PHILOSOPHY/THEOSOPHY
Theosophy Trust Books
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Alborg ~J udge ~HPb~i yer
From the Introduction
T HEOSOPHICAL A STROLOGY ~ V
Astrology comes in many forms. Traditional astrology maps the planets as if the earth were the center of the universe. Solar astrology places the sun in the center. Western astrology traditionally fixes the twelve signs of the zodiac as if the sun enters Aries each spring equinox, but the slight, slow wobble of the earth in its orbit, rather like a spinning top rotates its upper part in a circle, precesses the equinoxes in a cycle of over 25,000 years. This means that over time the sun appears in different signs at the spring equinox. This is the idea behind the Age of Aquarius, emerging after approximately 2500 years of the Age of Pisces, Aries ending about 2500 years ago when the Piscean Age began. Indian astrology calculates this precession of the equinoxes and so places the sun now in or near Aquarius (depending on the method of calculation). So the zodiac fixed in the calendar of Western astrology is one sign off by Indian standards. Since astrology has theoretical and symbolic content as well as empirical content, those born under a particular sign as measured in Western astrology would be considered to have been born under a sign one place earlier in the precessed zodiacal system of Indian astrology. This will show up in the fact that many people find characteristics of the previous sign as applying to themselves as well as the characteristics of their Western birth sign, since some features are established by empirical experience and others by theoretical considerations. As H.P. Blavatsky shows in the extract from Isis Unveiled included in this volume, this symbolism is profound indeed. For while map is not territory, astrological symbolism is connected to the deeper meanings and purposes of life. Put simply, astrology, when seriously studied, is knowledge. At a superficial level, it can throw light on personality traits and forces at play in daily life. When considered more seriously, it can illuminate aspects of one’s spiritual life and increase spiritual awareness as that life is increasingly seen as an irreducible part of a greater whole, that of humanity as a whole and the evolving cosmos.
THEOSOPHICAL A STROLOGY
Helen VAlborg WilliAm Q. Judge H.P. blAVATsky rAgHAVAn iyer
ʺIf you choose the language of karma and the logic of reincarnation,universalunityandcausation,andhumansolidarity, thenyoumustalsoacceptthattheoryisonlyasgoodasitspractice. On this clarified and purified basis it becomes possible to make some small difference by oneʹs life to the lives of others through showingtruereverenceandhumilityandanauthenticagnosticism becauseoftheineffabilityoftheOne,theuniversalityoftheLawof Karma,theintricacyandexactitudeofphilosophicalastrology,and themysteriousmathematicsofsum‐totalspertainingtotheseriesof reincarnations. Thus one may learn to take an accurate account of the heavy toll exacted by the blockage of the Divine Light in the interiorprinciples.AstrenuouseffortisrequiredtolearntheABCʹs ofoccultism,anditwouldbefollytoexpecttodiscovertheorigins ofconsciousnessthroughtheself‐restrictedevidenceofonlyoneof itsstates.TheontologicaldepthsofPrajnacanonlybeapproached after there is a thorough mastery of the psychological and moral planes of human existence. Through firm detachment and unwavering attention, one must make oneself invulnerable to the sirencallsofthepastandcloyingfantasiesaboutthefuture,forthe narjol is not safe until after having crossed beyond the regions of illusion....ʺ TheHealingofSouls,HERMES,January1982 RaghavanIyer
THEOSOPHICAL ASTROLOGY
TheosophyTrustBooks ▪TheosophicalAstrology byHelenValborg,WQJudge,HPBlavatsky,RaghavanIyer ▪TheBhagavad‐GitaandNotesontheGita byWQJudge,RobertCrosbie,RaghavanIyer,HPBlavatsky ▪Theosophy~TheWisdomReligion bytheEditorialBoardofTheosophyTrust ▪Self‐ActualizationandSpiritualSelf‐Regeneration ▪MahatmaGandhiandBuddhaʹsPathtoEnlightenment ▪TheYogaSutrasofPatanjali ▪MeditationandSelf‐Study ▪WisdominAction ▪TheDawningofWisdom byRaghavanIyer ▪TheSecretDoctrine,Vols.IandII ▪IsisUnveiled,Vols.IandII ▪TheKeytoTheosophy ▪TheVoiceoftheSilence ▪TheOriginsofSelf‐Consciousness inTheSecretDoctrine ▪EvolutionandIntelligentDesign inTheSecretDoctrine byH.P.Blavatsky ▪TheOceanofTheosophy byWilliamQ.Judge ▪TeachersoftheEternalDoctrine byEltonHall ▪SymbolsoftheEternalDoctrine byHelenValborg
THEOSOPHICAL ASTROLOGY
BY
HELENVALBORG WILLIAMQ.JUDGE H.P.BLAVATSKY RAGHAVANIYER
THEOSOPHYTRUSTBOOKS NORFOLK,VA
Theosophical Astrology
Copyright©March10,2018byTheosophyTrust Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybeusedorreproduced by any means ‐ graphic, electronic, or mechanical ‐ including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles andreviews. Theosophy Trust books may be ordered through Amazon.com, CreateSpace.com,andotherretailoutlets,orbyvisiting: http://www.theosophytrust.org/online_books.php ISBN‐13:978‐0‐9992382‐3‐3 ISBN‐10:0‐9992382‐3‐X LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2018931842 PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Coverphoto:StMarkʹsClock,housedintheClockToweronthe PiazzaSanMarcoinVenice,Italy;inauguratedonFebruary1,1497. UsedbypermissionofiStock/GettyImages.
Theheavensthemselves,theplanets,andthiscentre Observedegree,priority,andplace, Insisture,course,proportion,season,form, Office,andcustom,inalllineoforder; AndthereforeisthegloriousplanetSol Innobleeminenceenthronʹdandspherʹd Amidsttheother;whosemedʹcinableeye Correctstheillaspectsofplanetsevil, Andposts,likethecommandmentofaking, Sanschecktogoodandbad.Butwhentheplanets Inevilmixturetodisorderwander, Whatplaguesandwhatportents,whatmutiny! Whatragingofthesea,shakingofearth! Commotioninthewinds!frights,changes,horrors, Divertandcrack,rendandderacinate Theunityandmarriedcalmofstates Quitefromtheirfixture!O,whendegreeisshakʹd, Whichistheladderofallhighdesigns, Theenterpriseissick.Howcouldcommunities, Degreesinschools,andbrotherhoodsincities, Peacefulcommercefromdividableshores, Theprimogenitiveanddueofbirth, Prerogativeofage,crowns,sceptres,laurels, Butbydegree,standinauthenticplace? WilliamShakespeare
TroilusandCressida,ActI,Sceneiii
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION......................................................................................i
THEPHILOSOPHYOFASTROLOGY THEZODIAC............................................................................................1 ASTROLOGYVERIFIED.......................................................................14 ADISCUSSIONOFTHEZODIAC......................................................19 ZODIACSOFANCIENTINDIAANDEGYPT.................................30 TWOLOSTKEYS:THEBHAGAVAD‐GITA‐THEZODIAC......35 THETHEORYOFCYCLES...................................................................38 CYCLES....................................................................................................46 CYCLICIMPRESSIONANDRETURNANDOUREVOLUTION.59 THEKALIYUGA...................................................................................76 AQUARIANCIVILIZATION...............................................................80 DIREFULPROPHECIES........................................................................95 THESEVENTHIMPULSION:1963–2000...........................................98
THEZODIACANDITSSIGNS ARIES......................................................................................................107 TAURUS.................................................................................................115 GEMINI..................................................................................................123 CANCER................................................................................................133 LEO.........................................................................................................141 VIRGO....................................................................................................150 LIBRA.....................................................................................................159
SCORPIO................................................................................................169 SAGITTARIUS......................................................................................180 CAPRICORN.........................................................................................189 AQUARIUS............................................................................................198 PISCES....................................................................................................208
THEZODIACFAMILY THESUN...............................................................................................219 MERCURY.............................................................................................227 VENUS...................................................................................................243 THEMOON...........................................................................................258 MARS......................................................................................................267 JUPITER.................................................................................................282 SATURN................................................................................................298 URANUS................................................................................................312 NEPTUNE..............................................................................................328 PLUTOANDCHARON......................................................................345 INDEX....................................................................................................323
INTRODUCTION Oneofthegreatmysteriesofourcontemporarysecularcultureis the utter persistence of astrology in the popular mind and among numerous serious thinkers. The tension between acceptance and denial of astrology as a real science is, however, quite old, going back at least to Hellenistic times, and is found in the Church throughoutitshistory.Today’sversionofthattensiontendstopit science against alleged superstition. Yet in our science‐embracing culture,astrologysimplyrefusestogoaway.Whyisthat? Astrology includes many things, has many forms, and serves multiple purposes. Taking just three common examples, typical astrologicalchartsshowthepositionsandrelationsoftheplanetsat the moment and location of birth. Progressed astrology maps the return of planets to their birth positions as well as the times and ways they cross and relate to those original positions and to one another.Andhoraryastrologylooksatthepositionsoftheplanets inthezodiacatagivenmomentwhensomedecisionistobemade (e.g.,whentolaythefoundationstoneofatemple).Andthenthere is the astrology once commonly found in newspapers, where planets were taken in conjunction with the signs of the zodiac to givegeneralindicationsofwhattoexpectfortheday,givenone’s birthsign.Thislatterwasnevertakenseriouslybyknowledgeable astrologers, being rather like the sentiments found in fortune cookies ending meals in Chinese restaurants. ʺPeople admire your attitude,ʺ for example, can apply to anyone’s self‐image, and so it ʺworks.ʺ But such messages are random, and the newspaper’s astrological messages each have to be general enough to cover about1/12thepopulation,becausethereare12signsinthezodiac. There is much more to any system of astrology than the mechanisms for casting a chart or giving naïve interpretations, as, for example, Mars means conflict, Jupiter wealth or generosity, Mercury intelligence, and so on. Like all sciences, astrology is a complex of symbols and principles of interrelationships. And like
iiTHEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
allscience,astrologyisalsobasedonexperienceandobservation.In some ways, astrology is more like medical science than physics, since its variables are often multivalent and context‐dependent. And like all sciences, astrology is based on assumptions about the nature of reality and the universe. It shares with all sciences the assumption that there are discoverable laws of nature that are invariant, at least over long periods of time. It shares the assumption that nature and the universe is intelligible to a reasoning,observingconsciousness. But it also holds to principles that are rejected by reductionist, materialist science. For example, as some neurophysicists suspect today, consciousness is embedded in nature and is not just some epiphenomenon that arises from complex biochemical arrangementsinthebrain.Astrologythinksofnatureasintelligible because it is intelligent. Put simply, matter and mind (whether conscious or not) are on a spectrum; they are different aspects of onefundamentalunity.Unlikethesearchinquantumphysicsfora TheoryofEverything,astrologyincludesconsciousnessinanysuch theory. Consequently, just as biological (including brain) changes affectconsciousness,soconsciousnessaffectsmatter(astheplacebo effectshows).Giventhisawareness,itisonlyreasonabletoexpect some kind of relationship between the movement of planets and human life and activities. Of course, this implies some kind of causal connection between the two, and this has been a profound stickingpointinanyscientificviewofastrology. The skeptical empiricist philosopher David Hume argued causalitycannotbeanyunobservednecessaryconnectionbetween a cause and an effect. Rather, he held, we observe patterns that repeatandwecometoexpectsomeeventtobefollowedbyanother event, again and again. Immanuel Kant added to this idea the observation that we can never stand outside our senses to see the way things are independent of them, thereby reducing space and timetomodesofperceptionanddenyingthatweeverknowthings‐ in‐themselves. Scientists tended to shelve these views, seeking to describenatureasitis.Butquantumphysics,muchtothedismay
THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGYiii
ofAlbertEinsteinwhohelpedfoundthesubject,discoveredthatat the most sub‐atomic levels, traditional causality was lost, leaving only statistical predictions of quantum events. Matter itself dissolvedintofieldsthatmanifestasparticlesonlywhenobserved. Theosophyteachescausality,butdoesnotrestrictittotheworld of everyday experience. Understanding spirit and matter to be oppositeendsofasinglespectrumthatcanbecalledtheOneLife, spirit can be said to be matter in its uttermost refined state, and matter is crystallized spirit, so to speak. But such a perspective requires more than ordinary language to characterize, and so symbolsemergedamongtheancientstoaddresscausalityatmany levelsandtounderstandthemanyinterpenetratinglevelsofspirit, mind and matter in the cosmos. In that perspective, causality appears at many levels and it can be understood best through the carefuldeploymentofsymbolsinconsciousness,forthingsatevery level point beyond themselves to deeper meanings. In light of Theosophicalunderstanding,astrologyisasciencerequiringallthe rigor, intense observation and complex principles that any science must possess. And like any science, its observations are grounded in a philosophical worldview. In this exceptional volume, that worldviewisTheosophyassetforthbyHelenaPetrovnaBlavatsky inhermanywritings.Fundamentaltothisworldviewistheancient Hermetic axiom, ʺAs above, so below,ʺ teaching that analogy and correspondence are methods fundamental to understanding the relationshipsbetweenmicrocosmandmacrocosm,selfandworld. Astrology comes in many forms. Traditional astrology maps the planets as if the earth were the center of the universe. Solar astrology places the sun in the center. Western astrology traditionallyfixesthetwelvesignsofthezodiacasifthesunenters Arieseachspringequinox,buttheslight,slowwobbleoftheearth in its orbit, rather like a spinning top rotates its upper part in a circle,precessestheequinoxesinacycleofover25,000years.This meansthatovertimethesunappearsindifferentsignsatthespring equinox. This is the idea behind the Age of Aquarius, emerging after approximately 2500 years of the Age of Pisces, Aries ending
ivTHEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
about2500yearsagowhenthePisceanAgebegan.Indianastrology calculates this precession of the equinoxes and so places the sun nowinornearAquarius(dependingonthemethodofcalculation). SothezodiacfixedinthecalendarofWesternastrologyisonesign off by Indian standards. Since astrology has theoretical and symbolic content as well as empirical content, those born under a particular sign as measured in Western astrology would be consideredtohavebeenbornunderasignoneplaceearlierinthe precessedzodiacalsystemofIndianastrology.Thiswillshowupin thefactthatmanypeoplefindcharacteristicsoftheprevioussignas applying to themselves as well as the characteristics of their Westernbirthsign,sincesomefeaturesareestablishedbyempirical experienceandotherbytheoreticalconsiderations. Justastherearemanykindsofmapsofagivenregion,suchas road maps, topological maps, population maps, geological maps, economic maps, etc., so also there are various astrological maps. Knowing that ʺmap is not territory,ʺ different maps are useful for different purposes. In driving, one wants a road map. In hunting for minerals, one wants a geological map, and so on. Similarly, differentastrologicalmapsservedifferentends.Theultimatereality that manifests in consciousness, social and environmental conditions,andplanetarymovementsisnotthemapwhichpoints toward it. Astrology rooted in Theosophy serves spiritual understanding,reflection,thinkingandacting.Itisamandalaofall unfoldingexistence. Traditionally, astrology has been used for three purposes: understanding the variable forces in the world, individual growth and transformation, and prediction regarding the future of the individual and conditions in the world. As the articles on each of thezodiacalsignsandplanetsshow,thepurelypersonalpurposes are not, on the whole, the most significant. And as they demonstrate, the symbolism and meanings involved are rich, complex and worthy of study and contemplation, activities which inthemselvescanservethepurposesofastrology.
THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGYv
As H.P. Blavatsky shows in the extract from Isis Unveiled included in this volume, this symbolism is profound indeed. For while map is not territory, astrological symbolism is connected to the deeper meanings and purposes of life. Put simply, astrology, whenseriouslystudied,isknowledge.Atasuperficiallevel,itcan throw light on personality traits and forces at play in daily life. Whenconsideredmoreseriously,itcanilluminateaspectsofone’s spiritual life and increase spiritual awareness as that life is increasingly seen as an irreducible part of a greater whole, that of humanityasawholeandtheevolvingcosmos. The typical challenge to astrology is that it fails in its predictive power,andthecommoncomplaintisthatitcannottellmeifIwill get sick tomorrow or buy that new car, etc. After all, the laws of physicstellmethatifIletgoofanapple,itwillfalltotheground. This view assumes that astrology is deterministic, that the planets make things happen. Even physics has had to give up that view when it explores the micro‐structure of things, since quantum theory can only predict statistically. Astrology seeks to predict general conditions that affect thought and action both collectively andindividually.AsShakespearenotedinJuliusCaesar,ʺThefault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlingsʺ,astrologydoesnotdenyfreewill,butitacknowledges conditionswhichaffecttheexerciseofchoiceanditsresults.Adeep reflection on the symbolism and maps of astrology can aid in understandingtheworld,anticipatefutureconditions,andprovide a resource for thought and action. These comprehensive articles providethematerialforsuchreflection. This volume does not contain instructions for casting a chart or evenforinterpretingoneoranotherastrologicalmap.Thesymbols discussed in detail can be applied at many levels, and, as with all good explanations, can be grasped and assimilated at multiple levels. These articles range across many ways of thinking, thereby freeing the reader from a fixed or dogmatic framework, allowing for new insights and broadened awareness to emerge. As in all Theosophical teaching, the student—here the reader—is
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encouragedtoengagetheideaspresented,examinethem,reflecton them, and make them his or her own. Repeated engagement will nurture and grow individual understanding. Thus these essays takentogetherconstituteanintroductiontoTheosophicalastrology, atreasurehouseofresourcesfortheaspiringsoul. Prof.EltonHall Ithaca,NYJanuary2018 ************************************** NOTE:Allofthearticlesandreadingsinthisworkcanbefound in digital format on the Theosophy Trust website at https://www.theosophytrust.org/. Editor,TheosophyTrust
THEPHILOSOPHY OF ASTROLOGY
THEZODIAC When Iswara was telling the pranavamantram to Parvathi, his son Subramania happened to hear it, and having learnt it, unknown to his parents, went and concealed himself. Iswara wanted to find him and to dosoinventedastrologicalscience. SainyamuniSutra
Like the rim of a great celestial wheel, the stars in the sunʹs eclipticappeartorevolveinage‐oldpatternsaroundtheearth.The ancients, drawn to them as living entities, called their apparent orbittheWheel(diakos)ofLife(zoi)orZodiac,andlinkeditscourse withthefortunesofmen.Theysawthesymbolicpatternsofstarsas powerful clusters of beings whose various qualities affected the earth and all that lived upon it. For millennia Hindu astronomers measured the coming and going of whole epochs by the calculations of stellar movements. In Platoʹs time the Athenians markedadailycalendarwithstarsthatroseorsetuponthehorizon as the ecliptic wheel appeared and disappeared in a serpentine fashionduetothetiltingoftheearthinitsrevolution.Onthebasis ofsuchobservations,peoplesofancientculturescametorelatethe momentofbirthtoacertainrisingstarorconstellation.Notallhave beenconsideredfortunate,asShakespeareacknowledgedwhenhe causedRomeotospeakthesedespairinglines: Ohere WillIsetupmyeverlastingrest Andshaketheyokeofinauspiciousstarsfromthisworld‐wearied flesh.
Shakespeare also suggests that man may play an active role in response to these sidereal influences. In The Tempest Prospero declares: IfindmyZenithdothdependupon Amostauspiciousstar;whoseinfluence, IfnowIcourtnot,butomit,myfortunes Willeverafterdroop.
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It is said that the sun, signifying the heart of man, relates to his innermostdesiresandthatifoneisbornatsunrise,noon,sunsetor midnight, the solar influence is strongly manifest. While this is believed to be more significant as one gets older, the young are generallythoughttobemoreinfluencedbytherisingconstellation oftheirbirth,thestarunderwhichtheywereborn.Buthowdothe stars and planets affect us? How can the symbolic characters we haveattributedtothesecelestialorbshavedistinctiveinfluenceson thelivesofhumanbeings?Isitthroughasubtlegravitationalpull that affects the psycho‐physical nature or is it by the operation of some sort of ʹsynchronicityʹ which links events occurring at the same time and yielding similar effects? Do local conditions of events at any moment reflect, in miniature, the evolution of the worldasawhole?Forexample,willapersonbornatsunsetalways express psychological tendencies analogous to the character of the moment when the sun sinks out of sight? Perhaps there is a substratum beneath the analogical correspondences existing in the solarsystemwhichactivatestangiblespiritualandpsycho‐physical causes,operatingtoproduceacomplexmetaphysicalandphysical chainofeffects.Or,astheancientHindusthought,theremaybea processwherebyetherealsubstancesflowforthfromthestarsand planetsandaffecttheirmaterialcounterpartsonearth.IntheHindu pantheon there are millions of spirits, gods and elementals magneticallyattractedtocertainquartersoftheheavens.Withstars andplanetsassumingvariousaspects,shoalsoffriendlyorhostile elementalsarethoughttopourinuponouratmosphere,variously affecting individuals and races according to their natures. On the basis of millennia of carefully recorded observations, Eastern astrologers believe that there are different groups of spirits which havespecialsympathieswithcertainhumantemperaments,andthe very elements themselves are believed to have their origin in the stars,aconclusionendorsedbycontemporaryastrophysics. Pythagoras taught that the entire universe is one vast series of mathematicallycorrectcombinations,anideabeautifullyechoedin the Platonic axiom: God geometrizes. If the passage of influences between bodies making up this complex design is based upon a
THEZODIAC3
pervasive universal law, then one can see the zodiac, with all its complicated attributes, as a natural symbol reflecting the myriad expressions of an ordered system. Far from seeing the zodiac as arbitrary in its various conceptions and interpretations, Plato acceptedit asanarchetypalreligioussymboloftheMany andthe One. Natural symbols are ideas that belong to the collective human psyche. On one level symbols relate the image of something to its intellectualmeaningthroughamergingoftheunconsciouswiththe conscious mind. On another level the idea of a symbol like the zodiac may be seen as not merely corresponding to the interpretations people place upon their experiences but also to an objective reality where certain antecedents must cause certain consequences which are neither replaceable nor arbitrary. If the ideaofthezodiacisaprojectionofthehumanmind,whichmerely takes on forceful reality through collective consciousness, we are speaking of it as the result of an intellectual structuralism which may,atoneparticularlevelofconsciousness,havegreatvalidity.If, however, we consider the zodiac as a natural archetype, we are implying more than an individual or collective projection. We are suggesting the existence of an idea based upon a universal fact which expresses itself mentally, psychically and physically, which partakes of substance as well as consciousness, and depicts somethingfundamentalaboutthenatureofbeingitself.Thoughthe zodiacal signs are abstract ideas, they designate particular stars whicharerelatedtotheearthandotherplanetsinpreciselyordered ways. Similarly, though spirits, gods and elementals are idealizations, they represent manifest force‐fields in the heavens andonearthwhichhavebeenobservedintheireffectsbyscientists andmagiciansinallpartsoftheworld. The Hindus, the Chinese and Greeks, as well as many other peoples,werequicktoechothisarchetypalcelestialpatternintheir cities and sanctuaries. The Chinese Empire was called the ʹMiddle Kingdomʹ or the earthly counterpart of the zodiac, while the Emperor himself represented the Pole Star at its centre. They
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observed the months when various phenomena were most active and allocated the appropriate names and shapes to the constellations dominating the heavens at particular times of the year. The empire was divided into twelve provinces, each with its presiding sign, much as Athens was divided into twelve portions, radiating outward from the central Acropolis, each containing temples of worship dedicated to the appropriate zodiacal god. Theseancientsperceivedthecorrespondenceoftwelvesatvarious levels involving temporal as well as spatial units, and in many cultures the hours, months and years were delineated and named afterthecelestialsigns. The zodiacs of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, as well as of Mexico and Peru, demonstrate a high degree of uniformity of applicationaswellasconception.SeveraldaysoftheAztecmonth hadnamesidenticaltotheirChinesecounterparts.Variationsofthe zodiacalpatternexistedinNorthAmericainpre‐Columbiandays, androckpaintingsinAfricaandAustraliatestifytotheworldwide nature of zodiacal symbolism. Its permutations indicate a great time‐span of development and even if we attribute its universal presencetodiffusionfromoneortwoculturalcentres,thatinitself wouldargueforitsimmenseantiquity.Indeed,thezodiacisfeltby some to be the root of all mythologies. The Dendera Zodiac, for instance,showsthepassageofthreesiderealyears,indicatedbythe inversionoftheLion,whichrepresentsatranspositionofthepoles, and by the triple image of Virgo. The Secret Doctrine describes this and other zodiacs at Dendera as records of the last part of the Fourth Sub‐Race of the Fifth Root‐Race going back seventy‐five to eighty thousand years. The pattern of the Dendera Zodiac was evidently widespread, for the monolithic rocks of Stonehenge are positionedinacloselysimilardesign. Though many modern scholars argue for a Chaldean origin for the zodiac, believing that after the Macedonians received it Alexander brought it to India, there is ample evidence that the zodiacandthescienceofastrologywerehighlydevelopedinIndia long before the arrival of the pugilistic Greeks. For one thing, the
THEZODIAC5
Hindu epoch 3102 B.C., which marks the beginning of Kali Yuga, could not have been derived from a more recently borrowed science of astrology because the determination of such an epoch requires hundreds of centuries of observation of the average motionsofstarsandplanets.NordidtheHindusmerelycompare borrowedintervalstoarriveattheirepochs,sincetheirsarenotat all connected to those of the Greeks. In addition, the astronomical instrumentsusedbythetwoculturesaremarkedlydissimilar. TheRigVedateachesAstrologyistheeyeofBrahma.Attempting to ʹseeʹ through this eye, the ancient Hindus and Egyptians took their zodiacal measurements from four ʹfixedʹ stars that moved. They realized that the zodiac moved one degree in every seventy‐ two years and completed an entire rotation in some twenty‐six thousand years. This was the original sidereal zodiac, differing from the later Greek system that the West inherited, which in practice froze the zodiac by assuming that the sun peaked at the solsticesatthesamecelestialpositionyearafteryear.Morerecently, many have realized the arbitrariness of the later system and have switched to the use of the sidereal zodiac wherein the ʹGreek Leoʹ and the ʹsidereal Cancerʹ are really the same thing. In the second centuryA.D.Ptolemy,usingtheGreeksystem,introducedtheidea of cardinal signs, identifying them as Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn, or those in which the equinoxes and solstices fell. Becausethesesignsarestillidentifiedwiththetimesofsolsticeand equinox in the West, they are still called cardinal, though the equinoxes and solstices now fall in the celestial regions of Taurus, Leo,ScorpioandAquarius.Esotericsourcesindicatethatthevernal equinox has already passed out of Pisces into Aquarius, ushering thelargelyunwittingworldintoaNewAge. Ithasbeensuggestedthatthesignsofthezodiacsymbolizeand analyze phases of the cycles and evolutionary stages which they embrace.Thismaybeseeninmanycorrelativeobservationsmade byvariousculturessuchastheconcurrenceofafullmooninVirgo with new crops. The signs have characteristics which can be symbolicallyrelatedtothenatureofcyclesorstages.Itisthought‐
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provokingtoconsiderthatʺtheorbitofthesunthroughthetwelve divisions corresponds to twelve degrees or stages in the action of theactiveprincipleuponthepassive.ʺIntheHindutraditionthere has long been an exact correspondence between the signs of the zodiacandthecosmiccyclesofAvatars,whileinthetraditionofthe Jewsthecharacteristicsofthesignscanberecognizedinthewords ofthedyingJacobtohissonswhenheindicatedtothemthefuture ofeachofthetwelvetribes. Thezodiacalsignsareideographsandhieroglyphswithnumber, colourandtone.Theirnumberissignificantbyitsordinalplacein the series as well as its factorial position, the latter indicating whether it is cardinal, fixed or mutable, properties which can in turnberelatedtoothertrinitiessuchasBrahma,VishnuandShiva, the three gunas, and concepts such as knowledge, devotion and sacrifice. These can be seen as aspects of consciousness expressing themselvesthroughcertainsignsorassymbolsofstagesofhuman life. The tropical Aries corresponds with the newborn baby who sees the world subjectively in terms of his own being. Taurus suggests a growing awareness of the world in relation to oneself, whileGeminirelatestoplayandthedevelopmentofthecapacityto articulate oneʹs newly discovered knowledge. Cancer, connected with the moon, symbolizes adolescence and emotional turbulence, followedbyLeo,wheretheindividualattemptstostandonhisown twofeetandasserthisownsenseofidentity.Thissigncharacterizes acertainexuberancewhichisliabletoincurdifficulties,butVirgo, withitswillingnesstolearnandserve,marksamaturingcorrective stage.Libra,symbolizingbalance,correspondstoafindingofoneʹs place in the scheme of things, while Scorpio suggests a creative directiontooneʹsenergiesandafruitfulconsummation,Sagittarius asteadywilltoimprove,andCapricorn,practicalattainmentonthe basisofrecognizedideals.Thesearefollowed byAquarius,where an impartial understanding of things is possible, and which may leadtheindividualtoaPisceanexpressionofultimatemeaningor, if the Aquarian potential was poorly grasped, an obverse expressionofemotionalreinvolvementanditsattendantsuggestion offutility.
THEZODIAC7
In the Abhidhammatha Sangha the twelve Nidanas, the causes of sentient existence expounded in Buddhist teachings, are linked withthetwelvesignsofthezodiac.Theirdivisionintotwosixesis reminiscent of the way Patanjali distinguishes the individuality from the personality. Here, Aries is related to avidya or the ignoranceandnon‐cognitionresponsibleforbirth.Taurusrelatesto samskara, the karmic conditions from previous lives, while Gemini correspondstovijñana,oregoicself‐consciousness.Thisisfollowed by Cancer, related to namarupa, or name and form, Leo to sadayatanamorthesixsenses,andVirgotosparsa,thecontactwith the outer world. These first six, relating to the personality, are followed by the second six related to individuality. Libra correspondswithvedanaorperceptionandsensation,whileScorpio relatestotrishna,thirstordesire,andSagittariusisconnectedwith upadana,clinging.Capricornrelatestobhava,becoming,Aquariusto jati,birth,andPiscestojaramarana,decayanddeath.Thelasttwo areespeciallysignificantinrelationtothepotentialityofthesoulʹs liberation from the wheel of life and death and have direct implications for the future. The first two are related to the past, whilethoseinbetweenmarktheconditionsandpossibilitiesofthe present.ThesetemporalcorrelationsremindoneofPlatoʹsaccount of the Moirae, the goddesses of past, present and future who enforce destiny through the ʹSpindle of Necessity,ʹ eternally ensuring the reincarnation of all life that is not yet fully enlightened.InthispowerfulmetaphorPlatodepictsthesoulasit first chooses to descend into a personality and then becomes forgetfullyenvelopedwhiletheforcesofthethreegoddessesbearit towardsitsdestiny. BEHOLDTHEBEGINNINGOFSENTIENTFORMLESSLIFE The stillness of the deep gives rise to One followed by Seven which is Three and Four, the multiples of which are Twelve. The hierarchyofCreativePowersisdividedintosevenesotericaspects withinthetwelvegreatOrdersthatarerecordedinthetwelvesigns ofthezodiac.IntheancientEtruscantraditionthiswasspokenofas the apportionment of Twelve Millennia for the acts of creation
8THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
which were then assigned to the twelve signs of the zodiac. The Secret Doctrine describes the highest hierarchical group as composedoftheDivineFlamesorʹFieryLionsʹhiddeninthesign ofLeo.Thisisthenucleoleofthesuperiordivineworld.Fromthis flame come the three descending groups. In Hindu tradition the TwelveGreatTransformationsofspiritintomatteraresaidtotake place during the four great ages of the first Mahayuga. This is the hidden meaning of the Kabalistic axiom: the Dodecahedron lies concealedintheperfectcube. These magnificent conceptions are synthesized in the symbol of the zodiac which covers, with its pictorial garments, the most arcanemysteriesofmanifestedlife.Hiddenwithinthesignsarethe cluestothegradualunderstandingofhowtheuniverseisevolved from pre‐existing matter, how it is one of an endless series, and how ʺEternity is pointed off into grand cycles.ʺ The first six signs involve a steady materialization, the second six a gradual refinement, followed by a great indrawing of all life. The zodiac thussymbolizesanentirecosmiccycleofevolutionanddissolution. In the Hindu system of zodiacal correlations the process of manifestation from the Word to the universe of thought is traced throughthetwelvesigns.MesamisrelatedtoAja,orthatwhichhas no birth ‐ Parabrahm. Sabham is Pranava or the Word. Mithunam is Ardhanarisvara, the first androgyne, while Karkatakam is numerologically linked to the Tetragram. Simham is related to the Jivatma. Its position as fifth in the series explains its synonym ‐ Pancasyam ‐ relating the lion to the Five Brahmas while another synonym ‐ Hari ‐ links it up with Narayana as representative of Jivatma,theanimatingpoweroftheuniverseandofman.Kanya,the virgin,reflectsthesixprimaryforcesorshaktis,whilethenextsign, Tula, involves the balanced preparation of the way toward the earthly manifestation of man. Hamsa becomes the manifest swan. Next, Vrscikam symbolizes Vishnu, or that which is the universe expandedinsubjectivethought.ThenDhanusfollows,representing the nine Prajapatis and Makaram, the pentagon or the symbol of man. Kumbham or Aquarius identifies the fourteen lokas of Hindu
THEZODIAC9
tradition,whileMinamisrelatedtothefiveelementswhicharethe keystones of evolution and which provide the vehicles through which the Word becomes increasingly manifest. From the One (Parabrahm) to the Three (the first androgyne) to the Four (the Tetragram), which is Seven (the universe expanded in thought), andfinallytothefiveelementsorpentagonalfacesoftheuniverse shapingthedodecahedronofthemanifestedworld,theworkofthe DivineCreativePowersiscompleted. ThetropicalsignsofLibraandScorpiowerelatecomerstowhat was originally a scheme of ten exoteric signs and two hidden mystical signs. They contain the explanation of the gradual transformation of the world from the spiritual and subjective into the two‐sexed and objective. Libra and Scorpio are blinds to ʺconcealthetruenameswhichgavethekeytothewholesecretof creation, and divulge the origin of ʹgood and evil.ʹʺ Libra is a turningpointbetweentheʹdescendingʹandʹascendingʹsignsandas such,inman,marksthebeginningofself‐devisedefforts.Scorpiois not only related to sexual generation but to the lighting up of Manas. The Scorpion, when linked with Uranus, is the ʹBond Breakerʹwhich,byitssting,breaksupthesenseofselfandawakens cosmicconsciousness.Esoterictraditionteachesthatinthissignthe centrifugalforcesofevolutionbegintodrawintoseparativecentres of self, gathering together powers of a volcanic potential and permittingUranustosupplantthefieryandexpansiveMars. Thezodiacisthewomboftheearthlyuniversewheretheessence of each form in manifested life can be traced back to its germane archetype. The Vedas and the Upanishads spoke of the icosahedron as representing the astral light which stands behind the material universe whose power is surrounded by the dodecahedron. The structure of the icosahedron is based upon the number ten and is related to the ten signs which existed before the separation of the one‐signVirgo‐ScorpiointothethreeseparatesignsofVirgo,Libra andScorpio.Thetwelve‐facedzodiacanddodecahedronreflectthe patterns recorded in the astral light and form a link between the objective and subjective sides of nature. Through them radiate the
10THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
ʹTwelve Fountsʹ of the Law, the apertures releasing the stream of power,ʺwhichtakethitstypefromtheimpressofthepowerofthe invisible waters above.ʺ Spreading into our solar world from this invisible source, it becomes concentrated in the form of the sun, whence it radiates outwards to the seven sacred planets which refractitsre‐synthesizedunityinthemyriadsounds,rhythmsand coloursofthespheres. Platocalledtheplanetsʹvisiblegodsʹandwhiletherulersofthe twelvezodiacalsignsweresaidtobeinvisible,theywerecausalto thetwelveprincipalmanifestationsofthecreativeforcewhichruns the universe. Thus Plato taught that the Dodecatheoi, who were pictured on the central milestone of Athens from which all distances were measured, were not the visible signs or stars but gods who ruled behind and through them. These are the Lords of thezodiacfromwhencespringsthehumansoul. Plato speaks of the soulʹs striving to follow one of the Twelve Gods and later, when fully incarnated, attempting to recognize what kind of spirit was trying to express itself through the soulʹs lunar vesture. In a more active sense, the soul could be seen as a sunjourneyingthroughthewomboftheworld(zodiac)alongaray ofparticulartoneandcolouringwhichisconnectedwithoneofthe twelve signs. Combining these particular forces in a unique way, thesoulbecomesanagentperpetuatingandrefiningdivineenergy in the world, while the signs themselves represent work to be completedduringthemanyturningsofEzekielʹswheel. The zodiacal or Ezekielʹs wheel is symbolically related to Ouroboros ‐ the serpent biting its tail which symbolizes AEON or duration. The serpentine motion of manifesting cosmic power is Fohat or kundalini working on ever more concrete levels, and its wave‐like action is symbolized in the glyphs for Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius: Believed to be of great antiquity, they indicatethemovingpowersinevolutionandtheprogressivestages ofawakening.InMediterraneanmythologythebullisofteneither slainbytheheroordevouredbythelion,whichinturnisslainby the initiate who finally, as the Scorpion must, in stinging himself,
THEZODIAC11
destroythelowermanandreleasethehighermindintoAquarius. Thus the serpentine power is latent in Taurus, active in Leo, fully awakeinScorpioandtranscendentinAquarius.Itissaidthatwhen manbecomesmanifestedinAquarius,hewillbelikeHorusinthe cippus of Alexandria, who stands holding the serpent and all the other signs in his hands. He will represent the culmination of all creationwhichwassubjectedtofourgroupsofthetwelvepowers oftheWorld‐Soul. Behind the Twelve are the Four and the Three, which sequence lendsmeaningtotheideathatthetwelvesignsderivefromthefour elements combined with the three gunas, which latter number times twelve can be correlated with the thirty‐six principles of essentialbeing,ortattvams.Thesamethirty‐sixcanbearrivedatby multiplying the four elements times nine, a numerological derivation related to the Prajapatis who assisted the Demiurgos in constructingtheuniverse.Theelementscanbeconceivedasmodes of motion characteristic of different stages of evolution, while the gunas represent qualities of being at various levels of essence, transition and materialization. From the flame of the ʹFiery Lionsʹ comethethreedescendinggroupsorqualitieswhichcommencethe twelve great transformations through the four stages. The dodecahedron lies concealed within the triangle and the perfect cube. IntheSymposiumitisstatedthatʺSacrificeandDivinationisthe art of communion between gods and men,ʺ the art of reconciling the conscious and the unconscious. Perhaps this is a necessary reflectionofthesacrificeofthezodiacalgodsthemselvessuggested inHindutraditionwhereitissaidthattheastralprototypesofthe zodiac created by Brahma were sacred sacrificial animals. Indeed, the sign of Aries, which in the tropical zodiac ushers in the initial stage of evolution, is the Ram or lamb of sacrifice. In Egyptian symbolism,duringthefirststageofitsjourneythroughtheworld, thesolarboatbearsthesunintheformofaram‐headedman.Man, insacrificingthelambtoGod,attemptstoreciprocateontheplane of matter, releasing the essence of the sacred animal to its source.
12THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
The sacrifices of Avatars, in their many zodiacal forms, are echoed in the most ancient types of religious ritual reflecting the highest aspectsofmanʹslinkwiththestars. Just as men sacrifice to the gods, so they must sacrifice to one another, for all human problems are problems of relationship. All relationshipsaresymbolizedbythezodiacandthetwelvetypesof sidereal power combine in all possible ways as they circle around thefocusoflife.Ifthesunmustpassthroughthemall,somustthe soul pass through and alchemize their qualities, reflecting thereby thegreaterbalanceoftheheavens.Thisitdoesbyrelatingtoothers aswellastoitself.Theonlywaybywhichazodiacalbalancecanbe reflected among human beings is through continual sacrifice and divination, the reconciliation of self with Self, the One with the Many.TherecanbenodoubtthatgreatCompassionatershaveset thepatternforus.Justasthesiderealarchetypesexistasmodels,so there must have been actual realms on earth where Masters of Wisdomwalked.Esoterictraditionteachesthatinwhatisnowthe Gobi desert there were once twelve islands, the abodes of the Twelve Hierophants, which existed until the last great glacial period. Among the Kalmucks of Central Asia this profound and beautiful idea continues as a living reality. They identify cardinal islandsinacircleoftwelve,representingthereflectionofthetwelve landsabove. Throughthezodiacalmodes,thepilgrimsoulattemptstomerge itself back into the divine source of its Ray. At the point of the tropicalAquarius,thesoulmaydrinkofthewatersoftheSupernal Cupandbereleasedfromthewheel. Say,IamachildofEarthandStarryHeaven, ButmyraceisofHeavenalone. Thisyeknowyourselves. Andlo,IamparchedwiththirstandIperish, Givemequickly Thecoldwaterflowingforth FromtheLakeofMemory. OrphicMysteries
THEZODIAC13
But if the waters of Lethe are drunk, the pilgrim soul will enter intoPisces,allwrappedinemotion,todieandberebornuponthe wheel once more. The Supernal Waters can fill the being with ananda, a love for all mankind, the platform which may bear the soulintothesignofPisces,asaviour.Butifthesoulwouldsacrifice forhumanity,itmustbecapableoftotalliberationfromthewheel attheairsignofAquarius.ThedeathinPisceswhichfollowswill thenbeonepursuedbychoiceandonbehalfofthewhole. The Twelve Gods watch through the duration of great kalpas. Theyendureasmanevolvesandreachesdimlytowardtheirlight. They wait as man slowly marshals their mighty forces within his beingandrisesheavenwardwithAquariustotakethewholeofthe zodiacintohisownhands. ʹIt is the sun who preserves and nourishes all creatures; and even as the Ideal World which environs the sensible world fills thislastwiththeplenitudeanduniversalvarietyofforms,soalso the Sun, enfolding all in his light, accomplishes everywhere the birth and development of creatures. . . . Under his orders is the choirofGenii,orratherthechoirs,fortherearemanyanddiverse, and their number corresponds to thatof thestars.Everystar has itsgenii,goodandevilbynature,orratherbytheiroperation,for operation is the essence of the genii. . . . All these Genii preside overmundaneaffairs,theyshakeandoverthrowtheconstitution of States and of individuals; they imprint their likeness on our Souls,theyarepresentinournerves,ourmarrow,ourveins,our arteries,andourverybrain‐substance.ʹ TheSecretDoctrine
Hermes,January1976 HelenValborg
ASTROLOGYVERIFIED WRITINGintheTheosophistuponthesubjectofAstrology,C.C. Massey says that he thinks at present we are not fully acquainted with the science, and that, as now practiced, it is not always reliable. His remarks as to its unreliability are justly applicable to that branchofitwhichrelatestonativitiesalone,andsofarIagreewith him,becauseIhaveencounterednumerouscaseswherejudgments uponnativitieshavebeenmosterroneous.Thatdepartmentofthe science is very abstruse and beset with difficulties requiring constant years of study to master. Can we wonder then at the mistakes made by the professional astrologer? He cannot afford these years of patient toil, for even with but one foot upon the thresholdofthehoaryarthebeginstodispensehisjudgmentsand prognostications. The three first divisions of the science: Genethliacal Astrology, or telling what shall be the individualʹs fate; Mundane Astrology, or foretellingthecircumstancesofnations,theoccurrenceofwarsand pestilence; and Atmospherical Astrology, or indicating the weather from certain aspects of the planets, are by no means easy to understandorpractice,astheyrequirenotonlyacloseapplication for several years, but a good education too. But here is another branchofthesubjectcalledHoraryAstrology,ortheansweringof questions put to the Astrologer at any time upon any subject whatever about which the questioner is anxious. This can be soon learnedbycloseattention,anditspracticewillbefoundtoreward thestudentwithanswershavinginthemasmuchofcertaintyaswe canhopeforinthisillusionaryworld.Nor,needonewaitforyears before trusting himself to make replies to questions or to solve problems, excepting always Elections, or the determining of days andtimesforbeginningordoinganything. Zadkiel, who was a well‐educated man, an ex‐officer of the English Navy, in writing on this subject, says that any one of
ASTROLOGYVERIFIED15
averageintelligencecansoonlearnbyHoraryAstrology,whomto dobusinesswith,whatthingstoavoid,andwhatwillbetheresult of any particular business engaged in or proposed. That Zadkiel wasrightIhavehadforsomeyearsabundantproof.Andwehave Lilly who preceded Zadkiel, saying the same as his follower. In Lillyʹs Introduction to Astrology there are given hundreds of instanceswhereHoraryAstrologyhasfurnishedcorrectanswersto questionsthenput.Lillywastheastrologerwhopredictedthegreat fire which in 1666 burnt down London, and also the plague that tookoffavastnumberofherinhabitants.Nomatterhowmuchthe so‐called scientific world may sneer at this, it remains a fact quite susceptibleofproof. InmyexperiencewithHoraryAstrologyIhavefoundthatsome persons have not naturally the proper cast of mind for giving a correctreplytoaquestion,which,byanotherreaderofthefigure, wouldbejustlyanswered,and,again,thatonewhowillalwaysbe correctinHoraryquestionsmaybequiteunabletodowellwitha nativity. Itispermissibletonamethoseprofessorswhoaredead,because thenwecannotbeaccusedofadvertisingthem.InthecityofNew Yorkthereresided,uptowithinashorttimeago,oneDr.Charles Winterburn who practiced medicine and incidentally Horary Astrology.Iconsultedhimmaytimesforwhichhewouldtakeno pay, and I cannot remember a case in which he made a wrong answer.Hismindwaspeculiarlyfittedtogiveasoundreplytoany questionastrologicallyput,anditwaswithasinceresorrowthatI heard of his death. From among the many questions answered by himIhavetakenafewaswellassomeuponwhichjudgmentswere givenbyotherastrologers,bymyselfandsomeotheramateurs. Two years ago, at exactly 3 p.m., I signed a contract relating to the use of the electric light. The conditions were favourable, and every one interested thought much money would be made. I sent Dr. Winterburn and three other astrologers ‐ each being unaware that the others had the question and one living in a distant city ‐ thisquestion:ʺAt3p.m.todayIsignedacontract;whatwillcome
16THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
ofit?ʺNootherdataweregiven.Withstarlingunanimity,theyall replied that nothing would come of it, but that it would be abandoned. Dr. Winterburn said that I might get from it a small sum, but expenses would eat that up, and one of the others said that the opposite parties to the contract were disagreeing amongst themselves and had no funds. This I afterwards found to be true. Eleven weeks was the length of time given by astrology for it to last. Within eleven weeks the whole matter was abandoned, and I madenothingwhateverfromit. Subsequently, I entered into a matter having some connection with the Government and a certain manufactured article. For the sake of collecting evidence for, or against, Astrology, I obtained judgmentsontheaffairlayingthemawaywithoutpayingenough attention to them to even read them. The business went forward with apparently good prospects, but at last it began to assume an unfavourableturn,andthenIlookedintotherepliesIhadreceived. Withoneaccord,asbefore,theydeclaredIhadbetternotgoon;all statingthatthereappearedtobeevidenceofsomemoney,butalso ofagreateramountofexpense.Dr.Winterburn,inreplytoaletter writtenonthispoint,said:ʺOnthe20thofthismonthyouwillget some return from it, but then you should drop it. However, I see that you will give it up, and it will slip away from your neighbourhoodintoto.ʺOnthe20thIreceivedtheonlymoneyever paidinthecase,andfromthatdaytothishavehadnomoretodo withitthanifIhadneverheardofit. In the year 1879, I contemplated a removal of my offices, and askedDr.Winterburnforanastrologicaljudgment.Hereplied:ʺDo notmoveyet,theplaceofferedisnotgood,andyouwillhavegreat annoyance and loss there; wait.ʺ Soon after a room, apparently no betterinanotherbuilding,wasoffered.Dr.Winterburnandothers withthesameunanimitysaid;ʺMove;thenewofferisgood,itwill bepleasantineveryway.ʺAsthenewplacewasgoodandcheapI moved,andnotbecauseAstrologysaidso.But,singularasitmay appear, in eight months afterwards the place against which they advisedme–andthelocationanddescriptionofwhichtheywere
ASTROLOGYVERIFIED17
perfectlyunawareof–wasinvadedbymasonsandcarpenters,the wall torn down in midwinter by order of the Municipal Government, and the whole place exposed for half a year to weather and dirt. Had I been there the expense would have been great, and the annoyance immeasurable. Let me say further that when their replies were given, neither the landlord nor the Governmenthadthesealterationsincontemplation. When President Garfield was shot, some friends and myself erected different astrological figures on the event, and construing by the rules, we all said he would die. I placed his death about a weekoff.Ourmistakeswereoftimeandwerenotthemistakesof theart. Previous to my fatherʹs death, Dr. Winterburn, having no acquaintance with him and never having seen him, said: ʺAll the indicationsarebad;IthinkthedirectionIhavenamedwillbefatal. Hewilldieinafewdays,buthisdeathwillbeeasyandcalm.ʺHe diedinfifteendaysascalmlyandsweetlyasachildwoulddropto sleep. The only datum given to the astrologer was the question: ʺMyfatherissick;whatwillcomeofit?ʺ Such are a few of many instances I have had of the preciseness andtruthofthisancientart.Icouldgivehundreds. These experiences lead me to the conclusion that Horary Astrologyisacorrectmodeofdivination.Thoseancientmen,who, with minds unfettered by the shackles of bigotry or theology, but having an overflowing desire to benefit that ʺgreat orphan Humanity,ʺ were wont in the part of India and Egypt to inquire into all of Natureʹs works, found that Nature is one vast machine whosewheelsworkonewithintheother.Calculatethemotionand know the mode of motion of one, and you have a key for all. So theytooktheplanetswiththeheavenlyroadinwhichtheytravel, anderectedaschemebasedonexperienceandtheuniversalreign of law, which enabled them and will enable us to guide the faltering steps of man through the dark and rugged valley of this life. Anxiety is one of manʹs greatest and most insidious foes. It fettershisenergyanddefeatshisends.IfAstrologywillrelieveone
18THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
at any crisis from anxiety, is it not well to foster its pursuit and spread its fame? It has relieved me often from anxiety which, withoutit,Iwouldhavefeltformonths.Itwilldothesameforany one. LetthelightthenshinefromtheEastwhereAstrologybegan:let thosewhoseforefathersgavetoClaudiusPtolemythematerialsfor his Tetrabiblos, give to us what aid they can for the great understandinganddevelopmentofthismostancientart. WilliamQ.Judge Theosophist,April,1882
ADISCUSSIONOFTHEZODIAC If the reader will keep in mind the Hindu ideas of cosmogony, as given in Chapter VI [of Volume II of Isis Unveiled], he will better understand the relation between the biblical antediluvian patriarchs, and that puzzle of commentators — ʺEzekielʹs wheel.ʺ Thus, be it remembered:1,thattheuniverseisnotaspontaneouscreation,butan evolutionfrompre‐existentmatter;2,thatitisonlyoneofanendless series of universes; 3, that eternity is pointed offinto grand cycles, in eachofwhichtwelvetransformationsofourworldoccur,followingits partial destruction by fire and water, alternately.So that when anew minorperiodsetsin,theearthissochanged,evengeologically,astobe practically a new world; 4, that of these twelve transformations, the earthaftereachofthefirstsixisgrosser,andeverythingonit—man included — more material, than after the preceding one: while after each of the remaining six the contrary is true, both earth and man growing more and more refined and spiritual with each terrestrial change; and 5, that when the apex of the cycle is reached, a gradual dissolution takes place, and every living and objective form is destroyed.Butwhenthatpointisreached,humanityhasbecomefitted tolivesubjectivelyaswellasobjectively.Andnothumanityalone,but also animals, plants, and every atom. After a time of rest, say the Buddhists,whenanewworldbecomesself‐formed,theastralsoulsof animals, and of all beings, except such as have reached the highest Nirvana; will return on earth again to end their cycles of transformations,andbecomemenintheirturn. This stupendous conception, the ancients synthesized for the instructionofthecommonpeople,intoasinglepictorialdesign—the Zodiac, or celestial belt. Instead of the twelve signs now used, there were originally but ten known to the general public, viz.: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo‐Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius,andPisces.1Thesewereexoteric.Butinadditiontherewere
InVolneyʹsʺRuinsofEmpiresʺp.360,itisremarkedthatasArieswasin itsfifteenthdegree1447B.C.,itfollowsthatthefirstdegreeofʺLibraʺ
1
20THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
two mystical signs inserted, which none but initiates comprehended, viz.: at the middle or junction‐point where now stands Libra, and at thesignnowcalledScorpio,whichfollowsVirgo.Whenitwasfound necessary to make them exoteric, these two secret signs were added under their present appellations as blinds to conceal the true names which gave the key to the whole secret of creation, and divulged the originofʺgoodandevil.ʺ The true Sabean astrological doctrine secretly taught that within this double sign was hidden the explanation of the gradual transformationoftheworld,fromitsspiritualandsubjective,intothe ʺtwo‐sexedʺ sublunary state. The twelve signs were therefore divided intotwogroups.Thefirstsixwerecalledtheascending,orthelineof Macrocosm(thegreatspiritualworld);thelastsix,thedescendingline, ortheMicrocosm(thelittlesecondaryworld)—themerereflectionof theformer,sotosay.ThisdivisionwascalledEzekielʹswheel,andwas completed in the following way: First came the ascending five signs (euhemerizedintopatriarchs),Aries,Taurus,Gemini,Cancer,Leo,and thegroupconcludedwithVirgo‐Scorpio.Thencametheturning‐point, Libra. After which, the first half of the sign Virgo‐Scorpio, was duplicated and transferred to lead the lower, or descending group of Microcosm which ran down to Pisces, or Noah (deluge). To make it clearer, the sign Virgo‐Scorpio, which appeared originally thus , becamesimplyVirgo,andtheduplication,
,orScorpio,wasplaced
between Libra, the seventh sign (which is Enoch, or the angel Metatron,orMediatorbetweenspiritandmatter,orGodandman).It nowbecameScorpio(orCain),whichsignorpatriarchledmankindto destruction, according to exoteric theology; but, according to the true doctrine of the wisdom‐religion, it indicated the degradation of the whole universe in its course of evolution downward from the subjectivetotheobjective. ThesignofLibraiscreditedasalaterinventionbytheGreeks,but it is not generally stated that those among them who were initiated
couldnothavecoincidedwiththeVernalequinoxmorelatelythan15,194 yearsB.C.,towhich,ifyouadd1790yearssinceChrist,itappearsthat 16,984yearshaveelapsedsincetheoriginoftheZodiac.
ADISCUSSIONOFTHEZODIAC21
had only made a change of names conveying the same idea as the secret name to those ʺwho knew,ʺ leaving the masses as unwise as ever. Yet it was a beautiful idea of theirs, this Libra, or the balance, expressing as much as could possibly be done without unveiling the whole and ultimate truth. They intended it to imply that when the course of evolution had taken the worlds to the lowest point of grossness,wheretheearthsandtheirproductswerecoarsest,andtheir inhabitants most brutish, the turning‐point had been reached — the forceswereatanevenbalance.Atthelowestpoint,thestilllingering divinesparkofspiritwithinbegantoconveytheupwardimpulse.The scales typified that eternal equilibrium which is the necessity of a universeofharmony,ofexactjustice,ofthebalanceofcentripetaland centrifugalforces,darknessandlight,spiritandmatter. These additional signs of the Zodiac warrant us in saying that the Book of Genesis as we now find it, must be of later date than the invention of Libra by the Greeks; for we find the chapters of the genealogies remodelled to fit the new Zodiac, instead of the latter being made to correspond with the list of patriarchs. And it is this addition and the necessity of concealing the true key, that led the RabbinicalcompilerstorepeatthenamesofEnochandLamechtwice, asweseethemnowintheKenitetable.Alone,amongallthebooksof the Bible, Genesis belongs to an immense antiquity. The others are all later additions, the earliest of which appeared with Hilkiah, who evidentlyconcocteditwiththehelpofHuldah,theprophetess. As there is more than one meaning attached to the stories of the creationanddeluge,wesay,therefore,thatthebiblicalaccountcannot becomprehendedapartfromtheBabylonianstoryofthesame;while neither will be thoroughly clear without the Brahmanical esoteric interpretation of the deluge, as found in the Mahâbhârata and the Satapatha‐Brahmâna. It is the Babylonians who were taught the ʺmysteries,ʺ the sacerdotal language, and their religion by the problematical Akkadians who — according to Rawlinson came from Armenia—nottheformerwhoemigratedtoIndia.Heretheevidence becomesclear.TheBabylonianXisuthrusisshownbyMoverstohave represented the ʺsunʺ in the Zodiac, in the sign of Aquarius, and Oannes, the man‐fish, the semi‐demon, is Vishnu in his first avatar; thusgivingthekeytothedoublesourceofthebiblicalrevelation.
22THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
Oannes is the emblem of priestly, esoteric wisdom; he comes out fromthesea,becausetheʺgreatdeep,ʺthewater,typifies,aswehave shown,thesecretdoctrine.ForthissamereasonEgyptiansdeifiedthe Nile, apart from its being regarded, in consequence of its periodical overflows, as the ʺSaviourʺ of the country. They even held the crocodiles as sacred, from having their abode in the ʺdeep.ʺ The ʺHamites,ʺ so called, have always preferred to settle near rivers and oceans. Water was the first‐created element, according to some old cosmogonies.ThisnameofOannesisheldinthegreatestreverence,in the Chaldean records. The Chaldean priests wore a head‐gear like a fishʹshead,andashadbellycoat,representingthebodyofafish.2 ʺThales,ʺ says Cicero, ʺassures that water is the principle of all things;andthatGodisthatMindwhichshapedandcreatedallthings fromwater.ʺ3 ʺIn the Beginning, SPIRIT within strengthens Heaven and Earth, Thewateryfields,andthelucidglobeofLuna,andthen— Titanstars;andmindinfusedthroughthelimbs Agitates the whole mass, and mixes itself with GREAT MATTER.ʺ4
ThuswaterrepresentsthedualityofboththeMacrocosmosandthe Microcosmos, in conjunction with the vivifying SPIRIT, and the evolution of the little world from the universal cosmos. The deluge then,inthissense,pointstothatfinalstrugglebetweentheconflicting elements, which brought the first great cycle of our planet to a close. Theseperiodsgraduallymergedintoeachother,orderbeingbrought out of chaos, or disorder, and the successive types of organism being evolved only as the physical conditions of nature were prepared for their appearance; for our present race could not have breathed on
SeecutsinInmanʹsʺAncientFaiths.ʺ Cicero,ʺDeNat.Deorum,ʺi.,10. 4Virgil,ʺÆneid,ʺvi.,724ff. 2 3
ADISCUSSIONOFTHEZODIAC23
earth,duringthatintermediateperiod,nothavingasyettheallegorical coatsofskin.5
THEBIBLEPATRIARCHSIDENTICAL WITHZODIACALSIGNS Inchaptersiv.andv.ofGenesis,wefindtheso‐calledgenerationsof CainandSeth.Letusglanceatthemintheorderinwhichtheystand: LINESofGENERATIONS
The above are the ten biblical patriarchs, identical with Hindu Pragâpatis (Pradjâpatis), and the Sephiroth of the Kabala. We say ten patriarchs, not twenty, for the Kenite line was devised for no other purposethan,1,tocarryouttheideaofdualism,onwhichisfounded the philosophy of every religion; for these two genealogical tables representsimplytheopposingpowersorprinciplesofgoodandevil; and2,asablindfortheuninitiatedmasses.Supposewerestorethem totheirprimitiveform,byerasingthesepremeditatedblinds.Theseare so transparent as to require but a small amount of perspicacity to select, even though one should use only his unaided judgment, and werenot,asweare,enabledtoapplythetestofthesecretdoctrine.
Thetermʺcoatsofskin,ʺisthemoresuggestivewhenwelearnthatthe Hebrewwordʺskinʺusedintheoriginaltext,meanshumanskin.Thetext says: ʺAnd Java Aleim made for Adam and his wife כחבנת עוך Chitonutt Our.ThefirstHebrewwordisthesameastheGreek χιτον—chiton— coat. Parkhurst defines it as the skin of men or animals עוך עך and עךת, Our,Or,orOra.ThesamewordisusedatExodusxxxiv.30,35,whenthe skinofMosesʺshoneʺ(A.Wilder). 5
24THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
By ridding ourselves, therefore, of the Kenite names that are mere duplications of the Sethite, or of each other, we get rid of Adam; of Enoch—who,inonegenealogy,isshownthefatherofIrad,andinthe other, the son of Jared; of Lamech, son of Methusael, whereas he, Lamech,issonofMethuselahintheSethiteline;ofIrad(Jared),6Jubal andJabal,who,withTubal‐Cain,formatrinityinone,andthatonethe double of Cain; of Mehujael (who is but Mahalaleel differently spelled), and Methusael (Methuselah). This leaves us in the Kenite genealogyofchapteriv.,oneonly,Cain,who—thefirstmurdererand fratricide — is made to stand in his line as father of Enoch, the most virtuous of men, who does not die, but is translated alive. Turn we now to the Sethite table, and we find that Enos, or Enoch, comes second from Adam, and is father to Cain (an). This is no accident. Therewasanevidentreasonforthisinversionofpaternity;apalpable design—thatofcreatingconfusionandbafflinginquiry. Wesay,then,thatthepatriarchsaresimplythesignsoftheZodiac, emblems, in their manifold aspects, of the spiritual and physical evolution of human races, of ages, and of divisions of time. In astrology,thefirstfouroftheʺHouses,ʺinthediagramsoftheʺTwelve HousesofHeavenʺ—namely,thefirst,tenth,seventh,andfourth,or thesecondinnersquareplacedwithitsanglesupwardanddownward, are termed angles, as being of the greatest strength and power. They answertoAdam,Noah,Cain‐an,andEnoch,Alpha,Omega,eviland good, leading the whole. Furthermore, when divided (including the
Here, again, the ʺMasorah,ʺ by converting one name into another, has helpedtofalsifythelittlethatwasleftoriginalintheprimitiveScriptures. De Rossi, of Parma, says of the Massoretes, in his ʺCompendis,ʺ vol. iv., page7:ʺItisknownwithwhatcarefulnessEsdras,themostexcellentcritic theyhavehad,hadreformed[thetext]andcorrectedit,andrestoreditto its primary splendor. Of the many revisions undertaken after him, none aremorecelebratedthanthatoftheMassoretes,whocameafterthesixth century . . . and all the most zealous adorers and defenders of the ʺMasorah,ʺChristiansandJews...ingenuouslyaccordandconfessthatit, such as it exists, is deficient, imperfect, interpolated, full of errors, and a mostunsafeguide.ʺThesquareletterwasnotinventedtillafterthethird century. 6
ADISCUSSIONOFTHEZODIAC25
two secret names) into four trigons or triads, viz.: fiery, airy, earthy, andwatery,wefindthelattercorrespondingtoNoah. EnochandLamechweredoubledinthetableofCain,tofilloutthe required number ten in both ʺgenerationsʺ in the Bible, instead of employingtheʺSecretNameʺ;and,inorderthatthepatriarchsshould correspondwiththetenkabalisticSephiroth,andfitatthesametime the ten, and, subsequently, twelve signs of the Zodiac, in a manner comprehensibleonlytothekabalists. Andnow,Abelhavingdisappearedoutofthatlineofdescent,heis replaced by Seth, who was clearly an afterthought suggested by the necessity of not having the human race descend entirely from a murderer. This dilemma being apparently first noticed when the Kenite table had been completed, Adam is made (after all the generationshadappeared)tobegetthisson,Seth.Itisasuggestivefact that, whereas the double‐sexed Adam of chapter v. is made in the likenessoftheElohim(seeGenesisChapterI27andv.1ofthesame), Seth (v. 3) is begotten in Adamʹs ʺown likeness,ʺ thus signifying that there were men of different races. Also, it is most noticeable that neithertheagenorasingleotherparticularrespectingthepatriarchsin theKenitetableisgiven,whereasthereverseisthecasewiththosein theSethiteline. Mostassuredly,noonecouldexpecttofind,inaworkopentothe public, the final mysteries of that which was preserved for countless agesasthegrandestsecretofthesanctuary.But,withoutdivulgingthe keytotheprofane,orbeingtaxedwithundueindiscretion,wemaybe allowedtoliftacorneroftheveilwhichshroudsthemajesticdoctrines ofold.Letusthenwritedownthepatriarchsastheyoughttostandin their relation to the Zodiac, and see how they correspond with the signs. The following diagram represents Ezekielʹs Wheel, as given in manyworks,amongothers,inHargraveJenningsʹRosicrucians:
26THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
EZEKIELʹSWHEEL(Exoteric). Thesesignsare(follownumbers): 1, Aries; 2, Taurus; 3, Gemini; 4, Cancer; 5, Leo; 6, Virgo, or the ascending line of the grand cycle of creation. After this comes 7, Libra — ʺman,ʺ which, though it is found right inthemiddle,ortheintersectionpoint, leadsdownthenumbers: 8, Scorpio; 9, Sagittarius; 10, Capricornus; 11, Aquarius; and 12, Pisces. Whilediscussingthedoublesignof Virgo‐Scorpio and Libra, Hargrave Jenningsobserves(p.65):
ʺAll this is incomprehensible, exceptinthestrangemysticismoftheGnosticsandthekabalists;and thewholetheoryrequiresakeyofexplanationtorenderitintelligible; whichkeyisonlydarklyreferredtoaspossible,butrefusedabsolutely, bytheseextraordinarymen,asnotpermissibletobedisclosed.ʺ EZEKIELʹSWHEEL(Esoteric). Thesaidkeymustbe turnedseventimesbefore thewholesystemis divulged.Wewillgiveit butoneturn,andthereby allowtheprofaneone glimpseintothemystery. Happyhe,who understandsthewhole! Toexplainthepresence ofJodheva(orYodheva), orwhatisgenerally termedthetetragramיהוח, andofAdamandEve,it willsufficetoremindthe readerofthefollowing
ADISCUSSIONOFTHEZODIAC27
versesinGenesis,withtheirrightmeaninginsertedinbrackets. 1. ʺAnd God [Elohim] created man in his [their] own image . . . male andfemalecreatedhethem[him]ʺ—(Ch.1.27). 2. ʺMale and female created he them [him] . . . and called their [his] nameADAMʺ—(v.2).
When the ternary is taken in the beginning of the tetragram, it expresses the divine creation spiritually, i.e., without any carnal sin: takenatitsoppositeenditexpressesthelatter;itisfeminine.Thename of Eve is composed of three letters, that of the primitive or heavenly Adam,iswrittenwithoneletter,JodorYodh;thereforeitmustnotbe read Jehova but Ieva, or Eve. The Adam of the first chapter is the spiritual, therefore pure androgyne, Adam Kadmon. When woman issuesfromtheleftribofthesecondAdam(ofdust),thepureVirgois separated, and falling ʺinto generation,ʺ or the downward cycle, becomesScorpio,7emblemofsinandmatter.Whiletheascendingcycle points at the purely spiritual races, or the ten prediluvian patriarchs (thePradjâpatis,andSephiroth)8areledonbythecreativeDeityitself, who is Adam Kadmon or Yodcheva, the lower one is that of the terrestrial races, led on by Enoch or Libra, the seventh; who, because he is half‐divine, half‐terrestrial, is said to have been taken by God alive.Enoch,orHermes,orLibraareone.Allarethescalesofuniversal harmony;justiceandequilibriumareplacedatthecentralpointofthe Zodiac. The grand circle of the heavens, so well discoursed upon by Plato, in his Timæus, symbolizes the unknown as a unity; and the smallercircleswhichformthecross,bytheirdivisionontheplaneof the Zodiacal ring — typify, at the point of their intersection, life. The centripetalandcentrifugalforces,assymbolsofGoodandEvil,Spirit and Matter, Life and Death, are also those of the Creator and the Destroyer, — Adam and Eve, or God and the Devil, as they say in
Scorpioistheastrologicalsignoftheorgansofreproduction. The patriarchs are all convertible in their numbers as well as interchangeable. According to what they relate, they become ten, five, seven,twelve,andevenfourteen.Thewholesystemissocomplicatedthat it is an utter impossibility in a work like this to do more than hint at certainmatters. 7 8
28THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
commonparlance.Inthesubjective,aswellasintheobjectiveworlds, theyarethetwopowers,whichthroughtheireternalconflictkeepthe universe of spirit and matter in harmony. They force the planets to pursuetheirpaths,andkeepthemintheirellipticalorbits,thustracing theastronomicalcrossintheirrevolutionthroughtheZodiac.Intheir conflictthecentripetalforce,wereittoprevail,woulddrivetheplanets and living souls into the sun, type of the invisible Spiritual Sun, the ParamatmaorgreatuniversalSoul,theirparent;whilethecentrifugal force would chase both planets and souls into the dreary space, far from the luminary of the objective universe, away from the spiritual realm of salvation and eternal life, and into the chaos of final cosmic destruction,andindividualannihilation.Butthebalanceisthere,ever sensitive at the intersection point. It regulates the action of the two combatants, and the combined effort of both, causes planets and ʺliving soulsʺ to pursue a double diagonal line in their revolution throughZodiacandLife;andthuspreservingstrictharmony,invisible andinvisibleheavenandearth,theforcedunityofthetworeconciles spiritandmatter,andEnochissaidtostandaʺMetatronʺbeforeGod. Reckoning from him down to Noah and his three sons, each of these represent a new ʺworld,ʺ i.e., our earth, which is the seventh9 after
Seevol.I.ofthepresentwork,p.32.Alone,theHinducalculationbythe Zodiac, can give a key to the Hebrew chronologies and the ages of the patriarchs. Ifwe bearin mind that,according to the former astronomical andchronologicalcalculations,outofthefourteenmanwantara(ordivine ages), each of which composed of twelve thousand years of the devas, multipliedbyseventy‐one,formsoneperiodofcreation—notquiteseven areyetpassed,theHebrewcalculationwillbecomemoreclear.Tohelp,as muchaspossible,thosewhowillbesuretogetagooddealbewilderedin thiscalculation,wewillremindthereaderthattheZodiacisdividedinto 360degrees,andeverysignintothirtydegrees;thatintheSamaritanBible theageofEnochisfixedat360years;thatinʺManu,ʺthedivisionsoftime aregiventhus:ʺThedayandthenightarecomposedofthirtyMouhourta. Amouhourtacontainsthirtykalas.Amonthofthemortalsisofthirtydays, butitisbutonedayofthepitris....Ayearofthemortalsisonedayofthe Devas.ʺ 9
ADISCUSSIONOFTHEZODIAC29
every period of geological transformation, gives birth to another and distinctraceofmenandbeings. Cainleadstheascendingline,orMacrocosm,forheistheSonofthe ʺLord,ʺnotofAdam(Genesisiv.1).TheʺLordʺisAdamKadmon,Cain, theSonofsinfulthought,nottheprogenyoffleshandblood,Sethon the other hand is the leader of the races of earth, for he is the Son of Adam, and begotten ʺin his own likeness, after his imageʺ (Genesis v. 3).CainisKenu,Assyrian,andmeanseldest,whiletheHebrewword קידmeansaSmith,anartificer. Our science shows that the globe has passed through five distinct geologicalphases,eachcharacterizedbyadifferentstratum,andthese areinreverseorder,beginningwiththelast:1.TheQuaternaryperiod, inwhichmanappearsasacertainty;2.TheTertiaryperiod,inwhich hemayhaveappeared;3.Secondaryperiod,thatofgiganticsaurians, the megalosaurus, icthyosaurus, and plesiosaurus — no vestige of man; 4. The Palæozoic period, that of gigantic crustacea; 5 (or first). TheAzoicperiod,duringwhichscienceassertsorganiclifehadnotyet appeared. And is there no possibility that there was a period, and several periods, when man existed, and yet was not an organic being — therefore could not have left any vestige of himself for exact science? Spiritleavesnoskeletonsorfossilsbehind,andyetfewarethemenon earth who doubt that man can live both objectively and subjectively. Atallevents,thetheologyoftheBrahmans,hoarywithantiquity,and which divides the formative periods of the earth into four ages, and placesbetweeneachofthesealapseof1,728,000years,farmoreagrees with official science and modern discovery than the absurd chronologicalnotionspromulgatedbytheCouncilsofNiceandTrent. The names of the patriarchs were not Hebrew, though they may have been Hebraized later; they are evidently of Assyrian or Aryan origin. H.P.Blavatsky IsisUnveiled,Vol.II455‐467
ZODIACSOFANCIENTINDIA ANDEGYPT ʺIfmodernmastersaresomuchinadvanceoftheoldones,why do they not restore to us the lost arts of our postdiluvian forefathers? Why do they not give us the unfading colours of Luxor–theTyrianpurple,thebrightvermilionanddazzlingblue whichdecoratethewallsofthisplace,andareasbrightasonthe first day of their application? The indestructible cement of the pyramids and of ancient aqueducts; the Damascus blade, which can be turned like a corkscrew in its scabbard without breaking; thegorgeous,unparalleledtintsofthestainedglassthatisfound amid the dust of old ruins and beams in the windows of ancient cathedrals; and the secret of the true malleable glass? And if chemistryissolittleabletorivaleventheearlymediævalagesin somearts,whyboastofachievementswhich,accordingtostrong probability, were perfectly known thousands of years ago? The morearchæologyandphilologyadvance,themorehumiliatingto our pride are the discoveries which are daily made, the more glorious testimony do they bear in behalf of those who, perhaps on account of the distance of their remote antiquity, have been untilnowconsideredignorantflounderersinthedeepestmireof superstition.ʺ IsisUnveiled,I239
Amongotherartsandsciences,theancients–aye,asanheirloom from the Atlanteans – had those of astronomy and symbolism, whichincludedtheknowledgeoftheZodiac. Asalreadyexplained,thewholeofantiquitybelieved,withgood reason, that humanity and its races are all intimately connected withtheplanets,andthesewithZodiacalsigns.Thewholeworldʹs Historyisrecordedinthelatter.IntheancienttemplesofEgyptthis wasprovedbytheDenderaZodiac;butexceptinanArabicwork, thepropertyofaSufi,thewriterhasnevermetwithacorrectcopy ofthesemarvellousrecordsofthepast,asalsoofthefuture,history ofourglobe.Yettheoriginalrecordsexist,mostundeniably.
ZODIACSOFANCIENTINDIAANDEGYPT31
As Europeans are unacquainted with the real Zodiacs of India, nor do they understand those they happen to know (witness Bentley), the reader isadvised, inorder to verify the statement, to turn to the work of Denon (Travels in Egypt, Vol. II.) in which, if understood, the two famous Egyptian Zodiacs, can be found and examined. Having seen them personally, the writer has no longer need to trust to what other students – who have examined and studied both very carefully – have to say of them. As asserted by the Egyptian Priests to Herodotus, who was informed that the terrestrialPoleandthePoleoftheEcliptichadformerlycoincided, thuswasitfoundandcorroboratedbyMackey. 1Forhestatesthat thePolesarerepresentedontheZodiacsinbothpositions:ʺAndin that which shows the Poles (polar axes) at right angles, there are marks which prove that ʹit was not the last time they were in that position; but the firstʹ – after the Zodiacs had been traced.ʺ ʺCapricorn,ʺheadds,ʺisrepresentedattheNorthPole,andCancer is divided, near its middle, at the South Pole, which is a confirmation that originally they had their winter when the Sun wasinCancer;butthechiefcharacteristicsofitsbeingamonument commemorating the first time that the Pole had been in that position,aretheLionandtheVirgin.ʺ(SeeinPartII,§ʺAMysteryof theZodiac.ʺ) Broadly calculated, it is believed by the Egyptologists that the great Pyramid was built 3,350 B.C. (See Proctor, Knowledge, Vol. I. pp. 242, 400); and that Menes and his Dynasty existed 7 50 years before the Fourth Dynasty (supposed to have built the Pyramids) had appeared (ʺThe Great Pyramid,ʺ Staniland Wake). Thus 4,100 years B.C. is the age assigned to Menes. Now Sir J. Gardner Wilkinsonʹs declaration that ʺall the facts lead to the conclusion that the Egyptians had already made very great progress in the arts of civilizationbeforetheageofMenes,andperhapsbeforetheyimmigrated ʺTheMythologicalAstronomyoftheAncientsDemonstratedʺbyastrangely intuitionalsymbologistandastronomer,akindofaself‐madeadeptof Norwich,wholivedinthefirstquarterofthiscentury.
1
32THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
intothevalleyoftheNileʺ(RawlinsonʹsʺHerodotus,ʺvol.ii.p.345)is very suggestive, as destroying this hypothesis. It points to great civilization in prehistoric times, and a still greater antiquity. The Schesoo‐Hor (ʺthe servants of Horusʺ) were the people who had settled in Egypt, and, as M. G. Maspero affirms, it is to this prehistoricracethatʺbelongsthehonour...ofhavingfoundedthe principal cities of Egypt, and established the most important sanctuaries.ʺ This was before the great Pyramid epoch, and when Egypt had hardly arisen from the waters. Yet ʺthey possessed the hieroglyphic form of writing special to the Egyptians, and must have been already considerably advanced in civilization.ʺ It was, says Lenormant, ʺthe country of the great prehistoric sanctuaries, seatsofthesacerdotaldominion,whichplayedthemostimportant partintheoriginofcivilization.ʺWhatisthedateassignedtothis people? We hear of 4,000, at the utmost of 5,000 years B.C. (Maspero). Now it is claimed that it is by means of the cycle of 25,868 years (the Sidereal year) that the approximate year of the erection of the Great Pyramid can be ascertained. ʺAssuming that thelongnarrowdownwardpassagewasdirectedtowardsthepole star of the pyramid builders, astronomers have shown that . . . . Alpha Draconis, the then pole‐star, was in the required position about 3,350 B.C., as well as in 2,170 B.C. (Proctor, quoted by StanilandWake.)Butwearealsotoldthatʺthisrelativepositionof Alpha Draconis and Alcyone being an extraordinary one . . . it could not occur again for a whole sidereal yearʺ (ibid). This demonstratesthat,sincetheDenderaZodiacshowsthepassageof threesiderealyears,thegreatPyramidmusthavebeenbuilt78,000 yearsago,orinanycasethatthispossibilitydeservestobeaccepted atleastasreadilyasthelaterdateof3,350B.C. NowontheZodiacofacertaintempleinfarNorthernIndia,as on the Dendera Zodiac, the same characteristics of the signs are found. Those who know well the Hindu symbols and constellations, will be able to find out by the description of the Egyptian, whether the indications of the chronological time are correctornot.OntheDenderaZodiacaspreservedbythemodern EgyptianCopticandGreekadepts,andexplainedalittledifferently
ZODIACSOFANCIENTINDIAANDEGYPT33
by Mackey, the Lion stands upon the Hydra and his tail is almost straight, pointing downwards at an angle of forty or fifty degrees, this position agreeing with the original conformation of these constellations. ʺBut in many places we see the Lion (Simha),ʺ Mackey adds, ʺwith his tail turned up over his back, and ending with a Serpentʹs head; thereby showing that the Lion had been ʹinvertedʹ; which, indeed, must have been the case with the whole Zodiac and every other Constellation, when the Pole had been inverted.ʺ Speaking of the Circular Zodiac, given also by Denon, he says: There, ʺthe Lion is standing on the Serpent, and his tail forming a curve downward, from which it is found that though six or seven hundredthousandyearsmusthavepassedbetweenthetwopositions, yettheyhadmadebutlittledifferencebetweenintheconstellations ofLeoandtheHydra;whileVirgoisrepresentedverydifferentlyin thetwo.InthecircularZodiac,theVirginisnursingherchild;butit seems that they had not had that idea when the pole was first within the plane of the Ecliptic; for in this Zodiac, as given by Denon,weseethreeVirginsbetweentheLionandtheScales,thelast ofwhichholdsinherhandanearofwheat.Itismuchtobelamented thatthereisinthisZodiacabreachofthefigureinthelatterpartof LeoandthebeginningofVirgowhichhastakenawayoneDecanout ofeachsign.ʺ Nevertheless,themeaningisplain,asthethreeZodiacsbelongto threedifferentepochs:namely,tothelastthreefamilyracesofthe fourth Sub‐race of the Fifth Root‐race, each of which must have livedapproximatelyfrom25to30,000years.Thefirstofthese(the ʺAryan‐Asiaticsʺ)witnessedthedoomofthelastofthepopulations of the ʺgiant Atlanteansʺ 2 who perished some 850,000 years ago ThetermʺAtlanteanʺmustnotmisleadthereadertoregardtheseasone raceonly,orevenanation.ItisasthoughonesaidʺAsiatics.ʺMany, multi‐typed,andvariousweretheAtlanteans,whorepresentedseveral humanities,andalmostacountlessnumberofracesandnations,more variedindeedthanwouldbetheʺEuropeansʺwerethisnametobegiven
2
34THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
(the Ruta and Daitya Island‐Continents) toward the close of the MioceneAge.3Thefourthsub‐racewitnessedthedestructionofthe last remnant of the Atlanteans – the Aryo‐Atlanteans in the last island of Atlantis, namely, some 11,000 years ago. In order to understandthis,thereaderisaskedtoglanceatthediagramofthe genealogicaltreeoftheFifthRoot‐Race(videSecretDoctrine,ii434)– generally, though hardly correctly, called the Aryan race, and the explanationsappendedtoit. TheSecretDoctrine,ii431 H.P.Blavatsky
indiscriminatelytothefiveexistingpartsoftheworld;which,attherate colonizationisproceeding,willbethecase,perhaps,inlessthantwoor threehundredyears.Therewerebrown,red,yellow,whiteandblack Atlanteans;giantsanddwarfs(assomeAfricantribescomparativelyare, evennow). 3SaysateacherinʺEsotericBuddhism,ʺonp.64:ʺIntheEoceneage,evenin itsveryfirstpart,thegreatcycleofthefourthracementhe(Lemuro) Atlanteanshadalreadyreacheditshighestpoint(ofcivilization),andthe greatcontinent,thefatherofnearlyallthepresentcontinents,showedthe firstsymptomsofsinking....ʺAndonpage70,itisshownthatAtlantisas awholeperishedduringtheMioceneperiod.Toshowhowthecontinents, races,nationsandcyclesoverlapeachother,onehasbuttothinkof Lemuria,thelastofwhoselandsperishedabout700,000yearsbeforethe beginningoftheTertiaryperiod(seep.65ofthesamework),andthelast ofʺAtlantisʺonly11,000yearsago;thusbothoverlapping–onethe Atlanteanperiod,andtheothertheAryan.
TWOLOSTKEYS: THEBHAGAVAD‐GITA‐ THEZODIAC Ithasneverbeenadmittedbyorientaliststhatthereexistedakey to the Bhagavad‐Gita, other than a knowledge of the Sanskrit languageinwhichitiswritten.HenceourEuropeantranslatorsof thepoemhavegivenbutitsphilosophicalaspect. ButitisbelievedbymanystudentsofTheosophy‐amongthem suchanauthorityasH.P.Blavatsky‐thatthereareseveralkeysto the noble poem, and that they have been for the time lost to the world. There has beenno loss of them in theabsolute sense, since theyarepreservedintactinmanyrollsandbooksmadeofpolished stoneshiddenandguardedincertainundergroundtemplesinthe East, the location of which would not be divulged by those who know.Nosearchhasbeenmadebytheprofaneforthesewonderful books, because there is no belief in their existence; and for the sincere student who can project his mental sight in the right direction,thereisnoneedforsuchdiscoveryofthemereoutward forminwhichthosekeysarekept. There is also a key for the Zodiac. The modern astrologers and astronomers have lifted up their puny voices to declare regarding the probable origin of the Zodiac, giving a very commonplace explanation, and some going so far as to speak of the supposed authorofit,notthattheyhavenamedhimorgivenhimadistinct place in history, but only referred to the unknown individual. It is very much to be doubted if these modern star‐gazers would have been able to construct anything whatever in the way of a Zodiac, had they not had this immemorial arrangement of signs ready to hand. TheBhagavad‐GitaandtheZodiac,whiledifferingsomuchfrom eachotherinthattheoneisabookandtheotherthesunʹspathin theheavens,aretwogreatstorehousesofknowledgewhichmaybe
36THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
construed after the same method. It is very true that the former is nowinbookshape,butthatisonlybecausethenecessitiesofstudy underconditionswhichhaveprevailedforsomethousandsofyears require it, but it exists in the ideal world imbedded in the evolutionary history of the human race. Were all copies of it destroyedtomorrow,thematerialsfortheirreconstructionarenear at hand and could be regathered by those sages who know the realities underlying all appearances. And in the same way the Zodiac could be regathered by those sages who know therealities underlyingallappearances.AndinthesamewaytheZodiaccould be made over again by the same sages ‐ not, however, by our modern astronomers. The latter no doubt would be able to construct a path of the sun with certain classifications of stars thereon, but it would not be the Zodiac; it would bear but little relation to the great cosmic and microcosmic periods and events which that path really has. They would not apply it as it is found used in old and new almanacs to the individual human being, for theydonotknowthatitcaninanywaybesoconnected,sincetheir system hardly admits any actual sympathy between man and the Zodiac,notyethavingcometoknowthatmanishimselfazodiacal highwaythroughwhichhisownparticularsunmakesacircuit. Considering how laughable in the eyes of the highly‐educated scientific person of today the singular figures and arrangement of theZodiacare,itisstrangethattheyhavenotlongagoabolishedit all.Buttheyseemunabletodoso.Forsomemysteriousreasonthe almanacs still contain the old signs, and the moonʹs periods continuetobereferredtointheseancientfigures.Indeed,modern astronomers still use the old symbology and give to each new asteroidasymbolpreciselyinlinewiththeancientzodiacalmarks sofamiliartous.Theycouldnotabolishthemweretheefforttobe made. ThestudentoftheBhagavad‐Gitasoonbeginstofeelthatthereis somewhereakeytothepoem,somethingthatwillopenupclearly thevaguethoughtsofgreatermeaningswhichconstantlyriseinhis mind. After a while he is able to see that in a philosophical and
TWOLOSTKEYS:THEBHAGAVAD‐GITAANDTHEZODIAC37
devotional sense the verses are full of meaning, but under it all thererunsadeepsuggestivenessofsomeotherandgrandersweep foritswords.Thisiswhatthelostkeywillreveal. Butwhohasthatkeyorwhereitishiddenisnotyetrevealed,for itissaidbythosewhoknowtheBrotherhoodthatmanisnotyetin themassreadyforthefullexplanationtobeputintohishands.For the present it is enough for the student to study the path to devotion, which, when found, will lead to that belonging to knowledge. AndsooftheZodiac.Asouracquaintance,throughdevotionand endeavor, with the journey of our own sun through our own humanzodiacgrowsbetter,wewilllearnthemeaningofthegreat pilgrimageoftheearthlyluminary.Foritisimpossibleinthisstudy to learn a little of ourselves without knowing more of the great systemofwhichweareacopy. ForAtmânisthesun, Themoonalsoitis; Andthewholecollectionofstars Iscontainedwithinit.
Path,August,1890 WilliamBrehon,F.T.S.
THETHEORYOFCYCLES It is now some time since this theory, which was first propounded in the oldest religion of the world, Vedaism, then taughtbyvariousGreekphilosophers,andafterwardsdefendedby the Theosophists of the Middle Ages, but which came to be flatly denied by the wise men of the West, like everything else, in this world of negation, has been gradually coming into prominence again. This once, contrary to the rule, it is the men of science themselves who take up. Statistics of events of the most varied nature are fast being collected and collated with the seriousness demandedbyimportant scientific questions.Statisticsofwarsand oftheperiods(orcycles)oftheappearanceofgreatmen–atleast thoseashavebeenrecognisedassuchbytheircontemporariesand irrespective of later opinions; statistics of the periods of development and progress at large commercial centres; of the rise and fall of arts and sciences; of cataclysms, such as earthquakes, epidemics periods of extraordinary cold and heat; cycles of revolutions, and of the rise and fall of empires, &c.; all these are subjected turn to the analysis of the minutest mathematical calculations. Finally, even the occult significance of numbers in names of persons and names of cities, in events, and like matters, receivesunwontedattention.If,ontheonehand,agreatportionof theeducatedpublicisrunningintoatheismandscepticism,onthe otherhand,wefindanevidentcurrentofmysticismforcingitsway into science. It is the sign of an irrepressible need in humanity to assureitselfthatthereisaPowerParamountovermatter;anoccult and mysterious law which governs the world, and which we shouldratherstudyandcloselywatch,tryingtoadaptourselvesto it, than blindly deny, and break our heads against the rock of destiny. More than one thoughtful mind, while studying the fortunesandversesofnationsandgreatempires,hasbeendeeply struck by one identical feature in their history, namely, the inevitable recurrence of similar historical events reaching in turn everyoneofthem,andafterthesamelapseoftime.Thisanalogyis
THETHEORYOFCYCLES39
found between the events to be substantially the same on the whole, though there may be more or less difference as to the outward form of details. Thus, the belief of the ancients in their astrologers, soothsayers and prophets might have been warranted by the verification of many of their most important predictions, without these prognostications of future events implying of necessityanythingverymiraculousinthemselves.Thesoothsayers andaugurshavingoccupiedindaysoftheoldcivilizationsthevery same position now occupied by our historians, astronomers and meteorologists,therewasnothingmorewonderfulinthefactofthe formerpredictingthedownfallofanempireorthelossofabattle, than in the latter predicting the return of a comet, a change of temperature, or, perhaps, the final conquest of Afghanistan. The necessity for both these classes being acute, observers apart, there wasthestudyofcertainsciencestobepursuedthenaswellasthey arenow.Thescienceoftodaywillhavebecomeanʺancientʺscience a thousand years hence. Free and open, scientific study now is to all, whereas it was then confined but to the few. Yet, whether ancient or modern, both may be called exact sciences; for, if the astronomer of today draws his observations from mathematical calculations, the astrologer of old also based his prognostication upon no less acute and mathematically correct observations of the ever‐recurringcycles.And,becausethesecretofthisscienceisnow beinglost,doesthatgiveanywarranttosaythatitneverexisted,or that, to believe in it, one must be ready to swallow ʺmagic,ʺ ʺmiraclesʺandthelikestuff?ʺIf,inviewoftheeminencetowhich modern science has reached, the claim to prophesy future events mustberegardedaseitherachildʹsplayoradeliberatedeception,ʺ saysawriterintheNovoyéVremya,thebestdailypaperofliterature andpoliticsofSt.Petersburg,ʺthenwecanpointatsciencewhich, initsturn,hasnowtakenupandplacedonrecordthequestion,in itsrelationtopastevents,whetherthereisorisnotintheconstant repetition of events a certain periodicity; in other words, whether theseeventsrecurafterafixedanddeterminedperiodofyearswith everynation;andifaperiodicitytherebe,whetherthisperiodicity is due to blind chance or depends on the same natural laws, on
40THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
which are more or less dependent many of the phenomena of human life.ʺ Undoubtedly the latter. And the writer has the best mathematicalproofofitinthetimelyappearanceofsuchworksas that of Dr. E. Zasse, under review, and of a few others. Several learned works, treating upon this mystical subject, have appeared of late, and of some of these works and calculations we will now treat; the more readily as they are in most cases from the pens of menofeminentlearning.HavingalreadyintheJunenumberofthe THEOSOPHISTnoticedanarticlebyDr.BlohvitzOnthesignificance of the number Seven,1 with every nation and people – a learned paperwhichappearedlatelyintheGermanjournalDieGegenwart– we will now summarize the opinions of the press in general, on a moresuggestiveworkbyawell‐knownGermanscientist,E.Zasse, with certain reflections of our own. It has just appeared in the PrussianJournalofStatistics,andpowerfullycorroboratestheancient theoryofCycles.Theseperiods,whichbringaroundever‐recurring events, begin from the infinitesimal small – say of ten years – rotation and reach to cycles which require 250, 500, 700 and 1000 years,toeffecttheirrevolutionsaroundthemselves,andwithinone another.AllarecontainedwithintheMáhá‐Yug,theʺGreatAgeʺor Cycle of the Manu calculation, which itself revolves between two eternities – the ʺPralayasʺ or Nights of Brahma. As, in the objective world of matter, or the system of effects, the minor constellations andplanetsgravitateeachandallaroundthesun,sointheworld ofthesubjective,orthesystemofcauses,theseinnumerablecycles all gravitate between that which the finite intellect of the ordinary mortal regards as eternity, and the still finite, but more profound, intuition of the sage and philosopher views as but an eternity within THE ETERNITY. ʺAs above, so it is below,ʺ runs the old Hermetic maxim. As an experiment in his direction, Dr. Zasse selectedthestatisticalinvestigationsofallthewars,theoccurrence of which has been recorded in history, as a subject which lends itself more easily to scientific verification than any other. To SeeVolumeIofTheosophist,pp.345‐50.
