Course XXIV - Teaching 1: Great Initiates

The first circle of Initiates is that of Solar or Divine Initiates.
Seven Entities rule the evolution of the surge of human life, circumscribed to our Solar System and especially to Earth.
These divine Entities are not tied any more to the law of Cause and Effect and pour their quite powerful forces on mankind by nurturing the latter with their vivifying energy. As emanations of the Fourth Ray of Eternal Life, they pervade all things, animate days and nights, guide good and evil, mark births and deaths, and go with men during the pilgrimage of men through the higher worlds.
These Beings spiritually pervaded show up in the world as Divine Incarnations.
When the evolution of Races becomes more necessary, periodically these Entities, with a quite subtle ethereal body, rule the evolution of different groups of human Monads from the astral world, and even come to Earth in physical raiment in order to lead directly the destinies of Humanity.
These Divine Incarnations are called Solar Initiates.
They are not driven by the law of life and are free of ties of the past and future; they come into being on Earth without seed of desire and this turns their conception immaculate.
They are as they are.
The second circle of Initiates is that of Lunar or Semi-divine Initiates.
These Entities reached a quite superior evolutionary grade to that of present man in a previous Round; but they left aside the Blessedness to help the surge of Monads who follow them immediately behind. They work for the latter to reach an equal state of Perfection to the state reached by Them.
Lunar Initiates are not tied to the Law of Cause and Effect, but are tied since they long for the Liberation of Humanity and the memory of the human round transcended by them.
These Beings vivify and protect certain sectors of the world by means of their magnetic power. When it is necessary, they take astral or ethereal body to drive further progress of groups of men under their care and even, now and then, they take physical body to lead personally their Work.
They carry the karma of their Work while they are living on Earth.
The third circle of Initiates is that of Initiates of Fire or Super-Men.
These great Beings, who did not entirely remove yet their karma but that are about to reach the goal, periodically return to Earth to remove quickly dregs of the past, and to help men.
Initiates of Fire are not driven by the subconscious force of their actions and past wishes as other beings subject to the law of births and deaths, but they willingly come and reincarnate on Earth. Their Work made, their help given and their knowledge provided to souls respond to a need of intrinsic nature.