Wara

The term "Wara" in Blavatsky's usage appears to be a conflation. The "maidens of Northern Freya" likely refer to the Valkyries or other figures from Norse myth. The concept of "water" as the first principle is ancient, appearing in various cosmogonies, notably in pre-Socratic Greek philosophy.

One of the maidens of Northern Freya ; "the wis«^ Wara", who watches the desires of each human heart, and avenges ivery breach of faith. Water. The first principle of things, according to Thah-s and other ancient philosophers. Of course this is not water on the material plane, but in a figurative sense for the potential fluid contained in boundless space. This was symbolised in ancient Egypt by Kncph, the "unre\Taled" god, who was represented as the serpent — the emblem of eternity— encircling a ivatcr-wrn, with his head hovering over the waters. wiiich he incubates with his breath. "And tlu' Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Gen. i.) Tiie honey-dew, the food of the gods and the creative hecs on the Yggdra.sil, falls during the night npon the tree of life from the "divine waters," the birth-place of the gods". Alchemists claim that when pre-Adamic earth is reduced by the Alkahest to its first substance, it is like clear water. The Alkahest is "the one and the invisihh , tlie water, the first principle, in the second transformation".

Blavatsky's interpretation of "Wara" as the primordial waters, a concept echoing ancient cosmogonies, invites us to consider the universe not as a static arrangement of matter but as a dynamic, fluid process. This notion of a generative, formless essence predating all manifest reality resonates deeply with thinkers across traditions. Mircea Eliade, in his exploration of the myth of the eternal return, highlights how creation myths often begin with a watery chaos, a primordial fluidity from which order emerges. This is not mere water as we know it, but the very substance of possibility.

The alchemists, as Blavatsky points out, sought this prima materia, this first substance, which they often described as a clear water, the Alkahest, capable of reducing all things to their elemental state. This reflects a profound understanding that behind the myriad forms of existence lies a singular, undifferentiated source. Carl Jung's work on the collective unconscious and archetypes also touches upon this idea of a fluid, underlying psychic reality from which individual consciousness draws its forms. The imagery of the serpent encircling the water-world, as seen in the Egyptian Kneph, is a potent symbol of eternity and the cyclical nature of creation and dissolution, a cosmic breath animating the potentiality.

In a modern context, where we often grapple with the illusion of solidity and permanence, the concept of Wara offers a valuable perspective. It suggests that the universe is less a machine and more a flowing river, constantly in motion, constantly becoming. This fluidity is not a sign of weakness or instability, but of immense creative power. It is the fertile ground from which all forms arise, the silent hum of existence before it takes on the specific notes of our perceived reality. To contemplate Wara is to contemplate the boundless potential that lies at the heart of all things, a reminder that even in the most solid forms, the essence of fluid possibility remains.

RELATED_TERMS: Primordial Waters, Prima Materia, Chaos, Brahman, Tao, Unmanifest, Akasha, Cosmic Egg