1
THETHEORYOFCYCLES41
illustratehissubjectinthesimplestandmosteasilycomprehensible way, Dr. Zasse represents the periods of war and the periods of peaceintheshapeofsmallandlargewave‐linesrunningoverthe areaoftheoldworld.Theideaisnotnewone,for,theimagewas used for similar illustrations by more than one ancient and mediaeval mystic, whether in words or picture – by Henry Kunrath, for example. But it serves well its purpose and gives us the facts we now want. Before he treats, however, of the cycles of wars, the author brings in the record of the rise and fall of the worldʹs great empires, and shows the degree of activity they have played in the Universal History. He points out the fact that if we divide the map of the Old World into five parts – into Eastern, Central,andWesternAsia,EasternandWesternEurope,andEgypt – then we will easily perceive that every 250 years, an enormous wave passes over these areas, bringing into each in its turn the eventsithasbroughttotheonenextpreceding.Thiswavewemay call ʺthe historical waveʺ of the 250 yearsʹ cycle. The reader will pleasefollowthismysticalnumberofyears. The first of these waves began in China, 2,000 years B.C. – the ʺgolden ageʺ of this Empire, the age of philosophy, of discoveries andreforms.ʺIn1750B.C.,theMongoliansofCentralAsiaestablish a powerful empire. In 1500, Egypt rises from its temporary degradation and carries its sway over many parts of Europe and Asia;andabout1250,thehistoricalwavereachesandcrossesover to Eastern Europe, filling it with the spirit of the Argonautic expedition,anddiesoutin1000B.C.atthesiegeofTroy.ʺ AsecondhistoricalwaveappearsaboutthattimeinCentralAsia. ʺThe Scythians leave her steppes, and inundate towards the year 750 B.C. the adjoining countries, directing themselves towards the South and West; about the year 500 in Western Asia begins an epoch of splendour for ancient Persia; and the wave moves on to the east of Europe, where, about 250 B.C., Greece reaches her higheststateofcultureandcivilization–andfurtherontotheWest, where, at the birth of Christ, the Roman Empire finds itself at its apogeeofpowerandgreatness.ʺ
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Again,atthisperiodwefindtherisingofathirdhistoricalwave atthefarEast.Afterprolongedrevolutions,aboutthistime,China forms once more a powerful empire, and its arts, sciences and commerce flourish again. Then 250 years later, we find the Huns appearing from the depths of Central Asia; in the year 500 A.D. a newandpowerfulPersiankingdomisformed; in750–inEastern Europe – the Byzantine empire; and, in the year 1,000 – on its westernside–springsupthesecondRomanPower,theEmpireof the Papacy, which soon reaches an extraordinary development of wealthandbrilliancy. At the same time, the fourth wave approaches from the Orient. China is again flourishing; in 1250, the Mongolian wave from CentralAsiahasoverflowedandcoveredanenormousareaofland, includingwithitRussia.About1500,inWesternAsia,theOttoman EmpirerisesinallitsmightandconquerstheBalkanpeninsula;but at the same time in Eastern Europe, Russia throws off the Tartar yoke,andabout1750,duringthereignofEmpressCatherine,rises to an unexpected grandeur and covers itself with glory. The wave ceaselessly moves further on to the West, and, beginning with the middle of the past century, Europe is living over an epoch of revolutions and reforms, and, according to the author, ʺif it is permissible to prophetize, then, about the year 2,000, Western Europewillhavelivedoneofthoseperiodsofcultureandprogress sorareinhistory.ʺTheRussianpress,takingthecue,believesthat ʺtowardsthosedaystheEasternQuestionwillbefinallysettled,the nationaldissensionsoftheEuropeanpeopleswillcometoanend, andthedawnofthenewmillenniumwillwitnesstheabolishment of armies and an alliance between all the European empires.ʺ The signsofregenerationarealsofastmultiplyinginJapanandChina, as if pointing to the approach of a new historical wave at the extremeEast. If,fromthecycleoftwo‐and‐a‐halfcenturyduration,wedescend to those which leave their impress every century, and, grouping together the events of ancient history, will mark the development and rise of empires, then we will assure ourselves that, beginning
THETHEORYOFCYCLES43
from the year 700 B.C., the centennial wave pushes forward, bringingintoprominencethefollowingnations–eachinitsturn– theAssyrians,theMedes,theBabylonians,thePersians,theGreeks, the Macedonians, the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Germanians. Thestrikingperiodicity ofthewarsinEuropeisalsonoticedby Dr.E.Zasse.Beginningwith1700A.D.,everytenyearshavebeen signalized by either a war or a revolution. The periods of the strengthening and weakening of the warlike excitement of the European nations represent a wave strikingly regular in its periodicity, flowing incessantly, as if propelled onward by some invisible fixed law. This same mysterious law seems at the same time to make these events coincide with astronomical wave or cycle,which,ateverynewrevolution,isaccompaniedbythevery marked appearance of spots in the sun. The periods, when the European powers have shown the most destructive energy, are marked by a cycle of 50 yearsʹ duration. It would be too long and tedioustoenumeratethemfromthebeginningofHistory.Wemay, therefore,limitourstudytothecyclebeginningwiththeyear1712, whenalltheEuropeannationswerefightingatthesametime–the Northern, and the Turkish wars, and the war for the throne of Spain. About 1761, the ʺSeven Yearsʹ Warʺ; in 1810 the wars of Napoleon I. Towards 1861, the wave has a little deflected from its regular course, but, as if to compensate for it, or, propelled, perhaps,withunusualforces,theyearsdirectlypreceding,aswell as those which followed it, left in history the records of the most fierce and bloody war – the Crimean war – in the former period, andtheAmericanRebellioninthelatterone.Theperiodicityinthe wars between Russia and Turkey appears peculiarly striking and representsaverycharacteristicwave.Atfirsttheintervalsbetween thecycles,returninguponthemselves,areofthirtyyearsʹduration – 17I0, 1740, 1770; then these intervals diminish, and we have a cycleoftwentyyears–1790,1810,1829‐30;thentheintervalswiden again–1853and1878.But,ifwetakenoteofthewholedurationof the in‐flowing tide of the warlike cycle, then we will have at the
44THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
centreofit–from1768to1812–threewarsofsevenyearsʹduration each,and,atbothends,warsoftwoyears. Finally,theauthorcomestotheconclusionthat,inviewoffacts, itbecomesthoroughlyimpossibletodenythepresenceofaregular periodicityintheexcitementofbothmentalandphysicalforcesin the nations of the world. He proves that in the history of all the peoples and empires of the Old World, the cycles marking the millenniums,thecentennialsaswellastheminoronesof50and10 yearsʹ duration, are the most important, inasmuch as neither of them has ever yet failed to bring in its rear some more or less marked event in the history of the nation swept over by these historicalwaves. The history of India is one which, of all histories, is the most vagueandleastsatisfactory.Yet,wereitsconsecutivegreatevents noteddown,anditsannalswellsearched,thelawofcycleswould be found to have asserted itself here as plainly as in every other country in respect of its wars, famines, political exigencies and othermatters. In France, a meteorologist of Paris went to the trouble of compiling the statistics of the coldest seasons, and discovered, at thesametime,thatthoseyears,whichhadthefigure9inthem,had been marked by the severest winters. His figures run thus: In 859 A.D., the northern part of the Adriatic sea was frozen and was covered for three months with ice. In 1179, in the most moderate zones,theearthwascoveredwithseveralfeetofsnow.In1209,in France,thedepthofsnowandthebittercoldcausedsuchascarcity of fodder that most of the cattle perished in that country In 1249, the Baltic Sea, between Russia, Norway and Sweden remained frozen for many months and communication was held by sleighs. In 1339, there was such a terrific winter in England, that vast numbers of people died of starvation and exposure. In 1409, the riverDanubewasfrozenfromitssourcestoitsmouthintheBlack Sea.In1469allthevineyardsandorchardsperishedinconsequence ofthefrost.In1609,inFrance,SwitzerlandandUpperItaly,people hadtothawtheirbreadandprovisionsbeforetheycouldusethem.
THETHEORYOFCYCLES45
In 1639, the harbour of Marseilles was covered with ice to a great distance. In 1659 all the rivers in Italy were frozen. In 1699 the winter in France and Italy proved the severest and longest of all. Thepricesforarticlesoffoodweresomuchraisedthathalfofthe population died of starvation. In 1709 the winter was no less terrible.ThegroundwasfrozeninFrance,ItalyandSwitzerland,to the depth of several feet, and the sea, south as well as north, was covered with one compact and thick crust of ice, many feet deep, and for a considerable space of miles, in the usually open sea. Massesofwildbeasts,drivenoutbythecoldfromtheirdensinthe forests,soughtrefugeinvillagesandevencities;andthebirdsfell deadtothegroundbyhundreds.In1729,1749and1769(cyclesof 20 yearsʹ duration) all the rivers and streams were ice‐bound all over France for many weeks, and all the fruit trees perished. In 1789,Francewasagainvisitedbyaveryseverewinter.InParis,the thermometer stood at 19 degrees of frost. But the severest of all wintersprovedthatof1829.Forfifty‐fourconsecutivedays,allthe roadsinFrancewerecoveredwithsnowseveralfeetdeep,andall the rivers were frozen.Famine and misery reached their climax in the country in that year. In 1839 there was again in France a most terrific and trying cold season. And now the winter of 1879 has asserteditsstatisticalrightsandprovedtruetothefatalinfluenceof the figure 9. The meteorologists of other countries are invited to followsuitandmaketheirinvestigationslikewise,forthesubjectis certainlyoneofthemostfascinatingaswellasinstructivekind. Enoughhasbeenshown,however,toprovethatneithertheideas of Pythagoras on the mysterious influence of numbers, nor the theoriesofancientworld‐religionsandphilosophiesareasshallow andmeaninglessassometooforwardfree‐thinkerswouldhavehad theworldtobelieve. Theosophist,July,1880 H.P.Blavatsky
CYCLES APAPERREADBYWILLIAMQ.JUDGEBEFORE THEARYANT.S.,OCTOBER22,1889
INadvancingthesefewobservationsuponthedoctrineofcycles, noclaimtoanexhaustivestudyofthematterismade.Thispaperis merelybywayofsuggestion. Thesubjectwasbroughtbeforemymindbyourdiscussionsome evenings ago, when the question of the descent upon earth, or ascent from it, of celestial beings or progressed souls engaged our attention. It seemed certain that such ascent and descent were governed by cyclic laws, and therefore proceeded in regular periods. Some sentences from the Wisdom of the Egyptians by Synesius in matter furnished me by Bro. Chas. Johnston, now of India,read: After Osiris, therefore, was initiated by his father into the royal mysteries,thegodsinformedhim...thatastrongtribeofenvious andmalignantdamonswerepresentwithTyphosashispatrons,to whomhewasalliedandbywhomhewashurledforthintolight,in order that they might employ him as an instrument of the evil whichtheyinflictonmankind.Forthecalamitiesofnationsarethe banquetsoftheevildamons. Yetyoumustnotthinkthatthegodsarewithoutemployment,or that their descent to this earth is perpetual. For they descend according to orderly periods of time, for the purpose of imparting a beneficent impulse in the republics of mankind. But this happens when they harmonize a kingdom and send to this earth for that purposesoulswhoarealliedtothemselves.Forthisprovidenceis divine and most ample, which frequently through one man pays attentiontoandaffectscountlessmultitudesofmen. For there is indeed in the terrestrial abode the sacred tribe of heroes who pay attention to mankind, and who are able to give
CYCLES47
themassistanceeveninthesmallestconcerns....Thisheroictribe is,asitwere,acolonyfromthegodsestablishedhereinorderthat this terrene abode may not be left destitute of a better nature. But when matter excites her own proper blossoms to war against the soul, the resistance made by these heroic tribes is small when the gods are absent; for everything is strong only in its appropriate placeandtime....Butwhentheharmonyadaptedinthebeginning bythegodstoallterrenethingsbecomesold,theydescendagainto earththattheymaycalltheharmonyforth,energizeandresuscitate it when it is as it were expiring. . . . When, however, the whole orderofmundanethings,greatestandleast,iscorrupted,thenitis necessary that the gods should descend for the purpose of impartinganotherorderlydistributionofthings. AndintheBhagavadGitaitissaidbyKrishna: WhenRighteousness Declines,OBharata!WhenWickedness Isstrong,Irise,fromagetoage,andtake Visibleshape,andmoveamanwithmen, Succoringthegoodandthrustingtheevilback, AndsettingVirtueonherseatagain,
And: AttheapproachofBrahmaʹsday,whichendsafterathousand ages, all manifested objects come forth from the non‐developed principle.AttheapproachofBrahmasnighttheyareabsorbedin theoriginalprinciple.Thiscollectivemassofexistingthings,thus coming forth out of the absolute again and again, is dissolved at the approach of that night; and at the approach of a new day it emanatesagainspontaneously.
In the foregoing quotations two great aspects of cyclic law are stated. The latter has reference to the great cycle which includes all cyclesofeverykind.Alltheminorcyclesruntheircoursewithinit. Whenitbeginsanewcreationisusheredin,andwhenitendsthe great day of dissolution has arrived. In Arnoldʹs translation of the BhagavadGitathebeginningofthisgreatcycleisbeautifullycalled byhimʺthisvastDawn,ʺandoftheclosehereads:
48THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY Whenthatdeepnightdothdarken,allwhichis FadesbackagaintoHimwhosentitforth.
The real figures expressing the mortal years included in this periodarenotgiven.EachManwantara,accordingtotheHindus,is dividedintothefourYugasorAges,withacertainnumberofyears allotted to each. Speaking on this subject in the Key to Theosophy (page83),H.P.Blavatskygivesusacluethus: Take as a first comparison and a help towards a more correct conception,thesolaryear;andasasecond,thetwohalvesofthat year,producingeachadayandanightofsixmonthsdurationat theNorthPole.Nowimagine,ifyoucan,insteadofasolaryearof 365days,ETERNITY.Letthesunrepresenttheuniverse,andthe polardaysandnightsofsixmonthseach‐daysandnightslasting each 182 trillions and quadrillions of years instead of 182 days each.Asthesunriseseverymorningonourobjectivehorizonout ofits(tous)subjectiveandantipodalspace,sodoestheUniverse emerge periodically on the plane of objectivity,issuing from that ofsubjectivity‐theantipodesoftheformer.ThisistheʺCycleof Life.ʺ And as the sun disappears from our horizon, so does the UniversedisappearatregularperiodswhentheʺUniversalNightʺ setsin...
Thisisaboutthebestideawecangetofit.Itisimpossibleforthe human mind to conceive these periods. No brain can grasp 182 trillions of years, much less if quadrillions are added. Few if any persons can mentally traverse the full extent of even a million. But wecanmakeanapproximationtotheideabyusinghersuggestion ofdividingtheyearandcallingsixmonthsadayandsixmonthsa night, and then extending each into what is equivalent to infinity with us, since it is impossible to seize such immense periods of time. Andcarryingoutthecorrespondencesuggestedbyher,wehave at once a figure of the inclusion of all the minor cycles, by calling eachdaywhenweriseandnightwhenwesleepasthebeginning andendingofminorcycles.Thosedaysandnightsgotomakeup ouryearsandourlife.Weknoweachdayandcancalculateit,and fairlywellthrowthemindforwardtoseeayearorperhapsalife.
CYCLES49
A quotation from Vol. I.., at 31 of Isis Unveiled will give us the Indianfigures.Shesays: The Maha‐Kalpa embraces an untold number of periods far backintheantediluvianages.TheirsystemcomprisesaKalpaor grand period of 4,320,000,000 years which they divide into four lesseryugasrunningasfollows: Satyayug Tretayug Dwaparayug Kaliyug
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
1,728,000years 1,296,000years 864,000years 432,000years ________ 4,320,000
which make one divine age or Maha yuga; seventy‐one Maha Yugas make 306,720,000 years, to which is added a sandhi, or twilight, equal to a Satya yuga or 1,728,000 years, to make a manwantara of 308,448,000 years. Fourteen manwantaras make 4,318,272,000 years, to which must be added a sandhyamsa or dawn, 1,728,000, making the Kalpa or grand period of 4,320,000,000. As we are now (1878) only in the Kali Yuga of the 28thageofthe7thmanwantaraof308,448,000years,wehaveyet sufficient time before us to wait before we reach even halfof the timeallottedtotheworld.
Further H. P. Blavatsky clearly states that the other cycles are carriedoutwithinthisgreaterone,asat34,Vol.I. As our planet revolves once every year around the sun and at the same time once in every 24 hours upon its own axis, thus traversingminorcycleswithinalargerone,soistheworkofthe smallercyclicperiodsaccomplishedandrecommencedwithinthe GreatSaros.
Leaving the region of mathematics, we find this great period representstheextensionofpigmymanintothevastproportionsof thegreatman,whosedeathatthecloseoftheallottedperiodmeans theresolvingofallthingsbackintotheabsolute.Eachoftheyears of this Being embraces of our years so many that we cannot comprehend them. Each day of his years brings on a minor cataclysm among men; for at the close of each one of his days,
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metaphoricallyhesleeps.Andwe,asitwere,imitatingthisBeing, fallasleepatnightorafterourdiurnalperiodofactivity. We are as minor cells in the great body of this Being, and must actobedientlytotheimpulsesandmovementsofthebodyinwhich weareenclosedandtakepart. This greater man has a period of childhood, of youth, of manhood, of old age; and asthehour arrives for the close of each period, cataclysms take place over all the earth. And just as our ownfutureisconcealedfromourview,sothedurationofthesecret cyclewhichshowsthelengthoflifeofthisBeingishiddenfromthe sightofmortals. Wemustnot,however,fallintotheerrorofsupposingthatthere isbutoneofsuchgreatBeings.Therearemany,eachbeingevolved at the beginning of a new creation. But here we touch upon a portion of the ancient philosophy which is fully explained only to thosewhoareabletounderstanditbyvirtueofmanyinitiations. TheSandhyaandSandhyamsareferredtointhequotationtaken fromIsisUnveiledarerespectivelythetwilightandthedawn,each being said to be of the same length and containing the same number of years as the first or golden age ‐ i.e.,1,728,000. It is in strictcorrespondencewithourownsolardaywhichhasitstwilight anddawnbetweendayandnight. Ingoingoverthefiguresofthefourages,apeculiarityisnoticed towhichIreferatpresentasmerelyacuriosity.Itisthis: ThedigitsofSatyaYug1.7.2.8.Addedtogethermake18;those ofTretaYug1.2.9.6make18;thoseofDwaparaYug8.6.4make 18;whilethoseofKaliYug4.3.2sumuponly9;butifthoseofthe grand total of 4,320,000 be added together they make 9, and that with Kali give 18 again. 18 is a number peculiar to Krishna in the BhagavadGita,andthepoemhas18chaptersinit.Ifthethree18ʺs andone9foundasabovebeaddedtogether,theresultwillbe63, and3x6=18,andifaddedmake9,and18addedgivesnine.Ifwe multiplythethree18ʺsand9producedfromthedifferentages,we get 5.8. 3. 2. Which, if treated as before, give 18 again. And in the
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process of thus multiplying we discover a recurrence of the three eighteensandone9,onlyinverted,as:Thefirst18multipliedbythe secondonegives3.2.4,whichaddedresultsin9;324multipliedby the third 18 gives 5.8. 3. 2, which being added gives 18; and the product of the multiplication of 5,832 by 9, which is the result of addingthefiguresofKaliYuga,is5.8.4.1,whichonbeingadded gives 18 again.1 Now, as the last of these apparently fanciful operations,letusaddtogethertheresultsgainedbymultiplyingthe figureswhichwereobtainedduringthevariousstepswehavegone throughandthenaddingtheresults. Thefirstfiguresare1x8= Thesecond3x2x4= Thethird5x8x3x2= Thefourth5x8x4x1= Theseaddedtogethergive whicharethedigitsofKaliYuga.
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 8 ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 24 ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 240 ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 160 ____ ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ 4.3.2
Now turning to Isis Unveiled at p. 32 of Vol. 1, we find this remarkableparagraph: Higgins justly believed that the cycle of the Indian system, of 432,000,isthetruekeyofthesecretcycle.
Butinthefollowingparagraphshedeclaresitcannotberevealed. However,wemaygetsomeclues,forweseeinthefiguresofKali Yuga, 432,000, and in the great total (leaving out the Sandhis), 4,320,000.Whatthissecretcycleis,I,however,amnotcompetentto say.Ionlydesiretothrowoutthehints. Having thus glanced over the doctrine of the great cycle which includes all others, let us now devote a little consideration to the cycle referred to in the passages from the Egyptian Wisdom first quoted.
Readersmaynotbeabletoperformthecalculationsexactlyasstatedin thearticleassomeoftheoriginalstepshavebeenlost.[Ed.]
1
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This cycle may be called for the present purpose The Cycle of Descending Celestial Influences. By ʺdescendingʺ I mean descendinguponus. Osiris here signifies most probably the good side of nature, and his brother Typhos the evil. Both must appear together. Typhos is sometimescalledintheEgyptianbookstheopposer,andlaterwith us, is known as the Devil. This appearance of Typhos at the same time with Osiris is paralleled in the history of the Indian Krishna who was a white Adept, for at the same time there also reigned a powerful Black magician named Kansa, who sought to destroy Krishna in the same way as Typhos conspired against the life of Osiris.AndRamaalso,inHindulorethegreatAdeptorrulinggod, wasopposedbyRavana,thepowerfulBlackmagicianking. In instructing Osiris after the initiation, the gods foresaw two questions that might arise within him and which will also come beforeus.Thefirstistheideathatifthegodsarealiveanddonot minglewithmentotheadvantageofthelatterandforthepurpose of guiding them, then they must necessarily be without any employment.SuchachargehasbeenmadeagainsttheBeingswho are said to live in the Himalayas, possessed of infinite knowledge andpower.If,saythepublic,theyknowsomuch,whydonotthey come among us; and as they do not so come, then they must be withoutemployment,perpetuallybroodingovernothing. The instructor answered this in advance by showing how these Beings – called gods –governed mankind through efficient causes proceeding downward by various degrees; the gods being perpetually concerned in their proper sphere with those things relating to them, and which in their turn moved other causes that produced appropriate effects upon the earth, and themselves only coming directly into earthly relations when that became necessary at certain ʺorderly periods of time,ʺ upon the complete disappearance of harmony which would soon be followed by destructionifnotrestored.Thenthegodsthemselvesdescend.This is after the revolution of many smaller cycles. The same is said in Bhagavad‐Gita.
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But frequently during the minor cycles it is necessary, as the Egyptian Wisdom says, ʺto impart a beneficent impulse in the republicsofmankind.ʺThiscanbedonebyusinglesspowerthan would be dissipated were a celestial Being to descend upon earth, andherethedoctrineoftheinfluenceamongusofNirmanakayas2 orGnanisissupportedintheEgyptianschemeinthesewords: For there is indeed in the terrestrial abode the sacred tribe of heroes, who pay attention to mankind, and who are able to give themassistanceeveninthesmallestconcerns.
Thisheroictribeis,asitwere,acolonyfromthegodsestablished here in order that this terrene abode may not be left destitute of a betternature. TheseʺheroesʺarenoneotherthanNirmanakayas,Adeptsofthis or previous Manwantaras who remain here in various states or conditions. Some are not using bodies at all, but keep spirituality alive among men in allparts of theworld; and others are actually usingbodiesintheworld.Whothelatterareitwouldofcoursebe impossibleformetoknow,andifIhadtheinformation,togiveit outwouldbeimproper. And among this ʺsacred tribe of heroesʺ must be classed other souls. They are those who, although now inhabiting bodies and moving among men, have passed through many occult initiations in previous lives, but are now condemned, as it were, to the penanceoflivingincircumstancesandinbodiesthathemthemin, aswellasforatimemakethemforgetthegloriouspast.Buttheir influenceisalwaysfelt,eveniftheythemselvesarenotawareofit. For their higher nature being in fact more developed than that of othermen,itinfluencesothernaturesatnightorinhoursoftheday when all is favorable. The fact that these obscured adepts are not aware now of what they really are, only has to do with their memory of the past; it does not follow, because a man cannot rememberhisinitiations,thathehashadnone.Buttherearesome FormoreonNirmanakayas,ʺTheVoiceoftheSilenceʺ.
2
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cases in which we can judge with a degree of certainty that such adepts were incarnated and what they were named. Take Thomas Vaughan, Raymond Lully, Sir Thomas More, Jacob Boehme, Paracelsus,andotherslikethem,includingalsosomeoftheRoman Catholicsaints.Thesesoulswereaswitnessestothetruth,leaving throughthecenturies,intheirownnations,evidencesforthosewho followed, and suggestions for keeping spirituality bright seed‐ thoughts,asitwere,readyforthenewmentalsoil.Andaswellas thesehistoricalcharacters,therearecountlessnumbersofmenand women now living who have passed through certain initiations during their past lives upon earth, and who produce effects in many directions quite unknown to themselves now. They are, in fact,oldfriendsofʺthesacredtribeofheroes,ʺandcanthereforebe more easily used for the spreading of influences and the carrying out of effects necessary for the preservation of spirituality in this ageofdarkness.Wefindinourpresentexperienceaparalleltothis forgettingofpreviousinitiations.Thereishardlyoneofuswhohas notpassedthroughcircumstancesinearlylife,allofwhichwehave forgotten,butwhicheversincesensiblyaffectourthoughtsandlife. Hencetheonlypointaboutwhichanyquestioncanberaisedisthat of reincarnation. If we believe in that doctrine, there is no great difficulty in admitting that many of us may have been initiated to someextentandforgottenitforthetime.Inconnectionwiththiswe find in the 2d volume of The Secret Doctrine, at page 302, some suggestivewords.Theauthorsays: NowthatwhichthestudentsofOccultismoughttoknowisthat theʺthirdeyeʺisindissolublyconnectedwithKarma. InthecaseoftheAtlanteans,itwaspreciselytheSpiritualbeing whichsinned,theSpiritelementbeingstilltheʺMasterʺprinciple inman,inthosedays.ThusitisinthosedaysthattheheaviestKarma oftheFifthRacewasgeneratedbyourMonads.. Hence the assertion that many of us are now working off the effectsoftheevilKarmiccausesproducedbyusinAtlanteanbodies.
In another place she puts the date of the last Atlantean destructionasfarbackas11,000yearsago,anddescribesthemasa peopleofimmenseknowledgeandpower.Ifweallowabout1,000
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years for our period in Devachan, we will have only passed through some eleven incarnations since then; and supposing that manymorehavebeenourlot–asismyopinion,thenwehaveto place ourselves among those wonderful though wicked people at theheightoftheirpower.Grantingthatwewereguiltyofthesinful practicesofthedaysinwhichwethenlived,andknowingtheeffect of Karma, it must follow that since then we have passed through many very disagreeable and painful lives, resembling by analogy dreadful situations in the years between youth and maturity. No wonder,then,ifforthetimewehaveforgottenoutwardlywhatwe thenlearned. ButallthesehistoricalpersonagestowhomIhavereferredwere livinginadarkcyclethataffectedEuropeonly.Thesecyclesdonot cover the whole of the human race, fortunately for it, but run among the nations influenced for the allotted period, while other peoplesremainuntouched.ThuswhileEuropewasindarkness,all Indiawasfullofmen,kingsandcommonersalike,whopossessed thetruephilosophy;foradifferentcyclewasrunningthere. And such is the law as formulated by the best authorities. It is heldthatthesecyclesdonotincludethewholeofmankindatany onetime.InthispaperIdonotpurposetogointofigures,forthat requires a very careful examination of the deeds and works of numeroushistoricalpersonagesinuniversalhistory,soastoarrive byanalysisatcorrectperiods. Itisthoughtbymanythatthepresentisatimewhenpreparation isbeingmadebythemostadvancedoftheʺsacredtribeofheroesʺ for a new cycle in which the assistance of a greater number of progressed souls from other spheres may be gained for mankind. Indeed,inIsisUnveiledthisisplainlystated. Writingin1878,MadameBlavatskysaysinVol.IofIsis: Unless we mistake the signs, the day is approaching when the world will receive the proofs that only ancient religions were in harmonywithnature,andancientscienceembracedallthatcanbe known. Secrets long‐kept may be revealed; books long‐forgotten andartslong‐time‐lostmaybebroughtouttolightagain;papyri
56THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY and parchments of inestimable importance will turn up in the handsofmenwhopretendtohaveunrolledthemfrommummies orstumbledupontheminburiedcrypts;tabletsandpillars,whose sculptured revelations will stagger theologians and confound scientists,mayyetbeexcavatedandinterpreted.Whoknowsthe possibilities of the future? An era of disenchantment and rebuildingwillsoonbegin‐nay,hasalreadybegun.Thecyclehas almostrunitscourse;anewoneisabouttobegin,andthefuture pagesofhistorymaycontainfullproofthat– Ifancestrycanbeinaughtbelieved, Descendingspiritshaveconversedwithman Andtoldhimsecretsoftheworldunknown.
Nowthewaytogetatthecomingonoftheperiodorcloseofa largercyclewithoutwanderinginthemazesoffigures,istoregard thehistoryandpresentstateofmankindasknown. ThusinthedarkerageofEuropewefindIndiaalmostunknown and America wholly so. That was a period when cycles were operatingapartfromeachother,formenwereseparatedfromand ignorant of each other. In these continents there were great and powerfulnationsrulinginbothNorthandSouthAmerica,butthey werenotincommunicationwithEuropeorIndia. Now,however,ChinaknowsofandcommunicateswithEngland and America, and even dark Africa has constant visitors from all civilizednations,andtosomeextentisaffectedbyus.Doubtlessin thegreaternumberoftownsinAfricathewhitemanandhisdoings are more or less like fables, but we with larger knowledge know thatthosefablesrestuponthefactofourexplorationsthere. Judging,then,fromtheappearancesintheaffairsofmen,wecan conclude that now some great cycle is either ending or beginning, andthatanumberofminorcirclesareapproachingeachother. At the same time with these social or material cycles, there are correspondingonesonahigherplane.Oneisquiteeasytotrace.It is the influence of Eastern metaphysics upon the Western mind. This higher cycle had been revolving for many years among the Orientals before we came within its power. Our falling under it is
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duetoaphysicalcycleasameans.Thatonewhichisrepresentedin theprogressoftrade,ofscience,ofmeansfortransportation.Inthis waythephilosophicalsystemofIndiaandTibethasbeguntoaffect us,andnomancancalculateitscourse. Taking into account the spiritual cycles all so intimately connectedwithKarmaandreincarnation,onewouldbecompelled to conclude that this cycle will not be slow or weak. For, if we in Europe and America are the reincarnations of the ancients who formulated this philosophy, we must certainly be powerfully affecteduponhavingitpresentedtoournoticeinthislife.Andas the very air is getting filled with theosophical ideas, and children aregrowingupeveryday,theconclusionisirresistiblethatasthe newgenerationgrowsupitwillbemorefamiliarwiththeosophical terms and propositions than we were in our youths. For in every direction now, children are likely to hear Karma, Reincarnation, Buddhism,Theosophy,andalltheseideasmentionedordiscussed. In the course of twenty‐five years, then, we shall find here in the UnitedStatesalargeandintelligentbodyofpeoplebelievingonce moreintheverydoctrineswhichthey,perhapsagesago,helpedto defineandpromulgate. Why not, then, call one of our present cycles the cycle of the Theosophical Society? It began in 1875, and, aided by other cycles then beginning to run, it has attained some force. Whether it will revolve for any greater length of time depends upon its earnest members.Memberswhoenteritforthepurposeofacquiringideas merely for their own use will not assist. Mere numbers do not do thework,butsincere,earnest,active,unselfishmemberswillkeep this cycle always revolving. The wisdom of those who set it in motion becomes apparent when we begin to grasp somewhat the meaning of cyclic law. The Society could have remained a mere idea and might have been kept entirely away from outward expression in organization. Then, indeed, ideas similar to those prevalent in our Society might have been heard of. But how? Garbled,andpresentedonlyhereandthere,sothatperhapsnotfor half a century later would they be concretely presented. A wise
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man, however, knows how to prepare for a tide of spiritual influence.Buthowcouldanevery‐dayRussianorAmericanknow that 1875 was just the proper year in which to begin so as to be ready for the oncoming rush now fairly set in? To my mind the mere fact that we were organized with a definite platform in that yearisstrongevidencethattheʺheroictribeofheroesʺhadahand inourformation.Letus,then,notresistthecycle,nor,complaining ofthetask,sitdowntorest.Thereisnotimeforrest.Theweak,the despairing, and the doubting may have to wait, but men and women of action cannot stand still in the face of such an opportunity. Arise,then,OAtlanteans,andrepairthemischiefdonesolongago! Rollon,OWheel,rollonandconquer; Rollonforevermore!
Path,December,1889 WilliamQ.Judge
CYCLICIMPRESSIONANDRETURN ANDOUREVOLUTION LECTURE,APRIL25,1892,BEFORETHECONVENTION WILLIAMQ.JUDGE Mr.Chairman,FellowTheosophists,LadiesandGentlemen:The title of what I am about to say to you is CYCLIC IMPRESSION AND RETURN AND OUR EVOLUTION. Now what is a cycle? It hasnothingtodowiththewordpsychic,andIamsorrytohaveto saythat,becauseIheardsomepeoplethismorningrepeatthetitle as ʺpsychicʺ instead of ʺcyclic,ʺ seeming to think perhaps that that was the same thing, or had some relation to it. The word cyclic is derivedfromtheGreekwordKuklos,oraring.Ithasbeenturnedin theEnglishlanguageintothewordcycle,bytheprocessofsaying Kykle, and then cycle. The corresponding word in the Sanscrit is Kalpa, which has in fact a wider and a deeper meaning; because cycle in English is a word which covers, is used for, and thus somewhatconfuses,manycycles.Itisusedforthesmallcycles,and the larger cycles, the intermediate cycles and the great ones, whereasthewordKalpameansandimpliesonlyonecycleofalarge size, and the smaller cycles within that are designated by other words. Whatisacycle?Itisacircle,aring.Butnotproperlyaringlikea weddingring,whichrunsintoitself,butmoreproperlylikeascrew thread,whichtakestheformofaspiral,andthusbeginningatthe bottom, turns on itself, and goes up. It is something like the great Horseshoe Curve in the Pennsylvania Railroad. There you go aroundthecurveatthelowerend;yougodownintothehorseshoe, and as you turn the grade rises, so that when you arrive at the opposite side you have gotten no further than the beginning, but youhaverisenjustthedistancebetweenthetwoendsofthegrade. But what do we mean by a cycle in Theosophy, in our own investigations of nature, or man, or civilization, or our own
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development, our own origin, our own destiny? We mean by cycles, just what the Egyptians, the Hindoos and the philosophers of the Middle Ages meant by it; that is, that there is a periodical returnorcyclingback,circlingbackofsomethingfromsomeplace once more. That is why it is called cycle, inasmuch as it returns uponitself,seemingly;butintheTheosophicaldoctrine,andinthe ancient doctrines, it is always a little higher in the sense of perfectionorprogress.Thatistosay,astheEgyptiansheld,cycles prevaileverywhere,thingscomebackagain,eventsreturn,history comes back, and so in this century we have the saying: ʺHistory repeatsitself.ʺ But where do Theosophists say that cyclic law prevails? We say thatitprevailseverywhere.Itprevailsineverykingdomofnature, in the animal kingdom, the mineral world, the human world; in history, in the sky, on the earth. We say that not only do cycles pertain, and appertain, and obtain in and to the earth and its inhabitants,butalsoinwhattheHindooscallthethreekingdomsof theuniverse,thethreeworlds;thatis,thatbelowus,ourselves,and thatabove. Now, if you will turn to Buckle, a great writer of the English school, you will find him saying in one of his standard books, a greatbookoftenquoted,thatthereisnodoubtcycliclawprevailsin regard to nations, that they have come back apparently the same, only slightly improved or degraded, for there is also a downward cycleincludedwithinthosethatrise;butBuckledidnotdiscovera law. He simply once more stated what the ancients had said over andoveragain.AndithasalwaysseemedtomethatifBuckleand other people of that kind would pay a little more attention to the ancients,theywouldsavethemselvesagreatdealoftrouble,forhe obtained his law by much delving, much painstaking labor, whereas he might have gotten the law if he had consulted the ancients,whoalwaystaughtthattherewere cycles,andthatthere alwayswillbecycles. Amongtheancientstheyhadagreatmanylargeandimportant cycles. In their classification they had a Saros and a Naros, which
CYCLICIMPRESSIONANDRETURNANDOUREVOLUTION61
are not understood today by us. They are known to some extent, but what exactly they are, we do not know. The Egyptians taught thattherewasagreatsiderealcycle,andthatisrecognizedtoday,at last;thatisthecycleof25,000years,thegreatonecausedbythefact thatthesunwentthroughthesignsoftheZodiacinthatlengthof time. Now, I do not assume that you know nothing about astronomy,butinordertomakeitclear,itwillbebetterformeto statethisoveragain,justasitis.Thesungoesthroughthesignsof theZodiacfromdaytodayandfromyeartoyear,butatthesame time,ingoingthroughthesignsoftheZodiac,hegoesbackslowly, likethehandsofaclocktickingoffthetime.Ingoingthroughthat periodhecomesbacktothesamepointagain,andretardshimself, orgoesback;thatiscalledtheprecessionoftheequinoxes,anditis somanysecondsinsuchalengthoftime.Thosesecondsinthesky turnedintotimeshowyouthatthesuntakes25,000andoddyears to come back to the place from which he started out at any particular time; that is to say, if you imagine that on the first of April, this year, the sun was in such a degree of Aries, one of the signs of the Zodiac, he will not get back to that sign by the precessionoftheequinoxesuntil25,000yearshavepassedaway. Now, the sun is the center of our solar system and the earth revolves around it, and as the earth revolves she turns upon her axis.Thesun,itisknownnowbyastronomers,asitwasknownby theancients(whowereourselvesinfact),revolvesaroundacenter. Thatis,thatwhilewearegoingaroundthesun,heisgoingaround someothercenter,sothatwedescribeintheskynotacirclearound thesun,butaspiral,aswemovewiththesunaroundhisenormous orbit. Now do you grasp that idea exactly? It is a very important one,foritopensupthesubjecttoaverylargeextent.Thereisastar somewhere in the sky, we do not know where – some think it is Alcyon, or some other star, some think it may be a star in the Pleiades, and some others think it is a star somewhere else – but they know by deduction from the known to the unknown, as Brother Thomas told you this morning, that the sun is attracted himselfbysomeunknowncenter,andthatheturnsarounditinan enormouscircle,andasheturns,ofcoursehedrawstheearthwith
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him.Inthecourseof25,000yearsingoingaroundthesignsofthe Zodiac, he must take the earth into spaces where it has never yet been,forwhenhereachesthispointinAries,after25,000years,itis only apparently the same point, just as when I came around the curve of the Horseshoe, I started around the first point and went aroundthecurve,camebacktothesamepoint,butIwashigherup; Iwasinanotherposition.Andso,whenthesungetsbackagainto thepointinAries,wherehewasonthefirstofAprilthis year,he willnotbeintheexactpositionintheuniverseofspace,buthewill be somewhere else, and in his journey of 25,000 years through billionsuponbillionsofmiles,hedrawstheearthintospaceswhere she never was before, and never will be as that earth again. He must draw her into cosmic spaces where things are different, and thuscausechangesintheearthitself,forchangesincosmicmatter in the atmosphere, in the space where the sun draws the earth, must affect the earth and all its inhabitants. The ancients investigated this subject, and declared long ago this 25,000 years cycle,butitisonlyjustlately,sotospeak,thatwearebeginningto say we have discovered this. We know, as Nineteenth century astronomers, that it is a fact, or that it must be a fact, from deduction,buttheyknewitwasafactbecausetheyhadobservedit themselvesandrecordedtheobservations. The Egyptians had also the cycle of the Moon, which we know, andtheyhadmorecyclesofthemoonthanwehave,forthemoon notonlyhashercycleoftwenty‐eightdays,whenshechangesfrom full to disappearance, and then again to youth, but she also has a periodofreturnsomewhereoverfourteenyears,whichmustitself haveitseffectupontheearth. Then they said, also, that the human soul had its cycle, it being 5,000 years. That is, the man died, or the king died, and his body was turned into a mummy in the hope that when, after his five thousand years cycle had elapsed and he came back once more to earth, he would find his mummy there? No; but that no one else should have taken his mummied atoms and made a bad use of them. Mummification is explained by us in another way. Their
CYCLICIMPRESSIONANDRETURNANDOUREVOLUTION63
knowledge of the law of cycles caused them to make the first mummy.Theyheldthatahumansoulreturned;theyalsoheldthat allatomsarealive,justaswedo;thattheyaresensitivepoints;that they have intelligence belonging to the plane on which they are, andthatthemanwhomisusesatomsofmatter,suchasyouhavein your bodies and your brains, must stand the consequences. Consequently, saying that to themselves, they said, ʺIf I die, and leavethoseatoms,whichIhaveusedsowell,perhapssomeother manwilltakethemandusethembadly,soIwillpreservethemas far as possible until I return, and then by a process destroy the combination of atoms, absorb them into some place, or position, wheretheymightbeputtogooduse.ʺThatmayseemoffensiveto sometoday,butIammerelyrepeatingthetheory.Iamnotsaying whetherIbelieveitornot. TheancientEgyptianswhoheldthesetheorieshavedisappeared and left nothing behind but the pyramids, the temples of Thebes, theSphinxesandallthegreatmonumentswhichareslowlybeing discoveredbyus.Wherehavetheygone?Havetheycomeback?Do the Copts now in Egypt represent them? I think not, although heredity is the boasted explanation of everything. The Copts are their descendants? They know nothing, absolutely nothing but a simple language, and they live the life of slaves, and yet they are the descendants of the ancient Egyptians! What has become of them? The ancient Egyptians we think were co‐laborers with the ancient Hindoos, whose cycle remains; that is to say, whose descendants remain, holding the knowledge, in part, of their forefathers, and we find that the Hindoos have held always the sametheories astocyclesastheEgyptiansheld.Theydividedthe agesoftheworld.Theysaymanifestationbegins,andthenitlasts for a period called a Kalpa, an enormous number of years; that Kalpa is divided into ages. Thesmall cycle is composed ofa large numberofyears;onewillbefourthousand,anotherfourhundred thousand, another will be a million, and so on, making a total whichwecannotgraspwiththemindbutwhichwecanwriteupon thepaper.
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Now, the idea of cycles came from the Hindoos, through the nationswhospreadoutfromthere,foritisadmittedthattheland ofHindustanisthecradleoftherace.TheAryanracecamedown into Christendom, so that we find the Christians, the Romans, the Greeks and all people around that time holding the same theories astocycles;thatis,thatcycliclawprevailseverywhere.Wefindit intheancientmystics,theChristianmystics,themiddleagemystics andthemysticsoftimesnearertoours. If you will read the works of Higgins, who wrote the Anacalypsis, you will find there laborious compilations and investigationsonthesubjectofthecycles.Dotheyobtain?Isthere suchathingasacyclewhichaffectshumandestiny? Comingclosertoourownpersonallife,wecanseethatcyclesdo andmustprevail,forthesunrisesinthemorningandgoestothe center of the sky, descends in the west; the next day he does the same thing, and following him, you rise. You come to the highest pointofyouractivity,andyougotosleep.Sodayfollowsnightand night follows day. Those are cycles, small cycles, but they go to makethegreaterones.Youwereborn,ataboutsevenyearsofage youbegantogetdiscretiontosomeextent.Alittlelongerandyou reach manhood, then you begin to fall, and at last you finish the greatdayofyourlifewhenbodydies. In looking at nature we also find that there are summer and winter,springandautumn.Thesearecycles,andeveryoneofthem affectstheearth,withthehumanbeingsuponit. The esoteric doctrine that Brother Mead has been talking about, the inner doctrine of the old theosophists and the present day theosophists,tobefoundineveryoldliteratureandreligiousbook, isthatcycliclawisthesupremelawgoverningourevolution;that reincarnation, which we talk so much about, is cyclic law in operation and is supreme. For what is reincarnation but a coming backagaintolife,justwhattheancientEgyptianstaughtandwhich wearefindingouttobeprobablytrue,forinnootherwaythanby thiscycliclawofreincarnationcanweaccountfortheproblemsof lifethatbesetus;withthisweaccountforourowncharacter,each
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one different from the other, and with a force peculiar to each person. This being the supreme law, we have to consider another one, whichisrelatedtoitandcontainedinthetitleIhaveadopted.That isthelawofthereturnofimpressions.Whatdowemeanbythat?I mean, those acts and thoughts performed by a nation – not speakingaboutthethingsthataffectnature,althoughitisgoverned by the same law – constitute an impression. That is to say, your coming to this convention creates in your nature an impression. Your going into the street and seeing a street brawl creates an impression. Your having a quarrel last week and denouncing a man, or with a woman and getting very angry, creates an impressioninyou,andthatimpressionisasmuchsubjecttocyclic law as the moon, and the stars, and the world, and is far more important in respect to your development – your personal development or evolution – than all these other great things, for they affect you in the mass, whereas these little ones affect you in detail. ThisTheosophicaldoctrineinrespecttocycles,andtheevolution of the human race, I think is known to you all, for I am assuming thatyouarealltheosophists. It is to be described somewhat in this way: Imagine that before thisearthcameoutofthegaseousconditionthereexistedanearth somewhere in space, let us call it the moon, for that is the exact theory.Themoonwasoncealargeandvitalbodyfullofbeings.It liveditslife,wentthroughitscycles,andatlasthavingliveditslife, aftervastageshadpassedaway,cametothemomentwhenithad todie;thatis,themomentcamewhenthebeingsonthatearthhad toleaveit,becauseitsperiodhadelapsed,andthenbeganfromthat earththeexodus.Youcanimagineitasaflightofbirdsmigrating. Did you ever see birds migrate? I have seen them migrate in a mannerthatperhapsnotmanyofyouhave.InIreland,andperhaps inEngland,theswallowsmigrateinamannerverypeculiar.When Iwasaboy,Iusedtogotomyuncleʹsplacewheretherewasanold massofstoneruinsattheendofthegarden,andbysomepeculiar
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combination of circumstances the swallows of the whole neighboring counties collected there. The way they gathered there was this: When the period arrived, you could see them coming in allpartsofthesky,andtheywouldsettledownandtwitteronthis pile of stone all day, and fly about. When the evening came – twilight–theyraisedinabodyandformedanenormouscircle.It must have been over forty feet in diameter, and that circle of swallows flew around in the sky, around this tower, around and aroundforanhourortwo,makingaloudtwitteringnoise,andthat attracted from other places swallows who had probably forgotten theoccasion.Theykeptthatupforseveraldays,untilonedaythe period arrived when they must go, and they went away – some wereleftbehind,somecamealittleearly,andsomecametoolate. Other birds migrate in other ways. And so these human birds migratedfromthemoontothisspotwheretheearthbegan(Idonʹt know where it is – a spot in space – ) and settled down as living beings,entities,notwithbodies,butbeings,inthatmassofmatter, atthatpointinspace,informeditwithlife,andatlastcausedthis earthtobecomeaballwithbeingsuponit.Andthencyclesbegan toprevail,fortheimpressionsmadeuponthesefatherswhenthey livedintheancient–mindfailstothinkhowancient–civilization of the moon, came back again when they got to this earth, and so wefindtheracesoftheearthrisingupandfalling,risingagainand falling,risingandfalling,andatlastcomingtowhattheyarenow, whichisnothingtowhattheywillbe,fortheygoeverhigherand higher. That is the theory, broadly, and in that is included the theory of the races, the great seven races who inhabited the earth successively,thegreatsevenAdamswhopeopledtheearth;andat lastwhenthisearthshallcometoitstimeoflife,itsperiod,allthe beings on it will fly away from it to some other spot in space to evolvenewworldsaselderbrotherswhohavedonethesamething before in other spaces in nature. We are not doing this blindly. It has been done before by others – no one knows when it began. It had nothing in the way of a beginning, it will have no end, but there are always elder brothers of the race, who live on. As some have written, we cannot turn back the cycles in their course. The
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fire of patriotism cannot prevail against the higher destiny which will plunge a nation into darkness. All we can do is to change it here and there a little. The elder brothers are subject to law, but theyhaveconfidenceandhope,becausethatlawmerelymeansthat theyappeartogodown,inordertoriseagainatagreaterheight.So that we have come up through the cyclic law from the lowest kingdoms of nature. That is, we are connected in an enormous brotherhood,whichincludesnotonlythewhitepeopleoftheearth and the black people of the earth, and the yellow people, but the animalkingdom,thevegetablekingdom,themineralkingdomand the unseen elemental kingdom. You must not be so selfish as to suppose that it includes only men and women. It includes everything,everyatominthissolarsystem.Andwecomeupfrom lower forms, and are learning how to so mould and fashion, use and abuse, or impress the matter that comes into our charge, into ourbodies,ourbrainsandourpsychicalnature,sothatthatmatter shall be an improvement to be used by the younger brothers who are still below us, perhaps in the stone beneath our feet. I do not meanbythatthatthereisahumanbeinginthatstone.Imeanthat everyatominthestoneisnotdeadmatter.Thereisnodeadmatter anywhere,buteveryatominthatstonecontainsalife,unintelligent, formless,butpotential,andatsomeperiodintimefarbeyondour comprehension, all of those atoms in that stone will have been released.Thematteritselfwillhavebeenrefined,andatlastallin thisgreatcycleofprogresswillhavebeenbroughtupthestepsof the ladder, in order to let some others lower still in a state we cannotunderstandcomeuptothem. That is the real theory. Is that superstition? If you believe the newspapers that is superstition, for they will twist and turn everything you say. Your enemies will say you said there was a man in that stone, and that you have been a stone. You have not been a stone, but the great monad, the pilgrim who came from other worlds has been in every stone, has been in every kingdom, andnowhasreachedthestateofman,toshowwhetherheisableto continuebeingaman,orwhetherhewilloncemorefallback,like theboyatschoolwhowillnotlearn,intothelowestclass.
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Nowthen,thislawofimpressionsIhavebeentalkingaboutcan beillustratedinthisway:Ifyoulookatoneoftheseelectriclights– take away all the rest, leaving one only, so as to have a better impression–youwillfindthelightmakesanimageontheretina, andwhenyoushutyoureye,thisbrightfilamentoflightmadebya carbon in an incandescent lamp will be seen by you in your eye. Youcantryit,andseeforyourselves.Ifyoukeepyoureyeclosed and watch intently, you will see the image come back a certain numberofcounts,itwillstayacertainnumberofcounts,itwillgo away in the same length of time and come back again, always changing in some respect but always the image of the filament, untilatlastthetimecomeswhenitdisappearsapparentlybecause otherimpressionshaverubbeditoutorcovereditover.Thatmeans that there is a return even in the retina of the impression of this filament.Afterthefirsttime,thecolorchangeseachtime,andsoit keeps coming back at regular intervals, showing that there is a cyclic return of impression in the retina, and as Brother Thomas said this morning, if that applies in one place, it applies in every place.Andwhenwelookintoourmoralcharacterwefindthesame thing, for as we have the tides in the ocean, explained as they say by the moon – which in my opinion does not explain it, but of course,beingnoscientist,myviewisnotworthmuchsoinmanwe have tides, which are called return of these impressions; that is to say, you do a thing once, there will be a tendency to repeat itself; you do it twice, and it doubles its influence, a greater tendency to do that same thing again. And so on all through our character shows this constant return of cyclic impression. We have these impressions from every point in space, every experience we have been through, everything that we can possibly go through at any time, even those things which our forefathers went through. And thatisnotunjustforthisreason,thatourforefathersfurnishedthe line of bodily encasement, and we cannot enter that line of bodily encasementunlesswearelikeuntoit,andforthatreasonwemust havebeenatsomepointinthatcycleinthatsamelineorfamilyin thepast,sothatImusthavehadahandinthepastinconstructing
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theparticularfamilylineinwhichInowexist,andammyselfonce moretakingupthecyclicimpressionreturninguponme. Nowthishasthegreatestpossiblebearinguponourevolutionas particularindividuals,andthatistheonlywayinwhichIwishto consider the question of evolution here; not the broad question of theevolutionoftheuniverse,butourownevolution,whichmeans our bodily life, as Madame Blavatsky, repeating the ancients, said toussooften,andaswefoundsaidbysomanyofthesameschool. Anopportunitywillariseforyoutodosomething;youdonotdoit, you may not have it again for one hundred years. It is the return before you of some old thing that was good, if it is a good one, along the line of the cycles. You neglect it, as you may, and the sameopportunitywill return,mindyou,butit maynotreturnfor manyhundredyears.Itmaynotreturnuntilanotherlife,butitwill returnunderthesamelaw. Nowtakeanothercase.Ihaveafriendwhoistryingtofindout all about theosophy, and about a psychic nature, but I have discovered that he is not paying the slightest attention to this subject of the inevitable return upon himself of these impressions which he creates. I discovered he had periods of depression (and this will answer for everybody), when he had a despondency that he could not explain. I said to him, you have had the same despondency maybe seven weeks ago, maybe eight weeks ago, maybefiveweeksago.Heexaminedhisdiaryandhisrecollection, andhefoundthathehadactualrecurrencesofdespondencyabout thesamedistanceapart.Well,Isaid,thatexplainstomehowitis coming back. But what am I to do? Do what the old theosophists taughtus;thatis,wecanonlyhavethesegoodresultsbyproducing opposite impressions to bad ones. So, take this occasion of despondency.Whatheshouldhavedonewas,thatbeingthereturn ofanoldimpression,tohavecompelledhimselftofeeljoyous,even against his will, and if he could not have done that, then to have tried to feel the joy of others. By doing that, he would have implanted in himself another impression, that is of joy, so that when this thing returned once more, instead of being of the same
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quality and extension, it would have been changed by the impression of joy or elation and the two things coming together would have counteracted each other, just as two billiard balls coming together tend to counteract each otherʹs movements. This applies to every person who has the blues. This does notapply to me, and I think it must be due to the fact thatin some other life I havehadtheblues.Ihaveotherthings,butthebluesnever. I have friends and acquaintances who have these desponding spells.Itisthereturnofoldcyclicimpressions,orthecyclicreturn of impressions. What are you to do? Some people say, I just sit down and let it go; that is to say, you sit there and create it once more. You cannot rub it out if it has been coming, but when it comes start up something else, start up cheerfulness, be good to someone,thentrytorelievesomeotherpersonwhoisdespondent, andyouwillhavestartedanotherimpression,whichwillreturnat thesametime.Itdoesnotmakeanydifferenceifyouwaitadayor twotodothis.Thenextday,orafewdaysafterwilldo,forwhen theoldcyclicimpressionreturns,itwillhavedraggedupthenew one,becauseitisrelatedtoitbyassociation. This has a bearing also on the question of the civilization in whichweareapointourselves. Whoarewe?Wherearewegoing?Wherehavewecomefrom?I told you that the old Egyptians disappeared. If you inquire into Egyptian history, the most interesting because the most obscure, youwillfind,asthewriterssay,thatthecivilizationseemstoriseto the zenith at once. We do not see when it began. The civilization wassogreatitmusthaveexistedanenormouslengthoftimetoget tothatheight,sothatwecannottraceitfromitsbeginning,andit disappearssuddenlyfromthesky;thereisnothingofitleftbutthe enormous remains which testify to these great things, for the ancient Egyptians not only made mummies in which they displayedtheartofbandagingthatwecannotbetter,buttheyhad put everything to such a degree of specialization that we must conclude they had many centuries of civilization. There was a specialist for one eye and a specialist for the other, a specialist for
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theeyebrow,andsoon.Inmypoorandhumbleopinion,wearethe Egyptians. We have come back again, after our five thousand or whatever yearscycleitis,andwehavedraggedbackwithussomeonecalled the Semitic race, with which we are connected by some old impression that we cannot get rid of, and so upon us is impinged that very Semitic image. We have drawn back with us, by the inevitable law of association in cyclic return, some race, some personagesconnectedwithusbysomeactsofoursinthatgreatold civilizationnowdisappeared,andwecannotgetridofit;wemust raisethemuptosomeotherplaneasweraiseourselves. I think in America is the evidence that this old civilization is coming back, for in the theosophical theory nothing is lost. If we were left to records, buildings and the like, they would soon disappearandnothingcouldeverberecovered;thereneverwould beanyprogress.Buteachindividualinthecivilization,whereverit may be, puts the record in himself, and when he comes into the favorable circumstances described by Patanjali, an old Hindoo, when he gets the apparatus, he will bring out the old impression. Theancientssayeachacthasathoughtunderit,andeachthought makes a mental impression; and when the apparatus is provided, there will then arise that new condition, in rank, place and endowment. Soweretaininourselvestheimpressionofallthethingsthatwe have done, and when the time comes that we have cycled back, over and over again, through the middle ages perhaps, into England, into Germany, into France, we come at last to an environmentsuchasisprovidedhere,justthethingphysicallyand every other way to enable us to do well, and to enable the others whoarecomingafterus.Icanalmostseethem;theyarecomingin a little army from the countries of the old world to endeavor to improve this one; for here ages ago there was a civilization also, perhaps we were in it then, perhaps anterior to the ancient Egyptians.Itdisappearedfromhere,whenwedonotknow,andit left this land arid for many thousands of years until it was
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discoveredoncemorebytheEuropeans.Theancientworld,Imean Europe, has been poisoned, the land has been soaked with the emanations, poisoned by the emanations of the people who have lived upon it; the air above it is consequently poisoned by the emanations from the land; but here in America, just the place for the new race, is an arable land which has had time over and over againtodestroythepoisonsthatwereplantedhereagesandages ago. It gives us a new land, with vibrations in the air that stir up everyparticleinamanwhobreathesit,andthuswefindthepeople comingfromtheoldworldseemingtoreceivethroughtheirfeetthe impressions of an American country. All this bears upon our civilizationandrace. We are here a new race in a new cycle, and persons who know saythatacycleisgoingtoendinafewyearsandanewonebegin, and that that ending and beginning will be accompanied by convulsions of society and of nature. We can all almost see it coming. The events are very complete in the sky. You remember Danielsays,ʺAtime,halfatime,andatime,ʺandsoon,andpeople intheChristiansystemhavebeentryingtofindoutthetimewhen thetimebegan,andthatisjustthedifficulty.Wedonotknowwhen the time began. And the only person who in all these many years hasmadeadirectstatementisMadameBlavatsky,andshesaid,ʺA cycleisendinginafewyears,youmustprepare.ʺSothatitwaslike the old prophets who came to the people and said, ʺPrepare for a neweraofthings,getreadyforwhatyouhavetodo.ʺThatisjust what this civilization is doing. It is the highest, although the crudest, civilization now on the earth. It is the beginning of the great civilization that is to come, when old Europe has been destroyed: when the civilizations of Europe are unable to do any more, then this will be the place where the new great civilization willbegintoputoutahandoncemoretograspthatoftheancient East, who has sat there silently doing nothing all these years, holding in her ancient crypts and libraries and records the philosophy which the world wants, and it is this philosophy and thisethicsthattheTheosophicalSocietyistryingtogiveyou.Itisa philosophyyoucanunderstandandpractice.
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Itiswellenoughtosaytoaman,Doright,butafterawhile,in this superstitious era, he will say, Why should I do right, unless I feel like it? When you are showing these laws, that he must come back in his cycle; that he is subject to evolution; that he is a reincarnatedpilgrimsoul,thenhewillseethereasonwhy,andthen in order to get him a secure basis, he accepts the philosophy, and that is what the theosophical society and the theosophical movement are trying to do. Brother George Mead said the other day,inspeakingofasubjectlikethis,thatthegreatendandaimis the great renunciation. That is, that after progressing to great heights,whichyoucanonlydobyunselfishness,atlastyousayto yourself, ʺI may take the ease to which I am entitled.ʺ For what prevailsinoneplacemustprevailinanother,andinthecourseof progresswemustcomeatlasttoatimewhenwecantakeourease, but if you say to yourself, ʺI will not take it, but as I know this worldandallthepeopleonitareboundtoliveandlastformany thousand years more, and if not helped perhaps might fail, I will nottakeitbutIwillstayhereandIwillsuffer, becauseof having greater knowledge and greater sensitivenessʺ – this is the great renunciationasTheosophytellsus.Iknowwedonotoftentalkthis way,becausemanyofusthinkthatthepeoplewillsaytousatonce when we talk of the great renunciation, ʺI donʹt want it; it is too much trouble.ʺ So generally we talk about the fine progress, and how you will at last escape the necessity of reincarnation, and at last escape the necessity of doing this or that and the other, but if youdoyourduty,you mustmakeupyourmindwhenyoureach the height, when you know all, when you participate in the government of the world – not of a town, but the actual government of the world and the people upon it – instead of sleeping away your time, you will stay to help those who are left behind, and that is the great renunciation. That is what is told of Buddha,andofJesus.DoubtlessthewholestoryaboutJesus,which cannotbeprovedhistoricallytomymind,isbaseduponthesame thingthatwecallrenunciation.Hewascrucifiedaftertwoorthree yearswork.Butwesayitmeansthatthisbeingdivineresolveshe willcrucifyhimselfintheeyesoftheworld,intheeyesofothers,so
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thathecansavemen.BuddhadidthesamethinglongbeforeJesus is said to have been born. The story that he made the great renunciationjustmeansthatwhichIhavebeentellingyou,instead of escaping from this horrible place, as it seems to us. For this is indeedhorrible,aswelookatit,surroundedbyobstructions,liable to defeat at any moment, liable to wake up in the morning after planningagreatreform,andseeitdashedtotheground.Insteadof escapingallthat,heremainedintheworldandstartedhisdoctrine, whichheknewatleastwouldbeadheredtobysome.Butthisgreat doctrine of renunciation teaches that instead of working for yourself, you will work to know everything, to do everything in yourpowerforthosewhomaybeleftbehindyou,justasMadame Blavatsky says in the Voice of the Silence, ʹstep out of the sunshine intotheshade,tomakemoreroomforothers.ʺ Isnʹtthatbetterthanaheavenwhichisreachedatthepriceofthe damnationofthoseofyourrelativeswhowillnotbelieveadogma? Is this not a great philosophy and a great religion which includes the salvation and regeneration, the scientific upraising and perfecting of the whole human family, and every particle in the whole universe, instead of imagining that a few miserable beings after seventy years of life shall enter into paradise, and then they look behind to see the torments in hell of those who would not acceptadogma? What are these other religions compared with that? How any man can continue to believe such an idea as the usual one of damnationformerelyunbeliefIcannotcomprehend.Ihadrather– if I had to choose – be an idolator of the most pronounced kind, who believed in Indra, and be left with my common reasoning, thanbelieveinsuchadoctrineasthatwhichpermitsmetosuppose that my brother who does not believe a dogma is sizzling in hell whileI,bysimplybelieving,mayenjoymyselfinheaven. Theosophists,iftheywilllearnthedoctrineandtrytoexplainit, will reform this world. It will percolate everywhere, infiltrate into everystratumofsocietyandpreventtheneedoflegislation.Itwill alter the people, whereas you go on legislating and leaving this
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worldʹspeopleastheyare,andyouwillhavejustwhathappened inFrance.Capitalistsinthatday,inthedayoftherevolution–that is the royalists – oppressed the people. At last the people rose up andphilosophersofthedayinstitutedthereignofreason,andout of the reign of reason – mind you they had introduced there a beautiful idea of mankind, that idea struck root in a soil that was notprepared–camethepracticeofmurderingotherpeoplebythe wholesaleuntilstreamsofbloodranalloverFrance.Soyou seeif something is not done to raise the people what the result will be. WehaveseeninChicagotheresultofsuchacts,themutteringsof such a storm if the theosophical philosophy – call it by any other name you like – is not preached and understood. But if these old doctrinesarenottaughttotheraceyouwillhavearevolution,and instead of making progress in a steady, normal fashion, you will come up to better things through storm, trouble and sorrow. You willcomeup,ofcourse,forevenoutofrevolutionsandbloodthere comes progress, but isnʹt it better to have progress without that? Andthatiswhatthetheosophicalphilosophyisintendedfor.That iswhytheMahatmasweweretalkingabout,directingtheirservant H. P. Blavatsky, as they have directed many before, came out at a timewhenmaterialismwasfightingreligionandwasaboutgetting the upper hand, and once more everything moved forward in its cyclic way and these old doctrines were revivified under the guidance of the theosophical movement. They are doctrines that explainallproblemsandintheuniversalschemegivemanaplace asapotentialgod. TheosophicalConvention,April1892 WilliamQ.Judge
THEKALIYUGA A CORRESPONDENT is confused on this subject from the statementinWhatisTheosophybyMr.Old,thatweareinthemidst oftheIronorBlackAge.Doubtlesshissentence,whichisonpage 28 of the book, is misleading, because ʺkaliʺ means ʺblack,ʺ and hence it would seem that he meant we are now in the middle of Kali Yuga, but reading further it is seen that he refers only to the firstpartoftheAge.KaliYugaisinlength432,000yearsaccording totheoldIndiancalculation,andwearenowcomingtotheendof itsfirstfivethousandyears,thatpreliminaryperiodbeingreckoned fromthedeathofKrishna.Inpassing,itmaybejustlythoughtthat this five thousand year period is the origin of the idea of the Hebrewsthattheworldisaboutthatage,justastheGreeksinthe time of Solon imagined that all things had to count from their former great cataclysm, but which the Egyptian priests showed to Solonwasincorrect,for,astheysaid,ʺTherehadbeenmanygreat cataclysmsbeforethat.ʺ IntheSecretDoctrineistobefoundthis:ʺThefourthsub‐racewas inKaliYugawhendestroyed.ʺThisisnotamenabletoobjectionon thegroundthatwewhoarenotthatraceareinKali,foreachrace goes through the various Ages for itself; hence the former races, both primary and sub‐, go through all the four periods from the GoldentotheBlack. It must follow from this, and such is the oldest teaching on the subject, that at one and the same time races may be on the earth running each for itself through one or other of the periods. Some mightbeintheGoldenAgeandothersintheBlack.Atpresentitis admitted that the Aryans are inthe Kali Age, but certain childlike races are not so. Within the present five thousand year period we knowthatraceshaveabsolutelyfinishedtheirKaliYugaandgone out of existence. This happened to that which ruled a part of the American continent, and hence for them in particular their Kali Yuga must have begun earlier than ours did. The Hottentots also
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disappeared during our memory. This method of considering the subject will clear it up, leaving only to be settled for each race the periodwhichtheyarein,orthebeginningandendingofit.And,as said,fortheAryansthegreatKaliYugabeganfivethousand(odd) yearsago. To find out when the great Kali Yuga for the major race, includingallitssub‐races,beganwouldbeimpossible,asthereare nomeans,andH.P.B.,theonlyoneforthepresentwhohadaccess to those who held the records, said precise figures on those heads would not be given out. But she and also those behind her who gave her so much information laid it down, as in accord with the philosophy of nature given out, that a division into four was the order for evolution in respect to the life of races, and hence that eachgreatrace,whateveritsnumberinthewholeseven,wouldbe compelled to go through the four periods from the Satya to Kali, whileatthesametimetheminorraceshadthesamedivision,only that each part would be shorter than those pertaining to the great race as a whole. For that reason it seems plain that the figures for the various Ages (or Yugas) are only such as relate to and govern thesub‐orminorraces. TheoverlappingofracesastotheirparticularYuga(orAge)can be easily seen in history. When the whites came to America the Indians were in their stone age in some places, using stone hammers, spears, knives, and arrows. Even in cultured South Americathepriestsusedstoneknivesforuseatthesacrifices.We, however, had gone far beyond that. The red Indian of North Americawouldhaveremainedwhollyinthestoneagehadwenot alteredittosomeextentwhileweproceededasinstrumentsforhis annihilation.Thereforeinourownperiodwehaveexamplesoftwo races being in different Ages while living at the same time on the globe. The foregoing is the general scheme outlined in the Secret Doctrine, where there are numerous pages showing that when a newrace,whetherasuboramajorone,comesinitdoessowhile many of the old race still exist, the one gradually rising in
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developmentwhiletheotherfalls.Theyshadeintooneanotheras nightdoesintoday,untilatlasteithernightordaypredominates. ThisperiodofshadingisallowedforinregardtotheAges,andin the Brahmanical calculation we find that they add twilights and dawns, since preceding a new Age there must be the dawn as following it will come the twilight.The twilight of the onewill be thedawnoftheother. Using the Zodiac for the purpose of considering the question of theAges,wefindthat,roughlyspeaking,thetimetakenbythesun to go round the whole circle is 25,800 years, as shown by the retrogrademovementoftheequinoctialpoints.Thisisthetypefor theyearlycircle,whichmakesthefourseasonsandthefourseasons in their turn symbolize the four Ages. Their length will be in proportiontothegreaterswingofthesun.Amongtheseasonsthe wintercorrespondstotheKaliAge,forthenallisturnedhardand cold, just as in the Black Age, the light of the Spiritual Sun being dimmed, the hardness and coldness of materiality appear in the morallife.Nowifthesiderealperiodbedividedbyfour,wehave the figures 6450 years, or the five‐thousand‐year period with the requisite twilight or dawn added. And it was taught by the Egyptians that with every quarter of the circle of the Sunʹs great paththerewerechangescausedphysicallybythealterationofthe poles, and spiritually there must be changes due to the inner development of the human race as an entirety. While the materialistic philosopher thinks the changes would be due to the movement of the poles, the teaching from the Lodge is that the spiritual inner changes cause the physical ones through the appropriatemeans;inthiscasethosemeansareinthemovements of the great heavenly bodies. This is because the whole Cosmos is onthesamegrandplan,withallitspartsworkingtogether,eachin itsownway. Forthepresent,studentswillhavetobesatisfiedwiththegeneral statement that we are in Kali Yuga. The characteristics of the presenttimeshowitclearlyenough,forwhilephysicalcivilization ishighthespiritualsideofitislowanddark,andselfishnessisthe
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prevailingorder.Noneofuscanreallypretendtoknowmorethan this,forwhilewehavetheBrahmanicalcalculationandthewords of the Secret Doctrine, yet that is taking the word of another, plausible,ofcourse,andalsoconcordantwithallotherpartsofthe system, but still not of our own knowledge. The beginning of this Age and the time of its ending are dark to us; but the general theory, sufficient for our present needs, is perfectly clear, and as goodanassumptionasanyofthoseindulgedinbysciencecertainly betterthantheincredibleideasofthetheologian.Ofonethingwe are getting more and more proof each day, and that is of the immenseperiodduringwhichmanhasbeenontheearth,andwith that admitted all the great cyclic lengths given by the ancient and modernTheosophistsofweightareentitledtocredence. We can also get great comfort from the theory given out at various times, that in Kali Yuga a small effort goes farther for resultsthanthesamewhenmadeinabetterAge.IntheotherAges theratesofallthingsareslowerthaninthis;hence,evilnowseems quick;butinthesamewaygoodisalsomuchquickerineffectand reachthaninaslowertime. Path,November,1894 WilliamQ.Judge
AQUARIANCIVILIZATION Ourraces...havesprungfromdivineraces,bywhatevernametheyare called....EverynationhaseitherthesevenandtenRishis‐Manusand Prajapatis.... One and all have been derived from the primitive Dhyan‐ ChohansoftheEsotericdoctrine,ortheʺBuildersʺoftheStanzas.From Manu, Thot‐Hermes, Oannes‐Dagon, and Edris‐Enoch, down to Plato andPanadores,alltellusofsevendivineDynasties,ofsevenLemurian, and seven Atlantean divisions of the Earth; of the seven primitive and dual gods who descend from their celestial abode and reign on Earth, teaching mankind Astronomy, Architecture, and all the other sciences that have come down to us. These Beings appear first as ʺgodsʺ and Creators;thentheymergeinnascentman,tofinallyemergeasʺdivine‐ Kings and Rulers.ʺ. . . There were five Hermes – or rather one, who appeared – as some Manus and Rishis did in several different characters.... But under whichever of these characters, he is always credited with having transferred all the sciences from latent to active potency, i.e., with having been the first to teach magic to Egypt and to Greece,beforethedaysofMagnaGraecia,andwhentheGreekswerenot evenHellenes. TheSecretDoctrine,ii365‐367
Totaketheentiresubjectofcosmichierarchiesatthehumanlevel to its sublime heights, one must start with the momentous recognition that many of the ʺgodsʺ of the ancient theogonies belongedtotheFirstRaceofhumanity.HumanbeingsinthatFirst Raceweregodsordevas,andintheSecondRacetheyweredemi‐ gods–celestialspiritsstilltooetherealtooccupythehumanform thatwasbeinggestatedbythelunarPitris.Then,intheThirdRace, with the lighting‐up of Manas and the incarnation of the Manasaputrasintohumanform,humanityunderwentanevolution which passed through several stages. Beginning with the androgynous and bisexual, it proceeded through the protracted dual‐sexed epoch of the human race. There was the legendary era of great heroes and giants. The seven divine dynasties were thereafter to be found in the Third Race and again in the Fourth
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Race,theLemurianandAtlanteanperiods.Instructinghumanityin diverse arts and sciences, they laid the primeval foundations of humancultureandcivilizationaroundtheglobe. Within this broad framework, the extraordinarily evocative powerofthenameandpresenceofHermesisespeciallyrelevantto the 1975 Cycle and to the civilization of the future. Hermes is a generic name, associated with potent thought, and linked to Mercury‐Buddha–aDhyani–aswellaswithmultipleincarnations in the history of humanity. As the god Hermes‐Thot, he is the pristine archetype of Initiators in ancient Egypt, where he was reverenced as Hermes Trismegistus, a name applying to an entire lineage of Initiators. This solar line of spiritual Teachers can be tracedbacktoShivaasDakshinamurti,theInitiatorofInitiates.The hoarytraditionwhichholdsthatHermestaughtallsciencestothe nascentMediterraneancivilizationsuggeststhatheinstructedthose ready for divine theurgy. The arcane sciences transferred by Hermesfromlatenttoactivepotencycollectivelyconstitutedivine gnosis, a precise and comprehensive knowledge of the complex laws governing the seven kingdoms of nature. These laws encompass the planes of matter, both visible and invisible, the planes from which noumenal prototypes become precipitated or projected into the phenomenal realm. Science in its essence is concerned with primary causes and is rooted in a mature apprehension of noetic consciousness. This is the true and noble meaningofscience,vidyaintheoldsense,whichwasmysteriously intimated by the Mahatmas to European civilization in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to counteract the corruption ofcreedalreligion. Modernscienceisarecentflower,emergingsporadicallyafterthe Renaissance,and,inparticular,afterGiordanoBrunoʹsactivitiesin Germany and his historic visit to Oxford. The Royal Society was founded by heretical and courageous clergymen, men like the Warden of Wadham, who recognized that Aristotelian scholasticism was throttling the growth of human thought, that theology had become nothing more than a corrosive word‐game.
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Together with bold patrons in the discreetly pagan aristocracy, these pioneering heretics founded a small club in London which theycalledtheRoyalSociety.Itwasconcernedfromthebeginning with the systematic support of all earnest experimental investigation into the natural world. In this, its purest sense, early modern science is one of the minor contributions of the BrotherhoodofBodhisattvastothepost‐Renaissanceworld.Yet,in the context of the ancient meaning of science, it is a limited thing indeed, shadowy and modest. Originally, ʺscienceʺ referred to a system of laws capable of application by human consciousness to what later came to be cherished by a few reticent brotherhoods as true magic or divine wisdom. Magic is an exact and definite knowledge of the noumenal laws of invisible nature. Through the proper use of that carefully transmitted knowledge, one can affect the rates of growth and primary structures of energy on the Akashic and astral planes, and so affect conditions and combinations on the physical plane. Modern science, through its neglectoftheprimacyofconsciousness,canhardlyapproachsuch a universal synthesis, fusing meta‐geometry, meta‐biology and meta‐psychology. In the ancient and archetypal view of noetic magic, there is a summoning from latency to active potency of arcane knowledge that was originally impressed in the imperishable soul‐memory of all humanity. Going all the way back to the middle of the Third Root Race, when self‐consciousness had been attained, human beings were in astral vestures that were capable of effortless and benevolent use of the spiritual senses. Human beings, therefore, through their intuitive knowledge of the correlations of sound, colour and number, were able to communicate effortlessly. In that Golden Age, shrouded in the myths and mists of antiquity, they showed spontaneous reverence to Magus‐Teachers, Hierophant‐ Adepts moving openly among human beings, teaching in fabled ʺconcord grovesʺ all over the earth. Seated under banyan trees (varieties of ficus religiosa), they bestowed divine wisdom upon thosewhowerereadytolearn.Inthatidyllictimethevasthuman inheritance of spiritual wisdom and scientific magic was
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assimilated into the karana sharira, the permanent vesture of the Monad. It is in that inmost vesture, which is the container of all soul‐memories,thattheoriginalwisdomandtheurgyofhumanity lielatenttothisday. Itissuggestiveandsignificantthatcontemporaryphysicists,like RogerJones,havecometoseethatagreatdealofwhatisknownin particle physics and quantum mechanics points to a necessary transcendence of conventional space and time. This is strikingly reminiscent of the recondite concept of the karana sharira. A few intuitive scientists find the idea of such a causal field or morphogenetic matrix intensely meaningful because it intimates modes of action that are independent of many of the restrictions that hold in ordinary space and time. Because it allows for what would appear from a physical standpoint to be simultaneous transmission, it suggests the operation of laws very different from those applicable to the objective‐seeming world of disparate material entities. Hence, it may have application or relevance to someoftheenergyfieldsandtheʺbrokensymmetryʺthatpertainto fundamental particles. Considered in relation to noetic consciousnessandbenevolentmagic,thesignificanceofthekarana sharira is that it is the ground of the latent knowledge called to activepotencybyHermes. Hermesistheparadigmoftheoldestsacredtradition,goingback a million years ago to India (Bharata Dwipa). There, among the Initiates, the basis was laid in all the Mystery Schools for the ManasicdevelopmentoftheseminalcivilizationsoftheFifthRace. WhenthemostcreativemindsoftheAquarianAgegainasufficient knowledge of Sanskrit, they will come to see that all latter‐day sciences are but pale and poor fragments compared with the systematic ontology and epistemology of Brahma Vidya, Theosophia orDzyan.Withreferencetoastronomy,tophysics,physiologyand tochemistry,tothemathematicalandgeometricalsciences,evento mechanics, transmission devices and aerial transport, the lost knowledge of the ancients was overwhelming. Some of this knowledge, still accessible through scattered texts, is being slowly
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recoveredtodaybyremarkableyoungscholarslikeDavidPingree, who has dedicated his life to the translation of available Sanskrit textsinastronomy.Thisisonlyonesmallfieldwithinavastbody of information, but by the end of the century many such texts shouldbeaccessibletothosewhocaneffectivelyusethem. The constructive use of such knowledge requires the timely initiationofaglobalPythagoreanAcademy,sothatattherighttime thosewhohavetherequisitespiritualandintellectualqualifications will be able to participate in the highest level of path‐breaking investigation. All of this harks back to that which was in the beginning, to that which was taught to sub‐races such as the Egyptian and Greek by the mysterious Hermes‐Thot – Hermes Trismegistus. Just as it was before the days of Magna Graecia, the work of Hermes is to summon from latency to activity the innate knowledgeofbenevolentmagicinherentinthekaranasharira. The foreshortened view of the emergence and growth of civilization which has characterized the last two hundred years is rootedinahabitofmindextendingbackoveraperiodofsometwo thousand years, but nonetheless a minor incident in human evolution. Historians tend to focus upon the material aspects of civilization and cultures, to become obsessed with power and violence; yet since a nationʹs spiritual decline accompanies its material ascent, such a truncated approach can only distort the truth and mislead the unwary. Any attempt to account for this messianic history of recent millennia must begin fundamentally with a recognition that many human souls were badly scarred in decadentAtlantis,and,havinglosttheThirdEye,wereleftmerely withanexternalsenseofpowerconnectedtoacrudeconceptionof energy which still mesmerizes them through awe of tangible bignessandgrossstrength. ThisisreminiscentofPlatoʹsmemorablereferencetothecontest between the Gods and the Giants. Whilst such events go back far beyondeventhedecliningperiodofEgyptiandynasties,itdoesnot, after all, characterize the entire million‐year history of the Fifth RootRace.Certainly,suchashrunkenperspectivedoeslittleorno
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justicetothemorethaneighteenmillionyearsofhumanexistence on this globe, or to the immeasurable reservoir of soul‐memories garneredintheearliestgoldenages.Everymajorculturereflects,to somedegree,thesefinestandpersistentintuitionsinhumanbeings. That is what gives many people a kind of reverence, however confused, before the Native Americans and other so‐called ʺprimitiveʺ peoples. Even if many of these cultures have lost their spiritual knowledge, and so have fallen to the mercy of inferior races, these same Monads may yet recover and re‐enact their wisdominfuturecivilizations. This process has recurred again and again. It was played out beforethedaysofMagnaGraeciaineventsthatwereencapsulated byHerodotusinhisbriefwork,Euterpe.Thereinheacknowledged the debt of gratitude that the Greeks owed to the grand Egyptian civilization which preceded it. This is even more explicit in Plato, whomadeSocratesspeakofSolon,andthegreatEgyptianteachers ofSais,nexttowhomtheGreekswereaslittlechildren.Yetwhilst the reverence of Herodotus for predecessors was genuine, and expressed with almost religious awe, he also wrote that more familiarkindofhistoricalnarrativethroughwhichheisknownas the ʺFather of Historyʺ. In an often overlooked passage, he commendedthePersiansfortheirexemplarybraveryandsenseof truth,which,hesaid,werelackingamongtheGreeks.Thecourage to tell the truth and stand by it, the sense of the sacredness of a manʹs word of honour – these, he thought, were virtues that the GreekscouldlearnfromtheancientPersians. At the same time, however, Herodotus, in dealing with the Persian legal system, began to generate some of the snobbery that long prevailed among Athenians when they contemplated their polisanditsdemocraticinstitutions.Throughdramatizedcontrasts with the corrupt despotism of Persian institutions, Herodotus managed to compress, and devalue, the scope and successive phasesofPersiancivilization.Invirtuallyeverysubsequentaccount of the supposed history of ancient civilizations, this same compressionisfoundcompounded.Itarisesbecauseofdecadence
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and the disappearance from active human memory of the greatest epochsofantiquity.Thishasledtotheextraordinaryandconfusing conclusionthatallthecollectiveknowledgeofthehumanracecan somehow be made readily available to the common man. Some even insist that the less one knows, the more one has a right to demandallandsundryinformation. Thispunystandpointisseriouslythreatenedbythefactthatthe seminalperiodsofhumanevolutionarehiddenandsecret,andyet span millions of years which are inaccessible except through initiation. The profoundest truths were never written about in popular chronicles. They were available only in glyphs and symbols, in monuments, in secret libraries in central Asia and elsewhere. They were not for the eyes of curious crowds. In any event,evenordinarypeopleinmorematurecultureshaveanatural reticenceaboutspiritualwisdom.Justas,inoldage,thosebesetby a sense of failure, a fear of death and a feeling of audience deprivation seek refuge in reminiscence, so too cultures grow infatuated with telling their inflated history only after they have begun to decay. They become compulsively autobiographical, repeatedly retelling their life story. The truly creative, mindful of the enormous potency of mathematical and spiritual knowledge, arecarefultoprotectthatknowledge.Theywillmakeitavailableto thosewhocanuseitconstructively;buttheywillkeepitawayfrom thosewhomayabuseit,deludeothersandharmthemselves. Seenfromthisperspective,onecanbegintoappreciatethesense in which much of modern science is based upon the half‐baked occult secrets of the semi‐esoteric groups that persisted from the daysoftheearlyChurchFatherstotheRenaissance.Whilstitmay comeasasurprisetopost‐colonialEuropeans,itisstillheldbythe Ashanti elders that had they been more careful with their accumulated wisdom, modern science and medicine could have avoidedtheirprematureandamoralgrowth.Whatsuchwiseelders knew,andwhatwasintuitedbyPauwelsandBergier–theauthors ofTheMorningoftheMagicians–isthatwhatispresentlyextolledas
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modernscienceissignificantlybaseduponthescatteredandleaked secretsofmedievalandancientclassicalknowledge. The disappearance of alchemy and the authentic occult arts is inseparable from the karmic record of those souls who were not capable of handling theurgic teaching and practical knowledge in relation to the various secret sciences. But something of that traditionremained–inthePlatonicAcademy,whichlastedfornine hundredyears,amongtheearlyMuslimsinCordoba,andthrough them, among their pupils in Italy and France. At about the same time, out of small beginnings in a few houses the University of Oxford was born. All these communities struggled towards an understanding of the seven sciences – the trivium and quadrivium. Respect for these sciences is the origin of what were once sacred terms – bachelor of arts and master of arts. These were degrees going back to old initiations, carrying memories of earlier times. Thentheybecameattachedtouniversitieswhich,sincethetwelfth century, have helped to bring knowledge to thousands of people who would otherwise have had no access to it. Until Wycliffe, for example,noonewhowaspoororignorantofLatincouldreadthe Bible. This breaking down of the closed circle connected with knowledge in general, and sacred texts in particular, is not yet complete.ItisthusavitalpartofthepresentclimacticCycle:over the coming decades Sanskrit and Greek will be simplified and taughtsothatanyonemayacquirethem.Languageswillberescued from the grammarians. For so‐called experts, who have never penetratedtheinnermeaningsofancienttexts,nonethelessmanage todiscouragethespiritualenquirerfromlearningthelanguage.At acertainlevel,thisrenaissanceinancientlanguageswillbepartof theHermeticworkofthe1975Cycle. TounderstandtheworkofHermesatamorefundamentallevel inrelationtocivilization,onemustbegintogenerateaconception of the cosmic hierarchies in Nature and in Man which unites the spiritualwiththephysical,andbothofthesewiththemoralandthe political. This fundamental recognition of the relationship of the
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celestialandtheterrestrialmustbeforgedthroughalivinglinkin the psychological realm. That link is Man. Only through the rediscovery within human nature of all orders of being from the godstotheelementalscantherebearecoveryofthecontinuityof the Great Chain of Being from the highest to the lowest. All hierarchies – from the Dhyanis through the danavas and daityas, to the devas or gods, the devatas and elementals – are represented within the individual human being. The five middle principles of human nature, leaving out of consideration the Atman and the physical body, are the direct gift and transmitted essence of the sixfold DhyaniBuddhas.Thatiswhyevenkamamanas isinessence sacred.Itislenttohumanbeingstoshowthemhowtoconnectand howtodiscriminate. Ifthisisdifficulttoperceive,itisbecausealloftheseintermediate principleshavebeenpolluted,allhavebeenabusedonbehalfofthe shadowy self, of egotism and separatism. Human beings of the past,likelittlechildreninthepresent,showedaninnateconfidence that comes from knowing oneself as a ray of the Divine. They recognized themselves as immortal souls, centres of consciousness capable of expansion and contraction, of diffusion and concentration.Thustheycouldregardthebodyasaninstrument,to beusedbythesoulasahorsebyitsrider.Themindisanecessary and useful tool of the soul, but it must be regularly cleansed. A person who senses this does not identify with his clothes in the spiritual and philosophical sense. Instead, he is always turned inward through meditation, and upward through aspiration; he is foreverrisingheavenwardtowardstheinvisiblecosmos.Itbecomes natural for him to start with the cosmic and come down to the human,todescendfromHiranyagarbha–theluminousgoldenegg of Brahmâ – to the recognition of oneʹs own egg, from Mahat, or cosmic mind, to Manas, his small share in cosmic ideation. Descending from the universal to the particular is essential to the Hermeticmethod. Modernity,bycontrast,standsonitshead,triestomoveupward, and thus severs off the umbilical connection between man and
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cosmos. This approach, antithetical to the spiritual nature of man, had to be corrected by the Copernican revolution, which clarified therelationoftheearthandthesun.Butwhilethecontemporaries of Copernicus thought they were discovering new truths, they were, in fact, only recovering the ancient laws of Pythagorean wisdom.Ifasenseoftherightrelationshipofheavenandearthisto berestored,thesortofreorientationandrecenteringthathastaken place in astronomy must take place psychologically and metaphysically. This can be attempted in many ways. Ordinary people could, for example, develop skill in consulting the I‐Ching. They would not be able to use it for precise prediction, for that mysterioussciencerequiresagreatdealofreverence.Butbysimply considering the I‐Ching, they will be reminded that there are seasons,andcontinuousconnectionsbetweenheavenandearth. A recognition of the correspondences between the celestial and terrestrial is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of God is not the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is attainable only through love of the gods and recognition of their immanence within the human temple. The realization of human nature as a living psychological link between the celestial and the terrestrial will come about only through meditation and contemplation in the highest sense. Through the awakening of Buddhic feeling, one may feel close to thestarsandtothegalaxy.Butonewillalsofeelclosetothatwhich corresponds to Akasha within the astral brain and spiritual heart, and also within the karana sharira. Without this therapeutic and creativefeeling,truelearningandsciencecanneverprogress.Afew pioneers have recognized that for three centuries now science has beenamutilatedvictimofmethodologicaldogmatism.Thishasled to a mechanistic reductionism, often trumpeted only because people are not good at mathematics. When they are lacking in mathematicsinthehighestsense,theybecomeaddictedtothehabit of tinkering with jars and lamps. Owing to the delusion that has shadowedthediffusionofscience,thetremendousintegrityofthe highestmathematicalmethodhasbeeninaccessibletothemajority of practitioners, who have become like Shawʹs barbarians. They
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resemble the civilized savage, who, upon switching on the light, thinksheknowsaboutelectricity. Fortunately,thisadolescentstateofscienceiscomingtoanend. Yet although many people now recognize that science must deal with consciousness, most scientists are still encumbered by a philosophically narrow view of sense‐data, sense‐experience and inductive logic. As a result, pioneering researchers who want to elevate consciousness have difficulty in doing so. They must meditate,consultmapsofconsciousness,andemployphilosophical criteria,iftheyaretomakeanygenuineprogress.IntheAquarian academies of the future, they will have to submit themselves to certain rigorous tests. They will have to prove that they have the powers, not just of concentration, but also of directing consciousness towards universally constructive connections and correlations. This will involve both analogy and correspondence, intuition and mathematics; it will draw upon meta‐sciences as yet onlydimlyformulated.Ingeneral,whatisrequiredisaconception ofmindcorrelatedwithaconceptionofmatter,bothofwhichexist on many levels. Different planes of matter corresponding to differentstatesofmindarerichlyinterconnectedwitheachotherin different sets and subsets, systems and subsystems, as well as supersystems. All of this has application to the arrangement of atoms and molecules, but also to what lies beyond what are presently called atomic and subatomic particles. These are but ghostlyshadowsoftheinvisibleatomsinwhichinherestheeternal motion of the Atman and which may be spoken of as the Atma‐ Buddhi‐Manasoftheatom. Science will not truly advance unless it goes beyond the mere analysis of physical matter, the mundane tricks which for a while bewitched hordes of ex‐peasants coming out of villages. It was advantageous to have a little vulgar technology in the age of the automobile, the steam‐engine and the electric motor. It was comfortingtoshareinacollectivesenseofautomaticprogress.But that time is over. The present aim must be to transcend the mere classification of matter which characterizes, for example, most of
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modern medicine, and instead to determine critical and relevant factors through theoretical and experiential knowledge of general and universal laws. This capacity must extend not only over the realm of physical phenomena, but also over psychological and moral life, and the social and political realms of human existence. Ultimately, this capacity will derive from strong foundations in spiritual self‐awareness that can only be laid through a fundamentalinnerchange.Onemightsaythisdecisivechangewill require not merely framing the Hippocratic Oath but directly experiencing a reverence for life and truth. Early in the century such a spirit blessed the scientific academies of Germany, SwitzerlandandEngland. Since1914,however,muchofthishasbeenlostinthetumultuous rush after more technology and mere techniques. That is why the shining example of Mahatma Gandhi is so important to everyone who is authentically concerned with the disinterested pursuit of puretruth,whilesecureinitsindifferencetoworldlyconcerns.The celestialwasjoinedtotheterrestrialintheWestincertainmonastic andintellectualcommunities,butsincethatconnectionwaslost,to recover it requires something far more fundamental – a discriminating knowledge of metaphysics strong enough to broadenalloneʹscategoriesandtodeepenoneʹsinsights. The radical regeneration of civilization and the restoration of a golden age can ultimately only be understood in relation to the descent of the gods. The golden age is eternally associated with Shiva Saturn and the hosts of the Kumaras, whilst its terrestrial incarnationisinseparablefromtheincarnationofdivinedynasties and king‐hierophants. Thus, Thot‐Hermes was the secretary of KingSaturnpresidingoverthepre‐dynasticGoldenAge.Plato,in the Statesman, speaks of the Golden Age as a time of universal well‐being wherein all basic needs were fulfilled. This dream continuallyrecursinmythandliterature,forexample,inthevision of Gonzalo in The Tempest. But it is more than a dream. It is a recollectionofreality.ItrefersnotjusttotheThirdRootRace,but alsotocertainrecurringmomentsinhumanevolution.Thetimeof
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Rama, a million years ago, was the last great Golden Age. It was possible then for Divine Instructors to move openly among ordinaryhumanbeings.Askingshipwassacred,rulersinthatage could exemplify benevolent magic, exercising a just and compassionatecustodianshipovertheirclose‐knitcommunities.In the age of Shiva‐Saturn, the cooperative hierarchies of human relationshipsmirroredthecosmichierarchiesofinvisiblenature. However, as Plato recognized in the Statesman, once the Age of Zeusbegan,itwasnolongerpossibleforDivineInstructorstocome openly into the world. Here Plato is referring to the beginning of Kali Yuga five thousand and eighty‐four years ago. It is a familiar characteristicoftheIronAgethathumanbeingsmustrelyonrules torestraintheirweaknessesandvices.Butitisalsowellknownthat all rules can be manipulated and that in rule‐governed systems oligarchy and inequality work continuously. The pervasive recognitionthatrule‐governedsocietiesareonlydimreflectionsof somehigheridealisitselfevidencethatonecannotextinguishfrom thehumanheartaninnatesenseofdevotiontotrueTeachers,Gurus and ethical leaders. One of the crucial contributions of the 1975 Cyclehasbeentoawakensoul‐memoriesinmanypeoplesaround theworld.Thishadtobedonebeforethebeginningofthepresent Cycle, because no one can benefit from it until he or she has first been shown how to learn and to respect Teachers. Because all of this was significantly accomplished before 1975, many people are now more open and willing to function in environments that are precursorsofthesecularmonasteriesofthefuture,spiritualcentres profoundly hospitable to learning and to oral instruction by true Teachers. This was wisely anticipated by Damodar K. Mavalankar in the nineteenth century, who understood that the Theosophical Movement has essentially one object and no other. As a natural logician,Mavalankarknewthatwhatheunderstood,otherswould also understand, namely, that if Mahatmas and Adepts can move freelyamonghumanbeings,anyoneofthemcansolvemyriadsof persisting problems among myriads of responsive human beings.
