Alice A. Bailey on the Moon Chain

Alice A. Bailey on the Moon Chain

There is this concept of a “moon chain” in the writing of Alice A. Bailey that I think is fairly unique to her writings (or of Djwhal Khul). Apparently a “moon chain” is “the cycle of evolution preceding ours” (see very last quote below).

Joseph J. Dewey, author and longtime student of the AAB writings, has an interesting comment on this:

Technically all of us are aliens. None of us originated here on planet Earth. Each one of us are immortal beings and came from an eternal source where all that exists is an eternal present. We have passed in and out of many systems of creation but as far as the system of creation goes most of the people here are native to planet Earth or the Moon Chain. -Joseph J. Dewey, Questions

Quotes below for “moon chain” in the AAB writings:


C. W. Leadbeater had a dim apprehension of this idea when he referred to those boat loads of Egos from the moon chain.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , DIVISION C. SEVEN ESOTERIC STANZAS. – Part 7


As stated in various occult books, many of the present advanced humanity individualised on the moon chain, and only took physical bodies in the earth chain during the fourth root-race, thus escaping incarnation during the first three rounds, and the first two races of the fourth round.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , I. THE ORIGIN OF MANAS OR MIND – Part 1


It is an interesting occult fact that our Earth should now be in her fifth round, and paralleling the Venusian scheme, but the moon chain of our scheme saw a period of temporary retardation of the evolutionary process of our Heavenly Man; it resulted in a temporary slowing down of His activities, and caused “lost time,” if such an expression might reverently be permitted.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , I. THE ORIGIN OF MANAS OR MIND – Part 2


It might here be stated that the relative failure that was the fate of the Moon chain in our scheme has greatly handicapped Their work, and made it imperative for Them to employ drastic measures in order to offset that failure. Herein lies another clue to the world turmoil.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


b. The Moon chain. It might be of interest here, if, before passing on to other matters, we took up the very difficult subject of the moon chain and answer certain pertinent questions that may have arisen in the minds of students.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


Had we been given the charts embracing pre-Lemurian days, and extending back a distance into the (humanly speaking) unfathomable past, we would have seen the moon chain portrayed with the Neptune chain omitted. In the chart as given two chains are apparently lacking, the moon chain and the Uranus chain.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


The Moon chain with the Earth chain formed two units, or two polarities, negative and positive. The point of merging was reached, and the Earth chain absorbed or synthesised the moon chain in the same sense as certain of the schemes will merge until only three will apparently be left.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


The involutionary process is over practically and the evolutionary is approximately midway through. This will be marked by the disappearance or absorption of certain chains as they find their polar opposites, and a simultaneous appearance of the more subtle chains or globes as the manasic principle enables man to see them. The moon chain is in process of disappearance, and only a decaying body is left; the life of the second and the first Logos has been withdrawn from it, and only the latent life of matter itself remains.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


The Moon chain has in itself a curious occult history, not yet to be disclosed. … Our Heavenly Man, therefore, is esoterically allied to one of the seven solar systems, and in this mysterious alliance is hidden the mystery of the moon chain.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


The Moon chain was a chain wherein a systemic failure was to be seen.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


The progress of evolution on the moon was abruptly disturbed and arrested by the timely interference of the solar Logos. The secret of the suffering in the Earth chain, which makes it merit the name of the Sphere of Suffering, and the mystery of the long and painful watch kept by the SILENT WATCHER, has its origin in the events which brought the moon chain to a terrific culmination.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


Certain results, such as the finding of its polar opposite, were hastened unduly on the moon chain, and the consequence was an uneven development and a retardation of the evolution of a certain number of deva and human groups.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


The origin of the feud between the Lords of the Dark Face and the Brotherhood of Light, which found scope for activity in Atlantean days, and during the present root race, can be traced back to the moon chain.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , III. THE PRESENT STAGE OF MANASIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE THREE GROUPS


On the moon chain individualisation took place during the fifth race of the third round, and in the next chain to ours on the evolutionary arc individualisation will take place during the sixth race of the second round,—in each case this refers to a planetary round through a chain of globes.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , IV. THE FUTURE OF MANAS – Part 2


It is hidden in the karma of that Being, Who for a period—during the moon chain—held office as the Entity Who is the informing evolutionary Life of the animal kingdom.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , IV. THE FUTURE OF MANAS – Part 2


making a total of sixty thousand million human Monads. The Monads of power, though in manifestation, are as yet very rare in incarnation. They came in, in large numbers, at the close of the moon chain, and will come in again in full numerical strength in the last two rounds of the present chain.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , I. THOUGHT FORMS – Part 2


