Category Archives: Guest Posts

Mercury, Venus, and the Inner Journey of Gemini, Part I

Gemini (Iris & Arke Goddesses of the Rainbow), original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

Gemini Season is here again bringing with it the interplay of light through form.

The Soul, which began its journey in Aries as a “point of light in the mind of God,” became a beam of light in Taurus and now divides into multiple beams of light in Gemini. Think of the quality of sunshine playing through the leaves or the dancing sparkles of light on water, and you have the light, playful, fairy-like quality of Gemini. The one becomes many, and the Divine dance has begun.

Don’t misunderstand the playfulness of light; indeed, a sense of play is in the nature of light and is inherent in the whole of creation. The apparent superficial quality of Gemini belies his deepest mysteries: the mystery of life and the mysteries of our divine purpose as a spiritually awakened humanity. Gemini is associated with the breath, and indeed the divine use of the breath, through words and sound, is a clue to the deepest mysteries of Gemini.

Gemini has three planetary “rulers,” each of which is important in understanding these deeper mysteries of Gemini. The personality ruler of Gemini is Mercury, the Soul ruler of Gemini is Venus, and the Hierarchical ruler of Gemini is the Earth herself. (Esoterically, Venus and Earth are said to be sister planets.) It is through Gemini that humanity fulfills its divine purpose as custodian for Earth and the elemental kingdoms. Gemini connects us to the etheric and the elemental at one and the same time. This apparent sign of duality is actually a sign of multiplicity, connection, and communion. Through Gemini we realize our interconnectedness with one another, Earth and her creatures, and all sentient beings.

At the personality level Gemini is ruled by Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods. Esoterically Mercury is responsible for the Rainbow Bridge, or Antakharana, connecting lower and higher mind. It is through Mercury that we learn to connect and commune with our higher selves and hear our spiritual calling. It is ultimately through the activity of Mercury, conditioning, expanding and awakening our perception, that we attune to higher consciousness and perceive our divine purpose. It is through Mercury that we realize our interconnectedness to one another, that the brotherhood (or sisterhood) of humanity becomes the body of humanity as we transcend separatism and realize the divine task of humanity as custodian of the Earth and her creatures.

At Soul level, Gemini is ruled by Venus. Once the activity of Mercury has expanded our perception, we are open to the activity of Venus through the heart center. This brings a spiritual awakening in the form of a deep sense of communion and connectedness with all sentient beings. There is an awareness of love, not as an idea, but as a living energy which permeates and radiates throughout all life. This shift in perception brings us to the realization of our interrelatedness with one another and all living things.

Mercury opens portals of communion between lower and higher self, so we connect with our inner “guru,” coach, or our own, wise self. However, there is still a perceived duality, a separation, as experienced from the side of the personality. In last month’s article, we looked at the harmonizing aspect of Venus as experienced through physical matter in Taurus. Venus achieves harmony through the law of right relationship. What makes the difference between music and a collection of disharmonious sounds? It is the relationship between each note. When each note sounds in right relationship to the others, the human ear (and indeed all of existence) recieves it as music: in other words, sounds that are played in harmony with one another.

As Venus begins her work, Gemini moves from the lower octave to the higher octave and begins harmonizing all perceived duality. It is the conditioning effect of Venus and the law of right relationship that allow Gemini’s higher octave to resolve all duality. Gemini has a unique role in the zodiac and, esoterically, it is the only sign that is connected with each of the other eleven zodiac signs. This is because, according to the Tibetan,* Gemini will play a vital role in the future astrology, be resolving all duality and polarities so that eventually we have six zodiac energies rather than the currently perceived twelve as Aries-Libra, Taurus-Scorpio, and so forth, synthesize into one energy. This synthesizing effect of Gemini is due to the unique relationship between Mercury and Venus, opening a pathway to higher love.

As this Mercury-Venus connection grows, clarifying and strengthening the Rainbow Bridge, the Soul presents ever more clearly and strongly to the individual. Hence the Soul keynote for Gemini:

I recognize my other self and in the waning of that self I grow and glow.

