Etheric planets, Schemes of evolution, and our Solar System
written by Walter D. Pullen
Astrology inherently concerns itself with spiritual or non-physical ideas. The whole concept of describing inner influences and characteristics of a conscious being is a more subjective area outside the study of ordinary facts and figures. Any attempt to understand the actual why or how of astrological influences leads one outside of standard physical science. At the very least, astrology deals with a rich and colorful language of archetypes and myths that one may consider more of an intuitive art than an ordinary science.
It is no surprise then that additional planets other than Mercury through Pluto have been hypothesized in our solar system. Many are not just additional physical planets, but are invisible or are on a higher etheric plane, not detectable through ordinary means outside of psychic investigation or their astrological influences. The number of such planets is large, frequently each one being suggested by a different clairvoyant, which can be confusing to the astrologer who wants to know how to use them or get a grasp of the big picture.
This article will describe a complete view of our solar system from a spiritual standpoint. A result of this will be that all the main invisible planets will be deduced and described. To begin, our solar system is vastly more extensive, organized, and beautiful than we think. Our limited view of looking at only the physical plane of existence leaves us with a star and a few separate planets orbiting it. Looking beyond, one not only sees the number of planets increase by an order of magnitude, but sees a great picture of how all planets are linked together, and are one coherent whole composing a vast living being called our solar system of which one can barely conceive.
This article is meant to give a picture of a model and inform only. No attempt to prove any of the things described here is given, or even can be given in the ordinary sense. These things aren't inherently unprovable however, and one who knows how and where to look should be able to experience proof for themselves. One can find this information in various different sources, one of the best being the writings of the Theosophical Society, especially the book "The Solar System", by Lt. Col. Arthur E. Powell, as well as in the teaching of various other esoteric schools.
First, we need to understand the various etheric levels or planes themself. In ordinary life, we spend our time on the physical plane. There are however seven planes total, our physical plane being the lowest or most dense. Hence any object on a higher plane will be invisible to us, and we can pass through it as if it wasn't there. Each plane in turn has seven subplanes or densities of matter within it. Here is a brief description of each plane:
The physical plane:
This is the lowest of the seven planes, and where we spend our physical lives. We are generally only aware of the three lower subplanes of physical matter, which are molecular solids, liquids, and gasses. The four higher densities, called the "etheric plane", are levels at various subatomic particles. A physical etheric object is generally not visible to ordinary senses. Fairies and nature spirits exist etherically.
The astral plane:
The first higher non-physical plane, one frequently hears about this in paranormal accounts. In the out-of-body and near death experience one is conscious on this plane. Right after one dies and before they reincarnate they are on this plane, and the first Guardian Angels are found here as well. This is also called the emotional plane because the "matter" on this plane is what composes a feeling, desire, or emotion. Negative emotions and the realms of hell-like "purgatory" exist on the lower subplanes, while positive on the upper. It is impossible for what we think of as "evil" to exist anywhere except from the mid-astral on down, by definition. Astral (and higher) objects and bodies can not only go through physical matter in the same space without adversely affecting either side, but they can go through each other without much trouble, avoiding the collision aspect that happens with physical matter, although one can still interact much like on the physical.
The mental plane:
This is called such because the "matter" on this plane composes thought. It's possible for one to mental project in the same way one astral projects, but on the whole being conscious on this higher plane is much more difficult, in that it requires an extremely high state of spiritual evolution. True altruistic thoughts free of desire or any sense of selfishness will rise to this level, as may a person after death from the astral. This consists of a lower level of concrete thought, and a higher level called the "Causal plane" of abstract thought. Most Angels and other spiritual beings are found here. Where this plane meets the next higher is found what we think of as our soul.
The bhuddic plane:
From here on up we leave behind the concept of an individualized personality and enter levels so high that our trying to conceive of them is like a cat trying to understand calculus. The bhuddic plane is the plane of true spiritual insight and intuition (not ordinary psychic feeling, which is astral) and the plane of all-encompassing love and unity. The akashic records which contain the history and sum total of the past of everything everywhere are ultimately on this level of unification.
The atmic plane:
This is the plane of consciousness and life itself. On this level are found the great spiritual masters, as well as anybody who has achieved the ultimate "nirvana".