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One need only open the door to the free movement of such enlightenedbeings.Thiscouldnothavebeenattemptedduringthe last Cycle; if anything it was retarded, first by ignorant misuse of the Teachings, and later by abject cowardice. The lifeless thought‐ forms,crippledimagesandparanoidvestigesoftheoldCyclemust be bypassed in the progressive initiation of the Aquarian sanghas, the academies and the lodges of the future. As this Pythagorean fusion attains fruition during the next century, there will around theglobebewidespreadhospitalitytothewisdomandnecessityof acceptanceoftheGuruparamparaChain.Therewillbeawillingness to learn, which can draw upon the natural reciprocity and self‐ validatingstrengthoftherelationshipbetweenteacherandtaught. Like a deep and loving relationship between a parent and a child, this cannot be manipulated by a third party. Its reciprocity arises withintheuniquecontextofaparticularkarmicfield,andpointsto thetimelessidealoftheGuru‐chelarelationship. This universal Aquarian diffusion of the true ideal of spiritual scienceandlifelonglearningwillenablehumanbeingstoawakena vibrant sense of universal justice, universal compassion and universalconcord.Itwillenablepeopletolearnanewhowtothink, howtospeakandhowtocontributefearlesslyyetappropriatelyto the collective fund of human wisdom: how to evoke benevolent spirits.Ifoneemploysharshwords,orevengentlewordsinaharsh manner, one will attract negative elementals. These, over time, accumulate, blocking the capacity to question or to formulate truths.But,bypurifyingwords,speechandtheauraaroundwords and by cleansing oneʹs motivation, oneʹs tone of voice and oneʹs movements,onecanreorientoneselfandsodrawfinerelementals into oneʹs sphere. Through this elevation of the orbit of oneʹs consciousness, one may become more benevolent and more magnanimous, while at the same time learning to use potent knowledgewithmoredeliberation,courageandcompassion. Theregenerationofglobalcivilizationthroughsuchatappingof the inward spiritual resources of humanity is the enigmatic Hermetic and Avataric function exemplified by Hermes‐Thot. It is
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thesacredfunctioncentraltoeveryMysterySchoolinrecordedand unrecorded history. It goes back directly to Dakshinamurti, the InitiatorofInitiates,andithasneverbeenabsentfromtheearth.It hasbeenself‐evidentlycrucialwhenthebeginningsofcivilizations werelaidindifferentpartsoftheworld.Tomakeitnowavitalpart ofauniversaloutlookinthedawningAquarianAge,wherethereis more freedom from competitiveness and more openness to universal truths, could lead to a new kind of soul‐etiquette. Founded upon the principle of drawing the larger circle, there could be the elaboration of a new code of relationship between human beings which would be more hospitable to the profoundly paradigmaticteachingsoftheUpanishad,ʺSitdownnearmeandlet me whisper in your ear.ʺ This is the ancient Platonic‐Upanishadic method, born with thehuman race, perpetually nourishing it, and recognizedbythenoblestprecursorsoftheAquarianAge. Hermes,December1983 RaghavanIyer
DIREFULPROPHECIES THE whole mystic fraternity of Astrologers is now engaged in showinghowtheheavensportendgreatchangesonthisourearth. TheyagreewithH.P.B.,whosaidthatherEasternfriendstoldher of coming cyclic changes now very near at hand. Beyond doubt thereissometruthinallthesesayings,althoughhereandtherethe astrologers definitely prognosticating are not supported by fact. Sepharial, for instance, staked his reputation on the death of the Prince of Wales, which did not come off, and now where is the reputation? Just as good as ever, for astrologers know that either thejudgmentoftheastrologermaybeatfaultfromsundrycauses, orthatthebirth‐hourmaybewrong,orthatsomesavingaspectof thestarshasbeenoverlooked.GreatearthquakeslikethatofZante or the one in Kuchan come up, and the astrologers, while they regularlyinthoseyearsforesawearthquakes,didnotseemableto locatethemforanyspot.TheywereafraidtosayPersiaforfearit might be in London. But earthquakes were foretold. A steady prognostication of disturbance has been indulged in, and this generaloutlookwouldseemright.Thedisturbanceswereexpected intherealmofmind,morals,andreligionbythosetrueastrologers who seldom speak, and the increase of crime like that of bomb‐ throwing justifies each month the general prediction. Seismic disturbance is the physical sign of disturbance in the moral, psychic,andmentalfields.ThisisanoldaxiomintheEast.Inthe recordoftheearthquakesaidtohavetakenplacewhenJesusdied wehavetheChristianreflectionofthesameidea. That earthquakes, floods, and great social changes would go on increasing has been known to Theosophists since the day Tom Paine saw psychically ʺa new order of things for the human race openingintheaffairsofAmerica,ʺbeforetherevolution.Andever since the increment of disaster has been great. The motto adopted bythemakersoftheUnion‐ʺAneworderofagesʺ‐wasanecho fromtherealmofsoultotheearsofmenonearth.Itmarkedapoint inthecycle.Therecordofthedisastersduringtheyearssincethen
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wouldbefoundappalling.IttakesinAsiaandEurope,andwould showmillionsofsuddendeathsbyviolentearth‐convulsions.And nowin1894evenHerbertSpencer,lookingatthementalandsocial fieldsofhumanlife,saysinamagazinearticle: A nation of which the legislators vote as they were bid and of which the workers surrender their rights of selling their labor wheretheypleasehasneithertheideasnorthesentimentsneeded for the maintenance of liberty.... We are on the way back to the ruleofthestronghandintheshapeofthebureaucraticdespotism of a socialistic organization and then of the military despotism whichmustfollowit;if,indeed,somesocialcrashdoesnotbring thelatteruponusmorequickly.
Evidentlythisdeeplyphilosophicalandstatisticalwriterfeelsthe pressure in the atmosphere of social and material life. There is much unconscious prophecy in what he says. Earthquakes and deathsfromthemaredreadful,buttheycanbeavoidedwhentheir probable place is known. But social earthquakes, moral pestilence, mental change belong to man, go with him where he goes, and cannotbeavertedbyanyalterationofplace. In the Illustrated American a writer on astrology gives definite prophecyofdisaster.Heerectsafigureoftheheavensfornoonof November12,1894,showingaconjunctionofSun,Uranus,Venus, and Mercury in Scorpio, with Saturn only fifteen degrees away. Astrologicallythisisverybad.WiththemoonatthefullinTaurus‐ thebull‐itisominousoffloodsandearthquakes.Butwemayadd thatinthepsychicZodiacitshowsfloodsandheavinginthemoral andsocialstructureofthepoororphanman.UranusandSaturnare bad planets anyway; they are erratic and heavy, subtle, dark, and menacing.Thiswriterpredictsominously,butremainsindefiniteas to place. We will add that dying nations like those of Persia and China will feel most whatever effects shall be due; and in Europe, whiletherewillbephysicaldisturbance,thegreatertroublewillbe inthesocialandgovernmentalstructures. TheastrologerthenrunsforwardtoDecember30,1901,whenhe says six planets will be in one sign and in a line, with a seventh
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opposite on the same line projected. This, it is said by such an ancientsageasBerosus,willbringafloodwhenittakesplaceinthe zodiacalsignCapricornus,asistobethecasein1901. ManyTheosophistsbelievetheseprognostications,othersderide them.Theformeraskwhatshallwedo?Nothing.Staywhereyou are.Ifyouremove,itismorethanlikelyyouwillrunintothejaws ofablackerfate.Doyourdutywhereyoufindyourself,andiffrom yourgoodnessyouareafavoriteofthegodsyouwillescape,while if you are not their favorite it is better for you to die and take anotherchanceatbetteringyourcharacter.Deathwillcomewhenit will, and why should we fear, since it is ʺa necessary end.ʺ Theosophists too often occupy themselves with these woeful lookings into the future, to the detriment of their present work. They should try to discover the fine line of duty and endeavor, leavingtheastrologersoftoday,whoaremoreatseathananyother mystics,toconoverazodiacthatisoutofplaceandcalculatewith tables which delude with the subtle power that figures have to lie whenthebasisofcalculationiswrong. Path,March,1894 WilliamQ.Judge
THESEVENTHIMPULSION: 1963–2000 Thegreatandpeacefulonesliveregeneratingtheworldlikethecoming ofthespring;havingcrossedtheoceanofembodiedexistencethemselves, they freely aid all others who seek to cross it. The very essence and inherentwillofMahatmasistoremovethesufferingofothers,justasthe ambrosia‐rayedmoonofitselfcoolstheearthheatedbytheintenseraysof thesun. Shankaracharya
Anightofsuperstition,dogmaanddegradationdescendedupon the West for a millennium between the politically prudent ʺconversionʺofConstantineandtheinitiationoftheSevenCentury Plan.In1357arayofAmitabha,theBuddhaofBoundlessTimeand Infinite Light, appeared in Tibet as the Adept‐Teacher Tsong‐kha‐ pa. To purify, preserve and promulgate the Wisdom‐Religion, he founded the Gelukpa Order, the third Dalai Lama of which was recognizedasamanifestationofAvalokiteswara,ʺthedivineSELF perceived by Self.ʺ Tenzin Gyatso, the present Dalai Lama, is the fourteenth incarnation. Tsong‐kha‐pa initiated a series of seven impulsions to prepare the world through mental and spiritual revitalization to be ready to participate in the formation of the distant sixth sub‐race. In the last quarter of each century of the Seven Century Plan, an emissary from the Brotherhood of Bodhisattvas works in the West to further spiritual enlightenment andthecontinuityofcollectivegrowth. InthefourteenthcenturytwoʺsupremePontiffsʺwereelectedto thepapalchair,andtheresultingʺgreatschismʺcastdoubtonthe claims of the church to absolute spiritual and temporal authority. John Wycliffe (1320–1384) began preparing the ground for a reawakening of Manas by translating the Bible into English and teaching that transubstantiation and papal authority are superstitions. His disciples, the Lollards, showed in their lives the
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way of simple devotion and charity. Pico della Mirandola (1463– 1494)ledtheSecondImpulsionbyintroducingtheQabbalahtothe West, deciphering the philosophical alphabet of the Hermetic teachings, and by founding human dignity upon the freedom to germinateandnourishsomeselectionofthevastvarietyofseedsof possibility in plastic human nature. Paracelsus provided the transition to the sixteenth‐century cycle by teaching that ʺeverything is the product of one universal creative effort; the Microcosm and man are one.ʺ The luminous triad of Giordano Bruno (1548–1600), Robert Fludd (1575–1637) and Jacob Boehme (1575–1624) first used the term ʺtheosophyʺ in modern times. The doctrineofParacelsusofsevenfoldcosmicandhumancorrelations was given a firm metaphysical foundation and fearless exemplification by Bruno. Fludd explained to a surprised Europe thattheancientMysterieswhichpreservedthesedoctrineshadnot perished with classical Greece, but flourished in the East and in secret groups in the West. For the first time in the Seven Century Plan, the central idea that Adepts worked behind the scenes to improve the human condition was intimated. Boehme demonstrated that spiritual intuition was possible, thereby giving crucial evidence for the existence of Adepts, though he made no claimforhimself. In 1675 the Rosicrucian Instructions were issued. Disciples who wished to serve humanity were invited to prepare quietly the groundforthepublicworkoftheMovement.IntheFifthImpulsion there arose ʺfour heroic characters who formed a Cross of Occult Lightintheeighteenth‐centuryskyʺ–SaintGermain,whoselifeis asmysteriousashisoverbroodingworkinhistory;LouisClaudede Saint‐Martin (1743–1803), who purified Masonry and coined the spiritual motto ʺLiberty, Equality, Fraternity,ʺ distorted by the violent passions of the French revolution; Cagliostro, who offered true Masons knowledge of the Lodge of Mahatmas; and Franz Anton Mesmer (1734–1815), who unified the physical, mental and spiritualprinciplesofmagnetismintoasingletherapeuticdoctrine andpractice.
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The Sixth Impulsion witnessed the incarnation of the enigmatic being called Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–1891). Boldly announcingthatshewasanagentoftheGreatLodge,sheoutlined thefundamentalteachingsoftheWisdom‐Religionevenbeforeshe founded the Theosophical Society with her associate Henry Steel OlcottandherdiscipleWilliamQuanJudge.Definingtruemagicas divinewisdom,sheidentifiedscienceandtheology,ʺtheMontecchi and Capuletti of the nineteenth century,ʺ as the enemies of occultism, offering Isis Unveiled (1877) as evidence for her ideas andTheSecretDoctrine(1888)asexplanationofthephilosophyof theosophy. Braving the painful, though sacred, duty of openly naming the Mahatmas who are behind the Movement, she demonstrated the grandeur of the theosophical system and the danger of playing with its Fohatic fire. In expounding the fundamentals of theosophia and the basic principles of oriental philosophia,shepointedtotheunderlyingrootsofallindividualand collectiveprogress.HertravelsfromRussiatoAmerica,fromIndia to England,cast powerful magnetic links across the world, so that theMahatmicvibrationcouldbetappedglobally. When H.P. Blavatsky departed on the completion of her task, W.Q. Judge continued her work in the spirit she had selflessly embodied. Heraimwastoelevatetherace.Hermethodwastodealwith themindofthecenturyasshefoundit,bytryingtoleaditonstep by step; to seek out and educate a few who, appreciating the majesty of the Secret Science and devoted to ʺthe great orphan Humanity,ʺ could carry on her work with zeal and wisdom; to found a Society whose efforts – however small itself might be – would inject into the thought of the day the ideas, the doctrines, the nomenclature of the Wisdom Religion, so that when the next century shall have seen its 75th year the new messenger coming againintotheworldwouldfindtheSocietystillatwork,theideas sown broadcast, and thus to make easy the task which for her since1875 wasso difficult andso encompassed with obstaclesin theverypaucityofthelanguage,–obstaclesharderthanallelseto workagainst.
THESEVENTHIMPULSION:1963‐2000101
Heremindedhisreadersthatwhileʺatthecloseofeachcenturya spiritual movement is made in the world by the Mahatmas,ʺ they do not wholly withdraw their current. Rather the seeds sown are allowedtogerminate. Ourdestinyistocontinuethewideworkofthepastinaffecting literatureandthoughtthroughouttheworld,whileourrankssee many changing quantities but always holding those who remain truetotheprogrammeandrefusetobecomedogmaticortogive up common‐sense in theosophy. Thus we will wait for the new messenger,strivingtokeeptheorganizationalivethathemayuse it and have the great opportunity H.P.B. outlines when she says, ʺThink how much one, to whom such an opportunity is given, couldaccomplish.ʺ
As the sun simultaneously passed across the Galactic Equator and the sacred asterism Punarvarsu, the Aquarian Age began its turn as thesolar month in the Great Year. Astraea,the goddess of justice, descends toward the Pit, and Aldebaran, ʺthe eye of the Bull,ʺ surveys earth from Meru. Into this complex, chaotic and crucialperiodtheSeventhImpulsionissent.Whenspeakingofthis age H.P. Blavatsky warned that psychologists would have their work cut out for them, many accounts will be settled between the racesandthatthetwentiethcenturywouldbethelastofitsname. Theformsandtraditions,thebeliefsandlanguageswhichinspired Pisceanmanovertwomillenniaagoaredeadanddecaying.Those who cling to form rather than looking to the Spiritual Sun find themselves torn asunder by the collapse of familiar patterns. Riddled with self‐doubt and insecurity, not sufficiently resolute in vision to see the soft golden hues of spiritual light among the flashing beams of maya, many are easy prey for doomsayers, negators and cynics, and crisis becomes a mode of living. Robert Crosbie founded the United Lodge of Theosophists in 1909 to continue the Work and preserve the foundations of the coming cycle,andB.P.WadiacarriedthelightofU.L.T.aroundtheworld. Into this contrasting scene of daring and despair the Magus‐ Teacher of the Seventh Impulsion descends. The Guru alone determines when, where and how he will represent himself, the
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levelsoflanguagehewilluse,themodesofteachinghewilladopt, and the speed and obviousness with which he will spell out the nature of the culminating Impulsion. His work involves the sutratmic synthesis of the Seven Century Plan. His duty is to nothing less than the whole of humanity, and as the Voice of Vajradhara, the Diamond Soul, every word he speaks will be a full account of himself. His teaching will be pure theosophia and his expressionofitwillbeasfreshandvivifyingasarethoseofevery Guruwhenfirstdelivered. The Seven Century Plan is intimately connected with the 2500‐ year cycle of the Buddha, and the 5000‐year cycle with which Krishna inaugurated Kali Yuga. Robert Crosbie said that Krishna ʺwas an administrator, while Buddha was ethical intelligence.ʺ Vinoba Bhave has reiterated that Krishna was the incarnation of purelove,theBuddhaofoceaniccompassion.Thesynthesisofthe ʺroyal artʺ and the science of living, of unconditional love and unerringcompassion,setsthearchetypefortheAquarianMan:one whoseheadcanfeelandwhoseheartisintelligent,ʺliketwinsupon a lineʺ while the star which is his goal burns overhead. The New Teacherwilllaydowntheinvisiblelineswhicharetheparameters ofhumandevelopmentforthenext2000years. We have the privilege of being among those who enter a New Cycle under the Seven Century Plan, bringing together East and Westsofullythatthedistinctionwillfadeintohistory.Thegolden impulseinitiatedbyKrishna,BuddhaandShankaraintheEast,and by Pythagoras, Plato and Christ in the West, will be carried forth into the civilization of the future. Those who strive to make theosophybyanynamealivingpowerintheirlives,one‐pointedin consciousness, calm and deliberate in action, may have the sacred privilege of recognizing and serving the Magus‐Teacher of the Seventh Impulsion. Those who prepare themselves in the secret sanctuary of their hearts by letting go of all conditions and renouncing all wish for personal gain, may have the thrice‐great privilege of working with the Guru for the regeneration of humanity.
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Retrospectiveinsightintothe1875Cycleandintuitive readiness for 1975 are indissolubly wedded, with no danger of divorce in a marriage by mutual assent. The Wheel of the Good Law moves swiftly on, and those who are willing to drive out the worthless husks of feverish speculation, psychic excitement and unholy curiosity must seek the golden grain of self‐validating truth in the mathematically precise marking of ʺthe celestial dialʺ on the Solar Clock.14x7yearsand7monthsafterthebirthofʺH.P.B.,ʺaswell as 3 x 9 years and 9 months after the Aquarian Age commenced, when the disc of the Sun crossed the galactic equator and entered the constellation of Punarvarsu (Pollux), an event took place on earth, under the aegis of the asterism Punarvarsu, containing the key to the 1975 Cycle. This says everything and nothing, in the time‐honouredcodelanguageoftheWiseMenoftheEast. Hermes,November1975 RaghavanIyer
THEZODIAC AND ITSSIGNS
ARIES The fleece of the Ram of Aries turned as golden as the sun and launchedthefleetofJasoninpursuit.Butitmustnotbethought,by those who seek wisdom, that the Argonauts sought after wealth. Forthegoldenramthatstandsuponitshindlegsisthesymbolfor the living soul of Ra, the great god who came to earth as the first divinePharaohoverhumanity.ThegracefulglyphofAriesdepicts thearchinghornsofamountainsheepbutitscurvesalsodescribea bursting fountain of water or the extended arms of a descending beingembracingtheconcernsoftheearth,thesoulofRacomeinto theworld. Arieshasbeencalledthesymbolofthecreativeimpulseofspirit at the moment of its inception. It is the ram or lamb of sacrifice, called by the Sumero‐Akkadians Lulim or Zue, ʹthe Messenger.ʹ Its month was named Baraziggar, the time of ʹthe upright altar of sacrificeʹandwasmarkedbythere‐enactment–throughritualsof oblation–ofthedescentofthesacrificiallambofGod.Thepresence ofthesoulofRaintheworldwasbelievedto be embodiedinthe sacred rams of ancient Egypt, and priest‐kings wore their flayed skins and heads as testimony of their divine communion with the solar source of all life. To kill a ram as an offering to God symbolized the release of the cosmic soul from the confines of matter.Toassumeitsguiseindicatedthatthewearercontainedthe fullpotencyofsolarfire. In the fieriness of Aries the sun is exalted and in several languages of the Middle East the sunʹs name is synonymous with that of the ram. The colossal rams guarding the precincts of the temples of Amon in Upper Egypt were retainers of the solar god andkeepersoftheflame,theirnameindicatingtheirlinkwiththe sun.IntheEgyptianbookoftheUnderworldcalledAm‐Tuatthere are twelve divisions indicating the zones of the zodiac through which thesoul, as sun,must journey on its way back to its sacred seat. In the first division of Aries the solar boat is shown bearing
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withinitsshrinethesunasaram–headedman.TheBookoftheDead describes this as AUF, the Dead Sun who symbolizes Divine Life limitingitselforbecomingʹdeadʹtoitspowersinthehigherworlds. There is a scarab beetle depicted in the same illustration, representingcreationandevolution,athemefurtherreinforcedby aninscriptionannouncingʹthecomingintobeingofOsiris.ʹInthese highlysymbolicpictogramsOsirisisshownswathedandboundin the wrappings of a mummy, and that encumbrance clearly representstheentranceofthelivingsoulintothatdeathwhichwe calllife.WeareremindedofanotherʹsonofGodʹwhowasbrought forth and wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. In bothcases,theinfantvesselofpureeternalconsciousnessbecomes entwinedinthetrappingsoftheʹlivingdead.ʹForjustaswethink thisworldisrealityitself,sowearemisledbytheappearancesofall things. Even as we ʹseeʹ them with the eyes of the world, they are dead. The real life has moved on to hidden places and leaves behinditamummifiedshell. Scatteredandfadednowisallthefoliage WhichhadburstforthbeneaththepowerofAries Tobeautifytheworld. Thegrossiswithered. Dante
ThenewcycleofgrowthcommencedbythefierybirthofAriesis underwayandtheworldispopulatedwiththesymbolicfoliageof thetreeoflife.Evenasthefireburstforth,itcontainedwithinitthe elementsthatwouldbeswallowedupbytheearth.ThelightofAja, ʹtheUnborn,ʹpropelledintobirth,wouldbecomeʹswaddledʹinthe garments of avidya, and Aries would be the agent through which this initial process of ʹbeingʹ took place. The constellation of the Ram marks the zone in heaven, the ʹapertureʹ through which this sacrificial emanation commences. This heavenly pattern of stars wascalledbytheBabyloniansIku,andtheybelieveditspowertobe thatofagreatarchetypaldesign,asignofGodʹsmanifestationtobe emulated on earth. They used the base of four of its stars as the inspiration for the building of the Esagila, the Temple of Marduk.
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UptothetimeoftheChristianera,thespringequinoxoccurredin Aries and festivals of the New Year included creation rituals. On thefourthdayofsuchrites,thehighpriestwouldfacetothenorth andintonethewords,ʺOIku,thouEsagila,likenessofHeavenand Earth.ʺ They believed that the stellar temple‐body in heaven was reflectedintheseven‐storiedtemple‐bodyintheworldandthatits cosmic design offered the blueprint for the sevenfold levels of manifestationthatweretofollow.Indeed,Arieswasconsideredby ancient and medieval astrologers to be the platform of that which wastocome–thefoundationofdestiny–andtheytaughtthatthe presence of a favourable star in Aries boded well for any work initiated.ThefourcardinalstarsofAriesmarkedthecornersofthe Esagila in space and in time, the day on which the priest intoned the mantramic ritual of Marduk, the Creator. It is this cardinal naturethatlenttoAriestheprimordialforceofthezodiac. The regally controlled fire of Leo and the subtly refined fiery energy of Sagittarius are anticipated in the primal fire of Aries. CloselyrelatedtoAja,theCosmicSelf,Ariesvibrateswiththeforce of its personified ray and on the lower plane of incarnated effects the image of a larger selfhood is strongly reflected. The energy of fire incarnate polarizes and concentrates and is the cause of all separations and reunions in matter. As consciousness, it gathers into a strong sense of self which is limited, its movements manifestingasdeathandrebirth.Thespiritualfirebecomeslocked in the present personality by the centrifugal and heterogeneously separative force of Mars, whose influence promotes the gathering process of soul involution which will persist through the critical pointofScorpio. Aries is masculine, full of energy and very positive. An individual entering life under the influence of this sign is like ArchetypalManuponthesceneofmatter.Heislikeapioneerwho looks about at an untamed wilderness and is moved, by his powerfully reflected sense of self, to impose his will upon it. He likestothinkhehasarrivedathispresentpositionbyhimself,that heistotallyself‐sufficientandindependent.Heimaginesthatthere
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isgreatmeritingettinghiswayandisoftenunawareofthefeelings of others. In his sense of wholeness and independence, he may sufferfromprideandtendtoconfusehisstrongdesireswithhigher will. An Aries dictator could easily believe that his personal ambition was a reflection of divine cosmic will and his delusion would be based upon the almost innocent‐seeming avidya or unknowingwhichcharacterizesthisinitialphaseofthezodiac.He maypersistentlymistakeobstinacyforstrengthofcharacter,desire for will, and the unreal for the real but may manifest the characteristics of creation which are conducive to innovation and proliferation.ThereispromiseinAriesforanewbeginning,anew opportunity, but there is also the painful loss of cosmic vision which manifests as an inversion of perception and marks the re‐ entryofthesoulintotheoldcycleofSamsara. InPiscesthesoulwasweighedinthebalanceandeithermerged like the drop into the Akashic sea or waited for its inevitable re‐ descent into matter. Those who did not fully grasp the ultimate opportunity of Pisces through consciously experiencing the death of their personal, separative self, but were, instead, caught in the floodofworldlyemotions,wereboundtobegintheever‐revolving processofbirthsoncemore.Thecordthatunitesthetwofishesof Pisces,whichrespectivelypointtoinvolutionandliberation,passes under the foreleg of the Ram of Aries and the unliberated soul is caughtbythatcordjustassurelyaswearenowcaughtwithinour bodies. With very few exceptions, the incarnated individual has indeed arrived at his present position by himself, but not through theexerciseofhishigherwillashemaywishtothink. Plato believed that Aries was ruled by Pallas Athene, the dynamic war‐like goddess who created the life‐giving olive tree and who sprang fully armed from the head of Zeus. She was the inventorofweaving,andrenownedforʺhermasteryofthespider webʺ of creation. Of all the arts, weaving is the most symbolic of manifestation,andonecanimaginetheDodecatheoi,thetwelvegods of the zodiac, establishing upon a vast celestial loom the lines of
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force through the warp and woof of the worldʹs design. The same ideahasbeenbeautifullyexpressedbyGoethe,whosays: ThusattheroaringloomofTimeIply, AndweaveforGodthegarmentthouseeʹstHimby.
Only the smallest details of texture, colour, and local embellishment would be affected by the actions of incarnated beings,andthestrugglesoftheworldwould besubsumed within the cosmic weave. The only truly free individuals would be those whounderstoodthedesignandcouldmovefromcolourtocolour, detail to detail, with effortless ease. Manifesting an Aquarian overview, they would have slowly woven their way in consciousness, knitting up the loose threads of karmic debt until they had synthesized the whole of the cosmic design in their own being. Thus would they come to understand something of the natureofthedivinebeingsthatinitiatethecycleofAries. TheAgeofAriescommencedaround2300B.C.,anditwasabout that time that the ram became sacred to Amon, the solar deity of Egypt.Showinghimselftotheworldintheguiseofaram,Amon, ʹtheHiddenOne,ʹusurpedtheroleofShuwho,inearliertimes,was believedtohaveformedtheworldbyseparatingtheearthandthe sky.Amon,becominglikethewind,stirredupthewatersofNun, andbegantheworkofcreation.Heisdescribedasemergingoutof theprimalfloodontothemoundofHermopolis.There,itissaid, he was received by his female counterpart in the form of a cow, upon whose back he floated to many shores, giving birth to the various ram‐gods of creation. Symbolically, Amon ordered time and the seasons and in this was much like Khnum, whose name meantʹtocreate.ʹKhnum,anancientgodofthefirstcataractofthe NileinupperEgypt,ʹcontrolledʹtheplaceofthesourceoflifeand wasbelievedtobethecreatorofgodsandmen,whomhefashioned of clay on the potterʹs wheel. He was said to fashion the body of every child born, providing the clay vessel that would hopefully containthewatersofthesoul.Hewasshownasamanwitharamʹs headwhosehornscurvedouthorizontally,indicatingthattheideas of early dynastic times were inspired by the appearance of an
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animal which actually became extinct during the later Middle Kingdom. The Hindu counterpart of Amon and Khnum is Daksha, whose activities as ʹChief Progenitorʹ are described in the Vayu Purana. Daksha, who bears the ray of ʹthe Hidden One,ʹ is also associated withthewindthatstirsupthewater.Intheactofcreatingphysical man, a great strife broke out among the gods causing Daksha to ʹlosehishead.ʹThisheadwasreplacedbythatofaramcalledKasi‐ Khanda,whoseformisaphallicsymbolofgeneration,markingthe era of men engendered by sexual intercourse. Daksha himself representstheearlyThirdRacewhichwasholyandpureandstill devoidofindividualego.Buttheincarnationofself‐consciousness necessitated then, as it does now in the individual birth, the separation of the pairs of elements making up the world, the realization of Self in a body requiring a re‐ignition of the Fohatic sparkbetweenthenegativeandpositivepolesofmanifestedbeing. This method of procreation was not perfected all at once and it is said that many monsters were created and were all destroyed by Shiva before the five‐pointed human form emerged. This progressionisdescribedinTheSecret Doctrine inarchetypalterms, proceeding through the ʹSweat‐born,ʹ egg‐born, vapour‐born, and so forth, until finally man was born from the womb, the microcosmicreflectionoftheentiremanifestedcosmos. ThereplacementofDakshaʹsheadwiththatofaramisextremely suggestivewhenrelatedtothefactthatAriesislinkedupwiththe head and face. In Hindu esoteric astrology Aries, called Mesam, is consideredthereflectivesymbolofParabrahm,theundifferentiated whole, and the Original Cause of the thunderbolt which emerges from the Akasa of Pisces. In Egyptian cosmology, it is from ʹthe HiddenOne,ʹʹtheUnknownForce,ʹthattheinitialimpulsethrough which the potential becomes active bursts forth to become the Logos, the Heavenly Man who as the manifesting Sun of the Hidden Father, Aries takes on the guise of that symbolic concentrationofforceswhichwillinturnrulethebrainandheadof physical man. Thus the ram governs those centres in man which
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controlbothphysicalandspiritualenergies,justasParabrahmrests at the centre of all potential cosmic forces. Through this reflective process, that which has no being and is pre‐cosmic and eternal becomes Being related to darkness and avidya, symbolized in Buddhist tradition by a blind woman who sits beside a lighted lamp. Avidya is the first of the twelve Nidanas of Buddhism and representsthelossofawarenessofoneʹsrealnature.Corresponding toAries,itisthefirstinaseriesofcauseswhichbindthesoultothe wheelofexistencethroughthatsenseofignorancewhichrelatesto spiritual awareness. It implies nescience, and though the Transcendentcanhavenoopposite,avidyaistrulytheantithesisof Bodhiorenlightenment.Itis,however,positiveaswellasnegative inthatitinvolveswrongviewsorPlatonicʹdoubleignorance.ʹThe individualimmersedinavidyaviewsthephenomenalasnoumenal andthenoumenalnotatall.Hedoesthesamewiththeconditioned and unconditioned as well as the painful and pleasant. There is a confusionandinversionwherebythenon‐eternal,impureandevil are taken to be the eternal, pure and good. The ability to perceive thataneventoccursbecauseofacertaincauseorconditionandwill notoccurifthecauseorconditionisabsent,isobscured.Avidyais that state where endless effects are manipulated in an effort to controlcauseswhilethecausalplaneistotallylostfromview. This ignorance manifests because consciousness has become involvedinmatter.Thatwhichisboundlessismadetoassumethe limitationsofmatter.Itisdeprivedoftheknowledgeofitseternal, self‐sufficient nature. This is brought about by a transcendent powerinherentintheUltimateRealitywhichiscalledMaya.How andwhythishappenscanonlybeknownbythosewhocomeface to face with the Truth that underlies manifestation which, by its very nature, is incommunicable. To know this is the end of the search, not the starting point, and since enlightenment is the goal, the elimination of that which obstructs it should be the methodologicalbeginningofspiritualteaching.
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ThefundamentalprivationofknowledgebroughtaboutbyMaya atthebeginningofanevolutionarycycleisthecauseofavidya,and theuninterruptedpracticeoftheawarenessoftheRealisthemeans of dispersion of avidya. Discrimination between the Real and the Unreal is possible only when we have experienced Reality. The individualmustbeginbysearchingwithinhimselfforthesparkof the reflected ray of the Real. Once he has discovered it, he must tenaciouslyclingtoitslight,everre‐aligninghisconsciousnesstoit. Onlyinthiswaycanavidyabedestroyedandrebirthintothecycle ofAriesbeassumedasapurposefulactofthehigherwill. In Aries, the strongly etched shadow of cosmic will, while manifestingasinvertedwilfulnessanddelusiveself‐sufficiency,is, nonetheless,suffusedwiththepotencyofthecreativeimpulseand canbesharpenedlikeanartistʹstooltomouldtherawmaterialof life into better modes of expression for the future. It is in recognitionofthisthatInitiates,whoworkedandcreatedonbehalf of man, were portrayed by the Egyptians as ram‐headed men. In the Book of the Dead a command is given that a certain chapter shouldbereadinthepresenceofaʺserpentwithtwolegsʺwhose head is adorned with the discus of the sun and ramʹs horns, over whicharerepresentedthetwomysticeyesofAmon.Thestruggling soul must swim through the miasma of avidya toward the light of thatdiscuswhichissupportedintheworldbytheramʹshorns.He must fasten his gaze upon the pointed glow within his head and, whileallaroundhimdarknessgrows,hemayadvanceslowlyand steadilytowardthecelestialaperturethatgavehimbirth.Hemay opentheBookofNatureandpartakeofthewisdomwrittherein. Hermes,May1977 HelenValborg
TAURUS FromfatherplowdescendtheFurrow‐Sons, Throʹwhoserichloinsanumʹrousissueruns. Fromparentblossoms,daughterʹsfruitsucceed; AsPhorcuscomesbeforehisnumerousbreed. Thylawspersonifiedstillrulethewhole, OfwhichthyMinosisthelifeandsoul.
Neither the elegance of his sculpted throne, the fullness of his grainstoresnortheloyalvillagesthatgracedtheslopesdescending from his palaces were enough to arrest the doubts of the Minoan king.SodeepwashisuncertaintythatMinosprayedtoPoseidonto send him a sign of his true sovereignty. The myths tell of distant times when bull‐leapers performed along lofty parapets beside wallsdecoratedwithgracefuldolphins.Thisancienttalereachesus throughthemistsofoldharbourslappedbythewatersofPoseidon whosenttoMinostheproofhesoughtintheformofamightyand beautiful bull. Surging across the dark waters, the magnificent animal ascended to the royal palace and entranced its inhabitants. The bull from the sea symbolized manʹs kingly right and the responsibility of his reign. He embodied the material that had floated as foam upon the waterʹs current, fragmented and semi‐ dissolved just a moment before. Now, gathered together, that matter was solid and powerful, and stood before Minos as a concreteanswertohissearchingquestion. Like the Bull of Minos, Taurus represents impressed matter, agglomeratedfromthestrataofpastthoughtanddesireandthrust intothepresentlikethetopsoiloftheearth.Taurusemergesasthe gathering dark cloud, giving form to the precipitation of latent cause against the shapeless sky. It is related to the second Nidana, Samskara, and reflects the results of former states of being, the karma upon which the soul will work. Samskara etymologically suggeststheimprovementandrefinementofimpressionsleftupon themindandform.Itcarriesthegermsofpropensitiescultivatedin
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previouslivestobedevelopedinthisandfuturebirths.Linkedto Vach, Taurus establishes the key note and basis for subsequent activity. The ancient Akkadians recognized this in the name they bestoweduponthecelestialbull–TE,ʹtheFoundationStone.ʹ The forces of Taurus are those of virgin matter, the vehicle of becoming. They are like clay to be moulded by the skilled potter whocandiscernthetextureandconsistencyneededforsculptinga water‐tight vessel. The earth itself offers up material which will eventually form a vessel capable of containing the most ethereal fluids of manifested life, but the potter must select, refine and mouldthismaterialuponthewheelofkarmicexistence.Theentire process of becoming reflects the relation of the manifest to the unmanifestintimatedinTheVoiceoftheSilence:ʺBeforetheSoulcan comprehendandmayremember,shemustuntotheSilentSpeaker be united, just as the form to which the clay is modelled is first united with the potterʹs mind.ʺ Taurus is both the plastic earth whichbearsformandthecausalforcewhichpenetratesandvivifies it. If Aries, whose ruler is Mars, can be seen as the father, Taurus, ruledbyVenus,canbeseenasthemother,ʺthewebuponwhichis woven the garment of the soul.ʺ Being an earth sign, there is a feminineaspecttothesymbolofthebulleventhoughitsnatureis masculine.However,theEddiegodThor,theEgyptianOsiris,and severalHinduskygodsarealsoidentifiedwiththebull,suggesting thatTaurusisrelatedbothtoPurushaandPrakriti.HymnsintheRig Veda describe heaven and earth as a closely united pair, one a prolific bull, the other a multi‐coloured cow. As productive and generative powers in nature, they represent the merging of firm soul‐awarenesswiththeplasticpowerofconsciousness,thebirthof VirajoutofVach. In the Puranas, Viraj is described as the Logos, the male Manu createdinthefemaleportionofBrahmaʹsbodybyBrahmahimself. ʺHavingdividedhisbodyintotwoparts,thelordbecamewithone halfamaleandwiththeotherhalfafemale;andinherhecreated Viraj.ʺThus,thecowisthesymbolofcreativenature,whilethebull is the spirit which vivifies nature and renders ʹthe Wordʹ into
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manifest sound. The Egyptians symbolized this by the light of the sunwhich,asabull,hidinthebodyofacoweachnighttobeborn anewateverymorn.TheycalledthesunʹtheBullofhisMother,ʹa symbol of the penetration of the humid by the fiery. Taurus is related to the moon as well as the sun, and its zodiacal glyph depicts a crescent over a full moon, symbolizing the waxing and waning forces of natural life. The Babylonian lunar deity was the godSin,whoseemblemwasthebull.Justasthereweresuccessions of lunar and solar cults in the East, so there were lunar and solar aspects attributed to the Heavenly Bull. Despite the shifts of religiousemphasis,therewasanintenseandconstantinterestinthe starsofTaurus,whichincludedtheearliestastrologicalsignificators connectedwithagriculture. Taurusisthefirstoffoursignsinthezodiacwhich,asequinoctial points, mark the beginnings of yugas. Representing the four elements, they are points in a wheel which seems to undulate, relative to the earth, like the track of a winding serpent. This serpentinemotionisrelatedtoFohat,anditsphasesmaybeseenin the curves of the glyphs belonging to Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Fohat, latent in Taurus, stirs into activity in Leo, fully awakens in Scorpio and is synthesized in Aquarius. Phoenician cylinder seals depict the lion devouring the bull, the commencement of a progression which culminates in the total synthesisoftheman‐lion.FohatconcealsmotivepowersinTaurus. When tamasic, this engenders an asuric secretiveness, but in its positive aspect, it indicates a profound capacity for assimilation. TheearthlyforcesofproductionassociatedwithTaurusneednotbe dispersed but may be contained and ruminated upon slowly and steadily. The unrefined earthy potential of this sign is reminiscent oftheroughsoilofprimitivemanbeforethedawnofcivilization,a pristine condition symbolized by the Sumerian hero Enkidu. He was depicted as a bull with a manʹs breast, arms and face, whose visage was adorned with bovine ears and horns. This was man before his acquisition of the ʹsoul of life,ʹ which the Sumerians believedtohavecoincidedwiththecreationofgoddessesofflocks andgrain.Theconnectionbetweensuchbull‐menandthefeminine
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principle in nature is intimated in myths about monsters which arise from the sea and must be conquered by the masculine principle.Theyrepresentmorphologicalcul‐de‐sacsofevolution,or premature graftings of the divine on unrefined matter. Like Jason andhiscrewontheArgo,whometandconqueredtheCretanBull, the soul must cross this celestial Bosporus (bos = bull) in order to cultivatethefieldsoflife. The bull is the paramount symbol of the fecundating sky. Its blacknesslinksitwiththelowerheavenofdeath,while,asthunder, itsbellowconveysthevoiceoftheunmanifest.TheEgyptiansspoke of the ʹheavenly wild bullʹ whose black colour represented the depth of the sky which, though remote, was full and therefore finite.Thetransformationofhisnaturefromthesolartothelunaris stronglysuggestedinCretanritualwherethesunwasrepresented asabull.Thelabyrinthwasanorchestraformedinasolarpattern in which the dancer imitating the sun masqueraded as a bull. The myth of Minos provides a clue to this transition when it describes howthekingfoundtheBullfromtheSeasobeautifulthathecould not kill it as a sacrificial offering to Poseidon as he had been instructed. The Bull, roaming about freely, attracted the unnatural love of Queen Pasiphae, who eventually gave birth to the anthropotaurine monster called the Minotaur. Pasiphae was not onlythewifeofamanwhodesiredassuranceofhisdivinerightto rule but also a daughter of Helios. As an offspring of the sun, she became the agent through whom brutal nature grossly manifested duetothefailureofMinostosacrificethebull.Herfascinationwith theBullisparalleledbytheworshipofDionysiusinbovineguise,a practiceperhapsrelatedtoanunconsciousurgetoescapeintoʹpre‐ time,ʹarealmofprimitiveexpression.IntheMinoanmyth,thebull is a necessary element in the deeper quest of King Minos, who through vivifying passive nature precipitates the necessity of the conquestofbrutenaturebythemanwhowouldbeking. Taurusgovernsthethroatandthevoice,projectionsofʹtheWord madeflesh.ʹIntheVedasandUpanishadstheHeavenlyBulliscalled Rsabham, and is related to Pranava or AUM. Dyaus, the Hindu
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equivalentofZeus,iscalledtheBullʺwhobellowsdownward,his thunder penetrating the lower heavens and striking the earth.ʺ Thus Indra releases Vach in the form of the captive cows. The Babylonian Enlil, ʺwhose head rivals the Heavens, whose foundationislaidinthepureabyss,whoreposesinthelandlikea furiouswildbull,whosehornsgleamliketheraysoftheSun‐god,ʺ hurls down the thunderous ʹWordʹ which echoes through the world.Nandi,thesacredbullofShiva,wasbroughtfromBharatato Sancha to meet Rsabham every kalpa, but when the Atlanteans becameblackwithsin,thenNandiremainedforeverinʹthe White Island,ʹandthoseoftheFourthWorldlosttheAUM.Heretherole ofTaurusastheagentofthemanifestingWordiscompoundedin the guise of two bulls, one of which is white and attends the transcendental dance of Shiva in Chidambaram, while the other is blackandwatchesovertheracesoftheworld. Tauruswearsanadornmentofpearlsshiningwithgreatbeauty, thePleiades,thecentralgroupinsiderealsymbolism,theseptenary applied to space, sound and action. They are identified with the AssyrianBulls,theSevenKabiri,andtheSevenRishiswhogovern theSevenRacesofman.TheSevenSistersofthePleiadesbeginthe great precessional cycle and around them ʺour universe of fixed stars revolves, the focus from which the divine breath, MOTION, works incessantly during the Manvantara. Hence in the Occult philosophyanditssiderealsymbols‐itisthiscircleandthestarry cross on its face, which play the most prominent part.ʺ The Egyptians depicted the circle and the cross as the sun and Tau between the crescent of the bullʹs horns, indicating the vehicle through which the divine breath audibly breathed. The Kabbalah speaksofthePleiadesasbeingbornfromthefirstmanifestedside of the upper triangle, the concealed triangle. The manifest side is describedasTaurus,whosesymbolisthefigureIorthefirstletter of the Hebrew alphabet, Aleph (bull or ox), whose synthesis is ten (10)orYodh,theperfectletterandnumber.TheplaneaboveisNo Number or Zero while the plane below becomes One. Miltonʹs accountofcreationinParadiseLostpoignantlycapturesamomentin primordialmanifestationbeheldbytheunseenwitness:
120THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY DawnandthePleiadesbeforehimdancʹd, Sheddingsweetinfluence.
AsiftoechothebrightsphereofNoNumberontheplanebelow, Aldebaran,ʹtheEyeofTaurus,ʹshinesforthwithabrillianceofthe first magnitude. It is the guide that marks ʹthe Furrow of Heavenʹ andtheheraldofKaliYuga.Seekersofmysteryaretoldtoʺgoforth at night, and talk with Aldebaran, where he flames in the cold foreheadofthewintersky.ʺHeisDil‐gam,ʹtheMessengerofLightʹ andwascalledbytheLatinsPalititium,ʹtoproclaim.ʹThusthestar thatbringstheʹmessageoflightʹislinkedwiththeproclamationof sound. Both signify the point in the ecliptic from which men in ancient times measured longitude, regulated their calendar, and navigated ships at sea. In these, as well as in other hidden ways, Taurus sets the ʹtoneʹ which governs the manifestations of the mathematicsofKarma. In The Epic of Gilgamesh the hero weeps when he learns that his friendEnkiduisfatedtodie,thoughthedestinyofthevaliantbull‐ manisnecessaryintheprogressofGilgamesh,whothensearches for the plant of immortality. Minos, in failing to kill the Bull from the Sea, ensured the prolongation of evolutionary trials. The hero Mithra, however, destroyed the bull created by Ormazd, recognizingthatitwastheʹgermofsorrowʹandthathehadtoʺkill the finite seed so that the plant of immortality might grow.ʺ The bull was the first animal created by Ormazd, the Supreme Being, anditwasthetaskofMithra,theSoul,tocaptureandtameit.The bullescaped,whereupontheSuncommandedMithratoslayit,and whenthiswasdone,plantssprangfromthefallenbodyofthegreat beast. ʺThe seed of the Bull, gathered and purified by the moon, produced all the different species of useful animals. . . and all the useful herbs and plants that cover the earth with their verdure. Fromthespinalcordoftheanimalsprangthewheatthatgivesus our bread, and from its blood the vine that produces the sacred drink of the mysteries ‐ and from the death which he had caused wasbornanewlifemorerichandmorefecundthantheold.ʺ
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In the history of humanity, the birth of agriculture and animal husbandry through the demise of the wild bull symbolizes the beginnings of the ascendancy of man over animal. The domestication of flora and fauna represents the entry of man into anageofcomplexculturalexpressionfarbeyondthenomadiclife of hunting. But the bull did more than sacrifice its life for this development.Itgaveitscrescent‐shapedhornasinspirationforthe plough. Just as the Babylonians said of Enlil, ʺHe has caused the ploughshare to impregnate the earth,ʺ so throughout the Mediterranean world the horns of the bull symbolized the plough which opened mother earth, that she may be impregnated with seed. Cultivation of the earth became the reflection of the hidden anddeeperdevelopmentsymbolizedbyTaurus. ʹCultivationʹandʹcultureʹspringfromthesameLatinroot,cultus, ʹcareʹ or ʹadoration,ʹ derived from the Greek kyklos or ʹcircle of becoming,ʹ and the Sanskrit chakra or ʹwheelʹ and char, ʹto move.ʹ ʹThe Wordʹ reflected in the human power to symbolize through language is the crux and foundation of culture, enabling man to grow in awareness through complex mental and cultural relationships within a geometric or cumulative process. Human nature itself depends upon the development of this ability to impress matter by thoughts and deeds and to respond to impressions with a dialectical ability to transcend the limits they present.Manmaypotentiallygrowfromgenerationtogeneration, from life to life, but he must learn what Taurus has to teach. The strength of the forces emanating through the constellation of Rsabham is based upon the capacity to assimilate and digest, to ruminate slowly like the bull, ever refining the clay of future moulds. The whole force of Taurus encompasses an archetypal process of fecundation, proliferation, assimilation and refinement. Thedarkbullwiththecrescenthornmanifestsintherealmofdeath and must be conquered in the search for immortal life. But if one ʺgoes forth at nightʺ and meditates upon the Eye of the Bull, one may intuit the Zero beyond the One. For the Eye of the Bull is Aleph, whose synthesis is ten, the perfect number, the sum of all,
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involving and expressing the mysteries of the entire Kosmos, and manifestingitselfinʹtheWordʹorgenerativePowerofCreation. Hermes,June1977 HelenValborg
GEMINI Inatimesolongagothatitbarelylingersinthememoryofaged medicine men, two sons were born to Sun‐Carrier and his consort Changing Woman. They were Nayanezgani and Thohadzistshini, whooverthrewthemonstrousonesandbroughtanendtotheAge of Giants. They heralded a new race and ushered in the Fourth World, where every colour existed and a snow‐covered mountain stoodateachofthefourcardinalpoints.TheNavajosaythatfour gods created the first man and woman from ears of corn. To this pair came five births of twins, the first of which were hermaphrodites. The four that followed intermarried with the Mirage People who dwell in this world. Their children slowly forgot their ancestry and even failed to see the significance of the birthoftwins. The heavenly twins of every mythology have some striking affinities. The sons of Sun‐Carrier and Changing Woman are reminiscent of those of Adam and Eve or Zeus and Leda. Sometimes they are male and female offspring, standing like two pillarssidebyside.They,liketheNavajobrothers,aresymbolsof thebrilliantwhiteandredstarswhichforthousandsofyearshave beenidentifiedasʹtheTwins.ʹThepillarsofHermesandHercules, aswellasJachinandBoazattheentrancetoSolomonʹstemple,are derived from the great myth of Gemini. The glyph that describes them all is a graphic indication of their nature: two columns supportingacrossbeamoverathreshold.Usedinthisformbythe ancient Spartans, the glyph was later translated into the image of twoamphoraewithsnakestwinedaroundthem.Theglyphstands forthePortaloftheTempleofHumanity.TheancientEuphrateans called the twins Mun‐Ga, which designates ʹthe making of bricksʹ and refers to the building of the City of Man. Similarly, Romulus and Remus, who despite their differences, built ʹthe Holy Cityʹ of Romestonebystone,reflectaconceptionofthetempleofhumanity commoninMediterraneancultures.Geminiisalsoassociatedwith fertility, and Finno‐Ugric people still carry twins into the fields to
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ensure an abundance of crops. The celestial twins suggest a link between the evolving human vehicle and the increase of life in general through the divided, overbrooding Spirit, which quickens theprocessesofdivisionandfructification. LikeRomulusandRemus,thetwinsoflegendandsacredloreare often in opposition to one another. They may, like the brothers depicted in the Cahuilla creation myth, separate to their respective positionsinthenetherandupperworlds.Or,likeOdinandOllerus of Eddie mythology, they may alternate with one another, representing summer and winter and other cyclic patterns. They may be like the twin warriors who embody the ever‐contending forces of creation and destruction, life and death, their struggle beingthecauseofallchange.Theyprecipitateexternallythenature inherentinChangingWomanandbringface‐to‐facewithitselfthe dualityintrinsictomanifestation. Gemini may describe two hostile brothers, but in Hindu and Egyptian tradition the twins are brother and sister. In The Book of Knowing the Evolutions of Ra, which describes the nature and exploits of the children of the Creator Temu, Shu and Tefnut are describedastherightandlefteyeofRa.TheirfatherTemudeclared the twin birth: ʺThus from being one god I became three out of myself.ʺ Shu and Tefnut, side by side, represent the union of past andpresent,spaceandlight,lifeandorder.TheGateofthePillars ofShuwasrecognizedbyHierophantsastheentrancetothePath. The divine nature of androgynous twins points to a state of wholeness which existed prior to the subsequent divisions of evolving existence. An occult analogy can be found in the process of fertilization of a single mother cell which produces, in human generation,identicaltwins.Insuchcasestheabilitytoprovidethe entirecomplexgeneticstructureformultipleindividualslieswithin one fertilized egg. The psychic closeness that twins experience seems to mirror their monogenesis, as well as an even higher and more abstract form of sharing than any they experience on the physical plane. Coming from that which can reproduce itself, and seemingtomove,thinkandfeelasoneperson,twinshaveinspired
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philosophersfrommanyculturestoseeinthemthefirstemanation oftheCreativeLogos. ThedualnatureofGemini,asthecentralthemeofthesymbol,is showninvariousways.Ifthetwinsrepresenttheforcesofcreation anddestructionortheupperandlowerworlds,theyarebothloved and feared. Where the Finno‐Ugric peoples rejoice at the birth of twins,someAfricanpeoplesfearthem.ItisoftensaidthatHeaven kills as well as creates and is associated with the unexpected, like lightning and other awesome phenomena. With the birth of twins the unexpected occurs and they attract both good and evil. Knowing not which is which, some people abandon both in the forest. It is not always a simple task to tell Cain from Abel, and sometimes the dual nature of Gemini, which is usually present in single individuals, becomes separated out in two twins as though one were the dark shadow of the other. In modern times the extraordinary example of two French brothers seems to echo the ancient biblical crime. The innocent and virtuous brother was so repeatedly plagued by the perverse misdeeds of his twin that he finally lost control and in a fit of exasperation strangled him. The mystery as to why the good brother kills the evil one is compounded by the fact that in the biblical allegory the brother rejectedbyGodkillstheoneaccepted. Whether good and evil, or both purely divine, the dual forces symbolized by the twins are inextricably bound together. As Maniliuswrote,ʺTenderGeminiinstrictembracestandclosʹdand smiling in each otherʹs face.ʺ The Aswin twins of Hindu tradition are always together, guiding their horses through the heavens. In the Tarot cards the twins symbolized ʹthe Loversʹ and their masculine and feminine activities are like two reflections of one will.Theheavenlytwinsexpressoppositesfusedtogether,liketwin beamsfromonelight.TheimageofCastorandPollux,seenbythe RomansastheDoubleLight,wasplacedonthebowofshipsinthe belief that their dual presence could nullify or blend the powerful negativeandpositiveforcesworkingduringelectricalstormsatsea.
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Their salvific power was suggested in Shelleyʹs translation of HomerʹsHymntoCastorandPollux: Yewild‐eyedmuses!singtheTwinsofJove, ........mildPollux,voidofblame, Andsteed‐subduingCastor,heirsoffame. ThesearethePowerswhoearth‐bornmortalssave.
The Greeks and Romans often called the two brilliant stars of GeminitheSonsofLeda.CastorandPolluxwereseparatelytermed ʹthe Starry Oneʹ and ʹthe Lightful One,ʹ names indicative of their respectivenatures.CastorsymbolizestheEarthwhilePolluxisthe emblem of Spirit, reminding us of the ancient edict which states thatittakesEarthandHeavenlyWaterstocreateahumansoul.The Greek myth achieves its most sublime expression in Pindarʹs version.LedaisunitedinthesamenightwithTyndareus,Kingof Sparta,andwithZeus,KingoftheOlympiangods.Fromthisdual union emerge two sons, the mortal Castor and his immortal brother, Pollux. Bound together by a common mother and intense fraternal devotion, they journey on adventures throughout the world. In a ferocious battle with the sons of Aphaereus, Idas, ʹhe who sees and knows,ʹ mortally wounds Castor. Pollux finds his brother dying and appeals to his divine father to allow him to perish also. ʺThou art of a divine race,ʺ Zeus replies, ʺThou canst not die altogether.ʺ Nevertheless, just as the brothers have shared allthingsinlife,theymaybothsharedeathandimmortality.Pollux givesaportionofhisimmortalitytoCastor,andthusthetwinslive alternately, one during the day, and the other at night, in the heavenly abodes. As an allusion to the evolutionary history of humanity,Castorrepresentsthepurelymortalman,unconsciousin its personality and a mere animal until united with the immortal individuality,signifiedbyPollux.HeisManas,theinformingfireof consciousnesswhichtransformsanimalmanbylinkinghimtothe immortal individuality, Atma‐Buddhi. Lower man becomes conscious, and Higher Man can behold the world through his less favouredbrother.ThusCastorsymbolizestheegg‐bornThirdRace
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humanity, unconscious until awakened to Manasic awareness by theinforminggod‐Pollux. Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury, and the twins are often depicted as children using their budding intelligence to play lifeʹs gamewithaclevernesswhichmimicsinnocence.Geminirepresents theforcesofboththeHigherandLowerMindwhichwhenideally combined result in an airy and mercurial balance of self‐ consciousness.Liketheunionofpastandpresentsymbolizedinthe PillarsofShu,Geminibringsintoemergencethedelicatelybalanced confluence of the rivers of mind and matter. In China it is represented as an apewith dual qualities related to Yin and Yang, whereas in Tibetan Buddhism it is symbolized by a monkey climbing a flowered tree. The agile primate with his humanoid characteristics climbs upward to grasp the opening bloom of self‐ conscious intelligence. From this point the light of awareness will disperse through writing and education as well as the arts of commerce.Itsbenefactorswillbemany,andsomegreatpoetsand thinkers attribute the source of their genius to Gemini. Hesiod wrote,ʺTothemIowe,tothemaloneIowe,whatoftheseas,orof thestarsIknow,ʺandDanteintoned: Ogloriousstars, Olightimpregnated‐withmightyvirtue, FromwhichIacknowledge‐allmygenius, What‐soeʹeritbe.
Inocculttraditionwearetoldthatthesourceofthisgeniusisthe FirstAndrogynewhoseessenceiseternalandwhoemanatesapure ethereal light. It is a dual light which is not perceptible to the physicalsensebutwhichcarriestheseedoftheDualMan.Itisthe Androgynewhocompletesman,ʺwhoseetherealformisemanated by other divine, but far lower beings, who solidify the body with clay,ortheʹdustoftheground.ʹʹTheprogressivemanifestationof twins suggested here is reminiscent of a Babylonian account of creationwhichstatesthatʺInHeavenandEarthʹfaithfultwinsʹhad been brought into beingʺ who were all to be the gods of the three worlds.
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GeminiasasymboloftheHigherandLowerMindpointstothe process whereby the whole of evolving existence leads to the pivotal point inherent in the dual nature of man. The duality symbolizedbyandinherentinGeminisuggeststhedynamicunity of the mind, the crucible of the Aquarian Age. Like the two amphorae encircled by serpents, Higher and Lower Mind have complementary functions. When separated, Kama Manas is the calculating mind which apes its superior twin, fantasizing images of the world which deny significant occult import to events, and ruled by projected desires rather than spiritual aspirations. As the shadow of Buddhi‐Manas, it can concretize any conception and exploit spiritual language for its own inverted ends. Buddhi‐Manas is ever indifferent to all but universal truths; it abstracts the formlesscorefromtheworldofform,synthesizesthemathematical harmonics of the world of change into the one fundamental vibration which precedes and pervades every manifestation, and transcendseverylevelofinsight,eachofwhichbecomesastepon thestairwaytopureSpirit.WhenKamaManasisweddedtoBuddhi‐ Manas, its relational side is weaned from the snares of tanha, the thirstforembodiedexperience,anditbecomesthevehiclethrough which Buddhi‐Manas can manifest in the world. Gemini represents therealignmentoftheinvertedmind. Emerson likened friends to diamonds and opals, the one pure and impenetrable, the other variegated. The adamantine Higher Mind is multi‐faceted, reflecting every colour from within itself whileremainingcolourless.TheopalescentLowerMindreflectsall the colours of the world because they are lodged within it. When broughttogetherinfraternalfriendship,LowerMindispurifiedso that it picks up and refracts only the colours emitted by Higher Mind, pouring its light forth into the world. Lower Manas must achieve a philosophical negation ‐ refusing to identify with name andform‐sothatHigherMindmaymanifest.Iftheloweraspectof dual Mind is positive, the higher aspect must be negative. The AquarianPathistheprocessofreversingthesepolarities.Thenthe potentiality of the Akashic light, contained in the crystalline amphoraofHigherMind,canreflectinthepotencyofthepristine
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astral light poured forth from the translucent amphora of the purified Lower Mind. Thus the two aspects of Mind stand in the samerelationshipasdidthefirstawakenedThirdRacehumanityto itsspiritualInstructors. Twinsintheworldarelikewitnessestothearchetypaltransition from the wholeness of the androgynous race to the duality of the separation that marked the lighting‐up of Manas. They are a testimonytothis,thoughfewofthemactuallydividetheopposing forces of higher and lower consciousness. Usually they blend the two individually as well as collectively, although there are few cases where the divine and animal natures pit themselves against eachotherastwoseparatepersonsinexorablylinkedinadesperate struggle which can only end in the death of one or the other. But thistooisareflectionoftheinherentpotentialunleashedwiththe awakening of self‐consciousness. Adam separated into Cain and Abel(maleandfemale),whoarehisownʹallegoricalpermutations,ʹ and from the seed of this First Androgyne issued that series of twins which would, like the Navajo hermaphrodites who married ʹtheMiragePeople,ʹproducethemortalsoftheearth.Theʹkillingʹat thearchetypallevelhastotakeplace,forwithoutthissacrificethere can be no descending issue. The killing on the worldly level is a shadowofthismythicalʹcrime.ʹInitsownsadandconvolutedway, this illustrates further the painful involvement of purity and wisdomwiththatwhichissteepedinthemireofignorance. In Isis Unveiled H. P. Blavatsky suggests that Adam, Cain and AbelcanbelikenedtothesephirothaltriadofCrown,Wisdomand Intelligence. Correlating the Sephiroth with the classical zodiac, it followsthatAbelsymbolizesGemini,markingitasthepointwhere purecreativeforceisdividedintwo,suchthatonehalfiselevated and the other half descends into the multiplicity of phenomena. AdamisthecollectivenameformanandwomanorCainandAbel, indicating thattheseparation of the sexes is only being alluded to analogously at the stage of evolution depicted in the myth. All stories concerning a seemingly objectivized Eve separated from Adam or separated siblings are merely indicators of the potential
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which lies latent at the dawn of the Third Root Race. These allegories do not refer to beings of flesh but rather to states of consciousness embodied in the most ethereal garments. Abel, the femaleaspectofAdam,isʹkilledʹbecauseitentersintogeneration, andthisisdoneassacrificebyCainorJehovah,themasculineand creative aspect. Adam itself is the androgynous issue of Adam Kadmon,thesexlessandpureUnmanifestingLogos.Theallegoryin occultism describes the development of the First purely sexless Race, the inactive androgynous condition of the Second Race, and theemergenceoftheʹSeparatingHermaphroditeʹwhichmarksthe Third and last semi‐spiritual Race. It is in subsequent races that woman and man separate further and come, increasingly, to fight thebattleofthedualselfeachwithinherselforhimselfapart.There isakarmicreflectionoftheandrogynouscomminglingofforcesin therelationshipexistingbetweenmanandwomantoday.Whilethe shedding of the blood of Abel symbolizes the sacrifice of virgin consciousness,thrice‐blessedishewhorealizesthesynthesisofthe longseparatedforceswithinhimselfandthroughhisrelationswith others. The Heavenly Twins of Gemini are beautifully typified by the Aswins, the divine charioteers of Hindu mythology. They are depictedridinginagoldencarandpossessmanyforms.Theyare ʺthe bright harbingers of Ushas the dawnʺ and represent the transition from darkness to light, both cosmically and metaphysically. It is said that at one time the gods refused them accesstoagreatsacrificeonthegroundsthatʺtheyhadbeenontoo familiar terms with men.ʺ Identified with both heaven and earth, these divine twins can show a negative character, due to the alliance of light with darkness which they characterize. But when they sacrifice themselves as a bridge, like the reins they attach to their wild steeds, they are known as the Aswini‐Kumaras, the reincarnating ʹprinciplesʹ in the Manvantara. Their natures are endlesslyreflectedinthemanifestationsofGeminiintheworld,but also represent a great and sustained sacrifice which, in its earliest stages,thestarsofGeminichannelintothecosmos.
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In man, the dramatic manifestation of this is in objectivized, reflected intellect. The Nidana traditionally related to Gemini is Vijnana or ʹI‐consciousness.ʹ Of the twelve Nidanas, the first and second have to do with the last life or the past, while the third or Vijnanahastodowiththislifeandthepresent.Thereforeitsnature isverydependentupontheʹkarma‐formationsʹandtheskandhasof consciousness predominating in the previous birth, which can be seenasaʹcausalmind‐baseʹforthepresent.Asaphenomenonlike anyother,itarisesthroughdependenceuponconditions.Vijnanais the collective term for all evanescent mental states, and to understanditrequirestheraisingoffundamentalquestions,suchas ʺWhydowethinkthatmatterexists?ʺandʺWhatisthecauseofthe illusion of objective consciousness?ʺ In Buddhist philosophy this hasbeenputintermsofacontrastbetweenAbsoluteMindwhichis changeless and unreal image‐making which obscures the light of the Absolute Mind. This Mind is called alayamjnana and refers to stored consciousness, whereas the unreal image‐making is a productofevolvingconsciousnessorpravritti‐vijnana. AccordingtotheYogacharyaSchool,cosmicwillproduceseffects stored in alayavijnana which result in potential touch, mental activity,feeling,perceptionandfurtherextensionsofwill.Thisfirst transformationofconsciousnessfromtheChangelessisfollowedby asecondinvolvingtheevolutionofego‐consciousnessoutofAlaya. The third transformation completes the process and ushers in that condition where sense perceptions are wrongly interpreted as descriptiveofobjectiveandsubjectiveworlds,eachindependentof the other. Here, built into the dynamic duality is a system of perpetualinversionswhichistherealmofphenomena,theendless houseofmirrors.Thefocalpointoftheinversionislikethecentral apertureofanhourglassthroughwhichsandflowsbackandforth. Creative Nature (Natura naturans) and Created Nature (Natura naturata) endlessly intermingle, the one being like the wearer, the otherlikethemask.AsintheBabyloniangodNergal,whohastwo heads and two sets of wings and eyes that can rest and act simultaneously, cause and effect merge in Gemini. They twist and turnandreflect,sendingthesoulthroughthePillarsofShu.From
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AbsoluteReality,theSelfpartakesoftherelativerealitybelonging to the realm of the pure hermaphrodite, the divine Twins. But evolutiondemandsfulldescentandtheseparatedegoentersintoa longpassagethroughtherealmofimputedrealitywheretheunreal imagination has full sway and the memory of the divine Twins is barely discerned. The struggle between Reality and its shadow begins. Like the original moment of a vow taken with the first light of self‐awareness, Gemini recalls the beginning of the quest. It reminds us of the awesome struggle of humanity for eighteen millionyears,anditpointstothepurposeofourexistence,whichis toupliftnatureandbringherbacktoself‐consciousunitywiththe One.ThisprocessisintimatedinTheSecretDoctrine:ʺTheuniverse hath a Ruler (Rulers collectively) set over it, which is called the WORD(Logos);thefabricatingSpiritisitsQueen:whichtwoarethe FirstPoweraftertheONE.ʺTheseTwoInseparablesremaininthe Universe of Ideas so long as it lasts and then merge back into Parabrahm,theOneChangelessSourcewhichrestsunmovedatthe centreofthegreatzodiacalwheel. Hermes,July1977 HelenValborg
CANCER AfableofArgustellsofatimewhentheconstellationofCancer was at the South Pole, opposite the Goat at the North. The Earth thenlayonherside,theterrestrialandtheeclipticpolescoinciding withoneanother.DuringthisancientagetheMothercreatedfrom her own bosom and the Lords of the Moon brought forth men of theirownnature.TheFathersoftheSacredFlamehadnotyetcome but the form of man was made ready by the sacrificial workers. Thismaybewhy,inChaldeanandPlatonicphilosophy,Canceris called the Gate of Men,the oldest constellationand the witness of thefirstactsofcreation.AstheeighteenthoftheHebrewPathsof Wisdom, called the House of Inflowing, it was the gate through whichsoulsdescendafterpassingthroughthepillarsofGemini.It mayhavemarkedthepolarentranceoftheearththroughwhichthe soulspouredin,andperhaps,whenathernortherlyextreme,itwill betheexitthroughwhichtheyleave.Thesoul,havingpassedfrom the monad into the duad, now extends itself out through the vehiclesofnameandforminthedomainofCancer. ThesignoftheCrabisoverbroodedbythemoonandsymbolizes therealmofthepersonalityormask.Throughtheforcesemanating from its gateway, the budding self‐consciousness of androgynous Gemini becomes focussed on the distinction between the objective and the subjective. Consciousness begins to trace out impressions upon the fine veil of matter. In a Burmese legend, the Bodhisattva HkunHsangLʹrongtooktheshellofacrabinhishandsandsaid, ʺIfintruththisworldistobetheabodeofrationalbeingsandthe birthplaceofthefiveBuddhas,thenletthisbeforasign,thatwhere theshellofthiscrabfalls,thereshallalakebefound.ʺThusNawng Hkeo, the sacred lake of Wa, was formed at the place in the motherland whose inhabitants were to be the parents of all generations of men. With the sign of the Crab, the Bodhisattva created an impress in the earth to contain the reflective waters needed to mirror the will of the overbrooding host of deities. An Indonesian legend reveals an additional dimension of this picture.
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TheKayanofIndonesiasaythatatthedawnofmanifestationthere was only primeval sea and over‐arching sky. Out of this airy expanse appeared a great spiderʹs web into which dropped a tiny stonethatgrewandgatheredparticles,slowlybecomingsoil.Upon this soil, which increased to form the earth, dropped a crab with greatclaws.Itdugandscratchedintheground,formingthemyriad mountains,valleysandriverbedsoftheglobe. In both legends the crab is associated with the formation of the earthʹssurfaceanditsdifferentiationintohighandlowplaces.This seemstocorroboratethesymbolicrelationofCancertotheprocess ofobjectivization.ThelakeofWaintheBurmeselegendisalsoan objective focal point and the source of the further generation of form. In Euphratean tradition, the Akkadian name for the stellar crabwasNagarasurra,whichmeansʹtheworkmanoftheriverbedʹ. Thenamesuggeststhatitisalongtheductsandvalleyscreatedby the work of Cancer that the waters of life will flow. Thus, the formativepowerinherentinthissignholdsthepossibilityofgreat positive or negative developments having far‐reaching influence overpatternsofsubsequentgrowthontheearth. In a vision experienced by an intuitive student of occultism, the glyph of Cancer was seen to undergo an interesting metamorphosis. What are usually interpreted as the two claws of the crab became instead two lily leaves of translucent fibre revealing their inner cellular structure. Consciousness was seen to passintothecellsandthousandsofworkerswerebusilyengagedin the metabolism of elaboration, breaking down and building up food through the energy of sunlight. At the core of this insightful perspective lies the archetypal process of nutrition, growth and unfoldment, the work of maternal nature nurturing the development of the fledgling Ego. This gestation is intimately linkedtothemoonfor,whilethesunbringslifetotheentiresolar system,themooninfluencesonlyourearth.Itisadiminishedand reflected extension of solar powers, but totally focussed upon our globe. This is only natural, considering that the moon is said to
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have given over, wave after wave, all classes of her lives to the earth,herownfledglingoffspring. The influence of the moon upon the earth takes place on the astralplanethroughatransmissionofconsciousnessfromtherealm ofthelowerastrallighttotherealmofsolidifiedmaterial.Canceris governed by the moon in the performance of its symbolic role as mediator between the formless and form‐filled worlds. It is significant that H.P. Blavatsky, who gave freely of her own astral essence in order to lay down the lines of the Theosophical Movement in the world, was born under the constellation of Cancer. In the past several hundreds of years, she, more than any otherbeing,providedthespiritualnutritionandtheimpressupon the psyche of the world necessary for the growth and elaboration neededbytheEgoifitistoacquiretrueself‐knowledge.Emissary of the solar Lodge of Adepts, she was an incarnated ray of their wisdom, like the moonreflecting solar light into the world. In her personthesebeneficentonestookonaformandbreathedforththe substance of their will as though through a focalized form of maternal nature. Acting as the Cancerian mediator between the ethereal and concretized worlds, she made herself subject to the lawsofchangeaffectingthegrosserrealmandsufferedthepainful modificationsinherentinthatcondition.Muchofthissheendured on the physical plane but few will know what she may have suffered on more subtle planes as she permitted the objectivized extension of herself to serve as the material matrix around which theworkofthemovementwouldgrow. The symbols of the crab and the turtle are linked since both creatures possess a hardened carapace or shell. It represents the densityofmatterinwhichspiritisclothedatthisstageinevolution. This hardness consolidates the formations in pure ethereal matter, and several mythologies describe the world itself as being supported upon the back of an armoured creature. Out of the wateriness of the astral sea, the shell supports and permits the growth of all the forms we associate with the last several million years of evolution. Greek myths describe the first acts of the
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newbornHermes,whichinvolvedtheslayingofatortoiseandthe use of its shell to fashion a lyre. The symbolism here reveals the othersideoftheworkofCancer,whichisthedestructionofformin order to liberate sound so that its melodious essence may accompany the further activities of the Sunʹs divine messenger, illustrated by the fact that at one time Cancer was ruled by Mercury, an influence echoed in the loftiest examples of Cancerʹs workintheworldtoday. InEgyptthescarabaeusbeetlereplacedthecrabortortoiseasthe sign of Khepera. This beetle stood for the objectivization of a primeval god depicting the type of matter which contains within itselfthegermoflifeabouttospringintoanewexistence,thedead bodyfromwhichthespiritualbodypreparestorise.WhileKhepera wasthecreatoroftheformsofexistence,hehimselfwasunknown and hidden, his substitute being the Divine Disk. This symbolical designation marks the phase in soul‐evolution where the divine germ,clothedinadensevehicle,isbeginningtounfoldandevolve. ThecharacteristicsconventionallyattributedtothesignofCancer arethoseofchangeablenessandaconcernwithpublicserviceand opinion. The individual born under this sign is supposedly fertile, democratic, easily affected by others, mutable in opinion and mobile like water. Being ruled by the moon, Cancer is changeable onlyonthesurface.Dependingupontheinnerdevelopmentofan individualborninCancer,thismutabilityinactionwilleitherresult from an externalized desire to maintain the goodwill of others, or from an internal commitment to serve the needs of others on whatever level is appropriate to their circumstances. This great contrastininterpretationoftraits,possibleinconsideringanyofthe twelvesignsofthezodiac,isparticularlyrelevantinunderstanding the force‐field operating through the great work of a spiritual Teacher. Many sketches of the characteristics of Cancer stress qualities of showmanship, and the native is portrayed as living entirely by his relations with the public. Obviously, it is critical whethersuchoutgoingbehaviourismotivatedbyself‐interestorby service. Among individuals with a concern for something far
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deeper than superficial relations and personal gain, any showmanship and seeming fluctuations are mere guises used to engageinterestinthehiddensideofthings.Buddhisttextsurgethe Bodhisattvatopractiseʹvividappearanceʹforthesakeofthedharma. Thedemocratictendencyseemstocontradictthenaturalhierarchy ofthechainofspiritualbeingswhoimpartdivineteachingstothose below them on the ladder of self‐knowledge, but in a Teacherʹs work in the world among those starved for the want of soul‐ wisdom, there can be no exclusion. Many who associated H.P. BlavatskywiththezodiacalsignofLeothoughtofherintermsofa powerful imposition of will upon a situation through the sheer force of character. Cancer, exoterically associated with the incarnationofpopular will,seemstobeliethe natureofherwork. But if one considers the deeper esoteric role that Cancer plays in relation to the moon, it becomes apparent that the entire process whereby the great Lodge took on the sheaths of earthly existence, enabling it to introduce a critical spiritual impulse in the dark age of Kali Yuga, may be subtly grasped in terms of the symbol of the crab. The constellation of Cancer is not boldly apparent to the physical eye and, like the great Lodge, it is a nebula‐like zone of profoundlyoccultinfluence,itsstarssharpeningandindividuating only to the gaze of one who has knowledge of the precise inner instrumentswhichcanrevealtheirnature. The nidana or cause of existence traditionally associated with Cancerisnamarupa,nameandform.Pictographicrenderingsofthis conditiondisplayashipsymbolizingthebodyandcontainingfour passengers who are the four mental aggregates manifest at this stageofegoicevolution.Oneofthefour,consciousnessorvijnana, isthefirstembryonicphysicalbodyaswellasthementalskandhas offeeling,perceptionandvolition.Thoughconsciousnessiscausal to these, it is none the less an effect and, combined with the other mentalskandhasandthephysicalbody,itproducesthepersonality focusseduponexistentialphenomena.Thisisnaturalbecauserupa itself is not merely matter but a congeries of events involving matter, a heterogeneous conglomerate whose nature is constantly changing and proliferating. Rupa is composed of the four primary
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material phenomena of cohesion, undulation, radiation and vibration as well as the twenty‐four secondary phenomena including sex and race. The other skandhas constituting namarupa are vedana, the bodily and mentally pleasant, painful and neutral feelings; samjna, the perception of phenomena through sense‐ organsandaspecialmind‐organ;andthesamskarasorformationsin an active sense which embrace fifty mental phenomena. Of these latter,elevenarebroadlypsychological,twenty‐fivearemoral,and fourteen are karmically unwholesome qualities. Personality is neither simple nor is it composed of simple elements, and if one translateditintermsofthescatteringofenergy,thesadnoiseand futilediscordoftheworldwouldbeexplainable. The Sanskrit name for Cancer is Karkatakarn which, if translated numerologically, represents the sacred Tetragram, the Parabrahmatarakarn. It is the Pranava or AUM resolved into four separateentitiescorrespondingtoitsfourmatrasorsacredsyllables. In Hebrew tradition, its secret lay in the four‐letter name of God, IHVH,whichcombinedtheSephirothalaspectsofChochmah,Binah, Tiphereth and Malkuth, the latter being the tenth Sephira, the final syllable of the Tetragram who is called the Queen or Veil of Ain‐ Soph. Known as the Tetraktys, the One under its four aspects was consideredbythePythagoreanstobetheprimevaltriadmergedin the divine monad. It was by the Sacred Four that these disciples sworetheirmostbindingoathandcommittedthemselvestomany lives of walking the difficult path leading to enlightenment. They treated the four syllables as points which formed the base of the Pythagorean decad and recognized the significance of there being fourlevelscomposingtheentiretyofit.TheOneisatthefirstlevel and signifies the impersonal force of God. Two are on the second level and indicate pure matter. The third level holds three points signifyingthecombinationofthemonadandtheduadwhichwill producethephenomenalworld,andthefourpointsonthebottom of the decad express the emptiness of all, pointing back to the ten makinguptheentirecosmos.Ifonelooksattheselevelsintermsof the zodiac, one can see that the first level relates to Aries, the second to Taurus, the third to Gemini, and the fourth to Cancer.
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Thesymbolofthecrab,beingrelatedtobothmaterialphenomena andtheknowledgeoftheemptinessofit,isrevealedashavingtwo functions.Itisbothneededtobringforminto beingandtoreveal itsunreality. TheeighteenthenigmaoftheTarotdepictsthemoonsuspended overahugeredcrabwhichgathersupthatwhichliesaroundit.In this dramatic illustration, Cancer is shown as devouring all that is transitory and represents the volatile element in alchemy. It is oddly appropriate, perhaps, that the disease known as cancer manifests as an abnormal cellular growth which literally devours healthy bodily tissue. The fact that in occult philosophy cancer is seenastheeffectofgreedseemstoindicatethattheabnormalityof human avariciousness in relation to material existence renders the Ego incapable of expressing its higher nature and attracts those forcesinnaturewhichwilldissolvetheselfishlyimpressedvehicle with a swiftness and finality that dramatically permits a deeper understanding of the many‐leveled workings of Karma. The anatomyofthephysicalcrabseemstoreinforceboththisdevouring nature and the symbolical function of the zodiacal sign, for it possesses six awesome pairs of jaws and has forelegs which can clutchandgraspaswellasdigandpenetrate.Itisomnivorous,like the lunar forces of nature which take all away through disintegrationanddeathbutgiveall backinnewlifeand growth. Its hard material shell is supported by ten feet. As a decapod it symbolicallyrelatestothePythagoreandecadandsuggeststhatthe fourpointsofCanceratitsbasearemetaphysicallyconvertibleinto the ten points of the cosmos. Though the carapace is empty transitorymatter,itcontainstheinfinitegermoftheeternal. RepresentingtherelativelydarkconstellationofCancer,thecrab as a shrouded unknown entity which seizes or swallows but also guardsthelightthatliesconcealedbehindit,istheemblemofthe Mysteries. It is like the Sephira Malkuth, the Veil of Ain‐Soph who comestoearthasobjectifyingnaturebutwhosecretesinherbosom the highest divine truths. Like great Teachers who mirror her, she introduces the impress which provides the vehicle of spiritual
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growth and simultaneously ensures the death of all that is devoid of the living germ of spirit. For this reason the presence of such emissaries in the world is like a death‐knell to effete institutions and causes. Their teachings only mirror that which points beyond form and they immediately reveal the lifeless character of mummified religious and social structures. The great lesson to be learned through the force of Cancer in the world is extended through namarupa, name and form, and serves to teach that the mask is false, the form is hollow, the show unreal. The astral essencegivenforthtotheworldbyH.P.Blavatskywasgivenfreely notsothatmencouldpartakeofmorenamesandformsbutsothat theycouldgainaccesstothesolarimpresswhichthesubstanceof her consciousness so generously conveyed. Like the queen Moon, shefaithfullyreflectedthelightofthegreatDhyanChohans,andher entrance into the world was made through the gate of the human soul, the northern gateof the sun. She came as an emissary of the oldest constellation which witnessed the first acts of creation and whichremainsintheheavensasthesilentwatcherovertheearth, observing the development of whole races of beings upon its shifting continents, hastening where Karma permits the divine processofspiritualevolution. Thou hast seen this form of mine which is difficult to perceive and which even the gods are always anxious to behold. But I am not to be seen,evenasIhaveshownmyselftothee,bystudyoftheVedas,norby mortifications,noralms‐giving,norsacrifices.Iamtobeapproachedand seenandknownintruthbymeansofthatdevotionwhichhasmealone asanobject. SriKrishna
Hermes,August1977 HelenValborg
LEO Like a vision of Merlin, the romance of the Holy Grail sprang from an unseen source and lives timelessly in the imagination of men.Tendrilsofmistshroudthebeginningsofsuchideasandtheir emerging forms only later become crystallized in the shape of a vessel,apreciousstone,ortheleonineguardsatthegateofCastle Mortal. Every man dreams of the divine, and it is in the greater passion that the impetus for its pursuit lies. The longings of a Lancelotmaybecomeensnaredinthecoilsofearthlybeautybutthe chaste strivings of Percival succeed in bringing him face to face with the awful beasts which guard the object of his quest. Some men have approached the two lions, red and white, and have trembledforamoment.Thosewhoseheartsweregreaterthanfear pressedforwardandenteredthefray. Sir Percival was instructed by his uncle to put his trust in the whitelion,whichwouldrevealtohimtheintentofGod,andifhe sought to further this intent, he would win his way past the nine bridges into the castle. The red lion would continually burst forth fromitschainstoopposetheprogressofthebraveknight,butifhe persisted and followed the revelation given him, he would arrive finally at the last bridge. There, he was told,the white lion would slaythered,andtheusurper‐king,deprivedofhisroaringdefenses, wouldthencapitulateandslayhimself. The knight who begins the quest kills neither the false king nor theragingbeastbutpinsthesuccessofhismissioninthetrusthe sustains for the noble white lion who alone can vanquish the foe. But how does one distinguish the white from the red when approachingthegoalthroughathick,opalescentmist?Theirshapes loomlarge,silhouettedattheedgeofalonganddarklyovergrown pathway. A quickening in the heart signals their presence, but the discovery of their real nature requires meeting them face to face. The teachings of Peter in his Second Epistle warn, ʺBe sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
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walkethabout,seekingwhomhemaydevour.ʺOnemayholdfast to that darkened pathway, prompted by the inner voice that informedBlake,ʺThewrathofthelionisthewisdomofGod.ʺ Leo corresponds with the nidana, sadayatana, the six ayatanas or powers of perception. These depend upon namarupa or name and form, and comprise the five physical senses as well as the mind considered as the organ of mental perception. At this stage of the involutionofspiritintomatter,nameandforminteractincomplex, ever‐changing ways with the mind as well as the five senses. The consciousness which arose in the nidana corresponding to Gemini now manifests through the conditioned interstices of the screen of namarupa. The powers that first developed on the astral plane and whichformedcentresintheastralbodynowrushforthinthefiery force of kama. The primary sensations which were evolved in response to the action of subtle external stimuli become feelings whichactuponthemindandengenderemotions.Alltheelements or entities existing in potentia prepare to separate into distinct entities under the next three phases of the zodiac. The ultimate union of these elements brings about the dissolution of the phenomenal universe, while their separation builds it and brings intoviewthepicturegalleryofavidyaormaya.Theemotionswhich gatherforcethroughthefierysignofLeoare,intheirpristineform, the vehicles through which the separation takes place. Attaching themselvestoform,theyreflecttheactivityofspiritgalvanizingthe elementsintotheriotofphenomena.Leowitnessestheawakening ofthemotivepowerofevolutionwhichliesdormantinthesignof Taurus. The soul is propelled forward into the realm of limitation whereitexperiencespassionandpain. InclassicaltimesManiliusdepictedLeoasthelionwhoʺinclines menʹs minds to hunt and fills our nobleʹs spacious halls with grinning spoilsʺ. Indeed, Leo is like the raw youth who stands firmly upon his own feet, indomitable but overextended, fearless but cocksure. The whole force of kama, in its unadulterated form, rushes outward as passion which may accumulate unwanted results. But the child of Leo is courageous and imposes himself
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upon a situation by sheer force of passion and personality. Individualsbornunderitsinfluenceoftenappearaspowerfuland imperious agents, straightforward, unhypocritical champions of what they believe. It is said that those born at sunrise, noon and sunset in the sign of Leo are of kingly heart and wholly simple in theirloveofthegood.Goethe,whowasbornatnoonwhenthesun wasinLeo,expressedthiswhenhewrote,ʺPoetrypresupposesin themanwhomakesitacertaingood‐naturedsimplemindedness, inlovewiththeRealasthehidingplaceoftheAbsolute.ʺThelover oftheRealdoesnot,however,pursuehisquesteasily,forthetruth painfullyeludesallbutthemostpassionateseekerandtherequisite passion may consume as well as reveal. To kindle such fires and controltheeffectsoftheirheatneedsmuchwisdomasalltooeasily the blaze runs wild and swallows up the very memory of oneʹs intent. The unchecked passion separates into the mundane and sordid detailsmakinguptheplayoflife.Thereisnogreaterdegradation oftrueandloftyfeelingthanthatfloodofunrefinedemotionwhich reducesthedignityofintrospectivesufferingtothemarketplaceof sighing and crying. As Prince Hamlet put it, ʺIn the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, the whirlwind of passion, you must acquireandbegetatemperancethatmaygiveitasmoothness.O,it offendsmetothesoultoseearobustiousperiwig‐patedfellowtear apassiontotatters,toveryrags...ʺEvengreatpassionwhichmay inspire the loftiest human drama runs the risk of folly in its nearsighted exuberances. Shakespeare wrote that ʺThe hind that wouldbematedbythelionmustdieforloveʺandtheexampleof such heedless ardour tends to divert others from the path of discrimination. But if the fire of passion is dangerous, it is also necessary. The Akkadian name for Leo was Nenegar, the ʹfire‐ making fireʹ. They considered it to be the burning of the fire of Bahu,ortheGreatDeepofAquarius,thesignoppositeLeoonthe zodiacandrepresentingman.Mysticsofancienttimesbelievedthat Leokindlesthefireofpassionwhichwillsparkthefinalpilgrimage ofthehumansoul.Thisdouble‐edgednatureofpassionishintedat byRobertBurns:
144THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY Misledbyfancyʹsmeteorray, ByPassiondriven, Butyetthelightthatledastray Waslightfromheaven.
