THEOSOPHY - THOUGHT-FORMS - ASTRAL PLANE Thought forms, seen by trained clairvoyants, on the astral plane: these two forms are rarely seen, for they are a consequence of trained meditation. The roseate glow of the upper form shows a developed and conscious love towards all mankind, delineated by the green luminosity of sympathy. The lower form, which has the appearance of being a six-rayed star, within a green sheathing, marks out a conscious meditation designed to extend love, affection and sympathy in all directions. In this form, the six directions exhibited by the thoughtform, was a result of the thinker's familiarity with Hindu philosophy - he was thinking not in terms of the European four directions of space, but of the oriental six directions of space. Paintings of thought-forms were originated by a group of Theosophists, towards the end of the nineteenth century. The paintings were done, following the occult observations of such 'thoughts' or 'visions' on the astral plane, by Charles Leadbeater (Besant claimed such an astral vision, but it is unlikely that this was genuine), by John Varley (a descendant of the John Varley who taught William Blake astrology), Mr. Prince and Miss Macfarlane, all three of whom painted 'in earth's dull colours the forms clothed in the living light of other worlds'. The paintings were reproduced, and discussed, in Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater, Thought-Forms, 1901 edn, from which these plates are photographed.