The term “Planetary Spirit” can sometimes be a confusing one in Theosophy.
In almost every piece of writing, from her first book “Isis Unveiled” onwards, H. P. Blavatsky and her Adept-Teachers (the Masters of Wisdom) used this term to almost exclusively mean “a high Dhyan Chohan,” i.e. one who has advanced beyond the human stage of evolution and become a “cosmic god,” a noble celestial being, or, as some would say, an “angel.” However, the Theosophical explanations of what an angel actually is are very different from the standard Christian and other religious views on this subject, for details of which please see We Do Not Have Guardian Angels.
It was not until the writing of “The Secret Doctrine” that HPB and the Master K.H. and Master M. (who repeatedly certified in writing that They were the real authors of that book along with Their “Direct Agent” HPB) explained that the Planetary Spirit of Earth, sometimes also referred to as simply the Spirit of Earth, the Earth Spirit, or the Terrestrial Spirit, is not a high spiritual being. Later, in “Transactions of The Blavatsky Lodge,” which largely consists of questions and answers on the teachings found in the first volume of “The Secret Doctrine,” HPB elaborated on this subject and spoke in a way that can easily lead – and has led – people to think that the term “planetary spirit” automatically and in every case refers to a relatively low and unadvanced type of entity which only has interest or involvement with the material side of planetary or cosmic evolution.
However, a student of Theosophy must always pay attention to the context in which any statement is made. If we take that as a definition or description applicable in every case to the Theosophical usage of the term “planetary spirit,” we will end up seriously misunderstanding and even misrepresenting some important things.
To shed some light on the many positive and spiritually elevated ways in which Theosophy speaks about Planetary Spirits, as well as on the subject of Planetary Spirits in general, along with some important details regarding our own Earth’s Planetary Spirit, we have compiled the following quotations and taken the liberty of putting in bold some of the more important or thought-provoking points. Some of these statements will seem mutually contradictory but, as said, one has to take note of the particular context in which a Theosophical statement or explanation is given.
ON PLANETARY SPIRITS IN GENERAL
“Planetary Spirits. Primarily the rulers or governors of the planets. As our earth has its hierarchy of terrestrial planetary spirits, from the highest to the lowest plane, so has every other heavenly body. In Occultism, however, the term “Planetary Spirit” is generally applied only to the seven highest hierarchies corresponding to the Christian archangels. These have all passed through a stage of evolution corresponding to the humanity of earth on other worlds, in long past cycles. Our earth, being as yet only in its fourth round, is far too young to have produced high planetary spirits. The highest planetary spirit ruling over any globe is in reality the “Personal God” of that planet and far more truly its “over-ruling providence” than the self-contradictory Infinite Personal Deity of modern Churchianity.” (H. P. Blavatsky, “The Theosophical Glossary” p. 255)
“Each people and nation, as said already, has its direct Watcher, Guardian and Father in Heaven – a Planetary Spirit.” (HPB, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 1, p. 576)
“There are three chief groups of Builders and as many of the Planetary Spirits and the Lipika, each group being again divided into Seven sub-groups. It is impossible, even in such a large work as this, to enter into a minute examination of even the three principal groups, as it would demand an extra volume. . . . The Planetary Spirits are the informing spirits of the Stars in general, and of the Planets especially. They rule the destinies of men who are all born under one or other of their constellations; the second and third groups pertaining to other systems have the same functions, and all rule various departments in Nature.” (HPB, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 1, p. 127-128)
“[The Theosophical Movement must] prove both destructive and constructive — destructive in the pernicious errors of the past, in the old creeds and superstitions which suffocate in their poisonous embrace like the Mexican weed nigh all mankind; but constructive of new institutions of a genuine, practical Brotherhood of Humanity where all will become co-workers of nature, will work for the good of mankind with and through the higher planetary Spirits — the only “Spirits” we believe in.” (Master K.H., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 23-24)
“. . . the highest Planetary Spirits, those who can no longer err. But these appear on Earth but at the origin of every new human kind; at the junction of, and close of the two ends of the great cycle. And, they remain with man no longer than the time required for the eternal truths they teach to impress themselves so forcibly upon the plastic minds of the new races as to warrant them from being lost or entirely forgotten in ages hereafter, by the forthcoming generations. The mission of the planetary Spirit is but to strike the KEY NOTE OF TRUTH. Once he has directed the vibration of the latter to run its course uninterruptedly along the catenation of that race and to the end of the cycle — the denizen of the highest inhabited sphere disappears from the surface of our planet — till the following “resurrection of flesh.” The vibrations of the Primitive Truth are what your philosophers name “innate ideas.”” (Master K.H., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 40 – 41 – Note that this appears to be saying that these “highest Planetary Spirits” appear on Earth at the beginning of every new Root Race, such as the Lemurian, Atlantean, Aryan or Indo-Caucasian, etc., and also that such a Being is a denizen, i.e. a resident, “of the highest inhabited sphere,” presumably meaning the most spiritually advanced planet in our solar system. If so, that would most likely be Venus, in light of what Theosophy says about it; this may be confirmed by further passages towards the end of this article.)
