Journey of the Soul

Ancient philosophers regarded the soul of man as having its origin in heaven, its sojourn here below and its return after perfection. The earth is not its home but its place of exile. The soul dwelt upon the stars, was seduced by the desire of uniting a body that it descended  to be imprisoned in matter. All soul remained in position in Heaven and of happiness so long as they are wise enough to avoid contagion of the body and to keep themselves free from any contact with matter. But those who from lofty abodes have looked longingly toward the body and towards which we call life and conceived for desires for inferior regions of the world, little by little, removed the perfect substance that surrounds itself, descends thru the several spheres to an earthly body; and the number of degradations or deaths being the same as that of the spheres which it traverses. 

The Galaxy crosses the Zodiac in two opposite points, Cancer and Capricorn, ordinarily called the gates of the sun. Through these gates, the soul descends to earth and re-ascend to Heaven. Cancer was the Gate of Men because the soul descended by it to the earth and Capricorn, the Gate of Heaven because by it they are re ascended to their seats of immortality, and became Gods.

The journey of the soul on earth came the legend of the Labor of Hercules beginning from the sign Aries, Taurus...and finally Pisces, the consummation to totality; the division of heaven by the zodiac; also the characteristics assignment of Jacob to his 12 sons as written in the Holy Bible, Jesus Christ’s life mystery from Bethlehem to Calvary. Esoteric astrology also explained the mysteries of the journeying of the soul through the spheres, in the Egyptian mysteries of initiation as well as in the secret ritual of the Freemasonry.

Matter Being,  stained the purity of the soul, and so to restore to its natural dominion, men should learned the mysteries of the ancients; fasting, meditation, lustrations, expiations, and above all initiations. The effect of initiation was meant to be the same as that of philosophy, to purify the soul of its passions, to weaken the empire of the body over desires.

To speed up the return of the soul to its place of origin, it must exercise the practice of virtue. It must flee from everything sensual. Those who remain enslaved, subjugated by their passions will re ascend to Heaven, only after they have been purified through a long succession of ages.

So mote it be.