Will

The concept of Will, while not originating from a single ancient language root in the same way as many esoteric terms, draws heavily on philosophical discourse. Its modern understanding is deeply influenced by Western metaphysical traditions, particularly those engaging with concepts of divine power and individual agency.

In metaphysics and occult philosophy, "Will is that which governs the manifested universes in eternity. Will is the one and sole principle of abstract eternal ^Iotion, or its ensouling essence. "The will," says Van Helmont, "is the first of all powers. . . . The will is the pi'operty of all sjiiritual beings and displays itself in them the more actively tlic move llie>- aiv freed from matter." And Paracelsus? teaches that "determined will is the beginning- of all magical operations. It is because men do not perfectly imagine and believe the result, that the (occult) arts are so uncertain, while they might be perfectly certain." Like all the rest, the Will is septninry in its degrees of manifestation. Emanating from the one, eternal, abstract and purely quiescent Will (Atma in Layam), it becomes Buddhi in its Alaya state, descends lower as Mahat (Manas), and runs down the ladder of degrees until tlie divine Eros becomes, in its lower, animal manifestation, erotic desire. Will as an eternal principle is neither spirit nor substance but everlasting ideation. As well expressed by Schopenhauer in his Parcrgn, "in sober reality there is neither matter nor spirit. The tendency to gravitation in a stone is as unexplainable as thought in the human brain. ... If matter can — no one knows why — fall to the ground, then it can also — no one knows why — think. ... As soon even in mechanics, as we trespass beyond tlie purely mathematical, as soon as we reach the inscrutable adhesion, gravitation, and so on, we are faced by phenomena which are to our senses as m.ysterious as the will."

Blavatsky's definition, echoing the philosophical currents of her time and drawing from a vast esoteric lineage, presents Will as the fundamental engine of the cosmos. It is not simply a psychological faculty but the primordial impulse, the "one and sole principle of abstract eternal motion." This concept resonates with the ancient Greek notion of arche, the foundational substance or principle from which all things arise, but imbues it with a dynamic, volitional quality.

The citation of Van Helmont and Paracelsus anchors this idea in the alchemical and magical traditions, where focused intent and unwavering belief—forms of potent Will—were considered essential for effecting transformation, both in the material world and within the practitioner. Paracelsus's assertion that the uncertainty of the occult arts stems from imperfect imagination and belief highlights the crucial link between the clarity of Will and its efficacy. This is not about brute force but about a precise, directed energy, akin to a laser beam compared to a diffuse light.

The notion of Will descending through degrees, from an abstract, quiescent state (Atma) to the more differentiated forms of consciousness and even desire, offers a compelling map of manifestation. It suggests that our personal drives and ambitions, when understood in this broader context, are not entirely separate from the cosmic Will but are its lower, more constricted expressions. The challenge, then, for the modern seeker, is to recognize this universal Will operating within and through them, and to refine their individual will to act in greater harmony with it.

This perspective invites us to consider our own intentions and actions not as isolated events, but as participation in a grand, ongoing cosmic process. As Mircea Eliade observed in his studies of shamanism and archaic religions, the sacred is often understood as a force that animates the world, and the adept seeks to attune themselves to this animating power. Similarly, the esoteric understanding of Will suggests that by purifying and focusing our own Will, we can become more effective conduits for this universal creative energy, moving from a state of reactive desire to one of intentional co-creation. The ultimate aim is not to impose our will upon the world, but to align our will with the Will that is the very essence of existence.