Understanding the astral plane of consciousness and the great oneness that connects us all
Hello dear readers. The below is a little excerpt from a book that I’ve been working on. This will help you understand the astral plane better and our place within it…
A wide number of disciplines, including mainstream religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, through to more esoteric practices like Kabbalah and Shamanism, recognise that there are many different planes, or dimensions of existence. Most interpretations describe these planes as an evolutionary expression of the universe, emanating through a series of stages, each becoming progressively denser and more material. This emanation of different spheres of reality, is a common counterargument for the ‘big bang’ theory, asserting that instead of expansion from an immense, energetic inflation (known as the ‘big bang’), the universe was born out of a great and gradual unfolding from a spiritual summit, beginning at a divine centre of consciousness, and ending with the physical world within which we live. The physical plane is therefore the lowest, or densest sphere, and is associated with the visible reality of space, time, energy and matter. Whilst our physical beings exist here, we also possess an astral body, the astral plane being the 2nd sphere of existence.
Our astral body is that which contains our consciousness- an etheric matter which differs from the four traditional earthly elements.
Aristotle and Plato believed that the stars were composed of this same etheric element, accounting for the influence of the stars and planets on human affairs. It is through our astral bodies, that we are believed to ascend into higher realms, or states of consciousness, particularly once our life in the physical plane has ended. We are in fact a spiritual being having a human experience, not the other way around.
The astral and physical planes are a lot closer together than we think, each intertwined with the other, although for the most part, we remain unaware of this. The astral plane represents the finest expression of the energetic vibrations that comprise the world around us, and it is possible to gain access through meditation, dreams, near death experience, spiritual healing techniques, and many other practices. It is thought that this is where many immaterial beings reside, including those closely linked with the preservation of the natural world, such as fairies, or other spirits of nature.
We simply can’t ignore the abundance of knowledge pertaining to the many domains of existence beyond our immediate physical world, and yet we allow ourselves to be utterly consumed and misguided by the things we do know, or the things that we perceive as ‘real’ in the microcosm of the universe that is associated with human life.
We’ve become completely submerged within a physical reality of our own making, seeing only what we want to see, and experiencing a one-dimensional, tiresome, mental merry-go-round, in which we are enslaved by our intellect and materialism. Even in the very real, natural world around us, we fail to see the incredible connections between humans and nature, and the great web of life that exists right on the edge of human perception. For example, all living beings contain DNA- the building blocks of life- this includes everything from bacteria, to vegetables and animals. As an ‘ingredient’, DNA does not differ from one species to another; only the order of its coding, or letters alter. Biotechnology, and our ability to manipulate genetics, proves by its very existence the fundamental unity of life. Everything in nature is made of the same stuff! We are all- humans, lions, vegetables and viruses- of the same substance, created from the same source, infinitely connected in a global network of DNA-based life. Our challenge with fully acknowledging this, however, stems from the fact that we tend to think of DNA as an inert chemical, incapable of intention, or any form of consciousness. Yet our own consciousness is built according to the instructions of DNA:
how can nature not be conscious, when our own consciousness is produced by nature?!
And this is only scratching the surface of the incredible intelligence, and purposefulness evident in all aspects of life across the universe. There is pattern, meaning, and intention to be found in everything, and we are but a small part of multidimensional realities, reaching far beyond the limits of time or space, as we understand them. As we’ve discovered through our knowledge of DNA, nature is a form of intelligence. This intelligence is all around us, manifesting in a variety of energetic lifeforms, which permeate across the planes of existence.
The trees we encounter, as we take a stroll through the woods, are as alive as we are, communicating more proficiently than we do to one another, and working to sustain their own being. We cannot readily observe the ‘aliveness’ of the world which they inhabit- we can only see it through the lens of our biological disciplines. Once we begin to accept this deep unknowing, we can become open to the vast and timeless knowledge outside of our own physical plane. We can begin to receive, and tune-in on other levels, beyond the confines of the mind, to the vast expanse of our spiritual being, or our hearts.
The notion of connecting through heart as well as mind is not uncommon- many humans profess to a knowing, or an intuition that appears to come from the heart centre. This awareness speaks to the very essence of the term ‘human nature’: we are nature, as nature is us.
We feel and know more than our minds will allow us to appreciate, and we are capable of connecting with all that stems from the life source of nature, through our hearts and our spiritual, etheric essence. But only once we stop trying to see everything with our eyes, only once we transcend from intellectualising, to simply ‘being’, or feeling. This is when we can experience the bountiful forces at play everywhere, from the great ascended masters who bring us continuous wisdom and guidance, through to the delicate guardians and protectors of the natural world. For we are all, every living thing, eternally connected through the magnificent oneness- the energetic field within which all of live resides.
If you wish to explore these notions further, even if you’re not sure what you feel or believe, allow your heart to take you forward. Open yourself fully to the possibility of life without conditions and rules around what may be true or visible to us, and you will soon begin to feel differently and to perceive your place in the energetic field where everything is connected.
Visit my site to learn more about the practices of Shamanism, spiritual healing and the beautiful Fae who are guides to me.