Hegelemphasizedtheunavoidablenecessityofthefieryquality inhisassertion,ʺWemayaffirmabsolutelythatnothinggreatinthe world has been accomplished without passion.ʺ It is only when passion is fixed upon a limited object that cannot bear its intense focusthatitreboundsuponitselfandblindsthewearyseeker.But the great force of kama which is often exercised on behalf of the separateselfcanbefruitfullyplacedattheserviceofthegreaterSelf ofall.Hewhosucceedsindoingsobecomesthehero.Thechange inthedirectionofforceisbroughtaboutbyatransformationofthe objectofdesire.Asanoccultistwrote,ʺMakethatchange–anditis sometimesdonebyaflashofillumination–andthenthewholeof thatenergywillbeturnedtowardstheachievingofthehigherend.ʺ The Chinese word shib means both lionʹ and ʹteacherʹ. Leo is related to the illuminating sun. There can be no mistaking the influenceofthisfierysolarsigninthelifeofH.P.Blavatskywho,in addition to her role as the parent of the Theosophical Movement, exemplifiedthecourageandnobilityofLeothroughoutherlifetime asacompellingteacherofsoul‐wisdom.Itwasasthough,withthis additional fiery sheath, she was able to disperse the force of spiritual desire necessary to give life to the teachings and to the astral structure of her work. The meaning of the epithet ʹLion‐ Heartedʹ given to such a great Teacher‐Adept can be traced in the ancientpracticeofgarbingprophetsandseersinlionskins.Tothis daysomeAfricantribesrecognizeaprophetbythisemblemdraped acrosshisshoulder. Of the stars in the constellation of the heavenly lion, Regulus is the brightest, this name having been given by Copernicus who believed that its brilliant white and blue light ruled the affairs of heavenaswellasthatofmen.InIndiaReguluswascalledMagha, the Mighty, while in Persia the name Mrjan, the Centre, was assignedandtheTuranianscalleditMasu,theHero.Itwassaidin
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the days of Nineveh, ʺIf the star of the great lion is gloomy, the heartofthepeoplewillnotrejoice.ʺRegulusmarkstheheartofthe lionandsinceLeoisthehouseofthesun,itisconsideredtorulethe human heart. Together with Fomalhaut, which rests at the feet of Aquarius, Aldebaran, the Eye of Taurus, and Antares in the constellation of Scorpio, Regulus forms one of the four celestial cardinalpoints.Itisoneoftheguardiansofheavenwhicharesaid to act of themselves. They are cardinal lokas which oversee the processes of evolution. They contain the mystery that lies behind thethroat,theheart,thegenerativeorgansandtheearthboundfeet ofthegreatsacrificewhichisman,themicrocosm. InHinducosmologyoneoftheAvatarasofVishnuisNara‐Simha, the Man‐Lion. As his vahan, Garuda is the emblem of cyclic and periodictimeandiscoeternalwithbothVishnuandtheMahakalpa. Simha is the emblem of the solar cycle, representing the life and durationofthesun.Thesunistheheartofthesolarsystemandits being symbolized by the lion who rules the human heart suggests somethingofthemysteryofLeoinconnectingthehiddenfireofthe spiritual sun to the fire that lights the spiritual heart of man. A connectionbetweentheheartandtheeyeisanalogouslysuggested bytheancientEgyptianbeliefthattheeyeofthesunwasthegreat lion‐form of Shu.In fact, the lion was often spoken of as dual and thesunasʺThou,luminousthroughthetwolionsʺ,suggestingthe guardingortransmittingroleofLeo.Thesetwolionswerespoken of as the dual force or power of the two solar eyes, or the electro‐ positiveandtheelectro‐negativeforces.Theperfectbalanceofthese powers may produce the white lion of Sir Percival, and the imbalancethered. The glyph of Leo can be seen as a serpent beginning to move. Instead of accepting the traditional interpretation of the glyph as thelionʹsmane,onemayconsideritasanemblemoftheuncoiling power of kundalini awakening into activity at this stage of development. From the zodiacal phase marking the painful fall of pure spirit into conditioned manifestation in Aries, the vital spark of divine light spread throughout the finest matrix of Akasa. From
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theMother,Vach,throughtheguiseofTaurus,manifesteduniversal Mahat,theandrogynousconsciousnessoftheemergingmicrocosm. From this consciousness, impressed upon the Mother Deep, arose theastralplanofthenamesandformstobe,Cancerdoingthework of unfolding. All this was then vivified by the spirit from beyond manifestedlife,thefieryBreath,theelectricfireofalllifewhichin ourworldsystemisthevisible,life‐givingsun.Inancienttimesthis fierybreathwasspokenofasAgni,VayuandSurya,orfire,airand sun — the three occult degrees of fire. Allegories of the Puranas speak of the sacredness of these fires and their manifestation in man: ʺEvery fire has, in its essential nature, a corresponding relation to one of the human psychic faculties, besides its well determined chemical and physical potencies when coming in contactwiththeterrestriallydifferentiatedmatter.ʺThesacredtriad of fires are all considered sons of Agni representing Atma‐Buddhi‐ Manas. In Leo the electric fire of Pavaka awakens like the serpent, the solar fire of Suchi streams forth from the sunʹs eye, and the friction fire of Pavamana is sparked by the complex interaction of mind with the senses as well as name and form. This fiery force spreads through every atom of existence and spills over into the receptivesoilofVirgotheVirgin,whoisinseparablefromLeoand whomarksthelastsignsofthezodiac,whichareagentsofspiritual involution. The fire which builds the prison is also that which releases,andonecanseeinitsdualpowerthealternatingdanceof Shivaandhisshaktiwhichtakesplacethroughoutthepassageofall twelve signs of the zodiac. Perhaps Leo holds the vital key which unlocksthemysteryofthepositiveandnegativeelectricpowersof lifecoiledinthecomplexinteractionsʹofair,earth,fireandwater, theprogenyofthedivineFlames. The Hindu name for Leo is Simham, which word is said to be powerfulinitsutteranceandtorevealmysteriestoseekersofoccult wisdom. Subba Row wrote that Simham had two synonymous terms — Pancasyam and Hari — indicating its relation to the five DhyaniBuddhasandtoNarayanatheJivatma.Hepointsoutthatthe unfoldmentofJivatmaisplacedbyancientUpanishadictextsinthe fifth sign of the zodiac, as it is the house of the son and Jivatma is
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the son of Paramatma. This corresponds to Leo as the house of the sun in that Surya is the son of the light of its hidden parent, the invisible sun. Narayana is the name for Vishnu in his aspect of SpiritmovingontheWatersofCreation.IntheRigVedaVishnu,the Pervader, is described as being a manifestation of primal solar energy. Striding through the seven regions of the universe, he envelopsallthingsʺwiththedustofhisbeamsʺ.IfNarayanaisthe primal manifestation of the life principle, spreading out in infinite space,Jivatma istheOneUniversalLife itself andthedivineSpirit inman.TheSecretDoctrinestatesthatbeforeevolutionprakritiwas in a laya state of absolute homogeneity. Then it became anu or atomic, the particles of the dust of Vishnuʹs beams being called suddhasatva,asubstancenotsubjecttothequalitiesofmatter.Outof this luminiferous essence the bodies of the inhabitants of Vaikuntaloka,theHeavenofVishnu,areformed.Thisistherealmof thethreesacredfireswhichareparentsoftheGods,ofthehighest Dhyanis,ofthefiveDhyaniBuddhascalledtheFieryLions.Inthem Paramatma manifests as Jivatma, pervading every particle of subsequently manifesting matter, vitalizing and electrifying the wholeofnature. TheStanzasofDzyanrevealthatthehierarchyofcreativepowers resides in the twelve great orders of the zodiac. The chief among thesearetheFourandThreerelatedtothegreatquaternaryandthe Panchasyam or five Dhyani Buddhas. These Fiery Lions and their esotericism are said to be securely hidden in the zodiacal sign of Leo which itself is the nucleole of the Superior Divine World, a sacred aperture through which streams the emanating spiritual lightofthehiddensourceofthesun.Perhapsforreasonsconnected withthisarcanephenomenon,theancientEgyptiansreferredtothe Eye of the Sun as a lion and thus symbolically clothed one of the greatest occult mysteries of creation in the garb of seemingly fanciful myth. The manifestation of gods in the Divine World and thesubsequentspreadingoftheirfirethroughallrealmsofprakriti marks the spiritual anthropogenesis which precedes material cosmogenesis, the merging of the divine into the human which createsthevisibleuniverseinitsdescentintomatter.Aries,Taurus,
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Gemini and Cancer are all preparatory to the actual manifestation ofvitalizedmatterandtheentryofIshwaraintohumanform.This can be seen in the long curve of vast cycles of zodiacal evolution whereanentireepochischaracterizedbytheexpressionofdivine substance permeated with divine fire, or it can be seen in the limited cycle of a time in human life when the fire of mental awarenessquickenstheverymetabolismofthestillplasticmaterial vesturesoftheEgo. LeoistheeternalandeverlastingnucleoleoftheSuperiorDivine World.AccordingtoTheSecretDoctrine,thenucleiʺformpartofthe Absolute. They are the embrasures of that black impenetrable fortress, which is forever concealed from human or even Dhyanic sight. The nuclei are the light of eternity escaping therefrom.ʺ It is that light which condenses into the forms of the Lords of Being – thehighestcollectiveBeing,theJivatma.Itisthatlightwhichisthe Logos appearing at the beginning of every new manvantara. The aperture of Leo is thus a channel of birth for vital substance, a conductoroflightandlifeexperiencedintheworld.Intheancient Egyptian teaching, at creation the sun arose near Denebola in the signofLeo,whichwasconsideredtobethehomeofthesun. TheCoptscalledthishomeorbirthplaceTitefuiorʹtheforeheadʹ, reminding one of the kingly fire of the central spiritual eye. The legends that surround the Holy Grail hint that it came from the East,fromtheplaceofthesourceofillumination.Thegrailwassaid to have been fashioned by unseen hands from a rare jewel which dropped from Luciferʹs forehead as he was hurled into the abyss. The Christian patina covering this myth does not hide its strong allegoricalsimilaritiestoarcaneteachingsconcerningthethirdeye ofShiva.Thelossofthegrailissymbolicofhumanityʹslossofthe eye of spiritual vision and its pure arcane light of wisdom which was the attribute of divine Spirit before its engulfment in matter. ThequestfortheHolyGrail,therefore,isthesearchforthemystic centre which inspired the Round Table, the heart of life and light symbolized by the sun, whose mystery can be fathomed only by graspingthesignificanceoftheconnectionbetweenthesacredeye
LEO149
oftheforeheadandthecentralspiritualsun.Theeye,theheartand the sun form a triangle which contains the secret of the divine Flames. Withinthemysticheartoftheseeker,thefireofpassionbornin Leomustbepurifiedsothatitsheatgraduallyreducestoashesthe thraldom of identification with name and form. The separate bonfiresofdelusiveemotionmustberefinedandunifiedwithinthe wellofUniversalSelfhood.Itisnottheseparateselfthatslaysthe devouringbeast;itisthepurefireofthewhitelion,theholyforce of the divine Dhyanis working through human vestures that conquers the foe. Man approaches the gateway of the Lion across thebridgeofevolution.Theflameswithinhimpurified,hestands before their divine archetypes, prostrates himself and enters into theirlight.Throughtheirilluminationheseesthatheisnoneother than the Jivatma which entered the human form prepared for him and he realizes his true origin. He perceives, in a glorious revelation,thatheisasparkwhichhangsfromIshwara,theFlame, by the finest thread of daiviprakriti which, after millennia of involvementintheinherentlimitationsofconditionedexistence,is nowreturninghome. Hermes,September1977 HelenValborg
VIRGO When the Golden Age was coming to a close, men and women slowlyforgottheirvirtuousways,andthegods,onebyone,leftthe earth.Thelasttoleavebeforethelightofthesoulwaseclipsedwas Astraea, the starry virgin of the zodiac. Symbolizing purity and justice, she remained as long as she could, but when the brazen forces began to appear, she departed with dignity, leaving humanitytopursueitsearthboundlongings.Thevirginisdepicted in various myths as leaving the world by abduction into the underworldorbyfallingintotheclutchesoftheGreatDragon.As Astraea, Persephone, Isis, Ishtar or Virgo, she is the pure vessel made clay, the fresh waters tainted with the ʺmonsoonʹs muddy torrentsʺ. Both her departure and her involuntary descent are linkedupwiththefallofspiritintomatterandtheheroicstruggle of the imprisoned soul to maintain its link with its divine origin. KanyaKumari,theVirginMaiden,wasdegradedintimetoanidol ofdebasedworship,butherpurityshinesatthesideofShivaina beatificstateofboundlesspotentialenergy. Virgo is related to the Buddhist nidana called sparsa or contact with the outer world. This is the stage in the wheel of life which ushers in the activities of the lower sheaths of the soul. Sparsa literally means ʹtouchʹ. The soul, equipped with senses and sense‐ organs (including the mirroring mind) contacts the world through theastralmedium.Namarupa,nameandform,aswellassadayatana, thesensorialandmentalsheaths,coherethroughsparsa,symbolized inBuddhisttraditionbyamanandwomanembracing.Outofthis arise the coordinated sensations in response to external stimuli, which we call emotions. The lower mind learns to analyze, codify andrestraintheseemotions,andthiseffortgivesrisetothemental powersofjudgementandreasoningwhichmightbemisusedinthe servilereinforcementofirrationalcravings. Behind the concentrated manifesting power lie the six primary forces in nature which are synthesized in the heavenly virgin
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Kanya,themahamayaofobjectiveexistence.Thesesixaretheshaktis which, in their unity, become seven and are represented by the Akashic‐astral light, or that substratum in the cosmos and in man whichcontainswithinitselfallpotentialenergiesandeverremains on the verge of birth or precipitation. The first of these powers is Parashakti, the supreme force which includes light and heat. The second is Jnanashakti, the power of knowledge, which under material conditions permits the interpretation of sensation, memory,anticipation,generalizationandthenotionofselfthrough theconnectionofrememberedideas.Liberatedfromgrossmaterial conditions,thepowerofknowledgeisresponsibleforabilitiessuch as clairvoyance and psychometry. The third power is that of the will ‐ Ichchashakti ‐ while the fourth is Kriyashakti, the ability to produce phenomena through deep concentration on an idea. Kundalinishakti the fifth power, is the force that moves in a serpentine path, combining attraction and repulsion, the effects of whichareelectricityandmagnetism.Itistheuniversallifeprinciple andcontinuallyadjustsinternaltoexternalrelations,providingthe karmic basis of reincarnation. The last primary force is that of Mantrikashakti, which resides in letters, speech and music, and whichechoesthroughtheastralmatrixthepowerofthemanifested Logos, the ray that illuminates the virgin womb of matter. Kanya, containing the six shaktis, is symbolized in the two triangles of ascentanddescent,thecrownintheircentrerepresentingtheseven facets of her unified essence, and the triangles indicating the elementsoffireandwater. Virgoisthelinkbetweentheimmortalsoulandtheastralbodyin man and as such, it governs the cerebellum and sympathetic nervous system as well as the viscera. The electrifying impulses contained within the ocean of life are transmitted to the lower sheathsofmanʹsbeing,andhisabilitytoassimilateonlytheirpure essence is symbolized in the natural functioning of the digestive organs.Thusthesoultouchestheworld,andbecauseofthiscontact Virgoisassociatedwiththeearth,althoughinadifferentwaythan inTaurus,whichisrelatedtothemanifestingWordandthecowʹs milk of Akasa and symbolizes a more formless and non‐specific
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contact with matter. The trials of the soul in the sign of Taurus differ from those experienced at this critical stage where the soul hasactuallysubmergeditselfindensematter. In the Egyptian Book of the Gates, the sixth division in the sunʹs pathway is that of the kingdom of Osiris where souls must be judgedbeforetheycanenter.Thisjudgementhasasastandardof balanceThoth‐Mercury,andtheissuethatmustbeweighedishow farthesoulhassucceededinmasteringthepassionsofthehouseof Leoandinwithholdingsense‐perceptions.Thoth,beingboundasa mummy,suggeststhatthesoulisbeingweighedinthebalanceof the lower mind, indicating that Virgo presides over the negative houseofMercury.ThisgateofjudgementisrelatedtoVirgointhe guise of Astraea, goddess of justice. The Greeks and Romans believed that after her departure from earth, she rose to take her placeamongthetwelvegodsofthezodiacwheresherestsnearthe scalesofLibra.IntheMiddleEast,Virgowasknownundervarious names designating aspects of Ishtar and was often considered a deity of the harvest, symbolized by the ear of corn or wheat she holdsinherhand.TheAkkadiansbelievedshedisappearedevery year on the Errand of Ishtar ‐ the descent of the goddess into the underworldinsearchofherbridegroom.InGermanictraditionshe was maeden, which appellation in time became commonly fixed upontheserving‐maid.Indeed,theoldAtticnameofKoporʹmaidʹ carriedwithitconnotationsofservicewhichwereoriginallybound upwithreligiousritual.Acharacteristicofgoodandfaithfulservice toothersisassociatedwithVirgo,andtheemblemswhichshowthe virginridingthelionindicatethatthesoul,afterfieryassertion,has become cognizant of the wider world and seeks to establish a balance. TheglyphofVirgoisvariouslyinterpretedinGreek,Jewishand Christian traditions. Some see in it the Hebrew Yod or י which symbolizes the active power or agent, the wand or rod of Moses and Hermes. This Yod was then connected with the serpent of Scorpio to produce the familiar glyph , suggesting the ancient occultlinkbetweenthetwosigns.Somehaveinterpretedtheglyph
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as representing the first syllable of the word Παρθενος or Parthenos, a name of Astraea emphasizing her virginal nature. Another interpretation suggests that the glyph may be the initials ʹMVʹoftheVirginMary,pointingtothesimilarityoftheChristian virgintothoseofolderastrologicalorigin.TheAkkadianlegendof the Errand of Ishtar describes the difficulties experienced by the virgingoddessasshedescendsintotheunderworldinsearchofher bridegroom.Asshepassesthroughthegatesofthenetherregions, she is stripped of her powers and finally stricken with disease, which symbolizes how the soul becomes painfully enmeshed in physical experience and sensation. Ishtar, having lost her innocence,isonlysavedbythemessengerofEawhohealsherwith the waters of life. This restores her crown, the synthesis of her six unifiedpowers.Thus,inthismyth,thechaoticastrallightismade wholeandpureandthegoddessrestoredtoherbridegroomʹsside. In the underworld of darkness and forgetfulness, the soul gains painful but necessary experience symbolized by the cultivation or consumption of the ear of corn or sheaf of wheat. In Egyptian tradition Osiris, in the sixth stage of the underworld, is accompaniedbytwelvegodswhobearlargeearsofcornwhichare actuallymembersofhisbody.Thecornisconsumedasdivinefood bythedwellersofthisregionwho,withitspower,entertherealm of experience through contact with the outer world. The corn, a symbol central to the Eleusinian Mysteries, represents the vesture that will feed life on earth as well as the cycles of life and death whichaccompanyallevolution. Through these complex myths the virgin is connected with the cycles of the soul: sowing and harvesting, as well as the cyclic balance between spirit and matter, virginity and fertility. As the supernatural worlds passed away and the natural or delusive worlds began evolving along the descending microcosmos or the arc of the great cycle, Virgo became Virgo‐Scorpio. Adam Kadmon, thepure,androgynous,spiritualman,manifestedfromhissidethe purevirginpowerswhicheventuallyfellintogenerationinthesign of Scorpio. Man in the world finds himself within a physically engenderedbodyandvaguelyperceivesthevirginalpowerwhich
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resideswithinhimandwasresponsibleforpushinghimforthinto the world. But he somehow intuits that this virgin, to whom he givesafemaleform,holdswithinhermanyveilsthekeytohisself‐ understanding and salvation. Perhaps he dimly recalls within the memory of his soul what was generally accepted in ancient occult traditions;namely,thatwhentheworkoftheseparatedVirgoand Scorpioarecompleted,theywillbecomeoneagainintheperfected man. In the meantime, the Yod of Virgo ideally acts as a restraint upon the passional tendencies of the serpent of Scorpio. In his presentconditionmanmustlooktothiscosmicmotherinorderto escapethesnaresofthematter‐boundEve. WhereintheSonofHeavʹnʹsEternalKing, Ofweddedmaidandvirginmotherborn... Milton
It is a great mystery how a virgin can be made fertile and still remainpure.TheTunjaIndiansofthenorthernAndesbelievedthat thesunassumedhumanfleshinthebodyofavirgin,causingherto bear that which was conceived from the sun and yet remain a virgin.Thisarchetypalidea,sowidespreadintheworld,ispartially explained by the ancient Greeks. Virgo was Parthenos, the maid, ruled by Demeter, the Mother Earth. As her daughter, Parthenos was called Persephone and, being ruled by her, was subject to cycles pertaining to the earth. Thus the virgin daughter, abducted by Hades into the underworld, was compelled to spend half the yearundertheearthbeforerisingagaintoitssurface(seeTheEye, Hermes, March 1976). In her agricultural aspect, she was represented by seed corn, which is reaped in the autumn, stored underground for three months, and then sown in the earth to appear once more in the spring. Virgo as the earth is fertilized by therainandinherwombtheseedgerminates,yetshealsogrows anewandvirginallyfresheveryspringasthoughforthefirsttime. The mother becomes a virgin and the virgin a mother through endlesscyclesofappearanceanddisappearance.Thesecyclesecho vastsiderealperiodsmarkedbytheappearanceanddisappearance of Virgo over the horizon of the ecliptic. The Virgin marks the
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coming and going of gods on this globe and holds the key to the door of the ancient Mysteries. The worship of Demeter and Persephone continued at Eleusis for ages and marked the high point of the Mysteries during the third sub‐race of the Fifth Race. EratosthenesidentifiedVirgowithIsis,whoclaspedinherarmsthe sun‐godHorus,thelastoftheDivineKings.Sheistheprototypeof the Virgin Mary holding Jesus at her breast, alluded to by ShakespeareasʺtheGoodBoyinVirgoʹslapʺ.Inkeepingwiththe fertility attributed to her nature, the constellation of Virgo comprises the densest nebular region in the heavens, with more thanfivehundrednebulaeinthiscelestialstableofnativity.Ofthe stars marking the fixed points amidst these churning vortices, the most brilliant is Spica, the Wheat Ear of Virgo, held in her hand. Homercalledit̀΄εσπεροorHesperus,thebrighteststarthatshines in heaven, while Isaiah called it Lucifer or Phosphorus, names identifyingitasbothamorningandeveningstarandemphasizing theinherentdualityoftheforcesinthissign. Asasymbol,Virgohasalwaysbeenassociatedwiththebirthofa god or demi‐god, a supreme expression of the dynamic consciousness of Divine Will. The ancients held that Mercury, the messenger of the gods, was created in this constellation. Hence Virgo was often depicted with a caduceus as well as wings. From thelapofthecelestialvirgin, hewhointerpretsandmediateswas thought to have sprung forth and begun his sacred task. He was called by the Gnostics logos spermatikos, ʹthe Word scattered throughouttheuniverseʹ,andwasbelievedtocontainanunlimited capacityfortransformationandpenetration.Whensheiscastdown into the world and stripped of her purity and virtue, he becomes herbridegroomandrestoresthecrowntoher.Bytracingthelevels of these symbolical relationships, the cosmic mystery unfolds throughthedescendinglayersofthemotherʹsgarments,providing thearchetypalpatternforallsubsequentvirgin‐births. Behold,avirginshallbewithchild, Andshallbringforthason, AndtheyshallcallhisnameEmmanuel,
156THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY Whichbeinginterpretedis, Godwithus. TheGospelAccordingtoSt.Matthew
InGreekmythologyitissaidthatwhenAstraeaforsooktheearth atthebeginningoftheageofbronze,ZeuscarriedawayAquarius (Ganymedes), and when he had safely secured him, he threw Astraea head downward, back to earth. Cast out of heaven, the virgin disappeared below the southern horizon. This is curiously substantiatedbythezodiacatDendera,whichhasthreefiguresof Virgo in three positions upon its face. The Secret Doctrine teaches thatthesefiguresbetweentheLionandtheScalesindicatethatthe equinoxes have processed within the plane of the ecliptic three timessincethebeginningofEgyptianzodiacalrecords.Tousethe metaphor of the Greeks, this would mean that Zeus had cast Astraea or Virgo below the horizon three times where she remained,inverted,withintheDragonʹsPituntilsheagainroseup, marking the end of another phase of evolution. Like Persephone who disappears beneath the earth in an annual cycle, Virgo also disappearsbelowthecelestialequatorbutinamuchvastercycle. Recent myths and larger cycles record and echo cosmic events that marked even greater changes affecting life upon the earth. Occult commentaries on the Stanzas of Dzyan show how the earth layonitssidethreetimessincethemiddleoftheThirdRootRace. In those times as now, as the earth revolved around the sun, the days and nights during the two equinoctial periods were of equal duration.Butduringthesolsticeperiods,thenorthernandsouthern hemispheres alternated in experiencing months of total darkness and light, accompanying the struggles of tribes of men living out thecollectiveKarmaofthegreatglobalRaces.Thepositionsofthe three zodiacal virgins of Dendera recall the first three divine or astronomical Dynasties who taught the Third Root Race, later left theAtlanteansandredescendedtoearthduringthethirdsub‐race of the Fifth Race to save humanity and to reveal the mysteries of their birthplace in the sidereal heavens. The carrying away of AquariusbyZeusrepresentstheascensionofperfectedmenatthe
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endofanevolutionaryage,whileVirgoʹsfallingtowardtheSouth Pole or Pit marks the defilement of the soul but also the eventual birthofanewspiritualimpulsion. VirgoorKanya,containingthesixprimaryforcesrepresentedby the astral light, governs the invisible region surrounding every globe and corresponding to the linga sharira in man. This region, hovering next to the earth itself, is the Great Dragon, or what Paracelsuscalledthesidereallight.Metaphysically,itisetherandis said to contain the realization of the potency of every quality of spirit.Itreflectseverycondition,goodorevil,expressedinlifeand is the basis of spiritual and human worship of nature. The Secret Doctrineteachesthatthesixforcesofthesidereallightareactually ʺthesixHierarchiesofDhyanChohanssynthesizedbytheirPrimary, theseventh,whopersonifytheFifthPrincipleofCosmicNature,or of the ʹMotherʹ in its Mystical Sense.ʺ Thus the powers of the messenger of the gods have their origin in the cosmic Dhyan Chohanswhoarelivingconsciousentitiesattheheadofeachofthe shaktiswhichemanatefromthem. The birth of divine wisdom can take place within the faithful devotee who treads the path of true knowledge of Jnanashakti. Through long ordeals of trial and effort, he who cultivates the power of spiritual will may tap the primary force of Ichchashakti which enables him to develop the deep unwavering concentration necessary to direct Kriyashakti. But before this is possible, he must have mastered the effortless control of the vast energies of Kundalinishakti, whose serpentine forces achieve a perfect balance within the caduceus of his being and resonate harmoniously through the uttered power of Mantrikashakti. The Logoic light accompanying the Word will expand through the heat of the supreme force of Parashakti in the mighty heart of one who approachesselflessperfection.Withthecoolsynthesisofthesevast forces in nature, the crown of Kanya is achieved, signifying total purityofsoulinitsclearreflectionofDaiviprakriti,theLightofthe Logos. The perfected man who wears upon his head the crown of Virgo belongs to the arcane ranks of those who think, feel, move andbreathewiththebreathofDivineWill.ThroughVirgo,thecold flameoftheradiant,formlessrealmsofhighestAkasabecomesthe
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dispersed fire of the astral light; the cold Virgin becomes the Mother.Asthelayersofhergarmentreacheverclosertotheearth, theheatoffertileliquificationensurestheirrigationofthefieldsof life.Thecornandthewheatstalkswillbringforthaharvestandthe illuminated soul will experience the joyous interplay of the varied powerswithinandwithoutitssacredtabernacle. Every patient pilgrim‐soul passes beyond the psychic and astral planesofnatureandseeksthesupremesourceofthecosmicforces reflectedintheloweravenuesofhumanexperience.Movingalong thehighlysensitivepathwaysofthenervoussystem,whichactsas transmitterandtransformerwithintheastralbody,thenoeticlevels oftheelectricalsourceofnervousenergyaresensed.Pushingback to more cosmic and causal planes, the immortal soul may eventually reach beyond the fire of electricity to the cold flame of Fohat. The sacred connection between Kanya and the human nervoussystemisapurereflectionofinvisiblenatureinwhichthe divine Flame or Light of the Logos is radiated through the holy Builders of the universe and through the thickening layers of the Virgin‐Mother. The fact that Kanya is also associated with the viscera demonstrates how the manifestation of the same light and energyappearsasthevaishvanarafirebywhichfoodisdigested.All foodshouldfirstbeofferedtoBhagavanbeforeitiseaten,sothatit maybecometransmutedintohigherforces.Thisactofconsecration facilitates the sacrificial transformation of the earthly harvest into thesacredcornofthebodyofOsiris.Itrequiresthecleansingand spiritualizing of all that is touched through the contact of the six primary powers with the world and a drawing in of the Buddhic essenceofthesetotheinmostcentreofoneʹsbeingwherethesixare unifiedandmadepureandwhole.Iftheimmortalsoulpersistsin thisheroicendeavour,itcanelevatetheentireastralmatrixwithin which all manifested life evolves and thus provide a powerful spiritualimpulsiontomaterialnatureandhumanevolution. Hermes,October1977 HelenValborg
LIBRA Iftheheartisinnocent, ItisequalinweighttoTruth.
In the seventh division of the underworld, in the centre of the hall, stands a great balance surmounted by the symbol of Thoth‐ Hermes. Beside it stands Moot, the personification of the spirit of justice, observing the scales to see that the pans are balanced and the heart of the deceased uses no trickery. Her feathered hieroglyph, resting in one pan as the symbol of Truth, is weighed againsttheheart,theseatofintelligence.IfTruthandtheheartare ofequalweight,thedoorsopenbeforethesoulsothatitmaycome to learn the deeper working of the Law, the balance and measurements of the vast action of universal Karma, the causes embodied in the effects, ʺwhen Day and Night are weighʹd in LibraʹsScalesʺ. LibraisthesignofequilibriumintheThreeWorlds.Itisthescale which designates the balance between the solar world and the planetary manifestations, as well as between the spiritual and personalegoofman.ItsnamechangesfromtheItalianlibratothe French balance, the German wage and the Anglo‐Saxon pund. The Greeks called it σταθμος (stathmos) or the weight‐beam, while another name, λιτρα (litre), made its way into the Sicilian dialect andeventuallygavebirthtotheRomanlibra.Inallthesenamesfor thecelestialscales,thestandardofweight,measurementandeven payment on earth is an echoed reflection of a greater cosmic balance, a justice which oversees all levels of manifestation. If the wagesofsinareretributionthroughkarmiclaw,sothewagesofthe worthytoilerarepaymentfortheenergy,forthedaysandmonths and years spent in the service of a larger work. The ignorant man asks only for what is due to him from the world; the wise man seeksthegreaterbalancewithinhimself.
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Within the heart of the wise man lies the inner harmony which balancestheconsciousandunconsciousself,theworldofgoodand evil,thesublimationofVirgoandthedesireofScorpio.Withinthe heart lies the wisdom of the higher mind. In the judgement scene depicted in the Papyrus of Ani, the soul is weighed against the symbolofMoot,thefemalecounterpartofThothandpersonification of the higher mind. The soul is weighed against the symbol of absolutetruthandperfectionratherthanagainstrelativegoodness. Thesoulentersthegatethatleadstoconsciousself‐masterywhere cosmic justice is gradually understood through the intelligent harmonizingoftheinnerandouternature.Mannaturallyseeksto dojustice,buthesucceedsonlywhenhehasgainedknowledgeof himself. InSanskrit,LibraisTula,theemblemofNara,theearthlyAdam or Man. That man can find universal balance and justice within himselfrestsuponthefactthatheistheaxialpointofallevolving life, the pivot through which matter‐bound spirit begins to consciously rise towards self‐conscious godhood. In this fundamental and awesome reality lies the germ of that deepest senseofresponsibilitywhichaloneiscompatiblewithaknowledge oftruejustice.Archetypally,thegermfindstheconditionsitneeds in the seventh stage of the zodiacal wheel, and its initial growth marks the commencement of the second cycle of six signs which affecttheevolutionofindividuality.PerhapsthisiswhytheGreeks called Libra the ʹtongue of balanceʹ and associated it with both speechandthenumberfive,whichfallsmidwaybetweenoneand nine. How the seven could become five may be explained by the classicalideathatthefirsttwosignswerepreparatoryandtherefore not counted. The Greeks thought that Libra, correlated with the numberfive,depictedtheharmonyestablishedby Venusbetween the sun and the moon.They arrived at thisassumption by adding themoonofCancer,thesecondsigninthisnumericalorder,tothe sun of Leo, the third sign. This they interpreted as harmonizing personality and individuality. They believed this necessary balancinghadalreadytakenplaceonacosmicscale,asisborneout bythewordsofHomer:ʺTheEternalFatherhungHisgoldenscales
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aloftʺ,towhichMiltonmuchlateradded,ʺYetseenbetwixtAstraea andtheScorpionsign....ʺ ItisoftensaidthatLibrawasdesignatedwhentheconstellation wasontheequinoxandsoequilibrateddayandnight.Indeed,one of the Latin names for Libra was jugun, indicating the autumnal equinox.Justasnightanddaybalanceoneanotherintheuniverse, so also life and death hang in equipoise, forever counteracting, forever interlacing the dual forces that form the substratum of manifestation. The Babylonians believed that the judgement of soulsinrelationtofuturelivesandstatesafterdeathtookplacein the autumn, the time when causes set in motion were gathered in andweighedagainstthekarmiccurveofthesoulandeffectswere dispersed through its reincarnating vestures. The rhythmic action of cause and effect echoes the cosmic pulsation of the universal heart, the centrifugal and centripetal forces operating throughout the cosmos. At the heart of these out‐breathing and in‐breathing currents, man stands in the balance. Perhaps it is the heightened awareness of this critical position that causes individuals born under the influence of Libra to be unduly sensitive to the equilibrium of circumstances in their lives. Seeking balance, harmony, peace and fair play, they seem to personify temporary compromise in human interaction and, while at times appearing timid and indecisive, they may be influenced by a vaster sense of justice than is indicated in any particular context. A number of famouslawyershavebeenbornunderthesignofLibra,indicating theirconcernforjusticeaswellasanabilitytoweighbothsidesofa question. The strong relationship that Libra has with the planet Venustendstoreinforcethisconcernforharmonyandequilibrium and serves to unite a love of beauty for its own sake with the conceptofjusticeinthesenseofuniversallawandgoodnessitself. A Libran seduced by illusory forms of evanescent beauty or engulfed in indecisive eclecticism parading as tolerance has focussedhisorherconcernforharmonyandjusticeuponalimited material field. Such a category mistake results from a lack of the senseofcosmicbalance.
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AccordingtoarchaicEuphrateansymbology,theglyphofLibra‐ ‐designatedthetopofanancientaltarwhichwaslocatednext to Scorpio in their zodiac. They associated this with the Holy Mound of Tul‐Ku which was a tower, like that of Babel, which symbolized speech and was surmounted by an altar. This latter feature reflected the fact that several stars in the constellation of Libradescribedintheirjuxtapositiontooneanotheracelestialaltar whichtheycalledToshrituorHolyAltar,thenamealsogiventothe seventh month of their year. The Akkadians, relating Libra to the Scorpion, depicted the glyph as a sun disk or a censer clutched withinitsoutstretchedclaw.Thecenserwasthevesselthatheldthe lightedincenseofsacrificialoblation.Thesundiskwasasolarlamp burninginthevessel,aφαροςorpharos,suchasthegreatlampof the lighthouse of Alexandria which served as a representation of thezodiacalaltar.Thelightuponthisbeacon‐altarwassymbolicof the Word in the world of appearances, reminding us of the relationship of Libra to Venus‐Lucifer, who is also said to be identicalwithAditiandVach. TheEgyptianscalledtheglyphofLibraKhuandbelievedthatit represented the horizon with the disk of the sun rising behind it. TheyalsointerpreteditasdepictingIsisonthevergeofgivingbirth toHorus.Butwhateverthevessel,beitthealtarofthehorizonor thewombofIsis,itislinkedwiththemanifestationoflightinthe world.LibrawasdepictedbyPythagorasandtheancientsinterms of light. Both the light and the vessel are suggested by the glyph, and perhaps this relationship between the Logoic source, the manifestflameandthevesselwhichcontainsitisenshrinedinthe central balance symbolized by the scale of Libra. The vessel or censercontainstheincensewhichiskeptburningbytheflameand thesacrificialsmokeofthatfireawakensthelightofthehighergod. It is for this reason that incense purifies and helps the devotee maintain his equilibrium while attempting tomove forward along thepathofspiritualawakening. The act of worshipping at the altar is vividly portrayed in the Hindu representation of Libra or Tula, which depicts a man
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bending upon one knee and holding in his hand a scales. Tula is also symbolic of fire, indicating the altar blaze tended by the disciple who would balance the forces within and without in his efforts to maintain its flame. The posture of worship requires a bowing of the lower nature before the light of the higher, a balanced bending wherein the back gracefully curves in inward recognitionofthedivine.PerhapsthefactthatLibraisbelievedto rulethecountryofIndiaaswellasthelumbarregionofthehuman back indicates something of the nature of this sacred posture. It may even be wondered if those who suffer from pride and the resulting lack of resiliency tend to suffer from maladies afflicting theback.Thebendingupononelegandthebalancingofthescales seems to suggest both obeisance and a willing preparation to rise upandjointheHigher Self.Theillustrationcapturesthebalanced moment,markingthepresenceofbothattitudes,fardifferentfrom theproudpostureofaLeoorthefluctuatingpositionsofGemini. According to Hindu calculations, Tula is numerologically equivalenttothenumberthirty‐six,whichstandsforthethirty‐six tatvamsbornoutofignoranceoravidya.T.SubbaRowexplainsthat Jivatma can be said to differ from Paramatma in being encased withinthesethirty‐sixtatvamswhichpreparethewayinwhichthe heavenly man becomes human as we know him. Tula is also associatedwithvedana,theseventhnidana,whichbringsintoaction theinfluenceofthehigherminduponthesensesandtheirrelations withexternalobjects.Itilluminatesthelowernaturewiththelight of knowledge typified by this stage of development. In Buddhist teachings vedana is translated as ʹfeelingʹ or ʹsensationsʹ, although feelings in the seventh nidana are conditioned not by way of simultaneity but as the result of karma. In the nidana of vijnana, associated with Gemini, the neophyte stood within the temple precincts and received the light. In that zodiacal stage, ʺthe darkened veil of Avidya is withdrawn and the soul perceives the outer worldʺ. In the seventh stage, related to vedana, ʺthe light is morefullyrevealedastheneophytestandsbeforetheHolyAltaron whichburnstheinextinguishablelampoftheSpiritʺ,andasaresult
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ofthefullerrevelation,theonusofchoicerestsmoreheavilyupon thehumansoulinthesignofLibra. The tatvams symbolized by Tula are derived from TAT, or that which is the essential being of a thing. Tattva means ʹthatnessʹ, whileTATplustvamorʹThatʹandʹyouʹblendinthedictum,ʺThat thou art.ʺ In Sankhya philosophy there are twenty‐five tatvams or fundamentalprinciplesthroughwhichtheDivinebecomeshuman. They are the powers that lie behind the feelings and sensations associatedwithvedana.Firstthereisavyaktatheunmanifest;Buddhi, theperceptivefaculty;andahankara,theperceptionofSelf,followed by the five tanmatras or rudimentary elements of sound, touch, sight, taste and smell. These are followed by the five mahabhutas which are derived from the tanmatras. They are aether, air, fire, waterandearth.Itisinterestingtorecallthatsoundprecedesaether just as sparsa or touch precedes air.These mahabhutas are followed bythefiveorgansorsensesofperception,eachofwhichisruledby adevarelatedtothemahabhutas.Finally,thekarmendriyaniororgans of action permit the expression of these channelled powers. The voice,thehand,thefoot,theanusandthegenerativeorganspermit theenactmentofcreationfromBrahmandownwardsasHamsa,the SwaninTime,slowlycomesintoexistence.Ifthirty‐sixtatvamsare identified, the number divides into multiples of twelve related to the triad or nine relative to the Tetraktys, whereas twenty‐five signifies a five‐fold pentagram, the symbol of man. The triad and the Tetraktys when fused become numerically seven, the prime irreducible number which marks the phase of Libra. Seven expresses diversity in complex unity and signifies a wealth of completedscalesorcyclesandcorrespondstothesixdirectionsin spacewiththecentreasseventh.Itisrepresentedbythecrossand theswordwhichisthesymbolofpain.Perhapsitisthispainwhich is referred to in the bhava chakra where the nidana vedana is represented by a picture of an arrow piercing the eye. The awakenedperceptionsandtheconsciousnessofsensationsinLibra bringthesoultothethresholdofincarnation.Thepainisanalogous to what one feels as the world begins to impinge upon one when awakenedfromasweetcosmicsleepintotheperplexingawareness
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of being imprisoned in time and ensnared in the space of oneʹs body. The arrow in the eye is the pain of the imminent loss of spiritual vision which awaits the soul, the clouding of the Third Eye.Itistheconcomitantanguishofthemacrocosmbecomingthe microcosm. It is also the creative suffering which marks the conditionofapersonwhostandsinthebalanceseekingtoreverse thetide,readytocrucifyhisorherlowernatureandtakefirmlyin handtheswordofspiritualstriving. TulaistheemblemofNara,theimmortalsoul,theindividualized incarnationofspiritpriortoeighteenmillionyearsago.Naraisthe original Eternal Man as a unit reflection of the overbrooding macrocosmic potential. The human soul is now endowed with perceptive powers which allow it to weigh in the balance of the higher mind the experiences of the phenomenal world. The immortal soul in close communion with the Divine is Nara‐ Narayana, for it is Narayana (man‐wheel or cycle) which is the divinity that becomes manifest in man. As a title of Vishnu, Narayana is the primordial aspect of Holy Spirit moving upon the watersofcreation.ʺInesotericsymbologyitstandsfortheprimeval manifestation of the life‐principle spreading in infinite space.ʺ Lakshmi‐Narayana or the incarnation of God in man is the sacred inauguration of the pivotal union of spirit and matter. Nara as the originalEternalManismanifestedinGreatBeingssuchasHermes, Enoch, Osiris and Krishna. They are ʹMetatronsʹ between soul and body,theʺEternalSpiritswhichredeemfleshbytheregenerationof flesh below, and soul by the regeneration above, where humanity walks once more with God.ʺ Their position in evolution can be studied in terms of the unfolding signs of the zodiac which are related to Parabrahm, Pranava or the Word, the Androgyne, the Tetragram,Jivatma‐Narayana,Sakti‐MayaandNara.Thisisfollowed byVishnuexpanding,theninePrajapatis,theincarnatingKumaras, themasteryofthelokasandthesynthesisoftheelements.Thework oftheMetatronsispoisedbetweenthesedescendingandascending qualities of the zodiac, the harmonization and transcendence of whichisdependentuponaconsciousassumptionoftheirsublime pivotalposition.ThisiswhattheDivineIncarnationsrepresentand
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it exemplifies the supreme compassion of the exalted Bodhisattvas whorenouncenirvanainordertocontinuetheirsacredcommunion withhumansoulswhoareboundtothewheelofchange. The mythical Libra‐Hermes‐Enoch stands at the critical juncture wherethephysicalmanovershadowsthespiritual.LikeNatarajahe portraysaswastika:onearmpointstoheavensignifyingboundless regeneration, the other points to earth signifying endless generation. ʺThe visible but the manifestation of the invisible; the manofdustabandonedtodust,themanofspiritreborninspirit.ʺ ThusfinitemanisthesonofInfiniteGod. Libra is the eternal equilibrium between the macrocosm and its reflected microcosm. It marks the beginning of the separation of Virgo and Scorpio, the emergence of the Second Adam from the androgynousAdamKadmonthroughthefallofpureVirgointothe generationofScorpio,whichtookplaceatthetimeoftheseparation ofthesexes.Whentheoneandrogynoussignbecametwo,asecret signwasplacedbetweenthemthenameofwhichwasknownonly toInitiatesbutwhichwaslatercalledLibra. LibraʹspropinquitytoVirgoissignificant,forthescalesareheld in the hand of the Virgin and she is often depicted as a personification of Justice standing with sword and scales. Gandhi had Virgo rising with the sun and moon in Libra, which perhaps indicateshiscreativeabilitytosympathizewithopposingpointsof view and his uncanny sense of wisdom in action which enabled him to realize the deepest hopes of many concerning social justice andspiritualconcord.TherelationshipbetweenLibraandScorpio issuggestedinpictogramsofChaldeanorBabylonianoriginwhich showLibraasthelampeitherheldbytheScorpionʹsclaworasthe clawitself. WhileLibraʹsrelationshiptoScorpioisdouble‐edged,itisclearly the exaltation of Saturn, the planet of righteousness, which in retrogradation ʺdoes not wander away making loops to the north andsouth,astheotherplanetsdo,butremainssternlyatthesame distancefromtheeclipticʺ.InananalogouspositiontoLibra,Saturn islikethebridgebetweenhigherandlowermanas,theGreatSifter
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who exacts the payment of karmic debts. One can see Venus as divinegraceandSaturnasdivinejustice,eachoneithersideofthe scales. The human soul watched over by Venus and increasingly confinedbyseparativeexistence,turnsinwardtofindtheunlimited and is pulled through desire (Scorpio) toward the Great Sifter, Saturn.ItisthisBringerofOldAgewhostripsawaythelayersof maya,buthedoessothroughthecostlytemptationsofScorpio.The desire for wholeness and harmony, if externalized, will either expandoutthroughseedsofgenerationorseektoingestthewhole through acquisition or gluttony. If internalized, it will seek the balanced scales within, weighing with equal measure joy and sorrow, knowing that ʺall that lives must die, passing through nature to eternityʺ, and that the purpose of life is to learn persistently to see through and transcend the pairs of opposites. Within self‐conscious man alone lies the potential power to harmonizetheinnerandtheouternature.Theyogiharmonizeshis Selfwiththeouterworld,throughtheperformanceofvijnanayajna or sacrifice by developing wise compassion and thoughtful considerationtowardsotherbeings.Thusrefiningthemental,astral andphysicalvestures,itcausesthemicro‐centresofconsciousness to reflect their macrocosmic sources. In this way the Self is harmonizedwiththetatvamsandtheirpresidingintelligences,and theyogibecomesacreativeagentinhelpingontheworkofcosmic evolution.Todothisrequirescontrolledexerciseoffreewillwhich canonlycomefromamanwhoperceivesmindandconsciousness bothwithinandoutsidehimself. Macrobius surmised that Venus appeared in Libra at creation, and that she bound together couples under the beam of marriage, beautifully suggesting the harmonizing of the inner and outer of Virgo and Scorpio. Thus the yoke of balance upheld the scales which could reunite the severed earthly Adam and cause the divided tongues of men to become once more the One Word of Venus‐Lucifer,theGiverofLighttotheworld.Toexpressthepure Light of Truth, the innocence of non‐separativeness must be won, andtoattainthisloftystatethedevelopingdisciplemustacceptall ofthelimitationsofhisownpastkarmawithunfailingequanimity.
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If he perceives the profound justice of his own circumstances he willbeabletolearnthelessonsthattheyhavetoteachhim,andin thiswayhewillcometodiscovertheintricatewaysofkarmainthe world of effects. Through this spiritual wisdom the pilgrim‐soul comes to understand the hidden meaning of that Law which rests inequipoiseatthecentreofallmanifestedexistence.Byeffortlessly exemplifying this balance within himself, the Magus‐Teacher mirrors within his whole being Nara‐Narayana, the sacred and blissfulcommunionofthehumanwiththeDivineSoul.Thesecret heart is equal in weight to the supernal Truth of Brahma Vach, the WordofGod,theVoiceoftheSilence. Hermes,November1977 HelenValborg
SCORPIO Hoar‐frostandhailandblightspringfromtheexcessesanddisorders ofthiselementoflove,whichtoknowinrelationtotherevolutionsofthe heavenly bodies and the seasons of the year is termed astronomy. Furthermore,allsacrificesandthewholeprovinceofdivination,whichis theartofcommunionbetweengodsandmen–theseIsayareconcerned onlywiththepreservationofthegoodandthecureoftheevillove. TheSymposium
The honey bee brings down the nectar of the gods and only its barbed sting reminds us of its relation to the scorpion which has been its symbolic antithesis from ancient times. The sweeter agent of growth is sharply contrasted with that dread creature whose stingcandeliverdeathandwhosegraspingclawsseemtothreaten even the celestial bodies. The flow of love through the spatial spheresisarrestedinthesignoftheScorpionanditsforceexplodes inoutburstsofstarrymatter,infieryemissionsofcosmicseed. The constellation of Scorpio lies in that region of the sky where manybrillianttemporarystarshaveappeared.Theviolentactivity inthispartoftheheavensundoubtedlyledtheancientstoattribute toScorpioamalevolentforce,andtheimmensityandbrillianceof thegreatredstarAntarespossiblyencouragedthemtoemphasize the influence of the warlike planet of Mars. Antares lies in the direction of the centre of our galaxy and has been known for millennia as the heart of the great Scorpion. It is several hundred timesthesunʹsdiameterandthousandsoftimesmoreluminous;its throbbing reddish body radiates out a fiery aura about which whirls a vast and intricate nebular cloud. The constellation near Antares is the only group of stars forming a curve which bends back upon itself, thus actually describing a scorpion shape. Its explosivenaturewasechoedintheEuphrateannamesBilu‐sha‐ziri, theLordoftheSeed,andDar‐Lugal,theKingofLightning,orLuga Tudda,theLustyKing.IntheAkkadianlunarzodiac,Scorpiowas called Girtab, the Seizer and Stinger, and the ideograph ʹGirʹ was rendered as a blade, a sting or a pointed tail and meant either ʹto
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strikeʹorʹlightningʹ.Therelationshipofthestrikingoflightningto theideaoftheLordoftheSeedisechoedelsewhereintheworld. EveninrecenttimestheHopihaveenactedamysteryplaywherein the fertilizing of the corn maiden is symbolically accompanied by lightning shafts dropped down upon an altar. There are suggestions in Middle Eastern cultures that a being might strike himself,asitwere,andinthetwelfthcenturyB.C.theBabylonians carvedboundarystonesdepictingmenwithscorpiontails,stinging themselves. At one time Scorpio was believed to arch across a far greater portion of the heavenly vault than is allotted to it now, and its influence upon the neighbouring signs was recorded. The Scorpionʹsrelationtothecentaur‐likearcherofSagittariusinspired theBabylonianstodepictthelatterwithascorpionʹsbodyorwith thescorpionshownunderthehorseʹsbelly.Someshowthearcherʹs arrow aimed at the scorpionʹs heart, while others graphically indicate the grasping claws reaching around the membrum virile of the archerʹs horse. The relationship of Scorpio and Libra is complicated by the fact that in esoteric tradition Libra is said to have been inserted in the midst of Virgo‐Scorpio, which once comprised a single sign – the sixth of ten celestial centres of influence. This would have placed Sagittarius in the seventh position,whichsuggeststhatthecreationlinkedwiththissignisin somesensecompletedbytheseventhstageofevolution,butdueto theseparationofVirgoandScorpio,itactuallyappearsonlyinthe ninth stage. There is a striking analogy in human conception, a processwhichiscompletedatsevenmonthsthoughtheconclusion of nine months is required for the visible appearance of the new life. Sabean astrological doctrine guarded the teaching that within thedoublesignofVirgo‐Scorpiowashiddentheexplanationofʺthe gradual transformation of the world from its spiritual and subjectiveintotheʹtwo‐sexedʹsublunarystateʺ.Perhapsinthislies acluewhichmaysuggestthemysteriousgestationinherentinthe process of foetal development between the seventh and ninth month.
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Hindu tradition teaches that Virgo or Kanya represents the energies of shakti while Scorpio or Vriscikam symbolizes the universe expanded just prior to its coming into material existence. Between these two is Libra or Tula which paves the way to Nara, the earthly Adam. The Vishnu Purana speaks of the Seventh Creation as that of man while the Eighth is called a ʹblindʹ and refers to a purely mental process leading to the cognition of the Ninth Creation – that of the Kumaras – wherein the fruits of the laboursofthoseDhyaniswhoincarnatedwithinthesenselessshells ofthefirsttwoRootRaceswasrealized,culminatinginthecreation of self‐conscious divine men. The signs of Virgo‐Libra‐Scorpio are criticallyimportantinattemptingtounderstandthisgreatmystery, forinthemthepotentialsthatslumberinLeobecomedistinctand separate elements, a necessary condition for manifested creation. Thus the necessary separation of Virgo‐Libra‐Scorpio results in manifestation and generation, while the union of the three brings aboutthedestructionofthephenomenaluniverse. From Aries through Libra the creative life‐force has been operating externally. In Scorpio it becomes indrawn to form a reservoirofenergyforthesoulʹslaterefforts.Themotivepowerof evolution is Fohat, which ever works in an undulating motion – a creative dialectic between the latent and the active, the ascending and the descending. Its hieroglyphic symbol is that of a serpent, andisillustratedinvaryingformsin theglyphsforTauruswhere the energy is latent, Leo where it is activated, Scorpio where it is fully awake, and, ultimately, Aquarius where its duality is transcended. In Scorpio this serpent is poised and ready to strike, andwithitsawakening,Fohatcompelsandmustbebroughtunder control. Legends abound of heroes who have conquered this serpentjustasHerculesslewthenine‐headedhydraofHernaeand Saint George slew the dragon. In Scorpio the serpent begins to uncoil in man and stretch up through the wheels or chakras corresponding to the various plexuses of the body until it finally reachestheThirdEyeofShiva,whereinmanrecovershissenseof theeternal.
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Fromthesolarplexus,thevitalforceisawakenedwhenstungby the dagger of desire, and by ascending to the realm of the higher mind,itcanhelptohealthewoundinflictedbyitself. Inthezodiac,VriscikamorScorpioisplacedoppositePranavathe Word, for the universe of thought, Vishnu or that which is expanded, unfolds downward from Pranava. The expansion of the primitivegermintotheuniverseissaidtobepossibleonlybecause the tattvams associated with Tula are interposed between the JivatmaofLeoandthemayaofVirgo.Thisseparationbetweenthe Lion and the Virgin leads to the drowsy state called svapnavastha, associated with Vishnu. ʺThe dreamy state is induced through the instrumentality of the Tatvams,ʺ The Ego, having ceased to experience the limitlessness of sushupti, is drawn back into the realm of the subtle interplay of feelings and sensations that mark theperiodofsleepjustpriortoitswakingtotheutterlimitationof physicalspaceandtime. When woman issues from the rib of the second Adam the pure Virgo is separated, and falling ʹinto generationʹ, or the downward cycle,becomesScorpio,emblemofsinandmatter. In Scorpio the separated self has become a well‐defined centre enclosed by a wall. It marks the soulʹs objectification of the self under the aegis of conceptual consciousness. This separation is epitomizedinthedivisionofthesexeswhichaccentuatesʹtheFallʹ ofunifiedspiritintothediversityofmatter.Scorpiocorrespondsto that period in manʹs collective life ʺwhich lies under the threat of death, for the Fire of Fohat awakened is far more dangerous than flames that may burn the flesh. The ignorant man, foolishly pursuing his desires, is apt unknowingly to commit the error of Phaethon whose desire to drive his fatherʹs solar chariot plunged himtohisdeath.Theimpatientsongrabbedthereinsofpowerand the uncontrolled car scorched the earth in its course. Perhaps the greatest threat of death is that inherent in duality itself and in the downward generation that resulted in the separation of the sexes. Speaking of this mystically, it may be said that the dualism of religion is theoretically superficial. In actual fact, there is always
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something extra – a third term which prevents the two opposing termsfromcancellingeachotherout,forcingboththeseprinciples toyield,tofunctionalternatelyandnotsimultaneously.Thisthird term seems to encourage the persistence of the dual state and it certainly serves to keep the twin currents (ascending and descending) of alchemical solution and coagulation in perpetual rotation. TheconstellationofScorpioissaidtobeinthenegativehouseof Mars, which represents the creative undulatory force in nature. AncientastrologersclaimedthatScorpiowasthebirthplaceoffiery Mars, a close association which merits attention. H.P. Blavatsky depicted Mars as ʺthe lord of birth and death, of generation and destruction,ofploughing,ofbuilding,ofsculptureorstonecutting, ofarchitecture....Hewastheprimevalprinciple,disintegratinginto the modification of the two opposites for production.ʺ Mars intensifies in Aries and holds the birthplace of the day just as he holdstheplaceofitsdeathwhichisScorpio.Inthepositivemartial sign of Aries lies the beginning of the separative process, whereas itsculminatingphaseliesinScorpio. Scorpioʹs double‐edged nature seems to have been reflected in the early translations of cuneiform texts where it was termed the Double Sword or ʹthe place where one bows downʹ. This latter is reminiscent of Libra depicted as a man bowing while balanced upon one knee. It also suggests the curved tail of the scorpion arching over its back, and perhaps the prospect of the lightning strikeofthisfierystingencouragestruehumilityintheattemptto control the good and evil potential of the mighty forces of Vriscikam. That this may be trying for those whose natal position places them under the fierce influence of this sign is borne out in the nature of the characteristics which it tends to manifest. Where manyancientRomanastrologersstressedthedestructiveandeven treacherousnatureofScorpio,Firmicussuggestedamorebalanced approach. He recognized the tendency toward temerity and impetuositywhileatthesametimehepointedtothespontaneous
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generosityandstout‐heartednessthataccompanythetempestuous desireswhichsometimesbedevilthenativeofScorpio. The central propensity of Scorpio is desire manifesting as a riotousenergywhichrulesthenativeandpropelshimtorushinto action. To the unrestrained Scorpio, nothing is too much trouble. There is no point in hesitation, shirking or temporizing. He will plunge into a task for its own sake, treating work as a natural expression ofoverflowingenergy.Theindividualimpelledbythis massive force may bring to life an abundant generosity which cannot be sustained without this energy. He is not held back by cautionforhimself,althoughhecanappearselfishthroughalackof consideration for the timidities or susceptibilities of others. This lack of compromise and tact, the tendency to run roughshod over things and to overdo without any sense of limit, well typifies the negative and dangerous aspect of this energetic nature. Radical interferenceisalmostanirresistibleandsometimesfataltemptation tothenativefacedwithatiresomesituation.Hewouldratherbring the house down with him than suffer what he imagines to be hypocrisy,andhecaneasilybetheagentthroughwhichpowerfully destructiveforcesmaywork,resultinginhistragicdownfall. Trishna,thatthirstwhichmakesthelivingdrink Deeperanddeeperofthefalsesaltwaves Whereontheyfloat,pleasures,ambitions,wealth, Praise,fame,ordomination,conquest,love, Richmeatsandrobes,andfairabodesandpride Ofancientlives,andlustofdays,andstrife Tolive,andsinsthatflowfromstrife,somesweet, Somebitter. SirEdwinArnold TheLightofAsia
In Buddhist iconography the nidana trishna is depicted as a womanofferingadrinktoaseatedman.Thisthirstarisesoutofthe kamic sensations and feelings of vedana which are produced through the senses and through consciousness. This hunger or cravingforactivity,excitement,thisfeverishunsatisfiedlonging,is tanha,theflameofdesirethatensuresgenerationandrebirth.With
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trishna begins the karma‐bhava or the generation of karma in the present life, when passive feeling becomes active desire, and sensationbecomescraving,forintheseparatedsignofScorpiolies ʺthe degradation of the whole universe in its course of evolution downwardfromthesubjectivetotheobjectiveʺ.SaidtheBuddha: What, O Monks, is the origin of suffering? It is that craving whichgivesrisetoeverfreshrebirthandboundupwithpleasure andlust,nowhere,nowthere,findseverfreshdelight.
AsAristophanessaidintheSymposium,ʺHoar‐frostandhailand blight spring from the excesses and disorders of this element of loveʺ,anditiswiththeactivationofdesirethatgoodandevillove manifest,layingthegroundforthebattlefieldofspirituallife.This is fought through the complexities of human relation, for ʺall human problems are of relationship, and all relationships are symbolizedinthezodiacʺ.Scorpiodramatizesthistruthespecially, for the greatest desires and difficulties arise from the seeming separationthatsubsistsbetweenmanandwoman.Platotaughtofa time when man was one whole spherical being which craved not itselfbutrestedcontentinitscompleteness.Itcametopassthatthis beingdividedintohalves,eachbecomingseparatedfromtheother, each doomed to suffer longing and discontent while searching for itsotherhalf.ItisthisanguishedstateofconsciousnessthatScorpio represents when men and women seek the lesser eros. In the Timaeus Plato spoke of the sexes as living as if independent from the beings that experience them, and that their union reflects the greatestinitiatorytruthswhichtranscendedthelawsofbiology–a sort of dialectic in psycho‐transference, in Jungian language. The gleam of desire in restless eyes is lit by the same fire that at the highestlevelbringsdownintomanifestationtheelectricalenergyof creation. The artificial antagonism that exists between the sexes is aggravated by alternating waves of craving and pain which envelop all earthbound love and ensure its inevitable frustration. Cravingisborninthelongingforacompletenesswhichcannever be found externally in the world, while pain is the child of an
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ancient wound brought about by the apparent loss of oneʹs wholeness. The loss is that of Virgo falling from purity, from her celestial seat upon the lap of her lion‐king. Her loss is suggested also in the separation of Scorpio, for he is like the progeny that resultedaftershewaspluckedfromAdamʹsside,thebiblicalCain who was cast out of paradise. Each half of the once whole sphere looksforitsotherhalf.Eachsexlookstotheotherandinsodoing, blamestheotherforitssenseofloss,itsincompleteness.Whilemen and women crave one another in this faltering and futile manner, they simultaneously blame one another for being the painful reminderoftheirownlackofwholeness,theirlossoftheinnocence that is synonymous with the radiant purity of oneness. Human history is marred with the silent or noisy rebuke that men and women show each other. If the claws of the celestial Scorpion are undertheinfluenceofVenusdesiringunion,itstailistotallyunder the influence of Mars and carries the poisonous thorn concealed beneaththerose. Horus saith: ʹO my serpent Khet, thou Mighty Fire, from whose mouth cometh forth this flame which is in my Eye, whose undulationsareguardedbymychildren,openthymouth....The firewhichisinthisserpentshallcomeforth,andshallblazeagainst theseenemieswhensoeverHorusdecreeththatitshalldoso.ʹ Thisserpentineforcefashionedtheuniverse,creatingmanwithin it,andmaninhisturncanusethisforceforcreation.ThisFohatic forcecandestroytheforcesthatbinddownthesoulinmatterbut onlyifmanwillovercomecraving.Theconqueringoftrishnawithin thebattlefieldofthehumanheartrequiresthetransmutationofthe energy of desire, which must find coherence in a secret place secluded from the outward arenas of human existence. The alchemistsknewthiswellandheldScorpioinhighregard,forthey understood that only when the sun was in this sign could iron be transmuted into gold. In man this transmutation must be brought aboutinconsciousnessbutwithoutdisdainingthephysicaltemple anditsactivities.TheBuddhistseekstodothisthroughsacramental exercises which involve the harnessing of the energy of desire as
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wellastheemotionsforspiritualpurposes.Thisisseentobecritical becauseofthefactthatthegreaterpartofthetotalenergyavailable to the personality is dammed up within lower channels. The sacraments which must take place in the mind are believed to be efficacious because they reflect the transcendental reality of interpenetration. It is known that man can experience this expansion of reality through a profound alchemical transmutation within his vestures. He can learn to engender within himself the vivrtaformoftheBodhichitta(Wisdom‐Heart)insteadofthegrosser vital essence which, if dissipated, binds him to the realm of sense perceptions. The higher spiritual energies can never be released if their transmutation is short‐circuited through lower avenues of expression. In this tradition the whole world is said to be divided into a passive mental ʹwomb‐elementʹ and an active material ʹdiamond‐ elementʹ,orintoinfinitecombinationsofwisdomandcompassion, prajna and upaya. They represent the converging currents flowing within the individual, and their perfect detached balance alone releases the highest Fohatic energy. The pure reflection of prajnopaya at the individual level is extremely difficult to realize, and the attempt to achieve it through external manipulations is detrimentalandevendangerous.Themagicalpowerofsacramental exercisesliesinthefactthattheymustbecarriedoutmentallywith a concentration of feeling which involves the sublimation of emotion by means of meditation upon the transcendental significance of the act of communion, the concordant unity of wisdom and compassion, prajnopaya. The central problem of the spiritual life is dynamic. It is not only a matter of theoretical understanding but also one of practical exercises in directing psychicenergy.Thislatterisessentiallytheenergyofcosmicdesire, and everyday emotion is an exaggerated and wasteful way of expressing it. What the Buddhist seeks to do through sacramental exercises,andwhatotherspiritualdisciplinesfosterthroughvaried psychological and devotional methods, is to facilitate the concentration and sublimation of feeling in the heart and a
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subsequentconservationandre‐directionofemotionalexpenditure ofenergy. Apep, the evil serpent of human passions, was conquered by Osiris and bound down in the underworld. There the soul said to this vanquished foe, ʺThe Scorpion has hurt thy mouthʺ, and the Scorpion is ʺthe worm that never diesʺ. Curiously, this reflects the double nature of Scorpio and affirms its role as that which stings and electrifies consciousness, awakening the soul to the task at hand.FohatisindrawninScorpioandreleasedinSagittarius,andif desireisgatheredupintothehighercentres,theenclosingwallof theseparatedselfcanbeshatteredbythelightningstrikeofUranus, the Scorpionʹs powerful sting. The volcanic force of Uranus, the Breaker of Bonds, is especially strong in Scorpio, and when indrawnandconservedwithinthissign,canreleaseapowerwhich mayburstthestrongestpersonalfortification.Thismysteriousforce is the usable material of alchemical transmutation, and its subtle refinement within the lotus chakras of the human temple can tap thereservoiroftheWisdom‐HeartandactivatetheEyeofWisdom, the Eye of Shiva. The electrifying currents, when unleashed, must be mastered much as the undulating serpent is made an obedient servant and held securely beneath Shivaʹs foot. If the Archerʹs arrowdoesnotsucceedinpenetratingtheheartofScorpio,thenthe ScorpionʹsclawsmaysucceedindraggingdowntheArcherintothe mireofsensation. ThesecondtabletoftheEpicofGilgameshdepictsthecreationof Ea‐Bani, who corresponds to Taurus and who became a wise counsel and friend of Gilgamesh, the hero‐soul. At the end of the eighth tablet, corresponding to Scorpio, Ea‐Bani is shown meeting his death, and Gilgamesh, ʺsmitten with sicknessʺ, journeys henceforth alone to the land beyond ʹthe Waters of Deathʹ. The theme of this story is echoed in the later Mithraic tradition where MithraslaysthebullandScorpioisshownseizingitsgenitaliainits claws.Thispowerfulandpoignantsymbolismrepresentsthefallof pure Akashic energy (Taurus), which initially pervades and accompaniestheemergingsoul,butwhichinitslowerastralaspect
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(Virgoʹsfall)ispulleddownintogeneration(Scorpio)anddies.Itis from the urge to avoid this death that the soul struggles on to the EternalCitylyingatthehubofthezodiacalwheel.Theunfoldment of this awesome process is suggested in the Stanzas of Dzyan depicting the long process of anthropogenesis. They reveal glimpses of the great forces marshalled by the gods of the zodiac, and the desire to comprehend them may itself be said to spring from the energy conserved in Scorpio. The destruction that flows fromtherestlessforceofdesirebringssorrowinabundance,butthe manwhoseizestheflameoftrishnaandstoresitsfieryliquidwithin hisheart,createsinhimselfasacredaltarwhichmayattractothers insearchofadeificvision.ItissolelyintheWisdom‐Heartthatthe radiant knowledge of prajna and the ʺskilful means of bringing people to enlightenmentʺ – upaya – can be joined in perfect interpenetration. merging mind and matter, theory and practice, into a pure and contented wholeness. In this way trishna can be quenched,tanhamaybestilled,andtheinsanelongingsofhuman existence seen for what they truly are. When this is calmly completed,manmayproceedwiththesacredtaskofpreservingthe pure love, the compassionate ray that springs upward from Bodhichittaandilluminesthewholeworld. Hermes,December1977 HelenValborg
SAGITTARIUS OnthegrassysoilofPelionlayChiron,theagedcentaur.Teacher of Achilles, friend and mentor of Heracles, this son of Kronos had suffered a wound which afflicted his immortal frame. Celebrated forskillinprophecy,heknewthecausesofthetitanicstrugglesof the gods and the reason why Prometheus had stolen the celestial fire. He knew that Heracles had shot the tormenting eagle that so cruelly punished the Titan and he prepared himself to fulfil the prophecy by sacrificing his own immortality, descending into Hades in exchange for the restoration of Prometheus to his Olympian home. Ancient myths and temple carvings convey this tale of selfless heroism and reveal that to reward the wise and courageous centaur, Jupiter placed him among the constellations wherehebecameSagittarius. Though the stars in the celestial hemisphere designated as Sagittarius do not appear to depict the outlines of a centaur‐like figure, it is in this zone that ancient astronomers located those cosmicinfluencesthatcouldbesymbolizedintheformofanarcher withthebodyofahorse.Heisaman‐horsewithdrawnbowand arrow,sometimesdepictedwithwings,sometimeswithtwoheads, one facing forward and one turned back. In Baby Ionian tradition thiselaboratezodiacalsymbolhadtheheadofahumanaswellas thatofananimaland,likeitsEgyptiancounterpart,woreacrown upontheforward‐lookinghumanhead.TheLatinnameSagittarius istakenfromSagittaandreferstothearrow,whileitsHinduname, Dhanus, refers to the bow. These implements are extremely meaningful:theupperandhumanportionofthebodybothdirects the lower animal portion and draws the bow and arrow. The humantorsoandarmsarealwayspowerfullydepictedinancientas well as modern illustrations of the symbol, while the head is uplifted,itseyessteadilyfixeduponadistanttarget.Theglyphthat represents Sagittarius is of even more ancient origin than the iconographand,liketheotherglyphsofthezodiac,tellsacomplex storyinoneortwosimplelines.Thearchetypalformsuggeststhe
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essential aspirational character of Sagittarius by an arrow with a cross‐memberdenotingabow. TheattributesidentifiedwithSagittariusarethoseofthatcelestial zone or house which has been linked up with an affinity for collectivethought‐structures.TherulingplanetofDhanusisJupiter, whichaccountsforthisuniversalisttendency,andinvolvesbothan aspirationtoloftyandbroadidealsandadesiretomanifestthemas systems of thought. Dhanus is a fiery sign. It is active, ardent and keen. People born under this sign burn with enthusiasm. They crackle and consume, give delight as well as pain. It is also a mutable sign, indicating an adaptability based upon a richness of experience garnered in the past. Sagittarians are lovers of abstract ideas who have the potential to place spiritual laws above the desires of the personality and who are straightforward and mentally quick in implementing plans of action once they have perceived a possible mode of manifesting the ideal socially. It is alsotruethatDhanusisadoublesign,pointingtothedevelopment of a dual nature. It is incumbent upon those evidencing these masculineandoptimisticallyassertivecharacteristicstoadvancein consciousnessbeyondthelimitedplaneofcommonthought‐forms. If the horse begins to control the archer, his idealism can become fanaticism, and his great organizational and leadership qualities can become tools for self‐aggrandizement and totalitarianism. His native mental quickness can degenerate into a tendency to leap to conclusions. Thesoul,circuitinglikethesunthroughthetwelvehousesofthe evolutionary wheel of life, passes through the first six and then doublesaroundthroughthesecondsix,experiencingsomethingof arecapitulationofthequalitiesexistingontheoppositesideofthe zodiac. Thus the intelligence and versatility of Gemini can be developed at a more refined level in Sagittarius, or can be squanderedlikearrowslostamongthewildwheatshaftsonahill. The multiples of three linked up with the quality of mutability indicatefourpointsinthewheelwheretheelementsoffire,earth, airandwaterconditionthevibration,toneandcolouroftheenergy
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typifyingthethreegreatgunasinnature.Thefierymanifestationof the powers of Sagittarian adaptability can produce men of high creativityandaspiration,buttheirstrengthofvisionisbasedupon thefruitsofexperiencegarneredinanalogoussituationsinthepast. ThedriveandenergeticgrowthofDhanus,correlatinginthehuman body to the hips and thighs as well as the pituitary gland, derive their source from past accomplishments. The ancient Babylonians recognizedthisandreferredtoSagittariusintermsofaʹgathering ofthefruit.ʹ In the tropical system of Western astrology, Sagittarius is designated as presiding over the period of November 22nd to December21st,whiletheoldersiderealsystemreflectsthecelestial changes of precession that have occurred over the last two thousandyears,indicatingthatSagittariusgovernstheperiodfrom the Winter Solstice to January 19th. To understand how different time periods could relate to the same characteristics, one may reflectthatman,ingeneralandparticularlyintheWest,hasslipped away from his awareness of himself as a soul and of larger cycles relative to many lives. Thus he has tended to forget what the ancientssawasanaturalrelation,theanalogybetweenthecycleof the soul and that of the sun. Instead, being focused upon the personalcyclelinkedupwithaworldly,one‐lifeviewofexistence, hetendstoconcentrateontheattributesofthesocialandphysical self. It is thus not surprising that the Western astrological system shouldattachthecharacteristicsofaparticularsigntopeoplewho are now actually born in the next sign. In adhering to an exoteric and inflexible system, there has been a slipping back by failing to moveaheadwiththerestoftheuniverse.Thoughthereisacertain validityintheWesternsystem,itismainlyinrelationtothemore superficialandtropicallydeterminedcharacteristicsofpersonalities ratherthantothesiderealforcefieldsthatoperateatamorecausal level. InGreekmythology,ChironwasthechildofTime,andtheman‐ horse symbol beautifully suggests the nature of that which Time begat.Chiron,asSagittarius,marksatransitionphase,achangeof
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consciousness from desire to the higher mind. The dual nature is fully manifest at this stage but the human aspect is clearly in ascendance. The Egyptian double symbol with its human and leonineheadssuggestsatransitionfromthefieryLeocentretothe refinedcrucibleofSagittarius.Thefiremovestothehead,aconcept strongly indicated in the Sumero‐Akkadian name for Sagittarius, Papilsak,whichmeansʹthewingedfire‐head.ʹTheascendancyofthe spiritualisfurtherindicatedinthedescriptionoftheʹScorpionMenʹ in the epic of Gilgamesh who were delineated as double‐headed centaurs with scorpion tails and said to be two‐thirds divine. The teacherofChironwasArtemis,thegoddessofthehuntandsisterof Apollo who was linked with the Sun. Therefore, one aspect of Sagittarius is reflected in hunting itself, which involves a seeking outandgatheringofthefruit,anassimilationofalllowerformsof intelligence. This can be readily identified in the impulse which exists in the collective psyche of many cultures where men have usedthehorsetofacilitatetheʹgatheringʹprocessofthehunt.There are cultures such as those of England and the North American plains where the horse has been exalted as an aspect of man himself, and the ritual of the hunt clearly involved a perfect mastery of the animal as well as ashooting of the prey. Itmay be significant that on the day of the coronation of William the ConquerorthesunwassidereallyinSagittarius. ThearroworSagittaisasymbolofthelightofsupremepower.It hasfeathersandflies,asifwithwings,straighttoitsgoal.Itisfree to find its mark and it moves, like the intuitive mind, to its conclusion without explaining how it got there, much as Pindar intimatedwhenhewrote:ʺIhavemanyswiftarrowsinmyquiver whichspeaktothewise,butforthecrowdtheyneedinterpreters.ʺ To understand how the arrow hits the mark is to understand the power of Dhanus the Archer. To attempt to understand it mechanicallyistohavefailedtoarriveatthatHouseinwhichthe gathered fruit is synthesized. The mechanics of the process have been mastered on the lower planes of mind and body long ago. Now the analytical mind must open up like the lotus flower to release the shaft of pure intuition which alone can ʹhit the mark.ʹ
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The hand must release the arrow but not under the duress of consciousthought.Itmustreleaseitastheentirebeingreleasesits claimtoseparatenessandbecomesonewiththewhole. Thebow,fulldrawnandreadytoletfly,istheemblemofdivine power embodying the tension of spiritual force. It is the ʹDayspring,ʹcalledPaandxut,relatedtotherisingsunatthattime ofyearwhenthesunbeginstoturnnorthwardagain.Atplaceslike SipparaintheMiddleEast,sculpturesofSagittariusappearinfull glory,markingthesolarnatureofthosecitieswhichstoodnearthe meridian point of the annual serpentine cycle of the sun as it completed the bow‐like arch of its progress toward the Tropic of CapricornduringthePisceanAge. The bow must be drawn effortlessly as a great and unconscious breathing in and breathing out. The light of supreme power must be released, as though it had never been held, to flow over the horizon and illuminate the earth. The star called by the Arabs A Wazlmarksthejunctionwherethearrow,thebowandthehandof the archer meet. It is the centre of all the potential power in Sagittarius which can become the perfect instrument of Logoic light. Through the hand of the fiery Kshatriya who grips the bow, the arrow will be released. He mirrors the power of the creative Logosandeverdrawsuponthesourceofspirit.Atresthe doesas didtheLordinthebookofGenesiswhenhesaid,ʺIdosetmybow inthecloud,anditshallbeacovenantbetweenmeandearth.ʺ Intheworldthearrowofspirithasbeenrepeatedlyaimedatthe breast of another, and so the exoteric description of Sagittarius is oftenboundupwithwar.Butinthestars,theArchereveraimshis missileattheheartoftheScorpion.Astheevolutionaryexperience of the human soul involves reactionary phases of expression, so each sign of the zodiac may be seen in part as a reaction to the extremes of the preceding sign. This is clearly indicated in the scorpion tail which clings to the Sagittarian man‐horse in Babyloniansculpture.Theextremesherealludedtowouldhaveto dowiththeantagonismresultantfromaseparationofthesexesand thewarlikeinfluenceoftheplanetMarsinthesignofScorpio.The
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scorpionthuspursuesthehorseasitstail,andinsomepictograms it is shown curved under the belly of the horse in an attempt to clasp its penis. This symbolism conveys quite graphically the tenaciouspowerofseparativeandmaterializedcreativeforces.The true Kshatriya, in mastering the horse, will emerge fully from the scorpionʹsclawsandcarryforththe spiritualfruitofitssting.Itis the sting of the scorpion which electrifies the consciousness of the pilgrim soul, awakening it fully to the task that lies ahead. Fohat, which seems to expand and contract with alternating signs of the zodiac,wasindrawninScorpiobutnowexpandstorendthebonds oftheseparatedsoul. Sagittariushasbeendescribedintermsofavisionwhereinitwas seenasaseven‐knottedhollowrodwithapineconeatitsend.Itis through this narthex or ʹRod of Mysteriesʹ that the divine fire of heaven is brought down to earth. Aeschylus described this in the words of Prometheus who said, ʺYea, stored in a fennel stalk, I captured fireʹs stolen spring that hath proved the teacher of every arttomortals.ʺTheFohaticpowerinmanisconductedbythisʹRod ofMysteries,ʹthecaduceuswhichguidesthesoulfromlifetodeath andbackagain,andwhichkindlesthethirdfireoftheninthstage whenaplateauofgarneredexperienceisapproached. The soul gathers the fruits, and the results of strivings with trishna(thirstanddesire)becomeevident.Achancearisesnowfora new beginning through organization and development of the vehicleforthepotentialman.NowthecriticalNidanaassertsitself and the will to achieve through expansion of this base becomes paramount.Theevolvingmanistouchingthehemof thematerial cause of Being, behind which resides the incognizable Causeless Cause. He is approaching from below a condition involving consciousness and matter, reflecting one of the earliest phases of that primordial manifestation which ages before commenced from above. The expansive manifesting power of Jupiter in Sagittarius and the fiery rod of Prometheus provide a bridge between the DivinethateverIS,andthemanwhowillbedivine.
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One of the names of Jupiter is Heru‐ap‐sheta, the ʹRevealer of Hidden or Secret Things.ʹ In Orphic theogony he is the Demiurge, the creative power of the sensible world corresponding with the creativesoulinman.Inthehumancyclethisinfluenceharmonizes, and establishes a link between, higher and lower consciousness. This role of manifesting agent is well portrayed in Hindu stories concerning Jupiter as Brihaspati, the personified Guru of the gods and the symbol of exoteric religion. In opposing Budda or Secret Wisdom, Brihaspati reveals the dangerous tendency that accompaniestheurgetomaketheabstractconcrete.Herepresents theSagittarianpoweroftappingthehighestwisdomandcausingit tomanifestthroughsystemicthought,buthealsodemonstratesthe dogmaticconcretizationofthought‐formsthatcanresultinworldly consciousness. A mode of safeguard against this trap is suggested in The Egyptian Book of the Dead where the Solar Bark, in passing throughthedeadlyperilsoftheunderworld,isprotectedfromthe attacksoftheevilserpentApepbytheuseofʹwordsofpowerʹand magicalceremoniessuggestiveoftheuseoftheʹRodofMysteries.ʹ The fluidity of the intuitive mental quickness and the adaptability of Sagittarius can be brought to bear by the watchful soul in continually breaking up the tendency to concretize sacred ideas. Thisconstantwatchfulnessiscriticalinresolvingthetensioninthe dualnatureoftheArcherandplacingthepowerofthattensionat thedisposalofthehigher. DhanusistraditionallylinkedtotheNinePrajapatiswhoassisted the Demiurgos in constructing the material universe. These Holy Ones are the same as the Nine Kabalistic Sephiroth, the THREE TRINITIES which, together with the One, represent the Pythagorean mystic Decad. They are ʺTHE VOICE OF THE LORD SVABHAVAT, THE NUMBERS, FOR HE IS ONE AND NINE.ʺ Thus the Nine, corresponding to the ʹNinth Creation,ʹ are the totalityofcreatorswhichblendinOneandbecometheTen.InThe SecretDoctrineitissaid thattheNinthCreationisthatwhichtook place in the ʹSea of Fire,ʹ the radiant Mulaprakriti, or undifferentiatedCosmicSubstance.Thisisthefirewhichgenerates Mahat, the sacred gift of Prometheus. First there is the One which
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becomes Two plus One, giving the Tetrad or Four. The number becomesFourandThreeandTwo.ʺTAKETHEFIRSTTWO,AND THOUWILTOBTAINSEVEN,THESACREDNUMBEROFLIFE; BLEND WITH THE LATTER AND THOU WILT HAVE NINE, THESACREDNUMBEROFBEINGANDBECOMING.ʺIfsevenis life, then nine is generative life and symbolizes masculine energy and cyclic existence. It is through the Nine Prajapatis that the potencies of Brahma are subsequently generated for the work of creation. The Invisible Point expands from within, producing its garment and, in turn, the brightness of this latter also expands. Thus,throughaconstantʹupheavingmotion,ʹtheworldoriginated. The Spiritual Substance sent forth by the Infinite Light is the first Sephira or Shekinah. Sephira exoterically contains all the other Nine Sephiroths in her. This exoteric unfoldment describes the ninefold emergenceofman. Before the separation of the sexes in the mid‐Third Root Race therewasnosignofLibra,andVirgoandScorpiowereone.After the division there were thus two extra signs. The fruit gathered is that of the gestated man, plus the energy of the separation and union. This separationmirrors the cosmic division of the One and producesatensionsymbolizedbythebalanceofLibra,orthebow between the two, and marks the manifestation into the visible world of that which has developed on the unseen planes. Thus thereisanewdualityproducingatrinityonearth,theenergiesof which must be raised up into the triangular point of the aspiring arrowofSagittarius. There is a striking analogy here with the fact that the human foetusisfullyformedatsevenmonthsandyetremainsunmanifest inthewombfortwomoremonths.Duringthelasttwomonthsthe foetustriplesinweight,takingonathicklayerofadiposetissueItis taking on grosser sheaths in preparation for emergence into the world.Thereisafurtherrefinementofsexualdevelopmentduring this stage which corresponds to the cosmic process whereby the sevenbecamethenine.Thisisclearlylinkedupwiththepotencies (of Brahma) that are to be generated (through the Nine Prajapatis)
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for the work of creation. The mystery of the ten female gates and the nine male gates can only be solved by Buddhic intuition. H.P. Blavatskydeclared,ʺWhentheWesternOrientalistshavemastered therealmeaningoftheRig‐VedicdivisionsoftheWorld–thetwo‐ fold,three‐fold,six‐andseven‐fold,andespeciallytheNINE‐FOLD DIVISION, the mystery of the cyclic divisions applied to heaven andearth,godsandmen,willbecomeclearerthanitisnow.ʺ The zodiacal sign of Sagittarius marks the rise of the soul to an Apollonian grasp of destiny. Well it may heed the courageous exampleoftheselflessChironwhosacrificedhimselfsoreadilyin anefforttorestorethefallenPrometheustohisrightfulOlympian throne. A steady gaze, firm stance and complete openness to the heartbeat of the universe are required if the pilgrim soul would loose the arrow of its being from a perfectly balanced bow and striketheverycentreoftheSpiritualSun. Hermes,January1977 HelenValborg
CAPRICORN KingofWisdom,makerofintelligence. Far‐famedleadinggoat,adornmentofʹtheHouseoftheDeep.ʹ Enlilbanda,theskilled,theprotectingangel. ValiantoneofEridu,advisoroftheIgigi. Tothegreatgodsthougivestcounsel. OEa,bythyincantationoflife,raisethedying!