The monadic plane:
Beyond any type of matter, dimension, or evolution as we can think of, this is the plane of will where monads, the ultimate divine spiritual spark in all living things, express themselves and evolve and create on the lower planes. We've left space, time, and self behind.
The logoic plane:
This is the divine plane of "God", unknowable by definition, free of any limiting concept, the potential of everything. A "Logos" can be thought of as a vast deity which has the ability to be a Creator, i.e. to create spiritual life from itself. The great beings who are main planets, stars, galaxies, and beyond are "on this level".
Any object on any plane has a counterpart on all the higher planes. This means any physical object or at least its counterpart can be seen by an astral entity. There are of course many purely astral objects which can't be seen vice-versa. Each planet on a particular plane also exists on all the higher planes, but one can say on each higher level the planet gets "bigger" because of additional matter and spheres that don't exist lower down. Each person has not only a physical body, but a separate astral body and a body on the higher planes.
The physical plane is three dimensional, in that there are three dimensions of space. The astral however has four genuine spatial dimensions. This means that in dealing with astral planets, one can at most point to a physical location where the four dimensional sphere would be if projected into three dimensions. Being astral and aware of all four dimensions is an indescribable and wonderful state, and one of the most limiting things one can experience is coming back and being forced into three dimensions and a physical body; one can only describe things as appearing "roomy" but still fundamentally the same. Above the astral, the mental plane has five dimensions, the bhuddic six, the atmic seven, while the monadic and above are beyond the concept all together.
Two important concepts will appear throughout what will be described next: Involution is the process of densifying and separating, while evolution is the return journey of unification and spiritualization. On many levels, something first involves and becomes more dense and individualized, then turns and becomes more spiritual after its experience. On a simple level, the concept of us going on a trip and then returning home afterward is like this. Our entire lives going from our souls, incarnating in a body, and then returning after "death" is like this. This is even related to the whole concept of "God" creating and experiencing the universe itself.
Before we start looking at the various planets in our solar system, let's begin with our own physical planet Earth. Again, our planet is more than what we ordinarily think of it. In addition to its astral and higher counterparts, our planet has a rich history and an even vaster future. The ancient civilizations of Atlantis, and before it Lemuria, were indeed real. Specifically, evolution on our planet Earth is divided into seven great civilizations or Root-Races. Here is brief description of them:
The first race was the Etheric or Borean Root-Race, which wasn't entirely physical, being of the higher physical etheric density, and wasn't even remotely like the humanity of today. Second was the Hyperborean Root-Race, all traces of which, along with the first race, have long since vanished. Third was the Lemurian Root-Race. This was a civilization characterized by activity, and development of individual free will. This was the mythical Garden of Eden which humanity "fell" from. Lemurians were over 12 feet tall, and the first race to develop separate genders. The Lemurian continent was in the Pacific Ocean, with today's Easter Island a remnant of it. Fourth was the Atlantian Root-Race, existing from roughly a million to 10,000 years ago, again different from humanity of today, with many Atlantians having blue skin. This civilization was characterized by emotion, and as a result certain periods in Atlantis were very peaceful and spiritual, while others were filled with strife and occult conflict not unlike Dungeons and Dragons, proceeding until the breakup and sinking of the Atlantian continent.
Fifth is the "Aryan" or Indo-European Root-Race, characterized mostly by intellect, of which our humanity of today is a part of. This race began roughly 60,000 years ago and is still in development. Following our race will come the sixth or "Aquarian" Root-Race, which will be mostly characterized by love and wisdom. It won't begin to appear for another 1000 years or so. The last race on our planet will be the seventh Root-Race, which will manifest more abstract levels of being. These seven races fit into the involution/evolution model, with Atlantis being the middle or low point, and the first and seventh races being the high endpoints.
Each Root-Race is in turn divided into seven sub-races. Each sub-race is somewhat similar to the Root-Race of the same number, with the fourth sub-race being more artistic and emotional, the fifth being more intellectual, and so on. Different sub-races exist simultaneously, but first appear in order. The latest sub-race of our fifth Root-Race is the sixth, which only started appearing a century or so ago. There are various physical and other characteristics that can indicate ones sub-race, although there are many mixtures. Sub-races can in turn be divided into seven branch races or nations, but there isn't as strong of a distinction here.