This speaks to the individual process of Soul recognition and identification, whereby eventually the Soul experience is so strong, the connection is such that the individual realizes, “This is who I am.” At that point, the grip of the personality is loosened and the individual lives freely as a fully Soul-centered being.

Next: Gemini’s role in awakening humanity to the power of love.


Ruth

* Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.

About the illustration: Karen MacKenzie has been working on a series of astrology inspired paintings using goddesses from different cultures. For more information about the symbolism in this print and to other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art. Her prints are very affordable!

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Venus, Vulcan, and The Inner Journey of Taurus, Part II

Vulcan Presenting Venus with Arms for Aeneas, by Francois Boucher, 1757.

Desire is the force of the form in nature; will is the energy of the soul expressing itself as direction, progress, and conformity to the [Divine] Plan.
~ The Tibetan1

In Patanjali’s description of the five energy bodies2 we can see that the bliss body is the closest to our ultimate spiritual goal of “universal mind” and so is considered a very powerful (and dangerous) path to enlightenment. Tantric practice is based on the transformation of blissful energy into the path. But this path is fraught with danger, in the form of being “seduced” from our path and getting lost in the realm of sensory pleasures. It is for this very reason that sense pleasures are considered sinful in so many spiritual traditions (the origin of the word sin means “to miss the mark”3). Without cast-iron will and discipline, forged in the furnaces of Vulcan (and under the guidance of a qualified spiritual teacher), they are more likely to cause us to miss the mark, miss our spiritual purpose, and miss the point of our life altogether. If we don’t have such will, we are better to steer well clear of this path.

When correctly focused and disciplined the path of bliss can lead to the higher octave of Taurus which brings spiritual illumination and the knowledge that bliss arises from within. It is not “caused” by external objects but is part of our very own inner nature. Once Taurus has mastered the lower desire nature through meditation, patient effort and discipline, she is open to receive the transformative energies of Vulcan. Whereas Venus brings the energy of desire and sensuality, Vulcan is more aligned with will – divine will in particular.

Once Venus has done her job of opening our senses to the presence of blissful energy within our physical form, it is Vulcan’s job to guide us in the correct use of that energy. The dangers of addiction and being “lost” in the bliss would arrest our spiritual development and bring our journey to a premature end. The path is one of transcending all five energy bodies to arrive at our true nature and Universal Mind.4 The energy of Vulcan brings the gift of steadfast willpower that allows us to continue our spiritual path blow by blow, like Vulcan’s hammer, forging the personality into something that is useful for our soul’s purpose and driving us forward on the spiritual path, although there is always the danger that we could go either way. While the ruling planets may provide the conditions, how we react or respond to them is up to us.

The path of Taurus involves strong will and strong choices, for desire has the habit of leading our attention outward toward worldly concerns. It is part of the soul’s journey through Taurus to learn to focus this energy inward toward the spiritual path.

One reaction produces the onward rush of the materialistic systems of life, thought and desire, dashing blindly forward in the force of their own momentum and producing a stage of powerful expression and active movement; the other demonstrates in a far vision of possibility and a steady movement forward in spite of the immediate dangers and difficulties…The question is: Will the Bull of desire or the Bull of illumined expression succeed?”  ~ The Tibetan5

Vulcan is known as the blacksmith of the gods. His job is to shape and fashion substance, to forge physical matter from light in the heat of his furnace. Once the illumination in Taurus has been realized, it is also Vulcan’s job to then shape that energy into some tangible, practical shape in physical form to fulfil divine will, or spiritual purpose.

