ions to that part of
the etheric body which was separated from the physical body in the manner
described above. Under these conditions the capacity of the physical body
for perception was practically extinguished and the physical body itself
was as though dead. For through the etheric body, these individuals were
wholly united with the kingdom of the Lords of Form, and were able to
learn from them how they were being guided and directed by that exalted
Being the "Christ," who was the Leader at the time of the separation of
sun and earth. These people were Initiates. But since human individuality
had been brought into the sphere of the Moon-beings, as described above,
these Initiates could not as a rule come into direct contact with the
Christ-Being, they could only see it as a reflection, shown them by the
Moon-beings. Thus they did not see the Christ-Being directly, but only the
reflection of its glory.

They became leaders of the rest of humanity, to whom they were able to
impart the mysteries they had seen. They attracted disciples, to whom they
communicated the methods for attaining the condition which leads to
Initiation. Only those could attain knowledge of the Christ who belonged
to the Sun-humanity mentioned above. They cultivated their mystic
learning, and the occupations which promoted it, at a particular spot
which, in occult science terminology may be called the Christ oracle, or
Sun oracle, the term "oracle" being used to denote a place where the
purposes of spiritual beings are unveiled.

Other oracles were called into being by the members of the Saturn, Mars,
and Jupiter humanities. The intuitive vision of their Initiates was
confined to seeing those beings who were revealed to them in their etheric
bodies as their respective "higher egos." Thus adherents of the Saturn,
Jupiter, and Mars wisdom arose. Besides these methods of Initiation, there
were others for those who had assimilated too much of the Luciferian
spirit to allow as large a part of the etheric body to be separated from
the physical body as was the case with the Sun humanity. Nor could they be
brought to the revelation of the Christ through these conditions. Because
their astral body was more influenced by the Lucifer principle, they were
obliged to undergo a more difficult preparation, and then, in a less
disembodied state than the others, they were able to receive the
revelation, not indeed of the Christ Himself, but of other exalted beings