Soul Mirror Work and the Elemental Equilibrium
© 2002
>> On the subject of soul mirrors, is there a way to "test" the balance of my elemental equilibrium, or is it fully dependent on the soul mirror itself? <<
Life is THE test of your Elemental equilibrium. When you achieve the Equilibrium, you will know it beyond a doubt.
>> Also on the equilibrium, at the end of the Step 2 chapter Bardon writes, "you must already begin to eliminate all evil characteristics that prevail and which represent the greatest impediment for further development." But, in the beginning of the chapter he says all elements, both positive and negative, should be brought into equilibrium. On both the positive and negative mirrors, for me, the water element has the largest imbalance than all the others. Once I get all the negative elements situated should I just think of some positive qualities to have in order to bring the other positive aspects of the elements into balance with the positive water as well. <<
The ultimate goal of the soul mirror work is to completely positivize your personality. Bardon suggests three stages of this:
1) Transform the most important items in your negative soul mirror. Turn them into positives. This alone, greatly reduces the overall imbalance.
2) Increase the positivity of those Elements that are less positive than your most positive Element. This increases the overall balance even though it is not a complete positivization of the whole. There are still negative characteristics present, but no one Element is a stronger positive or negative than another.
3) Transform all of the remaining minor negative characteristics. This results in the completely positivized personality typical of the astral Elemental Equilibrium.
At the beginning of Step Three, Magic Psychic (Astral) Training, Bardon wrote:
"Before starting on the training for this step [i.e., the inhalation and accumulation of the Elements], the astral equipoise of the elements in the soul has to be established by introspection and self-control unless you wish to do mischief to yourself. If it is absolutely sure that none of the elements is prevailing, you ought to keep working on the refinement of the character in the course of development, but you might as well go on to work with the elements in the astral body."
In other words, he's suggesting that you must achieve the completion of the second stage I detailed above, wherein no single Element is overly prominent. There should be no *major* negative character traits remaining at this point.
In your case, having a very positive Water, you will therefore need to increase your positivity in the arena of the Earth, Air and Fire before beginning the Step Three work. However, the transformation of your negative Water traits will most likely have the effect of increasing the positivity of your other Elements. No part of your personality exists independent of the rest, so the transformation of one part ultimately effects your whole personality. :)
Self-transformation requires a constant self-re-evaluation. As you change, your changes are reflected in your Elemental composition and this will look different at each stage. By the time you have resolved your major negative traits, your soul mirror will look quite different. How different, is impossible to predict from your present perspective, but in all likelihood your present concerns about an overly positive Water will prove unnecessary.
>> Aha! Now I believe I'm getting it! And because the soul mirrors will be constantly looking different, self-crafting is continuous. <<
Yes! :) It becomes an Art that gives great joy to the artist.
>> Is this process refined, or worked even deeper when reached at Step 7 for the mental equilibrium? <<
It is the same essential process of intensive introspection and subsequent rectification, but here it is enacted upon the mental Individuality, instead of the astral personality. The "rules" that pertain to this mental work are a bit different than those that apply to the astral work. In the mental realm, *like attracts like* exclusively; whereas, in the astral realm *opposites attract* is ALSO true, and this complicates the astral work in comparison to the mental work. Also, by that point in their initiation, the student has become adept at the Art of self-crafting the astral personality and that ability is easily and effectively applied to the mental self-crafting. The Step Seven mental work is relatively easy compared to the early astral work of self-crafting.
This also entails an additional astral transformation. The attained mental Equilibrium MUST be made manifest in the astral personality. But this time (and from then onward) the astral self-change is VERY easy and immediate. This is due to the fact that one is working from the higher mental perspective of the Individual Self and in a directly creative manner.
My best to you,
:) Rawn Clark
11 Oct 2002