At the Threshold of the New World (2nd Edition)

I’m almost halfway through this book. It’s not a dull read, by any means, but it seems to go on and on, especially when describing the information she received from the White Brotherhood.

But, she’s had some visions along the way, and I believe this one will be seen for what it is:

A dream-vision I had toward morning on October 31, 1913, which was accompanied by an unusually strong feeling of spiritual exaltation:

I am walking along a lighted corridor and come to a door, open it, and enter a large light-filled room with no windows. Then I look around for the next door so that I can proceed further. When I look to the right, the wall disappears, and a red-pink sphere opens up before my eyes. In the middle of it, there is a broad, tall staircase, narrowing in perspective toward the top, which is lost from sight in the pink glow. On both sides of the stairway, on every step, people are standing in groups, wearing garments of the same style. Near the bottom of the ladder, the groups are dressed in red, and ugly black spots cover their faces and garments. On the following steps upward, people have fewer and fewer spots, so that the higher toward the top they are, the lighter in color the people and their garments; and at the top all have merged into a pure pink glow.

On the very top of the staircase, a beautiful, giant figure emerges in a red garment, with a dark coat over his shoulder. He has beautiful facial features and long, black hair that reaches down to his shoulders. This Being quickly descends the stairs, his dark coat flapping like wings behind him, but at the very bottom of the staircase, he stops as if some obstacle has suddenly risen up in front of him. Exhausted, he leans against the barrier, his dark hair hanging down in unusually pretty waves, and his garment hangs in beautiful folds.

When I turn to the opposite wall, I see the same phenomenon—the wall disappears, and in its place there is a radiant rainbow sphere. There is the same kind of staircase in the middle, its top lost from sight in the sunlight. Similar groups of people are standing on both sides, on every step. At the bottom their garments are light blue, but up toward the top, both people and their garments gradually became lighter in color, more silvery, merging at the top into a radiant light. As with the first sphere, a Magnificent Image emerges at the very top, against a background of blinding sunlight. His face is impossible to discern due to the light, but the heart-consciousness suggests that it is the Christ Image.

Slowly, awfully slowly, He begins to descend, stretching in turn His right and left arm to touch groups of the standing people. Upon His touch, tongues of flame burst over people’s heads, and each group has its specific color, all those flames forming a rainbow of the most delicate hues.

Full of admiration, I watch this beauty, when suddenly a whirlwind lifts me upward, leaving my mourning dress (which I wore after my mother’s death) behind on the floor, and I am being lifted up in a light-colored gown, carried toward the bottom of the staircase and placed among the lower group. I agonizingly wait to see whether Christ will approach me, whether His Hand will touch me, and what kind of light will be kindled over my head. . . . He does approach and stretches out His right Hand, and I feel and know with a rapture that a flame is bursting out of the top of my head and is burning with a silvery blue Fire.

Roerich, Helena . At the Threshold of the New World: Dreams, Visions and Letters of Helena Roerich (pp. 47-48). Kindle Edition.

This is obviously a Stairway to Heaven, as well as a Stairway to Hell. In other words, a vision of the chakras and their individual limitations (the Heart chakra being the dividing line). She looks to the right and sees the lower chakras (they would be on the left side facing her) and on the other side, she sees the upper chakras. Interesting. Reminds me of Jacob’s Ladder by Blake.

The Vision Chart

I’m not surprised there’s a Finger of God (Yod) pointing at Pluto. This represents a spiritual revelation, and, it would be fair to say, a complete reorientation of her very soul.

Moon Inconjunct Pluto

This aspect means that your emotions are very intense and not always easy to deal with. Often your feelings make you want to do or say something without knowing why. Also you may have very intense moods in which you withdraw from those around you into a world of your own. This should not be a very serious problem unless you have been brought up to have all sorts of fears and worries. In that case your actions will be driven by your fears, and you may behave quite strangely.

You probably enjoy exploring the mysterious and probing hidden secrets. Even while you are young, you will understand human nature better than most people, but to use this ability positively, you must be reasonable calm about your feelings.

