The Transformation of the Body

[Plenum]

I have been thinking about Death lately. Not in the literal sense, but figuratively.

Now, Death is card 13 in the tarot (spooky number!). It is also called the 'Transformation of the Body', and sits at level 6, what I choose to associate with the indigo ray.

let us see some images:



on the left, we have the Ryder-Waite version, on the right, an image from the Deviant Moon collection. Neither are particularly pleasing or welcoming.

what does Ra have to say about this card? not a great deal:

81.13 Questioner: The Transformation of the Body is called Death, for with death the body is transformed to a higher vibrational body for additional learning. Is this correct?

Ra: I am Ra. This is correct and may be seen to be additionally correct in that each moment and certainly each diurnal period of the bodily incarnation offers death and rebirth to one which is attempting to use the catalyst which is offered it.

let us highlight this last part, which is particularly relevant to the adept:

"certainly each diurnal period of the bodily incarnation offers death and rebirth to one which is attempting to use the catalyst which is offered it."

so, if we are fully open to the use of catalyst, then we 'die' each night, and are reborn with each new day. This fits in with the sense of the Transformation of the Body as the catalyst is exhausted with the previous card (the Hanged Man), so we need to 'die' or go to sleep, and then dream to program our physical body with new catalyst, for the coming day or 'life'.

what is even more astonishing is if we take the front end of Ra's statement:

" in that each moment offers death and rebirth to one which is attempting to use the catalyst which is offered it."

this is amazing! what Ra is saying here is that if are consciously aware of catalyst as it streams in moment by moment, and make adjustments for it, our physical beings can be literally transformed because we are adapting to the wave of incoming energies. We are 'shifting' with the times, rather than being stuck in our old thought patterns and habits.

Death = Transformation of the Body

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catalyst in this sense is quite important, and maybe a few quotes will be helpful:

The quickest way to learn is to deal with other-selves. This is a much greater catalyst than dealing with the self. Dealing with the self without other-selves is akin to living without what you would call mirrors. Thus, the self cannot see the fruits of its being-ness. Thus, each may aid each by reflection. This is also a primary reason for the weakening of the physical vehicle, as you call the physical complex.

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The more advanced the entity, the more tenuous the connection between the sub-Logos and the perceived catalyst until, finally, all catalyst is chosen, generated, and manufactured by the self, for the self.

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The sub-Logos offers the catalyst at the lower levels of energy, the first triad; these have to do with the survival of the physical complex. The higher centers gain catalyst from the biases of the mind/body/spirit complex itself in response to all random and directed experiences.

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this is plenum speaking again: now Death in the metaphorical sense has always been associated with the end of cycles (the scythe and the harvest field). This is more prominent in Ra's depiction of the card:



so if we take the cycle of the body:

Balance, Wisdom, Wheel of Fortune, Enchantress, Hanged Man, Death, Alchemy

the end of a physical cycle definitely fits well, with the Great Way of the Body being represented by Alchemy, which is a summation card of all that went before.

Death = the end of Cycles

is also another way of looking at it. Ra suggests that we have some measure of control over how 'long' these cycles might be. If we are stubborn, and ignore incoming catalyst, these cycles might be years for an adult who doesn't change their opinions, values, or experiences. For someone who is open to things, each day is a new Death. For the high functioning adept, each MOMENT becomes death and rebirth. This is astonishing to even contemplate.

I am in awe (shocked too!)

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