The Sacred Merkaba Vehicle
by Deni Gross
Merkaba is spoken of in sacred Jewish texts and Kabbalah and is often referred to as merkaba mysticism or the Theosophy of Judaism. It is also loosely translated as meaning a vehicle of sorts and relates to the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, when he perceived a “wheel in a wheel,” a fiery “chariot” which took him up into the heavens to receive esoteric teachings from Sacred Beings. In the Jewish texts, the subject of the merkaba is said to be so profound, so sacred and so potentially dangerous in the wrong hands that it cannot be written about and must be transferred orally from an experienced holy teacher to a trusted disciple. Additionally, the recipient is expected to already exhibit such spiritual advancement and purity that he or she can be safely entrusted to receive this instruction.
Despite these dire warnings, however, many modern interpretations about a type of advanced merkaba meditation are now readily available online, with related books, CD’s, workshops and classes offered for sale. This meditation is said to enable one to build a personal merkaba, a geometrically-shaped vehicle of Light which rotates and is necessary for one’s ascension to higher planes. It is also said to enable one to travel in an out-of-the-body state to other places in the Universe. The meditation itself is long and complicated and requires extensive visual imagery and breath control techniques, about which esoteric teachers have long warned, particularly for those physically incarnated in Western bodies.
Those who circulate this information say that their own spiritual guides have told them it is time to reintroduce humanity to this long-hidden portion of the Ancient Wisdom. Naturally, we have no way of knowing the validity of their claims, nor do we have the right to interfere with anyone’s free will if they choose to follow these modern practitioners and/or purchase the materials they sell. Still, for several reasons, it seems wise to sound a note of caution.
First of all, these sources speak very little about the preliminary purification process before one begins the merkaba meditations. Even complete newcomers to esoteric study can easily find the instructions and attempt the meditations as presented. Secondly, there are always possible physical and psychic dangers involved in the performance of the required breathing and visualization techniques. Spiritual teachers have long advised that with self-purification, study, meditation and selfless service, true psychic development and spiritual advancement will occur on their own, without the need for forceful manipulation of the breath and/or premature opening of the chakras. Again, this has been particularly emphasized for those who incarnate in Western bodies. Furthermore, there is a strong tradition that spiritual teachers never accept financial payment for their services and the information they share. Finally, respect is due the ancient edicts about restricting the transmission of information about the merkaba to actual disciples, rather than making it readily available to the general public.
On the other hand, there is absolutely no prohibition against our own personal study of the subject of the merkaba vehicle. In fact, it seems that we are being guided to do just that. It certainly appears there is some connection between mentally building geometric forms and the concept of the merkaba vehicle, a geometrically-shaped Light vehicle which rapidly spins. So, without ever attempting the complicated and possibly dangerous merkaba meditations as presented in their current popular format, we can still safely explore the meaning of the merkaba vehicle and how it relates to our work in TRIUNE, particularly during this International Year of Light. We can seek guidance from our own Teachers, do further personal meditation and research, and in time come to our own understanding of this subject and how/when to further proceed, all in a safe and responsible manner. So what do we already know about the merkaba?
The word itself is said to date back to ancient Egyptian times. It is actually a combination of three words: mer, meaning light; ka, meaning spirit; and ba, meaning body or reality. This “spirit Lightbody” is said to be a rotating electro-magnetic energy field. While Ezekial described it as a wheel within a wheel, modern interpretations of the merkaba liken it to a Star of David, composed of two interlocking tetrahedron, one pointed upwards, the other downwards. A tetrahedron is also known as a three-dimensional pyramid, so think of two interlocking pyramids superimposed upon each other and pointing in opposite directions, otherwise known as a star tetrahedron. Now imagine that these tetrahedron are also rotating, but in opposite directions – one clockwise, the other counter-clockwise. This, then, is how a clairvoyant might perceive an awakened merkaba: as a geometrical Lightform which looks like two interlocking pyramids spinning in opposite directions, completely superimposed over the entire span of a person’s aura.
Because of the difficulty in finding Jewish texts which relate information about the merkaba, most of what we know comes from the readily available modern interpretations. There are parts of these interpretations which do intuitively seem to make sense. These sources claim that once an individual becomes aware of the existence of the personal merkaba and learns to “activate” it, latent DNA strands in the existing physical body are also animated. This awareness then enables one to regain the lost ability to enter other dimensions, travel throughout the universe without the constraints of time or space, and perform other feats.
Just as each individual is said to possess a latent merkaba, our planet itself is also said to possess one. Modern sources further suggest that the Earth is going through a transitional period in which the planetary merkaba will gradually change in this next 2,500-year-cycle. Aided by the help of willing disciples on the physical plane, its current manifestation as an electro-magnetic grid will transform into one of an entirely crystalline nature. This somewhat brings to mind the work of the Alice Bailey TRIANGLES meditation groups, and perhaps this is where modern interpretations of the merkaba materials might best resonate with our own work in TRIUNE.
When we do study and meditate upon this idea of the merkaba, we should do so in a frame of mind which opens us to how this knowledge might be applicable in service… to our fellow humans, to the other sentient beings which share this planet with us, and to the planet itself. It certainly must be no coincidence that in this International Year of Light, we as a group have been guided to further investigate the meaning of the sacred merbaka vehicle.