HeisʹtheOne‐FootedGoatʹwhosymbolizestheswiftmovement oflightningstrikingthehardenedearth.Heistheclimberoflonely heights, the hoofed one from the sea. He is Makara, the watery dragon of primeval antiquity, having a dolphin or crocodile form. This vahan of Varuna‐Poseidon merges with the mountain goat to becomeapowerfulandmysterioussignoftheancientzodiac. InEgyptthestarsofCapricornwereidentifiedwiththecrocodile whichwastothemasacredanimalsignifyingthemeetingofwater and air upon the earth. The amphibious nature of the crocodile suggested fecundity and, like the dragon, became the symbol of knowledge. In Coptic Egypt he was called ʹOpÎύζυς. While retaining the meaning of the original symbol, he was actually depicted asa mirror. The concepts of lightningand fire, the earth, the air and the watery depths had been consolidated in the profoundly simple phenomenon of reflection. But the mysterious formofthegoat‐fishpersistedinfar‐flungculturessuchasthatof theAztecs,whoportrayedtheconstellationasCipoctli,thenarwhal orunicornofthesea. Ascenturiesunfolded,theancientdragonbecameknownasthe ʹscaly‐one,ʹarepresentativeofthefallenSatan.Thegoatwasoften identifiedwithPan,whowasdenigratedintothesymboloflustful desire. Forgotten were the ancient meanings that must have promptedPlatotowrite: BelovedPan,andallye Othergodswhohauntthisplace, Givemebeautyintheinwardsoul;
190THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY Andmaytheoutwardandinward Manbeone.
The fish‐tailed goat ceased to be associated with the mirror of mind and the inward beauty of the human soul. Since the occult implicationsofthissignarebarelysuggestedinthelistsofpersonal attributesassignedtothosebornunderit,thebeginningstudentof humannaturemustlookattheoutwardindicatorswiththeaimof correlating them with what is intuitively glimpsed regarding the indwellingegoandthemoregeneralprocessofsoulevolution. Tradition teaches that Capricorn is the birthplace of Saturn, bringeroflimitationsandoldage.Ifonetranslatescosmo‐chemical affinitiesandinfluencesintohumancharactertraits,itfollowsthat thechildofCapricornexpectslittlefromthegods.Bynatureheis asceticinhisways,doesnotrelyonothersʹopinionsandiscoolly consciousofhisownlimitations.Heiseconomicalinspeech,action and thought. Single‐minded and capable of devotion and focus of will,hedoesnotsquanderthefewboonshehasworkedsohardto achieveinlife.Expectinglittle,hegetslittlebutheisnotdistracted by idle hopes. His faith is born of hard experience, not wishful thinking. The Saturnine influence in Capricorn reflects the basic economy which reigns in the universe and which, though seemingly bountiful at times, in the end eliminates all that is superfluous to discover the bedrock necessities affecting the evolutionofthesoul. CapricornwasconsideredbythePlatoniststobetheGateofthe Gods.Itwasheldthatthesoulsofallmenreleasedfromthebody ascendedthroughthisconstellationintoheaven.Duringthetimeof Plato, Capricorn was in the place of the winter solstice, ʹthe Southern Gate,ʹ and was thought to be a natural symbol of death andresurrection.Onthecosmiclevel,Hindutraditionteachesthat theworldwillbedestroyedatatimewhenalltheplanetsmeetin Capricorn.Itiswrittenthatʺwhenthesunpassesawaybehindthe 13th degree of Makara and will reach no more the sign of Meenam (Pisces), then the Night of Brahmā has come.ʺ As man lives and dies, so too do worlds have their cycles. Everything in nature is
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interdependentandmutuallycorrelated.Themetaphoricalteaching that during cosmic manifestation there were seven steps taken in thedirectionofthefourcardinalpointsismysteriouslyreflectedin thetwenty‐eightstarsoftheconstellationMakara.Thetwenty‐eight starsappearingwiththenewborninfantBuddhaechosomethingof thehiddennatureoftheseastralforces. TheBuddhistNidanaorcauseofexistencetraditionallyrelatedto Makaraisbhavawhichsignifiesʹbecoming,ʹagivingofbirthandthe organization and development of the Namarupa. This process is naturallylinkedupwiththeearthortherealmofform,andMakara, along with Taurus and Virgo, are earth signs involving different expressionsofspiritin matter.Taurusdemonstratesfixed stability and slow, logical thoroughness, while Virgo manifests the same traitsatamorecriticallevel.Makara‐Capricornrevealsarefinement ofthesetendencies,coupledwiththepotentialityofaloftyspiritual perspective suggested in the symbol itself. Makara is the vahan of Varuna, ʹthe Universal Encompasser,ʹ ʹthe All‐Embracer.ʹ This oldestofVedicgodsfell,intime,intogeneration,becomingasort ofNeptune,andhisvahanislinkedupwithʹtheFallʹofspiritinto matter.Outoftheseaofchaos,ʹtheDragonsofWisdomʹmanifested their fruits and through the form of the goat they seek to uplift matter to the heights of spiritual consciousness. Makara‐Ketu is a nameforthepersonificationofKama,butitalsosignifiesthedesire whichtheRigVedasaysledtotheeventualgenerationofconscious life. Ma means ʹfiveʹ and karam, ʹside,ʹ indicating that Makaram is a nameforthepentagon,thesymbolofthinking,consciousman.Kara also means ʹhandʹ and refers to the five fingers as well as the five extremities of the human body which cause it to resemble a five‐ pointedstar.TheSecretDoctrinementionsthatfivesymbolizesʺthe SpiritoflifeeternalandtheSpiritoflifeandloveterrestrialinthe humancompound.ʺItisthequintessence,thewholeofthematerial quaternary plusthecentreandtheessenceofErosorDesiremade manifest. This noble concept eventually degenerated into baser ideas centred around the Kamic deities of Hinduism and the
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Hellenic god Pan. The desire expressed in the Sacred Fifth ʹCreationʹ of Makara or the Kumaras is connected with the birth of thespiritualmicrocosmorman.Itiscloselyrelatedtothefactthat thiszodiacalsignwillmarkthedissolutionofthephysicaluniverse. Makara represents both the manifest macrocosm and the microcosm,andillustratesthecompassionatedescentofspiritinto matter,aswellasitsascentoutofit. AccordingtoPlato,thephenomenaluniverseisadodecahedron which has emerged from the icosahedron of the astral world. The five,relatedtothepentagonsofMakaramakingupthetwelvefaces of the dodecahedron, has precipitated from the three of the triangular faces of the icosahedron. The Triads of the Third HierarchyofʹCreationʹbecomethePentagonalDhyanisorKumaras, which name is an anagram for Makara. From the centres of the triads, the vertices of the pentagons come to be placed so that the faces of the icosahedron are convertible into the vertices of the dodecahedron. This process can be reversed so that the five becomesthethree.Ineitherconversionthelinesoftheedgesofthe faces always cross one another perpendicularly. Thus the twenty whichistwicetenislinkedtothetwelveofthezodiacthroughthe three and the five. The Fifth Creative Hierarchy contains the spiritualandphysicalpolesoftheuniversedesignatedastwicefive orten,theGateoftheGods. BEHOLDTHEBEGINNINGOFSENTIENTFORMLESSLIFE The hierarchy of creative powers is four and three, or seven esoterically, within the twelve great orders symbolized in the zodiac, The seven involved with manifestationare connected with the seven planets, all emanated from the One Divine Flame. The first hierarchy is that of Divine Fire, the Logos at three descending levels.ThesecondisFireandEtherortheAtma‐Buddhicprototype oftheincarnatingmonads.ThethirdhierarchyisthatoftheDivine Triads (Atma‐Buddhi‐Manas), while the fourth involves the noumenal elements that contain the germ that will fall into generation. The fifth hierarchical group is that of the Dhyanis, ʹthe Dragons of Wisdomʹ who are connected with the crocodile and
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have their abode in Capricorn. These are the Five Kumaras who ʺgainedexemptionfrompassionʺandhavewithinthemthesoulof the five elements. They bear the primal germ of mind which connectsentitywithnon‐entity.Thesemind‐bornsonstookonthe taskofpresidingovertheconstellationofCapricorn,ʺtoinformthe emptyandetherealanimalformandmakeofittheRationalMan.ʺ ItistheywhoenactʹtheFallʹofoncepurespiritintomaterialform by bringing down the flame. The Book of the Dead intones the mission: Iamthegod(crocodile)presidingatthefear...atthearrivalof his Soul among men. I am the god‐crocodile brought for destruction.
The Egyptian Book of Tuat describes that division of the Underworld where the union of Khepera and Ra occurs and the germofnewlifeisintroducedintothebodyofhimwhowillbethe livinggodreadytoemergeintoanewday.Allisinpreparationfor the coming of man. But the ʹbonelessʹ Fathers of esoteric tradition couldgivenolifetobeingswithformandbone,anditisonlylater, with the production of ʹthe Egg‐born,ʹ ʹthe powerful with bones/ that the Lords of Wisdom said, ʺNow shall we create.ʺ Capricorn marks the formation and hardening process, the work of Fohat, which is critically related to the individuation of self. The weary soulwithinthebodyaspirestocomeoutandbeseparate.TheEgo knows it must gain knowledge of itself in order to attempt the climbaheadandperhapsthisverymotionofindividuationinspires thesymbolicallinkingofCapricornwiththehumanknee.Ofallthe bodily parts involved in locomotion, this is the one which is indispensabletoclimbing. Thekneejointislikeabridgebetweenthelowerandhigherleg, while the ligaments secure the relationship of the bones to the joints. This development takes place with the onset of true bone formation in the fifth month of foetal life, and represents the condensation of young connective tissue. The knee is the largest joint in the body, sustaining the greatest stress, and its principal functionsareflexion,extensionandlengthrotation.Thekneeisthe
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linkwhichenablesthemovementfromtheflatandshufflingplains to the mountain top. It is an analogue of the Antaskarana bridge between the lower earthy man and the aspiring god within, and mirrorsthebridgeextendedbytheDivineKumaras. TheascendinggoatofCapricornhasanaturalloveofhighplaces whicharestonyandhard.Theseductionsofsoftnessandmoistness are overcome by deep thought and steadfast aspiration towards thatplacewherethesoulwillbetemptedbythepromiseofworldly power. The Akkadians called Capricorn Abba‐E, ʹthe Cave of the Rising.ʹTheybelievedhewasbornfromrockandwasever‐subject to the austere influence of Saturn. The denser, limiting and solidifyingvibrationsenablethesoultoknowitselfthoroughlyasa self‐conscious being, such that the ideal of Capricorn may be to become like a crystal: impervious, compact and brilliant. Reduced tothesmallestpossiblespace,thereisnothingsuperfluousaboutit, nothing redundant. Naught else would serve the constellation in whichthevehicleofthenewmanwillbebuilt. Manytimeswillanindividualsoulpassthroughthissignbefore itcanpassthetestsofSaturn,theplanetaryrulerofCapricorn,and becomebornintothefreedomofanewlife. The traditional description of the Saturnine influences stresses restriction, limitations, even disasters and defeats. Thorough realism and constant reliability are continually tempered by deprivation.AsKeatswrote: DeepintheShadySadnessofavale Farsunkenfromthehealthybreathofmorn, Farfromthefierynoon,andeveʹsonestar, Satgray‐hairedSaturn,quietasastone
JustasFohathardenstheatomsuntiltheyreflectʹtheSelf‐Existing Lord,ʹsothesadseparationfromthegatheringofthecommonherd slowlyisolatestheloneclimberwithhisheaven‐benthorns,Saturn, ʹBringerofOldAge,ʹʹRevealerofTruth.ʹ The Babylonian god Ea, who walked with a fish‐shaped cloak and came out of the sea to teach the people of Mesopotamia, was
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calledʹtheAntelopeoftheOcean.ʹHecamefromthewetnessunto the drynessof land and marked the rising and falling of rivers by the progress of the moon in his sign of Capricorn. In Egypt when themoonwasfullinthegoat‐fishʹstail,theNilebegantorise.The risingofthewaterscorrespondstothemoistureofexpandinglife, while the drying up and solidifying process involves a concentration and focusing of energy related to the gradual separation of the soul from the ever‐changing stream of physical consciousness.IncosmicevolutionthepurelightofSpiritbecomes the cold flame which, in turn, becomes a fire. The fire gives forth heat which generates the waters of life. The soul, travelling back along that path, moves from the external heat to the internal fire andaspires,increasingly,toreachthesanctuaryofthecoldflame.It movesfromtheastralwaterstotherockoftheunchanging. In his search for immortality, the hero of the Epic of Gilgamesh comestotheshoresoftheWatersofDeath.Heistransportedacross by the servant of Ea, ʹthe Antelope of the Ocean.ʹ He seeks Tsit‐ Napishtim (ʹOffspring of Lifeʹ) on the farther shore and the bark of Eawhichtransportshimthitheristhevehiclebywhichthechange of planes of consciousness is effected. It is the bridge between personality and individuality which purifies and refines through the steady sober action of Saturn. It is the Antaskarana, ʹthe Chastener,ʹthedividerofthepurefromtheimpureandhencethe necessary source of sorrow and pain. Passage over this bridge is like a reflected recapitulation from below‐above of that which has taken place cosmically. From the Divine Arupa World, Fohat took five strides and built the wheels for ʹthe Holy Onesʹ and their armies. These are the essences, the flames, the elements, the Builders,Numbers,ArupaandRupa‐theforceofDivineMan.The Lipikacircumscribedfirst,thetriangle,secondly,thecube,andthen the pentacle within the egg. THIS IS THE RING CALLED ʹPASS NOTʹ for those who DESCEND and ASCEND. This is the Gate beyondthebridgewhichtheherohopesonlytoapproach,onlyto mirror in the form of his fully realized quintessential self. He has left behind the common waters and followed the solitary path of theantelope. Hehascrossedtheabyssofthegreatwaterymother
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on the raft of the goat‐fish to approach the realm of the Great Sacrifice. InocculttraditionʹMʹisheldtobethemostsacredofallletters.It symbolizes the waters of the deep and their denizen, the serpent ^^^, and great dragon Makara. Ma, signifying ʹfiveʹ is the binary symbolofthetwoseparatedsexesaswellastheirprogeny.Itisthe secretnameofMaitreya,theFifthBuddha,spokenofinHinduism as the Kalki Avatar who will come as the last Messiah and culminate the Great Cycle. It is intoned in the names Monas, Monad, Mahat, Maya and Manu, and is the third element of the mystic syllable AUM. As Makara it reaches a sublime and compassionate fruition in its aspect of the Kumaras whose chief is SanatSujata,theGreatDragonoftheWaters. The Kumaras are the fashioners of the inner man, the Solar Deities,theSonsoftheFlame.Theyaretheprogenitorsofthetrue spiritualSelfinthephysicalmanofbonesandfleshwhoreappear intheVaivasvataManuperiodfortheprogressofmankind.Theyare thesevensonsofBrahmāinRudraorShiva,andoftheirnumber, fiveplayanactiveroleinrelationtoman.AssonsofRudra‐Shiva, ʹtheGoodGardenerofNature,ʹtheyaidinhisdestructionofhuman passions and senses and are ever‐involved in the development of theʺhigherspiritualperceptionsandthegrowthoftheinnereternal man.ʺ They are like the Archangel Michael who presides over Saturn (Shiva) and every Kumara bears the prefix of Sanat: Sana is thenameofSaturn. Saturn, ʹthe Chastener,ʹ is the seventh and last macrocosmic emanationinthesolarsystem.Hisringsorgirdlesaresymbolicof death to the physical body. Yet Saturn, like Shiva, is intimately involvedinthebringingdownoftheflameofknowledge.Inruling Makara,theʹscaly‐one,ʹSaturnisalsorelatedtoSatanwhobearsthe shame of generation and who entered into bondage as did the Kumaras. Like Saturn, ʺhe compasseth with bonds and limits all things. . . .ʺ The Kumara ʹRebels,ʹ being Virgin‐Ascetics, would not ʹcreateʹwill‐lessirresponsiblemen,norcouldtheygivemenonlya reflection of their attributes. Like Satan and Prometheus, they
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taught the knowledge of good and evil which would initiate the path of man toward self‐conscious godhood. They preferred the ʹcurseofincarnationʹandendlessrebirthstothepassiveobservation of the mindless automata created by the lunargods. Theytake up an earthly abode for an entire Mahayuga, ʺexchanging their impersonal individualities for individual personalities.ʺ As incarnationsofShiva,theyenlightentheracesofmanandengagein continual destruction and remodelling of the human form. The Virgin Kumaras sacrifice themselves for the sins of the world and theinstructionoftheignorant. Though unseen, they are ever‐present. When people say of one of them ʹHe is dead,ʹ behold, he is alive and under another form. These are the Head,theHeart,theSoulandtheSeedofundyingknowledge.Thoushalt neverspeak,OLanoo,ofthesegreatonesbeforeamultitude,mentioning thembytheirnames.Thewisealonewillunderstand. H.P.Blavatsky TheSecretDoctrine,Vol.ii
Hermes,February1977 HelenValborg
AQUARIUS TheGood,thePious,andtheJustareborn WhenfirstAquariuspoursouthisUrn. Manilius
In the silent visage of the great Sphinx is etched the attitude of thetimelessWatcherwhowaitsʺthroughtheagesforthecomingof man who shall rend his earth‐wrought chains and achieve the destiny of his race.ʺ On the opposite side of the zodiac, the Lion looks to the full emergence of the Aquarian Man. The great potentialities of Leo in their highest aspect await the time of their manifestation in the ascending sign of the Water‐Bearer. In air the mostrefinedandpowerfulfireabides. Aquariusrepresentstheidealtowardwhichhumanityismoving. The name itself is a haunting reminder of the hopes for a better world that many bury along with their all‐too‐fleeting youth. ʹThe Age of Aquariusʹ seems to hesitate in its dawning, whetting the longings of a world‐weary generation. But no thoughtful observer of natureʹs process could presume that a new birth, transcending these limiting expectations, would take place until the old dead formshaddisintegratedandbecomemerecompostforthefuture.It has been known since ancient times that Aquarius was bound up withdestructionandrebirth.ThisiswhytheWater‐Bearerislinked withthe greatfloodsandwithHimwhorides outthedelugeand laysdowntheseedofaneworder. ThewaterglyphofAquariusisthoughttoharkbacktoAtlantean timesandwasfollowedbythesimpleemblemofawaterjar.This seems to have illustrated the repeated process whereby the soul passed through life after life, drinking the turbid waters of the world. But with the increased manifestation of spiritual man, the emblem shifted its emphasis from the water jar to the being that boreitandthedesigntookonthesymbolicembellishmentsthatwe arefamiliarwithtoday.LiketheHindubhistiwhowalksthetown
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prepared to quench oneʹs thirst, the Water‐Bearer is shown with a vase that overflows with waters which nurture the soul. The Sumerian god Anu was believed to keep the bread and water of immortal life in heaven, and because of his overflowing vase, was identifiedinlesserformsasthegodofspringsandrivers.Another nameforAnuwasGula,ʹthegreatstar,ʹtheSumerianastronomical designation for Aquarius which literally means ʹthe Great Urn.ʹ Gula was seen as a goddess who was identified with the ʹdark watersʹandsavedthesoulfromdeathasitpassedintorebirth.The Euphratean designation for Aquarius was Ramanu, ʹthe Exalted,ʹ who is depicted in one bas‐relief as a deity holding an urn from which flows a double stream of water. Another relief shows Ramanuclothedinarobeornamentedwithsymbolsoffiveplanets and holding a thunderbolt in each hand and accompanied by a leasheddragon.Theconnectioncanbemadeherebetweenthunder andthegivingofwaterthroughrain,butmuchmoreisimpliedin this elaborate and bold symbol. These meanings are echoed in the Assyrian tablets which depict the Nimrod Epic. In the eleventh tablet, representing the eleventh sign of the zodiac, the god Rimmonisshowntogetherwiththeemblemsofthunder,lightning and rain. The zig‐zag lines projecting from the hands suggest the serpentinemotionofwateraswellasarcaneelectricity. Aquarius is sometimes identified in the mythological figure of Ganymede, the cup‐bearer of Jupiter who holds an inclined urn whichpoursforthariverthatrunsfromhisfeetandmakesitsgreat tour over the entire globe. He was believed to have been carried awayfromearthbyZeuswhoadmiredhisyouthfulbeauty.Infact, Ganymedewasreducedtothepersonificationoftheobjectoflust. This is, lamentably perhaps, borne out in the personal characteristics of the Aquarian, who is often envied by many, sought after, loved and poorly appreciated by those who may be ungratefulforhisbounty.TheAquarianmaysquanderhisgiftsand evenendangerhisowninterestswhilefriendslookonanddespair. But he is always saved at the ʹeleventh hourʹ by his keen intellect and the protecting hand of ʹGod.ʹ All that he has squandered is replenishedeasily,tobelavishedonceagain.TheBuddhistNidana
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ordinarily associated with Aquarius is Jati, which belongs to the futureandmarksthetimewhenthesoulshallbreakitsbondsand realizeitsunitywithitsbrethren.Jatimeansʹbirthʹandisstrongly reflectedintheAquarianʹsinclinationtogivefreelyofthefruitsof hislabour.Heknowsthattheycannotbutstagnateinhisclutches, so his hand is always open, always seeming to deplete his riches butneverclosingtocontainthem.Ideasinthought,speechandthe written word are constantly forthcoming while the inner nature maintainsacoolagnosticismandconfidentdistancefromfroth.The inwardlyreservedpersonabstainsfromidentifyingwiththeouter vestures which his soul‐powers may assume. Thus, the fully developedAquarianisnotprotectiveofanyformbutactstobreak themupandpermitthebirthofever‐newmodestotaketheirplace. IfanAquariandoesnotmanifestthepositivepotentialofthissign but instead is passive, this tendency to disintegration of external forms may express itself as a hypersensitivity to criticism and an inclinationtoʹfallapartʹwithitsimpact.Insteadoftranscendingthe pairsofopposites,theweakAquarianbecomescrushedbythem.If Capricorn symbolizes a solidly independent, rock‐like stance, Aquariusrepresentsacrumblinghillsideofgranite.Thelessonsof Capricornmustbelearnedwellbeforethesoulisreadytoblossom fullyinAquarius. It is after passing the tests of Saturn that Fohat, which was previously propelling man, now becomes his self‐conscious instrument. The lightning and thunderbolt are symbols of the mightyforcethathasbeenemergingwithincreasingstrengthfrom thesignofScorpioonwards.ThewavyglyphofAquariussignifies the final manifestation of the undulatory forces of evolution. Like twoserpents,theoneaboveisreflectedinitslowercounterpart,the linesindicatebothelectricityanditsfluidmedium,water.Thesting ofelectricityislikethatofthescorpionwhichpropelsScorpiointo conscious awareness of the evolutionary task ahead. This sting revealstheinfluenceofFohatwhich,likeaquickbolt,breaksupthe complacent stance of the personality and forces it to abandon obsoleteperspectives.
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If, after countless lives of drinking the turbulent waters of the sidereal cup, the soul comes to know and refuse the draught of Lethe, its vestures may still be inadequate to retain the waters of Reminiscence,gatheredingoldenmoments,inthedrabcontextsof everyday life. Hence the poignant story of the ʹleaky jarʹ in Platoʹs Gorgias.Bycontrast,theraresoul,giftedwiththepowerofunerring choice,mayturntotheSupernalVaseandpartakeofthenectarof the gods, the living water of the fabled Holy Grail. At a climactic pointinitspilgrimage,itmaylaveinʹtheElixirofLife,ʹthewaters of immortality. When this moment is reached by that one soul among millions, the highest spiritual source can flood the entire being,conferringboundlessbenefittothewholeofhumanity. The sacred alchemical phenomenon of self‐transmutation is powerfullysymbolizedinavisionexperiencedbyagiftedseer.In this vision there were two vases linked together with a golden chain. The upper vase was beautifully sculpted of translucent amber and filled with a shimmering liquid. The lower vase was fashioned of crude earthenware and contained dark and muddy water.Ahandappearedandgentlytiltedtheambervase,allowing its luminous contents to pour gently into the clay jug below. The watersmingledandwherevertheshimmeringliquidfell,thedark fluidseethedandboiled.Bubblesroseandburstuponthesurfacein many colours, while the murky waters slowly began to change. Gradually,withsteadilyalteringaspect,thewatersbecameasclear andpellucidasthecontentsoftheambervessel.Theunificationof the Higher and Lower Self had been brought to a final and irreversible consummation. Thoth‐Hermes succeeds in reconciling Horus and Set in that age yet fully to emerge – when the transmutationofthelowerbythehigherisuniversallypossible. In Egyptian symbology the Nile was closely associated with Aquarius in a dual sense reflecting the double wavy signs of the glyph. There were two rivers in their conceptual system, which existedinheavenandonearth.TheCelestialNilewasbelievedto flow from beneath the throne of Osiris while the Terrestrial Nile aroseinʹtheplaceoftheTwoRocks,ʹastonecavernreminiscentof
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the rocky birthplace of Capricorn. It was on an island in the Celestial Nile that Horus was born, symbolizing Jati or the new birth,anditwasinasimilarsettingalongtheworldlyNilethatmen were afforded the means of obtaining a ʹnew birthʹ in consciousness. The androgynous god Hapi held the vessels that overflowed with the waters of celestial and terrestrial life, and the Ego could choose between the two streams. In one, he embraced DivineWisdomorThoth‐HermesandenteredfullyintoAquarius; intheotherheplungedagainintotheRiverofForgetfulness. At Esneh in Egypt there is a planisphere which depicts the goddess Maat with her arms fully outstretched like the beam of a scale. She represents unchanging Truth and Equilibrium and is seated beside Hapi, the Water‐Bearer, who is the ʹMan made Perfect.ʹHertwoarmspointtothepastandfutureandherheadis anupraisedfeatherwhichbalancestheconsummationofevolution. The combined figures symbolize the equilibrium of balanced harmony and synthesis which are the hallmarks of the Aquarian influence. After the breaking up of the old, the loosening of the bonds,thereisaformationofthenewwhichreflectstheessentially synthetic nature of soul‐evolution. After ages of culling the wheat ofwisdomfromthedeadchaffofform,itisbroughttotheportals ofculmination.Thoth‐HermesisrepeatedlyconnectedwithHapias both the bearer of the water vessel and keeper of the Gates of Heaven,asNebowastheLordofWisdomatBab‐el,theGateofthe Gods. The Egyptians held that drinking the Supernal Waters provided the key to the Immortal Gates. The Book of the Dead recordsthisinvividprose: May the abyss of water be opened to me by Tehuti‐Hapi (Thoth‐Hapi),thelordofthehorizoninmynameofOpener.
Thehorizonalludedtohereisthemeetingplacebetweenheaven and earth, and Thoth‐Hapi, its Lord, is the Divine Wisdom which becomes manifest in the fully Aquarian mind. Both reason and intuitionbecomebalancedlikethearmsofthegoddessMaat.Like the other airy signs, Aquarius tends to harmonize and synthesize that which, in some contexts, would seem to be at odds. But to
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expressfullythefruitsofthisabilityrequiresaseparationoutfrom common lines of thinking and a courage to fully explore entirely original modes of thought and expression. In this sense Aquarius andtheotherairysignsarelikespiralmovementswhichpermitthe completion of an upward curvature along the evolving zodiacal wheel.Thatthistakesplaceinthecaseofisolatedindividuals,there is no doubt, but it is the universalization of this ability which is longingly anticipated by all those who are not steeped in either grossmaterialismorpatheticsalvationism. The increased occurrence of this inward growth is perhaps relatedtotheaccessionoftheinfluenceofUranus,which,although not one of the seven sacred planets, is associated by some astrologers with Aquarius. It is not agreed as to which, if any, planet rules Aquarius, and there are several who have suggested thatSaturncontinuestoholdswayoverthesignjustasitdoesover Capricorn. However, given what is known about the lessons of Capricorn, it becomes clear that, as we move steadily further into the Age of Aquarius, man will become more and more open to subtler influences. At this time most men are affected by Uranus only on the plane of the unconscious mind. The vestures of the lowermindandbodyaretoogrosstopickupthecurrent. UranusrepresentstheWillandcannotexpressitselfthroughthe wilfulnessthatmotivatesthepersonalman,andsotheaffinitythat ithasforAquariusremainsmysteriousandremotetous.Thereare in Greek mythology several clues as to the nature and place of Uranus in the cosmic scheme of things. These are revealed in the storyofhowKronosmutilatedhisfatherUranosorʹHeaven.ʹAsthe Heavenly Father, Uranos existed outside of Time, and though he begat offspring, he consumed them so that they were reabsorbed into the One. Eventually, however, with the impulse of creation, Uranos became Kronos who, as a symbolic son, mutilated and cut himself off from his father and fell into Time, which marked the second phase in the process of ʹcreation.ʹ Significantly, Uranos is related to the Second Race while Kronos is related to the Third, which first experienced self‐conscious separation. In the great
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processofevolutionthroughtheFourthandFifthraces,mannow approaches a condition which will permit him to begin to tap the vast potentiality that existed at the opposite descending arc of the cycle.Onlynowhewillbegintopermeatehisconsciousness,while inaphysicalvesture,withtheWisdomofTimelessness. The originality of thought necessary for this transformation can be acquired, in a time still heavily encased in the old modes of consciousness, only by swimming valiantly against the current of Letheʹswaters.Ateveryturn,thetrueAquarianwillfindhimselfat odds with the sentiments of the present. He will be one of that lonely tribe that ventures onto the uncharted continents, turning awayfromthelimitingguidelinesofcontemporarycivilization.He willfighthiswayagainsttheprevailingtideandfindthesourceof theriveritselfand,indoingso,willdiscoverAquariusfacetoface. Theriverislikethelinesoflifethatstreamoutlikearteriesfromthe solarsource.Greatindeedmustbethatbeingwhoholdstheirinitial flow within his vessel. Like the heart of the sun containing, in the rhythm of its beat, the fluid that enlivens the world, the vessel passesonthepreciouswater. Water, according to Thales, was, in its non‐physical sense, the firstprincipleofthings.Hebelieved,likeotherancients,thatitwas thepotentialfluidofboundlessspace,theAlkahestorʺtheoneand the invisible, the water, the first principle, in the second transformation.ʺPhysicalwateristhesymbolfortheworlddeluge whichmarkstheendoftheformaluniverseandthecompletionofa cycle through the destruction of the power which caused its componentstocohere.Withtheirdisintegration,theyreturntothe realm of Chaos which is Akasa, the luminous, fiery water of the Abyss,themetaphysicalandalchemicalUniversalSolvent.Thetrue Aquarianexemplifiestheworkofthisarcaneprocess. In the presence of this personification of hidden wisdom the imagesandformsoftheconcreteminddisappearandarereformed andgiventothosewhoarebornandcomeintobeingintheearth. The Alchemists identified a powerful solvent which they called AquaRegiabecauseofitsabilitytodissolvetheʹnobleʹmetals.Itis
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composed of hydrochloric and nitric acids and acts in such a way thatthe hydrogen ionsare released, renderingthe oxidizing agent in the compound capable of breaking down and rebinding the metal substance. Prior to its release, the hydrogen itself acted as a bind upon the oxidizing agent. Symbolically, this is suggestive when it is borne in mind that hydrogen is the most pervasive, universal and ontologically prior element known in the physical universe. If one further recalls that Uranus in Aquarius represents theWill,onecaninterpretthereleasedhydrogenasbeingfreedto merge with the Universal Will, thus enabling the dissolution and reformationofnewformstotakeplace.Locked‐inhydrogenatoms can be seen as the shadowy binding force of the personalityʹs wilfulness,whiletheliberatedatomsimmediatelypermitthework ofevolutionaryprogress.ThisistheworkofthemysticalAlkahest which eventually will restore all compounds to their primeval essenceandmanhimselftohisspiritualhome. If the soul is not to be swept away in the flood, never knowing the reason for its births, it must take command of the vessel that will cross the Abyss. When Gilgamesh, in the Babylonian Epic, reachedthelandbeyondthesea,Tsit‐Napishtininformedhimhow he himself had escaped death. The eleventh tablet of the Epic describes the deluge and how Ea provides the vessel which will carry Gilgamesh to the place where he will be ʺwashed clean of leprosyʺandprovidedwithapurevehicle,akaranasharira,through whichtheliberatedmancanmanifest.TheEgyptianBookofTuotin its eleventhdivision corroborated the importance of dissolution of theoldmentalandphysicalvehicleswhenitspeaksofʺtheentrance to the circle which judgest bodies.ʺ The vestures of the soul are testedheretoseeifitmustdescendintorebirthorascenduntothe gods.Sincethevesturesaretheresultoftrueknowledge,itisclear that this knowledge must be from within‐without, from without‐ within,andthrougheveryatomofoneʹsmanifestbeing.Bytaking in the Waters of the Supernal Cup, the fully realized Aquarian obtainstheperspectiveofthehighestplaneoftheAstralLight,the UniversalSolventofAkasa.
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TheethicalandsocialexpressionofAquariusisyettounfoldin thisworldofnarrowmoralandpoliticalcategories.Butitstonehas been suggested in all the world‐shaking ideas put forth by the Great Teachers of the human race. These ideas are the precious drops that presage the approaching monsoon. The ideals summed up in the beautiful ʹAquarian Axiomsʹ are the cosmic and individualbasisforthesocialandethicalformsofthefuturewhen allmenwillfullyunderstandthatʺLifeisbuiltupbythesacrificeof the individual to the whole.ʺ When men know through the laboratoryoftheirownseven‐foldnaturethatʺHarmonyisthelaw oflife,ʺandthattrueself‐knowledgeandspiritualityʺisthepower of perceiving formless, spiritual essences,ʺ then the whole world willbereadyfortherevolutionaryformsoftheAquarianAge.But this can only happen when the old forms have been completely dissolved,foritistrulyaxiomaticthatʺYoucannotbuildaTemple of Truth by hammering dead stones. Its foundations must precipitate themselves like crystals from the solution of Life.ʺ The earnest seeker of the New Age will never cease looking for that solvent within himself which will break down the barriers of pseudo‐objective consciousness and reveal the oneness implicit in theconceptofuniversalrelativityandrelationship. In a crucial article which exemplifies the Aquarian mode of consciousness, H.P. Blavatsky intimated the importance of understandingtheUniversalSolventofAkasa.Manygreatmindsin this confused age are seeking to discover the correlation between highertheoriesinphysicsandtheforcesoperatinginmoral,social andpoliticalrelationships.TheyseektodiscovertheAlkahestthat will dissolve the old methodologies and presuppositions which bindtheirperspectives.Theystrive,thesefewcourageousones,on the intuitive edge of their rational minds, for glimpses of the new synthesis. To them, anything is possible; nothing is impossible. Giventheirefforts,whythenindeeddowe– ...whoinheritsomuchtendtonarrowtheuniverseandputit inalittlebox,insteadofmirroringtheuniverseinagrainofsand and seeing it there mirrored? Instead of doing that of which the poetsandthemysticsspeak,whydowetrytobehavelikethose
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individualswho,whentheBodhisattvaintheguiseofanelephant came striding majestically, simply clung to their particular metaphorical plank of salvation which the compassionate elephantsweptasideonitsway? RaghavanIyer UniversalityandSectarianism
When will we let go the myriad forms and emulate the heroic pioneers of mankind who struggle ceaselessly against the ʹevidence,ʹagainstthemuddytide?Wewhoareprivilegedtolivein the present can alchemize our entire sphere of influence by focussing steadily upon the Akashic archetype of the Man of the Future. Hermes,March1977 HelenValborg
PISCES Long ago, before the days of art or legend, Eros and Aphrodite stood for a moment on the bank of the river Euphrates, Seeking refuge from the pursuing Typhon, they plunged into the swirling waters and became two fishes. Their celestial destination is suggested, for the Euphrates was seen as a sacred channel of the heavenlywaterssurroundingtheearth. ODarkWatersofAncientDays Odepthsthatholdthelivingseed; Whatmonstersliewithinthyfold Whatgodsaremirroredonthywave?
Tiamat,thetumultuoussea,thechaoticmotherofspaceandthe primordial waters, was killed by the godly hero Marduk. He destroyedthemonstersshehadspawnedandwrestedorderoutof chaos.Hecleavedherbodyʺlikeafishintwopartsʺandfromone half fashioned the heavens, from the other half the earth. He organizedtheworldandthefishabovebecamereflectedinthefish below.ThestarswecallPiscescontainintheirdesignthesecretsof these ancient allegories, constituting the heavenly record of an arcane division and an implicit unity. The dual fish ʹIχθύς and ʹIχθύεςareidenticaltooneanotherbutareeachdepictedasfacing away from the other. The left fish can be seen as symbolic of the process of involution, or the beginning of a new cycle, while the rightfishsignifiesevolution,theprogressionoutofacycle. Theactualconstellationhasaforkedappearanceandcontainsno bright stars. The two fish appear to be tied together with a cord whichliesbeneaththeforefootoftheRam.TheArabscalledthese stars Al Risha, or the ʹcordʹ which unites the fishes, while the AkkadiannameforPisceswasDur‐Ki,theʹpalaceofthecord.ʹItis suggested by some that this represents the binding afresh of the soul to the wheel of samsara or the zodiac. Indeed, Pisces, as the twelfthsign,didmarktheendoftheoldcycleandthebeginningof thenew,andthemonthwhenthesunwasinitszonewascalledSe‐
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Kistl,theʹsowingoftheseed.ʹBetweentheinvolutingandevoluting fisheslaytheseedwhichcouldeitherbindbackthesoulorpermit ittorealizeunification. InEuphrateansymbolismtheoriginalglyphforPiscesdescribed onlyonefishwhichrepresentedthesunhiddeninthewatersbefore itsrising.ThisisreminiscentofSurya,whoinVedictraditionwas ʹdrawnbythegodsʹfromtheoceanandplacedapartinhiscelestial ark. The identification of the fish with the sun can only be understood in terms of the soul rising from the waters of chaotic matter in the form of that fish which the Chaldeans called ʹThe Intelligent One,ʹ Ea, the father of Marduk, the purveyor of Soul upontheWaters. H.P.BlavatskywrotethattheconstellationofPiscesʺshinesasa symbol of all the past, present and future Spiritual Saviours who dispenselightanddispelmentaldarkness.ʺThesignofʹIχθύςthe FishdoesnotmerelyrelatetoChristbuttoallworldreformers.Itis theʹSignofJonas,ʹthesignfromheavenofthesunreborninPisces, therisingfromthewatersofCannes,Ea,andofQuetzalcoatl,who in his feathered scales represented the man‐dragon, the serpent of the deep risen to enlighten the world. It is this rebirth out of the waters that lies behind the universal traditions which describe the coming of gods out of the Dark waters. Men who long to be born againonlyimitatethisimmenselypowerfulsymbolismwhenthey submergethemselvesintheriteofbaptism.AZoharallegorytells ofastrangerwhotaughttheLawandsaidthathisfatherʺhadhis dwelling place in the Great Sea, and was a fish therein. He was greatandmightyandswallowedalltheotherfish.ʺThusitwasthat the early Christians called themselves pisciculi or ʹlittle fishesʹ and talkedofʺsomanyfishesbredinthewater,andsavedbyonegreat fish.ʺ How great was the privilege accorded Simon and Andrew when Christ said unto them, ʺFollow me and I will make you fishersofmen.ʺ As in the sign of Makara, the sacred letter ʹMʹ signifies the presence of the Great Sacrifice in the world. The Fish Avatar of Vishnu was called Matsya, while the word Messiah itself suggests
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the nature of the workof great teachers symbolized by Meena, the Sanskrit name for Pisces. The Babylonians called the phase from CapricorntoPiscesʹtheFieldofEa,ʹtheman‐fish,andbelievedthat itwasinthesesignsthatmanwasinstructedinthewisdomwhich would truly make him human. From the legendary boy on the dolphin to Cannes who rose from the Persian Gulf, the symbol of theman‐fishmovesinandthroughthesignsofMakara,Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Cannes was believed to have made four appearances at intervals of over thirty thousand years, while Quetzalcoatl was said by the Aztecs to have gone beneath the waters to re‐emerge at a future time of manʹs development. These ʹScalyOnesʹareInitiatedAdepts.Theyarehealers,giversofhealth, spiritualandphysical,andofenlightenment.Theirinfluenceupon mankind in general can be critically potent from January to April, whilethoseindividualsborninʹtheFieldofEaʹhaveaconcentrated opportunity to recognize and manifest the process of accelerated spiritualization that commenced with Capricorn and culminates withPisces. Capricorn involves a shedding of everything extraneous to the process of soul‐evolution. The Ego experiences the full limitations ofSaturnandcanbenefitbybecomingconcentratedandpowerfully focussed upon the task at hand. In Aquarius, the Ego becomes engaged in expansion. Great mental gifts are freely shared and a lack of protective self‐interest permits a continual drawing of the largercircle.Themindreachesapeakofexpressionandoldmodes become fodder for new ones. In Aquarius there is the strong tendencytobreakawayfromform,butitisinPiscesthatthefinal movement of dissolution is played out. The cord of Pisces will either bind the soul to the left‐handed fish of involution, ensuring his rebirth through Aries the Ram,or it will lead to liberation, the dissolutionofalltieswithearthlyexistence. Like other signs of the zodiac, Pisces has a higher and lower potential.IfthesoulhaspartakenfullyoftheLethewaterspriorto itsbirthinPisces,theemotionalcharacterofthissignwillmanifest overwhelmingly, creating karmic bonds which will ensure a
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submergence in avidya and anentrance into awhole newseries of births. If, however, the soul has drunk of the Supernal Cup, these powerfulfeelingscanembracethewholeofmankindandtheforces of love and sympathy released can actually transform the lives of others. Always looking for something beyond, the Piscean is drawn powerfully by the mystical but may live a succession of fantasies causing his or her life to degenerate into indiscipline and a fusion betweenfactandfancy.Thistendencytoexpansiveexcessandlove of mystery can express itself beautifully as it did in the poetry of GeorgeRussellwhenhewrote: Whenthebreathoftwilightblowstoflamethemistyskies, Allitsvaporoussapphire,violetglow,andsilvergleam Withtheirmagicfloodmethroughthegatewaysoftheeyes; Iamonewiththetwilightʹsdream.
Butifthetendencytoexcessandindiscriminationareexpressed by an individual who is self‐centred, then indulgence mars the workandthegreatheart‐potentialofthePisceanbecomesatrapof ever‐growingdelusionandasourceofcontinualself‐dramatization. The feelings that could have been so lofty, so pristine, become an emotionalwallowinggroundforlow‐leveltranslationsofloveand sufferingaswellashopeandaspiration. Beingamutablesign,Piscesislikeaʹhingeʹwhichdirectsthesoul onewayortheother.Itthusreflects,asdoallwaterysigns,either the higher influences or the lower. It is one of the most impressionablesignsandcantakeonanyform.Itmaybemoulded by inner promptings or outer currents. But while it is fluidic, it propels, becomes steam, stirs up things to activity and, in its SanskritnameMeena,isrevealedasrelatedtothefiveelements,the senses, and the causes of suffering. Of the elements, water in the sense of the Universal Solvent is its most important correlate, and indicates that the dissolution culminating in Pisces is strongly linkedupwithactionalteringthehumansenses. Traditionally,PisceswasbelievedtohavebeenruledbyJupiter, which is an expansive and optimistic influence. However, in
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modern times, the influence of Neptune is also thought to be relevant. While the expansiveness and synthesizing powers of Jupiter may manifest, the heavy hand of Neptune is prone to sow the seeds of chaos, death and destruction. Echoing the twelfth Nidana, Jaramarana, which denotes death and decay, the sign of Piscessimpleindulgenceoronewhichmarkedtheendofasearch for ultimate meaning. Venus, exerting her influence in Meena, movestheEgotoseekexpansionandunity.TheunrefinedEgowill pursuethis throughpleasuresbutthefullyrefinedEgowillsuffer the depths of collective feeling while experiencing conscious unificationwiththerestofhumanity. PerhapsacluetothewayinwhichtheemotionalPisceanarises from the mentally acute Aquarian lies in the fact that the parts of thebodyrelatedtothissymbolarethefeetandthelefteye.Thefeet uponwhichman,thethinker,standsareoftenthoughtofinterms ofclay.TheyarerelatedtothelowerservingcasteinIndiaandthey constantlyrestupontheleastspiritualaspectofnature.How,then, can they be associated with ʹfishers of menʹ or saviours? What connection could they possibly have with the left eye? It is necessarytoconsiderthecomplexityandimportanceofthefeetto cometoanappreciationofthissymbolicrelationship.Notonlydo they permit movement along any path upon the face of the earth andsupportthetotalexternalvehicleoftheindwellingsoul,butthe feetcontainamostcomplexsetofnerveslinkedwithallpartsofthe body, permitting, through proper manipulation, the healing of manyofitsailments.Thefeetactasasynthesizerofthesenses,as doesthebrain,butinawaythatpermitseffectstobecompensated from below above. The higher power of Mahat, developed in the Aquarianstage,comestofocusthroughthelefteyeofTimeandis broughtdownthroughthewholebodyofmantobecomereflected inthedelicatemovementandconditionofthefeet.Thusthelotus marks the sacred feet of all Bodhisattvas. Surely it may be said of them that they would move in complete harmony with the UniversalMindandthattheearthuponwhichtheystandwouldbe thrice‐blessed. All Great Ones who sacrifice for humanity take on feetofclay,thefishʹsbody,inordertoswimintheworldlycurrent.
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ThechaosrelatedtoPisceshastodowiththeMotherSeawhich resides in seeming oblivion beyond the order introduced by Marduk. It is also linked with the destruction and dissolution of form wrought by the symbolical and actual deluges that mark the endofcycles.TheGreatTeacherswhopassamongmenforashort rimeonearthpersonifythedeathofthepersonalityandhavetaken onformonlyforthesakeofothers.Itisdeeplysignificantthatsuch beings often suffer failure, betrayal and even violent death. The souliswillinglyʹcrucifiedʹonthecrossofmatterinorderthatmen maycatchaglimpseofthatwhichtheytrulyare.WhenJesuswas crucified, this seemingly terrible agony was a re‐enactment of the deathoftheloweraspectsofthepersonalityastheyfellawayfrom the liberated Christos. The dissolution was that of the lower quaternary,whiletheuniversalsolventwhichmadeitpossiblelay in the realm of pure Akasa, the watery realm of the fully realized Pisces. ʺTHE SPARK HANGS FROM THE FLAME BY THE FINEST THREAD OF FOHAT.ʺ IT JOURNEYS THROUGH THE SEVEN WORLDS, BECOMING METAL, STONE, PLANT AND ANIMAL. ʺFROMTHECOMBINEDATTRIBUTESOFTHESE,MANU,THE THINKER,ISFORMED.WHOFORMSHIM?THESEVENLIVES; ANDTHEONELIFE.WHOCOMPLETESHIM?THEFIVE‐FOLD LHA. AND WHO PERFECTS THE LAST BODY? FISH, SIN AND SOMA.ʺ
TheSecretDoctrineteachesthatFish,SinandSomaareconjointly the three symbols of the ʹImmortal Being.ʹ They are related to Joshua,whocausedthewallsofJerichototumble;toJesus,whose lifedramatizedtheFallofSpiritinmatter;andtotheLunarPitris, who provided the necessary vehicles for human incarnation. Further, the Hebrew god Sin, who inspired thename of Mt. Sinai, wasfructifiedbyJehovahwhoʺmanifestedonthelunarmountain,ʺ whichwasaterrestrialsymbolfortheArkintimatelyrelatedtothe deluge. These elements again suggest the idea of the Fall into matter, the provision of the lunar vehicle and the destruction of form. In several traditions the earth is supported by a huge fish.
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According to the Altaic people, his head is toward the north, and when it bends down there are floods in the northern hemisphere. The cord which tilts the head is believed to be held by the BodhisattvaManjusri.Thissymbolicconceptdescribesthecyclesof thetiltingoftheearthʹsaxis.ThesinkingofAtlantiswasbroughton bysuchashift,anditwastheMatsyaAvatarwhoenactedthekey roleofPreserverinthatmightydeluge. In the Mahabharata the story is told of Vaivasvata who sat in meditation by the side of a river. As he reposed, a fish appeared andbeggedhisprotectionfromanotherlargerfish.Vaivasvataput thefishintoajarwhichitquicklyoutgrew.Itcontinuedtoincrease untilfinallyithadtobeplacedinagreatocean,whereuponittold Vaivasvata of the impending flood. The fish was Matsya, the AvatarofVishnu,anditorderedanarkbuilttocarryManuandthe Seven Rishis or races of men. The ark bearing the seed of life was guided by Matsya to Mount Meru, the birthplace of the new race. ThecleansingdestructionofwaterislikethefireofAkasainwhich the dissolution of all form takes place, mirroring the glorious processwhichwillperfecttheʹlastbody.ʹ Pisces symbolizes a force which is intimately bound up with emotionandfeeling,andallgoodnessandpleasureinthiswatery sign is brought on through their expansiveness. This force reflects the all‐pervasive nature of Akasa and would seek to discover no limits to its expression. The prime attribute of Akasa is sound symbolized in speech, which is beautifully manifested in the teaching abilities of Great Spiritual Reformers. Akasa is also the indispensable agent of every magical performance. It stirs up the powerlyinglatentinBrahmainmuchthesamewayasthewords of an Adept‐Teacher stir the hearts of men. The higher feelings possible in Pisces enable anactivation of thehigher sheaths of the soul and the development of a condition where feelings derived fromthesensesaresynthesizedtotallyintoonepowerfulradiating force. This is achieved through the fusion of the five senses into one,whichtakesplacewhenthehigherastralsheathsareactivated.
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Thusthenon‐discriminatingtendenciesofthelowerPisceannature aresupplantedbyaunifyingforceonahigherlevelofevolution. The word ʹemotionʹ means to ʹmove out or away,ʹ strongly suggestingthestirringup,theagitatingmotionwhichcharacterizes Akasa. However, uncontrolled or poorly understood emotions, far from partaking of Akasa, repeatedly damage the higher vestures and bring certain destruction and death in their wake. The expansive potential of that type of emotion which ʹfeels1 with the wholeofhumanityrequirestremendouspowersofcontrolinorder tomanifest.TheSadhakahasrigidlytoexcludeanyimpurethoughts and emotions if he wishes his manomaya kosha to vibrate with the highest realms of Akashic purity until the base material of the vehicles has been dissolved and completely replaced by subtly refined matter. One of the most important steps in controlling emotion involves the total mastery of the mirrored Akashic attributeofspeech.InpreparationfortheGreatRenunciationmade by the ʹFishers of Men endless self‐denials, especially in the realm of speech, must be made. Robert Crosbie wrote of such control in connectionwiththebuildingofthepermanentastral,statingthatas this mental control increased, ʺwhat were merely centres of force around which organs were builded now tend to become separate astralorgans.ʺThesearebuiltupintoacompleteastralbodywhich synthesizesalltheorgansofthephysicalbody.Thediscipleisnow beyond the dominion of the physical senses and has the power of theastralbody,whichisextremelyeffectiveonitsownplane,with a wide range of action through its ʹseven super‐senses.ʹ The expanding brilliance of relationships exemplified in Aquarius has nowtotallyactivatedthewatersoftheheartandtheentirebeingis givenovertoanexpressionofexpandinglight.Immensesuffering isnecessarytoproducetheheatrequiredtodissolvethelastwalls of separative consciousness that bind the soul, which has now become what Shankaracharya describes as Kutichaka, ʹthe hut‐ builder who has reached the place of peace,ʹ the builder of the eternalvestureswhowillreceivebirthbutoncemore.
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Intheselaststagesofevolution,theʹfeeling‐soulʹiscompelledby suffering to enter into a profounder sense of self‐reflection. This reflection grows withthe power ofAnanda, from which fertile soil passion rises into reason and knowledge. As self‐knowledge reasonsoutward,itprogressesthroughthedevelopmentofchitinto universal sympathy. It is then that emotions reach their consummationandallpassionsexpireingivingbirthtoʺaneternal sentiment of justice and love, which are ultimately Oneʺ – Sat. A totalunionwiththeOneleadsthepilgrimsoulbeyondthecycling of the zodiacal wheel of life. At this point the soul must decide whether it will pursue its liberation or renounce it to enter once againthecircuitofthewheel,tocomeagainamongmenaspartof thatLodgeoftheHolySavioursofmen.ʹTheFieldofEaʹhasbeen traversed and man has risen to the calm Akashic regions of ideal spiritual life where there labour, ʺunhastening, unresting,ʺ the Rishis, Munis, Saints and Prophets. He may rest now among the Immortals or rise from the Waters like Oannes to move among thosewhorejoiceandweepfromlifetolife,chainedtothewheelof karmicaction. Hermes,April1977 HelenValborg
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THESUN Letusadorethesupremacyofthatdivinesunwhoilluminatesall,from whomallproceed,towhomallmustreturn,whomweinvoketodirect ourunderstandingsarightinourprogresstowardshisholyseat. TheGayatri
WhereisthebirthplaceoftheradiantsunthattheGreeksroseto meetatdawnwithakissupontheirupraisedhands?Fromwhence came Helios, son of Hyperion ʺThe High Goingʺ and Euryphaëssa ʺTheFarShiningʺ?Whatisthesourceofthelightthatshinesfrom LokaChakshuh,theVedicʺEyeoftheWorldʺ? The Egyptians symbolized the birth of the sun through descriptions of the infant sun‐god Horus, who arose from within thepetalsofasacredbluelotusfloatinguponanendlesssea.This sunwastheʺEyeofRa,ʺtheʺgoodeyeofheavenʺastheSamoyeds say.Theideaoftheeyeofgodwasandisverywidespreadinthe world.Thefactthatmanypeoplehaveconceivedofthesunasboth a youthful hero and an aged father merely suggests the cyclic rebirthoftheorbʹspenetratinggaze. LokaChakshuhorSuryaisdepictedintheVedasastheGodheadof Supreme Truth and Knowledge, the Lord of Light. His two functions are luminous vision and luminous creation, suggesting thatthevisionofTruthandKnowledgeisfollowedbythecreation ofLight.Themedievalalchemistsspokeofthesolniger,theblackor invisible sun which they related to prime matter and the unconscious.Thevisiblesunisatthenadir,outofwhichdepthsit mustascendtowarditszenith,theinvisibleapexthatoverseesthe creationoflight. ʺChaos ceases at the effulgence of the Ray of Primordial Light helped on by the Word of the Central Sun.ʺ During the active periodsofbeing,thiscentral,invisiblesourcegivesrisetoastream ofceaselessenergywhosevibratingcurrentsbecomemoreactiveat
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each descending rung of the sevenfold ladder of being. The equinoxesandvariousothercyclicphasesandperiodsofthevisible solar course are only symbols of the singular truth which remains hidden. The activity of this energy, increasingly involuting into grossmatter,canbeseenasademonstrationofnumericalpatterns whicharearcanehieroglyphscontainingthekeysthatyieldanever greater abstract knowledge of solar reality. The Secret Doctrine describes the Central Sun as an unseen point in sidereal space whichconstantlyattractsoursolarsystem.ItistheCentreofRestto which all motion is ultimately referable. It is the ʺreservoir within which divine radiance, already differentiated at the beginning of everycreation,isfocused.ʺThisfocalpointiseverywhereandyet– likethelogos–itissomewhere.Astheearthisattractedtothesun in our solar system (though obviously the centripetal forces in the system are counterbalanced by the centrifugal), so our sun is a servanttoamoreremotecentrearoundwhichitrevolves.Onemay imagine increasingly expanded systems ultimately resolving themselveswithinasolarcentrewhichencompassesallbutwhich existsonaninconceivablyhomogeneousplaneofmatter.Onemay analogically imagine all systems resolving themselves into an essential, primordial point in endless space. Inour cogitations, we are wise to remember the admonition that not even the Dhyan Chohans can penetrate the mysteries of the boundaries separating themilliardsofsolarsystemsfromtheCentralInvisibleSun. InTheBookofDzyantheCentralSunisportrayedascausingthe mysterious force called Fohat to collect primordial matter into globules and impel them to converge together as aggregates. This recommencement of spiralling motion, brought on by the heat of the Great Breath, creates the conditions necessary for the birth of the first ʹprimitive family,ʹ the differentiation of matter into elements and sub‐elements or what Occultism calls ʺtemporary appearances.ʺSuchheterogeneousandtemporaryappearancesare theprototypesofthevisiblesunsandsystemsofplanetsaswellas allthevariouscombinationsoflifethattheysustain.Theprinciple activating and extending this process is the centrifugal energy of the universe – Lucifer, Lux, the light made visible in our solar
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system.ItconveystheradiantenergyflowingfromtheCentralSun which thus called into being and electrified the visible sun and earth and created the tension responsible for the revolution of the latteraroundtheformer.Theactivatingprincipleoftheearthcanbe traced through the physical sun to an energy that rises on a less mundaneplaneofexistence. In this vast and multifarious universe, there are grades of solar bodies which are like ʹorgansʹ acting in the whole process of creation in conjunction with electrical channels that convey their collective influence to the earth. The Fiery Breath which resides beyond manifested nature emanates the Central Spiritual Sun, parent of electricity, the fire of life and the manifested universe. Through seven planes of being, like the many‐storied universe envisioned by Siberian people, the suns beget sons which become solarcentresoflifeenergyatprogressivelymoreconcretizedlevels. The Dhyan Chohans, the Seven Divine Sons of the One Light, are luminous suns existing in an incorporeal condition like divine parentsofsubsequentseptenatelife.TheseHolyOnesembodythe emerging primal elements in their most pristine essence and harmonious balance. Like rays from a virginal fire, they give of theiressence,instillingdivineintelligenceintotheprogenyoftheir sovereignlineage. It was the descendants of these Lords of Light who took on increasingly material garb and eventually walked upon the earth amongmenofmanyracesandconditions.ThesegreatHeroes,like therisingsun,alwayscamefromtheEast.AsDivineRacesamong men,theygaveoutsacredteachingsandprovidedthefoundations forthedevelopmentofallthegreatcivilizationsthathaveexistedin humanhistory.TheseweretheSolarRacesaroundwhomreligious cults developed in every inhabited part of the world. These cults reached great heights in India, Egypt, Africa and the Americas, including the complex form which developed in Peru. There the Ynca, the first children of the sun, were placed by their Father in LakeTiticaca,oneofthehighestlakesintheworld.Fromthissolar brotherandsisterissueda lineage ofroyaldescendantswhowere
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all known as children of the sun and called ynca. They ruled as DivineKingsandthroughelaborateritualmaintainedalivinglink betweentheSunasGodheadandthepeopleofthemountainsides. InIndiatheSuryaVansaorʹraceofthesunʹlaiddownitsdynastyin Ayodhya. The Rig Veda speaks of them as solar kings. Later these kings became deified and their worship was the earliest anthropomorphizationofthegreatprimevalfaithwhichconsidered the sun as Master of Life and Death. From this early and inspired devotion eventually arose ancestor worship which, wherever it existsintheworld,isusuallyassociatedwithacultofthesun.As thesuniseternallyreborn,somenareinspiredtoseekthesourceof their own rebirth and immortality. In allegorical fashion they achieve a sort of lineal immortality by keeping alive the psychic linkwithancestorswhoarerebornagaininthechildrenofdevout worshippers. The sun is sometimes symbolically described as the ʹheartʹ and ʹbrainʹ of the solar system. From it sensations radiate into ʺevery nervecenterofthegreatbody.ʺButitisonlyaʺwindowcutintothe real Solar Presenceʺ which reflects the interior work. From within there is a circulation of vital fluid that passes through our solar system like the circulation of blood within an organism. The sun contracts and expands like the human heart, its systolic and diastolicphasesmarkingtheeleven‐yearsun‐spotcycleswhichare intimately connected with solar eruptions affecting the earth and other planets. Each year the solar ʹbloodʹ passes through its ʹauriclesʹandʹventriclesʹbeforewashingoutthelungsʹandpassing into the ʹveinsʹ and ʹarteriesʹ of the system to complete the eleven‐ yearcycle. Throughatelescope,theappearanceofthephysicalsunisthatof a disk with sharply defined edges, its brightest area being at its centre.Duringasolareclipse,thecoronamaybeseentoradiateout from this edge like a luminous halo, its shape varying with the phasesofthesun‐spotcycle.Spectroscopicfindingsrevealthatsun‐ spotsaremerelyindicatorsofactivitygoingonwithinthesun.Like tubes, they penetrate through the convection zones toward the
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centralzone.Hereatomicradiations,whicharelargelyreabsorbed due to tremendous gravitational pressures, counterbalance the centripetalforcebyasteadyradiationpressure.Onecouldsaythat the work of the centre is ʹpushing out,ʹ which is significantly reflectedintheSanskritwordSurya,whoserootsumeansʹtopress outʹandiscompoundedinthetermasumeaningʹtobreathe.ʹ During solar storms great streams of highly ionized particles spiral in colossal arcs out from the sunʹs surface. These predominantly hydrogenate particles rush through space and impinge upon the earthʹs atmosphere, vastly affecting its climate, stirringupitsatmosphereandaffectingratesofchangeandgrowth aroundtheglobe.Thesecurrentsrunalongtheʹnervesʹdescribedin occult doctrine and recharge the system, breaking down and refining material with their fiery sharpness. The hidden ʹheartʹ of the sun expands with this ionized ʹbloodʹ and washes clean the lungsʹ of space within the solar system. With electrifying power it fillstheʹveinsʹandʹarteries,ʹrevitalizingallaggregatesoflifewithin its system. Despite their enormous effect upon the earth, these ʹstormsʹ are really minor aspects of the sunʹs own colossal cyclic scale.Giventheamazinglybalancedreserveofenergythatthesun continually maintains, it is, relative to this larger perspective, almostcalmandunchanging,asthepoetsandmathematicianssay. At the solar centre, mass is extremely concentrated and, due to enormously high temperatures, only the most ʹelementalʹ forms of mattercouldexistthere.Chemicalmodificationoccursasenergyis convected out towards the surface of the sun where conversion to lightenergytakesplace.Theʹheatʹinthedensesolarcentreisquite different from that which is produced by the radiating rays at its surface where the density of matter is less than that of air. This central heat, which continually maintains itself, involves a concentration of matter that suggests activities of incalculable power,controlledbyanarcaneprincipleofcompleteequilibriumat aprimallevel.Toputitintermsofthesolarʹheartʹandʹbrain,ʹthe massive and thunderous beating of that ʹorganʹ is contained by an autonomicsystem,asitwere,whichreflectsthedictatesofahighly synthesized and anterior light. This is directly analogous with the
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function of the pineal gland within the human brain which synthesizes light and regulates the performance of all the bodily rhythms. It is also the basis, intuitively or cognitively, of the frequentreferencemadebyclassicalwriterstomanasasun. ThePuranastellhowtheDevasaskedtheRishistobringtheSun intoSatyaLoka.TheSun‐Godwarnedthemthatifhelefthisplace theworldwouldbedestroyed.OneoftheRishisofferedtoputhis ʹred clothʹ in the place of the Sunʹs disk and thus originated the visible shell of the sun. In fact, the sun is thickly surrounded by a redshellofmatter,anditisonlyduringasolareclipsethatwecan gain the ʺindisputable evidenceʺ of the real sun. This ʹrobeʹ of the sun, as the ancients called it, is made up of all the chemical elements to be found on earth and on every other planet but they exist in a more ʹdevelopedʹ state of matter, and our globe must necessarily become far more ʹrefinedʹ before its elements could matchtheconditionofthosewithinthatchromosphere.Thewhole magnificent process, involving the replacement of our earthly molecules with the ʹgiant atomsʹ from the Infinitude ʹabove,ʹ is a grand symbol of what takes place microcosmically along the Guruparampara chain between teacher and disciple. Like the magneticsun,theteacherattractsthechela,buttheverycentrifugal forceofhisluminouspowerforcesthediscipletodiscoverhisown orbit,thathemayeventuallybecomeasourceoflighthimself.And just as the ʹstormsʹ upon the sunʹs surface seem to almost overwhelmthehumbleplanet,sotheforcessurroundingtheGuru must be slowly approached and assimilated by the disciple. An infiniteprocessofexchangeandrefinementmusttakeplace. Weareadvisedthatinordertoacquireanunderstandingofthe refined condition of the solar photosphere and chromosphere we mustpossessaknowledgeofthesixthstateofmatter.Inmanthis wouldcorrelatewiththelightingupofbuddhi.Toachievethisone mustworkbackwardfromthekamarupicvehicletotheawakening ofmanaswhich,TheSecretDoctrinestates,isendowedbytheʺspirit of our Visible Sun.ʺ In wedding manas to buddhi, man approaches theʺEquatorialSunʺatthethirdlevelofmanifestation.Beyondthis
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radiates the ʺPolar Sunʺ which gives to man the spark of Atman fromtheCentralSpiritualSun.Inpursuingupwardalongthisvital channel within his being, man gradually realizes the Kshetrajna within,ʺTheSoulʹsSpiritualSun.ʺ At all levels the sun is the most perfect symbol for this divine process. It not only points to the source of all process itself but commands the central position of omniscience in the universe. As the Vedas teach, all the gods attain to vastness by following Surya. Beingexalted,Heseesallandthereforeknowsalland,asonewho takesinthewholeworldataglance,Hewasinvokedbytheancient Greeks in taking oaths. Not only does He make clear the path of goodnessandpuritytothosewhoseektowalkinit,butHeispure Himself. As Kepler understood, He is physically at the spatial centre of the solar system and is symbolically representative of abstractOneness.HeisSol,Solar,theabsoluteʹGoodʹoverbrooding Platoʹs Divided Line. Like the seed of the arcane ancestor, the sun neverdiesbutisalwaysreborn.Thetransformationofamereone percent of its mass from hydrogen to helium supplies enough energytoinsureradiationandlife‐breathforatleastabillionyears. The extinction of our sun lies so far in the future that countless stages of refinement shall have affected all life within the entire solarsystem,producingformsandlevelsofconsciousnessfewmen havedreamedofonthisearth.ʺBeforethehouroftheʹSolarPralayaʹ strikes on the Watchtower of Eternity, all the other worlds of our systemwillbeglidingintheirspectralshellsalongthesilentpaths of Infinite Space.ʺ All the compassionate and stormy exchanges between spirit and matter that will have produced the perfected harvest of this solar system will be completed and their refined essencewillhavemovedontootherarenasofuniversalevolution. TheTarotrelatesthesuntopurificationandtribulation,ʺthesole purpose of which is to render transparent the opaque crust of the senses so that they may perceive the higher truths.ʺ Man, in his effortstopurifyhimself,uniteshimselfbydegreestohisprototype in heaven. As he does, he is drawn higher and higher, into successiverays,eachofwhichsupersedestheonelower,causingit
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tobreakaway,untilheisatlastdrawnintothehighestbeamofthe Parent‐Sun.Itistaughtthatuponthedeathofonewhohasattained moksha,thesoulgoesfromtheheartofthebodytothecrownofthe head,traversingthesushumnanerve.Thenceitgoestotheregionof Surya Mandala along the solar rays and, entering into the Sun, is released into Paramapadha, the realm of the essence of the body of Ishwara.Tattvamasi–THATTHOUART. Hermes,August1976 HelenValborg
MERCURY SAID THE EARTH, ʺLORD OF THESHININGFACE (the Sun), MY HOUSE IS EMPTY SEND THY SONS TO PEOPLE THIS WHEEL (Earth). THOU HAST SENT THY SEVEN SONS TO THE LORD OF WISDOM (Mercury or BUDHA). SEVEN TIMES DOTH HE SEE THEE NEARER TO HIMSELF; SEVEN TIMES MORE DOTH HE FEEL THEE. THOU HAST FORBIDDEN THY SERVANTS, THE SMALL RINGS, TO CATCH THY LIGHT AND HEAT,THYGREATBOUNTYTOINTERCEPTONITSPASSAGE. SENDNOWTOTHYSERVANTTHESAME!ʺ StanzasofDzyan
Mercurius, mercurial, Mercury. Fleet‐footed, quicksilver god. With your rising the weather smiles, the crossroads bustle with quick‐wittedcommerceandvolatilelaughterignitestheair.Godof eloquence, messenger of heaven, patron of traders, thieves and roadways, you are known and worshipped by many names. The fifth day of the week is yours, bright shining Mercredi, Wodenʹs celebrated dag. As Woden or Odin, you are ʺthe far‐travellerʺ, the wanderer who, adorned with hat, moves swiftly while carrying your potent staff. As Odin, Mercury and Hermes, you have ever conductedthesoulsofthedead,guidingthemintotheunderworld and back through the gates of resurrection. All Greeks of ancient timesadoredyouastheirdivineancestor.Youwereworshippedas theInterpreteroftheLogosbyphilosophers,asMichael,theAngel ofVision,bytheHebrews,asHermes‐ChristosbytheGnostics,and as Nebo, the Keeper of the Tablets, by the Akkadians and Babylonians. As Thoth‐Hermes of the Egyptians your glory will neverwane,norasAnubis‐Sirius,counsellorofOsiris,willyouever be forgotten. Little wonder that the Sun has given you his Seven SonsandcalledyoutheLordofWisdom.
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But,OLord,howisitthatyouarecalledPatronofThieves,and whatisyourbusinesswithallthedeceptionofthehighwaymanor themerchantʹssleightofhand?EvenHomerʹsfamousversewould castyouinthislight.Inhishymntoyournamehecelebratesyour birth from your mother Maiaʹs womb and describes your precocious infancy, extraordinary even for a god. With poetic strokeshechronicleshowyouwalkedabroadonyourfirstdayand shapedthesweet‐strunglyrefromtheshellofawillingtortoise.He alsonotesindetailyourdescenttoApolloʹslandsandimmortalizes deeds filled with cunning and crafty plan. You picked out fifty of ApolloʹscattleanddrovethemtothebanksoftheAlpheios,where you invented fire by friction and burnt two heifers in sacrifice. A busy dayʹs work for a newborn, one which moved you to placate Apollowiththegiftofyoursilver‐tonedlyre,forwhichhegavein exchangehisgoldencaduceus.Yourmercurialcareerwaslaunched indeceptiveclouds,onlytobeamforthbrilliantlyintheserpentine raysofthesun. In the Hindu Puranas a connected theft marks the beginning of the great War in Heaven. This theft was committed by Soma, the spiritualrulerofthemoon,whostolefromBrihaspati(Jupiter)his belovedwifeTaraandcarriedheraway.Theirunionresultedinthe birthofBudha,theHinducounterpartofHermes‐Mercury,andthe greatcelestialstrugglethatensuedwasknownastheTarakamaya. ThiswaristhearchetypeofthewaronOlympusbetweenthegods and the Titans, and the war between the Ases and the Vanirs of Nordictradition.Brihaspatirepresentsthematerializationofdivine instruction,andTaraisthepersonificationofthepowersgarnered through initiation. Tara longs for true wisdom, and with her abduction she is initiated by Soma, giving birth to the esoteric wisdom of Budha. Soma, father of Budha‐Mercury, is sometimes referred to as the male moon. He is also the beverage whose mystical powers can open the gates of spiritual vision, leaving physicalsightbehind.Heisnottobeconfusedwiththemoon,even that moon considered to be parent of the earth, for his power derivesfromasourcemuchclosertothesun.
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Through Budha, Soma and Tara gave birth to the cosmic moist principle. In alchemy, Mercury is considered to be the ʺradical moystʺ,theprimitiveorelementarywatercontainingtheseedofthe universefecundatedbysolarfires.Taraʹsnaturecanbetracedtothe Gnostic Sophia, the Hindu Sarasvati or the Christian Holy Ghost, thegreatDeepfromwhichthesunandMercuryhavetheirbeing. The Egyptian solar barque floating on the water of space correspondstothisideainthatthesuninthebarquerepresentsthe Hermeticbasisofgoldortheʺphilosophicalsunʺ.Thewateristhat samebasisorsubstancemadeliquid,whilstthebarquesymbolizes NaturepilotedbytheSun,whoconductshisworkupontheMoist or Mercury. Thus, Mercury or Budha brings forth from the Deep the moisture of life suffused with the fiery Logoic spark of his father. In this sense, Mercury is more occult and mysterious than anyoftheotherplanetsandistheperpetualcompanionofthesun, standingbetweenitandthemoon. Symbolically adorned in a pale golden hue, Mercury is the watcher over earth, mistaken by the latter for the sun itself. It is noteworthythatEmperorJulianprayedthroughtheintercessionof Mercurytotheoccultsuneverynight,andVossiuswrotethatʺall the theologians agree to say that Mercury and the Sun are oneʺ. Viewedasstandingbetweenthesunandthemoon,Mercuryactsas theEgyptianThoth,whowascalledtheReconcilerbetweenHorus and Set, the symbol of the mind of man. Thus, Mercury in man is the thinker, the reincarnating Ego and link between spirit and matter, the messenger between the divine within and the personality. This merging of mythical solar and lunar elements is reflected in the belief surrounding the duality of the planetʹs influence. In man, this operates variously, depending on whether themindisreflectingtheactivitiesofmatterorturnedinwardupon thoseofspirit. Mercury, by whatever name, conducts the departed souls of the dead into the underworld but also functions as their releaser. Accompanyingthedisembodiedentity,heactsasaguidethrough death and rebirth, sleep and dreams, and is thus associated with
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magicandinitiation.Thesoulsofthelivingarealsowatchedover by him as they travel through the world. This is why in ancient MediterraneanlandsimagesofHermeswereplacedatcrossroads. He thus oversaw the junctions of choice made by men as they mirrored the give and take of cross‐cultural power and trade. In this way he was viewed as playing an important role in the early stagesofinternationallaw,towhichhelenttheeloquenceofhisgift of the spoken word. As the conductor of souls, Hermes‐Mercury was also worshipped in the guise of a shepherd. Just as he cunningly herded Apolloʹs heifers,he also watches over the flocks of incarnated human beings who, more often than not, like sheep move unquestioningly from meadow to meadow, permitting their appetitestoactastheirguides.Standingatthecrossroads,Hermes was sometimes depicted as a herm, or pillar with a phallus and surmounted by a bearded head. The characteristic of fertility this impliesisfurtherreflectedinthefactthatHermesbecamethefather ofPanandwasassociatedwithstrengthandvirilityinyoungmen. These beliefs echo a more occult characteristic which credits Hermes or Mercury with having transferred all the sciences from latenttoactivepotency.Cynocephalus,theEgyptianhieroglyphof the planet Mercury, as well as the god, is always shown near Isis andOsirisastheirminister.Itwasbelievedthat,withoutMercury, neither Isis nor Osiris could accomplish anything in the Great Work. Mercury conducts the souls of the dead with his caduceus, and with its serpentine power he raises them to life. The evolution of gods and atoms is represented in this caduceus, the axis mundi of the universe being symbolized by its rod, which descends at the beginning of every manvantara from the two dark wings of Kalahansa. This association with time was reflected in ancient astrology,whereintheplanetswereseenasclockhandspointingon thedialofoursolarsystemtothehoursofperiodicalevents.ʺThus, Mercurywasthemessengerappointedtokeeptimeduringthedaily solarandlunarphenomena,andwasotherwiseconnectedwiththe God and Goddess of Light.ʺ As the keeper of time, Mercury yet remains above it, and from his caduceus the sparks that fly are of
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timelessakashicessence.Descendingintotimeandascendinginto the timeless, Mercury is involved in issues on every side and yet remains uninvolved. In the story of Prometheus, Hermes taunted the fire‐bringer in his captivity, but assisted Herakles so that the latter could free him. In the great planetary dramas of many mythicaltraditions,Hermesplayedonbothsidesoftheboard.The ancients often thought of Jupiter and Venus as beneficent and of SaturnandMarsasmalicious,butMercurywasusuallyheldinthis sensetobeindifferent.Thisisreflectedinthepositiveandnegative polesoftherodofthecaduceusandinthedualnatureofitsdark and light intertwined serpents. The physical planet seems also to embody this counterbalance in the fact that it possesses such an insignificant magnetic field and yet is capable of rebuffing the betterpartofthesolarwind. In Mesopotamian mythology, the double serpents of the caduceus are associated with Nebo, who conquers the serpent‐ dragonTiamat.Thisconquestsignifiescontrolofthehighesttothe lowestastrallightandallthepowersofgoodandevilwhichthey entail.InsomeofthesetraditionsitisMarduk,fatherofMercury‐ Nebo,whoconquersTiamat,ʺkillingʺherandmakingthevaultof heaven out of her belly, wherein were fixed the motions of the moon. The conflict takes place between light and darkness. First there is darkness, then light which must struggle to be. The darkness with which light must struggle is identified with the waters, the name Tiamat literally meaning ʺthe bitter oceanʺ, the dragonofwaterychaosandfoeofthesungod.Thisisechoedinthe EgyptiantraditionwhereinMercuryassumestheguiseofthewhite ibis, sacred to the moon, and the black and white ibis which exterminates winged serpents and eats crocodile eggs. This latter ibiscanbelikenedtoKalahansa,theswanofbotheternityandtime. InconqueringTiamat,beforetheworldwascreated,Marduk‐Nebo obtained the tablets of fate, keeping them thereafter on his breast. AmongtheBabylonians,thesetabletsweresymbolicallywrittenat the beginning of each new year. By annually observing this ritual they believed they could bring down, from the realm of eternity into the world of time, the balance and justice of manifesting law
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immanent in the wings of the great bird adorning Mercuryʹs akashicstaff. ThenameNeboliterallymeansʺprophetʺorʺheraldʺ,thecreative LogosandbearerofthetabletsofEnki,amongtheoldSumerians. HisAkkadiannameswereSalpa‐uddu,theMessengeroftheRising Sun,andSak‐vi‐sa,theFace,theVoiceofLight.Josephusspokeof the tablets under the pillars which were tables of Egyptian hieroglyphs synthesizing the wisdom passed down from the mid‐ Third Root Race to the Fourth. The ancient pillars actually existed in temples at Luxor and elsewhere, and were the source of the wisdom of Egypt. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, he brought tablets containing this wisdom, but when he found the Jews worshipping the golden calf, he broke them. Returning from Sinai a second time, he brought a more limited and exoteric doctrineintheformoftheTorahandtheTenCommandments. In his own archetypal descent and ascent, Mercury bears the Word, the Law rendered in speech and written form. He is the Writer of the Armenians, what the Siberian Ostiaks called the Writing Man. This wonderful epithet springs to mind when one discoversthat,atthetimeofthewritingofTheSecretDoctrine,Mars wasinobscurationandMercurywasjustbeginningtocomeoutof it.IntheChristiantradition,however,theWriterwasconfusedwith the Angel of Death, reminding one that the lunar side of Mercury hasoftenbeenconsidereddangerous.TheEgyptianBookoftheDead describes how the deceased fear ʺthe pen and inkstand of Gebgaʺ (Thoth‐Hermesinhislunaraspect).Thishastodowithjudgement according to the law of karma, checked and balanced by the intertwiningdualitysymbolizedintheserpentsofMercuryʹsstaff. The Day ofJudgementso feared by all seemsto confront only the dead, but in reality it is a never‐ceasing action exerted and monitoredbytheGreatShepherd. From the luminous matrix of Maya, Maia, Vach or Sophia, the God‐mind was born. The Greeks called this kurios, the pure, unmixed intellectual wisdom which is Hermes‐Mercury, Thoth‐ Hermes says, ʺI am Thoth, the perfect scribe, who causeth
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wrongdoing to cease, the judge of words and their essence.ʺ He goesontoassert,ʺIhavescattereddarkness.IhavemadeRatoset asOsiris,andOsirissettethasRasetteth.Ihavemadehimtoenter intothehiddenhabitationtovivifytheheartoftheStillHeart,the HolySoul,whodwellethintheheavenlyplaces.ʺItisnotdifficult toperceivetheconnectionbetweenthisproclamationfromtheBook oftheDeadwiththecubic‐formedHermesfoundatcrossroads.The absence of arms and legs on these images signified the fact that limbsarenotneededtoexpressspeechandthusidentifiedHermes withthemanifestLogos,theseminalprinciplescatteredthroughout the universe, the fiery, radical moyst of Mercury. When this cube unfolds it becomes the cross which bears the archetypal man into human life and eventually crucifies him as the son‐initiate. This is echoed in the Christian scheme wherein the Sun is the Father, MercurytheSon,andVenustheHolyGhost‐thespiritofwisdom, love and truth associated with Christ. As the Son of the Father, Mercury receives seven times more light than any other planet. OccultknowledgeofthisledtheGnosticstocallMercury‐Christos the sevenfold light. Orbiting so close to the sun, Mercury can be seenonlyforverybriefperiodsatsunriseorsunsetduringcertain timesoftheyear.EventhenitappearsliketheSonwhoisonewith theFatherandcannotbereadilyseparatedfromHim. Barely distinguishable from the solar Marduk, Mercury‐Nebo wastheoverseeramongthesevendeitiesoftheplanets.Thegreat zigguratsacredtoNeboatBorsipparepresentedthesevenplanets inplatformsspirallingfrombasetosummit,wheretheshrineofthe presiding god ʺwho controls the seven decrees of Heaven and Earthʺ existed. These platforms each had their own colour and representedthehypsomataorstationscreatedbythefather,Marduk. TheyrelatedIshtar‐VenustoPisces,Sin‐MoontoTaurus,Shamash‐ Visible Sun to Aries, Nergal‐Mars to Capricorn, the aspected Marduk‐Jupiter to Cancer, Ninurta‐Mars to Libra, and Mercury‐ NebotoVirgo.TheBabyloniansagesbelievedthatMardukcreated a world when he placed the constellations, and that these (the visible constellations as well as their platform symbols) were but reflections of their noumena. Thus, the hypsomata are like diluted
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loci functioning analogously in relation to our solar system as the twelve stations of the zodiac through which the visible Marduk passeseachyear.Witheachoftheselesserpassages,agreaterand moresubtlepassageismirrored,onewhichaffectstherulersofthe planetsthroughthechanneloftheiroverseer,Hermes‐Mercury.In this way, the divine Mercury perfectly reflects and passes on the Logoic effects of unchanging solar Truth, a process repeated in a simple but dramatic way on the earthly plane when the glass of a mirroriscoatedwiththesubstancemercury. Occultism teaches that the lords of the planets are called the SevenSonsofLightandthat,throughtheirrespectiveplanets,they supplyhumanitywithitsinwardandoutwardcharacteristics.The vital forces stream from the spirit of the sun through his son (Mercury) to each of the other planetary Dhyanis who, in turn, overbrood the seven primordial human races. The human principles are also thus provided, mankind receiving its buddhi from the essence of the Manasaputras presiding over the planet Mercury. Translated down through the descending levels of manifestationtothevisiblesolarsystem,itcanbesaidthatallseven planets were comets and suns in their origins, evolving from primeval chaos through the process of aggregation and the accumulation of the primary differentiations of eternal matter. It wasthusthattheʺSonsofLightclothedthemselvesinthefabricof Darknessʺ and came to exist as formless intelligences unseen in their planetary homes. All planets and celestial bodies are born through the effects of heat (from the Great Breath drawing in the ethericradiationsoftheuniverseandexpellingtheminaspiralling pulsationthatreplicatesitselfateverylevelofbeing),attractionand repulsion, the three factors of motion. All planets are born, grow and die, to be reborn after pralaya when the Dhyanis once again, undertheguidanceofHimwhooverbroodsMercury,commenceto ʺclotheʺthemselves. The word ʺplanetʺ comes from the Greek πλανήτης (planetes), whichmeansʺwandererʺ,andisthoughttohavebeeninspiredby theobservationofthewaytheplanetswanderagainstthebackdrop
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ofstars.Butitmightwellbethatthetermπλάνησις(planesis)isthe inspiration, referring as it does to ʺa dispersingʺ. In addition to these etymological possibilities, it is interesting to note that o πλάνσς (oplanos)isanamegiventoadeceiver,remindingoneof theentertainingexploitsoftheinfantPatronofThieves.Amongthe ancientsthereweresevenplanets,acountingthatcanbeexplained in terms of occult modes of reckoning rather than limitations in scientific knowledge. Modern science recognizes nine planets belonging to our system, following the definition that a planet is any body except a comet, asteroid, meteoroid or satellite orbiting the sun. It is now thought, from a purely material point of view, that some planets may be formed by the gravitational collapse of partofaproto‐star,othersbyaggregationofthegrainsofitsdust. Planetslikethose inoursystemcouldnotform insystemshaving two or more suns because of their competing fields, but they find ideal growing conditions in the environment of a solitary star of about the same mass as our sun. Piecing together patiently garnered data concerning our sun, scientists hypothesize that the primeval sunʹs magnetic field turned through gas, which was draggedalonglikegritthroughthenebulauntilthenebulainturn caused a drag, slowing the sunʹs spin. As it slowed, its angular momentumwastransferredtothenebulargasandmuchofitwas carriedoutin anexpandingsolarwind.Solidmicroscopicmineral grains condensed out of this gas, their chemical composition dependingonthecoolingrateandthedegreetowhichearlygrains were available to mix with later material. Major condensates were the silicates and ices. As the temperature lowered further, water playedanincreasingrole,itsvapourandgasreactingwithsomeof thedustgrainstoformcomplexhydratedminerals.Inevencolder regions, ices became so abundant that they covered the rocky materials that had condensed earlier, forming ice‐enveloped planets.Thiswhirling,marvellouslycreativeprocessisbelievedto haveresultedintheorderofplanetarycompositionexistinginour solar system where bodies close to the sun possess a silica‐rich densityandtheoutericybodiesdonot.
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The music of the spheres may have arisen thus from one note, one sound, capable of releasing all others in intervals of the tones andhalf‐toneswhichbecamethevoiceofNature.Tinydustgrains nestled to form clumps held together by electrostatic forces which increased their motion. Larger bodies grew to have a strong gravitational effect on smaller ones, which would rush towards them, sometimes rebounding to escape, sometimes adding to the mass of the larger body. This collisional accretion thus joined the processofaggregationinformingtheplanets.Impactcrateringand vulcanism are the two most significant processes shaping the historyoftheplanets,whilstadditionalevolutionaryfactorsaresize (affectingsubsequentthermalevolution),chemistry(ratioofironto silicates and relative abundance of volatilized and radioactive materials), distance from the sun (affecting chemistry), and the sources of energy available throughout the planetʹs history. Underlyingalltheseprocesses,twomajortendenciesarethoughtto havebeenatwork.Onehasbeencalledequilibriumcondensation, an orderly formation of planets, from the most dense nearest the sun to the least dense furthest away. The other is catastrophic, a mode suggested by the formation of Mercury, which has increasingly come to be viewed as the key to understanding the developmentoftherestofthesolarsystem. Thosewhofeelthatplanetsdonotgrowinanorderlywaypoint to evidence which suggests that there may have been a proto‐ Mercury, twice the planetʹs present size, which experienced a collisionsoenormousthatitmeltedanditsheaviestelementssank towards its centre, leaving only a thin, lighter shell on its surface. Duringthecourseofthesecatastrophes,Mercurywanderedaround the inner solar system, colliding and being deflected by the magnetospheres of other growing bodies until it settled into its present orbit around the sun. One finds the competing theories of uniformitarianismandcatastrophisminallbranchesofscience,and it is clear that both forces are continually at work. Things may appear to be uniform relative to a known framework, but other processes may appear catastrophic simply because a frame of referencebigenoughtomakesenseoutofthemisnotknown.One
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can liken the uniformitarian and catastrophic processes to the action of the positive and negative forces which form the fundamental duality manifest throughout the entire universe. One can also see this basic interaction symbolized once again in the intertwining dark and light serpents of Mercuryʹs magical caduceus. JustastheGreatBreathbreathesinandout,sothesunbreathes outavastsolarwindofhot,ionizedgasfromitscorona.Thiswind is continually present in interplanetary space, streaming radially outward for billions of kilometers until it merges with the nearby interstellarmediumandlosesitsidentity.Thegasesspiraloutward andthesunʹsmagneticfieldtendstomovealongwiththem.They flowaroundthemagneticbarrierofaplanet,beingrepelledbythe planetʹsownmagnetosphere.Theyalsoinduceatransverseelectric fieldacrosstheplanetʹsmagneticfield,injectingasmallfractionof the surrounding interplanetary plasma into it, some particles ultimately diffusing down into the planetʹs atmosphere. Material carriedoffintointerplanetaryspacefromoneplanetcanthuscome to influence the evolution of another. The magnetospheres of the sun and planets affect one another as well; the sun dominates but the interplanetary forces cause perturbations, with the result that theplanetsandtheirsatellitesfollowanellipticalcoursearoundthe sun. Some perturbations may work so that one body may have a period which is a regular fraction of the period of a neighbouring body, such commensurability being called resonance. The resonance of Mercuryʹs rotation with regard to its orbital motion dependsontheplanetʹselongatedshape,butthetwotothreeratio of periods (a fifty‐nine‐day rotation on its axis to an eighty‐eight‐ dayrevolutionaroundthesun)isonlypossiblebecauseofthehigh eccentricityofitsorbit. The planet Mercury has an appropriate name because, like the god it honours, it seems to be constantly hiding its secrets. It is visible for a brief moment just before dawn in late October and earlyNovemberbeforeitvanishesagainwiththeglareofsunrise.It isthesmallestoftheplanetsandclosesttothesun,havingapinkish
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colour with some dark regions indicating ancient lava flows. Because Mercury is usually hidden in the sunʹs glow, many astronomers have never seen it at all. Photographs taken from the spacecraft Mariner 10 show closely clustered moon‐like craters strewn across lava plains, but because Mercury rotates so that it tends to keep the same side towards the sun, only thirty‐five percent of its surface has been examined. Much of what we know aboutMercuryisbasedoninferenceratherthandirectobservation. Scientistsfeelconfidentthatitpossessesanironcoreencompassing a surprising seventy percent of the planetʹs mass, but it is conjectured that Mercuryʹs overall chemical makeup may be the mostatypicalofanybodyinthecosmos. Throughout its history, Mercury has been bombarded over and overagain.Althoughagreaternumberofmeteorscrosstheearthʹs orbit than Mercuryʹs, because of their crowding together near the sun Mercury is much more likely to be hit than is the earth. In additiontothis,meteorsandcometstravellingnearMercurymove much faster than when travelling near the earth, making more violent impacts and forming proportionally larger craters. The formationoftheCalorisBasinonMercuryʹssurfacewastheresult of a collision so powerful that shock waves travelled through the entireplanetanddisruptedthelandscapeontheotherside.Toget anideaofthemagnitudeoftheimpact,onecancomparethesizeof thebasintothestateofTexas.Becausesomanycratersdotitslava plains, it is thought that volcanic activity on Mercury ended long ago, leaving a surface which looks like that of the moon and appears to be geologically dead. Along with its craters, however, Mercury possesses many scarps hundreds of kilometers long, whichsuggeststhattheinterioroftheplanethasshrunk,leavinga surfaceresemblinganoldwrinkledapple.Afteritsformation,there must have been a planet‐wide obliteration of surface features, leaving the smooth plains which were subsequently bombarded. During this process, the cooling of the large iron core would have resultedinthecontractionsproducingthewrinkledscarps.
