The lowest manifestation of Akasa, or primordial substance. It is the plane next to the physical and is invisible except to the clairvoyant eye. It is equivalent to the sidereal light of Paracelsus.

The astral light is also understood in certain specific but limited senses:

A. It is the second principle of a globe, that is, its LINGA-SARIRA. Thus it has also been called anima mundi. It absorbs the emanations of the earth, and gives back to the earth what it receives. It thus becomes the storehouse of human iniquities, and affects adults and children, and also animals. Helena P. BLAVATSKY states that the epidemics of the earth are but the effects of the influence of the astral light. “The odic and magnetic currents of the Astral Light often incite to murder, drunkenness, immorality.” Eliphas Levi calls the astral light as the Great Serpent and Satan.

B. The astral light is nature’s “picture gallery” for it records all the astral and physical actions on earth, while actions beyond these levels are recorded in Akasa. Images in the astral light are inverted, for it reflects or mirrors things. “Hence the confusion of its colors and sounds in the perception and clairaudience of the sensitive who trusts to its records — be that sensitive a Hatha-Yogi or a medium” (CW XII:613).

V.H.C.

© Copyright by the Theosophical Publishing House, Manila