This idea of soul gates seem to give and give. The more I look into it the topic more prevalent it seems to be in ancient thought. Not just in Graeco-Roman belief but in Mesopotamia, Egypt and India too.
Much of this seems to relate to the annual solsticial cycle of the Sun in the constellations.
There is a direct parallel for Porphyry's ideas in Indian astrology. Indeed its so close its obvious one culture influenced the other. I would say its likely to have been an export from the hellenistic world to India but its an intriguing question. In Indian religion and astrology we find the idea of the
Devayana or Path of the Gods and the
Pitriyana or Path of the Fathers (aka Men). As with Porphyry the idea relates directly to the summer and winter solstices. I find it really intriguing such an idea of solar, seasonal mysticism to be so prevalant in a culture which uses a sidereal zodiac. In India the idea transcends astrology. The annual solar cycle can be seen as a spiritual metaphor for the cycle of rebirth and the fate of beings either moving towards light (Devayana) or the darkness of further human rebirth (Pitriyana).
I found the following short piece by David Frawley on another forum:
In Vedic thought, much like that of the rest of the ancient world, the Sun represents the supreme light, the God of Gods, and the Supreme Self, Purusha or Atman whose body is the entire universe, and who dwells in the hearts of all beings.
The outer Sun was regarded as the visible face and presence of the deity from which came not only light in its outer forms but also light in its inner forms as life (prana), intelligence and consciousness. The Sun was regarded as sending forth the Divine consciousness and energy into the world, not just merely material forces.
The winter solstice as the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere represents the rebirth of the Sun or the birth of the Sun child or child of fire, who can carry us across all darkness to the eternal light.
Vedic thought divides the year into two halves, that between the winter and summer solstice, which was called the 'Devayana' or the Path of the Gods, and that between the summer and the winter solstice or the 'Pitriyana' or Path of the Fathers. The former is the northern course of the Sun when the days are getting longer and the Sun is appearing farther north in the sky. The second is the southern course of the Sun when the days are getting shorter and the Sun is appearing farther south in the sky. The northern course of the Sun beginning with the winter solstice is considered to be more auspicious at an astrological level.
On an inner level, the Sun is prana or the life-force. It creates time at a biological level by its movement through the spine and the nervous system. The northern course of the Sun or path of the Gods corresponds to the movement of prana up the spine and the southern course of the Sun or path of the Fathers to the movement down the spine. When our inner consciousness is awakened, one can take the Divine fire or Kundalini force up the spine, opening all the chakras and expanding into the light of the Supreme Sun of the inner Self or immortal Prana in the crown chakra of the head.
The winter solstice is a powerful day for any spiritual practices, Yoga, mantra, meditation or pranayama. It is a time in which we can connect to the Divine light that manifests through the Sun, our local star, and shape the course of our lives for the coming year.
An ancient solar religion of light and enlightenment once prevailed over the entire world. We can find aspects of it in various religions, native traditions and spiritual paths. Even the Yoga Tradition regards Hiranyagarbha, the golden solar embryo or seed of light, as its original teacher. Christmas itself was originally such a solar festival, but the actual day of the solstice has more power for inner practices.
http://www.grahamhancock.com/phorum/rea ... 89&t=12589
This is a from the contemporary Indian spiritual teacher Sri Swami Sivananda
''The path of light leads to the world of Brahma, the Brahmaloka, Moksha, or liberation from the karmic bonds of reincarnation; whereas the path of darkness, sometimes called the path of man, leads to the world of the Chandra, the moon, Samsara and the world of births and deaths.''
Clearly, too obsessed with astral mysticism to touch base with such practicalities!