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The ancient age of the scarps seems to imply that the internal engine of Mercuryʹs heat died down long ago. One should not therefore expect there to be a molten core or moving currents of corematerialtogenerateamagneticfield,anditisunlikelythatthe planetʹs rocks retain magnetization from an ancient magnetic field which existed when they were first formed. But the fact remains that Mercury does have a weak magnetosphere (about one hundredththatoftheearth)whichmaybetheresultofanintrinsic dipole interacting with the planetʹs iron core as well as with the solarwindthroughwhichitpassesinitsorbit.Inadditiontothis, Mercuryappearstohaveverylittleatmosphere.Whateveritmight once have had, low surface gravity and low escape velocity are factorscapableofexplainingitsdissipation.Hightemperatureson Mercuryʹs surface (711 degrees Fahrenheit at equatorial noon) wouldalsohavecontributedtotheboilingawayofitsatmosphere, butitmaybethatitsnearnon‐existenceisduetotheplanethaving had less volatile material to begin with. Another more interesting possibility,however,isthatitcouldhavereleaseditsgasesinvery earlytimesandmighthaveoriginallyhadamuchmoresubstantial atmosphere.Inanycase,theemissionlinesinMercuryʹsspectrum indicate the presence of sodium and potassium in a very thin atmosphere. The planetʹs reflected spectrum shows no absorption of light identifiable with specific minerals, leading some to wonder if its surface is composed of substances which happen to be spectrally featureless. It is also possible that interactions between minerals, magnetospheric particles and the impinging solar wind have neutralizedanyspectralfeaturesbyblackeningthemineralgrains. Lookingatitfromamoreoccultpointofview,onemightconsider that the minerals on the surface may exist in such molecular patternsthattheyproduceacross‐neutralizationofspectraleffects. This would imply that the molecular makeup of the material on Mercuryʹs surface is something like an extremely refined puree, comparedtothechunkystewanalogoustothemolecularpatterns of the earthʹs surface. The cross‐neutralization effect could also be seen as yet another illustration, on the molecular level, of the
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process of interaction between the dark and light serpents of the caduceus, the dipole being the rod around which they are entwined. Aswehaveseen,theevolutionofgodsandatomsisrepresented in the caduceus of Mercury. The rod, as the axis mundi, traces through the realm of time the spiralling descent and ascent of the life‐force. On the physical plane, this was echoed in the great movement outward of the nebular solar gases as they were transformed and distributed through the spiralling journey of the aggregating Mercury which, reeling and colliding, made its way hitherandthitherthroughoutthesolarsystem.Inthismanner,the SonoftheSungaveforthitsatmosphericand magneticpotencies, which then became measurable in the more physicalized manifestations of other planets. Thus the positive and negative nodes of sequential existence were brought into being to be expressedinaninfiniteseriesofspiralling,orbitingandinteracting formsfromtheatomtothelargestplanet.Thesebecametheknots of Fohat, the stations belonging to the planetary Dhyanis on which myriad levels and shades of evolution would take place. It is significantthatMercury,havingfinishedthisgreatwork,returned to its parent and remained there, its gigantic iron core being just adequatemagneticallyfortheplanettomaintainaseparateidentity fromthesunwhileactuallyremainingmanifestinthesolarsystem. One may wonder why human evolution has taken place on the earthandnotonMercury.Fromanoccultperspective,theanswer musthavetodowiththefactthattheearthisanarenaofsomuch magnetism,somuchthatispositiveandnegative,thatitisaperfect fieldforthedevelopmentofthediscursive,rationalmind.Mercury has given up the atmosphere and field connected with this and sustainsinsteadararefiedfieldwhichisporoustopuresolarlight. ThisisappropriatetoBudha‐Soma,expressingitselfinmanasthe principle of buddhi, that which receives light without reservation (without a magnetospheric defence) and distributes it throughout therestofthesystem.Onewillrecallthatmanas,representedbythe planet Venus, must align itself with this mercuric and luminous
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potential in order to bring down into consciousness (while in a body) the unchanging light of solar Truth. In the scheme of the involutionofspiritintomatter,itisVenuswhoʺfallsʺ,notMercury, andMercuryreceivesseventimesmorelightthantheearth,whilst Venus transmits two‐thirds of its light to our globe. Thus, the spiritual potencies follow a spiralling route from the sun through Mercury to Venus and thence to the earth, where their serpentine fluctuationsplaythemselvesoutintheperiodiccyclessointimately affected by the moon. Just as Budha‐Mercury combined the moisture of his mother with the fire of his father, so too the earth comes to receive the moist influence of its parent moon, together with the fire of the visible sun, the psychic influence of a dead moonbeingapotentiallydangerousandlow‐levelreflectionofthe akashicemanationstransmittedthroughMercury. WhenBudha‐MercurywasborntoSomaandtheabductedTara, even Brihaspati, overwhelmed by his beauty, rushed to claim him ashisson.Andthisisnotsurprising,forthosewhoarecalledthe Anointed,thegreatInitiatesofallraces,havebeengivenhisname. The star of Mercury (Sirius) is called the great instructor of mankind before other Buddhas, and Thoth as well as Hermes are genericnamesgiventoseers,prophetsandadepts.Thesameistrue of Nebo, Asclepius and Vishvakarman, who are all connected symbolicallywiththedualserpentsofdescentandenlightenment, andwhoareallSonsoftheSun.Initiatesintothegreatmysteryof life are crucified, as it were, upon the cross of the descending, unfolding cube of Mercury, but they awaken to behold ʺthe fiery aura of the ʺHand of Lhagpaʺ [Mercury] extended in protecting love over the heads of his asceticsʺ and their ear is opened to the sounding of the Law. As the patron of thieves, Hermes‐Mercury wandersthehighwaysoftheworld,buthisgiftsofdeceptionand cunning are the reflections of the operation of a higher divine justicewhichcontinuallyadjustsmattersoftheworld.Theyarealso reflectionsofthedramaticworkofcreationsymbolizedbyHermes releasingthecelestialheifers,themoistcloudswhichwillmanifest as the substance of the world to be. Thus the Thief fosters the world, bringing forth the pure, luminous Word of the Unmanifest
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Logos from the realm of becoming into that of being; the cube unfoldstobecomethecross,thedualcaduceusintheworld. Quicksilvergod! Streaminglikeliquidfire Throughthehiddenveins Ofexistence.
Hermes,January1989 HelenValborg
VENUS Whatthoughinsolemnsilenceall Moveroundthedarkterrestrialball? Whatthoughnorrealvoicenorsound Amidtheirradiantorbsbefound? Inreasonʹseartheyallrejoice, Andutterforthagloriousvoice, Foreversingingastheyshine, ʺTheHandthatmadeusisdivine.ʺ JosephAddison
Long before the coming of Zeus, before the advent of time and planetary formation, Ouranos reigned over that vastitude called heaven. Heoverbrooded its untroubled depths until his emanated son, Kronos, rose up against him and cut away that part of his ethereal body which carried the seeds of potential generation. Severed from his limitlessness, the mutilated member fell into the hitherto barren sea, only to burst forth as Venus‐Aphrodite, Beautyʹs bright goddess, born of the unfolding wave. In Hesiodʹs poeticlines,thebeginningsoftimeandformarethustold,placing thegoddessattheverythresholdofmanifestationandidentifying her with the heavenly love that Plato called Uranian and invested with male attributes. Her birthplace was not the earthly foam spawnedbyZeusbutthespirallingswellofcosmicenergybursting forth upon a new stage of being. It was as the goddess of procreative love and reproductive powers that Aphrodite was immortalized by Homer. He extolled her dazzling beauty, describinghowitarousedirresistibledesiresinhumans.Norwere othercreaturesimmunetoherspell.Seeinganimals,sheʺrejoicedin herheartandsentdesireintotheirbreasts;andtheylaydowntwo bytwoinshadowydellsʺ.Inthismoreearthlyguise,amongstthe scattered peoples of the ancient world she was worshipped under many names by those seeking fertility and celebrating love. Often becoming the focus of ribald rituals, she was the inspiration for
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nautchgirlsandtempleprostitutes.TotheAssyro‐Babyloniansshe was Venus‐Ishtar, fallen to become Kilili, bringer of distractions anddistresstomen.Intheircitiesshesatasastatueintherecesses of walls ʺto entice men to their perditionʺ. To exorcise her spell, a eunuch sang a lament to her, whereas the afflicted prayed to her higher aspect as Ishtar for their release. Similarly, the old Norse showed a shrewd recognition of her higher and her fallen natures inthecomplexblendofcharacteristicsbelongingtotheirgoddesses FriggandFreya,andalsogavethelatterʹsnametoFriday,theday assignedtoVenus. In her loftier aspect, Venus‐Aphrodite can be likened to the Hindu Lakshmi, the lotus floating at creation during the churning of the Sea of Milk. From these waves she springs forth as the emanation of the objective out of the subjective. As the mother of Eros, she brings into being the fiery action of divine will and the fervent desire to manifest through creation. As the personification ofthesea,shesignifiesthewavesofitsunfoldinglotuspetals;sheis the Mother Virgin of the Great Deep who becomes, only at the grossest level, the froth upon the wave. In this sense, Venus is all that is female in the universe. She is lunar, like the Babylonian Ishtar who was shut up in the ark and who sent forth a dove in search of dry land. She is the female Noah, the ark, the ever receptive yoni floating upon the timeless waters. Symbolizing divine love, her beauty unfolds as a revelation of the creative principle in the macrocosm and themicrocosm. Through her arise will, imagination and all the other powers by which the universe evolves.Hersisthegermofdivinitywhichrestsinthehumanheart and enables it to illuminate the mind. Working together with Mercury, she bears light from heaven and returns it laden with sacrificialofferings. Thus,thereisaheavenlyandanearthlyVenus,twogoddessesof love who share mixed attributes which may be designated as masculineandfeminine.Thoughcalledbyafemininename,Venus is closely linked to masculine traits. Plato spoke of the higher goddessofloveinthesetermsandascribedfemininecharacteristics
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tothefallengoddess.Thismutabilityisfurthercomplicatedbythe fact that, in some cultures, Venus has been identified as entirely masculine.TheEskimonamefortheplanetisʹHewhostandsand listensʹ, whilst the early Egyptians called it Nuter Dua, ʹthe rising godʹ. Among the ancient Semites the name Ishtar seems to have comeoriginallyfromAthtar,amalegodofthesouthernArabians. ThenameevolvedintoitsfemaleformonlyaftertheSemitescame into contact with the Sumerians, who worshipped Inini as the mother‐goddessassociatedwithVenus.Interestingly,whileAthtar becameAshdarandIshtar,italsobranchedofftobecome Astarte, identifiedultimatelywiththeearthlyAphrodite. Asthemorningandeveningstar,VenuswasperceivedinBaltic lore as two sons of their most high god. Being lovers of the daughtersoftheSun,thetwobuiltabridalchamberfortheminthe middle of the sea and thus enticed them to bring down to earth their solar dowry. This myth blends several significant elements involvingthetransferenceofsolarlighttotheworld,anditplaces Venusinthedualroleofbringingdownlightandalsohusbanding it. Among other ancient peoples, the morning star was sometimes recognized as male and the evening star as female or androgyne. Venus, appearing as bearded god or bewitching temptress, hermaphrodite or queen, blended in many guises masculine and feminine traits, thus aligning her with both solar and lunar forces operating through the various levels of her being. The consequencesofthisareintriguingwhenoneassociatesthefertility of Venus with divine kingship and traces the distinction that developedsofullyintheearlyFifthRacebetweensolarandlunar worship and diverging lineages, such as the Suryavansas and the IndovansasoftheMahabharatanWarintheHindutradition. In the Great War in Heaven described in the Vedas, Venus (as Shukra) fought alongside Soma against Brihaspati. Affirming a masculine aspect, Shukra aligned himself with the mystical generationofBudha(Mercury)andtookhisstandinoppositionto the forces struggling to sustain an exoteric order. For this transgressionhewasdegradedtothestationofanasura,ademon
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amongstavastandverymixedhostofbeingswhichincludedlow‐ leveltrouble‐makers,monstersofgreatevilandpioussages.After sometimeShukralefttheasurasandwenttotherealmofthegods, whereheundertooktoobtainboonsfromLordShivawhichwould makehimmorepowerfulthanBrihaspati.Inreturn,Shivaimposed onhimtheterribletapasofhangingheaddownwardforathousand years over a fire of chaff. While he was thus engaged, the gods wagedwarontheasuras,causingShukraʹsmothertotrytoprotect them by rendering Indra powerless. Indra sought the help of Vishnu, who, tackling the problem faced by his ally, cut off the motherʹshead.WhenShukralearntofthis,hecursedVishnutobe bornseventimesonearthforthegoodoftheworld,atwistofthe story related to the seven Races of mankind rather than to the DivineAvatarsoftheLogos.Manydetailsinthismytharepregnant with symbolic meaning, but generally speaking, the tale outlines the struggle of the ʹfallen godsʹ to assist in the emergence of humanityagainsttheoppositionofthegodswhowerecontentwith blind,unconsciousmanifestation. As a deposed god, Shukra lends a masculine aspect to a fallen Venuswhichhasadifferentqualityfromthedenigrationassociated withAphrodite.HeissimilartoLucifer,anotherfallengodwhose name has been defamed. Lucifer, the Dawn‐Bearer, is the descendingangelwhoseradianttorchshedsthelightoftruthupon the earth. To the ancients of the Mediterranean world he was the morning and evening star, Phosphoros and Hesperus, one with both Venus the spirit as well as the planet. In borrowing many of thecharacteristicsofChristfromthepaganLucifer,theearlychurch fathers felt obliged to eliminate him as a competing figure by inverting his role and casting him as the dark angel who sinned againstGodandwasthrownoutofheaven.Onceexiled,hebecame Satan, the devil, whose evil reposes in the sulphurous glow and foulsmellofbrimstone.Withthisshamefulmanipulationofideas, eventhesignofVenus‐Luciferbecameconfusedwithevil.Infact,it representsaprogressionofcosmologicalstagesbeginningwiththe circle,advancingtothecirclewithacentralpoint,thecircledivided by a horizontal line and then by a vertical line, forming a cross
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within the circle. The cross dropping below the circle symbolizes the manifesting Logos macrocosmically, and in the microcosm it signifiestheThirdRootRaceatthepointwhereitisreadytoʹfallʹ. InTheSecretDoctrine,H.P.Blavatskyreferredtothissigninterms ofpurepantheism,nottobeconfusedwiththecovertphallicismof the uncircled cross, which became the emblem of Christianity and the gross physical manifestation that has come to have such a dominantinfluenceoverhumanconsciousness.Thesestagescanbe identified with the various planets in our solar system in many occult ways, if one keeps in mind more than their material representations.Thesunistheregionofthemightiestgodsofour system,Mercuryisthedomainofthearchangelssynthesizedinthe being of Hermes‐Budha, and the gods of Venus are called Principalities, through whose combined essence the objective emanates out of the subjective and divine ideation passes into visible form. This emanation is depicted by the springing forth of Venus‐Lakshmi,whoopenstheunderstandingofthecreativeLogoi so that they see the archetypal forms they must copy and build upon. Onitswaytoandfromtheearth,thehumanmonad,borninthe boundless light symbolized by the sun, passes through seven planetaryregions,includingthatofVenus.Therulersofeachgive of their substance (ʺout of thetears of their eyes, and the sweat of theirtormentsʺ),endowingthemonadswithasparkofdivinelight. TheserulersaretheRebelliousAngels,theSevenGodsmakingup two triads plus the sun, the downward‐pointing triad being Mercury,VenusandMars.VenusandMercuryformthetwoupper points of this triangle, representing a trinity of Mother and Son, completedbythesunasFather.Venusthusrelatestothesunina manner similar to that of a shakti, a mysterious relation which, when intuitively understood, embraces all the masculine and femininecharacteristicsassignedtoher.Shefallsinthedescending trianglebutshealsorisesoutofthewave,outofthedarknessofthe pre‐dawn. The candidate for initiation in ancient Egypt prayed to herasthephoenixarisingfromthesunofOsiris,hopingʺthatImay
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come forth like the Bennu bird, the Star of Morningʺ. This prayer fromtheBookoftheDeadreferstothefactthatOsirisrepresentsthe boundsun(thedivinesparkinman)which,thoughlimitedonthe lowerplanes,canbecomeamanifestingflameunderthenourishing influenceofVenus(divinelove).ItrevealsVenusasthemotherof the morning sun (Son) but the daughter of theevening sun which slipsawayintothemysteryofdarkness. VenusisthesolalteridentifiedbyPythagorasasthethirdofthe seven places of the sun. She is the most radiant planet in the heavens,whoreceivestwicetheheatandlightfromthesunthatthe earth does, and gives away one‐third of it to our darker globe. Thus,sheisearthʹsalterego,itsoccultsister‐brother,Venus‐Lucifer. TheSevenSonsofLight(asregentsoftheplanets)havedirectastral and psychic communication with the earth and its Guides and Watchers, morally and physically. But Venus is the earthʹs immediatespiritualprototype,andwhenthetwoplanetsareonthe same side of the sun and closest together, Venus always shows to the earth the same face. In the Vedic myths about Shukra the relationshipisaffirmedbyreferencestoShukraʹscar,whichissaid to be drawn by eight earth‐borne horses, and to the changes in Shukra, which are said to be felt and reflected by the earth. It has oftenbeenassertedthatgeologicalchangesaffectingVenus‐Shukra andtheearthtakeplacesimultaneously,anideawhichinspiredSt. Augustine to apply changes of configuration, colour and orbital pathtoVenusthatbelongedinfacttotheearth. The Vedas tell us further that Shukra was a preceptor of the daityas, giants of the Fourth Race, who once ruled the earth and whom the Greeks called Titans. One myth suggests that Shukra adoptedtheearthbecausehehadnosatellitesofhisown,butthat the earth gave its parent much trouble in return. The regent of Shukra, loving his adopted child, incarnated as Ushanas and gave the earth perfect laws. But these were disregarded and rejected in laterages,bringingaboutthelossamonghumansoftheirconscious connection with their spiritual parent and mentor. This was paralleled by certain dramatic changes affecting the planet Venus
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itself,symbolizedbythegreattrialsundergonebyShukrawhenhe strovetoprotectthedaityasfromthefightinggods.Hisgreattapas, whereinhehungwithhisheaddownwardandimbibedthesmoke of chaff, is a striking penance symbolizing the great inclination of the axis of Venus, amounting to fifty degrees, and to its envelopmentineternalclouds. It would be folly to place all oneʹs hopes for deeper understanding of the cosmos on the visible sun and planets and ʺtherebycompressloftyphilosophicconceptsofdarknessandlight into these familiar orbsʺ. It is wise always to keep in mind that ʺthere is an immense and immeasurable gap between the Divine Wisdom of the Mahatmas and the progressive formulations of modernmanʺ.Occultismteachesthatthevisibleplanetsaremerely representationsonourphysicalplaneoftheirownseptenaryglobal chains.TheDhyanisorregentsoftheplanetsoverbroodeachofthe seven Races of our planet, their physical natures coming from the planet of their particular Dhyani. The Third Race was specifically overbrooded by Lohitanga, who is Venus‐Shukra. When Shukra cursedVishnutobebornonearthasthesevenracesforthegoodof theworld,hewasforcingthatsolargod(whohadbeenanallyof Brihaspati) to bring down, through the planetary regents, his spiritual potential. These complicated influences between the sun, the planets and earth take place on septenary levels involving Races, and are made more complex by the fact that each globe of eachplanetarychaingoesthroughsevenRounds.Venusissaidto be in her last Round even though great philosophers like Plato, associated with the wisdom of Venusians, are called Fifth Rounders. But which of the globes of Venus is one referring to whenassigningititslastRound? Who or what are ʹVenusiansʹ? What sort of beings are indicated by this name? The idea of physical humanoid life on the visible Venus is certainly fraught with difficulties. Long before science understood anything about its chemical makeup, observers were awarethattheplanetwasfarlessadaptedforhumanlifethanthe earth.Itsseasonswererecognizedasfarmoreextreme,itschanges
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oftemperaturemoresudden,anditsexposuretotheheatandlight ofthesunmuchgreater.Butthisdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatno form of life is possible, even on the physical plane. How can we assumethatthereexistedneitherplantnoranimalintheinfinityof spacebeforetheprotozoicformationshereonearth?Onemustnot insist on using the conditions for life that exist here on earth as a standard for the entire solar system and sidereal worlds beyond. The great early scientist Flammarion made a bold assertion which hasneverbeendisproved,namelythatonseveralworldsinorganic and organic life had evolved a great variety of beings, constituted according to the physiological state of each inhabited globe. The prerequisites for life, according to modern scientists, are liquid water and an atmosphere in which complex carbon‐based chemistry can proceed. They also insist that these conditions must havelastedlongenoughforaspecificdegreeofcomplexitytohave evolved. Apart from the earth in our solar system, planetary conditions which would permit the development of long‐term bodies of liquid water are not specifically known to exist, thus prompting many scientists to question the probability of extra‐ terrestrial life. But we should ask what is meant by ʹlifeʹ, and we ought to consider that we may be farther from ʹaliensʹ in evolutionary time than in physical space. Even if another planet started evolving at the same time as ours and possessed the biochemistry necessary for producing creatures like us, such creaturesarenotlikelytobeinaphaseofevolutionsimilartoours. Contemporary science defines life as the most complex state of organization of matter known in the universe. Living systems achieve this state by using energy that they extract from their environment and converting it intoforms that are characteristic of themselves.Thisiswhatsciencecallsmetabolism,arequisitewhich forms, along with growth and reproduction, the necessary ingredientsoflife.Anexactingapplicationofthesecriteriaactually excludessuchremarkablepossibilitiesasthevirusorthecrystal.If, however, one probes the origin of the physical matter involved in these processes, one arrives at a contemplation of the elements, whicharelargelytheby‐productsofnuclearreactionsinstarsand
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galaxies forming the early universe. All the heavier atoms in our solarsystemwerecreatedinsideagenerationofstarsthatevolved and died before the birth of the sun and planets. By embracing a broaderandmoresubtleconceptoflife,onecanreadilyseethaton this physical as well as on more ethereal planes we are truly childrenoftheuniverse. Matter, spiralling out from its solar source, differentiated and formed into increasingly complex combinations in an expansion andgradualdefinitionofform.Liketheembryodevelopinginthe human womb, it evolved specific physiological organs and members,providingtheindwellingintelligencewiththesubtleand grosser sheaths it would require to express itself. Looked at from this perspective, planets can be seen as specialized arenas or ʹorgansʹfunctioningaspartsofonesystemwhichisinrealityOne Being, One Logoic Intelligence manifesting as a particular expression of the one unchanging Deity. The material utilized for this expression evolves from primordial substance, the direct emanation of daiviprakriti, which finds its gradually concretizing veilswornbyentitieswhosefunctionistobearLogoicIntelligence forth into full self‐conscious manifestation. The philosopher Kant wroteofsuchaprimordialsubstancewhenheattemptedtoexplain how primitive impulses were imparted to planets through a universalmatrixorcause. Modern science addresses this question obliquely when it holds thattheisotropicnatureoftheuniversecanonlybeunderstoodin terms of a simultaneity of beginning. By analogy, consider two runners who are prepared to run in two separate stadia. One starting gun is used to start them, but they are seen to start simultaneouslybeforetheycouldhavepossiblyheardthereportof the pistol. How did the runners know when to start? In like manner,theobservedhomogeneityoftheuniverseimpliesthatall partsmusthavecommencedexpandinginunison,andyetscience knowsofnophysicalagencythroughwhichdifferentregionscould have communicated so as to synchronize their histories. Without knowledge of the intelligence which operates through, fecundates
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and informs ethereal and gross matter, this mystery will never be solved. Nor will the role of Venus as sol alter and alter ego of the earthbeunderstood. BycarefullyobservingtheorbitofVenus,Galileonotedthatthe planet was sometimes in front of, sometimes in back of, and sometimes east or west of the sun. He also noticed the phases revealedinthesepositions,andthatwhentheplanetʹsilluminated crescents were narrowest, Venus seemed seven times larger than when it was fully illuminated, a phenomenon only explainable in termsoftheplanetʹsrevolutionaroundthesun.ThusVenusplayed akeyroleinreawakeningthemindsoftheMiddleAgestothefact ofaheliocentricuniverse.Thismarkedanimportantreassertionof enlightened knowledge over superstition and opened the way for an increasingly rational study of our solar system. Since then, though much of the occult knowledge of the ancient astronomers andphilosophershasremainedobscure,agooddealofdescriptive informationaboutVenushasbeenaccumulated.Weknowthatitis one‐fourth nearer to the sun than the earth, but that it is very similartothelatterinsizeandmass.Thusitisassumedthatthere has been a similarity of formation and that Venus has an interior chemistryandstructuremuchlikethatoftheearth.Venushasthe slowestrotationofalltheplanets(243earthdays),whichisslower thanitsrevolution(224.7days),givingitadaywhichistenpercent longer than its year (i.e., 8 months to 7 1/2 earth months). In addition, the direction of its rotation is retrograde, opposite to its orbitalmotion,sothatthesunrisesinthewestandsetsintheeast. ThesurfaceofVenusismarkedbybroadplainswhichappearto be old and static and to have few craters. Highlands rising above the plains cover perhaps twenty‐four percent of the planet, culminatingingreatpeaksloftierthanMountEverestandabruptly dropping into canyons up to sixteen hundred kilometres long. SurfacematerialgatheredbyRussian spacecraftsuggestsamainly basalt composition, similar to that on our ocean floors, with some graniticmaterialintheplains.Manyoftherocksphotographedare smooth,showingstrongevidenceoferosionandcorrosionexceptat sitesofrecentvolcanicactivity.ThefrequentlightningonVenusis
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believed to accompany this vulcanism and there may be many active magmas under the high peaks. The great rifts suggest a crustal crumpling due to poorly developed plate motions, a condition attributable to the thick lithosphere of Venus, which inhibits plate tectonic disruption of the surface but allows for volcaniceruptions. There is no liquid water on Venus now and very little in the atmosphere. Long ago it may have had the same amount as the earth, but this was decomposed by solar radiation and heat, the hydrogenescapingintospaceandtheoxygenbeingabsorbedinthe surface rocks. Another factor bearing upon this is that Venus may have accreted from hydrocarbon‐rich planetesimals having about one‐quarter as much water as the earthʹs planetesimals. The available water would then have simply been consumed in oxidizing the hydrocarbons and, perhaps, the iron minerals. The lighter hydrogen would have escaped into space after these reactions, leaving the carbon dioxide‐rich atmosphere behind. On earth, there was water left over after this process, but on Venus there was none. The subsequent dryness of its atmosphere raised the melting‐point of the planetʹs mantle, leading to the development of its thick lithosphere and resulting in a surface whichisreminiscentofourglobebutnotaswelldeveloped. TheatmosphereofVenusisdramaticallydifferentfromthatofits adopted planet. The mean temperature near the surface is four hundred and eighty degrees Celsius, increasing to a high of eight hundred and ninety degrees. Early probes which landed on its surface and operated for less than one hour are believed to have been silenced by heat and the overwhelming air pressure which exceedsbyninetytimesthatexistingatsealevelonearth.Thehigh temperaturescreateaʹgreenhouseeffectʹcomprisedofthickclouds which enshroud Venus, forming a deck stretching from thirty‐one tosixty‐eightkilometresinaltitude.Attheirhighestleveltheyare whipped by winds of one thousand kilometres per hour,while an eerie lull prevails beneath them near the planetʹs surface. Solar radiation which manages to reach through them joins the planetʹs internal heat and the gases upheaved through vulcanism to
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produce an atmosphere dominated by carbon dioxide. Near the surface,acarbondioxideandsulphurcompoundisformedwhich, when carried to high altitudes, interacts with traces of water and oxygeninthecloudstoformdropletsofsulphuricacid.Thesurface airbeneaththisisheavy,havingadensityaboutfiftytimesthatof earth,andappearssomethinglikeaverycloudydayonourplanet. Powerful lightning strikes through the clouds near the huge volcanicpeaks,andcreatesanenvironmentofoppressiveintensity and lethal potentiality, suggesting little that humans would find hospitable. The beauty of Venus seems much more safe and attractivefromadistance,whereanadmirercanobserveacurious, unaccounted‐forfeaturewhichpresentsitselfasafaintglowonthe dark side of the planet. This is especially noticeable when the planetʹs dark side is directed towards the earth, revealing a coppery‐coloured effulgence poetically referred to as the ʹashen lightʹ. On earth the temperature has permitted water to condense as a liquid, but on Venus the strong carbon dioxide greenhouse effect, plustheplanetʹsinitiallywarmercondition,raisesthetemperature sohighthattheevolutionarypathofwatermissestheliquidstate. Instead,itjoinswiththeelementsofcarbondioxideandsulphurto produce an acid that could have deadly effects upon life as we knowit.Butitisthepresenceofthesulphuricacidcloudsaround Venuswhichisresponsibleforitsreflectionofeightypercentofthe light that it receives from the sun, a phenomenon which may be viewed as corresponding symbolically to the occult process wherebyVenusgivesone‐thirdofitslighttoearth.Fromthispoint ofview,theelementsulphurassumesimportantsignificanceinthe occultaswellasthephysiologicalrelationshipbetweenVenusand itsadoptedchild.Weknowthatsulphurisanoxidizingaswellasa reducing agent and that all metals except gold and platinum combine with it to form sulphides. In alchemy, sulphur is associatedwiththespirit,quicksilverormercurywiththesoul,and salt with the body. As spirit, sulphur is the masculine, fiery principle associated with dryness, hardness, unification, rigidity andtheoreticalknowledge.Also,sulphurfixesthevolatilemercury
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(represented by the planet Mercury) ʺbut requires the interplay between the two generative forces as it remains limited and unfruitfuluntildissolvedbyquicksilverintolivingunderstandingʺ. Alchemically, sulphur and quicksilver, acting upon each other, were believed to become the volatile spirit, a far cry from the brimstoneassignedtothedevilbyChristianity. The alchemists taught that sulphur relates to quicksilver, as the maletothefemale,toformthefirstprinciplesofmetals.Inordinary metals(otherthangoldandplatinum),sulphurhasnotfullydone itsworkofpurifyingandrefining,andsotheycombinewithitand areacteduponbyit.Thisrefiningroleisdemonstratedpractically bysulphuricacid,whichisusedatsomestageinthedevelopment of almostall industrial products and can act as a refining catalyst, as in the formation of ether from alcohol. Integration and disintegration in the cosmos proceed together with the differentiation and synthesis of consciousness. The role played by sulphur and sulphuric acid in this process is that whereby metals are dissolved and formed in a series of reactions corresponding analogously to the way in which consciousness is broken up, dies and is reborn. They represent, on the physical plane, the instantiation of divine intelligence in matter and its subsequent purificationintherationalandintuitivelevelsofthehumanmind. Fromtheperspectiveofgreatbeingslivingonanotherglobeofthe Venuschain,theroleofsulphurasapurifiertakesonanevenmore mysterious meaning. It is said that they have been involved in a processwhichfindsananalogyintheconditionsprevailingonthe visible globe. The remarkable chemical conversion that has taken place in the history of Venus and created its vesture of sulphuric acidcloudscanbeseenasthemanifestationoftheresidualeffectof a process which hastaken place ona far more ethereal plane. The sulphuric clouds are thus a vesture left behind as the result of an invisible meta‐chemical activity involving beings operating on a lessconcretizedglobeoftheVenusianchain. In a vast process of tapas, these Venusians gave up the ʹwaterʹ whichwouldhaveenabledthefurtherdifferentiationofvesturesto
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occur and chose instead the crucible of their own refinement. The intenseheatoftheirefforts,thevolcanicexplosionsoflowernature whichtheyendure,thelightningshaftsofself‐imposeddiscipline– all these austerities leave behind a planet which seems undeveloped and hostile to ordinary human consciousness. The visibleplanetisthusonlytheeffectofaninvisiblemystery,butnot an inconsequential one. The great beings of Venus have not abandoned the manifest Venus any more than they have abandonedtheearth.Thepenancetheyhaveundertakenisnotfor thesakeofthemselvesbutonbehalfofthewholesolarsystem,and particularly on behalf of humanity. Therefore, they remain involved, hanging like Shukra with their heads enshrouded in the smoke of chaff, the sulphuric clouds, so that they can continue to nurture the earth with a highly refined and awakened light of the sun. They have ʹfallenʹ into this involvement, manifesting the highest form of compassionate love, and they rise through the inspirationandgrowthoftheiradoptedchild. Joining the brilliant light reflected from its clouds, the coppery glowoftheashenlightofVenuscastsitssofteffectupontheworld, transmittingtheindigorayofhighermanasicintelligence,whichis sharpandpureandpenetrating.Ithasthepowertoreawaken,asit didGalileo,andtochannelitsspirituallychargedelectricitytothe minds and hearts of earthlings. As her enormously long days unfold, the retrograde rotation of Venus gathers the centrifugal energybeamedfromthesunthroughMercuryandconvertsitinto thecentripetalforceofmahat.InthiswaythebuddhiofMercuryis made masculine and active. It blends with the feminine substance of Venus as shakti, rendering her a storehouse of mahat, the very substanceofwhichshebeamsintotheatmosphereoftheearth.For mahat too must have its vesture, and Venus, as shakti of the sun, givesitthrustanddirectionandmasswiththefabricofherbeing. Thus, divine ideation passes into objectivity through her, the understanding of the Builders is opened and creation takes place. Amonghumansthisoccurswhenthegermofdivinityintheheart opens like a lotus to illuminate the mind. From time to time a sprinkling of such beings are born on earth, possessing an
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extremely refined creativity and abstract intelligence. They represent a foreshadowing of what is yet to come for humanity. Like Plato, they are Fifth Rounders, individuals for whom the showingofloveisasharingoftheGood,auniversalandunselfish emanationfilledwithcompassion. WeoftheFifthRaceshouldhavecometoreflectthispotentialfar morethanwehave.Wehavenotgainedsufficientcontroloverthe emotionstiedupwiththelowervesturestorealizewhathasbeen possible.Onlyafewpoetsandthinkershavetouchedthegarment hem of Venus and revealed to the world a glimpse of love manifesting at the highest kriyashaktic level. If one attempts to awakenoneselfandsubduethelowervestures ofAphrodite,with alltheirconvolutedpatternsoffrothandpassion,onecanbeginto bring into action the force of Venus as sol alter and tap the kriyashaktic potential within. Such creativity goes far beyond the personal. It is suffused with compassion and nurtured with complete manasic awareness. It combines Fohatic and shaktic power from above and blends together the head and the heart, filling the vestures with a sense of liberated joy and wonder. It is the gift of Venus, one that can be fully accepted when the purificationiscompleteandwhenoneisfittolookuponthefaceof trueuniversalBeauty.Untilthen,humanbeingsgazeuponVenus and feel her beauty burgeoning in the vast indigo sea over which shereigns.Theyfeelherpresenceintheearlypre‐dawn,throbbing in the electrical currents igniting their minds and awakening their souls, and they worship her with a sense of approaching enlightenment,withaglimpseintoabrilliantpromiseshroudedin adark,mysterioussky. Inavastindigosea Yourise,pulsating... Sendingshaftsofluminosity Inflamingtheheart, Ignitingthemind.
Hermes,February1989 HelenValborg
THEMOON The moon passes along the curve of its nocturnal orbit, dimly lighting the darkened world with its uncertain lustre. Its fullness probestheshadowandfixatesthewanderingheart,onlytoshrink awayindarkness,castingoffitsopenglow.Oh,inconstantmoon! Artemis of hopeful waxing; Selene of lighted face; Hecateʹs dark foreboding with the waning of the whole. Each phase falters and maturesintothenext,bringinggrowthandearlypromisetoadark, celestialgrave. Inasense,thewholeofnatureisasymbolmadeupofcomplex symbolic aspects, each of which offers a pregnant clue to the understanding of the whole. Such symbolic aspects obtrude themselves upon human consciousness. We do not choose them any more than we choose our gods. Whatever fascinates us and holdsourattentionhaswithinitthepowerthatthePolynesianscall mana. The values we attach to symbols may lose their mystery as wesettlevariouslevelsoftheirdefinition,butthesymbolremainsa representativeofadeepertruth.Menwhoworshipthemoon,fear it or measure their lives by it, may be closer to sensing its hidden truththanthoseempiricistswhohavesetconceptuallimitsuponits function in the physical solar system. For both, it remains an enigmalargelyunderstoodintermsofitseffects.Othersmayintuit itsdeeperroleintheschemeofthingsandtraceoutitssecretsinthe workingsofnatureitself. Throughout the world the young moon is believed to bring increase, causing seeds to germinate and plants to grow. For millennia men working the soil have planted their crops with the waxing moon. They chose this time for shearing so that the new wool would grow quickly. Around their necks and at their brows they wore the crescent moon. They engaged in great wars and embarkeduponperilousjourneyswhenitscurvedradiancegraced the heavens. To this day, many peoples herald its youth and
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promisewithgiftssaying,asdotheFinnoUgrics,ʺBegreeted,new moon;tomehealth,totheeawholeloaf!ʺ Themoonʹschangingfaceshavelongbeenwatchedandstudied, and myriad magical practices mark its phases as they fluctuate to aidormenacemankind.TheancientAkkadiansgavethemoonthe nameʹSabaʹinrecognitionofeachnewquarterwithinthetwenty‐ eightdaylunarcycle.AccordingtoIsisUnveiled,itisontheseventh day,orSabbath,thattheAdeptsoftheSecretSciencemeetasthey have met for thousands of years to become agents of the occult powers of nature, linking the practice of the greatest divine magic with the changes of the moon. Not all lunar magic, however, reflects this larger wisdom and many sects emphasize protective ritualorastraltravel,ifnotovertblackmagic.Theapproachtothe moonisbesetwithdangers,forthroughtheseregionsofghostsand water lies the lunar way of shamans who move in trance through dim‐lithallsopeningontovisionsandevenmadness.Manyarethe tales describing the hapless child or aging man who becomes imprisonedwithinthemoon,swallowedupinitswaningdarkness. Thedyingmooneithercapturesordiminishesanditisduringthis timethattreesarefelledandhayorgrainiscutsothattheirsevered stalks will wither and dry quickly. The Satapatha Brahamana suggeststhatwhenthemoonisdarkitcomestoearthandwaitsin theplacesofsacrifice.Thenmenandwomenmustfastandabstain for protectionʹs sake even while they suffer the temptations of the moonʹs power. This is a time when sorcerers attempt to ʺdraw downthedarkmoonʺandʺperformHecateʹssuppersʺattheforks ofroads. TheeighteenthenigmaoftheTarotdepictsthemoonasasilver disk bearing the outlines of a woman. The whole scene, with its juxtapositionofunexpectedobjects,illustratesthestrengthandthe dangers of the world of imagination. Womankind is not only identifiedwiththemoonbutalsoshowntobestronglyinfluenced byitsfluctuations.Thesolarnatureofwomanwhichislinkedwith growth and creation is, in fact, regulated by a cycle that corresponds precisely with that of the moon. Perhaps because of
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this the moon is often called ʹThe Lord of Womenʹ and some, like the Eskimo, believe that ʹHeʹ can impregnate a woman while she sleepsuncoveredbeneathʹHisʹfullgaze.Manycultures,perceiving therelationshipbetweenplantgrowthandthelunarcycle,logically associate women with horticultural enterprises. Indeed, it is true that women tend to be the worldʹs gardeners and men become involvedonlywhenanimalscomeintothepictureastheydowhen theplowisusedinlargerscaleagriculture.Mostofthehorticultural societiesintheworldarematrilineal. Many people have marked the connection between the cycle of themoonandthatofwomen,andinmanylanguagesthewordfor the two is the same. In Mandingo the word carro serves for both whileintheCongoitisnjonde.InArmenianthewordamisisused, while in Latin mens is the root of ʹmenses,ʹ ʹmoon,ʹ ʹmonth,ʹ ʹmeasureʹandʹmental.ʹTheAmericanIndianwomensimplyreferto theirmenstrualcycleastheirʹmoon.ʹThemooncycleinwomenis thus biological but productive of effects which may be even more pronouncedonapsychologicalorspiritualplane.Somanycultures in the world observe segregative taboos regarding menstruating womenastosuggestthatsuchpracticesmusthavebeenuniversal at one time. This short monthly separation suggests an attempt to cope with the daemonic lunar effect women are believed to exercise,especiallyuponmen,duringthisperiod.Thatmenfearthe lunarnature,bothinthemselvesaswellasinwomen,seemstobe indicated in their almost universal desire not only to control womenbuttocreatesocialsphereswhichareexclusivelymaleand which permit the ʹrationalʹ elements of their nature to dominate. Theʹfeelingsʹandʹintuitionsʹofwomenareseenaserratic,likethe inconstant light of the moon itself, and it is widely believed that without the protection of rational structures the moon deity, in its daemonicform,canactuponmendirectly.Thisissupposedlyquite different from the way in which its powers work in and through women. The lunar and the solar distinctly exist in all humans but their balance is understood, perhaps, only at a deeper level of consciousness. Symbols like the sun and the moon, male and female,weavealinkbetweentheconsciousandunconsciousmind,
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betweentherationalorsolarandtheintuitionalorlunar.According totheJungianschoolofthought,ʺtheancientreligionsofthemoon goddess represent the education of the emotional life . . . through initiation.ʺ By the practice of Hierogamos the initiated woman becamethedaughterofthemoon,thepureembodimentofEros,or what Jung called ʺpsychic relatedness.ʺ This wholeness which lies potentially within woman includes all aspects of the generative principleinnatureaswellasthematrixthroughwhichitoperates. It reaches back to the deepest layers of racial history and surges forthwithinthepulsatingcyclesofnature.Itis,perhaps,thetaskof womentounderstandandmakehumantheuntamedlunarpower within,foritiswomanwhoknowsitsnaturemostintimately. Ateverypointthesymbolismofthemoonsuggestsambivalence. Itisbothgoodandevil,threefoldincharacter,twofoldin sexand related to subhuman as well as human form. In its evolution the moondeityseemstohaveoriginallybeenmasculineandrelatedto thevegetablekingdom.Lateritwasidentifiedwithanimalswhich eventuallybecamegoddessesattendedbyanimalsorhumanswith animalmasks.Thissuggeststhattheanimalsrepresenttheʹspiritʹof the subsequent goddesses and provide a clue in understanding their mixed daemonic and loving characteristics. The fierce and voluptuous beauty of the tiger symbolizes this well as was recognized by the early Chinese. The moon in its masculine form presents an equally great mystery. Its ambivalent character is strikingly reflected in the many manifestations of the great god Shivaasherepresentsuniversalforcesofcreationanddestruction. In relation to the Trimurti of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, it is said that lunar magnetism generates, preserves and destroys life psychicallyaswellasphysically,butitisShivawhogeneratesand sustains through yoga, dances in the graveyard, and wears the crescentmoonuponhisbrow. In the older traditions of the East, occult lunar rites were based upon knowledge of physiology, psychology, mathematics and symbology. The worship of the moon was equivalent to that of nature and natural law itself for the moon was recognized as the
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ʺguideoftheoccultsideofnature,ʺdirectlyconcernedwithallthe mysteriesoftheearth.InancienttimestherewereLunarDynasties whichco‐existedwiththeSolarandpeoplecametobedividedon the question of their relative significance as well as the sex of the moon. The Secret Doctrine tells us that it was this complex fundamental divergence of interpretation involving the overlap of theFourth andFifthRacesthatledtotheepiceventsdescribedin thegreatMahabharatanWar. Themoon,worshippedasthegoddessIshtar,wasknownasʹthe MotherofallʹorʹtheOpeneroftheWomb.ʹShewastheforerunner ofMary,moongoddessoftheCatholicChurch,whoisoftenshown adornedwithacrescentmoononhercrownandastar‐studdedveil borrowed from the Egyptian goddess Isis. As mother, the moon gives birth to a son who in turn becomes her husbandman. Thus Isis gave birth to Osiris who, in becoming her divine spouse, completedthepatternwherebythesonbecomeshisownfather.In his descent into and birth out of lunar nature, the son lives to die andberesurrectedastheimmortalsun–husbandmantothemoon. It is this sacred symbolic mystery which was distorted and concretizedintheancientGreekstoryofOedipusandlatergrossly materialized by Freud. This sacred resurrection or rebirth linked with the immortal sun is symbolized by the ever recurring new crescentmoon,theemblemofthehero,thecrestofLordShiva. InoccultphilosophythemoonisreferredtoastheParentofEarth, theGiverofLifetotheGlobe,standingtoearthasthesundoestothe solar system. For this reason, it is said, ʺthe liquid portion of our globeeverstrivestoraiseitselfuptoitsparent.ʺPerhapsonecould saythatthemoonattemptstodrawuponearthlymoisture,having givenoverherownaslifepassedfromhertotheearthchain.There arerillsalongtheedgesofthevastlunarmariaandlongcracksthat appear to be the product of erosion but are thought to be due to cooling.Faultsandmanyothersignsofviolentʹmoonquakesʹand eruptions mark the hemisphere of the moon facing the earth. Interestingly,thereisarelativelackofmariaandsignsoflavaflow on the far side of the moon which, according to mythological
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accounts,isʹsmilingʹatthesun.Perhapsthephysicalʹscarsʹonthe earthsideofthemoonrelatetoaprolongedthrowingoutofwaves oflifeformsandasubsequentpulsationofattractionandexpulsion thatisboundtooccurbetweenanylife‐givingbodywhichisdying and its progeny which is struggling to establish its own equilibrium. Ancientteachingsrevealthatthewheeloftheearthisregulated by the spirit of the moon through its waters. The earth, like any offspring,seemstobereceivingthesustainedguidanceofitsparent whileitisyetachild.Themoon,alongwiththesun,providesthe mainforcethatmovesthepolesintheprecessionoftheequinoxes, and through its gravitational attraction it distorts the shape of the earth which yields immediately to the tide‐raising forces. Modern science,whilestillinsistingthatthemoonisapproximatelycoeval with the earth, is, none the less, moving closer to occult teachings by recognizing that at one time the moon was much closer to the earththanitnowis.Calculationsbasedonancientrecordsofsolar eclipses, as well as direct observations, show that our day is increasing in length by .001 seconds every century. It is believed that during the Devonian Period, four hundred million years ago, tidesontheearthwereperhapsamilehigh,continuouslyaffecting the entire topography of the globe, and that our day was twenty‐ two hours long, corresponding to a lunar month of twenty‐one days.Inexaminingthisfromtheperspectivethattheearthisʹchildʹ ofthemoon,onecanseethattheparenthasbeenexertinganalbeit slowlydiminishinginfluenceuponitsoffspring.ToparaphraseThe SecretDoctrine,themoonhasgiventotheeartheverythingbuther corpse. She is the shadow dragged after the new body into which herlivingprincipleshavebeentransfused.Butlikeallcorpsessheis dangerous, the particles of her decaying body being full of active anddestructivelife.Sheisdeadbutliving.Astronomerssayshehas noweather,noclouds,rainorairandthereforehasnoatmospheric sound. They say a spider web stretched across a dim recess in a lunar cave would remain perfect and unchanged for millions of years, and yet, occult science teaches, she is dangerous. The physical moon may not have physical sound but she speaks
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throughherdisintegratingastralmatrixtotheentireastralplaneof this globe. Men who suffer lunacy and feel the pull backward in evolution away from future growth know her dangers well. She providestherhythmofgrowthbutnottheeternalgoaltowhichit tends. Thelunarchainisinferiortotheearthchainanditisonthelatter that the monads of lunar ancestors have to become ʹmenʹ so as to reachaplaneofhigherconsciousactivity.TheseLunarPitrispassed throughthemineral,vegetableandanimalformsinordertoclothe themselves in the nature of the newly formed earth chain. They representedthehumanelementforthefirstthreeandahalfRounds on this globe, but Nature unaided cannot evolve self‐conscious existence and the Manasaputras or Solar Pitris had to descend into thesebodiesandlightthemup.Thisawesomeʹdescent,ʹinasense, isstillinprogress,butitsinitialoccurrencewastheinspirationfor themysterioustriplesymbolofFish‐Sin‐Somawhichrepresentsthe Avatar falling into generation. It also relates to the great ʹWar in Heavenʹ during which the turbulent powers in Chaos are brought into order by the Solar gods. This ʹWarʹ is initiated by Soma, the moon, who carries away Tara, wife of Brihaspati, and thereby becomes the ʹillegitimateʹ father of Buddha‐Mercury, Hermes, or Wisdom. Soma, being sovereign of the vegetable world and representative of early lunar waves of evolution arriving on the earthchain,thuslinksWisdom,throughinitiation(representedby Tara), with a physical body. Only after the ʹWarʹ does Soma make analliancewiththeSolarforces. This pattern is echoed in the beliefs concerning the moon goddesses who give birth to sons whose sojourns on the physical plane lead through death to ultimate resurrection. The celestial Soma should be distinguished from the terrestrial. He is related cosmically to the mind as was suggested by the Latin word mens, the root of ʹmoon,ʹ as well as ʹmensesʹ and ʹmind.ʹ In the Aitareya UpanishaditistaughtthatKingSomaisthesymbolofAnandafrom whichthementalbeingofmanisdrawn.Heisalunardeityborn fromthesense‐mindinuniversalPurushaandisexpressedinman
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as his sense‐mentality. The secret delight (Ananda) of existence is translated into physical consciousness experienced through sensation.ItissaidthatthisdelightorʹwineʹofSomaisconcealed in ʺthe growths of the earth, the waters of existence, and in our physicalbeings.ʺThisessenceissopowerfulthatonlythoseʺbaked in the fireʺ of suffering and experience can assimilate it and accommodatetheoverflooding,violentecstasyitbrings.Theʹwineʹ must be purified with the strainer (pavitra) which has been spread outwideintheʹseatofheavenʹtoreceive it,tapaspavitramvitatam divas pade. Its fibres are made from the purified mental, emotional andheartconsciousnesswonthroughtapas.Itsseatinheavenisthe realmofpurementalbeing. The fibres of the strainer are tempered and made strong by the heatofthehigherpurposeoftheManasaputrawithinman.Through their cleansing agency the diffusive vital force of Soma can be activated in an upward‐tending direction. Man must tend the progress of the lunar within nature like a shepherd his flock, becausehehimselfisthatnatureaswellasbeingitssource.Forthis reason he cannot bypass the lunar and establish an independent ʹallianceʹ with the solar. It must be remembered that it was Soma whoʹfoundʹthelightofthesunandmadeitshine.Thoughheisnot thelegitimateʹfatherofthatlight,itisthroughhismoisturethatits lightning beamʹ could strike the earth and bring to it ʹfire.ʹ This beamwhichlightsupthemoonistheSushumnaRayofthesun.Itis the occult force in Soma and in his ʹwineʹ or essence, and it is the vitalspiritualforceinman.Forthisreasonmancantrulyworship the moon as transmitter of life, and, if he tarries not in the lunar ʹgraveyardsʹ of the world, he can sustain an attitude of balance, acting in and through the lunar while focusing his eye upon the sun. TheʹwineʹofSomaiswithinandarounduswhetherwerecognize it or not, and sooner or later it must be purified by the ʹheavenly strainer.ʹ Though we attempt to avoid tapas, suffering itself will alwayscatchusoutandtugatoursleeveuntilwefaceitsquarely. Insteadofpermittingthoughtsandemotionstocontractandquiver
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intheirattemptstodefendusfrompainandexcessshock,wemust try to extend them out freely, with the strength to receive and convert into ecstasy all contacts with life. One must ʺbake in the fireʺuntilhecanaccommodatetheoverfloodingpowerofSoma. This is at the heart of the symbolic lunar initiation whereby the worshipperbecomestheʹchildʹofthemoongoddessand,through knowledgeofher,becomesherhusbandman.TheSelfisthefruitof theknowledgeofIsis,thefruitoftheunionbetweenIsisandOsiris, Eros and the Logos. The man who accomplishes this within his heart and mind raises up the crescent moon of offering within his brow and resolves the ʹWar in Heaven.ʹ The woman who accomplishes this within the mystery of her ten‐gated being becomesamotherofsolarlight.Thusinbothmanandwomanthe ʹQueenofNightʹmayassumeherrightfulpositionatthesideofher SolarLord. Hermes,September1976 HelenValborg
MARS Thisroyalthroneofkings,thisscepteredisle. Thisearthofmajesty, ThisseatofMars.
Oshield‐bearersofHellas,embattledkingsandwarringnations, whichofyouhasworshippedthegodMarsbetterthantheHouse of Thebes? Which of you has known the strife so pitilessly visited upon this lineage, so relentlessly persistent from the time of Joʹs flight into Asia, right through the reign of her great grandson Kadmos and his issue? Brother to Europa, who suffered the harassments of Zeus, the young Kadmos wandered the ancient world until he came to a sanctuary where he sought to win his destiny through sacrifice to Athene. To fulfil this desire, he learnt that he must bring water from a spring jealously guarded by a dragon‐childofAres,theGreeknameforthegodMars.Heslewthe dragon, and seizing its teeth out of the great gaping mouth, he scattered them broadcast like seeds, which sprang up after one seasonasahostofarmedmencalledSpartoi(ʺtheScatteredʺ).With these dauntless warriors at his command, Kadmos founded the fabledcityofThebesandestablishedagreatcentrefortheworship of Ares. Smiling benevolently upon these achievements, Zeus crownedhissuccessbygivingtohiminmarriagethedivinelyborn Harmonia,daughterofAresandAphrodite.Butlittleofthequality associated with her name would prevail in the line she and her husband were destined to further. Their children were mostly daughters,includingthelamentableAgave,whomarriedoneofthe SpartoiandmotheredthearrogantPentheus,whomshewouldone dayteartopieceswhilstinthethroesofadionysiacecstasy.Some ofhersistersweredrivenmadortheirspousesfearfullymurdered, whilst her brother died prematurely, to be followed to the grave quicklybyhisson.Norwasthistheendtothewoeswhichplagued thislineageofAresworshippers.Soontofollowwasthetragedyof Oedipus and the tyranny of Kreon, which resulted in the ruthless
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andunjustdeathsofPolyneikes,EtioklesandAntigone,whospent herlastagonizinghoursencasedinstone. StrifeandpestilencefollowlikeaplagueinthewakeofAres,and yet are accompanied by creation and sacrifice. To the ancient Assyrians he was Nergal, god of death and warfare, whom they nonetheless called the Great Hero. The Romans named him Mars andplacedhimonthehighestpedestalofworshipasthesourceof their martial energy, ensuring the continued expansion of their empire. By whatever names he has been known throughout the Indo‐European world, he has been depicted as an armed hero bearingasword,awhip,aspearoranarrow.Hisattributestypify that which is positive, masculine, active, passionate and courageous.Heisbothfearedandpraisedasanideal,thesourceof deathandcreationalike.AsMars heistheoffspringofJupiter;as Ares,thesonofZeusandHera.TheGreeksworshippedhimasthe godofwarandstrifebuthisnametakesitsoriginfromtherootαρ, which is also to be found in ʹαρετή, indicating the first notion of goodness–thatofmanhoodandbraveryinwar. This paradoxical mixture of elements reached a pinnacle of expressionamongsttheRomans,whobegantheiroldcalendarwith themonthdedicatedtoMars(March)andtherebirthoflife‐energy. They celebrated new life even as they made offerings to Mars for success in killing and conquest on the eve of going off to war. A portion of the spoils was dedicated to him and his most famous templewasknownasMarsUltor,MarstheAvenger.TheCampus Martius(FieldofMars)wastheopenspaceoutsidethegatesofthe ancient city of Rome where men assembled under arms and practised military skills. Sacred war dances were also performed there each spring by the priests of Mars. What had once been an agricultural deity associated with spring and regeneration became increasingly the champion of the battleground. The Romans had graduallyturnedfromfarmingtowarandtheybroughtwiththem theirGodoftheBorderlandslyingbetweenthefarmsteadsandthe wilds.Nowtheʺborderlandʺoverwhichhereignedhadcometobe anever‐expandingperimeterofavastempire.
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Though powerful, the Roman Empire was not the greatest the world has ever known. Daniel Webster wrote of ʺa power which hasdottedoverthesurfaceofthewholeglobewithherpossessions and military posts, whose morning drumbeat, following the sun, and keeping company with the hours, circles the earth with one continuous and unbroken strain of the martial airs of Englandʺ. Whilst not overtly worshipping Mars, the builders of such dominions certainly mastered his arts and placed the warring soldieruppermostasanidealofcourageandmanhood.Possessing ʺan eye like Mars, to threaten and commandʺ, the hero has been envisaged time and again, leading to an almost irresistible glorification of war. The deeply entrenched human instinct to glorifywarispossiblyrootedinanintuitionthatthespiritofmoral greatness alone conquers all partisan claims. Perhaps it is even more fundamental and subliminal. It may be that the human race sharesadimawarenessofanancientbeliefidentifyingbloodwith the first bloodshed of primordial conception, an idea translated onlysecondarilytorefertothebloodshedofwar. The translation links the polar opposites of creation and death and echoes the arcane conception that creation emerges only throughanoriginalsacrifice,andthatitsproductcanbepreserved only through periodic sacrifice and recurrent war. Oddly enough, the twin‐peaked mountain on the planet Mars which bears the name Janus is an apt symbol of inversion between the upper invisible world and the lower world of forms. The intercommunication between them involves a titanic conflict between life and death on the threshold of primordial order. It is the old notion that every life demands a death and thus lays the basis for the unspoken assumptions behind constant sacrifice and inescapable war. Of course, this involves an inversion in consciousness analogous to the translation alluded to earlier, but fromtheperspectiveofcreationanddeathviewedastwosidesof the same coin, Mars may be considered in terms of the grim necessityofbloodshedinNatureandthecosmos.
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Astrologically, Mars governs Aries and Scorpio, the burgeoning and disintegration of strength. These zodiacal signs mark the beginningandtheendofeachyear.Alignedwithbirth,Mars,like Venus, is seen as beneficent. Aligned with death, he is the evil counterpart of Venus, the lord of the ecliptic, the borderland, the balancing line of adjustment between the opposites. Ancient EgyptiansreferredtotheplanetMarsastheStarofDeath,andthis is echoed in the broader Semitic reference to the Death Spreader. The Pleiades are the celestial weapons of Mars in the ruthless decimationofmankind,buttheyalsoaidhiminitsprotection.This is vividly portrayed in the Puranic tales of the Krittikas, who nursed Karttikeya (the Hindu Mars) and clothed him in time and form. The begetting of Karttikeya was made possible through Lord Shiva and the creative power of Parvati, one aspect of Shivaʹs consortandcounterpart.Karttikeyaistheʺspurtofspermʺ,theleap ordescentofspirit,whichisshedorsplit.HewasreceivedbyAgni (the only one of the gods capable of enduring contact with the burning seed), who took the seed in his mouth and sought relief from its heat by cooling himself bya lake where the Krittikas (the wives of the Saptarishis) were bathing. Agni made of himself an accommodating blaze around which they could take warmth after their bath and was thus able to pass the fiery semen to them throughtheiropenedpores.Theirhusbandswerenotpleasedwith this and, abandoning them, left the Krittikas to run to the peak of snowy Himavat to rid themselves of the burning seed. It fell into Ganga,whorolledituponabankofarrowreeds,throughwhichit emergedasabeautifulboy.ThusKarttikeyawasbornoffire(Agni) and water, fire around a pool of water into which the seed was symbolically dropped. The seed falling in the centre signifies the beginning of cycles, the commencement of objective existence suggested fundamentally in Karttikeyaʹs name, which comes from therootkarta,meaningʺseparationofexistenceʺorʺcuttingofffrom thetogethernessoftheparentʹsdomainʺ.
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WiththeexampleofKarttikeya,theparadoxesofMarsincrease, for Shivaʹs offspring is a celibate and yet the personification of generation and the springs of life. He is a Kumara who preferred the curse of incarnation rather than witness the misery of the shadows,butissaidtohavebeenprecipitatedintomatterinorder to halt the activities of the demon serpent Taraka. By killing him, Karttikeyabecametheprototypeofthedragon‐slayers,amysteryto dowiththefactthat,aschiefoftheRudras(themysteriousbeings holding the sacred fires, the most arcane potencies of Nature), he also signifies the central life force ruling over and controlling all lesser life forces operating in Nature and within the vestures of humansouls.HeisalsocloselyconnectedtoKama‐devaorEros,the primeval desire which is the germ of mind, connecting non‐entity with entity, and which is the energy behind downward desires. If Mercury, Venus and Mars constitute the sacred triangle of involution, then Mars is its sharp angle, pointing downward, dippingmostdeeplyintothewatersofmanifestation,marshalling the mental troops of the most volatile and irrational elements in subtleNatureintheserviceofmonadicevolution. Orbitingintheoutermostregionoftheinnersolarsystem,Mars flankstheearthonitsleft,sotospeak,whileVenusrevolvesonits right.Theredplanetkeepsinitsorbitabout2.17astronomicalunits from the sun, limiting the inside extension of the asteroid belt which separates the inner from the outer solar system. The eccentricity of the orbit of Mars is almost five times that of the earth,andtheplanetcompletesitscircuitintwicethetimeittakes our globe to make its rotation (pradakshina) around the solar orb. ButbecauseMarsisoneandahalftimesfurtherawayfromthesun thanistheearth,itsdayissimilarinlengthtoourown.Thetiltof its axis is also similar to the earthʹs, and observers of the planet thoughtforalongtimethatitsseasonscouldbetracedinshifting patternsofvegetationinitsnorthernandsouthernhemispheres.It isrecognizednowthattheseareperiodicchangesofthebrightand darkregionsoftheplanetʹssoil,broughtaboutbymanysmalldust storms and an annual major wind storm obscuring and shifting aboutalargepartofthesurface.ThisgreatstormstartswhenMars
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is close to its perihelion, beginning at about the same place in its southern hemisphere and spreading up around the globe. The surface temperature, which exceeds freezing only on the warmest days, now increases under the influence of an atmosphere which can heat up as much as fifty degrees Kelvin (one hundred and twenty‐two degrees Fahrenheit), due to absorption of solar radiation by the dust. Normally, however, the atmosphere is cold, dryandverythin,withcloudsandiceonlyatthepoles.Thesurface ofMarsingeneralisalsocoldanddry,itswaterfrozenatthepoles, leavingvastaridplainstothenorthandsouthofthemcarvedwith enormousdryriverbeds. Mars is circled by two satellites, Phobos and Deimos (Fear and Panic),whoseexistencewaspredictedbyJohannKeplerin1610on the basis of his mathematical calculations concerning the progression of the solar system. They revolve around a planet whichishalfthesizeoftheearthandhasareddishsurfaceowing to oxidized iron minerals marked by lines tracing the history of vertical plate movements. A further vertical distinction can be found in a comparison of the northern hemisphere, composed mostlyofsmoothlavafloodplains,andthemountainoussouthern hemisphere with its many craters. The source of this distinction is not known to modern scientists, who now tend to leave their hypotheses about the unknown a little more open‐ended than earlierobserverswhodevelopedelaboratetheoriesaboutthecanals on Mars which they believed were built in order to drain polar waters, but which turned out to be optical illusions. One feature, however,aboutwhichnooneharboursanydoubtsisaremarkable mountain three times higher than Mount Everest and seven hundred kilometers wide at its base. It is the largest mountain known in the solar system and, together with others on Mars, comprises a mass so heavy that a crust much thicker than that of theearthisnecessarytosupportit. The gigantic planet Jupiter, which orbits outside the asteroid belt, exerts an influence on its neighbours, producing gradual changesintheearthʹsorbitandintheinclinationandorientationof
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its axis. Being closer than the earth to Jupiter, Mars experiences theseeffectsevenmore,theperiodicchangesinitsaxisandinthe shapeofitsorbitbeingfargreaterthanthoseofourplanet.Froma mystical perspective, this relates to the idea that humanity cannot come under the direct influence of the regal and esoteric Jupiter untilithasconqueredgreed,angerandcraving.Meanwhile,Jupiter exertsasubtleinfluencethroughthemediationofMars.Itwillact moredirectlytobringtolighthiddenaspectsofscience,philosophy andreligionandthelatentmentalandpsychicpowersinmanonly inthefuture.ItisintriguingtoponderhowmuchJupiterʹsphysical effectuponMarscorrespondstothisandhastodowithitsvertical plate movements and the differences noticeable between its northernandsouthernhemispheres.Itispossiblethatitsinfluence is partially responsible for the periods experienced every few million years by Mars when the climate is thirty degrees Kelvin (eighty‐sixdegreesFahrenheit)warmerthanitisnowandsomeof thepolariceandpermafrostmelts.Evidenceoftheseperiodicmelts liesinthepresent‐daydryriverbedsontheplanetʹssurfacewhich are up to thirty kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers long andmaketheAmazonseemapaltrystreambycomparison.Inthe belief that it was indeed water that carved out these channels, modern scientists call Mars, along with the earth, a water planet, onewhich,inthepast,isthoughttohavehadaʺfriendlyʺclimate.It is held that such a climate could have once supported vegetation capable of releasing oxygen into the atmosphere through photosynthesis, thereby encouraging the development of more complexlifeforms. Such are the generous speculations of modern science. But, one may pause to ask, on what basis do we think that water or other elements held to be the criteria for life on earth must also be the exactcriteriaforlifeelsewhereinthesolarsystem?Ifoneexamines thisquestionopen‐mindedly,onemaycometodiscerntheironyin such a geocentric perspective, especially after recalling how we have congratulated ourselves for centuries on having transcended the shrivelled geocentric theories of the Dark Ages. Instead of adopting a thoroughly heliocentric view of the solar system,
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however, we persist in applying geocentric criteria when addressing larger questions about the presence of life outside the earth.Fromatrulyheliocentricperspectivethingsmaylookentirely different, with radically different criteria arising. The very notions held regarding the nature of solids, liquids and gases may be altered. As an imaginative scientist of the last century suggested, ʺOnMercury,waterwouldrankasoneofthecondensiblegases;on Mars,asafusiblesolid.ʺOnemaytakethisfurtherandexamineit from a metaphysical heliocentric point of view, where the true Spiritual Sun is the invisible centre around which the cosmic hierarchies connected with Buddhi, Manas and the other principles revolve like planets. Then one might ask, ʺIs there life on Buddhi, lifeonManas,etc.?ʺOnemightalsowonderwhatplaceearthhasin thisdesignsinceman,themicrocosmofthewholecosmos,findshis homethere. Behold Migmar, as in his crimson veils his ʺEyeʺ sweeps over slumberingEarth.BeholdthefieryauraoftheʺHandʺofLhagpa extendedinprotectingloveovertheheadsofhisascetics.Bothare now servants to Nyima, left in his absence silent watchers in the night. TheVoiceoftheSilence
Likesilentwatchers,allthreeplanets–Mercury,VenusandMars – orbit around the inner solar system on either side of the earth. Mercury and Venus relate symbolically to the intuitive immortal soul,whilstMarsrepresentsforcespropellingitintoanincarnated andlimitedcondition,thekartaorʺcuttingofffromtheonenessof theparentʹsdomainʺ.Proclusputitsuccinctlywhenhewrotethat Mars ʺis the source of division and motion, separating the contrarietiesoftheuniversewhichhealsoperpetuallyexcites,and immutably preserves, in order that the world may be perfect and filled with forms of every kindʺ. He is not the ultimate source of motion but the focus, as it were, through which the Divine Breath throbsinthemanifestworld.TheseedofKarttikeyaentersthrough the doorway of the Pleiades into the galactic system and a sevenfoldparthenogenesistakesplace,startingaprocessofdivision which multiplies and occurs incessantly throughout the vast cycle
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over which he broods. This requires the ʺdisintegrating into the modification of two opposites for productionʺ, and it necessarily entails death as well as creation, sacrifice as well as growth and strength. MarscarriesforththeFohatic,creativeenergythatliesatthevery root of manifestation, and in ruling Aries and Scorpio, it marshals this primordial force which on the human level is good or evil depending on the motivation, use and level of concern for the Agathon, Universal Good. Aries signifies the serpentine fire which compels the ego to evolve. This is conveyed by the planetary influence of Mars and relates to the centrifugal state wherein the soulbecomesamoreindividuatedcentreofforce.Theculmination of the combative phase in human evolution is reached in Scorpio, the watery, negative house of the red planet. Up to this point, the creative force had been acting externally, but now it becomes indrawn toform a mighty reservoir of energyneeded in the latter halfofthesoulʹspilgrimage.Thisbringstheenlightenedindividual to the threshold of the great final battle where avidya and trishna (ignoranceandthirstforsensation)mustbeslainforthegainingof conscious immortality. This final battle involves the timely self‐ limitation of Saturnian justice and the bond‐breaking, centripetal influenceofUranus. Aries marks the descent of spirit into matter, making of man a ʺliving soulʺ. This is an act of vidya (gnosis) converting to avidya (nescience),symbolizedintheramofsacrifice.Ariesbeginstheyear in the sense that it begins the first division of the twelve ʺhoursʺ throughwhichthesoulmustpassintheunderworld.Accordingto theEgyptianBookofAmTuat,thejourneythroughthedangerous realmofthewaterydragonmustbemadebeforeonerisesupinto that of Horus like an upsurge of water from a fountain. This journeyismadetimeaftertime,throughsleepanddeath,butalso through incarnation in the world. Small cycles within vast cycles, the entire process encompasses a long struggle as the human soul strives to grow towards the light. The roots of the tree of this process of evolution are found in Aries and Scorpio. They are the
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two poles of the influence of Mars. But the sap rising from these rootsnurturesignoranceandcravingaswellastheheroicstrength neededtoslaythem.TheweaponsoftheLordoftheBattlefieldof Life will either result in self‐destruction or conquest of death, dependinguponhowtheyareperceivedandused. ThecolourofMarsisred,crimsonasbloodsacrificeorbloodshed on a battlefield. Water is the blood of the earth, the element connecting it with the generative gods such as Adam‐Jehovah, Brahmā or Mars. Is there a corresponding relation between the planet Mars and the earth on the basis of water? The earth has water in liquid form in abundance, but that of Mars is frozen, lockedup,tobereleasedonlyeveryseveralmillionyears.Isthere an arcane significance to this which could provide a key to understanding larger cycles of generation taking place on our globe? Is the force of the seminal principle operating in the solar system focussed and released through Mars in impulsions expressed in the release of its frozen waters? Do these impulsions haveanybearingupontheclimaticchangesonearthorthesudden disappearance of entire species, followed by the development of newlinesoflifeforms?Andwhatpartdoesthepowerfulinfluence ofJupiterplayinthisscenario?Thecalculatedperiodicchangesin the inclination of the axis of Mars, brought about by the effect of Jupiter, are ten times greater than the earthʹs. These inclinations alter the relationship between Mars and the earth, subjecting the lattertodifferentexposuresofthemanyfacesofMars. InthePuranicmyths,Karttikeyaisdepictedashavingsixheads, one for each of his ʺmothersʺ (the seventh Krittika remaining hidden). Mars turns these faces towards the earth in succession. Someofthemaresmoothlavaplainsbearingthemarksofancient explosions now quiescent, whilst others support gigantic weapon‐ likepromontorieswhosevolcanicaperturesseemtobeaimedand readytofire.Somefacesarepock‐markedwithcratersandscarred with the wounds of bombardment and erosion; some take on the intense rosy glow of blood seepingclose to thesurface, promising excitement,fecundityanddeath.AstheaxisofMarstilts,itexposes
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differenthemispheres,andwiththemtheinfluencesofcreationand fusionalternatewiththoseofsacrificeandstrife.Eventhevertical platemovementsonthesurfaceofMarscanbeseenasrepresenting shifts in the emphasis and character of alternating expressions of thecentrallifeforce. Karttikeya was born of the sweat and semen of Shiva and the earthlyprogenitors(theʺmothersʺwhoclothedhim).Thesweatof Shiva, though potent beyond all comparison with embodied elements,canbelikenedinitslowermanifestingaspecttowateror blood. In this sense, Karttikeyaʹs birth is echoed in the Mosaic utterance that ʺit takes earth and water to create a human soulʺ. Latter‐day interpretations of the symbolism associated with the gods of generative powers drag such ideas down to the level of a perceived necessity involving the shedding of blood to gain life, eventothepointofmixingitwiththesoiloftheearthinthebelief that such a mixture would engender new life and energy in the land.ThewaterorbloodofwhichKarttikeyawasengenderedisto earthlywaterorbloodwhatthedesirethatfirstaroseinItistothe craving of the senses. They are related but not to be equated with one another. Born without the intervention of woman, Karttikeya cameintotheworldasLohitatheRed,theʺFirstmanʺ.LikeMars, he became a god of war and bloodshed only secondarily, the primary idea of bloodshed associated with him having to do with an archetypal conception on a plane of far subtler motion and division. The first notion of goodness, associated with manhood andbraveryinwarexpressedbytheoldGreeksinthewordʹαρετή, relates back to this primordial conception rather than to the slaughter and strife represented by its etymological namesake, Ares,godoftheHouseofThebes.Theforceofdesireoperatingin matterneednotresultintheinversionsandrepressionsresponsible for the ignorance and bloodshed so rampant in the world. The weaponsofMarsaregoodorevildependingonwhowieldsthem. Inlikemanner,theinfluenceoftheplanetMarsupontheearthcan be good or evil. It is not possible simply to wish away this potent forceanymorethanonecanwishtheredplanetaway.
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Incomingintobeing,Karttikeyawasheduponearthintheshara orkashireedsusedinancienttimesasarrowsandspears.Likehis weapons,hewasareed,anarthexreedthroughwhichtheflameof enlightenment descends. As such, he is the vesture of this flame which passes through the seven sections or chakras of the reed, awakeningeachcentreasittouchesit.Inthisway,thefirstmancan befoundineveryhumanbeing,who,likeareed‐vesturecontaining chakra nodules, is a miniature of the cosmos with its seven times sevendvipas.Inmanthemanipurachakralyingbetweenthelumbar and the navel is the centre wherein the fiery gastric juices of digestionandfoodprocessinglaythefoundationforthelifeforce. This is the seat of Karttikeya or Mars, whose energy promotes growth and differentiation within the human microcosm as in the greater cosmos. But it is also the field of Mars whereon Fohat gathers his forces and begins to march them through the higher chakras towards the Agni realm of creative contemplation. Thus those who have been cut off through fascination with the lower regionoflunarformsarenowindrawnintotheprimordialcosmic sourceofalllight,lifeandenergy. The cutting off marks the first sacrifice of the central life force wherein the virgin Kumara, Karttikeya or Mars, marries and governs the energies operating within the world of differentiated forms. This enormous potency lends a seemingly inexhaustible energytothelesservitalforcesboundupwiththevesturesusedby the lower mind and the five senses. As long as the body is alive, these seem to flourish and drive the consciousness of the deluded individual in myriad directions, sparking and exciting and separating it into endlessly changing forms. One can imagine the plight of the slavish glutton who lets himself be dominated by desiresclamouringinthehollowpitofhisstomach,convincinghim thatthereissomesecretingredient,someuniquemorsel,whichwill satisfythecravingarmiesofelementalswhichhavegainedcontrol over the communication network between the inner ruler and the outer persona. Such a desperate condition necessitates all‐out warfareinordertodeposethepretendersandplacetheconserved creative power of Mars in a position of complete control by the
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immortalsoul,theManasa.Nowthecuttingoffmusttakeplacein reverse. But instead of separating off from unity, the process involves cutting away from endlessly multiplying diversity and fragmentationinconsciousness.Onlybydisentanglingdesirefrom the countless forms it can take can one purge it of selfishness and render it a worthy weapon for altruistic contemplation upon UniversalGoodandthesupremeGodhead. Ifthisistrueinrelationtotheindividual,sotoothiscanpertain tocirclesofasceticsdedicatedtoself‐studyandself‐conquestinthe service of humanity. Each seeker has to disentangle the desires extraneous to the sacred goal of human solidarity and see them veryclearlyforwhattheyare.Topermitthesetangledskeinsand objects of desire to obtrude themselves into oneʹs separative consciousnesssothattheybecomemixedupwithself‐transcending motives and concerns is to weave an opaque shroud around oneʹs powers of perception. Such a laggard soul will be unprepared for the decisive moment of choice when one crosses the borderland markingoffthewilddesertsofendlessdiscontentfromtheverdant Field of Mars wherein the inward ascent is to take place. At this point, one needs to be well equipped and firmly disciplined to do battlewiththelegionsofdarknessandegotisticstagnation. Insport,thefinestathletesarethosewhoarewhollyconcentrated upon the highest imaginable skill, stamina and morale they can bringtotheirendeavours.Eachandeveryaspectofmindandbody is focussed upon the task at hand. Every selfish desire they have ever indulged is now transmuted into a single‐minded current of ideation focussed upon the motionless target of spiritual archery. Materialistsrefertothisastheʺkillerinstinctʺ,likeningsuchaman to the tiger unwaveringly intent upon its prey or the owl who swoopsunerringlytocatchupitshopelesslyfleeingmeal.Butthis is not merely an irrational instinct. The positive power of Mars released by the morally courageous ascetic requires the persistent andpatienttrainingofthespiritualwill.Itinvolvesthereinversion of the centrifugal process of division and proliferation downward andoutwardsothatakindofdeathofegotakesplacetopermitthe
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birth of the regenerated and purified self, ready to enlist in the ArmyoftheVoice. The procreative power of division and possession can thus be transmuted into the energy of altruism and the bliss of transcendence. But ceaseless sacrifice is needed to sustain the energy of selfless creativity and spiritual self‐abnegation. The renunciationoflesserlovesandlongings,self‐regardinghopesand goals,andtheverysenseofselfisrequiredforthespiritualascent. Marsenterstheworldinsacrificialdescentsothatembodiedforms of creation can unfold. Mars is thus born in man, igniting the creativeaspectsofmindandbody.Butheismerelyablindforce,a weapon in the hands of an untutored child, unless his overlordʹs sweepingeyeisfullyinchargeoverthearmiesrightfullybelonging to him. If men and women heroically struggle on the moral battlefieldandtakecontroloverthelesservitalforceswithin,Mars is spiritually reborn, in harmonious relation with Venus and Mercury,withthewisdomofsacrificialloveandthelightofnoetic insight. Onthemuddy,blood‐soakedbattlefieldsofthisglobe,soulshave oftenshownheightsofmoralcouragefargreaterinmagnitudethan themundanecauseforwhichtheyriskedtheirlives.Itisasifthey have been ignited and raised up to a level of love so purely motivated and perfectly focussed that their personal delusions fell bythewaysideandtheywerefearlesslycatapultedintothesacred tribe of selfless heroes. Some have died such a glorious death, othershavelivedtodescendonceagainintothehopesandfearsof worldly existence. But the spiritual warrior does not wait for the externalcalltobattle.Hebeginstheworkofhoningmindandwill, thuspreparingforaccurateaimtheconcentratedenergyofspiritual resolve. The neophyte may die on an earthly battlefield or of pestilenceoroldage,butnonecanrunawayfromtherealwar,and its implacable demands of intelligent sacrifice. The heroism of terrene battles may be intuitively seen as educative, transcending the limits of the separate serf and the role‐playing actors on the stage.Wesensethedeeperbattleawaitingandareawarethatinthe
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isolated act of heroism we have glimpsed what lies latent in all souls. We have glimpsed the radiant Mars within each person, rising up to the source and summit of wisdom, compassion and onenessofbeing. OMigmar,thysweepingEyeofWisdom MirrorsthecircleddooroftheMysteries BywhichtheDivineBreathofLife DescendedfromHeaventoearth.
Hermes,March1989 HelenValborg
JUPITER Is the dwelling place of God anywhere but in the earth and sea, the air andsky,andvirtue?Whyseekwefurtherfordeities?Whateveryousee, whateveryoutouch,thatisJupiter. Lucan
One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the colossal statueofJupiterbyPhidiasrosetocelebratethecelestialrealm.His creative potency exulted in the generous expression of the sculptorʹshands,thoughtheyproducedonlythepalestreflectionof his demiurgic rulership. For, muted was his voice in stone comparedtotheroaringvastitudesofhisutteredword.Diminished andcircumscribedwashiskinglyvisageinthefar‐flungpresenceof the universe, his cosmic face. His effigy, though awesome to the eyes of the ancients, was like a grain of salt extruded from a depthless sea, to crystallize for a moment in the sun before dissolvinginthesolutionofitssource.Hisnobleimagetookshape out of the dust of celestial substance, mirroring in anthropic form theemergenceofthegreatplanetwhichbearshisname. Planets shape their lives, crystallizing as they swirl forth from their hidden source. Some are like gods in formation, mysterious andshrouded,whilstothersaresmallanddense,liketheearth.But only one vies with the sun itself in grandeur and size. Only one commands the heavens like a universal sky god, ruling over the inner and outer globes as a surrogate of the solar orb. Like the colossalstatuenamedforit,theplanetJupitersurpassesallothers of its kind. This is only fitting, for the supreme throne of heaven could not be thought to reside in any lesser mansion, nor could celestialrulershipbeconductedfromadaislessdazzling.Fromthe earliestdawnofhumanhistory,menandwomenhaveapproached the majesty of the god and his planet as supplicants bowed in prayer,seekinggracewhichonlythekingofthegodscouldbestow. The very mantras and chants they intoned were believed to be
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giventhroughhisgrace.Thewordofworshipontheirlipswashis Word,andtheirobeisancebeforehimwascompleteandcentralto their grasp of reality. He was always the Alfader, the All‐ encompassing One made manifest, whose remote orb in the heavensshonemorebrightlythananyothersandseemedlessdim thanVenusonlybecauseofthelatterʹsproximitytoourglobe. Hisabodeisfarmoredistant,lyingbeyondthebeltofasteroids intheglacialfieldsofouterspace.Thosewhoapproachhisthrone do so only by travelling immense distances and submitting themselvestoavastitudesogreatastoeclipseutterlytheiregotistic sense of independent origin. One may imagine oneself in a powerful spacecraft flying out through darkness for months and drawing gradually closer to an orb so enormous and of such brilliance that it would absorb the darkness all around it and become the whole of oneʹs vista. As the craft drew closer and enteredthepowerfulfieldsandradiationsofJupiter,onewouldbe overwhelmed by what would seem a great wall of gleaming, gaseousbandssetwithswirlingjewelsofopalandrubyhue.Riffles and eddies of azure and golden clouds would flute their way through the folds of this regal vesture, which seems to be crown and robe and sceptre all at once. One would be utterly overpoweredinthispresence.Therewouldbenothingotherthanit to contemplate, and even its satellites, which are as large as Mercury or our moon, would seem like tiny ball‐bearings rolling between its looming immensity and oneʹs infinitesimally small spacecraft. Be one astronaut or seeker of God, there is little doubt that the initial encounter would envelop oneʹs consciousness and permanently alter oneʹs sense of place in the cosmos, as well as oneʹssenseofselfhood. Jupiterhascometosignifythesupremevirtuesofjudgementand volition. As supreme ruler, he embodies cosmic law and divine justice,markedbythefourpillarsofspace,thefourcornersofthe square and the four elements. Bounded space and Pythagorean limit belong to him, as also the power of organization and intellectualdirectiontoestablishorder.Heisthewisebenefactorof
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the cosmos whose influence upon humanity is harmonizing and conducivetorealignmentwiththesource.Meruisthenameofhis thronewhich,thoughassociatedwithhisplanet,isalsolinkedwith the heavenly pole or pole‐star, the door leading from the invisible to the visible world. The Greeks of Alexandria appended the title Ammon to his name, calling him Jupiter‐Ammon or Amen, which means ʹconcealed or hiddenʹ. The priests of Egyptian Thebes declaredthathecontainedthemysteriouspowerwhichcreatedand sustainedtheuniverse,andhencejoinedhisnametothatofRa,the supreme solar god. But they also called his planet Heru‐ap‐sheta, ʹthe revealer of hidden and secret thingsʹ, an aspect of his arcane nature which relates to the Vedic function of Brihaspati, who protectedandconcealedthesacredWordwhilealsobeinginvolved initsauthoritativepronouncement. Brihaspati is the ruler and spiritual guru of the gods, who are transmitters of the creative forces of the cosmos. When his wife Tara(signifyingaseekerinitiatedintoGuptaVidya)leaveshimfor Soma, who has the initiatory power to make a new person of the reborn postulant, Brihaspati is revealed to be the upholder of the letter and form of scriptural sanction instead of its intuitive realization in the immortal souls of ardent aspirants. Brihaspati thusrepresentstheexotericorritualisticformofworshipwhichone findsinallpopularorfolkreligions.ButtheRigVedaalsoalludes to him as Brahmanaspati, ʺthe deity in whom the action of the worshipped upon the gods is personifiedʺ. This suggests that the magnetic action upon the gods by the material object of worship evokesagracewhichisreleasedthroughBrahmanaspati,theobject ofworshipbeing,ultimately,noneotherthanhimself.Inthisway, heistheindispensableagent(hotri)forthedescentofgracethrough ritual worship and religious ceremonies. But though these may degenerate in time into mechanical observances maintained by hereditary priestcraft to preserve a profitable and vicarious interaction between man and God, the Word made flesh can continuetotransmitthevitalgermofthepotentsoundofprimeval hierophants.Magicmaylinger inmysterytempleswhereinsacred mantras were uttered in days of old by Initiates who knew the
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language of the gods, whom they invoked in the ʹtongueʹ of their respectiveelementwithsounds,numbersandfigures.Suchsacred mantrasarethetalismanickeysopeningthedoorbetweenmortals and immortals. They are the immemorial gift of Jupiter to the meditativeandmagnanimousmindandmustnotbeconfusedwith theexotericritualoforthodoxandself‐perpetuatingélites. Jupiter is the Orphic Demiurgos whose creative will releases in the constellation of Sagittarius the generative powers of the nine Prajapatis who cooperate in the architectonic construction of the cosmos. These nine form with Jupiter a decad, which unfolds as three successive triads — initial, creative and manifesting — each bringing forth the descending emanations of the Divine Mind which expands, radiates and ultimately illuminates the mental vestures of gods, monads and atoms. Thus, Jupiter is the androgynous Logos, the pater omnipotens aether, the omnipresent deific essence of the imponderable akasha. When contained in manifestationhebecomesJupiterMundus,thedeusmundus,orone mundane god who incorporates all others into himself and is variously known as Adonai, Jehovah, Zeus, Odin, Pan‐Jupiter, Brihaspati and by many other names. He is that power which createsthespecificterrestrialsymbol,andthephysicalandmaterial fabricofthelatter,ʺwhichprovestheEnergymanifestingthroughit as extrinsic ʺ. Embodying the whole and ruling over it, the very natureofhisembodiment,hisorderandhisorganizationsuggestsa necessary limitation which cannot be ascribed to the inexhaustible DivineSource. As the invisible Logos, with its seven hierarchies (represented orpersonifiedeachbyitschiefangelorrector),formonePOWER, theinnerandtheinvisible;so,intheworldofForms,theSunand the seven chief Planets constitute the visible and active potency; the latter ʹHierarchyʹ being, so to speak, the visible and objective Logos of the invisible and (except in the lowest grades) ever‐ subjectiveangels. TheSecretDoctrine
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Thedescentoftheactivepotencyisdramaticallyconveyedinthe storyofLeda,who,whensuddenlypursuedbyZeus,assumedthe formofaswan.Thisformisassociatedwiththecommencementof Timeʹs cycles and is productive of the fabled egg mentioned in manyancienttales,ultimatelysignifyingtheWorldEgg.Nottobe frustrated in his fervour, Zeus gained his mate in the guise of the DivineSwan,thusensuringtheformationoftheeggandthebirth of Castor and Pollux, night and day incarnate. In fathering the World Egg and the Egg‐born, Zeus or Jupiter represents the immutable cyclic law of evolution which inexorably determines humanprogress.Heoverbroodskarmaandarreststhedownward tendency of each Root Race after attaining the zenith of its glory. With the egg‐born Third Race, humanity began to determine its owndestinywithintheframeworkofcosmiclaw.Eachhumanrace, developingthroughaseriesofcollectivecausesandsharedeffects, weavesitsowngreatnessandeventualdecline.Thespiritualtruths which each keeps alive are protected, concealed and preserved by Jupiter, whose beneficence thwarts the forces that would corrupt them. He does this by unleashing tremendous cataclysms, such as those which resulted in the submersion of Atlantis, when all the gods under his leadership abandoned the earth, whose meridian thenbecameparallelwiththeeclipticofthesun. The celestial order commanded by Jupiter may be seen as the reflection of the cosmic ideation (chit) of Vishnu Narayana. The primordialutteranceoftheWordondescendinglevelsprovidesthe basis and inspiration for all sacred mantras, sovereign laws and sacrificialceremonies.TheSupremeEnergymarshalledthroughhis majesticrulershiphasitsorigininthesupernalrealmofNon‐being, in the Divine Darkness of Parabrahm. Out of this mysterious Unknown pulsates thepristine ray of the FirstLogos, followed by the akashic resonance of the Second Logos, from which the formationofthecosmiceggsurroundingmahat,theThirdLogos,is made possible. This ordered progression lays the basis for the invisible cosmos emerging from chaos. Subsequently, a more materialexpressionofchaosisemanatedthroughthedescentofthe Kumaras, and this is construed in mythic terms as the War in
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Heaven.Outofthiswarre‐emergesorderinaconcretizedform,but it is an order inversus which, from the human standpoint, must be seenasamereshadowplayofthecelestialorder. Jupiterrulesonalltheselevelsofemergentorderasthesurrogate of the sun, whom Pythagoras called his guardian. At the highest and most ethereal level, he acts on behalf of the hidden Spiritual Sun and, descending, he acts on behalf of its masks, until in the physicalworldheappearstoruleasadelegateofthevisiblesolar orb. For even on the purely physical plane there is a special relationship between Jupiter and the sun. Calculations of the thermalhistoryoftheplanetshowthatwhenitwasformed,Jupiter wastentimesbiggerthanitnowis,anditscentraltemperaturewas fifty thousand degrees Kelvin (as opposed to its present temperature of thirty thousand degrees Kelvin). Its initial brightnesswasonepercentofthatofthesun,yetnow(althoughit isbyfarthemostbrilliantsphereinoursystemapartfromthesun) it is only one‐billionth as bright. Such a remarkable history has stimulated observers to surmise that Jupiter may have originally beenanunequalpartnerinabinarystarsystemratherthanmerely aproductofthesun. Inthelastcentury,MahatmaK.H.,respondingtoenquiriesabout the satellites of Jupiter, which are two hundred and eighty‐eight times more dense than their primary, wrote that ʺthe centrifugal theory of Western birth is unable to cover all the groundʺ. Other questionsalsonotadequatelytreatedbyitarewhyJupiter,having anequatorialrotationspeedtwenty‐seventimesthatoftheearthʹs and being one‐fifth as dense as the earth, should be compressed seventeen times more than the earth at its poles. Modern science straddles these various facts, hypothesizing along the lines of a binary assumption while keeping alive more conventional explanations.Somehavethoughtthattheoriginofthegiantplanet mayindeedbelikethatofastar.Inthenebulafromwhichthesun condensed, there may have been a second region wherein the density was sufficient for matter to collapse under its own gravitation.Owingtoitslowmass(relativetothatofthesun),the
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internaltemperatureofthisnewlyformingbodyneverbecamehot enough to start nuclear fusion, leaving the mass to condense and then cool. An alternative hypothesis poses the possibility that a high‐densityironcoreinitiallyformeditselfandthencapturedpart of the nebula from which the sun was formed. The problem with thislatterhypothesisliesinthefactthatifJupiterdoespossessan ironcore,itislikelytobeverysmall,butbothhypothesesserveto explainthesimilaritythatexistsbetweenthecompositionofJupiter andthesun. If one attempts to consider the solar system as a whole, one notices that the sun is overwhelmingly larger than the planets surrounding it. In terms of the distribution of planetary mass within the system, the inner planets and their satellites comprise onlyone‐halfofonepercent,aratiowhichplacestheearthandher immediate neighbours in the ranks of near insignificance from the standpointofsize.Theremainingninety‐nineandone‐halfpercent of the planetary mass lies beyond Mars and is bound up in the giantswhoseorbitstracetheouterregionsofoursolarmicrocosm. Lookingattheentiresystem,onecansaythatdynamicallythesolar system is composed of two main bodies, the sun and Jupiter. This comes more sharply into focus when one considers that Jupiterʹs massistwicethatofalltheotherplanetsputtogether,andthough ithasonlyone‐thousandththemassofthesun,itistruly acentre untoitself. Thoughmassive,thedensityofJupiterisverylow.Itisthought that, deep inside, the planet must be composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, the only elements that could account for such a low density, given the planetary temperatures and pressures. Many believe that the hydrogen is largely in a liquid molecular form underlaid by liquid metallic hydrogen closer to a small iron silicate core. Others postulate a helium‐rich core surrounded by a dense layer abounding in metallic hydrogen. Whicheverhypothesismaybeclosertothetruth,theybothwould havetoaccommodatetheoutstandingfactthatJupiterpossessesa powerfulinternalsourceofenergyequaltotheabsorptionofsolar
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energy.Infact,Jupiterradiatestwiceasmuchenergyasitabsorbs from the sun, and its atmosphere is driven by this rather than by solarenergy.Italsohasamagneticfieldwhichisintrinsicandvery powerful. This field (which is eight times more powerful than the earthʹs) floats on top of Jupiterʹs cloud deck and becomes very distortedfurtheroutbecauseofahugebeltofplasmamadeupof hydrogen ions and electrons which surrounds and co‐rotates with the planet. This creates a magnetosphere in the shape of a huge disc, which is countered by the solar winds on the sun‐side of the planet,butelongatesinanenormousmagnetotailontheotherside which stretches as far as Saturn (that is, as far from Jupiter as Jupiter is from the sun). As the magnetic axis of this field is ten percentofffromtheplanetʹsrotationaxis,itflopsupanddownlike a broad‐brimmed summer hat in a rippling wind and casts off electrons and ions which fall through space, reaching the atmosphereofourearth. Within this powerful field circles a ring of fine rocky particles andatleastsixteensatellites.Jupitercapturescometsandasteroids into temporary satellite orbits lasting sometimes months or years, buttherearesomesatelliteswhichseemtobelong‐termmembers oftheretinue.FourofthemwerediscoveredbyGalileoin1610and were given the mythically appropriate names of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, all objects of the ardour of Zeus. Inside their orbits is another moon, Amalthea, and outside them are two groups of satellites, the outer having a retrograde direction of revolution and some of them having a black appearance. Each of Jupiterʹs satellites are remarkably different from the others. The carboniferoussoilandice,whichwasthemainprimordialmaterial formedintheouterregionsofthesolarsystem,predominateonthe surfaceofsomemoons,givingthemadarkcolour.Inothersitmay havesunkwhenheated,leavingabrightwaterylavaonthesurface, orthepresenceofsulphurmayhavegivensomeayellowcast.Itis interesting to ponder the thoughts which might have inspired Galileo to name the four he discovered as he did. Io and Europa werebothassociatedwithZeus,oneintheformofacowdoomed towander,theotherintheformofamaidabductedbyZeusinthe
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guiseofabull.Asthecow(Vach)symbolizesthepassive,generative power of Nature and the bull the active force that fecundates her, the mythical names suggest significant occult possibilities concerningtherelationshipbetweenJupiteranditssatellites. IsnottheonlyruleroftheGods Acompletetyrant,violenttoall, Respectingnone?First,beinghimselfaGod, Heburnethtoenjoyamortalmaid, Andthentormentsherwiththesewanderings. PrometheusBound Aeschylus
Jupiterʹs internally driven, rapidly rotating atmosphere is far morestablethanamoreslowlyrotatingonedrivenbythesun,like that of the earth. Owing to this stability, large‐scale changes in structure take much longer on the giant planet than on our globe. For one thing, the day and night sides of Jupiter have the same temperature.Itsenergyiscarriedtothenightsidebyrotationmuch faster than it is lost from the atmosphere. Heat coming from the surface sets up convection currents and enters the atmosphere, whereitrisesinbrightlatitudinalzonesandsubsidesinalternating darker belts. In addition to molecular hydrogen and helium, these zonesandbeltsarecomprisedofsmallparticlesoffrozenammonia, methane and possibly hydrogen sulphide in the lower layers. The tops of the bright zones extend out twenty kilometers higher than theruddy‐colouredbelts,creatingafurrowedeffect.Thesurfaceof Jupiter is completely covered with these cloudy zones and bands which whirl rapidly at varying rates. Those at the equator move faster than those at higher and lower latitudes, whilst the internal rateofmovementisdifferentfromboth.Asitdoesnothaveasolid surface which can be seen, Jupiterʹs visible features are always changing. The only permanent feature which has been observed overaperiodoftimeisagiganticcrimsonareaknownastheGreat Red Spot, which drifts at twenty‐two degrees south latitude, sometimes ahead of and sometimes behind the zones and belts of thehigherandlowerlatitudes.