“. . . all religions and all philosophies are but the variants of the first teachings of the One Wisdom, imparted to men at the beginning of the cycle by the Planetary Spirit.” (HPB, “Spiritual Progress”)
“. . . the primeval one Truth, taught humanity in the infancy of its races by every First Messenger – the Planetary Spirit . . . and whose remembrance lingered in the memory of man as Elu of the Chaldees, Osiris the Egyptian, Vishnu, the first Buddhas and so on.” (Master K.H., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 48-49)
“So far — WE KNOW. Within and to the utmost limit, to the very edge of the cosmic veil we [i.e. the Masters] know the fact to be correct — owing to personal experience; for the information gathered as to what takes place beyond we are indebted to the Planetary Spirits, to our blessed Lord Buddha. . . . the planetary gods . . . the “Gods” or Planetary Spirits.” (Master K.H., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 138, 141)
“. . . the Dhyan-Chohans. It is the latter who are the “Planetary” and of course it is illogical to say that Adepts are greater than they, since we all strive to become Dhyan-Chohans in the end. Still there have been adepts “greater” than the lower degrees of the Planetary.” (Master K.H., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 321)
“The Occultist accepts revelation as coming from divine yet still finite Beings, the manifested lives, never from the Unmanifestable ONE LIFE; from those entities, called Primordial Man, Dhyani-Buddhas, or Dhyan-Chohans, the “Rishi-Prajâpati” of the Hindus, the Elohim or “Sons of God,” the Planetary Spirits of all nations, who have become Gods for men.” (HPB, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 1, p. 9-10)
“We do not find it either necessary or profitable to lose our time waging war to the unprogressed Planetaries who delight in personating gods and sometimes well known characters who have lived on earth. There are Dhyan-Chohans and “Chohans of Darkness,” not what they term devils but imperfect “Intelligences” . . . the “builders of the Universe,” the pure Planetary Intelligences . . . preside at every Manvantara while the Dark Chohans preside at the Pralayas. . . . the light of the Dhyan Chohans and their pure intelligence is contrasted by the “Ma-Mo Chohans” – and their destructive intelligence.” (Master M., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 462-463 – this is from the “Prayag Letter,” which would prove controversial and divisive in the history of the Theosophical Society; the majority of it was published by William Q. Judge in his article “A Mahatma’s Message To Some Brahmans,” it is referred to in several articles on this site.)
