In the secret chamber of every heart, the teachings say, there burns a small flame with three plumes: a blue plume of power, a golden plume of wisdom and a pink plume of love. It is the spark of the Source in each person, and the seed of the light body. This practice is a way of tending it, and above all of bringing its three plumes into balance.
The Flame in the Heart
The threefold flame is sustained by the stream of light that flows from the I AM Presence into the heart. The teachings relate that when the light on Earth had almost gone out, Sanat Kumara established the threefold flame at Shamballa and extended a thread of light from it to the heart of every person, so that the flame in each would not be extinguished. It has never gone out since, in anyone.
Its three plumes correspond to the first three rays. The blue is the power of the divine will: the ability to begin, to choose and to persist. The gold is wisdom: the ability to understand, to see what is so and what is needed. The pink is love: the ability to care, to forgive and to hold others in the heart. Every other virtue, the teachings say, is a blend of these three.
Why Balance Matters
In most people one plume burns taller than the others. That is natural, and it reflects each person's ray and history. But a flame that is badly out of balance produces a recognizable distortion of character, and much of the work of the path is the patient correction of that distortion.
| When this is strong | And this is weak | The result tends to be |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Love | Hardness, control, the will that overrides others |
| Power | Wisdom | Rash action, energy without direction |
| Wisdom | Love | Coldness, cleverness without warmth, judgment |
| Wisdom | Power | Endless study and analysis, but nothing done |
| Love | Power | Kindness that cannot say no, helplessness, being used |
| Love | Wisdom | Sentimentality, rescuing, love that does not see clearly |
When the three are balanced, power is used wisely and lovingly, wisdom is warm and acts, and love is clear-sighted and strong. The teachings say that a person with a balanced threefold flame is very close to mastery, whatever else they may lack.
Finding Your Imbalance
These questions are not a test. Answer them honestly, and notice which answers make you wince a little.
- When things go wrong, do you tend to take charge, to analyze, or to comfort?
- What do people who love you wish you would do more of?
- Is it easier for you to begin things, to understand things, or to care for people?
- Which of the three descriptions of imbalance above did you recognize most quickly?
- Which of El Morya, Lord Lanto and Paul the Venetian do you find it hardest to feel close to?
The plume you most need to strengthen is usually the one connected with the answer you least wanted to give.
The Practice
1. Settle
Sit with your spine upright and your feet on the floor. Take several slow breaths and let your attention sink from the head into the center of the chest.
2. See the flame
Picture or sense, in the center of the chest, a small flame with three plumes: blue on the left, gold in the center, pink on the right. Do not worry if it is faint. Simply know that it is there.
3. Notice
Without forcing anything, notice whether one plume seems taller or brighter than the others, or one seems smaller. Accept whatever you notice.
4. Breathe into the smaller plume
Breathe slowly into the plume that needs strengthening. With each breath in, see it grow a little taller and brighter, until it stands level with the others.
5. Call for help
Call on the beings of the ray you are strengthening. For the blue, Archangel Michael and El Morya. For the gold, Archangel Jophiel and Lord Lanto. For the pink, Archangel Chamuel and Paul the Venetian. Ask them simply to help the plume grow.
6. See the balance
Picture the three plumes standing equal, each as tall as the others, blending at their tips into a single soft radiance of white and gold. Rest in this for a minute.
7. Seal
Say the decree below, or simply: I AM the balance of power, wisdom and love. Then open your eyes and go on with your day.
A Short Daily Form
If you have only a minute: place a hand on your heart, take three breaths, and on the first think power, on the second wisdom, on the third love. Then ask yourself which of the three your day most needs, and decide on one small act that expresses it. Kept daily, this one-minute form does a great deal.
A Decree for Balance
In the name of my mighty I AM Presence,
I call forth the balance of the threefold flame.
Blue flame of power, rise in love.
Golden flame of wisdom, rise in love.
Pink flame of love, rise in power and in wisdom.
I AM the threefold flame in perfect balance,
now and always.
Questions People Ask
Is one plume more important than the others?
No. The teachings say that all three are needed, and that a soul is ready for the ascension only when all three are balanced. Love is sometimes called the greatest, but love without power or wisdom cannot do its work.
How long does it take to balance the flame?
The work continues throughout the path. Most people notice a difference in their character within a few months of regular practice, and others often notice it first.
Can I harm myself by doing this practice wrongly?
No. The practice is gentle, and the flame responds only to love. If you feel strain, you are trying too hard. Rest, and come back to it another day.