The science of the two principles, masculine and feminine, is the science of cosmic balance. The masculine principle is the emissive principle that projects, sows, and gives the germ of life. The feminine principle is the principle that gathers, organizes, and nourishes, to produce a complete, perfect work. One sends out waves, forces, but it will be in vain if there is no other principle that responds, receives, and works on what it has received. There is no need to overestimate or underestimate the importance of one or the other; both are equally important, equally indispensable, but in two different domains. The positive pole exerts an attraction on the negative pole, and the negative pole an attraction on the positive pole: it is from the existence of these two poles that the universe was born. This mechanism of reciprocal action and reaction triggers and maintains the movement of life.

Physically, we are born male or female, but psychologically we possess both principles, masculine and feminine. That is why we cannot equate man with the masculine principle and woman with the feminine principle; neither is an abstract principle, but a combination of both. In the Chinese symbolism of yin-yang, for example, the yin part, black, feminine, contains a white point, and the yang part, white, masculine, contains a black point, to express that the masculine always contains a part of the feminine, and the feminine always a part of the masculine.

In art and painting, we often find works that represent a king or an Initiate sitting on a throne, holding a staff or scepter in his right hand and a sphere in his left. Symbolically, the scepter and the sphere represent the two masculine and feminine principles, the first always expressed by a straight line like a caduceus, a sword, a pillar, the second by a globe, a rounded object that gathers like a cup. We can think of the cup of the Grail in esoteric tradition.

In many tales or initiatory stories, it is the same; the objects mentioned are realities of spiritual life. Thus, the shield or armor worn by the knight is the symbol of the aura that surrounds and protects him, the feminine principle. And his sword, the masculine principle, is the light projected by his thought. These two symbols, which date back to the highest antiquity, represent the existence of these two necessary aspects, active and passive, for any creative work.

We can evoke other symbols representative of these two principles, such as the following examples: bread and wine in the Catholic religion, communion being the most significant moment of the mass, since bread and wine represent these two eternal principles. Fullness and emptiness do not exist in themselves but are complementary. The cross itself is a symbol, a cosmic reality, whose deepest meaning is that of matter (horizontal line) into which the spirit (vertical line) descends to vivify it. The hexagram or Seal of Solomon is composed of two intertwined triangles, the feminine and the masculine. Fire and water—this one contained in a vessel and placed above the fire will be exalted and produce, thanks to steam, a considerable release of energy. The Sun and the Moon with which alchemists work, that is, the will (the Sun) and the imagination (the Moon). The spirit and matter—matter would be opaque, inert, it could not express itself if there were not the active, dynamic principle, a flame, the spirit that manifests through it. Matter is also our physical body, it retains our soul and spirit, like a flask that retains the volatile perfume and prevents it from evaporating.

“The two masculine and feminine principles, which are the two principles of spirit and matter, have their origin in the celestial regions. But these two principles act in all planes, because it is in all planes that their polarity manifests. You yourself, when you work, are the spirit acting on matter. This is already true when you want to make an object or even simply prepare a meal. But it is even more true for spiritual activity. As soon as you become aware of the need to improve certain things in yourself and decide to do this work, you polarize: there is the masculine principle—you yourself, your spirit—and the feminine principle—your psychic matter—on which you want to work… You must therefore learn to distinguish the self from the non-self, and move away from what you ordinarily call your self, but which in reality is not you, to approach what is truly you: your Divine Self. That is when the true work of the spirit on matter begins.”

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov, Daily Thought, October 2, 2018

“All Initiations, those of the past as well as those of today, teach only one thing: how to achieve the union of spirit and matter. Yes, one thing only, the union, the fusion of spirit and matter, of the human being and his Creator, but the explanations, presentations, aspects are infinite. For there are thousands of knowledge to be acquired to achieve this fusion. All sciences are there to serve a single purpose: to unite with Divinity, to merge with the First Cause.“

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov, Daily Thought, June 27, 2023

Wesak is a very important Buddhist festival, as it commemorates both the birth of Buddha, his enlightenment, and his departure from this earth. Buddhist communities around the world celebrate it on a traditional date, known in the West as the ‘May full moon.’ Some years, there are two full moons in May. At that time, an official date to celebrate the festival is chosen and fixed by the various Buddhist communities, and this decision rightfully belongs to them.