“Devas . . . The term means literally the Shining Ones, the resplendent; and it covers spiritual beings of various degrees, including entities from previous planetary periods, who take active part in the formation of new solar systems and the training of infant humanities, as well as unprogressed Planetary Spirits, who will, at spiritualistic séances, simulate human deities and even characters on the stage of human history.” (HPB, “Elementals”)
“. . . there can be no Planetary Spirit that was not once material or what you call human. When our great Buddha — the patron of all the adepts, the reformer and the codifier of the occult system, reached first Nirvana on earth, he became a Planetary Spirit; i.e. — his spirit could at one and the same time rove the interstellar spaces in full consciousness, and continue at will on Earth in his original and individual body. For the divine Self had so completely disfranchised itself from matter that it could create at will an inner substitute for itself, and leaving it in the human form for days, weeks, sometimes years, affect in no wise by the change either the vital principle or the physical mind of its body. By the way, that is the highest form of adeptship man can hope for on our planet. But it is as rare as the Buddhas themselves, . . .” (Master K.H., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 43-44)
“Again, when the author of Epinomis [i.e. Plato] locates between the highest and lowest Gods (embodied Souls) three classes of Daimons, and peoples the universe with invisible beings, he is more rational than either our modern Scientists, who make between the two extremes one vast hiatus of being, the playground of blind forces, or the Christian Theologians, who call every pagan God, a daemon, or devil. Of these three classes the first two are invisible; their bodies are pure ether and fire (Planetary Spirits); the Daimons of the third class are clothed with vapoury bodies; they are usually invisible, but sometimes, making themselves concrete, become visible for a few seconds. These are the earthly spirits, or our astral souls.” (HPB, “Elementals” – much of this article is a close paraphrase of passages from “Isis Unveiled”)
After death, following the conclusion of the state of Devachan – “the spiritual Ego . . . is reincarnated, after enjoying for a short time its freedom as a planetary spirit.” (HPB, “The Key to Theosophy” p. 104 – This wording shows that our own souls, in the sense of the Manasaputras or Kumaras etc. who are the Higher Egos of humanity, can also be termed “planetary spirits,” as the following two quotes also show.)
“Every spiritual EGO is a ray of a “Planetary Spirit” according to esoteric teaching.” (HPB, explanatory comment, “The Voice of The Silence” p. 84, original edition)
“No Planetary Spirit (and each human “Soul” . . . is a planetary pure and formless Spirit) can avoid the “Cycle of Necessity.” Descending from, and re-ascending to the first starting point, that junction in the Infinity where Spirit or Purusha first falls into Prakriti (plastic matter) or that primordial and yet formless cosmic matter which is the first out-breathing of the Infinite and Changeless Universal Soul (the Parabrahm of the Vedantins), the Planetary Spirit has to take shape and form and live successively in each of the spheres—our own earth included—which compose the great Maha-Yuga, or the Circle of Existences, before he can lead a conscious EGO-life.” (HPB, Footnotes to “Iamblichos: A Treatise on The Mysteries”)
“The “triads” born under the same Parent-planet, or rather the radiations of one and the same Planetary Spirit (Dhyani Buddha) are, in all their after lives and rebirths, sister, or “twin-souls,” on this Earth.” (HPB, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 1, p. 574 – For more on this, please see Our Seven Divine Parents: A Study in Monads, Rays, and Planets)
“No theosophist, no Occultist in the true sense of the word has ever worshipped Devas, Nats, Angels or even planetary spirits. Recognition of the actual existence of such Beings—which, however exalted, are still gradually evolved creatures and finite—and even reverence for some of them is not worship.” (HPB, “Star-Angel Worship in the Roman Catholic Church”)
“The incorporeal intelligences (the Planetary Spirits, or Creative Powers) were always represented under the form of circles.” (HPB, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 2, p. 552)
“Theurgia, or Theurgy (Gr.). A communication with, and means of bringing down to earth, planetary spirits and angels – the “gods of Light”. Knowledge of the inner meaning of their hierarchies, and purity of life alone can lead to the acquisition of the powers necessary for communion with them. To arrive at such an exalted goal the aspirant must be absolutely worthy and unselfish.” (HPB, “The Theosophical Glossary” p. 329)
ON THE PLANETARY SPIRIT OF THE EARTH IN PARTICULAR
In the first quote above, we saw from “The Theosophical Glossary” that “our earth has its hierarchy of terrestrial planetary spirits, from the highest to the lowest plane,” and also that “Our earth, being as yet only in its fourth round, is far too young to have produced high planetary spirits.”