In the third chain, the moon chain, we have an interesting related fact. On the moon chain the point of attainment for the individual was the arhat or fourth Initiation,—the initiation which marks the final breaking with the three worlds, and the disintegration of the egoic body.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , I. THOUGHT FORMS – Part 2


This should be pondered on, and His close connection therefore, as a transmitter of force within the Moon chain, the third chain, in connection with the third kingdom, the animal, and with the third round, must be borne in mind. One symbol that may be found in the archaic records in lieu of His Name or description is an inverted five-pointed star, with the luminous Triangle at the centre.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , 3. THE SOLAR ANGELS, THE AGNISHVATTAS. – Part 1


a. In the Moon chain, the gradual evolution of self-consciousness under natural law.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , 3. THE SOLAR ANGELS, THE AGNISHVATTAS. – Part 2


It is likewise the same for a Heavenly Man, and a part of the mystery of evil is to be found in the readiness of certain of these cosmic entities (particularly our planetary Logos in the moon chain) to remain polarised in the physical etheric body after having supposedly dominated the material aspect, or gained the control of the third Fire in an earlier system.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , 3. THE SOLAR ANGELS, THE AGNISHVATTAS. – Part 2


There are also in connection with our peculiar Earth scheme, those lunar Pitris who reached their present stage of activity in the moon chain. … This is the case in every scheme in the system, but in the Earth chain a peculiar condition of affairs was brought about through the planetary failure coincident with the moon chain; this is the cause of the present balancing of forces on this chain.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , 3. THE SOLAR ANGELS, THE AGNISHVATTAS. – Part 4


For advanced man at this time these incarnations took place upon the moon chain and in some cases upon certain planets connected with the inner round.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , 3. THE SOLAR ANGELS, THE AGNISHVATTAS. – Part 6


The bulk of the Monads of Love are among this large group and they are to be seen incarnating in the bulk of the well-to-do, kindly people of the world. They are divided into five groups, of whom three individualised upon this planet, and two were the very latest to individualise upon the moon chain.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , 3. THE SOLAR ANGELS, THE AGNISHVATTAS. – Part 7


The mystery of the moon or of the “divine lunatic” is connected somewhat with the revelation (through the premature compassion of our planetary Logos) of the life of this nature, informing the dense globe of the moon chain. On His high level, pity awoke in the heart of the planetary Logos for certain involutionary existences within the moon chain, and (like the Buddha on a lesser scale and at a much later date) compassionate zeal brought the karmic results with which we are still concerned.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , 3. THE SOLAR ANGELS, THE AGNISHVATTAS. – Part 7


c. Egos who have “come-in” from the moon chain and who are much more evolved than the earth humanity.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , 3. THE SOLAR ANGELS, THE AGNISHVATTAS. – Part 7


It is not possible to dissociate a chain from its preceding or succeeding chain. Many Monads who achieved self-consciousness in the moon chain only entered into renewed activity in the middle of the fourth root race; others, who have individualised on this earth, will not succeed in reaching their goal upon this planet.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , IV. THE TURNING OF THE WHEEL


g. Enter the Hall of Records and there read a peculiar group of documents dealing with planetary manifestation in a fourfold manner. It concerns the planetary Logos, and deals with the transference of energy from the moon chain.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , VI. EFFECTS OF SYNTHETIC MOTION – Part 1


Secondly, it must be borne in mind that the human units now upon this planet fall naturally into two great groups—those who reached individualisation, or became “units of self-directing energy,” upon the moon, and those who attained self-consciousness upon the earth. There are important distinctions between these two groups, for the units of the moon chain are distinguished, not only by a more advanced development, owing to the longer period of their evolution, but also by the quality of great and intelligent activity, for (as might be expected) on the third or moon chain, the third Ray was a dominant factor.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , VI. EFFECTS OF SYNTHETIC MOTION – Part 1


First, They themselves took bodies and thus energised certain of the higher forms of the animal kingdom, so that they appeared as man, and thus initiated a particular group. Their descendants can be seen in the highest [1147] specimens of the earth humanity now on earth. They are not even now, however, as far advanced as the groups of units from the moon chain who came in in Atlantean days. Their heredity is peculiar.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , VI. EFFECTS OF SYNTHETIC MOTION – Part 1


The Lord of the Moon chain and the Lord of our present animal kingdom are “blood brothers” and in their relationship and the esoteric interference of the “Man of Men” (the human family personified) is hidden the mystery of present animal karma and the slaughter of animal forms, the terror of wild beasts and the work of vivisectionists.