Now comes the interesting part: Before the first Root-Race and after the seventh, our lifewave of humanity was or will be on different planets. We spend seven Root-Races or an entire World-Period on one globe, but our physical Earth is only one globe in many that we evolve on in sequence. We are evolving on a great Round of seven globes in our solar system, which are labeled Globe A through Globe G in order that we visit them. Globes A and G are on the lower mental plane. Globes B and F are on the astral plane. Globes C and E are physical but life on them is etheric, while the middle globe D is fully physical. Our Earth is the fourth or Globe D in our present Round. Globe C is the planet in our solar system we call Mars, while Globe E is the planet we call Mercury. This means many of us had incarnations on Mars, and will be living on Mercury after our life-wave leaves the Earth after its seventh Root-Race! When considering globes B and F, this means that on the astral plane two more planets will be apparent in our solar system, while on the mental two more will appear.
What happens before the first and after the seventh globes? We don't just visit each planet once, but seven times total. We go around each of the seven globes seven times, or have seven Rounds total. We are presently in the fourth Round of our whole Chain of Rounds. This means some of us, in the far distant past, were on the Earth three times before in the three previous Rounds. Again, each Round has a main theme, with for example the fourth Round developing emotion in a grand sense, the fifth developing intellect, and so on.
Seven Rounds make an entire Chain of evolution, however even an entire Chain of seven globes is still part of a larger picture. Chains evolve in a sequence of seven Chains, each with its own seven globes and seven Rounds of evolution around them. An entire Scheme of seven Chains again proceeds in the involution/evolution principle, with the globes in the middle Chains on denser planes and those on the ends on higher planes, within which each of the globes in turn are dense in the middle and more etheric on the endpoints. Specifically, for the first and seventh Chains, globes A and G are of Atmic matter, B and F are of Bhuddic matter, C and E are of higher mental or Causal matter, while globe D is of lower mental matter. For the second and sixth Chains, everything drops a plane, with globes A and G on the Bhuddic, B and F on the Causal, C and E on the mental, and D on the astral. On the third and fifth Chains, we've densified again, with globes A and G on the Causal, B and F on the mental, C and E on the astral, and globe D physical. Finally on the middle or fourth Chain of a Scheme we have globes A and G mental, B and F astral, C and E higher physical, and D lower physical. Actually, the term "globes" for planets on the high bhuddic and atmic planes is somewhat a misnomer. On those high levels they are more concentrations of energy and consciousness.
We are presently in the fourth Chain in our entire Scheme. After each Chain, the globes or planets of it are broken up and new set of seven are generated. One can see that our solar system isn't always static with regards to its planets, but that planets and the number of planets visible on any plane change as new Chains come into existence. When planets of a Chain are broken up at its end, sometimes remnants of the globes can be found in the next Chain. Our Moon was the densest or globe D of our Scheme's third Chain. In the long distant past, our Moon was once much larger, predating our Earth and our other globes such as Mars and Mercury, and many of us existed on it during our "Moon" Chain's seven Rounds. But no more proper evolution happens on our Moon any more and it will eventually fully disintegrate when our Earth Chain is in its seven Round.
These vast periods of evolution have great beings of enormous stature looking after them. Evolution isn't just a series of random mutations, but proceeds in a coordinated Plan. Sub-races usually have a spiritual Master incarnate among them to help guide or create a religion. Each Root-Race has a great guide called a Manu who among other things incarnates to help set the physical type of each race. Most of these Manus and Masters are known in our history. An entire World-Period of its seven Root-Races has a great being called the Lord of the World looking after it. Moving up the hierarchy, an entire Round is coordinated by a Round Manu, and an entire Chain of seven globes is coordinated by several Chain Manus.