However, one can pay attention to the perception developed by Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov when he first spoke about this festival in a conference he gave in Paris on the full moon Saturday, May 14, 1938: ‘The mystery of the two fish and the five loaves.’ His exceptional skills in astrology led him that evening to relate seemingly unrelated elements: the influences of the Sun in Taurus – Moon in Scorpio; the spirit of the Buddhist Wesak; the Gospel episode of Jesus multiplying bread; and more surprisingly, the annual migration of eels to the Sargasso Sea to reproduce.

His mystical intuition connected these four domains in a lively way through the notion of multiplication, abundance, fertility, fecundity, dissemination, gift, generosity… For the Buddhist Wesak represents above all a great sacred ceremony during which the great Initiates gather in a secret place in the Himalayas, either physically or through astral projection, and from there project and disseminate with love thousands of luminous thoughts towards humanity, for its spiritual evolution and salvation.

And according to Master Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov, it is this configuration of the Sun in Taurus – Moon in Scorpio that influences the spirit of fertility of Wesak, rather than the following full moon, Sun in Gemini – Moon in Sagittarius, which will bring different influences. That’s why, some years, the true astrological full moon of May is the first of two full moons in May. Or even – a surprising case for Cartesian minds accustomed to the Gregorian calendar – other years the so-called ‘May’ full moon occurs in April!

In reality, the date of this Buddhist festival does not depend on the Gregorian calendar, but on the Hindu calendar: it corresponds to the first full moon of the lunar month named in Sanskrit ‘Vaiśākha’; hence the name Wesak.

What does the word ” esoterism ” mean to you? A philosophy that is difficult to understand? Only for a small number of people?

The word “esoteric” comes from the Greek “esôteros” meaning: which is inside.

Esoterism means not only a vision of the world, but also a behavior in life, easy to understand and open to all those who wish sincerely to get to the heart of things.

The esoteric attitude is, so to speak, an attention that is born and that grows silently within, it is the life of the soul. It’s just as mysterious and simple as love.

“Look,” said the guide to the visitors on Heritage Day, “here is a scene depicting the Last Supper, Jesus and his apostles. You will recognize some of them: Judas by holding a pouch of money, Peter by holding a sword, and John by leaning on the heart of the Christ. »

It is John’s attitude that, in our eyes, reveals the meaning of the word ” esoterism “.

It is known that words, depending on the context, have different meanings (for example, the word “class” will not have the same meaning for a school teacher, a military person, or a sociologist). In the West, it was long the practice to use the word “race” to refer to physical, anatomical characteristics that designate a particular ethnicity. In spiritual traditions, which are generally universalist, this is not the case: for them, the word “race” has another meaning related to the progress of souls.

In India, there is a Sanskrit word, “manvantara,” which is used to describe a cycle of human manifestation on Earth during a very vast period of evolution. Because billions of humans are on Earth to evolve: through their successive existences, they learn, grow, mature, and emerge with an increasingly clear consciousness of their nature and place in the universe.

The spiritual tradition considers humans to be souls, souls in the making, incarnated on Earth to evolve; and physical appearance, ethnic characteristics, skin color, eye color, hair color, etc., are secondary.

Humanity is called by the Cosmic Intelligence to evolve collectively, like the other realms of nature, towards the most perfect possible blossoming of its functions and talents. But of course, this collective evolution extends over very long periods, over many millennia. And these periods represent sorts of study cycles, waves of growth, or successive stages of emergence of consciousness; a bit like a child develops over the years, passing through several types of mentality, understanding of things, aspirations…

In the thought of Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov, the word “race” therefore designates a wave of evolution, a state of consciousness conquered through great struggle and which will be surpassed, a transitional stage of humanity. It is a vast dynamic thrust, not a fixed biological schema once and for all.

Esoteric tradition has called our current stage of evolution the “fifth race.” With humour, O. M. Aïvanhov characterizes it as the “reign of paperwork”: he thus highlights excessive intellectualism, which must be balanced by all the riches of the heart.

He invites us to move on to the next stage, the “sixth race,” that is, an era where we will give primacy to the expression of pure, authentic, joyful, and spontaneous life. Each person, through subtle work on themselves, will sculpt and mould themselves like a masterpiece. The face, the gaze, the words, the gestures, the subtle emanations, the aura… the entire being will dance and sing, revealing a luminous beauty.