A Treatise on Cosmic Fire , II. THE EFFECTS OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION – Part 1


a. Individualisation upon this planet; for those who individualised upon the moon chain are not susceptible to these dangerous characteristics.

Esoteric Healing , CHAPTER I – The Psychological Causes of Disease – Part 3


Our earth humanity is still in the Atlantean stage, whereas the intelligentsia of the world, and the disciples and aspirants, are passing rapidly out of this stage, for they reached individualisation on the moon chain, and were the Atlanteans of past history.

Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , I. The Growth of Soul Influence – Part 1


3. Moon chain Egos

Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , III. The Five Groups of Souls


1. Individualisation upon the moon chain took place in the fifth race of the third round.

Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , III. The Five Groups of Souls


It is well to remember that the soul who came into incarnation in old Atlantis individualised upon that chain which is called the moon chain.

Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , III. The Five Groups of Souls


It might be of interest here to note that Christ was the first of our earth humanity to achieve the goal, whereas the Buddha was the last of the moon chain humanity to do so. As far as the development of these two sons of God was concerned, so rapid was the development of the Christ that in Atlantean days He found Himself upon the Path of Probation as did also the Buddha. He, coming into incarnation from the moon chain (having been held in what the occult teaching calls “pralaya” till that time), entered upon the probationary Path a very short time ahead of His Brother, the Christ. From the angle of evolution the rapid unfoldment of the evolution of Christ was, and has been, totally unparallelled. It has never been duplicated, though there are people living today upon the planet who are beginning to develop now with equal rapidity (but not earlier, so that they have a background of slow individual development, which is only now being accelerated). This rapidity is, however, a different matter altogether, for many of the disciples today came into this earth evolution from the moon chain where already much had been unfolded. They have not worked up to their present point from Lemurian times as the Christ has done. He, therefore, stands uniquely alone.

Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , III. The Five Groups of Souls


All that can be said is that the three major monadic types came into being, either from the moon chain or during the Lemurian stage of individualisation, and that these three determine much that is transpiring today.

Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , III. The Five Groups of Souls


1. That egos of all types individualised upon the moon chain, but that the egos of active intelligence constituted 75% of the total, the remaining 25% being divided between the other two.

Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , III. The Five Groups of Souls


These all, with the egos which individualised upon the moon chain and which came in steadily, as the planetary conditions fitted them, until the final stages of the Atlantean period, constitute the bulk of our modern humanity, plus some rare egos which drift into our planetary evolution for some reason or other, and never become properly adapted to or fitted into our planetary life.

Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , III. The Five Groups of Souls


Such specific forms of life did not exist in those far off times, particularly upon the moon chain.

Esoteric Psychology – Volume II , III. The Five Groups of Souls


At the third initiation, termed sometimes the Transfiguration, the entire personality is flooded with light from above. It is only after this initiation that the Monad is definitely guiding the Ego, pouring His divine life ever more into the prepared and cleansed channel, just as in the third, or Moon Chain, the Ego individualised the personality through direct contact, a method different to the individualisation as shown in this fourth chain.

Initiation, Human And Solar , CHAPTER IX – THE PATH OF INITIATION


Those who are now the inner group around the Lord of the World have been primarily recruited from the ranks of those who were initiates on the moon chain (the cycle of evolution preceding ours) or who have come in on certain streams of solar energy, astrologically determined, from other planetary schemes, yet those who have triumphed in our own humanity are rapidly increasing in number, and hold all the minor offices beneath the central esoteric group of Six, who, with the Lord of the World, form the heart of hierarchial effort.

Initiation, Human And Solar , CHAPTER IV – THE FOUNDING OF THE HIERARCHY


You are welcome to post your comments. 

Also see:

The Laws of Alice A. Bailey

Alice A. Bailey on Theosophy

Alice A. Bailey on Krishnamurti

Alice A. Bailey on Brotherhood

The Antichrist of Alice A. Bailey

Alice A. Bailey, The Mark of the Beast, And 666

Alice A. Bailey on Homosexuality

The Planet Vulcan In Astrology

The Black Lodge of Alice A. Bailey

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