In “Transactions of The Blavatsky Lodge,” first published two to three years after “The Secret Doctrine” and one year before “The Theosophical Glossary,” HPB stated:
“A Planetary Spirit is a Ruler of a planet, a kind of finite or personal god. There is a marked difference, however, between the Rulers of the Sacred Planets and the Rulers of a small “chain” of worlds like our own. [Note: At this point we may conclude fairly safely that virtually all the statements about Planetary Spirits in the previous section of this article are referring to something other than what HPB is now proceeding to talk about.] . . . Say what one may, our Earth was never numbered among the seven sacred planets of the ancients, . . . [The question is then asked: “Then do the Planetary Spirits of the Seven Sacred Planets belong to another hierarchy than to that of the earth?” to which HPB replies:] Evidently; since the terrestrial spirit of the earth is not of a very high grade. It must be remembered that the planetary spirit has nothing to do with the spiritual man, but with things of matter and cosmic beings. The gods and rulers of our Earth are cosmic Rulers; that is to say, they form into shape and fashion cosmic matter, for which they were called Cosmocratores [Note: She shortly afterwards go on to identify the Cosmocratores with the “Builders,” “who fashion matter according to the ideal plan ready for them in that which we call Divine and Cosmic Ideation.”]. They never had any concern with spirit; the Dhyani-Buddhas, belonging to quite a different hierarchy, are especially concerned with the latter. . . . the “Planetary”—who are not the Dhyani-Buddhas—have everything to do with the earth, physically and morally. It is they who rule its destinies and the fate of men. They are Karmic agencies.” (p. 47-48)
Undoubtedly there are points made there which we are not likely to be able to clearly understand at this point, although we may reflect on them and try to relate them, where possible, to other statements in other parts of the Theosophical literature.
The difficulty, however, is that in the above passage, HPB equates the Planetary Spirit (or even Spirits, plural) of our Earth with the Builders/Cosmocratores, whereas we saw earlier that in “The Secret Doctrine” she clearly draws a line of distinction between the Planetary Spirits and the Builders, and also in some places (in “The Secret Doctrine” and elsewhere) uses “Planetary Spirit” and “Dhyani Buddha” as synonymous terms, whereas here she emphasises that they are not the same and should not be thought of as such.
As we mentioned in the article The Three Logoi, in “Transactions of The Blavatsky Lodge” HPB also emphasises definitions and usages for terms such as “Cosmic Mind,” “Universal Mind,” and “Divine Mind,” which contradict the usage of these terms in “The Secret Doctrine” and the rest of her writings and which she herself even proceeds to contradict later on in the same “Transactions of The Blavatsky Lodge” book. As much as we greatly and sincerely revere, respect, and love HPB – both as the historical Helena Blavatsky and the ever-living Nirmanakaya who occupied, used, and worked through that bodily vehicle – it cannot be denied that on occasion she contradicted herself and sometimes in ways that are not amenable to any esoteric explanation of the text that might make sense of them, unless – as some believe – she sometimes deliberately or knowingly did this, so as to help her students to avoid the pitfalls of dogmatism, literalism, creedalism, and the finitising tendencies so common to the human mind at this point of our development. Personally, we think that theory may well be the case.
When asked whether the “Builders” of our Earth “act under the guidance of the Terrestrial Planetary Spirit,” HPB explains that they are “collectively that Spirit themselves. I wish you to understand that they are not an Entity, a kind of a personal God, but Forces of nature acting under one immutable Law, on the nature of which it is certainly useless for us to speculate.” (“Transactions” p. 49) The Gnostics recognised that there were “seven Builders or Spirits of the Earth” (see “Transactions” p. 96) and an esoteric Commentary quoted on p. 28 of “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 2 refers to “The Spirit of the Earth and his six assistants.” The term “an angel of darkness” is also used as a synonym for “terrestrial Spirit” on p. 22 of Vol. 2 of “The Secret Doctrine.” In this context, “darkness” is surely meant to denote matter rather than actual evil. However, in the Theosophical view, evil is a naturally occurring resultant or byproduct of the existence of matter, yet matter has to exist in order for any manifestation and evolution to be possible. This is explored in much greater detail in The Origin and Nature of Evil.