Humans will accord supreme value to fraternal behaviour, and our societies will be founded on the laws of love and wisdom.

The French language commonly uses expressions like ‘peace reigns; a great silence reigns; a family where good understanding reigns’; etc. Everyone understands that this is not about a political regime, but about atmosphere, ambience, climate, state of mind.

God is ‘king’ in the sense that He diffuses and gives Himself originally in all things and all beings as a power of life.

At the level of human societies, what Jewish and Christian tradition has called the ‘Kingdom of God’ is an atmosphere of harmony, mutual understanding, ‘justice’ in the sense that each person respects and gives to others what is due to them, thus making peace possible.

At the individual level, it is a state of mind, a state of consciousness, a disposition of the heart and will that fosters tranquility, health, harmony, happiness.

What Master Omraam calls the ‘Kingdom of God’ can be realized internally under any political regime: it is a fraternal love among all humans, so rich and irresistible that it overflows towards all creatures of the planet and the universe.

The philosophy of Master Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov focuses on two questions which are closely linked: the development of the human being and brotherhood.

If the Master deals with subjects such as the Kabbalah, astrology or alchemy, he addresses all of these disciplines with the objective of giving the human being the elements he needs to live a beautiful and meaningful life. The priority is not so much the acquisition of esoteric knowledge but the way of living: it is by improving the way we live that we will be able to understand the deep meaning of life.

He emphasizes the importance and benefits of community life for the development of the human being. Living amongst others, doing things together, allows each person to get to know himself or herself better, to be confronted with his or her weaknesses and to make efforts to improve.

Collective life must also lead us to become aware of the link that unites humans to one another. All are brothers and sisters in a large family and we learn to cultivate and nurture this relationship in order to form a brotherhood, that is to say, a community in which there is more love between human beings. This is the reason why fraternal centers have been created. These centers are schools in which we practice living a brotherly life and develop the awareness that we are all members of one universal family.

Throughout the year, several meetings are organized in the fraternal centers in order to allow those who are interested to come and live a fraternal life and to practice the methods and exercises that have been given by Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov. Among these methods are meditation, watching the sunrise, breathing and gymnastic exercises, paneurythmia, the yoga of nutrition or music and choral singing.

Being free is not about satisfying all our desires, living an easy life, giving in to laziness, pleasures, passions, abandoning our responsibilities, and not fulfilling our commitments and duties towards our family and society. No, because sooner or later we will inevitably encounter new obstacles, new servitudes that will show us that we are mistaken and limiting ourselves. So, what does our freedom in life consist of? Understanding where our interest lies and choosing the direction we want to take to truly flourish.

Indeed, the less we control our thoughts, desires, and whims, the more we become dependent, slaves to ourselves. Are we truly aware that we are influenced and often directed by other human beings, by inner forces, by entities from the invisible world that decide for us? If we want to break free from these constraints, whatever they may be, the only way out is to strive to rise higher and higher, to approach the summit, to reach towards the Lord.

Freedom is conquered through self-control, through mastering our impulses, until we achieve inner freedom: it is this that will allow us to discover the essential truths we need to guide and support us in life. All the wonders of heaven and earth are around us and within us, but to see and understand them, we must be free, internally free.

How do we use our freedom? Can we understand with accuracy whether it is preferable to take one direction or make one choice rather than another? And if the best way to use our freedom was to serve the Divine Principle, to serve the light, to dedicate our lives to opening a path through which the currents of the higher world can descend to act upon the earth, transform it, purify it?

The science of the Initiates tells us that a human being is only free when he is merged with the Cosmic Spirit, because only the Cosmic Spirit, the Creator, is absolutely free. All creatures in the universe are immersed in the soul of the Lord and receive His influence; they are free with the freedom of the Lord, but not free from Him: if they move away from Him, they lose their freedom. True freedom is to bind ourselves to God as well as to all visible and invisible creatures carrying pure life, so that we too can participate in their work.