Our entire series of seven Chains forms a Scheme of evolution. The one we are in now we call the Earth or Terrene Scheme. There are other Schemes in our solar system which the other physical planets other than Earth, Mercury, and Mars, and many etheric planets belong to. Our solar system is composed of ten Schemes total. Each Scheme goes through seven Chains, and is presently in a particular one of them with its seven globes. Of the ten Schemes, only seven have any physical planets. The seven principal Schemes or planets within them form the "Seven Sacred Planets" and the "Seven Rays" of our solar system. Here is a brief description of each Scheme, which is generally named after its densest planet in its current Chain:
(1) The Vulcan Scheme: Presently in its third Chain, it has one physical globe (the planet Vulcan inside Mercury's orbit), two astral, two lower mental, and two Causal globes. (2) The Venus Scheme: Presently in its fifth Chain, it also has one physical (Venus itself), two astral, two mental, and two Causal globes. (3) The Earth Scheme: This is our Scheme presently in its fourth Chain, with three physical (Mercury, Earth, and Mars), two astral, and two mental globes. (4), (5), and (6) The Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus Schemes: All three of these Schemes are in their third Chain, and each of them have one physical, two astral, two lower mental, and two Causal globes. (7) The Neptune Scheme: This Scheme is in its fourth Chain, and like ours has three physical, two astral, and two mental globes. One of the physical globes is Neptune, while the other two should be outside of its orbit. Pluto is likely one of them, although it has an eccentric orbit unlike all the other principle physical globes. This means there is one and perhaps two physical planets beyond Pluto's orbit which have yet to be discovered. If the Neptune Chain is organized like Earth's, then the far out undiscovered planet would be its globe C, Pluto its globe D (with Charon being perhaps like our Moon and the remnant of Globe D of its third Chain), and Neptune its globe E.
Schemes (8), (9), and (10) are all in their earlier Chains (either first or second) and hence have no physical globes. Scheme eight is usually called the Asteroids Scheme, since its first physical planet in its third Chain will be where the asteroid belt is now, with some physical matter already available to be consolidated for it. Although it isn't known, I believe two of these Schemes are in their second Chain while the tenth is in its first. If this were the case then all ten of our Schemes would be logically organized with one in its first Chain, two in their second, four in their third, two in their fourth, and one in its fifth. It's been suggested that the Uranians, if physical, form an outer asteroid belt, and if so could be like our inner asteroid belt and hence perhaps be the future point for Scheme nine, the "Uranian" Scheme, to physically come in at. However as the Venus Scheme is in its last Chain with any physical globes, there will be room in its orbit for planets from other Schemes to be created at in the future, say the tenth, which for lack of any other name we could call the "Venus II" Scheme.
Looking at all ten Schemes together, and assuming that of Schemes eight, nine, and ten, two are indeed in their second Chains while the other is in its first, we can come up with the following totals for the number of principle planets in our solar system: On the physical plane are 11 planets (two with physical life and the other nine with only etheric evolution). Discounting the Earth, and counting the Moon and the Sun, this gives us our 12 physical planets corresponding to each zodiac sign! On the astral plane are 16 planets (astral project and more than double the number of visible planets in the sky), or 27 also counting the 11 physical planets with their astral counterparts. On the mental plane are 35 planets (19 on the lower mental and 16 on the Causal) which again more the double the number of planets on all the lower planes (with 62 total counting the lower plane counterparts). On the bhuddic plane are 6 planets (68 total), and on the atmic are 2 planets. All together we have a grand total of 70 planets in our solar system.
As the Venus Scheme is the only one in its fifth Chain, entities in it are the most highly evolved in the solar system, and have helped out Earth in the past. The second most highly evolved Schemes are our own and the Neptune Scheme. Note that as globe D in the Neptune Scheme is fully physical, it should have physical life instead of etheric, meaning there should be extraterrestrial life on this planet that we can see and physically interact with! Although it wouldn't be remotely like ourself, I'll be one of the first to propose that there may be life on Pluto about at our level of evolution! The small planetoid Chiron with its eccentric orbit is probably not any globe of any Chain, although it could be a remnant from a previous Chain or even globe C or E of the Neptune Scheme.
The Vulcan Scheme, if it is indeed fully in its third Chain, should have a fully physical planet inside Mercury's orbit. As there doesn't seem to be any such readily visible object with physical gravity, it's possible that Vulcan's globe D is fully on the etheric sub-planes of the physical plane, unlike the Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus Schemes. Or, as Vulcan's meaning is very similar to the Sun's, the physical Sun itself could be being used as Vulcan's globe D.