From esoteric commentaries quoted and translated in “The Secret Doctrine,” we read of the close connection between Earth and Venus and that “the two are called ‘Twin-sisters,’ but the Spirit of the Earth is subservient to the ‘Lord’ of Sukra [i.e. Venus].” And also: “Every sin committed on Earth is felt by Usanas-Sukra [i.e. Venus]. The Guru of the Daityas [i.e. also referring to Venus] is the Guardian Spirit of the Earth and Men. Every change on Sukra is felt on, and reflected by, the Earth.” (Vol. 2, p. 29, 31)
So the Planetary Spirit of the Earth may be subservient to the Planetary Spirit of Venus but it is the latter who is the real “Guardian Spirit of the Earth and Men.” Of course, what all that really and practically means is not spelt out and very few would be able to properly comprehend it anyway. But lest we settle definitely on the assumption that “Spirit(s) of the Earth” always refers to what has just been spoken of in the “Transactions of The Blavatsky Lodge” quotes, HPB throws another obstacle in the way of some Theosophists’ desire to make a fixed and definite creed out of her writings by remarking in some notes in “Lucifer” magazine that “certain ascetics in the trans-Himalaya regions who live in deep underground caves, are called “Spirits of the Earth.” Lha, “Spirit” or Divine Being, is the name generally given to great adepts in Thibet, as the name of Mahatma, “Great Soul,” is given to the same Initiates in India.”
One thing we can confidently say is that the term “Planetary Spirit” in the original Theosophical teachings should not be assumed to be just another name for the now more popular and pervasive term “Planetary Logos.” This latter term appears nowhere in the voluminous writings of HPB, nor in the many hundreds of letters written by the Masters Themselves. It was invented sometime in the early 1900s by the infamous C. W. Leadbeater when he was busily engaged in the entire rewriting of the teachings of Theosophy and the particular meanings given to it by he, Annie Besant, Alice Bailey, as well as later writers and teachers in the New Age Movement, are not compatible with the authentic Theosophical teachings. What real Theosophy has to say about the Logos has been summarised in articles on this site, such as Understanding The Logos and The Three Logoi.
We close this article with an enigmatic statement from H. P. Blavatsky’s letters to Franz Hartmann, which those so inclined may wish to contemplate upon in the light of the many statements we have quoted, whilst remembering that the Masters spoken of in Theosophy are generally physically incarnated here on this physical plane:
“You have come to the conviction that the “Masters” are “planetary spirits” – that’s good; remain in that conviction.”
~ * ~
If Sun thou canst not be, then be the humble planet. Aye, if thou art debarred from flaming like the noon-day Sun upon the snow-capped mount of purity eternal, then choose, O Neophyte, a humbler course.
Point out the “Way” – however dimly, and lost among the host – as does the evening star to those who tread their path in darkness.
Behold Migmar, as in his crimson veils his “Eye” sweeps over slumbering Earth. Behold the fiery aura of the “Hand” of Lhagpa extended in protecting love over the heads of his ascetics. Both are now servants to Nyima [“The Sun. Nyima, the Sun in Tibetan Astrology. Migmar or Mars is symbolized by an “Eye,” and Lhagpa or Mercury by a “Hand”.”], left in his absence silent watchers in the night. Yet both in Kalpas past were bright Nyimas, and may in future “Days” again become two Suns. Such are the falls and rises of the Karmic Law in nature.
Be, O Lanoo, like them. Give light and comfort to the toiling pilgrim, and seek out him who knows still less than thou; who in his wretched desolation sits starving for the bread of Wisdom and the bread which feeds the shadow, without a Teacher, hope or consolation, and – let him hear the Law.
(“The Voice of The Silence” p. 36-37, original edition, translated by H. P. Blavatsky from The Book of the Golden Precepts)
~ * ~
This article may have raised more questions about various things. Please make use of the site search function (the magnifying glass symbol at the top of the page) and visit the Articles page to see the complete list of over 300 articles covering all aspects of Theosophy and the Theosophical Movement.
T H E O S O P H Y 