While searching through the writings of Alice A. Bailey (AAB) I came across a number of references to the Antichrist (or anti-Christ). Some critics of AAB claim that she doesn’t believe in an Antichrist as understood in the traditional Christian thinking. In that I think they are probably right – you can judge yourself from the following quotes. Nevertheless it does seem clear that she did believe in a duality of good and evil.
Below are all of the examples I found of “Antichrist” or “anti-Christ”:
The dark forces work with the form side of expression and with the founding of a centre of control which will be theirs entirely and which will subdue all the living forms in all kingdoms to their peculiar behests. It is the old story, familiar in Biblical phraseology, of the kingdoms of the world and the kingdom of the Christ, of the power of anti-Christ and the power of Christ. – Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology II – Chapter II – The Ray of Personality – Problems of Disciples and Mystics
“The work of what in the West is called “the Christ Principle” is to build the forms for the expression of quality and life. That is the characteristic work of the second aspect of divinity. The work of the Antichrist is to destroy forms, and this is essentially the work of the first expression of divinity. But the work of the destroyer is not the work of black magic, and when ignorant humanity regards Antichrist as working on the black side, their error is great. His work is as beneficent as that of the building aspect, and it is but man’s hatred of the death of forms which makes him regard the work of the destroyer as “black,” as being against the divine will, and as subversive of the divine programme. The work of the representatives of that mysterious power which we call cosmic evil, and their responding representatives, is indeed worthy of the word “black”; but it is not applicable to the work of Antichrist. It might be added that the work of the black forces wells up from below, whilst the work of the destroyers is impelled from above.” –Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology Volume 1 – Synopsis of a Treatise on The Seven Rays
“Incidentally, it is this Aquarian influence which has given the adepts of the Black Lodge the power to bring universal death throughout the world. These evil beings have responded to the will energy of Shamballa and to the life-giving vitality, but have used it in keeping with their own evil intentions and with the power conferred by their standing upon the cosmic ladder of evil. Hence the war. I only mention this as a striking example of the oft misunderstood fact that the same energy or identical force will produce results within the consciousness of a Christ or within the consciousness of anti-Christ. It is the same energy, but the forms upon which it plays differ so vastly that in one case the will-to-good is intensified, and in the others the will-to-evil. Energy per se is entirely impersonal.” –Alice A. Bailey, The Rays and the Initiations – Part One – Fourteen Rules For Group Initiation
The second ray aspirant who builds his Dweller and permits its steady and increasing control becomes a “deluder of souls”. He is the true Anti-Christ, and through false teaching and the working of so-called miracles, through hypnotism and mass suggestion he draws a veil over the world and forces men to walk in the great illusion. It is interesting to note that the work of the Devil, the imprisoner of souls, is beginning to lose its power, for the race is on the verge of understanding that true death is immersion in form, and that matter is but a part of the divine whole. –Alice A. Bailey, Treatise on White Magic – Rule Eight – Types of Astral Force
…the present conflict between the personality of humanity (expressing the material values as the dominating factor in life experience) and the soul of humanity (expressing the spiritual values as the dominating factor in human affairs) is identical with the conflict which takes place within a human being’s consciousness when he has reached the stage of discipleship and is faced with the problem of the pairs of opposites. This conflict is expressed in many ways according to the point of view and the background of thought. It can be called the conflict between Christ and anti-Christ but not as those who usually employ those phrases understand them. No one nation is expressive of the spirit of anti-Christ, just as no one nation expresses the spirit of Christ. –Alice A. Bailey, The Externalization of the Hierarchy – Section II – The General World Picture
What do we mean by the phrase “forces of evil?” Not the armies of unrighteousness and sinfulness, organised under that figment of the imagination, the devil or some supreme Antichrist, for such an army does not exist, and there is no great enemy of God, arraigned in battle against the Most High. There is only suffering, erring humanity, still half-awakened, dimly sensing the vision, and struggling to free itself from the thralldom of the past, with its tarnished allegiances and its unchecked loyalties. The forces of evil are, in the last analysis, only the entrenched ancient ideals and habits of thought which have served their purpose in bringing the race to its present point of development, but which must now disappear if the New Age is to be ushered in as desired. The old Antichrist rhythms, inherent in the old forms of religion, of politics and of the social order, must give place to newer ideals, to the synthetic understanding, and to the new order. The laws and modes of procedure which are characteristic of the New Age must supersede the old, and these will, in time, institute the new social order and the more inclusive regime. –Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Psychology II – Chapter III – Humanity Today – The World Situation
The Christ and Antichrist of AAB looks to be a duality, the first being a builder of forms and the latter a destroyer of forms and as such would be part of the divine plan, at least as envisioned by AAB. On the other hand she seems to fully acknowledge a duality of good and evil, of light and dark (a Black Lodge and a White Lodge).
The two spellings, one starting with a capitalized “A” (Antichrist) and the other with a lowercase “a” or uppercase “A” and a hyphen (anti-Christ) may be an intentional differentiation. One possibility is that the first represents the energy whereas the latter are those in the Black Lodge, those who hold to form and the astral world.
I found this statement particularly interesting:
“The dark forces work with the form side of expression and with the founding of a centre of control which will be theirs entirely and which will subdue all the living forms in all kingdoms.”
This suggests to me what author Joseph J. Dewey has described as The Beast (of Revelation)
The positive use of authority would allow free will. The people could make their own decisions (freedom). The negative use of authority would not allow free will. Those in authority would want (demand?) to make all decisions for the people (control). Actually negative authority often takes a person away from his power of decision by deception rather than force, but sometimes force is involved.
Seems to me that the worst kind of self-deception and negative use of authority would be to give away the authority from Self to something outside, be it beast or whatever.
The keyword of the beast is authority.
Joseph J. Dewey, The Beast, Keyword Revealed
The dark forces (what AAB often calls the “Black Lodge”) work in form and seek authority over all form. The forces of light (the “White Lodge”) work with mankind to find their true inner authority and work to free mankind from unjust authority (and eventually from form).
You are welcome to post your thoughts on the Antichrist and how Alice A. Bailey understood it.
Also see:
Alice A. Bailey on Krishnamurti
Alice A. Bailey on Brotherhood
The Antichrist of Alice A. Bailey
Alice A. Bailey, The Mark of the Beast, And 666
Alice A. Bailey on Homosexuality