A human community is not yet a fraternity. Let’s take the example of a city: do all the individuals living there know each other, appreciate each other, understand each other, and consciously work for one another with love? The concerns of most people remain focused on themselves; they seek to satisfy their desire for success and personal well-being: how to dress, find housing, eat, earn money, raise children… If externally they live organized in societies, internally each person works and lives separately, isolated, sometimes even aggressive and hostile towards others. Seen from this angle, collective life can only be superficial; it cannot last, it is never secure, and from one day to the next, everything can be lost, even life.

What do the Initiates say? Should we live in solitude, withdrawn from the world, to evolve? On the contrary, they say that this era is over; now is the era of fraternity, the gathering of all human beings who want to walk hand in hand to form a vast family. But if it is easy to have good relationships, to understand or group by affinities, it is another matter when it comes to all countries, all nations on earth living together. They have their own vision of the world, different religions, political and economic systems, different traditions. It will be a prodigious science to unite all peoples, and not just gather a few.

This is indeed the purpose of a spiritual community: to acquire a broad, luminous consciousness where members are united among themselves, with the ideal of working for the good of the entire world. Once again, it is first internally, spiritually, that beings will manage to form the true ideal society, universal fraternity. To embark on this magnificent endeavour, one must be able to pursue it to the end, persevere in efforts without faltering, knowing that one will be driven, stimulated, and influenced by the example of others.

Universal fraternity is a cosmic community; it includes all luminous creatures in the universe up to God Himself. Here on earth, we can unite with this immense community through prayer and meditation, project light far into space to touch human hearts with a divine idea: the sublime consciousness of universality.

He who nourishes a great ideal of spiritual elevation, the High Ideal, connects himself with a superior world, the only food capable of nourishing his soul and spirit.

The high ideal rallies and directs our energies, it gives them the right direction and the right order so that we can realize it in our lives. This implies staying vigilant and selecting our activities to free ourselves and feel liberated.

Our health is closely tied to how we live. Not only is it important to eat healthily and breathe clean air, but it is also important to have good thoughts and feelings to stay healthy. Beyond food, our thoughts and emotions also have consequences for our health. For this, the Master has provided several methods for living a healthy, pure, and harmonious life. The best medicine is practised every day through our way of living, meaning how we think, feel, believe, love, and nourish ourselves.

The state in which we eat will have consequences on our health and on our inner states. Eating in a state of agitation and anxiety can lead to digestive problems, or even more serious issues if it becomes a habit. On the other hand, eating in a calm state allows our whole being to receive the beneficial elements contained in food. We can concentrate fully on the food we absorb. We can chew the food slowly and for a long time so that the body can assimilate it properly. Silence helps to restore peace and allows us to do this work of communion with the food we eat.

Some ideologies conceive of universality as a dominant model imposed on many, only benefiting a minority; and the means used to achieve it range from persuasion to corruption or violence.

The Universal White Brotherhood has a completely different conception of universality.

Universality is of the realm of the spirit. To have a universal consciousness is to feel immersed in the infinite flow of divine life, that life which imbues all worlds, visible and invisible, material and subtle, all dimensions of existence, that life which imbues our planet with the four elements, earth, water, air, fire, and the human, animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. A vast symphony unites all beings to their common Source of life, and it is this common origin that makes them all brothers and sisters.

The dearest wish of the Universal White Brotherhood is that fraternal relations are established between all the men and women of the whole earth. Its methods are those of absolute respect for life, freedom and dignity of human beings.

And instead of imposing brotherhood, its first aim is to practise it. Methods which make it possible to embody this ideal of belonging to a great human family are proposed and applied: thus, the beings who are different will no longer be considered as inferior; to each one the conditions will be given to express the best of himself.

The proof is already there: a world of justice and peace is possible.

Utopia is an optimistic dream.

We are talking here about an open, clear, soft utopia, smiling like the face of the angel of Reims or like a ray of morning sunshine. A dream that contains all the beautiful virtualities of a morning consecrated by prayer.

A natural utopia. For there is a law in nature, made by nature and applied in a natural way, here it is: what we think, what we imagine, what we wish for and what we verbalize with love, that is what will happen sooner or later.

So utopists are creators: they set the causes. Spiritual, mental, emotional, dynamic causes. Clearly, lucidly, voluntarily, they create in their minds images, paths, diagrams, circuits, routes, openings which by the effect of this law will be transformed into reality.

Utopia is a truly powerful suggestion. It inspires and creates favourable conditions for the peace and happiness of tomorrow.