Chain, Planetary

A chain of seven globes that serve as arenas of evolution.

In theosophical esoteric cosmology, the Earth is but one of the many globes in our solar system that may, in the past, present, or future, be the arena of evolution of the various entities in nature, such as mineral, plants, animals, humans, and other non-physical beings. Each of the physical globes, such as the Earth, Venus, Mars, etc., has six other companion globes which are non-physical, in the same manner that a physical human body has non-physical bodies, such as the astral body, mental body, etc. These seven globes (the physical plus the six non-physical globes)is called a Chain, or Planetary Chain. Thus, the Earth Chain is composed of our Earth plus its six companion globes in the astral and higher planes.

Evolution of each life wave proceeds step by step through each globe, from Globe A to Globe G. The grossest globe is the physical globe, like the Earth, in the middle of the chain, called Globe D. The sublest or the most spiritual are Globes A and G, the first and the last. Each life wave goes from Globe A, then to B, and so on up to G. A complete cycle from A to G is called a Round. The life wave in each Chain will undergo seven Rounds, during which some facets of the entity (e.g., emotions, intellect, etc.) are more fully developed or perfected.

The present life on Earth, according to Helena P. Blavatsky, the primary source of theosophical teachings, is now in its fourth Round.

There are other chains in the Solar System, such as the Venus Chain, where the physical Venus is the grossest among the globes of the Chain.

References

*Blavatsky, Helena P., "The Secret Doctrine", 2 vols.
*"Mahatma Letters" to A. P. Sinnett