One thing that happens to metal, once it is melted down in the blacksmith’s forge, is that it can also be purified. In a liquid state anything that is not gold, for example, can be removed so that pure gold can be poured out and fashioned into shape. This alchemical function of Vulcan gives a clue to one of the deepest mysteries of Taurus: the opening of the third eye. There are many references in esoteric writing to the Eye of Light and the Eye of the Bull. Even the consciousness of Buddha has been referred to as the “Diamond Eye.” 6In nature, natural diamonds form in conditions of high pressure and high temperature, deep within the earth. So we have the energy of Vulcan at work, transforming ordinary rock through fire and pressure into something pure, clear, and revealing that illuminates by showing us the nature of light.7 These higher octave properties of illumination and revelation are hinted at in the esoteric keynote for Taurus:

I see and when the Eye is opened, all is light.  ~ The Tibetan8

Venus brings us the power of love and the potential for higher love, but if the love of Venus is not to be degraded into worldly desire, we also need to pass through the fiery forges of Vulcan. This purification process transforms primordial love and desire, through divine will and revelation, into higher love, compassion and illumination.

As we discipline ourselves to eliminate the undesirable aspects of our lower ego-personality, we become aware of and aligned with our soul. The soul begins to take shape and becomes the true vehicle for the fulfillment of our spiritual purpose. We begin to realize, and know ourselves to be, a soul, to recognize that our physical body is only one part of our soul and that all physical forms are manifestations of One Great Spirit.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

Footnotes:
1. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled by Alice Bailey.
2. See the bliss body and Patanjali’s “five bodies” in my previous article, “Mars, Mercury and the Inner Journey of Aries.”
3. The English word “sin” is a translation of the Greek word hamartia, which literally means to “miss the mark.” This phrase in itself is interesting in terms of the path of Taurus, because in archery, to miss the mark means to miss the bulls eye or the Eye of the Bull.
4. Five, seven or twelve energy bodies, depending upon your school, tradition, and/or level of study. The anatomy of the human energy field has been described through many different schools, too numerous to mention here. In the Tibetan tradition, five major chakras are commonly identified, and in the Vedic tradition, there are seven. The differences in emphasis are due to different spiritual paths and taking account of our varying levels of understanding and awareness. For example to a 5-year old, you might describe your hand as having a palm, four fingers and a thumb; but to a medical student you would probably include skin, bone, muscle, ligaments, fascia, plus hormonal, endocrine, lymphatic, immune, nervous and circulatory systems, and then you would explain how they all relate to one another to create a functional whole.
5. See Footnote 1.
6. Esoteric Psychology, Vol. I, The wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.
7. A diamond can show us the nature of light by revealing its many rainbow colors.
8. See Footnote 1.

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Venus, Vulcan, and the Inner Journey of Taurus, Part I

Vulcan Presenting Venus with Arms for Aeneas, by Francois Boucher, 1757.

Taurus season is upon us once again, bringing with it the energy of desire as it works through form.

After the initial pulse of life in Aries, desire in Taurus becomes the driving force in shaping what form life will take. Will we forge ahead driven by our egoic desires and wishes? Or will we align with divine will and shape our primordial life-force energy into spiritual path and purpose?

Taurus, the sign of the bull, is associated with steadfastness, material possessions, beauty (especially in physical forms), art, stubbornness, security and even enlightenment. It is said that the Buddha himself had six planets and Chiron in Taurus and that the Buddha was born, passed and entered parinirvana all during the time of this auspicious sign.1 Esoterically, Taurus is associated with illumination and the opening of the third eye.

It is under the sign of Taurus that humanity is learning the deeper spiritual lessons of desire and the transformation of the energy of desire. It is through desire that we take a physical incarnation, and it is desire that also keeps us trapped in Samsara, the cycle of death and rebirth. Taurus teaches us about the nature of desire and what needs to happen so we can release our personal attachments and transform the energy of desire into spiritual realizations.

Humanity … is beginning to come under the influence of Taurus.
The great question is – Will this influence … produce the floodlight of illumination of which Taurus is the custodian, or will it simply foment desire, increase selfishness and bring humanity to the ‘fiery heights of self-interest’ instead of to the mountain of vision and initiation? ~ The Tibetan2

Taurus has two planetary rulers: Venus and Vulcan.3 Venus is the personality ruler, and Vulcan is both the soul ruler and the hierarchical ruler. According to Esoteric Astrology, both Venus and Vulcan are sacred planets, while Vulcan is a “hidden” planet. 4 Esoteric Astrology tells us that there are hidden planets that we are unaware of because we do not yet have the consciousness to perceive them or to be receptive to their energy. Once we have expanded our consciousness to the degree that we are more receptive and aware of these subtler energies, we will become aware of these planets. The fact that both ruling planets are sacred (and one is hidden) hints that the inner journey of Taurus is deeply hidden, mysterious, highly significant, and sacred.

