The Three Fires
DK talks quite a bit about the three fires which he names as follows: Fire by Friction, Solar Fire and Electric fire. I remember when I first started reading the Bailey books, I had difficulty in figuring out what he was talking about, so let us present some explanation here that will assist those who are trying to make sense of the Bailey writings.
The three fires are basically three types of emanating warmth, or fire, created from the three aspects of Divinity. Fire by Friction represents the third, the Holy Spirit, mostly in the form of heat. Solar Fire represents the second, the Son, with love and light. Electric fire is the highest representing the first, or the Father energy of will and life itself.
Here is a breakdown of the three:
Fire by Friction
This is the lowest of the fires that manifest within the seven planes of our existence. The simplest explanation is revealed in the striking of a common match. What causes the fire to begin? It is the created friction that interplays with atomic forces that brings the fire into manifestation.
“Fire by friction is substance with the quality of heat as its predominant characteristic; it is latent heat or sensation. Both these ideas, therefore, convey the idea of duality. An emanation must have its originating source, and heat is but the result of friction, and is necessarily dual.” Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Page 803
Fire by friction produces warmth in the physical universe from a point in a center to the circumference. This fire is manifest at the center of an atom, a cell, the heart of a human being, the center of a planet, the center of the sun and finally of galaxies.
Fire by friction is not only manifest in the dense physical plane but also in the astral/emotional one and here the fire is manifest as some aspect of desire. DK says this:
“Therefore, in conjunction with the lowest fire, or “fire by friction,” as it makes itself felt on the sixth plane. These lives are called “the burning Sons of Desire” and were the Sons of Necessity. It is said of them in the old Commentary:
“They burned to know. They rushed into the spheres. They are the longing of the Father for the Mother. Hence do they suffer, burn, and long through the sixth sphere of sense.” Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Page 1197
What is the true cause of this fire? Science has not adequately explained it but DK gives us some light stating that:
“It is an effect and not a cause. It is produced by the two fires of spirit and of mind (electric and solar fire) contacting each other through the medium of matter. […] When evolution ends, the fire of matter is not cognisable. It persists only when the other two fires are associated, and it does not persist apart from substance itself.” “Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Pages 50-51
Solar Fire — Fire of Mind
All fire involves movement and warmth, but the warmth produced is on different planes. Solar fire creates warmth indeed, not directly on the physical plane but in mind through the motion of rarified mental matter.
DK gives this interesting comment associating light with solar fire:
Electric fire, being an emanation is essentially dual in concept, and so is fire by friction; they together produce solar fire, and thus the esoteric fifth… and this is solar fire or light.” Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Page 803
The interesting thing is that mind and love are often seen as either opposing or totally different aspects. Unrealized by many is the fact that the fires of love (solar fire) are created by the awakened mind, the stimulated mind, or mind in motion. Without mind there would be no such thing as love manifested on the physical plane.
When spirit (electric fire) and living matter (fire by friction) blend and merge then soul energy or solar fire is created. The mind must awaken to perceive this merging. In the vast majority of humans this aspect of the mind is asleep. When it awakens the soul (or solar fire) is perceived and spiritual love is enflamed. The seeker is then on the path of discipleship and is capable of seeing and understanding the things of the spirit (electric fire).
DK gives these comments on solar fire:
“To state the whole in terms of fire: The causal body is produced by means of the positive life, or fire, of the Spirit (electric fire) meeting the negative fire of matter, or “fire by friction”; this causes the blazing forth of solar fire. This central blaze inevitably in due course burns up the third fire, or absorbs its essence, and is itself eventually blended with the fire of Spirit and passes out of objective display.” Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Page 506
“The Fire or Spark of Mind corresponds to Solar Fire. This constitutes the thinking self-conscious unit or soul. This is governed by the Law of Attraction. This links the monad to the personality and can be the vitalizing factor of thoughtforms…. This is an expression of the evolution of mind or manas. It is the vitality of the soul. As this merges with fire by friction consciousness appears.” Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Page 46 & 48
“Solar fire is electricity animating forms or congeries of atoms, and resulting in: Coherent groups. The radiation from all groups, or the magnetic interaction of these groups. The synthesis of form.” Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Page 316
Electric Fire
Electric fire is the polar opposite of fire by friction and is its source. When we strike a match we produce fire by friction, but this fire consists in more than a chemical reaction for the fire on the physical plane could not be if the higher electrical, or spiritual fire, were not linked to it.
Electric fire is linked with spirit and fire by friction to matter. So why do we not just use the term “spirit and matter” instead? The reason is that “fire” is an aspect of these two planes, an aspect which is created by motion. Electric fire is thus spirit in motion.
Here are some quotes from DK that give a greater comprehension of electric fire:
“The first Logos is electric fire, the fire of pure Spirit. Yet in manifestation He is the Son, for by union with matter (the mother) the Son is produced by Whom He is known. “I and my Father are One” is the most occult statement in the Christian Bible, for it not only refers to the union of a man with his source, the monad, via the ego, but to the union of all life with its source, the will aspect, the first Logos.” Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Page 151
“The abstractions or entities who indwell the form (of the solar system) are “electric fire.” The material substance which is enclosed within the ring-pass-not viewing it as a homogeneous whole, is fire by friction.” Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Page 493
“All that we can know of God or of man is the quality of his energy as it demonstrates in force and activity, hence in the Secret Doctrine, the highest aspect of divinity is called electric fire.” Initiation, Human & Solar, Page 350
“Man’s just apprehension of this mystery of electricity will only come about as he studies himself, and knows himself to be a triple fire, manifesting in many aspects.
Monadic fire Electric fire Spirit Will The Central Spiritual Sun.
Egoic fire Solar fire Consciousness The Heart
Love-Wisdom of the Sun.
Personality fire Fire by friction Physical man Physical Sun.” Treatise on Cosmic Fire, Pg 608
A spark of kindness starts a fire of love. – Author Unknown
Dec 4, 2009
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