The Planetarization of Consciousness

by Dane Rudhyar

This is Rudhyar's major philosophical and psychological work, the concentrated outcome of a lifetime concerned with the most basic problems of human existence and the meaning of radical social-cultural crisis mankind is experiencing. Rudhyar has been for years an apostle of world integration based on the interpretation of Eastern and Western concepts and attitudes to life. He sees emerging a global society, and through the world-wide interaction of all cultures, a new type of "planetary" consciousness which for the first time will reveal in its fullness the potential of man. The Planetarisation is essentially an act of faith in Man. Man as a microcosm of the universe. Man as a reality that transcends the physical organism, all localisms and nationalisms, and in whom spirit and matter can unite in a "Divine Marriage" productive of ever new and greater creative tomorrows.

Genres: Astrology, Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy

315 pages, Paperback

First published March 23, 1977

About the author

French-American astrologer, one of the most noted and respected astrologers of the 20th century.

He was called a modern renaissance man for his ability to express himself in many fields; music, painting, poetry, philosophy and metaphysics.

He wrote for national magazines since the '30s and was the author of many books.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a little dense and hard to get through, but there is some beautiful information that I have not found anywhere else. A great read.

[Michaella Montana · Rating 5 out of 5]

While many of Rudhyar’s other books are about the vast field of astrology, including planets in the solar system, stars and the sun, this book focuses on the consciousness of planet earth. Why is it important to think of the Earth planetary consciousness? Rudhyar suggests that it is because we are an entering a time of human evolution of global consciousness due to the technological interconnection. To achieve such a lofty goal of unity through planetarization of consciousness, Rudhyar offers three main processes, which he includes in his three main sections “in the psychological mode”, “in the metaphysical mode” and “in the social mode”.

These sections resonate with his mantra of synthesis-solidarity-service. Synthesis is at the mental level (psychological mode), solidarity at the emotional level(metaphysical mode), and service at the actional level (social mode).

Psychological Mode:
In order to understand this synthesis of global consciousness, it is useful to understand where consciousness began, so Rudhyar traces the beginnings of conscious thought through comparing the coming of age of the new age as a maturation of consciousness. This psychological coming of age is analogous to the changes in states of matter, similar to the transformation of the water organization of molecules to air organization of molecules. The consciousness of air can be synthesized in the transition from water of Pisces to air Aquarius. In this transition to air, Rudhyar poses the question,

“How do we know that we are not surrounded by planetary, solar and cosmic energies which could be used more or less as the sailor uses the power of the wind?”(p.18)

Perhaps in the coming of age of the psychological consciousness of the new aion there can be a harnessing of energies resulting from the understanding of planetary patterns, rather than the conquering of the materials in a competitive environment. This could be the planetarization of consciousness through understanding a synthesis of mind in air. This change of consciousness can also result from being in space and viewing Earth, rhythm of the Earth’s movement and the rhythm of human beings and life. Rudhyar writes:

“What this means is that, to the internal order which human fields of existence display, an external ordering of mankind-as-a-whole will have to answer. Humanity must develop as a planetary organism — or, even more accurately, as a complex organ operating within the planetary organism of the Earth; for the Earth is that vast body within which we live, move and have our being as whole persons (i.e., as individualized fields of existence).” (p.91)

The synthesis of mind at the mental level therefore involves the recognition of the humanity of Earth as a whole working together with the cosmic energies of air in the operation of an earthly organism.

Metaphysical Mode:

In the Metaphysical Mode, integration at the planetary level would mean a unity of Earth-soul in a planetary soul-field which then has activation of individual souls in cosmically harmonious periods of time, rather than arbitrary activation based on an antiquated structure.
Rudhyar writes : "Humanity as a whole, and indeed the entire Life-field of the Earth, strive to be able to answer such a 'call' of the Soul-field, so that the very living substance of the planet may evolve and sensitize itself further in a symmetrical effort. This effort is symmetrical to the involutionary "descent" of the Soul-Image, which, as it comes closer to the human Earth-level, becomes more differentiated and sharper in its outlines. (p.181)

Thus, the metaphysical planetarization of consciousness involves a participation of all individual souls with the world-soul as soul both ascends and descends in conscious planetarization in a cosmically tuned way. This can contribute to a genuine solidarity at the emotional level of planetarization.

In the Social Mode:

In the section of social consciousness of the social mode he includes the idea of the thesis of unconscious tribal unity, antithesis of rugged individual, to synthesis of conscious, individualized ecological cooperation of the planet. This goes on dynamically in the process of planetarization and transformation of the collective to the new age. His thoughts on art being a means of this threefold process are particularly interesting, as artists give to humanity in this transformation out of the tribal, through the individual and into collective synthesis at the social level. Art is a unifier across all peoples. Rudhyar writes:
“In this sense, we are inevitably witnessing a process of de-culturalization of Art and of all modes of human activity today. Global consciousness, in seeking to assert itself, necessarily tends to disintegrate and destroy the consciousness and dependence of men upon local culture and religious forms, however broad the latter may seem. The new values emerging from this century are expressions of the planetarization of human consciousness; and Art, when understood and experienced beyond its strictly cultural meaning and importance, when it reaches beyond the mere recording of the superficialities of the contemporary scene, can and should become a potent influence in the stimulation of this process of planetarization.”(p.252)

This doesn’t mean that everyone should become an artist, but rather should value the open-mindedness that art encourages. Everyone is potentially creative in their own way, and art can inspire a global culture that includes all.

This inclusivity of art can allow us to realize that “there is not only one Truth, not one Way only toward the actualization of a plenary society encompassing all men and regional cultures and communities in their diversity of approaches and responses to the new evolutionary step which is ahead of mankind.”(p.292)

Thus, art can lead to planetarization at the social level through a realization of the diversity of service possible at the actional level that is continually adjusting both the needs of the whole and the individual.

Rudhyar ends the book on a note of “plenitude” or abundance. Change can mean abundance and freedom from the tribal mindset that operates on ancient scarcity. The inner integration of the individual can mirror the wholeness of the planet. And from the inner state of wholeness, it can be an abundant honor to strive to support the planetarization the consciousness of the home of the Earth.

[ShawnLeeZX · Rating 4 out of 5]

When reading the first four chapters, I thought I have discovered an under-appreciated gem lost in the history of ideas. However, as the reading does on, I gradually realized the author cornered himself in a certain intellectual niche, and lost the touch of reality, hypothetically resulting from not doing anything practical in the author's life. The profound insights in the first four chapters perhaps are largely the inertial of Jung's Psychology. Overall, this book is informative, first in the sense in introducing the spiritual part of psyche that is largely understudied by Psychology, as in the case of integral psychology, second in the sense it reflects the mental states of the states during the lifetime of the author, but overall, this book is also misleading, in the sense that it over-emphasizes the spirituality and is unaware of the embodiment of human being.

[Kat Starwolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not his best work, though he's an excellent writer. He also -- in general -- has an excellent perspective of Astrology. But he can be extremely verbose and quite dense in general, especially in this book. I'm definitely a fan, but not of this book.