The Soul is our individual link to the essential substance of the Creative Source … Astrology is a system that seeks to interpret the nature of the Universal Life Force as It moves, shapes, and creates human life and all events. The planets, signs, and houses, are not the causal elements of manifestation. They are, rather, the reflections of a transcendental synchronicity manifesting through the rhythms and timing of a cosmic clock. ~ Alan Oken5

When considering planetary influences from a Soul Astrology perspective, it is more appropriate to think of the planets as lenses or focalizers of divine energy rather than as causative agents. In Esoteric Astrology, the basic energies of creation are referred to in terms of Seven Rays. I will say more about these in future articles, but for our purposes here it is enough to know that there are Seven Great Rays, within which our universe aligns with just one, and then within our universe, there are seven sub-rays. Just as the sunlight contributes to the optimum conditions for life on earth to thrive, so divine energy, in the form of these Seven Rays working through planetary lenses, is contributing to the optimum conditions for the flowering of human consciousness.

Venus is the goddess of love, the powerful energy of desire, which translates as romantic love, when filtered through a human mind! She rules both Libra and Taurus. In Libra, she endows her subjects with a harmonizing aspect that manifests through the mind, in terms of conceptualizing or idealizing ideas of ethics, beauty, attractiveness and justice. Her work in Libra is more closely linked to harmony in the mental body.6 In Taurus the loving energy of Venus has a more sensuous, earthy, influence. She works initially through the physical senses to eventually bring awareness of the bliss body.7

As Venus works through desire in Taurus, she seeks to awaken the senses. She awakens our sense perception through the physical senses of sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. This has the potential to open us to an experience of bliss and awareness of the bliss body.8 Herein lies the danger of the Taurean path. If the individual is still centered in the ego-personality, the tendency can be towards grasping at more external objects to feed the bliss experience: clinging to possessions of beauty, beautiful people, music, a beautiful body, and losing sight of the spiritual journey. This is a symptom of the lower mind externalizing the bliss experience and projecting it onto outer worldly objects.

The ego-mind uses logic in the extreme. If one chocolate made me feel good, then ten chocolates will make me feel ten times as good, right? Yet we all know this is not so. Too much of a good thing leads to lethargy, dullness, weight gain and that uncomfortable (even painful) feeling of being over-full. Then we have the addiction effect; we begin to believe we need something outside of ourselves – the chocolate, new shoes or whatever our craved substance, possession, or person may be – to feel good. We begin clamouring for more of the object that we believe will lead to more pleasure (bliss). This leads us to pursue “worldly concerns” (objects outside of ourselves), and the sad part is that while doing so we are neglecting our inner spiritual path, which is the true path to inner peace, bliss, and beyond.

Next: How Vulcan takes over from Venus in guiding Taurus along the true path.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. Buddhist Astrology, by Jhampa Shaneman.
2. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled by Alice Bailey.
3. The term “rulership” is not intended in the commonly held sense of exerting force or power over another. In this context, the meaning is closer to nurturing-custodianship, in the sense of providing those conditioning factors necessary for divine seeds to ripen, grow and flourish.
4. See Footnote 2.
5. Soul Centered Astrology: A Key To Your Expanding Self, by Alan Oken.
6. Ibid.
7. See the bliss body and Patanjali’s “five bodies” in my previous article, “Mars, Mercury and the Inner Journey of Aries.”
 8. Ibid.

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Mars, Mercury, and the Inner Journey of Aries, Part II

In Part I of this article, Ruth explained the meaning of Aries in Soul Astrology. In Part II, she elaborates on the concept of Mercury as the esoteric ruler of Aries. ~Pat

My Aries son in flames. © Osk Ingad Alden, 2012.

