In the Secret Doctrine Blavatsky developed a vast history of humanity, beginning not merely in prehistory of humanity, but even in prephysical states of being. Human history during our evolutionary cycle, according to Blavatsky, began in matter subtler than that we know and comprises seven great evolutionary stages, of which we are now in the fifth, which began about a million years ago. Each of the evolutionary stages (called "Root Races") is associated with a Continent.

Blavatsky translates the stanzas of the archaic Book of Dzyan regarding the evolution of mankind. It teaches the evolution of seven human groups on seven different portions of our globe: The doctrine of seven Races and seven Rounds and evolution is also found in Revelation - speaking of the Seven Kings of whom five have gone.

• First Root Race:  Astral (could leave no fossil remains)

  • Continent: called the Sacred Land in the Polar Region.

• Second Root Race:  Etheric.

  • Continent: called Hyperborea, westward from the North Pole, now known as Northern Asia.

• Third Root Race:  Lemurian.

  • Continent: called Lemuria, which stretched from the Indian Ocean to Australia.

• Fourth Root Race:  Atlantean.

  • Continent: called Atlantis stretched from Iceland to South America, embracing Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. Across the ocean to Scotland and Ireland.

• Fifth Root Race:  Aryan.

  • Continent: called Europe and Asia Minor.

Blavatsky claims that every Root Race has seven Sub-races. Every Sub-race has seven Family-races.

From the Etheric second Race, evolved the Third-the Lemurian. Their bodies had become material, being composed of gases, liquids and solids which constitute the three lowest sub- divisions of the physical plane, but the gases and liquids still predominated, for as their vertebrate structure had not solidified into bones such as ours, and they could not, therefore, stand erect. Their bones in fact were pliable as the bones of young infants now are. It was not until the middle of the Lemurian period that man developed a solid bone structure.

The organs of vision of the Lemurians at the beginning were of rudimentary nature, two eyes in the front, which they sought for their food upon the ground. But there was a third eye at the back of the head, the atrophied remnant of which is now known as the pineal gland. This, as we know, is now a centre solely of astral vision, but at the epoch of which we are speaking it was the chief centre not only of astral but also of physical sight. A curious fact to note is when the race first attained the power of standing and moving in an upright position, they could walk backwards with almost as great ease as forwards. This may be accounted for not only by the capacity for vision possessed by the third eye, but doubtless also by the curious projection at the heels.

Now, the interesting fact in connection with the evolution of the Third Race man on Lemuria, is that his mode of reproduction ran through phases which were closely analogous with some of the processes above described. Almost sexless, in its early beginnings, it became bisexual or androgynous; very gradually, of course. Blavatsky calls those stages: Sweat-born, egg-born and Androgyne.

One stanza of the Book of Dzyan states: During the third Race the boneless animals grew and changed, they became animals with bones, they became solid. The animals separated first. They began to breed. The two-fold man separated also. He said: let us as they, let us unite and make creatures. They did. They begat upon them dumb races. Monsters they bred. When the third separated and fell into sin by breeding men-animals, the animals became ferocious-men and they became mutually destructive. Till then, there was no sin- no life taken.

History of Races begins at the separation of the sexes, when the preceding egg-bearing androgynous race perished. It is found in fable and allegory, in myth and revealed Scriptures, in legend and tradition. " Adam recognized his wife"

By the end of the fifth sub-race, mankind was born under the same conditions and by the same identical process as our historical generations. This required, of course, millions of years.

The Third Root Race who still inhabit the earth may be recognized in the aborigines of Australia, the Andaman Islanders, some hill tribes of India, the Tierra-del-Fuegans, and the Bushmen of Africa.

Our present Fifth or Aryan Race;

The Secret Doctrine states that our Fifth Root Race has already been in existence about 1,000.000 years; therefore each of the four preceding Sub-Races has lived 210.000 years. Blavatsky states that each sub-race has seven Family races. And each Family-race exists about 30.000 years. Compare this to a Sidereal year of 26.000 years or a year in the world horoscope.

Our First Sub-Race- Indo - European inhabited India and colonized Egypt.

The Second Sub-Race - the Chaldean.

The Third Sub-Race - the Iranian.

The Fourth Sub-Race- the Celtic.

The Fifth Sub-Race- the Teutonic, our present sub-race has developed many nations, but has not yet run its course, while the 6th and 7th sub-races, who will be developed on the Continent of North and South America, respectively, will have thousands of years of history to give to the world. Our present Sub-race the 5th, and our present Family-race the 4th, is almost at the brink of entering the 5th family-race.

We are at the end of the Age of Pisces almost at the new Age of Aquarius.

The sun has risen for the last 2000 years in Pisces on the vernal equinox and it soon will rise against the background of Aquarius, a time still unknown to us. It takes the sun 72 years for one degree to move along in one sign. I was told to hold my little finger against the sky, this would present one degree.

We are near the end of Pisces but how many degrees it will take to finish the sign is still a puzzle. Traditionally the transition between one sign or age and the next, have been regarded as catastrophic.

The sidereal year has 25.868 earth years. Every sidereal year the tropics recede from the pole four degrees in each revolution from the equinoctial points, as the equator rounds through the zodiacal constellations.

Astronomers know, at present the tropic is only approx. 23 degrees from the equator. Therefore it still has 2 degrees to run before the end of the Sidereal year.

One degree of the Sidereal year = 7.200 earth years, which gives us a few thousand years of reprieve.

Why all the predictions of doom? Because we are at the end of one cycle entering a new one. Earth changes are taking place right now, and minor changes will happen when we enter a new age.

The astronomical cycle of the sidereal year which brings major changes for nations and the earth will not be upon us for many thousands of years.

References: The Secret Doctrine by Madame Blavatzky. A-Z of Astronomy by Patrick Moor.

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