Highlights of the First Degree Lessons

    “You take the high road and I’ll take the low road” has been a popular expression for many years. We all face many crossroads in our lives, crossroads where we take either the “high” road or the “low.” Most of us, when faced with such decisions, often take the “low” road. It’s the easier, more frequently traveled choice.

    To obtain true self-enlightenment in one’s spiritual quest, however, it is the “high” road we must take. It’s less traveled and, for some, may be more difficult. Astara’s Degree Lessons are your “map,” and by becoming an Astarian you elect to take this higher path in your spiritual quest. Again, for some, the teachings may not offer “easy” solutions or answers — but they offer answers available from no other source.

    You will not be alone. During more than 40 years, thousands of seekers from around the world have joined us in Astara on this mystical journey. These seekers have experienced a spiritual “view” not visible from the “lower” road. If you are a seeker, we invite you to send for your Lessons now.

Lesson 1, The Long Journey of Becoming, Lesson 2, Healing and the Magic of the Mind, and Lesson 3, Prayer, Prana and the Fountainhead of Light: You will be introduced to the Mystery Schools and Astara's Master Teachers. Learn of the fall and rebirth of the Mysteries. Find out about Astara's healing science and how to direct the healing forces. Learn of the power of the White Light and how to tap into Astara's worldwide membership base to harness the collective healing forces for your prayer requests.

Lesson 4, the Miracle of Meditation, and Lesson 5, Astara and the Portals to Initiation: Experience the marvels of fruitful meditation. Discover the three paths available to you, deciding for yourself which path to follow. Learn of The Penetralia — the mystic formula — and the five steps to positive attainment. Discover your individual link with your High Self or Oversoul. Learn of Astara’s past, present and future and its role in your quest for initiation. Illustrations of proper meditation techniques will help you achieve your goal.

Lesson 6, Through Science to Magic, and Lesson 7, Through the Needle’s Eye: Your next step in the journey explains six basic causes for illness. Learn how to guide your subconscious in its role toward healing and health, and the importance of inner confession in the healing process and treating the whole person. Learn of self-healing. Grasp the true meaning of the Aquarian Age and why a diary of spiritual events helps you ascend the ladder of progression. Learn of the mystic “call” and how to continue your journey toward initiation.

Lesson 8, Lights Along the Way, and Lesson 9, The Seven Mansions in the Divine House: Enter step three of The Penetralia and begin the important process of learning how your use of will power aids in your journey. Discover the influence tolerant endurance, faith, selfishness, greed, vanity and love has for progression or regression. View the White Wings of Healing. Travel the seven planes of our solar system — leading to the ultimate plane — the divine Godhead. Witness the birth of a soul and learn the important law of attraction.

Lesson 10, The Human Being — The Measure of All Things, and Lesson 11, Chakras — The Universe Within: Your study of your total being continues, offering knowledge and understanding of the four ethers. Learn the totality—positive and negative aspects—of each ether. Learn of the etheric double and the astral body, how they differ and how they relate to your mental and causal bodies. Discover the marvels of etheric and auric emanations. Enter the realm of the all-important chakras and travel the sea of forces.

Lesson 12, Kundalini — The Serpent Fire, and Lesson 13, The Upraised Serpent — Guardian of the Golden Fleece: Explains your two nervous systems and their future merger. Discover the vagus nerve and the three “trees” in humans. Examine the kanda and powerful kundalini and learn how kundalini is related to your future godhood. Delve into the mystery of the Serpent and its role in our evolution. This Lesson includes The Second Step of Lama Yoga.

Lesson 14, The Silver Cord and the Seed Atoms, and Lesson 15, If a Man Die: This Lesson contains one of the most important esoteric aspects of your journey — the silver cord and the sutratma. Recognize other key cords in your forcefield. Examine the seed atoms and how they affect your karmic destiny. Experience the awakening of your astral centers. Get acquainted with your Whole Person. This Lesson unveils an important preview of your destiny, explaining how the silver cord and seed atoms influence your transition to the otherside. Discover what death really is.

Lesson 16, And After That — The Judgement, and Lesson 17, Lama Yoga and the Holy Nahd: Just what is meant by the second birth? Unravel the mystery of death and the three “types” of dying. Journey to the lonesome valley of the Bardo, the valley of atonement, purgatory, hell and heaven. Offers guidelines on death for the Astarian and how to achieve initiation at the hour of your transition. Completes your knowledge of Lama Yoga — including the pranic breath, chanting and the Holy Nahd. Travel to the secret place of the Most High and experience the ultimate blessing.

Lesson 18, Rebirth — The Turning Wheel of Evolution, and Lesson 19, The Moving Finger Writes: Discover why reincarnation is the law of evolution in action. Why the heavenly Parents send Their children to the world of matter to learn. Why you should not dwell on “who was I before?” but get busy building your hoped-for future. Learn that the laws of compensation, love, correspondence and attraction are all facets of karmic law. Learn the different types of karma and how to reconcile karma with free will and the remission of sin.

Lesson 20, Christianity and Reincarnation — Dogma vs. Doctrine, and Lesson 21, Science of Rebirth: Realize that the doctrine of reincarnation has a Biblical foundation. Uncover what the Biblical people and early church fathers taught about reincarnation. Dramatic quotations from such persons as Plato, Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and others concerning their beliefs in repeated incarnations and the reasons for those beliefs. Learn how the soul actually re-enters the realm of matter and is embodied in flesh. Absorb concepts concerning the soul journey; how it is accomplished and descriptions to help you prepare for your mission in this incarnation.

Lesson 22, Planting the Seeds of a Soul: Learn of the inner plane factors that make the union of the female egg and the male sperm more than just a lump of protoplasm. Grasp the interactions of the personality image, the sutratma and the seed atoms in constructing a human being. Learn how the laws of attraction and karma combine to affect genetic heredity. How the life cord, the emotional cord and the consciousness cord affect our subconscious, waking conscious and superconscious minds.

Continue your journey of progression with “Gnothi Seauthon — Know Thyself” (Lesson One, Second Degree). In this Degree we teach further concerning humankind on all levels of being because “to know oneself is to know God.”

Remember, by becoming an Astarian you’ve indicated you’ve heard the “Call” for all light seekers to travel the “high” road that leads to initiation in the ancient Order of Melchizedek. Here at Astara we welcome you — and encourage you in your journey toward the light.

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