H.P.B. speaks in The Secret Doctrine of the "three periodical vehicles," referring as he does so to the Monad, the Soul and the Personality; he is dealing, therefore, with the nine aspects of divinity which connote the nine major initiations and those divine characteristics through which [135] the three major aspects of divinity reflect themselves. In this connection, it is well known to students that the Monad expresses itself through the Spiritual Triad, the Soul through the three aspects of the Egoic Lotus, and the Personality through the three mechanical vehicles. It will be obvious to you surely that these three periodical vehicles are under the influence or impression of the three major planetary centers and are, therefore, finally conditioned by the three major energies to which I referred earlier in this section. I do not feel it to be necessary to enlarge upon this basic relation; it is that which integrates the human soul into the vast general whole and makes the individual an intrinsic part of the sumtotal.

There is one aspect of the Science of Impression upon which I have not yet touched and that is the place of the centers as focal points, as transmitters or as agencies for the seven ray energies. It is known to esotericists that each of the seven centers comes under the influence or is the recipient of some ray energy, and there is a general acceptance of the fact that the head center is the agent of the first Ray of Will or Power, the heart center is the custodian of second Ray energy of Love-Wisdom, whilst the third Ray of active creative Intelligence passes through and energizes the throat center. These Rays of Aspect do find expression through the three centers above the diaphragm, and - on the larger scale - through Shamballa, the Hierarchy and Humanity. It is, however, equally true that Shamballa is primarily second ray as it is expressed, because that is the ray of the present solar system of which Shamballa is a part; and that the first ray, or its dynamic life aspect, is focused in the heart, for the heart is the center of life. The great center which we call Humanity is predominantly governed by the third Ray of Active Intelligence. This ray energy arrives at the throat center via the head and the heart centers. I [136] am pointing this out for two reasons which must form part of your thinking as you study this science:

1. All the centers come under the influence of all the rays, and this must surely be obvious in relation to average and undeveloped human beings. Were this not so, such human beings would be unable to respond to first ray, second ray and third ray energy, for the centers above the diaphragm are, in their case, inactive.
2. In time and space and during the evolutionary process, it is not possible to say which center is expressing the energy of any particular ray, for there is a constant movement and activity. The center at the base of the spine is frequently the expression of first ray energies. This is apt to be confusing. The human mind seeks to make everything precise, stable, to bracket certain relations or to assign certain centers to certain ray energies. This cannot be done.

At the end of the world cycle, when divine purpose is fulfiled and the evolutionary process has brought about the changes and adjustments needed for the full expression of the Will of Sanat Kumara, then the situation will be different and men will know (as the Members of the Hierarchy know) which centers express the seven ray energies. It must be remembered also that the Rays of Attribute shift and change constantly; for instance, humanity as the planetary throat center is under the constant influence of the seventh ray, as is the solar plexus center of the planet. To that subdiaphragmatic center I give no name. Though the human throat center is primarily expressing the third ray, there is an interesting situation to be noted in this connection: two ray energies control this center at this time. [137]