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Remarkably, the Great Red Spot does not seem to be fixed to a solidsurface.Itsrotationperiodisnotconstantasitwandersovera wide range of longitude, covering more than three revolutions in the last century. This movement is in both an easterly and a westerlydirectionatamedianrateofaboutonemeterpersecond withrespecttothecloudformationsmakingupthezonesandbelts. Nor does the size of the Great Red Spot remain the same. In the early1880sitwasextremelylarge,measuringthirty‐eightthousand, fivehundredkilometerslongandthirteenthousand,eighthundred kilometerswide,asurfaceareaequaltothatoftheearth.In1878it begantowaxandbecomereallyprominentwhenitdevelopedfrom apinkovaltoabrick‐redarea.Butin1882thisstartedtofade.Since then, from time to time it has actually become almost invisible, though it could be located by its characteristic hollow, which has been recorded in drawings dating back to 1664. The spot revived forawhilein1939andwasveryprominentfrom1962to1965.But in 1966 it began to fade, becoming extremely weak until the latter part of 1968, when it suddenly began to regain its former prominence. The temperature within the Great Red Spot is lower than its surroundingsandthereseemstobelessgasaboveit.Italsoextends eight kilometers above the surrounding cloud tops, the material risinginthecentreofitandmovingoutwardtodescendattheedge inacounter‐clockwisemotion.Asitlooksandbehaveslikeagiant whirlpool, the most popular explanation of the Great Red Spot is thatitisthevortexofalong‐livedcyclone,aspeculativehypothesis whichisunsupportedbyfurtherevidence.Theobservationofsmall darkobjectswhichhavebeencarriedaroundwithintheGreatRed Spot for a week or two, before being either ejected into the surrounding clouds or swallowed up, is indeed suggestive. They swirlaroundforaweekortwolikepiecesofwoodinamaelstrom and then disappear. In January of 1966 a small dark spot was observedasitmovedalongtheedgeoftheSouthTemperateBelt.It approached the Great Red Spot on its southern side, circulated around it one and one‐half times within nine days, and disappeared.During1967foursimilarspotsappeared(twoofthem
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from the South Equatorial Belt on the north side of the Great Red Spot),whichcircledpartwayaroundthespotforaperiodoftwelve daysbeforedisappearing.Itisfascinatingtospeculateonthenature of these tiny dark bodies. From some descriptions they seem to originatewithintheGreatRedSpot,fromotherstheyseemtocome from outside it. Perhaps they represent two completely different typesofobjects. The nature of the Great Red Spot continues to be a mystery. At one time astronomers thought it was some sort of solid island floating in a dense atmosphere. Now it is recognized that a solid substance could not have a sufficiently low density to float in Jupiterʹs upper atmosphere. More recently it has been suggested thatthespotmaybethetopofacolumnoffluidcausedperhapsby a local feature of the magnetic field or by the internal convection motions. Or it may be that, after all, it is the vortex of a cyclone, which can be expected to have a very long life because of the extremely slow rate at which major changes in the circulation of Jupiterʹs atmosphere take place. But if one tries to look at this extraordinaryfeaturefromthepointofviewofancientmyths,one isledtoconsiderthepossibilitythattheGreatRedSpothastodo withimmenselypowerfulprocreativeimpulsionswhichhavebeen paralleled by its waxing and waning over the centuries. These impulsions can be seen as engendered within a body which is basically androgynous but which, nonetheless, is strongly affected by the ionosphere of Io and the perturbations caused by Europa and Ganymede in its inner magnetosphere. The great storms of radio emissions from Jupiter take place in bursts which tend to occurwhenIo(andtoalesserextentEuropa)isincertainpositions inherorbit.Theradiationreleasedintheseburstsstreamsthrough space,fecundatingitandtheotherplanetsofthesolarsystem,just asthemythicalJupiterceaselesslydoes. One can perceive a correspondencebetween the Great RedSpot andthisprocess,findinginitafusionoflingaandyoniwhichacts as a vivifying agent in some sort of parthenogenesis, whereby the subtle layers of Jupiter are impregnated and rendered capable of
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dischargingtheirseedintothecosmos.TheroleofIoandtheother satellites could be viewed as the presence of a passive (female) agent, providing elements in differing combinations and determining the flow of Jupiterʹs vivifying emissions. Or perhaps the spot is an umbilicus through which the seeds of Jovian power passfromgenerationtogeneration,circlingintobetransmittedout again. Perhaps this is what is represented, even on the physical plane, by the tiny dark spots that appear and disappear in and around the swirling vortex. Voyager I and II gave us spectacular pictures and insights into many of Jupiterʹs mysteries. The spacecraftGalileo,whichistobelaunchedinOctober1989,should drop a probe into the giant planetʹs atmosphere in late 1995 and maywellprovideevidencerelevanttothesecorrespondences. There are, however, even more mysterious phenomena which impingeupontheoccultinterpretationofJupiteranditsGreatRed Spot. Mahatma K.H. once observed that, though the relative distancebetweenplanetsisfairlyconstant,ourentiresolarsystem isshiftingitspositioninspace.Thisshift,whichisrelativetostars andothersuns,seemsimperceptibletous,butinthefutureJupiter andcertainotherplanetswhichnowconcealmillionsofstarsfrom ourviewwillsuddenlyʺletushaveapeepatafewoftheRaja‐Suns they are now hidingʺ. He went on to explain that behind Jupiter thereisaʹking‐starʹthatnomortaleyehasseenduringthisFourth Round. The Raja‐Star is a world thousands of times larger than Jupiter, even though, if we could see it, it would appear as a tiny dimensionless point. It is composed of metallic substances which are expanding and transforming themselves into aeriform fluids, whichwasthestateofourearthanditssixsisterglobesbeforethe First Round. Referring to the great Jovian storms, Mahatma K.H. pointed out that ʺthe violent disturbance of its [Jupiterʹs] atmosphere, and even its red spot that so intrigues science lately, are due (1) to that shifting [of the whole system] and (2) to the influenceofthatRaja‐Starʺ. As all systems are revolving in the universe, so also relative motionsandfactorsofdistancewouldindeedmakecertainbodies
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visibleorinvisibleatdifferenttimes.IftheRaja‐Starinfluencesthe activityofJupiterandwecanassociatethisactivitywithamighty hidden creative power related to the Word, the occult position of Jupiterrelativetooursunneedstobefurtherscrutinized.Inorder to do this, let us approach the subject through the journey of the human soul as it comes into the rulership represented by Jupiter. Overcoming trishna or craving in the battlefield associated with Mars, the immortal soul comes into the region of a necessary rulership over the lower nature (elements), which is an embodiment of cosmic justice and law. This releases the forces of JupiteractinginSagittariusandbringstolightthehiddentruthsof religion, philosophy and science as well as concerning the latent psychic powers of humanity. When individuals come under the directinfluenceofJupiter,theimmortalsoulpassesintoSagittarius, where it gathers up the fruits of its past and submits them to the ʹsynthetic influenceʹ of the ruler of this sign. Sagittarius represents theninthstageofthesoulʹsodyssey.ItisoppositeGeminiand,like that earlier phase, marks a germinal point in soul evolution. The egohasassimilatedalltheexperiencesoftheouterworldandnow begins to derive from namarupa, the lower vesture, the seeds of a permanentastralforthepilgrimageahead. The Promethean fire of Fohat is reflected in Sagittarius as a mighty weapon for the rending of the walls that surround the separative self. The Word can now be intoned not merely to proliferateouterworlds,asinthepast,butevenmoretopiercethe membrane surrounding inner worlds, to penetrate the wall of Ledaʹs egg and enter into the etheric realm of the radiant cosmic egg. In this way, one may see the Great Red Spot as an aperture openingontoanetherealworld.Oneopensahiddendoorwayand, gazing up, sees great clouds rising above the Himalayas and realizes that they are the true Himalayas. One observes the ever‐ shifting atmosphere of Jupiter and its travelling Red Spot and becomesawarethatformandsubstancearemerelytheelementsof change hiding deeper quintessential realities. Rulership does not havetodowithrobes,thoughtheemperorwithoutthemmayfind it difficult to rule in the material world. Rulership has to do with
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trueauthorityoverthosewhoactasmoralagents.Assoonasone grasps this fact, one can readily see that the rulership of Jupiter does not require power or force, but rather the steady emission of akashiccurrentsbearingforthDivineLawthroughtheagenciesof allinalignmentwithit. JustasthereisacorrelationbetweentheWordandimpregnation atalllevels,sotoothereisacorrelationbetweenthecosmiceggand theovumfertilizedonthephysicalplane.Drawingawayfromthe physical aspects of procreation and even the mythic exploits of a creative god, one can move into the supernal realm of the sacred Word, into the fecund region of the egg which is indeed consubstantialwithoneʹsgerminatingpermanentastral.Inseeking thismysticalinitiation,thesoulslipsthroughthedooroftheGreat RedSpotandentersintothepresenceofatrulyregalJupiter,whose auriclightisapristinereflectionoftheSpiritualSun.Andwhatis the role of the Raja‐Star in this initiation? Will it then reveal its radiance? Will it cast our physical sun in shadow? Perhaps the mysticblueofthecosmiceggwillsuggesttheanswer,fortheauric light of the hidden Jupiter encompasses an ethereal realm and yet reflects the divine light of daiviprakriti which lies beyond. Our physicalsunisthefierymaskofthehiddensun.Inoursystemitis thegloriousfacadeofaninfinitenoumenalsourceofspirituallife. Similarly,theRaja‐StaristheresplendentmaskoftheHiddenSun, amasksomuchlargerandmorebrilliantthanourownsunthatits sphere of influence must be far greater than that belonging to our solar orb. The demiurgic quality of rulership is pinpointed in Jupiter, suggesting that the Raja‐Star acts as an ancient focal point for the exercise of divine sovereignty over the cosmos. Standing behindJupiteryetinvisibletoearthlings,thismassivestarmustact as a channel through which unheard utterances and vibrations resonate in space and, vivifying its representative in our solar system,aretransmittedinJovianstormstoalltheotherplanets. The supreme virtues of wise judgement and benevolent will belonging to Jupiter can stimulate the higher, expansive mind of human beings and illuminate the lesser mental vesture even now,
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inthedawningAquarianAgepresidedoverbyPunarvasu(Pollux). Itisnotnecessarytowaittheimmensityoftimerequiredbeforeour shiftingsystemrevealstheRaja‐Starinordertogazeuponitslight. JustasitbeamsuponthematerialJupiterandinfluencesitsimpact upon our solar system, so too the higher intellect of men and women can become suffused with ineffable light streaming from ovoidsystemsfargreaterandmoreetherealthancanbeimagined bythefinitemind.Thispristinelightwilltransmititselftothelesser vestures, not in explosive bursts necessitated by the imbalances in theouterworldofthemaleandfemaleforcesoperatinginNature, but in harmonious currents blessing every level of being. This divineharmonyisasublimereflectionofthesacredWordmanifest asuniversallaw.Itisaccompaniedsometimeswithwordsthatheal andteach,sometimeswiththedeepestsilencethatcansootheand save. It is the balancing intonation of the most beneficent mantras anditisthemysticpeaceofunspokenwisdom.Itisrevealedtothe regenerate soul ready for supreme initiation, yet concealed from thosewhopersistinseeingonlyJupiterʹsouterrobes. To the enlightened individual who comes to know that power and force are but the lowest outer garbs of divine will, the secret and sovereign wisdom of Jupiter may be intimated. The scattered knowledge garnered through myriad incarnations will be sifted andsynthesizedtoproduceanunadornedandessentialrealization of Self, enabling one to perceive the true nature of the cosmos withinitsegg.FortheeggofJupiteroutlinestheperimeterofthat Self in its grandest and most unconditioned expression in the manifest world. Relative to the world, it is ceaselessly expansive, ceaselessly compassionate and creative of harmony. Relative to man‐madelawandmundaneconceptsofjustice,itisthesupreme spiritualauthoritycapableofembracingallrelationships,allevents andsituationsandresolvingtheminagreatersymmetry.
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Nottoriseinglory Orexercisepower DoIapproachthythrone. Notwithpractisedword Orprayerforsalvation DoIstrivetotouchthyrobe. Butwithheartwideopen, Eyesundimmedbyform, Imakeobeisancetotheinvisible GarmentofDivineLaw Manifestedinthygrace.
Hermes,April1989 HelenValborg
SATURN Theappearanceofthewheelsandtheirworkwaslikeuntothecolourof beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their workwasasitwereawheelinthemiddleofawheel. Ezekiel1:16
Neither in the measureless expanse of space nor in the celestial vault of oneʹs imagination is there a more alluring emblem of strength and mystery than the mighty rings of Saturn. Wheels within wheels whirl around the huge and remote planet. They glissadeincirclingstreamsoficyperfection,addressingthemindʹs earwithafaint,mournfulchorusevocativeofotherworldsbeyond deathandtime.Thewholeuniverseisagreatwheelandthepower of life surging through it moves in wheels infinitely begetting offspring.ButthepristineringscirclingtheshroudedSaturnseem toexemplifytheveryideaofthiscosmicprocess.Remoteandself‐ contained,theyaremorelikeanidealexpressionofabstractcosmic motionthanasystemexplicableintermsofphysicallaws.Andthe planetintheirmidstthatpresideswithintheenvelopeof icyhaze rules inexorably, allowing no flaw or slippage in the assemblage swirlingaroundit. If Uranus lies beyond in its representation of celestial space, Saturn signifies Kronos or time in what seems an idealized realm outsidetheworldofmaterializedforms.Movinginwardstowards thesolarcentre,Jupiteroverbroodstheorganizationofanordered cosmos, and his offspring, Mars and Venus, interact actively and passively in this development, accompanied by the transcendent neutrality of Mercury. A great spiralling inwards to the physical sunisenactedinthiscosmology,onewhichisaccompaniedbyan equally vast spiralling outwards, an involution and evolution circling about one another like theoverlapping colours flashing in and out around the disc of a rapidly spinning top. This breathing out and breathing in is summed up in the essence of time, in duration,whichistheveryfabricofSaturn,thethroneuponwhich
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Kronos rules. Such duration gives birth to sequential time whilst remaining aloof from it. Things participating in timeless time are never new or old. They float changelessly in the great stream of beinglikeundimmedglimpsesoftruths.Theyareoftenembodied in myths, like that which tells of the cosmogony from which Kronos,sonofGaiaandOuranos,firstemanatedontothestageof anincipientworld. Inhispoeticprose,HesiodrecordedhowErebos(Night)emerged outofChaosasafieldbearingErosandGaia,whointurnbecamea field fecundated by the vast space of Ouranos. Gaia and Ouranos produced several generations of offspring: Titans, Kyklopes and monsters.ThemonstersweresorepellentthatOuranoscontinually pushedthembackintotheirmother,whobecameoverwhelmedby the pressure and devised an evil plan to put an end to their conception. Out of her matrix she assembled the precursory elements of flint in the shape of a sickle and instructed her titanic offspringtodoviolencetoOuranosbycuttingawaythemeansby whichhefertilizedher.OftheTitans,Kronosagreedtoperformthis surgical act and he watched as the blood of his fatherʹs wound splashed upon Gaia, bringing forth Furies and giants. Then it was that Kronos began his reign, one which witnessed a golden age when immortal souls lived free from sorrow, experiencing neither afflictionnorageing.Later,intheAgeofZeus,thesesoulswouldbe known as the Blessed Spirits who watch over mortal men and defendthemfromevil. Theykeepwatchoverlawsuitsandharddealings;theymantle themselves in dark mist and wander all over the country; they bestowwealth;forthisrightasofkingswasgiventhem. WorksandDays Hesiod
ThereignofKronoswasoneofendlessdurationandcouldnever havebeenconsideredintermsofapasttenseifhisoffspringZeus hadnotrebelledagainsthimandusheredintheeraofconditioned timeandspaceasweknowit.ButthedurationofKronosdoesnot implythatwhichknowsnolimits.TheancientEgyptiansidentified
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Saturnastheplanetoflimitation,callinghisrulerSeb,guardianof the entrance to the underworld, son of Shu and image of Ra. As KronosorSeb,Saturnrepresentstherecognitionoftheinsufficiency of any temporal order. He is restless with it and exhibits a divine discontent in its presence. Human beings, combining in their natures the characteristics of all the planets and their gods, also suffer from this restlessness and discontent. Often the form this takesislessthandivineandcomestobeexpressedcollectively,asit doesintheSaturnaliascelebratedundervariousnamesbypeoples everywhere. They involve a breaking away from the Jovian constraintsofman‐madeorder,aritualassassinationofthekingor the Establishment, which is replaced by a ʺLord of Misruleʺ or an ʺAbbot of Unreasonʺ. Such farcical rulers preside over a brief and intense period of chaos during which manʹs desperate quest for a way out of time pours forth in a wild and carefree indulgence in excesses unmarred by clocks or caution. One cannot but think of Brazilʹsdesperatelypoorwho,facedwithnaughtbuthardshipand squalor, yet scrimp and save all year to buy fabulous costumes to wear for their moment of liberation and glory during carnival. In ancient times the Saturnalia was celebrated during the winter solstice,whentherewasasuspensionoftimebetweenthedeathof the old year and the rebirth of the new. These were twelve days mirroring that dawn of time during which the idea of the dodecahedron, the zodiac and the earthʹs twelve‐month cycle gestated. It was the time of chaos before cosmos when Saturn reignedsupreme. Fortheevolutionofthehumansoul,Saturnasrulerofthesignof Capricornrepresentsthegestatorystagewhereintheembryoofthe newly enlightened man is developed. A death of the old precedes this,bringingthesoulthroughthecycleofitsinvolvementwiththe feminineprincipleassociatedwiththeearthandmortality.Saturnʹs colour, black, and his emblem, the sarcophagus, accompany the soulasitemulatestheplanetarygodʹsinvolvementinthefeminine principle.Theliberationsoughtbythesoulfromthethralloftime andformoccursinthatsarcophagus,whichalonecaneatawaythe flesh of illusory existence. In the Hindu tradition it is Shiva who
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personifiesthisfunction,anduponcomparisonitbecomesapparent that many of the attributes ascribed to Kronos are similar to those associated with the Mahayogin of the Hindu pantheon. Shiva can easily be identified asthe god of Time by merely noticing that his damaru (drum) is in the shape of an hourglass. And the crescent moon on his brow reveals his association with the feminine principle in Nature as well as with the sickle which cuts eternity into hours and yet becomes the tool in the hands of the Good Gardener. In the Orphic tradition, Kronos was called the Insolent (ΰβριστικός), corresponding to the Sanskrit rajasa. Shiva is ever knownforhistemerityintheeyesoftheothergods.Heisbrazen and shows little concern for the conventional proprieties which uphold the hierarchical order of things. He is also capable of severity,aswellasthestarkmercilessnesssotenaciouslyidentified with Saturn by multitudes of people all over the world. There is always an unsettling and awesome aspect to Shiva, and Hindus seem to isolate this aspect of hisnature in their worship of Saturn whilecircumambulatingthestatuesofthenineplanetarygods.The image of Saturn is always black and receives a good deal of attention from priests as well as devotees. A great deal of supplication and placation goes into their worship, accompanied withchantsofmantrastoprovideprotectionagainstharshkarma.It maybeacknowledgedthattheyhavethemselvessowntheseedsof thiskarma,buttheystillbelievethatitisSaturnʹssicklewhichwill reap its unwanted fruit. Thus Shiva‐Saturn is worshipped out of fear and is associated with the Iron Age or kali yuga, the colour blackanddeath.EvenintheSemitictraditionitwassaidthatʺGod hathputagirdleabouthisloins(theringsofSaturn),andthename ofthegirdleisdeath.ʺ In man the girdle of death is the body and its two lower principles,allofwhichareboundtodie.Hewhowearsthegirdleis immortal and, if he only knew it, at one with the deity whose character seems so threatening. The old Assyrians put their finger on this when they recognized Saturn as a solar deity called Nirig,
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ʺwhoissuedforthfromtheshadesofnightʺbearingthecharacterof a warrior, whose warfare is directed against man rather than against the powers of darkness, as one would expect in a typical solar hero. The Egyptians too recognized Saturn as the planetary rulerthroughwhosecriticalstagetheevolvingsoulmustpass,and whereineachofitsvesturesaretestedandsorelytriedʺthatnaught shallmartheexquisitebeautyofthekinglygarmentwhichisbeing woven on the looms of timeʺ. It is at this juncture that Saturn as Shiva enlists the army of the Rudras as destroyers of the human passions and senses which are ever in the way of higher spiritual perceptionsandthegrowthoftheinnerman.Thisiswhatismeant when it is said that Kronos takes the kingdoms by violence. He doesthisnotblindlyorinarage,butcoollywiththesharpswordof mind. For he is what Plato called the great dianoetic power of the intellectualuniversewhorulesoverthenoeticpartofthesoul.He representsmahat,whoseseedwillproliferateatmyriadlevelsand inmultitudinousformsinwhichhewillcontinuetoreign,evenin theAgeofZeus. PlatodepictedtheGoldenAgeasanerainwhichnomanruled over others, but one in which all of the Third Race were ruled by devasandrishis.Ruledbygods,thesemenweredemigodslivingat peace with one another, mingling freely with the gods and conversing intelligibly with animals. When Zeus dethroned his father and the Golden Age came to an end, ʺa shudder passed throughtheworldatthereversingofitsrotation,checkedasitwas betweentheoldcontrolandthenewimpulsewhichhadturnedend intobeginningforitandbeginningintoendʺ.Afterthisgreatshift, theworldcontinuedinaneworderinwhichitgoverneditselfby innateforce,andtheʺshepherdkingsʺoftheAgeofKronosretired. But this was not the end of the involvement of Kronos, for, like Shiva, this presiding deity of the wheels entered, through his perpetualmotion,intothemanifestingactivityofeveryatomofthe gradually concretizing universe. That which is highest and most abstract thus became the very engine of what is lowest and most particularized. The aloof and mysterious ruler of timeless illumination became involved in the blackest and densest forms.
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The alchemists understood something about this when they assertedthattheirSaturnorleadwasamuchnoblersubstancethan gold. They said it was the living earth, in which the soul of gold was joined to mercury in order to bring forth the human race. In Shiva this self‐imposed abasement results in clarification and an assertion of detachment free of complex structures. The order defining lead and gold is reduced to its essential germ of mind in motion.Thelowestismadetoclarifythehighestandthehighestis laidbare. Ishvararesidesineverymortalbeingandputsinmotion,byhis supernaturalpower,allthingswhichmountonthewheeloftime. BhagavadGitaXVIII.61
Inoneofherletters,H.P.Blavatskystatedthateachoftheseven planets of our chain has a dual septenary circle of rings, seven above and seven below, ʺSaturn being the only half frank and sincere planet in this caseʺ. Perhaps examining some of the characteristics of the physical planet might further elucidate this remarkable statement as well as some of the mythical and cosmogonicalcorrelationswhichhavebeenconsideredsofar.Very generally speaking, Saturn bears a resemblance to Jupiter but is somewhat smaller, more flattened and possesses less prominent cloud markings. The yellowish and tan belts are disturbed by occasional bright and dark spots, but they are covered by a thick overlayinghaze.Theplanethasthelowestmeandensityofanyin oursolarsystem.Aboutnine‐tenthsthediameterofJupiterinsize, Saturnhasonlyone‐thirditsmassandone‐halfitsdensity.Thisis explained by a composition made up of over eighty‐eight percent molecular hydrogen and probably about eleven percent helium. Thereisverylittlerockymaterialandeventheinteriorisbelieved tobehydrogenrich.LikeJupiter,Saturnemitstwicetheamountof heatitreceivesfromthesun,thoughithasnotretainedenoughof theheataccumulatedduringitsformationtoaccountforit.Instead, itisthoughtthatastheplanetslowlycools,theamountofhelium which can be dissolved in hydrogen decreases and the heavier excessdriftsinward.Astheymovetowardsthecentreoftheplanet,
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the helium droplets release gravitational energy, producing a steadysourceofheatwhichthenradiatesoutward. Saturnʹs rings have something in common with those belonging totheothergiantsoftheoutersolarsystem.Theylieclosetotheir parent,arecentredontheequatorialplaneoftheplanet,andhavea numberofmoonsormoonletsaccompanyingthem.Buttheringsof these otherplanets cannot compare with Saturnʹs in terms of their size, density and definition. Clearly, its rings are Saturnʹs most outstanding characteristic, lending the planet its compelling presence in the heavens and its uniqueness. Whilst its three major ringsalonemeasuretwohundredandseventythousandkilometres in annular width (three‐quarters of the distance from the earth to our moon), all of Saturnʹs rings are only a few hundred metres thick, giving them a relative thickness which would be thousands of times thinner than razor‐thin. They are made up of particles of ice, or material covered with ice, and range in size from a few centimetrestoafewdecametres.Togethertheycircletheplanetlike hailstones ranging from the size of a ping‐pong ball to that of a house.Sevenringshavebeenidentifiedbylettersaccordingtothe orderoftheirdiscovery.TheclosesttotheplanetisthefaintDring, thenthefairlyopaqueCring,followedbythebrilliantBring,with its narrow annular regions of differing brightness and opacity lookinglikegroovesonaphonographrecord.TheBringistwenty‐ five thousand kilometres wide and has numerous variations occurringoverradialdistancesassmallastenkilometres,someof whichappearasspokesinagreatwheel.BeyondtheBringiswhat isknownasCassiniʹsDivision,whichisonlyrelativelyemptyand hastheopacityoftheCring.ThencomestheAringwithEnckeʹs Divisioninitscentre,theFringwhichisnarrowandfaint,having thread‐likeringletswhichtendtobraidandtwist,theGringwhich is broader but equally faint, and finally the E ring which is very dispersed. Together the rings cast a black band of shadow on the planet, seeming to extend the annular effect right into its hazy envelope. And as all the large rings consist of hundreds or thousands of ringlets, this comprises a spectacular pattern of rapidlyrevolvingmotion.
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The existence of so many ringlets has puzzled observers and inspiredvarioustheories.Oneideaascribeseachtoasmallsatellite contained in it from which its particles are broken off by bombardment. Another hypothesis suggests that they are defined by two small shepherd satellites (like those associated with the F ring) which move on either side of the ringlets and exert periodic gravitationalinfluencesuponthem,causingtheirbraiding,butalso keeping their particles from dissipating. This, like the first hypothesis, has never been confirmed, but it does focus on the importance of the many moonlets and satellites revolving around Saturnandsomeofthesignificantconnectionstheymayhavewith therings.TheoutermostbodytraditionallyassociatedwithSaturn as a satellite is Phoebe, which has a retrograde orbit and is very highlyinclined.Movinginwardtowardstheplanetlietheorbitsof Iapetus,Hyperion,thegiantTitan,Tethys,Dione,Rhea,Enceladus andMimas,pluseightmorediscoveredbyVoyager1andVoyager 2.Thistotalnumberofseventeenshouldprobablybeadjusted.By subtractingtheretrogradePhoebe,oneeliminatesfromthesystem whatisbelievedtobeacapturedinterplanetarybodywhoseorbitis sofaroutfromtheplanetthatitsinfluenceuponitisminimal.Such anadjustmentreducesthenumberofSaturnʹssatellitestosixteen,a symbolically more suggestive number in line with Saturnʹs occult nature. Theextremelylowdensityofthesatellitessuggeststhattheyare at least two‐thirds ice formed from water, which is the major constituent produced when accretion takes place at low temperatures. Because of this, most of them are extremely bright and,insomecases,lendtheirbrightnesstotheringinwhichthey areorbiting.ItissupposedthatwhenSaturnʹsenvelopeformed,the planetʹs atmosphere extended into the region now occupied by its rings and innermost moons. The theory follows that, while the particles accreting in the envelope must have orbited the planet, theirrandommotionscausedthemtocollide.Theheatandlossof energy resulting from this would decrease their vertical motion. Faster moving inner particles would hit the outer particles from behind, causing a transfer of momentum which would raise the
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orbitoftheouterparticles,whilstloweringthatoftheinner.Thus the envelope would spread horizontally, forming the flat disc characteristic of Saturnʹs rings. But it would be premature to assume that the satellites were responsible for the development of the rings. Observing giant nebulasover a vast period of time may verywellrevealthepresenceofenormousringsystemsexpanding beforecontractingintheinitialformationofglobes.Thiscentrifugal and centripetal effect is echoed in the remarkable spokes which appear and disappear in Saturnʹs brilliant B ring. Each can be observedforagoodpartofanorbitalrevolutionoftheBring(ten hours), and new spokes arise sporadically in new locations as the old ones disappear. As they form, they appear as bright forward‐ scatteredlightanddarkback‐scatteredlight,givingtheeffectofan in‐and‐out movement. In their inner sections the wedge‐shaped spokes move faster, so that they eventually become tilted and unrecognizable. The positions of new ones seem to be coupled to the planetʹs magnetic field and to electrical discharges streaming from the planet which are hundreds of thousands of times more powerfulthanlightningintheearthʹsatmosphere. It seems likely that the spokes are caused by a rain of charged material from the planet, which transfers an electric charge to micrometre‐size particles and lifts them from the surface of larger particles. If so, the lifted particles would then be recaptured when they later collided with other large particles. The activity here seems to involve the continual sculpting of matter into globular form and its eternal refinement through the effects of centrifugal force.Theothercircularformwhichisbeingcontinuallysculptedis the edge of the rings themselves. Saturnʹs many moons, orbiting inside and outside the rings, exert gravitational influences on the particlescomposingthemandmarshalelectromagneticforcesfrom the field in which they all rotate. Such resonances produce the narrow ringlets with sharp edges which make up the major rings. Shepherd moons also act to keep their swirling streams well defined, with the result that their energies are contained and concentrated. Jupiterʹs rings are far more diffused than Saturnʹs, their particles and attendant effects spreading out through space
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continually.EliphasLeviwrotethatJupiter,asagentofthesun,is the risen and glorious saviour, whereas Saturn is God the Father, from whom Jupiter takes his model. Thus the bright, well‐defined rings of Saturn come to represent far more than a fascinating physical phenomenon. They symbolize the contained potential of perpetual motion representing mahat, the concentrated design whichrevealsaglimpseofthecosmicpatterntounfold. TheyarealsocalledRotae—themovingwheelsofthecelestial orbs participating in the worldʹs creation — when the meaning referstotheanimatingprincipleofthestarsandplanets;forinthe Kabala, they are represented by the Ophanim, the Angels of the Spheresandstars,ofwhichtheyaretheinformingSouls. TheSecretDoctrine,i117
In his vision, Ezekiel saw rings so high that he was filled with dread. They were full of eyes, ʺfor the spirit of the living creature wasinthewheelʺ.AteachcornerofthisMerkabahwasoneofthe fourfacesofthearchangelMichael,whomH.P.Blavatskyidentified as the ʺLiving Image of Godʺ, the Dragon‐Regent of Saturn. His four faces are the Four Maharajas connected with karma as it prepares to utilize matter to carry out its decrees. They are called the ʺwinged Globesʺ or ʺFiery Wheelsʺ, the ʺfiery Serpents of Heavenʺ who are ʺthe prototypic causes and builders of all the heavenly orbs which were their visible bodies or coverings and of whichtheywerethesoulsʺ.Inthefirstdivineworld,Fohatformed the germs of the lesser wheels. These wheels were placed in six directions with one in the centre. An army of the Sons of Light stoodateachanglewiththeLipikaatthecentre.Next,Fohatbuilta winged wheel at each corner of the second divine world, which wheels are reflected in the four times four satellites of Saturn and arethefourfacesofthelivingimageofGod,thespiritoftheplanet. After this, seven laya centres were created as foundations of the manifesting universe, and they were built in the likeness of the older wheels. In these descending wheels, echoes of the arcane Word, which first engendered abstract absolute Motion, are given flesh. The wheels turn within wheels, sifting and meting out the causesandeffectsofkarmaateverylevel,inexorablyseparatingthe
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wheat from the chaff, eternally refining out the essence which reflectsthecoreofthewheelitself. GautamaBuddhaassistedthisprocesswhenhegaveaturntothe universalwheelofLaw,bringingdownthelightfromitscentreinto the world. By conducting the flame of Truth out to the rim of the wheel,heincreasedtherotarymovementofterrestriallife.Karmais thus quickened and human beings feel the heat as everything becomes stirred up. The diffuse rings of Jupiter represent a centrifugal proliferation of the Law in the ordered cosmos, whilst therigidlydefinedringsofSaturnsymbolizethearchetypalpattern and process that will be replicated ad infinitum through this proliferation.Therimsofallthesecountlesswheelsaredividedinto sectors, which are phases of time anticipated by the mysterious spokes appearing on Saturnʹs B ring. These spokes provide the channelswherebybeingsevolvingalongtheperipheryofthewheel cancometorealizethesourceofthewholewheel,thestillcentrein whichtheUnmovedMoverresides. Here in this realm of eternal duration abides the source of the pattern which endures throughout the vast and seemingly measureless cycle of a mahamanvantara. The pattern of wheels or ringsthusexemplifiesdurationinthemanifestcosmosandfindsits fullestexpressioninthevisibleplanetofSaturn.Inthestillcentreof the pattern, Shiva enacts his great tandava dance, the circling reverberations of which cycle out into manifest existence to exact fromallformsanallegiancetohisarchetypalmodel.For fromthe awakening of Kosmos, primordial matter tends ever increasingly towards a circular motion reflecting his dance, and all existing things are bound up in it. But it is Shiva who destroys the dying formsclutchingtotherimofthewheel,whichrepresentstheouter world. He is the Implacable Devourer so dreaded by those who fearfullysupplicatethegodSaturn.Heis,liketheEgyptianAames, the electro‐positive force devouring all others, forcing the abandonment of insufficient forms one after another. Shiva, like Kronos,isrestlessintimebecauseheisneversatisfiedwithworldly forms or orders accommodating the conditional features of
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incarnatedexistence.Noneoftheseordersarecapableofexpressing and embodying the whole. All are like shapes with corners and lumps and tortuous little divisions attempting to call themselves circles.NonearetruemirrorsoftheinexorablewheelofLaw,and sotheymustwhirlthroughtheirlives,collidinglikeoddlyshaped particles until they are sculpted into spheroids or blasted into oblivion. Just like the particles in Saturnʹs rings, even the idea of such orders must be ever refined. For like Kronos, who devoured all his children, Shiva demands a return to the simplicity of being before generation, to the Golden Age when human beings were trulyspheroidalinconsciousnessandform. Suchareturnisfrighteningtomostpeoplebecauseitnecessitates an abandonment of all the accoutrements of the separate self and evenofthehopethatspringsthereof.Fewarewillingandcapable ofattemptingtodothis.ButtheunappeasabledynamismofShiva will not be denied, and the realization of this necessity will come either by choice or through the unending collisions brought about bykarmalifeafterlife.ThecircleofflamesaroundShivaNataraja burnsawaythetemporalformsandhopeswesodesperatelycling to.Buddhasaidthattheworldwaslikeaburninghouseandsoitis, onefromwhicheventhemostreluctantordefiantindividualcomes to seek an escape. The Saturnalias of the world offer but brief respite from the grinding wheels of time and souls become gradually filled with divine discontent. Thus, even into the sarcophagusoflifeShiva‐Kronosentersandafflictsthecomplacent withlongingswhilestrippingthehopefuloffalsehopes.Theflesh of sensory existence is thus eaten slowly away, and individuals cometoglimpsethenatureoftheanandatandava,thecosmicprocess of creation and dissolution which is going on ceaselessly in the centreofthewheel.Therethemayaoftheworldisstrippedaway, bypassed, as it were. For the tiruvasi flame surrounding Shiva is thatmayawhichmustbepenetratedinordertomoveupalongthe spokesleadingtothepranavainitsmidst.Hereatthestillcentreall worlds are connected, and one sees that the little wheel of an individuallifeisreallyareflectionofwheelssomuchgranderand all‐encompassing that the hold previously exacted by the smaller
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wheel is loosened. One becomes gradually freed to participate consciouslyinwheelsshepherdedbybeingsoffargreaterwisdom andpowersthanhithertoimaginedpossible. Saturn thus regards all other than the immortal soul with indifference, arising from the knowledge that all else is illusion. This seems cold and saturnine to those cleaving to the world. It promisesdeathtoallephemerainsteadofjoyinlifeʹsmyriadforms. But there is no denying that manʹs fondest pleasures reflect a longingtobefreefromtimeandthemediocredrudgeryofday‐to‐ day existence. Human beings crave the intense moment of escape, the fleeting sense of omnipotence, bliss and transcendence that comestothemonlyforaninstant.Ifonepondersthisdeeply,one maybegintorealizethataslongasmanfleesthedrudgeryoftime to embrace the intensity of the timeless, he is, in fact, courting a formofdeathofwhichheis,quiteparadoxically,afraid.Butthere are many steps between entertaining such an idea and coolly confronting the ferociously uncompromising elimination of the obstaclestowisdomrepresentedbySaturn.Thethreadisthere,for it is the same ferocious power of involvement, such as demonstratedbythepleasureseeker,thatcomesintoplaywhenan individualturnstotheuncompromisingeliminationsofobstaclesto wisdom.Thepowerwhichturnsthewheelsofinvolutionalsoturns the wheels of evolution. This is why Shiva is both creator and destroyer, and in the perpetual motion of his rings the seeming conflict between total involvement and total withdrawal is resolved.Itisthusthathe,likeSaturn,isthehighestandthelowest, thepureunsulliedMahayoginandtheunrestrainedmadmanofthe world. Heislikethespinningplanet,soglacialandaloofintheheavens and yet so vitally active in every atom of our bodies. Between his cool centre and the pounding blood flaming through our vestures whirl wheels within wheels ‐ all his, all belonging to him and capable of being used to mount to his dwelling place. Like the spinning top whose colours appear to be moving in and out, man can slowly come to balance the variations, the involution and
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evolution,inhismicrocosmicbeing.Graduallyhecanpenetratethe glissading rings surrounding Saturnʹs remote throne and lend himselfinservicetotheperpetualdesignofmahat.Quietlyandin silence he can transcend the pairs of opposites and arrive at that ring beyond which naught exists except a fading echo of the One Wheelʹsvastturning. Beforesunsandplanetstherewerewheels... Vastringsspiralling,unstopped; WhirlingroundthethroneofHim OfwhomSaturnformsasplendidmirror.
Hermes,May1989 HelenValborg
URANUS Heavʹnopʹndwide HereverduringGates,Harmonioussound OngoldenHingesmoving,toletforth TheKingofGlorieinhispowerfulWord AndSpiritcomingtocreatenewWorlds. Onheavʹnlygroundtheystood,andfromtheshore TheyviewʹdthevastimmeasurableAbyss OutrageousasaSea,dark,wasteful,wilde, Upfromthebottomturnʹdbyfuriouswindes Andsurgingwaves,asMountainstoassault Heavʹnshigh,andwiththeCentremixthePole. JohnMilton
Aglimpseaffordedoftheboundless,aglimmerthroughtheveil of words, and one embarks upon a poetʹs voyage into space. One journeys to what the old Greeks called οὐρανοῦ, ʹheaven gateʹ, ʺwhich the hours lift and put down like a trap doorʺ. And yet words but touch the hem of that measureless robe extending beyond.Chaosmaybedescribedasaʹyawningʹ,butwhatphrases might usher forth upon the exhalation that is bound to follow it? Whatcombinationofsymbolicutterancescouldconveythetimeless nature of celestial space breathed out from that abyss? A name wouldgive toitlimitations,butfiniteminds,gropingtowardsthe infinite,marktheirvoyagewithsuch,deifyingthatwhosemystery lies beyond their ken. And so it is that boundless space becomes bothheavenandGod,UranusorOuranos,anamewhichinvokesa formless being whose presence persists as a backdrop for the generationsofmoretangibledeitiestocome. The notion of a backdrop may be traced in a cognate term, οὐραῖος(ouraios),whichmeansʹhindmostʹorʹtherearʹ.Thismaybe seen as an appropriate designation of that which is ontologically anterior to subsequent activity. Taken by itself, the word ouranos
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simply describes the ʹvault or firmament of heavenʹ, which the ancient Greeks believed to be continually revolving and carrying around the stars which were fixed in it. They regarded this as an attributeofOuranos,theirprimarytheogonicdeity–averypassive andremote‐seemingattributeofagodwhowasneverworshipped and infrequently spoken of, except as an ancestor of Kronos and Zeus. Seeking to learn more of his veiled nature, scholars have pursued possible connections with other words such as οὐρον (ouron), which means ʹurineʹ and evokes for some the idea of heavenly rain. Others have gone further afield and tried to find a relationshipbetweentheIndo‐Europeanrootur,connectingupthe first element and the Ural Mountains with Uranus. A sounder approach is simply to trace ouranos back to the Sanskrit root var, whichmeansʹtoveilʹorʹtocoverʹ.Indoingthis,onepinpointsthe essential similarity as well as the etymological kinship that exists between Ouranos and the Vedic god Varuna. One thus acquires a conception permitting a deeper insight into the idea of space as dealt with in the myths of both the Hellenic and the Vedic traditions. One can easily think of the vault of heaven ascovering theearth,butonemayalsoapproachtheideafromtheotherway around and consider what may lie beyond the heavenly veil. Ouranosiscelestialspaceoutofwhichthedurationrepresentedby Saturnemerges.Thus,heisnotmerelytheveilbutthatwhichhas the power to veil, a distinction that places him well above the functionofahoveringgodwhosereleaseofheavenlyrainfructifies motherearth. Long before the Golden Age of Greece, Hesiod recorded the popularcosmology.InthebeginningtherefirstcameChaos,tobe followed by Gaia ʹof the Broad Breastʹ who would be the foundation. ʺButʺ, he wrote, ʺGaiaʹs first‐born was one who matchedhereverydimension,Ouranos,thestarrysky,tocoverher all over, to be an unshakeable standing‐place for the blessed immortals.ʺ A more ancient cosmology told of a different order. AccordingtotheOrphictraditionwithwhichHomerwasfamiliar and whose traces can be found in the Iliad, the beginning was witnessedbyUncreatedNyx(ʹNightʹ),whichexistedfirstasagreat
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black‐wingedbirdhoveringoveravastdarknessʺwithoutformor voidʺ. Though unmated, this bird laid an egg from which golden‐ winged Eros flew forth, while Ouranos and Gaia issued from its shell. Together, Ouranos and Gaia became the first parents, bringing into being Okeanos and Tethys (ʹNurseʹ), who, in their turn, produced Kronos, Rhea and the other Titans. This is a more philosophical description than the commonly known version transmittedthroughHesiod,anditsharesmanyofthecosmological elements found so frequently in other myths of creation. As a contemporary of Ouranos, Gaia takes the place of the substance‐ principleinvolvedinthevastprocessofbecoming,fromthelevelof theformlessandtimelessbelongingtothegreatCosmicDeeptothe realmoftimeandform.SheencompassesTethys,Rhea,Hera,and alltheothermanifestingaspectsofherbeingasitgivesdepthand breadth and texture to life. But she is not space. She is not the measureless, boundless, electric potentiality which moves all and yetseemstobeonlyabackdropintheabstract,anideaofbecoming existing beyond and outside all possible becoming. She is not Ouranos,norisitlikelythatshecouldgivebirthtohim,forsheis notthewielderofthesparkoflife,onlyitssublimevesture.Inher the thrill of anticipated being will course, but she will not be its source. InthepopularGreekmyths,OuranosandGaiabroughtforththe celestial Titans, the Kyklopes and three gigantic beings whose toweringvigourandbeautysostruckOuranosthatheboundthem in strong bonds ʺunder the wide‐wayed earthʺ (Gaia). The great distress that this brought to Gaia prompted her to instigate a plot against Ouranos, which was carried out by Kronos, who, by mutilating his father, stole from him the power to create and brought it into the subtle realm of duration. The Secret Doctrine states that Ouranos tried to oppose an impediment to the natural evolution of creation. This means that the birth of these offspring was distorting and throwing out of balance a very subtle developmenttakingplaceintheakashicfieldofbecoming,andhe sought to stop it. The destruction of these children alludes to the fruitlessness of Nature attempting to create human beings on her
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own,butGaiaʹspersistenceprevailedandmonstersweredelivered evenasthepowerofcreationinchaoswaslosttoOuranos.Someof the titanic offspring of Ouranos remained celestial but were doomedtoengageinalongstrugglewithgenerationsofterrestrial TitanswhoseexistenceGaiaensured.ItwasthoseoftheThirdRace (personified by Kronos‐ Saturn) who mutilated him, for it is they whofellintogeneration,causingcreationbywill(kriyashakti)tobe superseded by physical creation. True creation thus became the begetting so endlessly chronicled in the scriptures of various religions. Whateʹerexistsinheavenandearth,whateʹerbeyondtheskies, BeforetheeyesofVaruna,theking,unfoldedlies. AtharvaVeda
Varuna is the Universal Encompasser, the all‐embracing Space whoisoneoftheoldestVedicdeities.Ouranosandhearevariant forms of the same idea, corresponding with the Iranian Ahura Mazda and taking their name from the same root var. Originally they shared a lofty position in the ancient cosmologies, that of VarunabeingbetterchartedthanthatofOuranos,whowaskicked upstairs early on in Greek cosmology. The hallmarks of their greatnessarethusmorereadilytraceableinVedicreferencesabout Varuna, to which one may turn to get a more coherent picture of thenatureofOuranos.Originally,theattributesascribedtoVaruna gavetohischaracteramoralelevationandsanctityfarsurpassing that attributed to any other Vedic deity. Moral grandeur is the qualityespeciallyassociatedwithhim,agrandeurwhichmadehim stand apart from a close connection with sacrifices and magical rituals.HeistheLordoftheUniverse,theonlygodgiventhetitle Kshatriya, in whom the three heavens and the three earths are deposited.Perhapsbecausehisloftinesslaysofarbeyondthefocus ofreligioussupplication,bytheendoftheRigVedicperiodVaruna begantodeclineinimportance.Heʺwithoutwhomnocreaturecan even winkʺ was degraded like Ouranos, while descending gods broughthiscreativepowerintogeneration.WhileOuranosbecame
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a vague sky god, Varuna became a kind of Neptune whose deep wasidentifiedmorewiththeoceanthanwiththewatersofspace. In the early Rig Veda, Varuna is lauded as the ʹbarrier against falsehoodʹ, the ʹguardian of immortalityʹ and the ʹLord of ritaʹ, whichisAbsoluteTruth.Hepresidesovertherelationshipofman withthegodsandcannotbegotaround,forhebeholdsallthathas been or will be. He is the ruler of the other side, of the invisible, timelessworldofthenoumenoninwhichtheinnerlawandorder of creation preside. He is the font of kriyashakti and the owner of maya, through which forms are created. As the Coverer, he represents the hidden and cryptic, the inner reality of things, of order in its transcendent aspect as it originates beyond the understandingofman.Hisabsolutepowerisfeltatnightandinall that is mysterious. Law which is visible and manifests in the workings of the universe and the affairs of men falls under the jurisdictionofMitraandtheday,whereastheirunseensourcelies in the beshrouded night‐time presence of Uranus. He rules over a subtlermodeofexistence,reflectedinthereignofOuranosoverthe SecondRootRace,whereheactedasthefirstastronomicalteacher ofmen,instructingthemfromafarthroughtheritaofhisbeing. As man progresses through the root races, the human soul is tested and tried under the influence of the Planetary Spirits. The limiting power of Saturn enables the soul to know itself as a self‐ consciousbeing.Butthislimitingpowermustitselfbeshatteredin order to release it to a still higher and more ethereal state. This is thedisruptiveworkofUranuswho,ʺwiththepent‐upenergyofthe thyrsus, destroys with lightning stroke to build anew a temple of fairerbeautyʺ.KeywordsrelatedtoUranusarechange,disruption, revolution and the urge towards freedom. Uranian traits have somethingincommonwithAquarius,whichisnowbelievedtobe more under the rulership of Uranus than of Saturn. Thus, change involvesabreakingwiththepastandastrikingoutintotherealm ofthenew.AnindividualinfluencedbyUranusinthiswayhasthe ability to suffer changes, act unconventionally, even crudely,
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guided by a flash of intuition. Such a person is sensitive to rays, wavesandflashes,tonewinventionsandtheirdiscovery. The highest and subtlest states of consciousness manifest in human beings as will, wisdom and love. These are said to be expressions of the ruling spirits of Uranus, Mercury and Venus operatingthroughmanʹsspirit,spiritualsoulandhumansoul.With the will of Uranus, the aloofness of Saturn is broken like the pot bornebytheAquarianwater‐bearer,whothenpoursouttheliving waterforallhumanity.Thiswateristhefierywaterofspaceandis not meant to irrigate the fields of the separative personality, but poursbeyondreasonandself‐interest,indiscriminately.Thisiswhy it is said that Uranians are interested in humanity as a whole and are ʺno respecters of personsʺ. They have developed the wisdom and love within themselves to such a breadth and depth that it cannotbecontainedinlimitedinterestsandrelationships.Rather,it spills forth from them in a disinterested stream of revolutionary insightsandnon‐partisangoodwill. It would be difficult to find a better example of these Uranian qualitiesthaninthediscovererofthisplanetwhichhasgiventhem theirname.WilliamHerschelhadcometoEnglandasapromising young musician from a talented family in Germany. Having benefitted from an early exposure to music, mathematics and the arts,Williamquicklyestablishedhimselfasaverysuccessfulmusic teacherandwasabletosendforhisyoungersister,whokepthouse for him whilst pursuing her own musical career. This happy arrangement was not, however, to last long, for the ever curious and penetrating nature of Williamʹs mind led him to embrace a fascinationwiththestars,accompaniedbyafrustrationinnotbeing abletoseethemwellenough.Soonhehadconvertedtheirhitherto orderlyhomeintoamusicconservatory,atelescopefactoryand,by night,anobservatory.Whenmusiclessonshadbeencompletedfor the day, the drawing‐room was turned into a work‐place where telescopetubesweremadeandahugeopticallathewassetupfor making lenses. A smelter, fashioned in the kitchen, once exploded in the course of the never‐ending experiments William performed
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inhisattemptstoconstructasuperiortelescope.Afterhefellasleep onenightanddroppedoffascaffoldsetupforobserving,hissister began to stay up with him and gradually became more and more involved in the work. Day and night they worked, his sister once writing, ʺIf it had not been sometimes for the intervention of a cloudyormoonlitnight,Iknownotwhenmybrother(orIeither) shouldhavegotsleep.ʺFinally,in1778,Herschelcompleteda6.2‐ inch reflecting telescope with a 7‐foot focal length, and with it he beganhisfirstsurveyofallthestarsvisibletohimintheheavens. UntilMarch13,1781,thesolarsystemwasbelievedtoendwith Saturn. Herschel became the first person since the beginning of recorded history to discover a planet. His find catapulted him to world fame and created an extraordinary interest in his telescope. Beinganamateurastronomeranddevoidofanyvanity,hesimply observedthatʺitwasthatnightitsturntobediscoveredʺ.Whatthis modeststatementactuallyrevealedwasadiligenceinhisapproach tohisworkwhichwasfarbeyondanyknowntoastronomersofhis time,amateurorprofessional.Hehaddevelopedfromscratchand from bold experimentation a telescope which was far superior to anyofhisday,andwiththishehadsetouttorecordsystematically, incarefuldetail,informationregardingallvisibleheavenlybodies. No one had ever thought to attempt this before. When he discovered Uranus, the quality of his forty‐two‐year‐old eyes and his instrument let himknow thatthe small disc he was looking at was not one of the fixed stars. He noted its location between the horns of Taurus and one foot of Gemini. Four nights later he saw thatithadmovedslightlyandwonderedifitwasacometwithout atail.Afteritwasreportedandestablishedasaplanet,henamedit afterKingGeorgeIII,thoughscientistsinFranceinsistedoncalling itHerschel.AtonepointitwasalmostnamedNeptune,butJohann Bode suggested the name Uranus as a logical addition to a generational sequence of deities already established in the earlier namingsofSaturnandJupiter. During his life, Herschel made four highly successful complete surveys of all the stars visible through his ever‐improving
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telescopes.WiththeavidinterestandsupportofKingGeorgeand others from all over the world who desired to obtain one of his telescopes, he was able to devote himself entirely to their manufacture and to night‐time observation of the stars. He built a monstrous40‐foottelescopewith48‐inchmirrorstobesetupnear London. While the giant tube lay on the ground prior to being raised up on a scaffold, people liked to walk through it, perhaps imaginingtheywerewalkingthroughacorridortoanotherworld. KingGeorgetooktheArchbishopofCanterburythroughit,saying, ʺCome,myLordBishop,Iwillshowyouthewaytoheaven.ʺItwas completed in 1789, and through its lenses Enceladus and Mimas, twoofJupiterʹssatellites,werediscovered. ThequalityofHerschelʹseyesandhisinstruments,coupledwith the mind of a revolutionary thinker who was completely uninterested in fame or individual wealth, brought him to the threshold of Uranus, which was waiting, as it were, to be discovered.Themanmatchedtheplanetinacuriouslyfittingway, asifhehadbeenborntounveiltheheavenlybodywhoseinfluence uponmankindwassopowerfullyreflectedinhisowncharacter.It isabitlikethewonderfulʹdiscoveryʹofthedomesticationofgrain. Thegrainwasslowlyevolvinginthewild,unseen,whilemanwas gradually developing his awareness of the increasing size of its kernelsandhowhemightexploitthem.Bitbybithedevelopedthe technology, and step by step he began to experiment with the fattening seeds until suddenly, so it seemed, he was planting the seeds and grinding the fruited grain. There is an exquisite match between burgeoning human consciousness and that which it perceives. Nature grows to manʹs awareness and it reveals its mysteriestothosewhosefacultiesarealreadyincoadunitionwith them. The distance to Uranus is awe‐inspiring. It is over twice the distanceofSaturnfromthesunandcanbemeasuredinmilesfrom theearthat1.75billion.Thisiswhy,withthediscoveryofUranus, the solar system became twice as big as it had been before. If one could imagine trying to look at a golf ball 1.5 miles away, one
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wouldhavearelativeideaoftheplanetʹssizeanddistance.When closest to the earth, Uranus has a visual magnitude of 5.5, which makes it barely visible to excellent human eyesight under perfect observing conditions without optical aids. This raises the question ofwhetheritmighthavebeenknowntotheastronomersofancient Egypt or India. Could it have been known by another name, the records of which have become lost over the centuries? It has been pointed out that the ancient Hindus worshipped seven planetary gods, excluding the sun and the earth. This suggests that they might have known of Uranus, but there is no name preserved which might be treated as an equivalent. Another interesting problem has to do with the relationship between Uranus and our sun, occultism asserting that it, as well as Neptune, does not dependentirelyonthesunliketheotherplanetsdo.Thispossibility becomes all the more intriguing when one begins to examine the scientificinformationthathasbeensopainstakinglygatheredover thetwocenturiessincetheplanetwasdiscovered. Someone once said that a flashlight provides more light in one secondthanUranushasprovidedtoearthinthetwohundredyears since it was discovered. No wonder the planet has remained so securely veiled from scientific understanding until very recently. Distances and cycles were worked out in early years, only to be shelved. Uranus either ran too fast or too slow, according to all expectations. It was assumed for a long time that the law of universal gravitation broke down beyond Saturn, and with it the possibleapplicationofNewtonianphysics.Thissortofbreakdown may concur nicely with the expectations of astrologers, but it brought nothing but puzzlement and consternation to physicists and astronomers. The breaking up of moulds so firmly associated with the spirit of Uranus was demanding a breaking up of previously held assumptions about the way the solar system worked.Justastheplanethadlainhiddenintheskiesformillennia untiltherightindividualandtherightcircumstancesconvergedto permititsdiscovery, sonowtherightcombinationoffactorswere awaitedwhichwouldprovideobserversachancetopeelawayone ortwomoreveilsfromitsmysteriousface.
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Onlyonceeveryonehundredandseventy‐fiveyearsdotheouter planets align themselves in such a way as to create the right circumstances for a closer look at Uranus. But to grasp this circumstance, the right knowledge and technology would have to be ready. The right preparation, imaginative forethought and a willingnesstodiscovernewmeanswouldhavetoconvergeintime totakeadvantageofit.Andthisisexactlywhathappened,withno marginstospare,inthepreparationoftheVoyager2mission.Only once in one hundred and seventy‐five years would the outer planetsbealignedsothataspacecraftcould,withminimalfuel,use thegravityofoneplanettochangeitscoursetoanotherandrepeat that process twice more so that four successively more distant planetscouldbereached.Thetimewasripeandthewilltounleash theinventiveimaginationwastheretomeetit.Norwasthisaonce‐ and‐for‐allleapofinvention.Becauseofseriousradioproblemsthat developedinVoyager2earlyinitsflighttowardstheouterplanets, enormousingenuityhasbeensubsequentlyexercisedtofindmore andbetterwaysofkeepingcommunicationbetweenthespacecraft andearthalive.OnegetstheimpressionthatourlinkwithUranus has been a very tenuous one, saved only by an enormous act of collectivewillonthepartofscoresofdedicatedscientists,aided,no doubt, by the meditation of certain Uranian individuals who remainunknowntotherestofhumanity. Voyager 2 passed through the system of Uranus on January 24, 1986.Thedatagatheredduringthosefewhourshavebeenanalysed and interpreted adequately to give one the ability to imagine the view a passenger aboard the craft would have had. Approaching theplanetwithitscirclingmoons,onewouldfeellikeapartofthe headofanarrowflyingtowardsthecentreofastandingtarget.For, projecteduprightinfrontofoneʹsgaze,thewholeUraniansystem standsonendanddisplaysitselfinconcentricringssurroundinga large bullʹs‐eye, which is the planet itself. The craft would then plunge perpendicularly through the system like a dart which misses the bullʹs‐eye on the board, but passes very close to one of the inner satellite rings and continues on to the other side. This is exactly what did happen, and although there was no human
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observer in the craft to witness it, pictures taken revealed sections of the planet and its moons which gave to ground observers a powerful sense of viewing the whole passage. Unlike the journey throughthesystemsofJupiterandSaturn,whosehorizontalorbits permitted a leisurely passage through the planes of the satellites, theverticalorbitofUranuswaspenetratedandpassedinonlyfive hours. All the information that could be obtained had to be gathered in that condensed period before the spacecraft was shuttledoffonthenextlegofitsjourneytowardsNeptune. Whatdowelearnabouttheearthbystudyingplanets? Humility! AndrewP.Ingersoll
The atmosphere of Uranus is basically the same as the atmosphere of Jupiter and Saturn. Composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, the planet is surrounded by a layer of hydrocarbon haze formed as sunlight breaks up the methane molecules of its underlying clouds. The rocky core which is believed to exist at its centre is surrounded by mixed gases in a superdense, non‐liquid formwhichextendsallthewaytothebluish‐greenouterregionsof the planet. The rich chemical mixture of Uranus gathers not in oceansormountains,asitwouldonourglobe,butintheair,where itcondensestoformcloudswhenthetemperatureisright.Because theplanetanditssystemliealmostintheplaneofthesolarsystem (instead of perpendicular to it, like the other planets), its ʹnorthʹ pole sometimes points to the sun and half a revolution later its ʹsouthʹpoledoesthesame.Itsinclinationofaxistoorbitalplaneis ninety‐eightdegrees,anditsspinisretrogradeindirection.Dueto thisʹtiltʹ,thecourseofayearonUranus(whichistheequivalentof eighty‐fourearthyears)witnessesthesunstandingalmostdirectly aboveeverypointontheplanet.Inapatternquiteoppositetothat of the earthʹs, when the sun is over the equator of Uranus, the seasons are changing the fastest while, when at the poles, the apparentmotionofthesunslows,stopsandreversesitself. Becauseofitsrapidrotation,thewindsofUranusmovefromeast towest.Thisstartledmeteorologistswhowereforcedtoacceptthat
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the angle of sunlight is less important than rotation in generating themotionofweathersystems.Butthiswasnottheonlyrulethat Uranusbroke.Accordingtotheoriesdevelopedfromthestudiesof other planets, the sunʹs apparent movement in regard to the poles of Uranus should mean that they are slightly warmer than the equator.OnUranustheyarenot.Themoonsorbitingtheplanetare smallandcoldandcouldbeexpectedtobelittleevolved,dulland basicallyʹdeadʹ.Butinstead,eachisunique,someshowingagreat deal of geological activity, some dark and uniform, some enormously faulted and others heavily impacted. The darker colours of the satellites and rings closer to the planet suggest an abundance of carbon compounds, the vital building blocks of life, reminding one that the entire solar system contains the right chemical elements for life to begin wherever conditions permit. Bearing the names of Shakespearean characters, the satellites Oberon,Titania,Umbriel,ArielandMirandawereallknownbefore Voyager 2ʹs visit. But no one was prepared for the ʺbrave new worldʺ of Miranda up close, with its fantastically weird grooves, ridges, valleys, canyons twelve miles deep, and huge chevron patterns all intersecting higgledy‐piggledy in the most chaotic landscape known anywhere in the solar system. A vast harem of bombardingcometsattractedtothemagneticfieldofUranusmust have created some of these extraordinary effects, but they cannot accountforallofthem. NineringscirclewithUranus,buttheshepherdmoonsbelieved to be largely responsible for the definition of rings around Saturn andJupiterareobservableonlyneartheEpsilonring,whichisthe brightest and outermost of the otherwise thin and dark rings of Uranus. Of the ten new moons discovered, all are orbiting inside thesystemofnarrowrings,andiftheringsareshepherded,itmust be by satellites smaller than twelve miles in diameter, which was theminimumsizedetectablebytheVoyager2cameras. ThefactthattheEpsilonringisapparentlyslightlyinclinedtothe others has inspired the suggestion that the Uranian system is the product of a collision where the fragments have not had time to
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collapsetoacirculardisc.Butthisideaisbaseduponthesamesort of imaginative speculation that has attended other puzzling Uranianfeatures.Thereareenormousgapsinourknowledgeabout theUranianworld,andgiventhemanyexceptionstotheplanetary rules that Uranus has presented, one cannot feel confident about making assumptions along the lines of physical laws applicable in the case of planets closer to our sun and more influenced by it. Uranusisbigandpowerful.Thelawsgoverningitsbehaviourare important to understand, but they remain shrouded, as the inner lawandorderofcreationbelongingtoOuranosandVarunamight beexpectedtoremain. ThemassofUranus,whichis14.5timesthatoftheearth,isgreat enough that its gravity can create a very hot interior. This heat makes atoms shed electrons so that they become an electrically charged fluid which spins out to generate a magnetic field far greater than the earthʹs and one which is absurdly tilted. The magneticpolesofJupiter,Saturnandtheearthroughlycorrespond with the poles of rotation. Not so in the case of Uranus, whose magnetic axis is tipped sixty degrees to the poles of rotation. This means that the ʹnorthʹ and ʹsouthʹ magnetic poles lie closer to the equatorthantothegeographicpoles.Inaddition,themagneticaxis lies forty‐eight hundred miles off‐centre, a condition some have thought may be caused by a magnetic field generated from the mantleratherthanfromthecoreoftheplanet.Itmayalsobethat the sixty‐degree tilt of the magnetic field was just a coincidence. Voyager 2 may have reached Uranus while it was undergoing a magnetic field reversal in which the poles were shifting magnetic polarity, a phenomenon that happens on earth about every half‐ million years. If this were the case, it would seem that another dramatic conjunction between the planet and its discoverers had taken place, one where Uranus was caught in the act of shifting a veilcoveringtheinnerrealityofthings,revealingaglimpseofthe essential dynamics of change which is mirrored in secondary and tertiaryformsintheworld.
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Onceagain,thepowerofmayahadmatchedmankindʹsabilityto penetrateitsillusoryveils.Justasthelife‐spanofWilliamHerschel matchedtheeighty‐fouryearsofasinglerevolutionofUranus,and his inventive, open and unconventional character reflected the nature of the planetʹs spirit, so too the superb timing and bold penetrationofitsunknownrealmwerenowmatchedbyaglimpse intooneoftheplanetʹsmostpuzzlingmysteries.Ateachpoint,the historyofthediscoveryofUranusinvolvesaninteractionbetween the planet and its spiritual influence operating through human beings who are engaged in major spiritual, psychological and scientific breakthroughs. An intimate mirroring has been going on whereinmankindʹsgrowingconcernforhumanityasawholeand theirdisinterestedquestforgreatertruthsarebeingchartedinthe form of their gradually increasing understanding of the planet Uranus. The ancient arcane tradition taught that Ouranos was the first astronomicalTeacherofmen.Inperfectreflectionofthis,Uranusis teachingmenwhattheirinnerbeingknowsandcomestoexpressin the conscious mind only through a series of discoveries. Ouranos, themeasureless,boundless,electricpotentialofspacewhichseems tobeonlyabackdroptotheuniverse,manifeststhroughUranusin a series of mayavic veils which, when lifted by man, will reveal lawsencompassingthissolarsystemandleadingfarbeyond.Space, whichisitsgreaterveil,canthusbeexpectedtoconcealmysteries ofchangethroughmotioninvolvingpolarshiftswhichincludenot merely systems but whole galaxies. In our solar world, Uranus is thus the representative of this vaster maya which awaits manʹs penetration and willingness to reshuffle all his previously held assumptionsaboutthenatureoftheuniverse,andtobreakthrough to a larger, more all‐encompassing perspective. Ouranos and Gaia issued from the shell of the egg of the great black‐winged bird of Night.Heistherulerofthecoveringofthings,theshell.Sheisthe substance of the covering, the fabric of the veils moved and endlessly transposed by the motion of his timeless ideation. He is the creation which lies behind change, the thrill of potential becoming which is the font of kriyashakti and motion itself. This is
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the source of his moral grandeur, for it mirrors the highest truth which never changes, even as it begins to move in a motion so limitlessastoseembutastillbackdroptoallsubsequentmotion. As the planet Uranus orbits our sun, its rotation axis is ever pointed at the same direction in space. It is as if it hearkens to a distantvibrationwhichcontinuallyinformsitandinfluencesiteven asitmakesitsstrangelyincongruouswayaroundoursolarsystem. Uranusisnotentirelydependentonthesun,anditsodditiescanbe ultimately explained only in terms of its subtle links, involving its subtler globes, with a much vaster system whose laws effortlessly incorporateallthelawsofphysicsknowntoman.Theyincorporate themonsuchahighlysynthesizedlevelthatalltheredundancies, inadequate suppositions and limiting models fall away, leaving only the kernels of truth that fit in with a much bigger picture. Individuals following this Uranian path may imitate this same stance,andbeintheworld,sotospeak,butnotofit.Theycanalso attempttoshedtheconventionalviewsandcomfortablelimitations ofthepersonalman.Thosewhopassthetestsandtrialsoftheother planetaryspiritsmayhopetocomeunderthevibratinginfluenceof Uranus.Thatsucharerareisborneoutbythefactthatveryfewin thisworldmarchtothebeatofatrulyuniversaldrummer. This may be seen reflected in the strangely off‐centre magnetic axis of Uranus. It is as if its position mirrors the prevailing condition of a humanity which is activated more by the forces operating in its mantle than those emanating from its immortal core.PerhapsawonderfulcenteringofthemagneticaxisofUranus willaccompanyareversalofthismistakentendencywhenthebulk of mankind learns to live from within without. This centering would not alter the fact that the planetʹs rotational axis would continue to point towards its invisible mentor. It would simply reflect an alignment of principles such as exist in an individual whosesevenfoldbeinghasbecomelikesevenlenses,eachperfectly reflectiveofthelensaboveit.Likearefinedtelescope,thevestures of such a one transmit faithfully the higher truth that lies beyond the veil of appearances, their revolutionary presence tending to
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shatterthelesserconvictionsheldbyothers.Throughsuchasthese we glimpse Uranus and begin to dream a waking dream of becomingsomethingfargreaterthanwhatwebelievedourselvesto be.Wesoarbeyondtimeandallitslimitations,beyondwordsand tenses and forms, to the threshold of our essence, that invisible pointinspace. Obravenewworld Whichpointstoworldsbeyond Anddiscoverstheway.
Hermes,June1989 HelenValborg
NEPTUNE While the ʹthousand‐horned bullʹ was rising from the ocean and everyonefellasleep,Vasishtha(whohadbeenallowedtoseethemiracleof creationbyVaruna)leftthemansionofVaruna,thecosmos,andentered theradiantlightbeyondandabovethevaultofheaven.
While everyone sat by the seaside and basked in the dreaming lightaccompanyingtherhythmofthedeep,oneindividualslipped away into an ocean belonging to another world. He must have found a hidden estuary that led him far off from the crowd, one whichnooneelsecouldsee.Andwhyhewouldhavenoticeditisa mystery,forthecompellingbodyoflappingwaterswhichstretched alongtheshorehadhypnotizedeveryoneelse.Butnoticeithedid, despite the graceful‐limbed revellers who might have distracted himastheydancedalongthebeachinworshipoftheworldlysea. Hesawitsslimchannelopeningbehindhismindʹseye,beckoning him to pursue its course. And he followed that stream, glimpsing now and then a liquid form shining with unearthly splendour in thedistanceandatriple‐pointedsparkofelectricalfirerisingfrom itsmidst. Even ashemade this remarkable journey, hisbody remained at the seaside, his arms curled around his bare knees while his eyes gazed,unseeing,overtherowsofincomingwaves.Hemightjustas well have been seated before a telescope looking through light‐ yearsofspaceatadimlyswirlingplanetwhichinrealityhadbeen travelling rapidly towards the throne of its spiritual ruler. For his innerjourneytoNeptunewouldhavetakenhimawayfromaview ofthedistantplanetbearingthenamejustassurelyasittookhim awayfromtheinsistenttideswellingupintheearth‐seaspreading beforehim. This does not mean there is nothing one can learn by studying the sea or the planetary orbs in space. Rather, their presence is so powerful a pointer to their true hidden nature that the ordinary
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sensescanbeoverwhelmedandpersuadethemindthatrealitylies in the appearance of things, that Neptuneʹs realm really is this pounding, briny ocean, and that the blue planet which orbits in eighth place around our sun is actually Neptune, or whatever we meanbythatname.Butifitistruethattheessentialhieroglyphof reality can be read in the elements and the interrelating globular systems of manifestation, then the nature of the planets and their connection with the elements of our earth must provide clues pointingtoanarchetypaldesigntraceableinsolarsystems,galaxies and in the subtle vestures of man. Thus, a planetary progression movingfromthesunoutwardscanbetreatedasaseriescapableof explainingthepsychologicalandspiritualworlds.Onecanexamine theteachingsfromtheStanzasofDzyanwhichsaythateighthouses werebuiltbyMotherforherDivineSons,ʺfourlargeandfoursmall onesʺ,andseethattheeightglobes(oneofwhichwasrelegatedto the position of sun) were born of the eternal substance‐principle whichisthebasisoftheParamatmanorUniversalSoul.Thatthese planets were all comets and suns in their origin implies that they began as the invisible sparks of primordial atoms in the Mother Deep and differentiated under the conditions of archetypal heat, attractionandrepulsion(motion)tobecomeinvisiblesuns. Whilst modern cosmology asserts that differentiation in the physical solar nebula led to planets with different initial compositions, Gupta Vidya, the Secret Doctrine, teaches that differentiationtakesplaceininvisiblenebulaefromwhichmanifest all the globes, including the suns. Thus, suns, comets and planets are linked together on a precosmic plane wherein they share an eternal basis of origin, one which is transmitted through the essential substance and design of all their subsequent manifest differentiations. Mercury is different in composition from Saturn not only because it is closer to the sun but because it represents a particular expression of motion, of position and relationship in a design which is a wondrous symbol for the involution and evolution of the universal Self and each pilgrim soul. If one lets Mercury represent the initial step in the descent of spirit towards theearth,thegiantouterplanetssignifythemovementofthesoul
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out of matter into a vaster awareness. If one begins with the outermost planet and moves towards the sun, the picture shifts to an initial macrocosmic involvement in stages of progressive formation, descending to highly differentiated life on this earth fromwhichascentintotherealmsoftheinnermostplanetsandthe sun takes place. Put together, the macrocosmic and microcosmic processes cycle round the solar system, as it were, moving in opposite directions to one another, one of them prograde in its motion, the other retrograde: as above, so below, but reflected through a mirror. Similarly, the macrocosmic ocean linked to the distantblueplanetofNeptuneisreflectedintheinvertedvaultof the earthʹs ocean basinsout of which Neptune is imaginedto rise, seaweeddanglingfromhistridentandhair.Byfocussinguponthis loweraspectofthegod,peoplecametoidentifyhimwiththeocean or with water itself, forgetting that his rulership had originally extended over the unlimited Cosmic Sea, from whose Waters of Space the offspring of the male spirit‐fire and the female gaseous‐ waterbecometheoceanonearth. The alchemists of medieval Europe recognized this truth and todayapsychologicalexpressionoftheirrecognitioncanbefound intheteachingofCarlJungandhisfollowers,whothoughtthatthis cosmicoceancouldbeseenasasymbolofthehumanunconscious, from the deepest layers of the individual mind to the broadest depths of the universal soul. From this perspective, Neptune is a regent of heaven, of the ʹUpper Watersʹ, and his descent to the station of one who is merely a god of the earthly sea is a cosmic equivalenttothebiblicalmythoftheFallofAdam.Psychologically, thiscanbetracedinmanwhentheenvelopmentofeachindividual soul in matter is complete and the memory of oneʹs collective cosmic origin has been obscured. In this immense journey the immortal soul passes from the swelling rhythms inherent in the electric potential of the Mother Deep through the dangerous corridors of astral waters, where serpentine waves undulate as shadows of spirit and cast their turbulence upon the beach of the conscioushumanmind.Neptuneandhisseathusnotonlyfallinto thephysicalworld but areintimatelylinkedwiththeastralrealm,
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itsdangerouslightning‐forkedserpentsanditsendlesscapacityfor inversionatitslowerlevels. Though Zeus reigns over the Fourth Race, it is Poseidon who rules. TheSecretDoctrine
As Poseidon, Neptune was the spirit and titanic strength of the living race of Atlanteans. Plato tells of a division he made of Atlantis and of how, on one of the islands, he found a human couplemadeofclay(thefirstphysicalhumans),throughwhomhe begotAtlas.LikeVishnuNarayanaorIdaspatioftheHindumyths, Poseidoncrossedthehorizoninthreesteps,givinghisnametothe third,whichwasthelastislandofAtlantis,andleavingbehindhim as Rama the mysterious legacy of Lanka. In his involvement with theworld,hebroughthistridentwithitsʺthreeteethʺfromwhich thefangsoflightningexploded,connectingfireandwater,heaven and earth. Like the caduceus, the trident bears down through the astraltheserpentinewavesofDivineMotionandthendrawsthem upinitscentralrod,wherethelightningvirilityofMindspillsover in its lower aspects into the liquid fertility of the sea. Thus, the astral deep over which Poseidon reigns is filled with nereids, tritons, oceanids and mermaids. Out of this brew Nature sculpted the human form and Poseidon sent the beautiful bull which the Minoan queen Pasiphae fell unnaturally in love with, to produce the Minotaur, a symbol of physical procreation, at the cost of the surrender of the spiritual powers of human intellection. The outer prongs of the trident resemble the bullʹs horns, the lunar ploughshares of ritual sacrifice. The central prong is the linga, the seed‐bearinglinkbetweenthecreativeforcesofthedivineandthe human.Whenitrisesfromtheastralsea,theseedofgenerationis transmuted into the creative powers of the becalmed mind. KnowledgeofthisvastpotentialenabledtheAtlanteansnotonlyto rule the earthly sea but also to control and direct many of the awesome powers inherent in its astral prototype. The horrendous abuseofthesecreativegiftsresultedintheappallingkarmapassed
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downthroughsuccessivegenerationsofhumanityfromtheFourth totheFifthRootRace. The legacy of Poseidon is indeed shadowy, suggesting to the mind lurking, watery forms signifying the trials and errors of Natureandtheprogenyoftheunnaturalabuseofcreativepowers. InthepopularmythsoftheclassicalMediterraneanworld,hewas most commonly known for his licentious escapades, his moody imperiousnessandhisunpredictablyimposingstrength.Buthewas also closely associated with the dolphin, who, as Makara the Dragon, hovers upon the ocean and is intimately involved in the birth of the spiritual microcosm. All the wavy serpentine paths of theastrallight,theMilkyWay,thepathofthesuntothetropicsof CancerandCapricorn,aswellasthecirclesofthesiderealyear,are wovenbythisdragon,whoisboththevahanorvehicleofPoseidon andonewithhimesoterically. Makara is identified with the five Kumaras, who are the fivefold Dhyan Chohans possessing the soul of the five elements in their natures, with water and etheric fire predominating. They plunge into the depths for their ecstatic devotions, remaining there while Poseidon or Krishna Avatar hovers above. Thus, the water over whichhefloatsisamirrorofthemind,aKumaricmatrixinwhich the triune spark of spiritual consciousness takes birth. It is filled with potency, only waiting for the stroke of his magical trident to cometolifeinintelligentform.Theworldʹsoceansperfectlyreflect this truth as they lie charged with extraterrestrial energy flowing into them from outer space, non‐polluting, inexhaustible and free. Theenergyofthesunwarmsthem,propelstheirwaves,andworks throughthegravityfieldofthemoontocreatethetidalsystem,the weather, the seasons, and all the terrene cycles which permit continuous growth. They present to man on the physical plane a microcosmofavastercosmicocean,whereintheenergyofFohatis stored and the potential for life‐forms gathers in etheric shoals of archetypalpossibility. At this juncture one can see a distinct overlap with the symbols andfunctionsascribedtoUranus.Indeed,Varuna,whosenamecan
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befoundtransposedasUranus,issaidtohavebeentheprogenitor ofthePoseidon/Neptuneofearthlymyth.Byconfininghischildren in the womb of primordial matter, Uranus personifies the unmanifest creative powers of, and in, Chaos. But in the Iliad it is the Ocean, the Illimitable Spirit in Chaos, which, together with primordialmatter(hisspouseTethys),gavetoallthings,creatures andgodstheirverybeing.AnditisoutofhisImmeasurableSpace that Neptune arises with his trident bearing the Fohatic spark of Eros.Onecanseethat,whileUranussignifiestheidealpurityofthe unmanifest, Neptune reaches beyond him from above, as it were, transmitting the Desire which first arose in It in a series of triadic lightningchargesondescendinglevelsofmanifestation.Aspiritual and psychological planetary progression which began with the outermost planet would then find Neptune to be, in one sense, closertotheOneSourceofLifeand,inanothersense,moredeeply involvedinitsmoredifferentiatedlevelsofexpressionthanUranus. Much of the symbolism associated with Neptune connects him strongly to Vishnu Narayana and Krishna, but one sees in this a markedresemblancealsotoMahashiva,1theMahayoginwhobearsa tridentanddipsdeeplyintotheworldbeforerisingoutofit.This evocativeallusionisenormouslystrengthenedbytheidentification ofNeptunewithMakaraandthebirthofthespiritualʹmicrocosmʹ. For this birth entails a death or dissolution of the phenomenal universeasitpassesintothenoumenalrealmofthespiritual. When the Sun passesaway beyond the 30th degreeof Makara and will reach no more the sign of theMeenam (Pisces) then the nightofBrahmahascome. TheSecretDoctrine
Like Uranus, Neptune does not have direct astral and psychic communication with the earth. Nor do the two planets depend uponoursunentirely,unliketherestoftheplanetsinoursystem. Indirectly, Neptune informs the earth through water and fire TheUpanishadsviewasaheinoussinthenotionthatMahavishnuand Mahashiva,theGodheadandtheGuruofGurus,aredifferententities.
1
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blended in the symbiotic relationship of the masculine and feminineprinciplesineveryaspectoflife.Throughpulsatingwaves whose perpetual undulation describes a motion expressive of eternal being beyond negation, Neptune communicates to the consciousnessoftheglobeandallthatlivesonitrhythmicsparksof universalideationgarneredfromtheoceanicwavesofavasterand more etheric solar source than humanity can know of at present. These impulsions affect conscious life on this globe through the unconscious, welling up from its labyrinthine depths to affect the mind in ways sometimes inexplicable and explosive. They work through the invisible blendings of the masculine and feminine elementsinmanʹspsychicnature,hispassionsandfearsaswellas the evolving patterns of his thoughts. The irrational character that these effects can have tend to encourage fear of the unknown, which often results in the most peculiar forms of self‐protective behaviour.Agoodexampleofthissortofresponsecanbefoundin theeventswhichledtothediscoveryoftheplanetNeptuneinthe lastcentury. The courageous and compelling figure in the drama was John Couch Adams, who was born in Cornwall in 1819 as the son of a poor tenant farmer. When he was sixteen, he was thrilled to see HalleyʹsComet,andoneyearlaterhewroteascientificpaperona lunar eclipse which was reprinted in several London newspapers. At the age of twenty, Adams obtained a scholarship to St. Johnʹs College in Cambridge, where he impressed everyone with his modest graciousness, total lack of class consciousness, and brilliance. In 1841 he assigned himself the formidable task of investigatingwhetheranunknownplanetbeyondwasresponsible fortheirregularitiesofUranus.Theproblemwashowtoverifythe presenceofanoutlyingplanet,pinpointitsposition,andshowthat it was responsible for the perturbations of Uranus on the basis of mathematically theoretical deductions, an approach which had never been conceptualized as possible, let alone attempted by scientists before. Adams had to solve the standard gravitational problem in reverse. Given the irregularities in the motion of Uranus, he had to subtract the perturbations caused by its moons
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andbyJupiterandSaturn.Fromtheremainingirregularitieshehad to deduce exactly where the disturbing force was coming from, howfastandalongwhatpaththatbodywasmoving,andhowfar away and how massive it was. The outer planet would also be orbiting the sun, so its distance and position relative to Uranus wouldalwaysbechanging,aswouldthedirectionandmagnitude ofitsgravitationalforce. Adams calculated all the above variables to answer for all the perturbations recorded in the motion of Uranus at every point throughout its observed history. To handle all these simultaneous variables, he invented a new form of mathematical analysis and produced a preliminary solution confirming the existence of Neptuneinthefallof1843.Atthispoint,fearoftheunknownand extremely shameful forms of self‐protection entered the scene through the strange behaviour of several scientists, including the Astronomer Royal of England, who perversely refused to believe that such a form of mathematical analysis could work or that an outlyingplanetexisted.Ateverypointhethwartedtherecognition oftheworkofAdamssoastoprotecthisownstandpointandthe time‐honoured approach to astronomical science based upon observable phenomena. Eventually, this snobbish gentleman succeeded in sabotaging Englandʹs opportunity of making sole claim for Neptuneʹs discovery, and Adams was only eventually given credit for his work along with a French scientist who independentlyarrivedatthesamesolutionin1846. The discovery of Neptune by purely mathematical calculation was the greatest triumph for gravitational theory since Edmund Halleyhadpredictedthedateofthereturnofthecometwhichwas given his name. From that time, theoretical mathematics took the lead in the way in which astronomical research was pursued. The whole of modern science moved from a system of empirical data‐ gatheringtooneofbroadconceptualization.Itwasasif,despitethe disruptiveandirrationalNeptunianforceswellingupthroughthe subconscious natures of those who tried to block a recognition of theworkofAdams,theplanetwasreadytobediscovered,andthe
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same meticulous clarity of thought and noble lack of self‐interest whichhadcharacterizedHerschelʹsdiscoveryofUranusprevailed. Once discovered, the effect of this distant giant was immediately felt by the human race. The forces operating within the collective and individual unconscious became more chaotic and pressing, bubbling up through manʹs subconscious mind, forcing him to attempttocometogripswiththeirtempestuousenergy. It was only a matter of time before someone would try to make some kind of order out of this increased activity by putting labels on it and theorizing about its source. Psychoanalysis was just around the corner. On the other hand, the breakthrough in theoretical mathematics which permitted the discovery in the first placeopenedupadoor,resultinginalooseningupofthepatterns ofthoughtthathadboundthemajorityofthinkinghumanityupto thatpoint.Nolongerwoulditbepossiblefor scientificinnovators to grapple with causeand effect in the physical and psychological realms without attempting to account for the impact of superior human intelligence as well as that of the massive sea of hidden psychicforcescontinuallyinfluencingconsciouslife.Ofcourse,the empiricaldata‐gathererswouldcontinuewiththeirbusywork,but therealrevolutionsinthinkingwouldbeinitiatedbythosecapable oflaunchingthemselvesontheNeptuniancurrent,goingbeyonda mechanically conceived three‐dimensional world into concepts of relativity and field theory which would attempt to include the dynamicsoftheobserveraswellastheobserved. A century and a half after Neptuneʹs discovery, the fecund and highly abstract metaphysical concepts brought to light by the nineteenthcenturyTheosophicalMovementandtherichideational offspring of the theory of relativity have continued to loosen and expand the horizon of human thought. Certainly, empiricism continues to obstruct this inevitable burgeoning of consciousness, but even among the least intellectual circles, many people have assimilated ideas of relativity and holistic notions involving the completemanaswellashismentalandphysicalenvironment.
