The Great Wayof the Spirit
-Archetype Twentyone-

In the Law of One material, the archetypes form a fundamental part of understanding the structure and evolution of the mind, body, and spirit. The Great Way of the Spirit is the total environment within which the spirit evolves on its journey toward self-knowledge. Ra’s comment on the mind cycle applies equally here: “the entire mood…of the Great Way is indeed dependent upon its notable difference from the Significator.” After the veiling, the new concept of free will required a new environment of inner evolution. That new environment is the Great Way.

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Overview of the Archetype

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The Great Way of the Spirit is symbolized by a kneeling woman dressed in white who plays a three-stringed harp. The harp has the crowned head of a man upon it. Above her a conjoined lingam-yoni with wings soars in the sky. Around the lingam-yoni there is a wreath of flowers, surrounded by the heads of the four creatures of the sphinx: human, lion, bull, and eagle.

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Symbolic Elements

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The Kneeling Woman and the Harp

The kneeling woman dressed in white plays a three-stringed harp. The harp has the crowned head of a man on it. These symbols show the intimate cooperation between the male and female figures and the importance of spiritual feelings—joy and despair, ecstasy and misery, enthusiasm and depression—in the process of spiritual growth. The three strings of the harp indicate the three complexes of mind, body, and spirit as they are played by the spirit. The crowned head of the man upon the harp shows the masculine side of the spirit participating in the music that the feminine side plays.

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The Lingam-Yoni, the Wreath, and the Four Creatures

Above her a conjoined lingam-yoni with wings soars in the sky. The lingam-yoni signifies the ultimate union of the two sides of the veiling (masculine and feminine) in the process of spiritual growth. The wings show the flight of spirit. Around the lingam-yoni there is a wreath of flowers. The circle of flowers that was on the ground in the Significator image has been relocated from the ground to the heavens in the Great Way image. The wreath is surrounded by the heads of the four creatures of the sphinx: human, lion, bull, and eagle. These four creatures represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac and the four elements as they are integrated in the Great Way of the Spirit.

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Functions and Dynamics

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The Great Way of the Spirit shows the inescapable nature of inner evolution for the spirit. The most apparent similarities with the Significator are the lingam-yoni above and the intimate cooperation between the male and female figures. In both cases these symbols signify the importance of spiritual feelings and the ultimate union of the two sides of the veiling in the process of spiritual growth. The differences are equally significant. Instead of a Sun we have the lingam-yoni alone, but now with wings. The circle of flowers has been relocated from the ground to the heavens. Instead of the perfect parallel between the two figures standing within the ring of flowers, we have the woman kneeling and playing the harp while the lingam-yoni soars above.

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The Role of Catalysts

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Catalysts continue to arise within the environment of the Great Way. The music of the harp is the continuous activity of the spirit as it plays the three complexes. The winged lingam-yoni shows the flight of spirit that becomes possible after the veiling has created the new environment of free will. Each choice of polarity reinforces and powers the last, carving a pathway that makes subsequent steps along the same path more likely. The four creatures of the sphinx show the integration of the fixed aspects of the spirit complex as the traveler moves through the Great Way.

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Veiling and Unveiling

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The veil between the masculine and feminine sides of the spirit remains present, yet the structure of the Great Way shows their intimate cooperation and ultimate union. The kneeling woman and the crowned head upon the harp show the two sides working together. The winged lingam-yoni above shows the union that soars beyond the ground of the Significator. Unveiling occurs as the spiritual feelings of joy and despair, ecstasy and misery, are played through the harp and the four creatures of the sphinx are integrated into the wreath of flowers in the heavens.

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Polarity and Balance

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The Great Way of the Spirit does not itself polarize. It is the environment within which both paths are available. The right-hand path submits itself to the greater authority of the spirit, allowing the spirit to draw the traveler forward. The left-hand path subjugates the spirit to its own authority, moving forward on willpower alone. The music of the harp and the flight of the lingam-yoni show the continuous activity of the spirit regardless of the path chosen. Mixed expressions are the common condition; pure polarized expressions are the ideals toward which the traveler moves within the Great Way.

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Integration and Transformation

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The Great Way does not replace the Lesser Cycle; it provides the larger environment within which the Lesser Cycle continues. After each Transformation the spirit rests, observes, and becomes familiar with the new configuration of the Significator before the next opportunity for critical distance arises. The kneeling posture of the woman and the soaring of the lingam-yoni make this alternation visible. Anyone who embraces and pursues inner evolution expresses the Great Way to some degree; when expressed purely and without significant distortion, it remains active. The spirit provides the music through which the three complexes are played and the flight through which the union of the two sides of the veiling is realized.

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Practical Application

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In practical terms, working with the Great Way of the Spirit involves recognizing that the environment of the spirit is always present and that choices of polarity carve pathways that reinforce themselves. Meditation and honest self-inquiry can reveal the music of the three complexes as they are played by the spirit and the flight of the winged lingam-yoni as it soars above the ground of the Significator. The work is not to force a final state but to notice the intimate cooperation of the masculine and feminine sides and to allow the spiritual feelings of joy and despair to be played through the harp so that the four creatures of the sphinx may be integrated into the wreath of flowers in the heavens.

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Summary

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The Great Way of the Spirit is the total environment within which the spirit evolves toward self-knowledge. Through its symbolism of the kneeling woman in white playing the three-stringed harp with the crowned head of a man, the winged lingam-yoni soaring above, and the wreath of flowers surrounded by the four creatures of the sphinx, it shows the intimate cooperation and ultimate union of the two sides of the veiling and the continuous activity of spiritual feelings within the new environment of free will. This archetype guides the seeker to recognize the enduring nature of inner evolution for the spirit, to observe the music of the three complexes as they are played, and to allow the winged union of the masculine and feminine sides to soar so that the cycle of catalyst and experience may continue within the Great Way.