Mercury Inconjunct Pluto

The challenge of this aspect is to make your thinking and communication with others more clear. Your rational mind is strongly influenced by your sensitivity, imagination and ideals, although you aren’t always sure how this happens. You tend to spend too much time in your own imaginary world that no one else can share, and this confuses your dealings with others. You will have to learn to face reality, so that you can at least communicate with people. Otherwise you will have a very lonely life.

Uranus Inconjunct Pluto

This aspect indicates changes in the world of the people who were born at these times, changes that were difficult to understand because they were very revolutionary but subtle in many ways.

Climbing Up to Heaven or Bringing Heaven Down to Earth?

In the opening chapter of this book, the same vision is discussed by the editor:

That scene-vision carried in itself the most profound philosophical meaning. It showed that in every Cosmic phenomenon there are two principles, two opposites: Christ radiant with light and good, and another entity opposite to Christ. Each has its own path and its own ladder of ascent and descent. Those paths pass through the Cosmos, through worlds of various dimensions. The dense world is at the beginning of the path or at the foot of the ladder. That ladder, besides linking Heaven and Earth into a united energy system, contains in itself another important meaning. It may be used to either ascend or descend, for evolution and involution are also two opposite polarities that exist only in their mutual connection. The energy situation in the Cosmos is such that there is no evolution without involution. Evolution begins with involution in both general and particular senses. We speak a lot about evolution, while involution either goes unmentioned or is understood in a very narrow fashion: as a downfall, an inability to keep on a certain level of ascent, and thus a descent to a lower level. We fail to take into account the dialectics of interaction between evolution and involution in their broad cosmic meanings, and to take into consideration the energy aspect of that interaction. There is no evolution without involution—without appreciating this truth, it would be difficult or simply impossible to grasp the essence of the evolutionary energies.

In order for evolution to take place, the fiery spark of the spirit must enter the inert matter or descend into it. For spirit, it is an involution, while for matter, it marks the beginning of an evolution. There are many “beginnings” of this sort, for on every evolutionary stage, there is its own type of matter and its own frequency of vibration of spirit. For every transition to a new turn of ascent, there is an involutionary impulse, or, in other words, a new spark of spirit enters its corresponding matter. According to its energy and its frequency of vibration, the spark will create a difference in potentials of the two fundamental opposites, necessary for the energy of ascent to be set into action. It is the interaction between involution and evolution that generates the very conditions necessary for ascent. But what is the spark of the spirit? It is well-known that the spirit as such, which is to say, in a pure state, is nonexistent in nature. Therefore, the role of that spark, as a rule, is played by a High Entity.

In order for matter of a lower world to acquire an ability for further evolution and further advancement, the High Entity, or the Cosmic Hierarch, has to descend, that is, to enter the involution. The vision that appeared before Helena Roerich’s eyes reflected in accessible and vivid images that most important and complex moment of cosmic evolution. Recall that Christ slowly descends, going past those who have already achieved a certain degree of ascent. He proceeds to the foot of the ladder where those stand who did not ascend yet to a necessary level. Over their heads there were not yet those fires that were radiated by those who had ascended. Helena Roerich herself was found at the foot of the ladder. Christ stretched His hand, and a Fire burst out above her, the Fire so desperately needed by all those standing nearby. Thus, a Great Mystery of the Cosmic Evolution was accomplished, and its creation, previously unheard of, began.

After completion of the cycle of his or her earthly incarnations, a subject of evolution, a High Entity, a Cosmic Hierarch, or a Mahatma, as they call such people in India, may keep ascending in Higher Worlds. But some of them voluntarily return to Earth. Having mastered evolutionary energy mechanisms, they, with the sparks of their spirits, initiate a new stage, or a new turn, of the cosmic evolution of humanity. By sacrificing themselves, deliberately embarking on involution, they lay the foundation for the evolution of humanity.

Roerich, Helena . At the Threshold of the New World: Dreams, Visions and Letters of Helena Roerich (pp. 15-16). Kindle Edition.