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The stage is set for the closer contact with Neptune, which is slated to take place in 1989 and which will undoubtedly trigger a new wave of awareness concerning the microcosmic and macrocosmic realms, how they interact and how one reflects the other. Sensitive individuals will be aware of a fresh impulsion of energiesandexperiencethechallengeoftryingtounderstandand gain greater control over them. Others will simply feel the added pressures and find that their attempts to manage them on a superficial level do not succeed in bringing them either comprehensionorcontrol.Thedooropenedupinitiallythroughthe alignment of the principles (symbolized by Herschelʹs superior telescope), and the clarity of vision brought to the discovery of Uranus was opened wider through the broader necessity of understandingthedynamicsofthatalignmentandcomingtotake responsible control over the forces released with the discovery of Neptune. Now, when a closer contact with the blue planet is imminent, that necessity will become an imperative for those who wish to play a consciously creative role in evolution, rather than one where they are carried passively along the great waves of changewhichwillsculptoutthefutureofthehumanrace. The theoretical work of astronomers has led them to anticipate certain conditions which they believe closer contact with Neptune willreveal.Theplanetissofarawaythatverylittleisactuallyyet knownaboutit.ItisthreetimesfurtherawayfromusthanSaturn, itsorbitbeingsodistantthatitrequiresonehundredandsixty‐five yearstocompleteitsrotationaroundthesun.Inmassandsizeitis verysimilartoUranus,thetwoplanetsappearingincertainwaysto be more alike than any other pair in our solar system. Neptune is believed to have a dense rocky core of about fifteen earth masses, making up one quarter of its total mass. The rest of its known composition is largely molecular hydrogen and methane, which is responsible for its blue colour. In addition, it is expected that heliumispresentandthatanammoniacloudlayerliesdeepinthe atmosphere of the planet, where the pressure is higher than on Uranus, while there may be thin argon clouds in the upper atmosphere. But it is not known whether Neptuneʹs interior is hot
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or cold or whether it has a solid surface or a magnetic field. It is known that the planet emits three times the heat that it gets from thesun,butthesourceofthisheatismerelyspeculatedupon,some thinking that it may be caused by tidal friction produced by its retrograde satellite, Triton, which revolves around Neptune in a directionoppositetotherevolutionoftheplanet.Aboutthesizeof ourmoonorlarger,Tritonishighlyinclinedandmayprovideakey to understanding a great disturbance which appears to have occurred at one time in Neptuneʹs system and which may have beenrelatedtotheoriginsoftheplanetPluto. Being the only planet whose orbit overlaps another, Pluto may have once been a satellite of Neptune which escaped when the Neptunianprotoplanetwaslosingamassiveextendedatmosphere. It may also have been ejected from the system when Neptune experienced a massive collision or when it captured Triton. The Secret Doctrine explains the retrograde motion of satellites such as Tritonintermsofpregeneticbattlesfoughtbythegrowingplanets inthesolarsystem.Neptuneʹssmallsatellite,Nereid,isprogradein its motion but highly eccentric in its orbit, which ranges from one hundred and forty thousand kilometres to nine and one‐half million kilometres from its parent planet. The eccentricities of TritonandNereidspeakforasystemthathasevolveddifferently, and astronomers have speculated that perhaps Triton ran backwards into the outer envelope of Neptune, where it slowed down and was captured but not ʹeaten upʹ. They have also considered the possibility that it may at some point in the future actuallycollidewithNeptune,fallingintoit,asitwere.Inanycase, Triton is the only large moon in the solar system to revolve in a retrograde direction, and it must have undergone a major gravitationalordealbeforeitwasformed.Itishopedthatsomeof Tritonʹs mysteries will be yielded up to the camera when, after passing twenty‐seven hundred miles above Neptune, Voyager 2 flies close to and behind the giant moon. Scientists also hope to discoverthesecretofthering‐arcswhichhavebaffledobserversfor sometime.TwoseparatesightingsinChilein1984confirmedthat somethingatNeptunehadblockedstarlight,butinsteadofhaving
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done so in a continuum on either side of the planet, the blockage was intermittent. Along with a few earlier sightings, this led scientiststotheorizethatNeptunehasʹringsʹmadeupofarcswhich areeachafewthousandkilometreslong.Theyhavespeculatedthat these arcs are confined by a satellite with an orbital inclination capableofgeneratingco‐rotationalresonanceswhichkeepthearcs from lapping one another and making a continuous ring. There might be several very small satellites orbiting, say, seventy thousand kilometres out in a ten‐degree inclination from the equatorial plane of Neptune, or there may be small shepherd moonsattheLagrangianpointsthatbalanceandkeepthering‐arcs stablyintact.Hypothesesdevelopedtoexplainthering‐arcsreveal an imaginative application of the dynamics of physics and a sophisticated respect for the economy that operates at all levels of naturallaw. Models containing redundancies or demanding more acting variablesthanothersarediscardedortreatedaslessprobablethan onesservingtoexplainwithmoreelegantsimplicity.Theproofof thesehypotheseswillbetestedwhenVoyager2beginsitssearchof Neptuneʹs ring‐arc system twenty‐seven days before the spacecraftʹs August 25 encounter with Neptune itself, and steps it up three days out from the planet with a ʹring movieʹ of pictures which will be radioed back to earth for thirteen hours. Camera‐ aiming instructions will be given from predicted positions by the missionsequenceteam,whichhascalculatedrelativeangles,speed and light conditions with enormous care, hoping that youthful materialcaughtupinthearcswilltellussomethingofsignificance when compared to satellites which may be as old as the solar system. Thus we may learn the possible history of the Neptune systemand,byimplication,theformationoftheouterplanets. How is this marvellous spacecraft going to reach a planet 2.8 billion miles from the earth? It is so far away that the human eye would have to be four times more powerful than it normally is in order to see it. It is so far from the sun that the light there is like twilight on earth, ten minutes after sundown on a clear day. The
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accuracy required of a spacecraft to get there is comparable to a golfer sinking a thousand‐mile putt. To get there, Voyager 2 has had to pass quite precisely through the systems of Jupiter and Saturn, penetrate their mysteries and use their gravitational fields asassistsonthenextlegofthejourney.Thiswasparticularlytricky at Uranus because the planetʹs magnetic field was only suspected. The spacecraft had to pass close to Miranda, the major moon of Uranus,andthenswingbehindtheplanetanditsringssothatthe radio transmission to the craft could pass through the atmosphere and ring system, revealing their structure and composition. The craftʹs fly‐by was also tightly constrained by its need to use the gravityofUranustoassistitonitswaytoNeptune,theweightof the instruments in the craft and its capacity for fuel making this assistanceessential.Tomakeitwork,Voyager2hadtohitapoint in space at a point in time with phenomenal accuracy. To miss ʹcorridorcentreʹatUranusbyamilewouldhavecreatedanerrorof four thousand miles at Neptune, and there would not have been adequatefueltomakemorethanasmalladjustmentwiththecraftʹs thrusters. As it was, Voyager 2 flew well within this corridor, passed above the cloud tops of Uranus, and the gravity of the planet bent the craftʹs trajectory by twenty‐three degrees while increasing its velocity by forty‐five hundred miles per hour. Thus began a journey of a billion miles and three‐and‐a‐half years to Neptune. OnceVoyager2reachesNeptune,communicationwiththeearth willbestretchedtoitsmaximumcapability.Radioinstructionsand datawillhavetobetransmittedoveramuchgreaterdistance,and picturestakeninthelowerlightwillrequirelongexposure,risking blurring due to the speed and close distance of the craft to its targets.Motioncompensatorswillbeactivated,andsmallburstsof the thrusters will turn the craft slightly to send pictures back to earth before turning it again towards a new target. Given the limitations of the craft, which has suffered radio damage over the twelve years of its immense journey, linked receivers around the globe have been established to increase the earthʹs capacity to receiveitsinformation.Everyknownadvantagehasbeenpursued
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in relation to maximizing the ground crewʹs ability to control the craft and compensate for the narrow margins within which it will have to operate in the Neptunian system. At this point, the die is cast as far as the probe is concerned. Its capacity was determined longago.Allthatcanbedonetoenhanceitsperformancemustbe doneatthereceivingend.Isitpossiblethataperversetwistoffate could frustrate this delicate communication, much as the perverse stubbornness of the Astronomer Royal obfuscated the enlightened discovery of Adams in the last century? A suspicion of theoretical mathematics as an approach to research is no longer prevalent in theworld,buttherestilllingersadoggedsensethatitisbestused asalanguagetoexpresscollectedobservations.Thedistrustofthat whichisassertedlongbeforethereistangibleevidencetobackitis deep‐seated in the minds of materialistic human beings. The collective impact of such an earthbound consciousness could well affect the outcome of a planetary problem dependent upon calculations of the most abstract and theoretical nature. One can only hope that this foot‐dragging mentality does not prevail and that,likethebrilliantworkofAdamswhichreceivedrecognitionin the end, Voyager 2 will make its discoveries and communicate themsuccessfullytotheworld. The possibility that collective human consciousness could affect theoutcomeofaNeptunianfly‐byislinkedupwiththereciprocal exchange that takes place between the earth and other planets in our solar system in general, but in particular with the surge of Neptunian influence which took place after the planetʹs discovery andwhichwilloccuragainwiththeclosercontactweareaboutto establish. Humanityʹs increased contact with Jupiter has expanded consciousness to accommodate a larger design, while Saturn continues to test the human race until it abandons the inadequate forms of the past and begins to shape a new vehicle. Uranus stirs the sleeping chakras along the invisible spine, aligns the subtle lenses of manʹs sevenfold being, and links the immortal soul with the Divine Will of Maheshvara, the ONE SELF of ALL. Thus, the opening up of latent awareness is linked to the continuous,
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conscious resonance with the supreme, indwelling intelligence of thecosmos. Theheighteningofthisgreaterawarenessofthevitalneedfora resonant alignment with the Cosmic Mind has been abundantly noticeable since the passage of Voyager 2 through the Uranian system. With the approach to Neptune, all humanity can arouse a deepeningsenseofthedivinewithinandaneffortlessshifttowards a mystical letting go of the self‐crippled personal image and pseudo‐identity, derived from ʹdeficiency needsʹ, wanton desires andimmoderatewants.Thisinvolveslettingwhatthetelescopehas seen, so to speak, reveal to our inmost consciousness the invisible cosmos with which we are linked. Contact with Neptune is an exposure to cosmic Light, a holding of the glimpse provided by Uranus, and a flooding of the lower vestures with its reality throughthepowerfulchannelsoftheunconsciousmind.Tocontact Neptuneistocomeintocoadunitionwithenergiesandbeingsfrom beyondoursolarsystemandtoattainaccesstothedivinethrougha realizationofthemagnitudeandgrandeurofitsservice. Givingoneselfovertothecosmoscanbedoneonlybyfearlessly openingwidetotheakashicdepthswhichliebeyondthehypnotic phantasmagoriaoftheastrallight.Thisistrulyfrightening,forour commonexperienceindreamsandinwakinglifehastaughtusthat theserpentscoiledinthenooksandcranniesofthepsychicnature are potentially deadly. There are too many passions and terrors welling up unbidden from the unconscious to permit us to feel confident about the unknown or unsuspected aspects of our natures. Thus, men and women spend a good deal of time and energyprotectingthemselvesfromtheirtrueselves,andwhenthey try to shift their sense of being to include the whole cosmos, they are apt to feel the same overwhelming apprehension about its dreadfulunknowndepthsastheydoabouttheinwardrecessesof thehiddenself.Butifonefoundthecouragetobeginthejourneyto Neptune whereon thegreat Cosmic Ocean awaits, onewould best attemptthepassageinstages.Afterassimilatingthegloriousvision of Jupiter, one can meditate upon Saturn as form, realize in the mindʹs eye the inner meaning of Shivaʹs trident, of the lunar
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crescentonhisbrow,hisbullʹshorns,andthesacredlingaoflight which is his most abstract emblem, as well as the perpetually movingringsoffiresurroundinghisstill‐centreddance.Meditating deeply thus upon Saturn as Ideal Form, one can reach a point of dynamic control where the highest kundalini energy can be gently awakened through the telescopic chakras of Uranus to destroy the illusionofform.Thenonlycanonesenseaserenemysticaloneness withthedivinethroughNeptuneʹsgate. Like the Voyager 2 spacecraft which makes this journey on the physicalplaneinourlifetime,humanityhasmadethisjourneyon different planes in the past and will do so again in a much more conscious way in the future. But the advanced souls who have realizedandsustainedtherealizationofamysticalonenesswiththe cosmosrepresenttheproverbialdropsofrainbeforethemonsoon. The journey they have made is hardly easy. It is fraught with dreadfully narrow margins and limitations born of the karma of each aspirantʹs particular circumstances. Like the scientists who designedVoyager2,theytoomusteliminatefromtheircraftevery redundancy, every excess of fuel or weight or structural capacity thatisnotessentialtoreachingtheirgoal.Theyhavetohonetheir mental, psychic and physical vestures until they are perfectly in balanceandpoisedforthelongflight. ContactwithNeptunenowwillundoubtedlyaffecttheeffortsof those who are striving to prepare and bring their subtle vestures into alignment for this journey. A few more drops of rain will surelyfall.Butthejourneyitselfwillhavetobemadebyeachand every individual who, through his or her own solitary longings, will learn the necessity of staging their progress precisely so that the lessons of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus are well assimilated before passing on. Some will experience at first hand the crucial rolewhichthegravitationassistofeachoftheseplanetsofferstheir passage. Without involvement in the intimate absorption of the fields of these planets, there could be no eventual alignment of stages,noalignmentofplanets,subtlevestures,hiddenchakras,that would allow the cosmic energy to flow freely and give that extra spurtofcourageneededforthenextlegofthejourney.
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If the gradual alignment is steady and true, the expanding consciousness of the individual embarked on the journey will be transmitted to his own lower vestures, which will gradually become more porous and deeply receptive to higher communication. Like the ground crew striving to enhance its reception of Voyager 2ʹs information, the spiritual astronautʹs vestures will gather in service of his aspiration and strain to echo his every realization. They will of necessity become extremely flexible and sensitive, for his realizations will be immeasurably broadanddeep.InnearingNeptuneʹsgate,hewillnotonlybegin tolearnabouttheformationoftheouterplanets,butpenetratethe mysteryofTritonʹsretrogrademotion,perceiving,perhaps,thatits backward movement into Neptuneʹs system represents the microcosmiccycleassertingitselfinthevastrevolvingoceanofthe macrocosm. He will see that its potential collision with Neptune would be an effect echoing the movement of the drop of the individual soul merging into the divine aura of the UNIVERSAL SELF. Nearing the gate, he will confront the energies and beings from other systems who reside there. Through communion with such entities, he will consciously embrace the reality of other systemsandofsystemswithoutend,untilheisoverwhelmedwith therealizationofcosmoswithoutendandwithhissenseofoneness withit. It is at this mystical juncture that the triune spark of consciousness raised up in Neptuneʹs trident takes birth in the vastitude over which he floats. Rather than the pristine spark of self‐awareness which awakened humanity eighteen million years ago,thistriunesparkrepresentsthefruitionofthewholejourneyof sacrificeintothelowerwatersofgenerationandthegreaterthrust upward and inward towards the akashic ocean of mankindʹs ideational beginnings. Reaching that great Cosmic Sea, consciousness becomes cosmic, the gates of Neptune are entered, and fire and water blend the individual with the universal, thus incarnatingprogressivelytheLogosinthecosmos,theGodinMan. Hermes,July1989 HelenValborg
PLUTOANDCHARON MyLordʺshesaid,ʺyouaskformiracles, Yetyouhaveearnedthembythethingsyouʹvedone, Byhand,bysteel,byfaiththatwalkedthroughfire. Andwhatyouask,greatTrojan,shallbeyours: Iʹlltakeyouthere;youʹllseeElysium, Thatnew‐foundlandwithinthenetherworld. Thereyouwillmeetyourdearfatherʹsghost, Noranyroaddosedtoamanofvirtue.ʺ ThroughgreendarkaislesofProserpinaʹsforest Thesibylpointedwhereagoldenbough ShoneinthewaveringshadowsofAvernus, Tellinghimtobreakitfromthetree,tocarryit, AndasAeneasdidso,asindreams, DrearPlutoʹskingdomwakedbeforehiseyes. Ovid
LikeshadesboundforTartarus,embarkedintheboatofthedark ferryman,wetremblewithourdeparture.Launchedintothesilent depthsofnight,weareleavingfamiliarlandmarksbehind.Weare gliding in a spacecraft called Orpheus or Aeneas or Persephone, gliding past moons and planets seen from earth, past the systems, forms and thoughts that filled our world. We are floating beyond theworldtotheouterworld,theunderworld,therealmthatverges on non‐being, that shrouds its secrets in the distant mist of unknown space. We drift beyond time, forgetting time, and land upontheshoresofPlutoʹskingdom,theshadowycrateredshoresof adrearandicyworld.Fromtherethesunappearsasatinydistant star.Thecold,thinatmosphererevealsthestarsandthesunatthe same time, for there is little scattering of light through the air and onesourcedoesnotobscureanother.Butwhereshadowsfall,they aredense. The contrasts on Pluto are very stark; his realm is one of coldly clear light and blackest darkness. We must be very careful not to stepinashadowlestwefallintoacrevassecompletelyinvisibleto
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us.Everywhereaboutarecraters,chasms,cavesandicycorridors. ItseemstherearemanychambersandbywaysinPlutoʹsplaceand great caution must be exercised in exploring them. For with each steptaken,oneboundsweightlesslyahead,undauntedbyastrong field of gravity. One could very well plunge into an unexpected openingandneverbeseenagain.Ohyes,wetrembleevennow,for though we wish to gather Plutoʹs secrets, we are afraid of being detained by him, and continually try to keep our craft in view. If onewanderedjustamileortwoawayfromit,itwoulddisappear over the horizon and the thought of losing track of our means of returningtotheworldisterrifying. While considering this, Charonʹs barque has crossed over once againtotheearthʹsshoreandweareleftwonderingifthishasbeen avoyageofscientificspeculationoroneofmythologicalfancy.The factthatitisbasedupondatasopainstakinglygleanedbymodern astronomers does not diminish the value of the myths describing visits to Plutoʹs kingdom at all. The parallels to be found between manyaspectsofthesemythicthemesandwhatwearebeginningto learnabouttheverysmallanddistantplanetwehavenamedPluto are very striking. Of course, the myths describe the hero who venturesthroughtheunderworldofdeathandtheconditionsofthe dead whom he encounters. But they are also rich in their descriptionsoftheapproachtoPlutoʹskingdom,oftheferrywhich takes the hero across the vast waters at the end of the world to reachit,andofthecontrastedcharacterofthekingdomitself. Homerʹs Iliad speaks of Oceanus, which Odysseus found at the worldʹs end. Along its mist‐shrouded shore, throngs of the dead waited for Charon to pull up his barque and carry them into the dark waters beyond. Later, when Aeneas approached this same shore,heaskedthesibylthemeaningofthisgatheringandwastold thatthemarshesoftheStyxholdtheunburiedandpoorwhohave nocointopaytheferryman.Loomingdarklyoutoftheturbidmist, Charonapproachedandchallengedhim,sayinghecouldnotcarry the living to Plutoʹs abode. After the sibyl had convinced the reluctant oarsman that Aeneas had earned the right to visit, they
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hadstilltoconfrontthefearfuldogCerberusbeforedescendinginto Hades is the Greek name for Pluto and his abode) itself. Virgil depicted the review of lives that takes place therein, followed by judgement and the imprisonment of souls in the various fields of mourning.HedescribedhowAeneaspausedbeforeahugestream of Tartarus which coursed in a fiery blast before a terrible brazen door,frombehindwhichwailsandgrindingchainscouldbeheard. Thiswastheabodeoftheevil,arealminstarkcontrasttothecool fieldsofElysium. In the old Greek cosmology, Chaos, Night, Black Erebus and BroadTartaruswerefirsttomanifest,longbeforetheappearanceof Gaia and Ouranos. It is significant, therefore, that Hades or Pluto shouldbeplacedinthegenerationofZeusontheOlympianfamily tree. Even so, his Tartarus links him directly back to a condition existingbeforetheformationofworlds.Heandhisattendantsare chthonian,beingsoftheearthasopposedtothegodsofthebright air. But considering that the name Pluto means ʺwealthʺ, one wonders if the wealth of the earth is meant or if it refers to some more antique concept of wealth, a notion of plenitude associated with non‐possession and release. This idea harmonizes with the address of Hades as the ʺUnseen Oneʺ but is less obviously compatible with Orcus, one of the Roman names for Pluto, which meansʺtheOneorthePlacethatconstrainsorconfinesʺ. InthevasthollowsofErebus, Firstofallblack‐wingednight, Alone,broughtforthanegg FromwhichEros,theDesirable, Burstforthlikeaswiftwhirlwind. Aristophanes
InpuzzlingPlutoʹsnature,itisimportanttorememberthatboth Neptune and Pluto are associated symbolically with the negative aspects of the spirit. When Venus sought to engender the manifesting power of love in all three worlds, she saw that Pluto was immune to her influence. She ordered her son Eros to pierce him with one of his arrows and rouse in him desire. The result of
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this act was the immediate kidnapping of Persephone, whose loss to the world brought drought and the devastation of crops. The fierce reaction of Demeter, her mother, resulted in an eventual bargain being struck whereby Persephone would spend half the yearintheunderworldasqueenofHades(autumnandwinter)and halftheyearontheearth(springandsummer).Thuslifeandlove were brought into the realm of death and death was brought into the realm of life. From the point of view of occult astronomy, this hastodowithagreatshiftingoftheearthʹspoleswhichcausedthe constellationofVirgo(Demeter‐Persephone)toappeartofallbelow thesouthernhorizonor,asitisput,intothepitofTartarus. This momentous event marked the fall of the Kumaras (Prometheus‐Satan), the lighting up of the Manasic principle in mind and the separation of the sexes. Related to this is a wonderfully rich store of allusions in sacred and mythological sourceswhichtelloftheTitanslockedupinTartarus,theCyclopes who built Plutoʹs palace, Eurydice being bitten by the (polar) serpent, and the anguished journey of Orpheus. In all of these metaphors,Plutoisbroughtmoreandmoreintorelationshipwith the earth as a stage whereon life and death struggle and interchange ceaselessly with one another. Confined are the titanic forcesofimmortality.Thespotlightshiftsitsfocustothedilemma ofmortalswhograppleandstraintorealizetheireternalsoulseven whilst embodied in dying forms. Eros had burst forth as desire from the egg of Erebus and succeeded in roping the latterʹs Plutonian manifestation into playing an active part in the human drama. ConfinementisaconditionalsoassociatedwiththeHindugodof death, Yama the Restrainer. Like Pluto, Minos or Osiris, he is the godwithwhomthespiritsofthedeparteddwell.Thathepossesses two voracious dogs which guard the road leading to his abode indicates a close similarity to his Greek and Latin counterpart. It also raises questions about the symbolism of Plutoʹs Cerberus, whosejobistopreventthelivingfromenteringHadesandkeepthe inhabitants from escaping. Herakles and Aeneas managed to get
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around him only because their quests were directed towards the attainmentofimmortality.Cerberusactsastheawesomeguardian, the implacable dweller on the threshold between life and death, and he joins the Furies, Harpies and Eumenides as Plutoʹs chief attendants. Like Yama, Pluto himself does not judge, nor does he punish.Hisattendantsseetothesethings.TheFurieswhofellfrom thebloodofthecastratedOuranosareformidableandpitiless.They carry torches and scourges and are the just avengers of crime. Orestes was hounded by them as he fled far and wide after murderinghismother.OnlyinthelastbookoftheOrestiantrilogy, whichisnamedaftertheEumenides,didthesemorekindlyFuries come to his assistance. The emphasis here is on precise justice rather than arbitrary mercy, the judgement and punishment of Plutoʹs domain appearing to be an exacting enactment of karmic law within the confines of kamalokic and devachanic conditions. ButPlutoremainsalooffromthis;hereignsbutisimpervioustothe joys and pains. He functions as a reflection of a universal force whose nature is so impersonal and ubiquitous that it cannot be confinedbutactsintheconditionedworldthroughstrictrestraints experiencedwithespecialpoignancyinthehumankingdom. The spaceship has gone, Charon has returned over the vast watersofspacetotheshoresofearth,whereheappearsterriblein his squalor, his dirty cloak hanging from one shoulder by a knot, his great unkempt beard streaming and his eyes glowing with a steadyflame.Tallandgaunthisduskyfigurelooms,standingashe pusheshisboatwithonelongpole.Heis oldbuttimeless,andas the horde waiting for him rushes to get into his craft, he drives some back and accepts others without hint of hesitation or care. VoyagerswhowishtovisitPlutoʹsrealmwhilealivewouldindeed needtoobtainhisrightofpassage.Theywouldhavetosatisfyhim with the clear purpose of their desire to make the journey and to returnalivetoearthoncemore. To reach Pluto one must obtain the full cooperation of Charon, forhealoneknowsthesecretsoftheoceanicvastitudesoverwhich heregularlycrossesandhealoneconcealsthehiddencharacterof
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Plutoʹsmanifestform.Ironically,ithascometopassthatinthelong search modern science has mounted to discover more about the planet Pluto, Charon has indeed played a critical part as both revealer and concealer. For Charon was the inevitable name to be giventoPlutoʹslonesatellitewhenitwasfinallydiscovered,andits close proximity to its parent echoes the intimate relationship the ferryman has to death. When someone dies in the villages of Greece, the peasants say, ʺO Xάρον τό έχει πάρηʺ (ʺCharon has takenhimʺ).TwothousandyearsofChristianityhavenotremoved the idea and it lingers and merges with the astronomical understanding of Pluto slowly acquired by modern science. For Charon is indeed taking us. He is taking us on a long journey towards the discovery of the nature of a truly remarkable and mysteriousplanet. In the mid‐nineteenth century, both Adams and Leverrier (the discoverersofNeptune)predictedtheexistenceofafurtherplanet. As Neptune had explained some of the anomalous movements of Uranus, so some explanation was needed to account for residual discrepancies.In1903PercivalLowellassertedthattheclusteringof certain comet orbits bore evidence of a further planet to be discovered. As a man of means with a long‐standing passion for astronomy,LowellhadestablishedanobservatorynearFlagstaffin whatwasknownasArizonaTerritoryin1894.Therethequestfor the trans‐Neptunian planet began in earnest in 1905 with a photographic survey along the mean plane of the solar system. A mixture of theory and calculation was applied later in order to narrow the search, but it was seldom integrated with the observational approach. In 1910 a new mathematical assault was launched,newphotosweretaken,andablinkmicroscopewasused tocutbackandforthbetweentwoopticallysuperimposedplatesin ordertorevealanymovementthatmighthavetakenplacebetween thedatesonwhichtheyhadeachbeenshot. This search ended in 1916 and the one thousand photo plates obtained revealed five hundred and fifteen new asteroids, seven hundred new variable stars, and two images of the ninth planet
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whichwereunrecognized!Theseimageswerebetweenthefifteenth andsixteenthmagnitude(tenthousandtimesfainterthanwhatthe unaidedhumaneyecansee)andwerebarelyvisibleontheplates. Lowell died in 1916 without ever knowing that he had come so closetotheastronomicaldiscoveryofthecentury.Withhisdeath,a long legal dispute over his endowment to the observatory tied up theworksothatnothingfurtherwasdoneuntil1927.Atthistime,a generous gift of a fine thirteen‐inch photographic refracting telescope was given tothe observatory by Lowellʹs brother. It was installed in 1929, the year a Kansas farm boy, Clyde Tombaugh, was invited to join the staff as an assistant in the search for what wastobeknownasPlanetX. ClydeTombaughhadworkedhardthroughouthisyouthonhis fatherʹs small rented farm. He developed a passion for stargazing early on and built several telescopes for the purpose. He was entirelyself‐taughtandhaddreamsofgoingtocollege.Butowing topressingfinancialneedsonthefarm,hedecidedhewouldhave to find a paying job to help his family. One of the fruits of his stargazing were several meticulous drawings that he sent to the Lowell Observatory which, as it happened, was the only observatory he knew of. His timing was good. The professional astronomerstherelikedtherigourofhisworkandneededsomeone to photograph when the new telescope arrived. With no formal traininginastronomy,thistwenty‐two‐year‐oldladenteredintothe routineofthingswithenthusiasmandagreatcarefordetail.Soon he began to improve the search procedure on his own initiative, madecriticaladjustmentsinthetelescope,anddevelopedaplanto photographeachregionthreetimes.Thetwomoreidenticalplates wouldbeblinkedagainstoneanotherandthethirdplatewouldbe kept for comparison and verification. The rest of the staff were so busy on other projects that they soon handed over to him the critical job of blinking the photo plates, a responsibility which entrusted him with the possibility of making the discovery then soughtbyastronomerstheworldover.
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TombaughstartedhissearcheastofCancer,whereeachexposure captured about fifty thousand stars. Moving on to Gemini (and closer to the Milky Way), the plates now contained an average of four hundred thousand stars, each of which had to be checked in theblinkingprocess.Hespenthalfthemonthatthetelescopeand half (when the moon made the sky too bright) at the blink microscope. His session at the latter instrument lasted a numbing threetosixhoursaday,withstarcountsofuptoonemillion.He would blink a few hundred stars at a time, watching for tiny changes in pattern. Besides the extremely difficult task of keeping alert and fully concentrated during this process, there were dauntingproblemsofdiscriminationtobeovercome.Irregularities in the distribution of silver grains in the photographic emulsion gave rise to dozens of false suspected planets on every plate. In addition to this, asteroids orbiting the sun generally moved faster thanPlanetXwassupposedto,butwhentheearthcaughtupwith andpassedeachone,itwouldappeartogointoretrogrademotion, during which it closely mimicked a trans‐Neptunian planet. Tombaugh solved the problem of mimicry by photographing the skyonehundredandeightydegreesfromthesunʹsposition,where the retrograde motion of the asteroids would be most noticeable and produce a tail. This allowed him to discriminate them from Planet X. But still, each plate required one hour of exposure and eachpairofexposedplatesrequiredthreetosevendaysofblinking ‐anincrediblytediousandlengthyprocess! Despite the difficulties and tedium, which were, unhappily, aggravated by the discouraging scepticism of many visiting astronomers, Tombaugh made a thorough search of the entire zodiac. In January of 1930 he circled back into Gemini, where he exposedthreenegatives.WhenblinkingtheplatesinFebruary,he sawatinypinpointoflightshiftingbackandforthbetweenthetwo superimposed exposures. It was 4 oʹclock P.M., February 18. He noted the exact time, realizing he had finally found Planet X. The newsarousedenormousinterest,providingastageformuchdebate and a distinct amount of competitive egoism. Characteristically, Tombaugh quietly went about his business, which included
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obtaining formal university training in astronomy as well as contributingmanydecadesofvaluableexpertisetohischosenfield. Adastraperaspera. (Tothestarsthroughdifficulties.) StateMottoofKansas
The name Pluto was proposed by an eleven‐year‐old Oxford schoolgirlwhothoughtthatsuchadimandgloomyplanetshould be named after the god of the underworld. It was not long before theinitialestimatesofitssizewereadjusteddownward,aprocess that has continued up to the present, prompting one observer to describe Pluto as the Incredible Shrinking Planet. Owing to its immense distance, very little is known about the composition of Pluto, but spectrographic data indicate the presence of highly reflective methane ice on much of its surface, accounting for a degree of brightness which has encouraged scientists to further reducetheirestimatesofitssizeto1,457milesindiameter.Viewed fromtheearth,onecouldcomparePlutotoabaseballonehundred miles distant, even when it is at its perihelion. On its surface, the methaneicefreezesataboutminusthreehundredandseventy‐nine degreesandvaporizesveryslowlytoformwhatisbelievedtobea thinandtenuousatmosphere.In1988theplanetpassedinfrontofa starwhoselightfadedgraduallyratherthanallatonce,indicating thepresenceofsuchanatmosphere. ItisthoughtthatPlutoiscomposedofaboutseventypercentrock andthirtypercentwater,havingadensitysimilartoNeptune.This quantity of rock would be great enough to have ensured that the decay of radioactive elements soon after the planet formed would havecausedittodifferentiate.Thisdensermatterwouldhavesunk tothecentreandthelightericefloatedtothesurface.Themethane icepredominatesatthepoles,whereasPlutoʹsequatorisdarkerand marked by two spots: one very large and shaded, the other small and bright. During the two hundred and forty‐eight years of the planetʹs orbit, the poles remain covered with the ice, which is believed to extend further into the equatorial regions during its aphelion.
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In1978thebigbreakthroughcamewiththediscoveryofPlutoʹs satellite,Charon.Itwasanearmissbecauseastrongbiaspersisted inthoseastronomerswhofeltthatmoonscouldnotexistsocloseto their planets, thus blinding them to what was visible in the heavens. But James Christy had spent years looking for double stars,andhismindwasopenandreadytoidentifythebulgeonthe side of Pluto as a satellite instead of a ʺpoor pictureʺ. With the discovery of Charon, it became possible to calculate that the size andmassofthePluto‐Charonsystemwashopelesslyinadequateto accountforthemeasurablegravitationalperturbationsofUranusor Neptune.Plutocouldnotbethesought‐afterPlanetX.Ifthiswere not so, the system proved to be so unique and unexpected that interest in it has continued at a high level. It has been learnt that Plutoanditsmoonaretidallylockedtogether,theonlyexampleof mutual tidal coupling in the solar system. Most moons revolve aroundtheirplanetinthesameperiodoftimeastheyrotateonce, sothatthesamefaceisalwayspointingtotheplanet.Thehugeand relatively dark Charon follows this pattern, but Pluto rotates once for every revolution of its moon and also keeps the same face pointed back to Charon. The coincidence of the light curves and orbitalperiodsconfirmsthisaswellasthefactthatPlutoʹspoleof rotationisonitssiderelativetotheplaneofthesolarsystem.Asa result, Charonʹs orbit around its equator is from north to south, whilst it circles only six Pluto‐diameters away from its planet, looming huge in Plutoʹs sky wherein it would appear eight times widerthanourmoonappearstoushereonearth. With karmic fortuitousness, Christy discovered Charon just in timeforscientiststoprepareforthePlutonicsix‐yeareclipseseason which began in 1985. Details pertaining to mass, density, surface character and composition have been forthcoming from careful observations of this series of eclipses, a rare opportunity to unveil someofPlutoʹssecretsnottoberepeatedforanotheronehundred andtwenty‐fouryears.Plutoisnowasclosetotheearthasitcomes in its highly inclined (17.2 degrees) and eccentric (0.25) orbit. Its ideal viewing time (for those possessing eight‐inch or larger telescopes)willextendthroughAugustofthisyear,afterwhichthe
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planet and its moon will slowly arc away from the sun and begin theirjourneytopartsfaroutsidetheorbitofNeptune. Attheapexofitsinclination,Plutois1.25billionmilesabovethe ecliptic and its elliptic path carries it out to 4.6 billion miles away fromthesun.InJanuary1979itpassedinsidetheorbitofNeptune, whereitwillspendtwentyyearsbeforemakingthisvastoutward journey. Some scientists have hypothesized that Pluto may have originated from Neptune, but in passing in and out of the latterʹs orbit, Pluto bridges Neptuneʹs path by almost a billion miles. It is generally now agreed that Pluto and Neptune never have come closer together owing to the size of the gravitational forces that Neptune,Uranus,SaturnandJupiterexertonPluto.Thetimingof theseforcesdoesnotallowPlutoʹsorbittoprecessandsoitmerely oscillates, permanently confined to a narrow range of passage. ShadesofOrcus,theonewhoconstrainsandconfines! Ofalltheplanetesimalsformingintheearlysolarsysteminouter space, Pluto is the only one that escaped the giant planets. It is confinedinitsorbitbythegiantsbutitcannotbecapturedbythem. Still, long‐range computer simulations of its orbit show that its motionaroundthesunischaotic,defyingpredictabilityoveravast curve of time. It now appears to be in a small and subtle chaotic zone,butifthisisconnectedwithalargerone,itisconceivablethat Pluto could head off into another orbit. Such a fascinating possibility strangely echoes the mythic theme of Pluto suddenly carrying Eurydice into another world or sweeping Persephone away, only this time it would be Pluto himself who fell under the rule of a more powerfully ubiquitous expression of the force to whichhebelongs.Forthetimebeing,however,ifoneconsidersthe events which have unfolded into the world since the discovery of Pluto,oneisstruckbytheenormityoftheinfluencetheplanethas hadfromwithintheconfinesofitspresentorbit. Since 1930, when Tombaugh made his valiant discovery, enormous waves of military death, planned genocide and nuclear threat have washed over the globe. The horror and necessity engenderedbythishasledtoaprofoundpsychologicalandsocial
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application of the idea of relativity which eventually spawned the ʺnew physicsʺ and the notion that man creates and perceives patterns of reality which are arbitrary. This revolution in consciousness is intimately linked to the recognition of the planet Pluto and its spirit, who rules the dark forces necessary for light and life in conjunction with evolution. The Plutonic spirit governs the journey through the underworld, which is the key to transformativegrowthandthedeepeningandpurifyingofenergy inlife.Evolutionarygrowthisaslow,circularprocess,butwhena pattern is completed, quantum leaps occur. The soul erupts and takes a leap involving the death of the old energy, a successful initiationandarebirthintoanewfield.Weburstoutofpatternsof reality when we realize they are a creation of our own consciousness. The patterns may be abstract mental structures, emotional associations or concrete creations. Abandoning the reality of their limits and definitions, we move ever closer to a consciouscoadunitionwiththecosmos. Whereas Uranus releases the kundalini energy which breaks up lesser forms and Neptune prompts a mystical release into the cosmic stream, Pluto drives man into the underworld, where an intense cleansing and clearing up of karma reveal truth in a stark and unalloyed light. Transformation in Pluto gives human beings freedom from conditioned responses and the gift of pure Divine Will.ThediscoveriesofTombaughandChristyreflectthisfreedom. Neitherofthemwereboundbyconventionalassumptionsandboth were bold and tenacious enough to pursue truth wherever it led them.Theman‐madeobstaclestotheirdiscoverieswhichhadtaken the forms of quarrelling over money, scepticism and smug preconceptionsneversucceededindivertingthemfromcompleting theirjourneyintothePlutonianworld.ThediscoveryofPlutoand Charon entailed an evolutionary deepening and purification of consciousness, but to achieve full transformation in Pluto requires themasteryofallthelunarforcesandtheabilitytofocusuponan unseen but impending Truth which will erupt into oneʹs consciousness and destroy the shreds of previously held perceptions. A good analogue to this can be found in the
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requirements for a successful viewing of the planet during this perihelionperiod.IfonelooksatPlutoʹsfieldthroughatelescope,a great many stars will be visible. One will need to reduce the confusionbycenteringPlutoʹspositioninalow‐poweredeyepiece andthengraduallyincreasingthemagnificationtoX10perinchof aperture. The persistent focus and magnification negate the distracting clouds of lunar influences, and the dim truth suddenly moves, suddenlyleapstothemindʹseyeandsweepsawayeverythingthat is not consonant with its larger energy. The eruptive and enlighteningforcesofScorpio(whichisruledbyPluto)arereleased and the microcosm which is Man begins to self‐consciously experience itself in the Macrocosm. But tenacity and personal will are not sufficient to bring this about. The Furies are not attendant upon Pluto as mere decorations. They are formidable, pitiless and justavengerswho,whilstinevitablyawaitingeachsoulafterdeath, also confront every individual intent upon making the daunting journey into the underworld during life. Such a self‐determined pilgrimmustbecomehisorherownFury,scourgingandcleaning outtheresiduesoflunarideas,lunarattachmentsandlunarimages ofself.Thisisnoteasy,andtheself‐disciplineandsacrificerequired maybetoomuchforsomewhothenfallundertheswayofPlutoʹs negative influence. Shunning masochistic possibilities, such individualsmayfallintoatavism,attemptingtoplumbthedepths notoftruthbutofthelunaraspectsofdeathandmagic.Theymay becomeengrossedinprimitiveelementalpractices,combinedwith a desire for the power not of universal evolution but of manipulationanddistortion.Adramaticexampleofthisoperating through a large collective of individuals manifested in the 1930s with the rise of the Nazi movement. One has also seen many subsequentinstancesofthenegativesideofPlutoʹsinfluenceinall sortsofatavisticpractices,includingthoseintheAmericanculture involving a frequent misuse of native Indian beliefs as well as general psychic activity focussed upon the dead and the dark corridorsoftheastralworld.
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Suchpracticesjourneybackwardinevolution,makingamockery of the real wisdom once held by so‐called primitive peoples. One whoisluredbysuchthingseasilyfindshimselfwanderingoffinto shadows.LiketheheedlessvoyagertothesurfaceofPlutoʹsplanet, suchpersonseasilystepintoadepthlesschasmofferingnoescape. WalkingonPlutoinsuchadirection,theyarecarriedforthinrapid bounds and wholly lost before they realize they can no longer see the ferry boat over the horizon. Even for the wise voyager it is essentialnottolosesightofCharonʹscraft,forifitisthemeansof crossingover,itisalsothemeansofreturn.Tosucceedinmaking theinitialcrossingwiththeintentionofreturn,Charonmustfirstbe satisfied with the clarity and purity of oneʹs purpose. Only those trulyseekingtherealizationofimmortalityarepermittedbyhimto make the journey when alive. To all else he continues to conceal Plutoʹs realm, as the large moon bearing his name conceals its planetduringeclipse.ButheispreparedtorevealPlutoʹsnatureto thosewhostandcleansedandfearlessontheshoreoftheuniversal sea. The chaotic movement in Plutoʹs progression partakes of a greaterchaoswhichlieswithinandbehindalluniversalsystemsof order,andwhichprovidesanadjunctcrucialtoevolution,keeping it from sinking into a stagnant circle of repetition. The eruptive power of volcanoes ruled by Pluto is a symbol of this flashing, truth‐revealingenergywhichcontinuallyarisesoutoftheashesof abandoned lesser realities. Plutoʹs eccentric orbit is a symbol as well, one of order and chaos merged, life and death wedded togetheroverandoveragain,foritlinksourknownsolarsystemto the unknown and mysterious galaxy beyond. With every orbital passage Pluto and Charon make, they bring the macrocosmic design of evolution into the more ordered‐seeming field of the microcosmicexperienceofourglobe.Thedarkemptinessofspace, which we fear as death, is commingled with the fullness of our visible system, which we imagine as life. Face to face, the tidally coupledPlutoandCharonpassbackandforth,inandoutoflife,in and out of the solar system like a ferryman whose dark and cheerlessaspectmasksashiningnewworldbeyond.Thetwosides
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of the coin needed to pay him for the passage are thus brought togetherinthestreamofhumanconsciousness. Transformation in Pluto implies a mastery of the means of crossing to this new world as well as a realization of that which transcendslifeanddeathwithinoneself.SuchaMasterexperiences thebalancedconfinementofthisunlimitedpowerineveryaspectof his being. It is contained in its orbit, so to speak, by the forces of Neptune, Uranus, Saturn and Jupiter which he has already understoodandlearnttogoverninhimself.Heisofthisworldbut fullyofanother.Hehasjourneyedbackbeyondthefloatingdream ofmanifestingworldsintothevasterTartarus,asleepwhichisboth being and non‐being in repose. He knows death in life and life in death and consciously enters into each phase without missing a beat,alertandfullyconcentrated,awareofeachblinkingofdeeper truth as it flashes and reveals itself. Such a Master floats over the great river of life. Like Vasudeva, the ferryman whose wisdom guidedSiddhartha,hepassesbackandforth,knowingbothshores tobethesame.Toemulatehispassage,onemustfindthepointof crossingandtheferryboatwithinoneself.Launchinguponacourse of cleansing and clarification, one prepares to embark, waits to perceivethelinkthatconnectsthenoeticindividualtotheuniversal soul,theparamatman.Itrevealsitself,loominginthemistshrouding thedepthsofoneʹsinnerbeing,thevastspacesthatreachtoPlutoʹs shores. The silent ferryman nods and one steps aboard. The tide surges,themistspart,thecrossingisbegun. Inthewatersoftheunderworld Thereliesasecretstream, Whichflowsbeyondthedweller Andlifeʹsephemeraldream. Itflashesforamoment, Thenrecedeswithinthesurge, Butitscoursehasbeenrecorded BytheWatcherontheverge.
Hermes,August1989 HelenValborg
INDEX
1 175years‐outerplanetsalignthemselvesforacloserlookatUranus...........................321
2 25,800years..................................................................................................................78 2500‐yearcycleoftheBuddha.....................................................................................102
4 432,000,isthetruekeyofthesecretcycle.....................................................................51
5 5000‐yearcyclewithwhichKrishnainauguratedKaliYuga...........................................102
8 84years‐life‐spanofWilliamHerschel,discovererofUranus......................................325 84yearsforasinglerevolutionofUranus.....................................................................325
A AbbotofUnreason......................................................................................................300 AdamKadmon........................................................................................29,130,153,166 AdamKadmonorYodcheva..........................................................................................27 AdamKadmon,thepureandrogyne..............................................................................27 AdamseparatedintoCainandAbel.............................................................................129 Adam,CainandAbelcanbelikenedtothesephirothaltriadofCrown,Wisdomand Intelligence.............................................................................................................129 AdamsandLeverrier(thediscoverersofNeptune)predictedtheexistenceofafurther planet.....................................................................................................................350 AgeofAriescommencedaround2300B.C...................................................................111 AgeofKronos..............................................................................................................302 AgeofZeusbegan,itwasnolongerpossibleforDivineInstructorstocomeopenlyinto theworld.................................................................................................................92 ahankara.....................................................................................................................164 Aja,theCosmicSelf.....................................................................................................109 Akasaistheindispensableagentofeverymagicalperformance...................................214 AkkadiannameforLeowasNenegar,the'fire‐makingfire'..........................................143 allimpressionsareasmuchsubjecttocycliclawasthemoon........................................65
362THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY allrelationshipsaresymbolizedbythezodiac................................................................12 Alone,amongallthebooksoftheBible,Genesisbelongstoanimmenseantiquity........21 Americaisthebeginningofthegreatcivilizationthatistocome...................................72 Americaisthehighest,althoughthecrudest,civilizationnowontheearth....................72 Ananda................................................................................................................216,264 AncientastrologersclaimedthatScorpiowasthebirthplaceoffieryMars...................173 ancientEgyptianswethinkwereco‐laborerswiththeancientHindoos..........................63 ancientEtruscantradition................................................................................................7 ancientHindusandEgyptianstooktheirzodiacalmeasurementsfromfour'fixed'stars thatmoved.................................................................................................................5 ancientshadknowledgeoftheZodiac...........................................................................30 Anxietyisoneofman'sgreatestandmostinsidiousfoes...............................................17 approximateyearoftheerectionoftheGreatPyramidcanbeascertained....................32 AquarianMan......................................................................................................102,198 Aquarianmodeofconsciousness.................................................................................206 AquariusidentifiesthefourteenlokasofHindutradition.................................................9 Aquariusrepresentstheidealtowardwhichhumanityismoving..................................198 Aquarius,whereanimpartialunderstandingofthingsispossible....................................6 Ariesmarksthedescentofspiritintomatter,makingofmana"livingsoul".................275 AryansareintheKaliAge..............................................................................................76 Asabove,soitisbelow.................................................................................................40 astrologerofoldbasedhisprognosticationuponacuteandmathematicallycorrect observationsoftheever‐recurringcycles..................................................................39 Astrologywillrelieveoneatanycrisisfromanxiety........................................................18 asuras.........................................................................................................................246 AswintwinsofHindutradition.....................................................................................125 Aswins,thedivinecharioteersofHindumythology......................................................130 Atlantis....................................................................................................34,84,214,286 AtmosphericalAstrology,orindicatingtheweather........................................................14 AUF,theDeadSunwhosymbolizesDivineLifelimitingitself.......................................108 AvataraofVishnuisNara‐Simha,theMan‐Lion...........................................................145 avidya....................................................................7,108,110,113,114,142,163,211,275 AvidyaisthefirstofthetwelveNidanasofBuddhismandrepresentsthelossof awarenessofone'srealnature................................................................................113
B B.P.Wadia...................................................................................................................101 Babyloniansweretaughtthemysteries.........................................................................21 bachelorofartsandmasterofartsweredegreesgoingbacktooldinitiations................87 beatingofthesolar'heart'and'brain'isdirectlyanalogouswiththefunctionofthepineal gland......................................................................................................................224 Bhagavad‐GitaandtheZodiacaretwogreatstorehousesofknowledge........................35 biblicalpatriarchs,identicalwithHinduPragâpatis(Pradjâpatis),andtheSephirothofthe Kabala......................................................................................................................23 BookoftheDead.......................................................108,114,186,193,202,232,233,248 bornatsunrise,noon,sunsetormidnight.......................................................................2 Brahmanicalesotericinterpretationofthedeluge.........................................................21
INDEX363 Buckle..........................................................................................................................60 BullfromtheSea..................................................................................................118,120 bullistheparamountsymbolofthefecundatingsky....................................................118
C caduceusofMercury....................................................................................................240 CanceriscalledtheGateofMen,theoldestconstellationandthewitnessofthefirstacts ofcreation..............................................................................................................133 CanceristheSanskritKarkatakarn...............................................................................138 Cancer,connectedwiththemoon,symbolizesadolescenceandemotionalturbulence...6 CapricornisthebirthplaceofSaturn,bringeroflimitationsandoldage.......................190 Capricornsuggestspracticalattainmentonthebasisofrecognizedideals......................6 CapricornwasconsideredbythePlatoniststobetheGateoftheGods........................190 CapricornwasidentifiedinEgyptwiththecrocodilewhichwastothemasacredanimal signifyingthemeetingofwaterandairupontheearth............................................189 CastorandPollux..........................................................................................125,126,286 Castorrepresentsthepurelymortalman.....................................................................126 Castorsymbolizestheegg‐bornThirdRacehumanity..................................................127 CentralSpiritualSun,parentofelectricity,thefireoflifeandthemanifesteduniverse.221 CentralSun.........................................................................................................219,220 CentralSunisanunseenpointinsiderealspacewhichconstantlyattractsoursolar system....................................................................................................................220 centripetalandcentrifugalforcesaresymbolsofGoodandEvil,SpiritandMatter,Life andDeath.................................................................................................................27 Cerberus......................................................................................................................347 Cerberusistheawesomeguardian,theimplacabledwelleronthethresholdbetweenlife anddeath...............................................................................................................349 Charon'sbarque..........................................................................................................346 childrennowarelikelytohearKarma,Reincarnation,Buddhism,Theosophy................57 ChineseEmpirewascalledthe'MiddleKingdom'.............................................................3 Chinesewordshibmeansbothlion'and'teacher'.........................................................144 CircularZodiac...............................................................................................................33 ClydeTombaugh.........................................................................................................351 collectivehumanpsyche..................................................................................................3 Copernicanrevolutionclarifiedtherelationoftheearthandthesun.............................89 correspondencebetweenthesignsofthezodiacandthecosmiccyclesofAvatars..........6 cosmichierarchies......................................................................................80,87,92,274 crabandturtlearelinkedsincebothcreaturespossessahardenedcarapaceorshell....135 crabisassociatedwiththeformationoftheearth'ssurfaceanditsdifferentiationinto highandlowplaces.................................................................................................134 crabisbothneededtobringformintobeingandtorevealitsunreality........................139 Crabisoverbroodedbythemoonandsymbolizestherealmofthepersonalityormask133 CreativeNature(Naturanaturans)andCreatedNature(Naturanaturata)....................131 cyclehasalmostrunitscourse,anewoneisabouttobegin...........................................56 cycleisacirclewhichtakestheformofaspiral..............................................................59 cycleisaperiodicalreturnorcyclingback.....................................................................60 CycleofDescendingCelestialInfluences........................................................................52
364THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY cycleofinfluenceofEasternmetaphysicsupontheWesternmind.................................56 CycleoftheManu.........................................................................................................40 cycleoftheMoon.........................................................................................................62 cycliclawprevailsprevailseverywhere..........................................................................60 Cynocephalus,theEgyptianhieroglyphoftheplanetMercury.....................................230
D daityas.........................................................................................................................88 daiviprakriti...................................................................................................149,251,295 DalaiLama...................................................................................................................98 dawningAquarianAge..........................................................................................94,296 daysoftheAztecmonth.................................................................................................4 deadwaitforCharontopulluphisbarqueandcarrythemintodarkwatersbeyond.....346 DemeterandPersephone............................................................................................155 demiseofthewildbullsymbolizesbeginningsoftheascendancyofmanoveranimal..121 DenderaZodiac.........................................................................................................4,32 DenderazodiachasthreefiguresofVirgointhreepositionsuponitsface....................156 Denon......................................................................................................................31,33 despondencyisthecyclicreturnofimpressions.............................................................70 Devachan......................................................................................................................55 Dhyanis......................................................................88,147,149,171,192,234,240,249 DhyanisorregentsoftheplanetsoverbroodeachofthesevenRacesofourplanet.....249 DivineFlamesor'FieryLions'hiddeninthesignofLeo...................................................8 DivineInstructorsmovedopenlyamongordinaryhumanbeings...................................92 doathingonce,therewillbeatendencytorepeatitself...............................................68 Dodecatheoi,thetwelvegodsofthezodiac..................................................................110 doublesignofVirgo‐Scorpio.........................................................................................26 Dragon‐RegentofSaturn............................................................................................307 DragonsofWisdomareconnectedwithcrocodileandhavetheirabodeinCapricorn...193 dualnatureofGemini..................................................................................................125 Dwaparayug................................................................................................................49
E Easternastrologers.........................................................................................................2 EgyptianBookoftheGates..........................................................................................152 Egyptiansymbolismandthesolarboat..........................................................................11 EgyptianscalledtheglyphofLibraKhu........................................................................162 EgyptiansdeifiedtheNile.............................................................................................22 Egyptiansheldthatcyclesprevaileverywhere..............................................................60 Egyptiansheldthecrocodilesassacred........................................................................22 EgyptiansidentifiedSaturnastheplanetoflimitation.................................................300 Egyptian'sknowledgeofthelawofcyclescausedthemtomakethefirstmummy.........63 EgyptiansrecognizedSaturnastheplanetaryrulerthroughwhosecriticalstagethe evolvingsoulmustpass...........................................................................................302 Egyptianssymbolizedbirthofthesunthroughdescriptionsofinfantsun‐godHorus...219 Egyptianswerealreadyconsiderablyadvancedincivilization.........................................32
INDEX365 eighteenmillionyearsofhumanexistenceonthisglobe................................................85 eighteenthenigmaoftheTarot...................................................................................139 eighteenthenigmaoftheTarotdepictsthemoonasasilverdiskbearingtheoutlinesofa woman...................................................................................................................259 elderbrothersaresubjecttolaw....................................................................................67 elementscanbeconceivedasmodesofmotioncharacteristicofdifferentstagesof evolution..................................................................................................................11 EmperorJulianprayedthroughintercessionofMercurytotheoccultsuneverynight..229 EquatorialSun.............................................................................................................224 eraofdisenchantmentandrebuildingwillsoonbegin....................................................56 Esoterictradition.......................................................................................................9,12 essenceoftheManasaputraspresidesovertheplanetMercury....................................234 eternityispointedoffintograndcycles,ineachofwhichtwelvetransformationsofour worldoccur...............................................................................................................19 eventsrecurafterafixedanddeterminedperiodofyearswitheverynation...................39 Ezekiel..................................................................................................10,19,20,25,298 Ezekiel'svision.............................................................................................................307 Ezekiel'swheel........................................................................................................10,20 Ezekiel'sWheel..............................................................................................................25 Ezekiel'swheelissymbolicallyrelatedtoOuroboros.......................................................10
F falloftheKumaras(Prometheus‐Satan)wasthelightingupofManasandtheseparation ofthesexes.............................................................................................................348 fearofGodisnotthebeginningofwisdom...................................................................89 FieldofMarswhereintheinwardascentistotakeplace..............................................279 firstsixsignsinvolveasteadymaterialization,thesecondsixagradualrefinement.........8 FishersofMen.............................................................................................................215 fiveDhyaniBuddhasarecalledtheFieryLions.............................................................147 Fohatseemstoexpandandcontractwithalternatingsignsofthezodiac.....................185 FourMaharajas............................................................................................................307 FranzAntonMesmer....................................................................................................99 Furies..................................................................................................................299,349 Furiesareformidable,pitilessandjustavengers..........................................................357 future,historyofourglobealsoincludedintheZodiac...................................................30
G GeminiisruledbytheplanetMercury..........................................................................127 Geminirelatestoplayandthedevelopmentofthecapacitytoarticulateone'snewly discoveredknowledge...............................................................................................6 Geminirepresentstherealignmentoftheinvertedmind.............................................128 Genesisaswenowfindit,mustbeoflaterdatethaninventionofLibrabytheGreeks....21 GenethliacalAstrology,ortellingwhatshallbetheindividual'sfate................................14 GiordanoBruno.......................................................................................................81,99 Gnanis...........................................................................................................................53 gnosis,apreciseandcomprehensiveknowledgeofthecomplexlawsgoverningtheseven
366THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY kingdomsofnature...................................................................................................81 Godgeometrizes............................................................................................................2 godsdescendaccordingtoorderlyperiodsoftime...........................................................46 godsgovernedmankindthroughefficientcauses..........................................................52 godsofVenusarecalledPrincipalities..........................................................................247 GoldenAge..................................................................................76,82,91,150,309,313 GoldenAgewasanerainwhichnomanruledoverothers...........................................302 grandcircleoftheheavensisdiscourseduponbyPlatoinhisTimæus............................27 greatPyramidmusthavebeenbuilt78,000yearsago....................................................32 GreeksworshippedMarsasthegodofwar..................................................................268 gunasrepresentqualitiesofbeingatvariouslevelsofessence,transitionand materialization.........................................................................................................11 Guruparamparachain..................................................................................................224
H H.P.Blavatsky..........................................................................35,45,48,49,75,129,303 H.P.Blavatsky...............2,1,v,29,34,100,101,137,140,144,188,197,206,209,247,307 Hades(theGreeknameforPlutoandhisabode...........................................................347 HandofLhagpa[Mercury]isextendedinprotectingloveovertheheadsofhisascetics241 heavenlytwins.....................................................................................................123,125 heavensportendgreatchangesonthisourearth...........................................................95 HelenaPetrovnaBlavatsky.....................................................................................iii,100 HenryKunrath...............................................................................................................41 HenrySteelOlcott.......................................................................................................100 HersioplacedVenus‐Aphroditeattheverythresholdofmanifestationandidentifiedher withtheheavenlylove............................................................................................243 HesiodrecordedhowErebos(Night)emergedoutofChaosasafieldbearingErosand Gaia.......................................................................................................................299 hierarchiesarerepresentedwithintheindividualhumanbeing.....................................88 hierarchyofCreativePowersisdividedintosevenesotericaspectswithinthetwelve greatOrdersthatarerecordedinthetwelvesignsofthezodiac..................................7 Higgins....................................................................................................................51,64 HindooshaveheldalwaysthesametheoriesastocyclesastheEgyptiansheld.............63 Hinduastronomers..........................................................................................................1 Hinduepoch3102B.C.,marksthebeginningofKaliYuga.................................................5 HinduesotericastrologyAriesiscalledMesam,thereflectivesymbolofParabrahm.....112 HindunameforLeoisSimham....................................................................................146 Hindusystemofzodiacalcorrelations.............................................................................8 Hindutraditionteachesthattheworldwillbedestroyedatatimewhenalltheplanets meetinCapricorn...................................................................................................190 Hinduscircumambulatingthestatuesofthenineplanetarygods.................................301 HippocraticOath...........................................................................................................91 historicalwaveofthe250years'cycle............................................................................41 HoraryAstrology.....................................................................................................14,15 HoraryAstrologyisacorrectmodeofdivination............................................................17 HoraryAstrology,ortheansweringofquestionsputtotheAstrologeratanytimeupon anysubject...............................................................................................................14
INDEX367 HoruswasbornonanislandintheCelestialNile..........................................................202 HumanbeingsinFirstRaceweregodsordevas‐inSecondRacetheyweredemi‐gods.80 humanityanditsracesareallintimatelyconnectedwiththeplanets..............................30 hypsomata...................................................................................................................233
I Ichchashakti..........................................................................................................151,157 icosahedronisbaseduponthenumbertenandisrelatedtothetensigns.......................9 icosahedronrepresentstheastrallightwhichstandsbehindthematerialuniverse..........9 ideaofcyclescamefromtheHindoos...........................................................................64 inevitablerecurrenceofsimilarhistoricaleventsafterthesamelapseoftime................38 Ishtar.......................................................................................150,152,153,233,244,245 IsisUnveiled.....................................................2,v,19,29,30,49,50,51,55,100,129,259
J JacobBoehme.........................................................................................................54,99 JamesChristy..............................................................................................................354 Jaramarana,whichdenotesdeathanddecay,isthetwelfthNidana.............................212 Jnanashakti..........................................................................................................151,157 Jupiterassupremerulerembodiescosmiclawanddivinejustice.................................283 Jupiterhascometosignifythesupremevirtuesofjudgementandvolition..................283 JupiterwascalledbyGreeksJupiter‐AmmonorAmen,means'concealedorhidden'...284
K Kaliyug........................................................................................................................49 KaliYuga‐smalleffortgoesfartherforresultsthansamewhenmadeinabetterAge...79 KaliYugabeganfivethousandandeighty‐fouryearsago..............................................92 Kalpa.......................................................................................................................49,63 KalpaisSanskritwordcorrespondingtoGreekKuklos....................................................59 Kalpameansandimpliesonlyonecycleofalargesize...................................................59 kamamanas.................................................................................................................88 Kansa‐apowerfulBlackmagician‐appearsalongsideKrishna......................................52 karanasharira,thepermanentvestureoftheMonad.....................................................83 Karttikeya...............................................................................270,271,274,276,277,278 Karttikeyabecametheprototypeofthedragon‐slayers...............................................271 KarttikeyaistheHinduMars........................................................................................270 keyfortheZodiac..........................................................................................................35 keytothedoublesourceofthebiblicalrevelation..........................................................21 KeytoTheosophy..........................................................................................................48 Khepera................................................................................................................136,193 Khnum,anancientgodofthefirstcataractoftheNileinupperEgypt.........................111 killaramasanofferingtoGodsymbolizedthereleaseofthecosmicsoulfromthe confinesofmatter...................................................................................................107 Kriyashakti............................................................................................................151,157 Kronosbeganhisreign,onewhichwitnessedagoldenagewhenimmortalsoulslivedfree
368THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY fromsorrow...........................................................................................................299 Kronos,sonofGaiaandOuranos,firstemanatedontothestageofanincipientworld 299 Kshatriya.......................................................................................................184,185,315 Kuklos............................................................................................................................59 Kumarasarethefashionersoftheinnerman,theSolarDeities....................................196 Kundalinishakti.....................................................................................................151,157 kurios,thepure,unmixedintellectualwisdomwhichisHermes‐Mercury......................232
L lastremnantoftheAtlanteansperishedsome11,000yearsago.....................................34 lawofthereturnofimpressions.....................................................................................65 Leocorrespondswiththenidana,sadayatana,thesixayatanasorpowersofperception.....142 LeoistheeternalandeverlastingnucleoleoftheSuperiorDivineWorld......................148 Leo,whereintheindividualattemptstostandonhisowntwofeetandasserthisown senseofidentity.........................................................................................................6 LibraandScorpioareblindsto"concealthetruenameswhichgavethekeytothewhole secretofcreation.......................................................................................................9 Libraisaturningpointbetweenthe'descending'and'ascending'signs...........................9 Libraistheeternalequilibriumbetweenthemacrocosmanditsreflectedmicrocosm..166 LibraisthesignofequilibriumintheThreeWorlds......................................................159 LibrarelatedtoVenus‐Lucifer.....................................................................................162 Librawasdesignatedwhentheconstellationwasontheequinoxandsoequilibratedday andnight................................................................................................................161 Libra,symbolizingbalance,correspondstofindingofone'splaceinschemeofthings....6 lightingupofbuddhi....................................................................................................224 LodgeofMahatmas......................................................................................................99 LokaChakshuhorSuryaisdepictedintheVedasastheGodheadofSupremeTruthand Knowledge.............................................................................................................219 LordofMisrule............................................................................................................300 LouisClaudedeSaint‐Martin........................................................................................99 lunarandthesolarinfluencesdistinctlyexistinallhumans..........................................260 lunarinitiation............................................................................................................266 lunarmagnetismgenerates,preservesanddestroyslifepsychicallyandphysically......261 LunarPitris..........................................................................................................213,264
M Misheldtobethemostsacredofalllettersandsymbolizesthewatersofthedeepand theirdenizen,theserpent.......................................................................................196 Mackey....................................................................................................................31,33 Macrobius...................................................................................................................167 Magicisanexactanddefiniteknowledgeofthenoumenallawsofinvisiblenature.......82 mahabhutas................................................................................................................164 Maha‐Kalpa..................................................................................................................49 Mahatmas..............................................................................75,81,92,98,100,101,249 Mahayogin.....................................................................................................301,310,333 Máhá‐Yug.....................................................................................................................40
INDEX369 Makara,thewaterydragonofprimevalantiquity,havingadolphinorcrocodileform...189 Makaramisanameforthepentagon,thesymbolofthinking,consciousman..............191 manishimselfazodiacalhighway.................................................................................36 manomayakosha.........................................................................................................215 Mantrikashakti......................................................................................................151,157 Manwantara,accordingtotheHindus,isdividedintothefourYugasorAges...............48 ManyandtheOne...........................................................................................................3 MarscarriesforthFohatic,creativeenergythatliesatveryrootofmanifestation........275 MarsgovernsAriesandScorpio,theburgeoninganddisintegrationofstrength,which markthebeginningandtheendofeachyear..........................................................270 Marsisspirituallyreborn,inharmoniousrelationwithVenusandMercury,withthe wisdomofsacrificialloveandthelightofnoeticinsight...........................................280 MarsistheoffspringofJupiter.....................................................................................268 Marsrepresentsforcespropellingitintoanincarnatedandlimitedcondition...............274 Maspero........................................................................................................................32 MastersofWisdom........................................................................................................12 Mead.......................................................................................................................64,73 Meena,theSanskritnameforPisces............................................................................210 menareasminorcellsinthegreatbodyofthisBeing....................................................50 menretaininourselvestheimpressionofallthethingsthatwehavedone....................71 Menwhosufferlunacyfeelthepullbackwardinevolutionawayfromfuturegrowthknow herdangerswell.....................................................................................................264 MercuryactsastheEgyptianThoth.............................................................................229 MercuryandVenusrelatesymbolicallytotheintuitiveimmortalsoul..........................274 Mercuryconductsthedepartedsoulsofthedeadintotheunderworldbutalsofunctions astheirreleaser......................................................................................................229 Mercuryconductsthesoulsofthedeadwithhiscaduceus,andwithitsserpentinepower heraisesthemtolife...............................................................................................230 MercuryiscalledPatronofThieves..............................................................................228 Mercuryisconsideredtobethe"radicalmoyst"inalchemy..........................................229 MercuryisthedomainofthearchangelssynthesizedinthebeingofHermes‐Budha....247 Mercury,VenusandMarsconstitutethesacredtriangleofinvolution,andMarsisits sharpangle,pointingdownward.............................................................................271 MerucryappearsliketheSonwhoisonewiththeFatherandcannotbereadilyseparated fromHim................................................................................................................233 methodsofprocreation...............................................................................................112 mindisanecessaryandusefultoolofthesoul,butitmustberegularlycleansed..........88 modernscienceandmedicinecouldhaveavoidedtheirprematureandamoralgrowth.86 modernscienceissignificantlybaseduponthescatteredandleakedsecretsofmedieval andancientclassicalknowledge................................................................................87 mooninitsmasculineformpresentsanequallygreatmystery.....................................261 moonisreferredtoastheParentofEarth,theGiverofLifetotheGlobe.......................262 moon,worshippedasthegoddessIshtar,wasknownas'theMotherofall'..................262 muchofmodernscienceisbaseduponthehalf‐bakedoccultsecretsofthesemi‐esoteric groupsthatpersistedfromthedaysoftheearlyChurchFatherstotheRenaissance.86 MundaneAstrology,orforetellingthecircumstancesofnations,theoccurrenceofwars andpestilence...........................................................................................................14 MysteriespreservedsecretdoctrinesdidnotperishwithclassicalGreece.....................99 mysteriousinfluenceofnumbers...................................................................................45
370THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY
N namarupa,nameandform...........................................................................................140 namarupa,nameandform,isthenidanaorcauseofexistencetraditionallyassociated withCancer.............................................................................................................137 namesofthepatriarchswerenotHebrew,thoughtheymayhavebeenHebraizedlater‐ theyareevidentlyofAssyrianorAryanorigin...........................................................29 Naros...........................................................................................................................60 nativity...................................................................................................................15,155 Natureisonevastmachinewhosewheelsworkonewithintheother.............................17 Natureunaidedcannotevolveself‐consciousexistence..............................................264 NebowastheLordofWisdomatBab‐el,theGateoftheGods....................................202 Nebo,whoconquerstheserpent‐dragonTiamat.........................................................231 Neptuneandhisseaareintimatelylinkedwiththeastralrealm...................................330 NeptuneandPlutoareassociatedsymbolicallywiththenegativeaspectsofthespirit.347 NeptuneariseswithhistridentbearingtheFohaticsparkofEros.................................333 Neptunedoesnothavedirectastralandpsychiccommunicationwiththeearth,like Uranus....................................................................................................................333 Neptuneisaregentofheaven,ofthe'UpperWaters'...................................................330 Neptuneisreflectedintheinvertedvaultoftheearth'soceanbasins...........................330 Neptuneorbitsineighthplacearoundoursun.............................................................329 Neptunepromptsamysticalreleaseintothecosmicstream........................................356 Neptune‐PoseidonwasthespiritandtitanicstrengthofthelivingraceofAtlanteans..331 Neptune'sdiscoverybypurelymathematicalcalculationwasagreattriumphfor gravitationaltheory................................................................................................335 NidanatraditionallyrelatedtoGeminiisVijnanaorI‐consciousness.............................131 NightsofBrahma..........................................................................................................40 NileRiverwascloselyassociatedwithAquariusinEgyptiansymbology.......................201 Nirmanakayas...............................................................................................................53 NirmanakayasareAdeptsofthisorpreviousManwantaraswhoremainhereinvarious statesorconditions...................................................................................................53
O Oannesistheemblemofpriestly,esotericwisdom.......................................................22 obscuredadepts.............................................................................................................53 OneandtheMany.........................................................................................................12 openthedoortothefreemovementofenlightenedbeings...........................................93 opportunitywillariseforyoutodosomething‐youdonotdoitandyoumaynothaveit againforonehundredyears.....................................................................................69 originalsiderealzodiac,differsfromthelaterGreeksystemthattheWestinherited........5 Osiris..................46,52,108,116,152,153,158,165,178,201,227,230,233,247,262,266 ourcharactershowsthisconstantreturnofcyclicimpression.......................................68 OuranosandGaiabecamethefirstparents..................................................................314 OuranosandGaiabroughtforthcelestialTitans,Kyklopesandthreegiganticbeings...314 OuranosiscelestialspaceoutofwhichthedurationrepresentedbySaturnemerges...313 OuranoswasthefirstastronomicalTeacherofmen.....................................................325 overlappingofracesastotheirparticularYugas............................................................77
INDEX371
P Paracelsus........................................................................................................54,99,157 Parashakti............................................................................................................151,157 patriarchsaresimplythesignsoftheZodiac.................................................................24 PercivalLowell............................................................................................................350 periodicityintheexcitementofbothmentalandphysicalforcesinnationsofworld....44 periodsofwarandtheperiodsofpeace.........................................................................41 pillarsofHermesandHerculesarederivedfromthegreatmythofGemini...................123 PisceanAge............................................................................................................iv,184 Pisceanman................................................................................................................101 Pisces"shinesasasymbolofallthepast,presentandfutureSpiritualSaviourswho dispenselightanddispelmentaldarkness...............................................................209 Pisceshasahigherandlowerpotential........................................................................210 Piscesinvolvesanexpressionofultimatemeaning..........................................................6 Piscesislikea'hinge'whichdirectsthesoulonewayortheother................................211 Pisces,astwelfthsign,markstheendoftheoldcycleandthebeginningofthenew....208 PlatobelievedthatArieswasruledbyPallasAthene....................................................110 Platocalledtheplanets'visiblegods'.............................................................................10 Platodepictsthesoulasitfirstchoosestodescendintoapersonalityandthenbecomes forgetfullyenveloped..................................................................................................7 Plato,intheStatesman,speaksoftheGoldenAgeasatimeofuniversalwell‐being whereinallbasicneedswerefulfilled.........................................................................91 PlatonicAcademy.........................................................................................................87 Platonic'doubleignorance...........................................................................................113 Platonic‐Upanishadicmethod.......................................................................................94 Plato'saccountoftheMoirae..........................................................................................7 PleiadesarethecelestialweaponsofMars...................................................................270 PlutoandCharonaretidallylockedtogether...............................................................354 Plutodrivesmanintotheunderworld..........................................................................356 Plutomeans"wealth"..................................................................................................347 PlutowasimmunetotheinfluenceofVenus................................................................347 Pluto,MinosorOsiris‐thegodswithwhomthespiritsofthedeparteddwell..............348 Pluto'sCerberus,whosejobistopreventthelivingfromenteringHadesandkeepthe inhabitantsfromescaping.......................................................................................348 Pluto'skingdom..........................................................................................................345 Pluto'skingdomistheunderworldofdeath.................................................................346 Pluto'skingdom,theshadowycrateredshoresofadrearandicyworld........................345 Pluto'snamewasproposedbyaneleven‐year‐oldOxfordschoolgirl............................353 Pluto'sRomannamesmean"theOneorthePlacethatconstrainsorconfines"............347 Pluto'ssecrets......................................................................................................346,354 PolarSun.....................................................................................................................225 PoleStar.........................................................................................................................3 PolluxgivesaportionofhisimmortalitytoCastor.......................................................126 PoseidonandAtlantis..................................................................................................331 Poseidoniscloselyassociatedwiththedolphin............................................................332 PowerParamountovermatteranoccultandmysteriouslawwhichgovernstheworld...38 Pralayas.......................................................................................................................40 profoundesttruthswereneverwrittenaboutinpopularchronicles...............................86
372THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY Ptolemy,usingtheGreeksystem,introducedtheideaofcardinalsigns‐Aries,Cancer, LibraandCapricorn.....................................................................................................5 Punarvarsu...........................................................................................................101,103 Pythagoras...................................................................................2,45,102,162,248,287 PythagoreanAcademy.................................................................................................84
R Rama,agreatAdeptorrulinggod,opposedbyRavana,apowerfulBlackmagicianking52 RaymondLully..............................................................................................................54 recognitionofthecorrespondencesbetweenthecelestialandterrestrialisthebeginning ofwisdom................................................................................................................89 regenerationofglobalcivilization..................................................................................93 relationbetweenthebiblicalantediluvianpatriarchs,andEzekiel'swheel......................19 relationshipofthecelestialandtheterrestrialmustbeforgedthroughalivinglinkinthe psychologicalrealm.................................................................................................88 renunciation..........................................................................................................73,280 RigVedateachesAstrologyistheeyeofBrahma.............................................................5 RobertCrosbie..........................................................................................2,101,102,215 RobertFludd................................................................................................................99 RomansbegantheiroldcalendarwiththemonthdedicatedtoMars(March)...............268 RomulusandRemus.............................................................................................123,124 Rsabham..............................................................................................................118,121
S Sabeanastrologicaldoctrinesecretlytaught.................................................................20 sacredletter'M'signifiesthepresenceoftheGreatSacrificeintheworld....................209 sacredtribeofheroes..............................................................................................53,55 sacredtribeofheroesisacolonyfromthegodsestablishedhereinorderthatthisterrene abodemaynotbeleftdestituteofabetternature....................................................46 sacrificesofAvatars,intheirmanyzodiacalforms.........................................................12 sadayatana...........................................................................................................142,150 Sagittariansareloversofabstractideas.......................................................................181 SagittariusderivesfromLatinSagittaandreferstothearrow,whileitsHinduname, Dhanus,referstothebow.......................................................................................180 SagittariusgovernstheperiodfromtheWinterSolsticetoJanuary19thinoldersidereal system....................................................................................................................182 Sagittariusimplirdasteadywilltoimprove.....................................................................6 Sagittariusmarksatransitionphase,achangeofconsciousnessfromdesiretothehigher mind.......................................................................................................................183 SaintGermain..............................................................................................................99 samskaras....................................................................................................................138 Sandhya........................................................................................................................50 sandhyamsaordawn....................................................................................................49 Sankhyaphilosophy....................................................................................................164 Saros.......................................................................................................................49,60 SaturnasShivaenliststhearmyoftheRudrasasdestroyersofthehumanpassions....302
INDEX373 Saturnisdivinejustice.................................................................................................167 Saturnislikethebridgebetweenhigherandlowermanas,theGreatSifterwhoexactsthe paymentofkarmicdebts........................................................................................167 Saturnorleadwasamuchnoblersubstancethangoldtoalchemists...........................303 Saturnrepresentstherecognitionoftheinsufficiencyofanytemporalorder...............300 SaturnsignifiesKronosortimeinwhatseemsanidealizedrealmoutsidetheworldof materializedforms..................................................................................................298 Saturnthusregardsallotherthantheimmortalsoulwithindifference.........................310 Saturnaliawascelebratedduringthewintersolstice....................................................300 Saturn'smoonsandsatellites......................................................................................305 Saturn'srings................................................................................................304,306,309 Satyayug.....................................................................................................................49 Satyayuga...................................................................................................................49 scarabaeus...................................................................................................................136 Scorpio‐theseparatedselfhasbecomeawell‐definedcentreenclosedbyawall........172 ScorpioisnotonlyrelatedtosexualgenerationbuttothelightingupofManas..............9 ScorpioorVriscikamsymbolizestheuniverseexpandedjustpriortoitscominginto materialexistence...................................................................................................171 Scorpiosuggestsacreativedirectiontoone'senergiesandafruitfulconsummation.......6 ScorpiowascalledbyAkkadiansGirtab,theSeizerandStinger...................................169 Scorpio'sdouble‐edgednature....................................................................................173 SecretDoctrine...2,4,8,13,34,54,76,77,79,80,100,112,132,147,148,156,157,186,191, 197,213,220,224,232,247,262,263,285,307,314,329,331,333,338 Seismicdisturbanceisphysicalsignofdisturbanceinmoral,psyhic,andmentalfields...95 self‐consciousnesswasattainedinthemiddleoftheThirdRootRace...........................82 seminalperiodsofhumanevolutionarehiddenandsecret,butspanmillionsofyears...86 SeparatingHermaphroditemarkstheThirdandlastsemi‐spiritualRace......................130 Sephiroth.............................................................................................23,25,27,129,186 serpentinemotionofmanifestingcosmicpowerisFohatorkundalini.............................10 serpentinepowerislatentinTaurus...............................................................................11 Sethistheleaderoftheracesofearth..........................................................................29 SevenCenturyPlan.........................................................................................98,99,102 sevensacredplanets......................................................................................................10 sevensciences–thetriviumandquadrivium..................................................................87 seventhnidana............................................................................................................163 Shivaisalsocapableofseverity,aswellasstarkmercilessness....................................301 Shivaiseverknownforhistemerityintheeyesoftheothergods................................301 Shiva‐Saturn.........................................................................................................92,301 Shukra...........................................................................................245,246,248,249,256 Shukrastrovetoprotectthedaityasfromthefightinggods........................................249 Shukrawasapreceptorofthedaityas,giantsoftheFourthRace,whoonceruledthe earthandwhomtheGreekscalledTitans................................................................248 Siderealyear.................................................................................................................32 Siderealyearcycleof25,868years.................................................................................32 significanceofthenumberSeven...................................................................................40 signsofthezodiacsymbolizeandanalyzephasesofthecyclesandevolutionarystages whichtheyembrace....................................................................................................5 Simhaistheemblemofthesolarcycle,representingthelifeanddurationofthesun...145 SirJ.GardnerWilkinson.................................................................................................31
374THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY SirThomasMore...........................................................................................................54 skandhas...............................................................................................................131,137 socialearthquakes,moralpestilence,mentalchangebelongtoman,gowithhimwhere hegoes,andcannotbeavertedbyanyalterationofplace........................................96 socialormaterialcycleshavecorrespondingonesonahigherplane..............................56 solarkings...................................................................................................................222 SolarPitris..................................................................................................................264 Soma,beingsovereignofthevegetableworldandrepresentativeofearlylunarwavesof evolutionarrivingontheearthchain......................................................................264 Soma,fatherofBudha‐Mercury,issometimesreferredtoasthemalemoon...............228 somecyclesdonotcoverthewholeofthehumanrace..................................................55 someRacesmightbeintheGoldenAgeandothersintheBlackAge.............................76 soothsayersandaugursoccupiedindaysoftheoldcivilizationstheverysameposition nowoccupiedbyourhistorians,astronomersandmeteorologists.............................39 soul'sstrivingtofollowoneoftheTwelveGods.............................................................10 sparsa...............................................................................................................7,150,164 Sparsaliterallymeans'touch'.......................................................................................150 Spica,theWheatEarofVirgo......................................................................................155 SpiritualSun.................................................................28,78,101,188,225,274,287,295 starofMercury(Sirius)iscalledthegreatinstructorofmankind...................................241 Stonehenge....................................................................................................................4 Styx.............................................................................................................................346 suddhasatva................................................................................................................147 sunissymbolicallydescribedasthe'heart'and'brain'ofthesolarsystem....................222 SuryaVansa.................................................................................................................222 sushumna....................................................................................................................226 Symposiumitisstatedthat"SacrificeandDivinationistheartofcommunionbetween godsandmen...........................................................................................................11 synchronicity..................................................................................................................2 Synesius.......................................................................................................................46
T Tarotrelatesthesuntopurificationandtribulation......................................................225 tatvams.........................................................................................................163,164,167 Taurusgovernsthethroatandthevoice,projectionsof'theWordmadeflesh.............118 Taurusisthefirstoffoursignsinthezodiacwhichmarkthebeginningsofyugas.........117 Taurusrepresentsimpressedmatter............................................................................115 TenCommandments...................................................................................................232 Thalesassuresthatwateristheprincipleofallthings...................................................22 TheTempest....................................................................................................................1 TheosophicalSociety........................................................................................57,72,100 ThirdRootRacehumanbeingswereinastralvesturesthatwerecapableofeffortlessand benevolentuseofthespiritualsenses......................................................................82 ThomasVaughan..........................................................................................................54 timeofRama,amillionyearsago,wasthelastgreatGoldenAge.................................92 Torah...........................................................................................................................232 TransformationinPlutoimpliesamasteryofthemeansofcrossingtothisnewworld.359
INDEX375 Tretayug......................................................................................................................49 tripleimageofVirgo.......................................................................................................4 tropicalAriescorrespondswiththenewbornbaby..........................................................6 tropicalsignsofLibraandScorpiowerelatecomers........................................................9 TwelveGodswatchthroughthedurationofgreatkalpas...............................................13 twelveNidanas,causesofsentientexistence,arelinkedwithtwelvesignsofthezodiac..7 twelvesignsderivefromthefourelementscombinedwiththethreegunas..................11 twelve‐facedzodiacanddodecahedronreflectthepatternsrecordedintheastrallight..9 Twinsintheworldarelikewitnessestoarchetypaltransitionfromthewholenessofthe androgynousracetodualityoftheseparationthatmarkedlighting‐upofManas....129 twinsrepresenttheforcesofcreationanddestructionortheupperandlowerworlds..125 twofamousEgyptianZodiacs........................................................................................31 twopowers,whichthroughtheireternalconflictkeeptheuniverseofspiritandmatterin harmony..................................................................................................................28 Typhos....................................................................................................................46,52 TyphosappearsatthesametimewithOsiris.................................................................52
U universeisnotaspontaneouscreation,butanevolutionfrompre‐existentmatter........19 Uraniansareinterestedinhumanityasawholeandare"norespectersofpersons"......317 Uranus‐althoughnotoneofthesevensacredplanets‐isassociatedbysomeastrologers withAquarius..........................................................................................................203 Uranusisassociatedwithchange,disruption,revolutionandtheurgetowardsfreedom ...............................................................................................................................316 UranusisovertwicethedistanceofSaturnfromthesun.............................................319 UranusorOuranos,anamewhichinvokesaformlessbeing.........................................312 Uranuspersonifiestheunmanifestcreativepowersof,andin,Chaos...........................333 Uranusreleasesthekundalinienergywhichbreaksuplesserforms..............................356 Uranussignifiestheidealpurityoftheunmanifest.......................................................333
V vaishvanarafire...........................................................................................................158 Varuna.............................................................................189,191,313,315,324,328,332 Varunaislaudedas'barrieragainstfalsehood','guardianofimmortality'inRigVeda...316 VarunaistheUniversalEncompasser,theall‐embracingSpace...................................315 vedana...............................................................................................7,138,163,164,174 Venusgivesrisetowill,imaginationandallotherpowersbywhichuniverseevolves....244 Venusisdivinegrace...................................................................................................167 Venusisearth'salterego,itsoccultsister‐brother........................................................248 Venusisthemotherofthemorningsun(Son)butthedaughteroftheeveningsun......248 Venussymbolizesdivinelove,herbeautyunfoldingasarevelationofthecreative principleinthemacrocosmandthemicrocosm.......................................................244 Venus,asshaktiofthesun,rendersherastorehouseofmahat....................................256 Venus,togetherwithMercury,bearslightfromheavenandreturnsitladenwithsacrificial offerings.................................................................................................................244 Venus‐Aphrodite.........................................................................................................243
376THEOSOPHICALASTROLOGY Venus‐AphroditecanbelikenedtotheHinduLakshmi,thelotusfloatingatcreation duringthechurningoftheSeaofMilk.....................................................................244 vernalequinoxhasnowpassedoutofPiscesintoAquarius..............................................5 vijnanaisassociatedwithGemini.................................................................................163 vijnanayajna...............................................................................................................167 VirgobecameVirgo‐Scorpio........................................................................................153 VirgoidentifiedwithIsis,whoclaspedinherarmsthesun‐godHorus,thelastofthe DivineKings............................................................................................................155 VirgoisrelatedtotheBuddhistnidanacalledsparsaorcontactwiththeouterworld...150 Virgoisthelinkbetweentheimmortalsoulandtheastralbodyinman........................151 VirgoorKanyacontainsthesixprimaryforcesrepresentedbytheastrallight..............157 Virgo,withitswillingnesstolearnandserve,marksamaturingcorrectivestage.............6 Virgo‐Libra‐Scorpioiscriticallyimportantinattemptingtounderstandgreatmystery.171 Virgo‐Scorpioadoublesign.........................................................................................170 visionofGonzaloinTheTempestismorethanadream.Itisarecollectionofreality.......91
W waterglyphofAquariusisthoughttoharkbacktoAtlanteantimes.............................198 waterrepresentsthedualityofboththeMacrocosmosandtheMicrocosmos...............22 wavyglyphofAquariussignifiesthefinalmanifestationoftheundulatoryforcesof evolution................................................................................................................200 whenwomanissuesfromtheleftribofthesecondAdam(ofdust),thepureVirgois separated.................................................................................................................27 wholeworld'sHistoryisrecordedintheZodiac..............................................................30 WilliamQuanJudge.....................................................................................................100 wintercorrespondstotheKaliAge,forthenallisturnedhardandcold..........................78 wisdomandcompassion..............................................................................................177 Wisdomisattainableonlythroughloveofthegodsandrecognitionoftheirimmanence withinthehumantemple.........................................................................................89 WisdomoftheEgyptians...............................................................................................46 Wisdom‐Religion...................................................................................................98,100 Womankindisnotonlyidentifiedwiththemoonbutalsoshowntobestronglyinfluenced byitsfluctuations....................................................................................................259 womboftheworld........................................................................................................10 Wordreflectedinthehumanpowertosymbolizethroughlanguageisthecruxand foundationofculture..............................................................................................121 wrathofthelionisthewisdomofGod.........................................................................142
Y yearshavingthefigure9inthemaremarkedbytheseverestwinters...........................44
Z Zasse.......................................................................................................................40,43 ZeusreignsovertheFourthRace,itisPoseidonwhorules...........................................331 zodiac.i,iii,3,4,10,11,13,37,97,107,109,110,129,136,138,142,143,146,147,150,152,
INDEX377 156,162,165,169,172,175,179,180,181,184,189,192,198,199,208,210,234,300, 352 Zodiac............................................1,20,21,25,27,28,30,31,32,35,36,37,61,62,78,96 zodiacandthescienceofastrologywerehighlydevelopedinIndialongbeforethearrival ofthepugilisticGreeks...............................................................................................4 zodiaccovers,withitspictorialgarments,themostarcanemysteriesofmanifestedlife.8 zodiacisthewomboftheearthlyuniverse......................................................................9 zodiacmovesonedegreeineveryseventy‐twoyearsandcompletedanentirerotationin sometwenty‐sixthousandyears.................................................................................5 Zodiac,orcelestialbelt..................................................................................................19 zodiacalsignsareabstractideas......................................................................................3 zodiacalsignsareideographsandhieroglyphswithnumber,colourandtone.................6 ZodiacsofIndia.............................................................................................................31