Seven Stages of Spiritual Unfoldment

A Roadmap of the Path of Return

A Free Weekly Online Course

Dear Friend

Throughout human history, there have been “scouts” who have gone ahead of the slow progress of evolution. They have “taken themselves in hand” and undergone a kind of forced evolution. Like plants in a hot house, they have ripened more swiftly. Through special practice, training and initiation, they have successfully “looked behind the veil” of life. Interestingly, the stories told by these advanced souls are quite similar throughout the different cultures and throughout time. Their message includes:

There is a Path of Return of consciousness to its Source. Inherent in all of us is a kind of homing mechanism. Like the adult salmon that instinctively seeks out his place of origin and returns there to spawn, humans who reach a stage of spiritual maturity long for and make the arduous journey home to our Source. Some of those "elders" in consciousness who have made this journey have learned much that can help us. They metaphorically hold out a light for us to make the great adventure of "coming home" easier. They have made us maps.

There are various "road maps" of the Path of Return. The map using the seven stages is especially useful to the spiritual aspirant and to anyone wanting to better understand life and how to make the most of it. Having a good map makes any journey easier and will help you to better understand what is going on. Knowing the direction to go will orient you and speed your journey. Knowing the pitfalls of each stage will assist you to recognize dangers and avoid making many mistakes. Understanding the typical challenges of each stage will help you to remain positive. For example, you will be confronted with seeming setbacks that occur as you repeat at a deeper level lessons you thought you had already learned. At these times, it will seem like you have fallen back and are repeating a lesson that you thought was finished. When this occurs unexpectedly, the aspirant may become despondant or even depressed. When you know what to expect, you will recognize what is going on and thereby be better able to keep your head.

If you are “ripe” for the Path of Return, the stories in these lessons will kindle intense interest and build both excitement and enthusiasm for this exciting journey. The old alchemists said that to travel this path with success, you must be zealous. The stories in this course will fire up your zeal for this, the definitive adventure.

There are many different seven-stage models. Teachings from several different cultures and traditions have been chosen to illustrate the seven stages of spiritual unfoldment. Through comparisons between systems, common elements will be seen and your understanding will deepen. These correspondences are not offered as a fixed, final and complete system but rather as a means to provoke thought and elicit useful insights. The traditions shared in these lessons include:

• The Shamanic tradition
• The Hopi Indians
• The Toltec Indians
• Animal Power Totems
• Initiation
• The Essenes
• The Celestine Vision and Insights
• The Seven Stages of Spiritual Unfoldment
• Alchemy
• Astrology
• Qabalah
• The Hebrew Alphabet
• The Tarot
• Modern Science

Comparing the insights from these various traditions will give you a multi-faceted view of this endeavor. As you view the material from these many different traditions, your understanding of the process will greatly increase. With these many excellent perspectives, you will be well-prepared to set your course and recognize the landmarks as you traverse the Path of Return. Through these lessons, you will come to better "Know thyself".

Free video lectures on the first two of the seven stages, limited to the models of Alchemy, Astrology, Hebrew Letters, Qabalah and the Tarot, are online for you to see at http://pathofreturn.com/download/webinar1.html

These two video "webinars" will give you a rough idea of some of the content of the lessons you will receive on the Seven Stages of Spiritual Unfoldment. When you fill in the form below, you will receive a link for downloading each lesson, one per week by email. There is no obligation other than to yourself to study the lessons as they arrive and be enriched thereby. At the end of each email, there is a link to automatically unsubscribe should you ever choose to do so. Your email address will never be rented or sold for any reason.

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