My thesis is very simple – it is that what I may call “spiritual consciousness” can be ranked in a clear progression through the familiar patterns represented by the Seven Planets of Classical Astrology, the Seven Metals of Alchemy, the Colors of the Aura, or the Eight Primary Trigrams of the I Ching (quod vide: Tetragrammaton). The reason Western symbolism only has seven positions instead of the eight of the trigrams is that they do not include the Earth among the planets, or include the Prima Materia, which is not really one of the metals. In terms of human relationship, this represents Solitude, which, properly speaking, is not really a “relationship” at all. In the same way, it is not included in the rankings of spiritual consciousness.
Referring to the ranked relationships by color, for clarity and simplicity, the lowest level is Violet, which is Oppression, the victim of an assault by the next higher relationship, Red. Red refers to an expression of Violence or Anger, lashing out against his victim (Violet).
The next higher level is Orange, Conflict, expressed either as individual fighting or large scale war. Above that is Blue, Peace. The higher levels of spiritual consciousness above Blue are Green, Receiving Love; Yellow, Giving Love; and, finally, at the top, is White or Union, at the highest level of which is Cosmic Consciousness and Union with God.
But what of Black, which refers to Solitude or Death, depending upon your frame of reference? As detailed in Not Enough Love in the World, there are three ways it can go, other than by evolving away from solitude – the Priest, the Magician, or the deepening confusion of the Madman. It is this last state that engenders most of the etiology of deviance of all kinds.
So, while this state is outside of the ranking of the spiritual consciousness of human relationships, it is the principle breeding ground of deviant or criminal behavior.
The most effective therapeutic protocol is obvious – clearly, anyone who has spent too much time alone, unless he has found God and has centered his life around fulfilling the will of God, will either be exclusively self-centered, or he will be bouncing along randomly in confusion or chaos like a loose cannon on the deck of a ship. Hence, the most effective therapeutic protocol will be to assist in the evolution away from solitude to some variation of a pair bond.
As soon as the subject makes a biological connection with the community of human life, the elements of confusion will begin to be re-oriented around a center of life. There will still remain the evolution through the rankings of human relationship (known in alchemy as the transmutation of lead into gold). If the subject re-enters the range of the Seven Planets and Seven Metals at least as high as the Blue (Peace), it should be possible, with guidance, to evolve into the upper levels of spiritual consciousness. If, on the other hand, the subject breaks out of the Black into the Red zone, continued supervision will be recommended.
