The eternally creative human being, Homo Ludens, has been seeking ever wider avenues of expression throughout all history and all cultures. In this way, he is expressing freedom which the soul needs; a freedom which is apart from compelling structures and patterns, apart from the exercise of power by others.
But the confines of expression in time and space, make this world an unfortunate place to try to express true freedom. This world requires purpose, structure, form and law, and does not allow any interference or threat to the stability of the total life field to take place. There is actually no ‘Lebensraum’ in this world for the expression of true freedom. History has taught us how mercilessly any expression of freedom is attacked and suppressed, even with the rare exception of a work of art whose beauty and reflection of higher values, has managed to avoid these forces of ignorance.
The main reason for the very problematic position of freedom, is that it is not, and cannot be, an absolute value in this world. Greek mythology tells the hard-hitting story of Father Uranos, the defender of freedom in the Cosmos, who has this ability to protect, deprived of freedom by his son, Chronos, even ‘decommissioned’ by him, saying as it were:
The freedom you defend brings Chaos, and does not support the Cosmos at all: I demand order, structure, system and regularity!
Plato agrees and we are, like footnotes to Plato, fragmented at the bottom of this world.
Freedom is linked to the world of Uranos, the ruler of the constellation Aquarius, and its influance is approaching new possibilities in this time of transition, which at the same time represents a period of ‘ending’ for the impulses of Pisces.
In Christianity, which is until now an expression of the Age of Pisces, it is said:
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
It is also said that:
The spirit of the Lord (Christ) is not of this world.
From time to time, the flames of Uranus flare up, such as at the beginning of a revolution around the year 1780: whose slogan was liberté, egalité et fraternité . At the end of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, we saw the flames (the light) of the nascent Enlightenment in Europe, and the slogan of freedom was also heard in the 1960s. Yet this feeling of freedom is mainly opposed to oppression, coercion, slavery and other restrictions and obstacles. It is above all ‘freedom from’ and not ‘freedom to’. Freedom ‘to’ can be experienced as a invitation of expression and creativity, as unconstraint, in presence and in self-realization, as a transforming and co-creative activity of a different higher ‘order’, even if the abuses that are initially combated were heavenly.
The impulses of Aquarius, carry within them the possibilities for the expression of a total freedom, which are closely linked to the raising of consciousness that is an aspect of these influences. Absolute freedom may not be celebrated as a separate experience, because of the limitations of this dialectic world, but in conjunction with Love and Unity. freedom attains its ‘gnostic’, spiritual dimension.. However as a separate, individual experience, it may demand the impossible from our reality. In its purest context, as an aspect of Unity and Love, it can drive consciousness to make use of the opportunities for realization.
It is from the gnostic experience that this connection of freedom, unity and love can be called close and cannot be separated from one another, it is electromagnetic in nature, a higher, non-worldly ‘order’ and gives back the freedom of Uranos to human souls.
The Aquarian age can be characterised by the tri-unity of Love, Freedom and Unity, for they form an organic harmony in relation to each other: there can be no Love without Unity, no Unity without Freedom; and no Freedom without Love.
If a ‘new’ mind, whose thoughts are ‘free’, finds its basis in the higher astral vibrations, then that mind will be approaching ‘freedom’. Thus, freedom becomes an intricate aspect of attracting the pure mental substance. Thoughts are free in so far as the pure inter-cosmic ethers are drawn directly and harmoniously from the universal primordial substance.
There is also a possibility for the expression of freedom in music if the ‘worldly will’ can be let go. In general, we are driven by a relentless pursuit of the satisfaction of needs and avoidance of pain and discomfort. But sometimes, for example when you listen to music or look at art, read poetry or a good book, you escape the tyranny of the worldly will. Then a free space arises, a form of detachment, and all desire is temporarily suspended, and all wants and needs are briefly switched off. As if you observe the world and yourself from a detached distance. (quite after Arthur Schopenhauer).
In the free practice of music, individual freedom appears to be reconciled with a certain subordination to rules (voluntary subordination), so that the whole remains in sufficient harmony to be able to ‘elevate’.
For example, keeping the ‘rules’ in an ensemble, each instrument can explore new lines of melody, while the other instruments or voices play a supporting role. It can also happen that the ‘backing’ instruments are inspired to follow the new line and enter into a new dialogue.
This can be seen as reflecting the mysterious process of spontaneous soul expression, but in this case, it is simply an event which ‘has music in it’. Just like the ‘music of the spheres’ of Pythagoras – seemingly inaccessible and very far away. In the light of Aquarius, it comes down to moving from within to a higher vibration.
Sources:
- Huizinga, J. Homo Ludens, 1938
- Rijckenborgh, J. van, De komende nieuwe mens [The Coming New Man], Rozekruis Pers, Haarlem 2017
- Human relations in the coming Aquarius age, part 1
- Human relations in the coming Aquarius age, part 2
- Vrijheid en geluk, Hoe muziek ons leert leven [Freedom and happiness, How music teaches us to live], Filosofie Magazine, oktober 2019
