I-31 Stages of consciousness

Hermetic Astrology 1 (HA1), Chap. 5; Hermetic Astrology 2 (HA2), Chap. 8

The stages of spiritual consciousness may be described as follows:

Type Perception Per Plato Per Steiner
Terrestrial No Perception — —
Lunar Seeing Doxa Imagination
Solar Hearing Dianoia Inspiration
Zodiacal Touching (Understanding/Certainty) Episteme Intuition

“Doxa” is hypothetical knowledge; “Dianoia” is a greater degree of knowing supported by logical arguments and supporting facts; “Episteme” is 100% certainty which cannot exist short of zodiacal consciousness.

A human being’s incarnation process is a kind of recap of the stages of evolution:

Period Recapped in Develops
Saturn Zodiac Archetype of Phys. Body; Image (zodiacal man)
Sun Planetary Astral body; Likeness (hermetic man)
Moon Conception/ Birth Etheric body; per 10 lunar orbits of sidereal zodiac (I-86)
Earth Birth/Death Physical body
Schematic I-30
Schematic I-32