Artley:
Astronomically, the festival of Sirius is linked to the date of the heliacal rising of Sirius, i.e., when Sirius rises at the same time as the Sun. This occurs around the 8th-9th of August, when the Sun is at about 15 degrees of Leo.
In the days of ancient Egypt the pyramids were all aligned so that certain portals within the walls of those structures channeled the light of Sirius straight into the king’s chamber on the date of the Sirian heliacal rising. In Egypt in those days that marked the summer solstice–the point of 0 degrees of Cancer in the zodiac.
Projected onto the ecliptic it is found at 14 Cancer these days, but it is actually some 40 degrees off the actual zodiacal wheel.
Sirius was called the star of Mercury or Budha (spelling is correct)–the great Instructor of mankind before the Buddhas (before the Lemurian race). At the early stages of the Lemurian race there was a tremendous influx of force from Sirius and Venus onto our planet and the great event called Individualization took place–the human Souls were brought to Earth and our true humanity was born.
Sirius is said to be the transmitter of a mysterious faculty called “Cosmic Mind” to our solar system. There is a great Law which governs the relation of Sirius to our solar system, too, which is called the Sirian Law of Karma in the esoteric literature.
Sirius performs the same task for our solar system via our Sun, thus training all aspects of mind within our system. This is what might be called the Mind of God, so far as we can know it in our world. In its higher form it is actually the transmitter of higher cosmic Mind, or Buddhi-Manas–illumined Mind.
The star Sirius is actually the focal point for the corporate body of a great cosmic Being. Our Sun is said to be like a chakra or energy centre within that Sirian body, just like our Earth is an energy centre within our solar system.