Astrologically, one can get a very rough idea of the type of evolution happening on any Scheme, through the influence we have associated with its various physical planets. Our own Terrene Scheme, involving our Earth, Mars, and Mercury forms a general theme which can be described as doing, experience, or will. Note as within the ubiquitous groups of seven, the third generally deals with activity, as in our third Root-Race, the fourth with emotion, as in our fourth Root-Race and fourth Round, and the fifth with intellect, as with our present Root-Race, the same can be applied to globes within our own Chain. Hence globe C, Mars, is focused upon activity, and our globe E, Mercury is focused upon intellect, which is very similar to the astrological meanings these planets have. Our own Earth, globe D, is perceived from other planets as an influence of emotion or willful feeling, which is similar the meaning we have assigned to our Moon, globe D of our previous Chain. Neptune, and the other planets in its Chain, which may include an undiscovered planet, Pluto, or even Chiron have a general theme of aspects of consciousness in its evolution, and in our astrological influences assigned to them.
An entire Scheme itself acts as one great being called a Planetary Logos. This level is the first that touches the Logoic plane and is able to act as a "Creator" and bring forth new life. All the Schemes put together form the greater being of a Solar Logos, which is the spirit of our solar system. Even solar systems form groups through which evolution proceeds in sequence. Looking at all the levels, right now most of us are in the sixth sub-race of the fifth Root-Race of the fourth globe of the fourth Round of the fourth Chain of the third Scheme of the second solar system.
Evolution proceeds in a grand Plan through all the kingdoms of nature. Each entity in our solar system began its evolution with its monad projecting a "body" of a single atom on the Causal or higher mental plane. Eventually it involves to become a lower mental atom, and after that an astral atom. Finally it enters the physical mineral kingdom and becomes the spirit of rocks. After this it evolves through the vegetable, animal, then human kingdoms, with seven kingdoms total. The length of time any one entity spends in any kingdom is about one Chain, meaning the whole period of ones evolution through all kingdoms is about the period of one planetary Scheme. Many of us who are human now were animals in our planet's third Chain, and individualized and became human in one of its later Rounds, with the advanced people we regard as spiritual masters having entered the human kingdom a Round or so before us. Going back, this means we were minerals in the first Chain of our Earth Scheme, and likely first entered evolution all together in the fifth Chain of some previous Scheme in an earlier solar system.
Note that saying that we were physical minerals in Earth's first Chain isn't entirely sufficient in our case as the lowest globe in any first or seventh Chain is on the mental plane, hence there is no physical or astral matter available for such entities to directly involve in. One can only say that the Great Ones coordinating such evolution "think about" their advancement on the higher planes so they progress in a similar manner. This means many of us got a "free ride" when in the astral and physical elemental kingdoms.
Actually it doesn't take us an entire Chain to proceed through one kingdom. That's the time period covered, but we only spend about what sums up to one Round's worth of time active in any one Chain, being in a state of spiritual sleep on the higher planes for the other periods. An advanced human doesn't need to spend time in the earlier Rounds of a new Chain. Many of us who were human in the latter Rounds of the Moon Chain have only just recently entered the Earth Chain, on this very globe, even within the last century in our own race, the earlier rounds not being evolved enough for useful evolutionary progress. Also, as the average evolutionary state in a race, globe, and so on becomes more advanced there are times when less evolved entities get removed, to eventually continue growing in the earlier parts of a future race, globe, etc. These "judgment days" of various degrees and orders form the basis of the Earth Changes and so on one hears about, with a major boundary point for our entire World-Period likely coming soon.
Our entire solar system forms one beautiful coherent whole. On the extreme high spiritual planes, the various globes of a Chain are actually connected together through a higher dimension, looking like the petals of a flower. On still higher levels, all the Schemes are connected together, with the entire solar system being one great lotus with planetary Logos as petals or organs in its body. All the above are in an eternal dance with numerous overlapping cycles. What corresponds to these great beings breathing, or their heart beats, and the spiritual energies as projected through the solar system, are what forms the basis of astrological influences. Looking at the movements of the various physical planets can give us at least a clue to these cycles and their meanings.
Groups of groups of solar systems eventually form the spirits of zodiac signs or the arms of a spiral galaxy. All these together form a Galactic Logos which is the spirit of a galaxy and has stars as cells in its body. Galaxies act as organs in the bodies of galactic clusters, which in turn form superclusters. Eventually we have a divine being acting as the entire physical plane, where all the planes together form, at least what we can conceive of, God.
"Who am I, What am I? As I am, I am not. But as we are, I AM. And to you my creation, My Perfect Love is your Perfect Freedom. And I will be with you forever and ever, until the End, and then forever more." - GOD
Walter D. Pullen
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