This philosophy as written describes a mental universe that is synonymous with a spiritual universe; they are one and the same. The Mental component exists in and through the energy given by stars and galaxies; gravity is the prime mover. In some places, the universe exists as a turbulent seething mass of energy, in others, a quiet and serene state of calm. Our Mental/Spiritual universe manifests within space and time bound to these physical processes.

            The universe itself represents the largest reality in the same terms that Plotinus describes the ONE in his philosophy. Although, within his limited reference, the sun and planets appeared to be in a sphere with the Earth below and the sky above representing the dome of heaven. His understanding of the universe in size was limited to the objects that his eyes perceived in the night sky, although stars were stationary while planets followed circular paths. Galaxies would not become known until the present time.

            Thus, we have to find a way to extrapolate from the actual astronomical structures he knew nothing about to where his philosophy begins with the Three Hypostases. The idea is to assume that Plotinus' three basic principles and their respective movements can be applied to the universe of stars and galaxies as a whole in a way they actually exist. Therefore, the First Hypostasis could be referred to the universe as the Primal ONE or Primordial ONE, and the entire panoply of stars to the Second Hypostasis, or Primal Intellectual Realm. While stars and galaxies may have formed together, a galaxy represents a particular grouping of stars and may be likened to a Primal Third Hypostasis, which would be equivalent to Plotinus' World Soul. As the World Soul of Plotinus generates living spiritual entities, so too our Milky Way galaxy enables those stars capable of forming living solar systems.

            The outward movement from within the Universal ONE gives rise to stars through the gravitational force known as Dark Matter. In this work, the single attribute of Dark Matter is Sentience as held in a gravitational field that envelope's whole galaxies. The recently discovered force known as Dark Energy is possibly a complement to Dark Matter, and represents the driving force behind the spiritual growth of an active universe expressed through the phenomena of Universal Life. Life is the reason behind existence. Reality itself is Divine within a purpose and gives meaning to everything else, or there would be no reality.

            All the stars, in their various stages from birth to death, as the Primal Second Hypostasis, produce the energy replacing the dying force of the Big Bang, thereby allowing the universe to sustain itself almost indefinitely. As with any ensouled living thing, the stars are material entities; they have physical Being; they constitute what the universe IS. None of this could be possible without a purpose. The universe is a preconceived reality, they all are, that is the nature of birth and death. It is an orderly system, and would not be here otherwise. Aspects of the universe can be described geometrically, hence it has a mathematical structure; so sentience must be ascribed to its ultimate nature.

            The Milky Way galaxy contains billions of stars, yet is still considered modest in size. In keeping with the system of Plotinus, the Third Hypostasis represented by the Milky Way is pictured as his World Soul, the realm in which material forms take shape. Of all the stars in the galaxy, there are some endowed with unique properties, that is, they meet the criteria that perpetuate the conditions necessary for life. It is only through the womb of life, harboring the seeds of sentience, that the cycle of universal cosmic renewal can take place. Our sun meets these criteria.

            With the solar system, Plotinus' unique triad now becomes dynamic, and his system unfolds in a revelation of meaning and understanding. What has been merely an explanation depicting the universe of stars and galaxies as a bigger system or macrocosm, in a rather perfunctory manner, it now takes on a deeper and richer realm of understanding when applied to the sun and planets. We can also apprehend the three Hypostases from our own point of view, not only from without, but also from within ourselves, because we have been formed in the image and structure of that triad. As reported from Plotinus and many other mystics, it can be experienced. We are the microcosms within the universal macrocosm.

            Now we turn to each of the Hypostases with a deeper description that, hopefully, we can relate to on a more personal level.