Esoteric Astrology speaks of three stages of spiritual development known as the mutable, fixed, and cardinal cross.1

Those on the mutable cross are personality centered and have little or no awareness of Soul. Those on the fixed cross have some experience of Soul. They have begun awakening, but there is still duality: separation between personality and Soul. The individual on the cardinal cross has fully integrated Soul and personality. There is no separation. Such an individual would be a highly realized spiritual being like Christ or Buddha. Most of us on the planet at this time will be on the mutable cross, while a fast-growing minority are beginning to awaken on the fixed cross.

The majority of people on the mutable cross will still relate and be receptive to Mars as the ruler of Aries. Those on the fixed cross who are awakening and becoming aware of their Soul presence will begin perceiving the qualities of Mercury and its influence in Aries. When the Being is sensitive, and receptive enough to receive Mercurial energy, then Mercury takes over from Mars and begins the process of awakening, ripening, conditioning and developing the intuitive body.

Mercury is responsible for the development of the antahkarana, or Rainbow Bridge, by which we connect lower and higher mind.2 Aries is very much a sign of the mind, and it is through this ripening and conditioning effect of Mercury that Aries arises from his lower nature to reach his full spiritual potential. The effect of Uranus in Aries lies beyond the individual and is known only at the hierarchical level. As we awaken spiritually, developing our senses and deepening our perceptive capacity, we become aware of the more subtle influences of these energies. In Aries it is the effects of both Mars and Mercury that are creating the perfect conditions for spiritual development.

During the early stages of our spiritual journey, like tender vulnerable seedlings, we are very susceptible to the energies that condition our growth, but there is a reciprocal effect that comes later. Just like a fully mature forest gives back and sustains the environment which nurtured the individual trees, so we too as fully flowering mature spiritual beings will have the capacity to emanate beneficial energies, such as compassion, to nurture and sustain all sentient beings.

I cannot too strongly reiterate the constant necessity for you to think
in terms of energies and forces, of lines of force,
and energy relationships…
The whole story of astrology is, in reality,
one of magnetic and magical interplay
for the production or externalization of the inner reality…3
~ Alice Bailey

Soul Astrology is astrology of our inner world: our energy field, of all five “bodies.” The natal chart is our own personal mandala, showing us the energetic patterns and dynamics that were present at the precise moment that we came into incarnation and the planets that are co-creating the conditions for our growth. How much we grow spiritually and increase our capacity to receive and perceive the potential influences depends very much on us — on our motives, intention, motivation, and the choices we make. We must strive to expand our perception if we are to be aware of more subtle influences.

Will we recognize Mars as the benevolent father of life on earth, driving us steadily towards Mercury and the revelation of our Higher Self? Or will we continue to cast him down as a god of war? The choice is ours.

Next Month we will explore Venus, Vulcan and the Inner Journey of Taurus.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. This is not the same as having a grand square or cosmic cross in one’s own natal chart.
2. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.
3. Ibid.

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Mars, Mercury, and the Inner Journey of Aries

As the new astrological year begins, Ruth starts a new series on the planetary rulers of the signs according to Soul Astrology. Isn’t it ironic that both Mars and Mercury currently are retrograde, and Uranus is in the sign of Mars? The synchronicities just keep on comin.’ ~Pat

My Aries son in flames. © Osk Ingad Alden, 2012.

Aries season is upon us once again, heralding the spring and marking the beginning of another zodiac year. At the Soul level, Aries also marks the beginning of a fantastic journey: the journey of life.

In Esoteric Astrology, the twelve signs of the zodiac tell a story – the magical story of consciousness incarnating into matter, in the form of a human being.1 Irrespective of different faiths and known by many names, all scriptures tell of Holy Beings that are here to help, guiding the human soul on its journey and ensuring we don’t stray too far from the path.

Every blade of grass has an Angel
that bends over it and whispers Grow! Grow!
~ The Talmud

Esoteric Astrology tells us that the twelve signs of the zodiac are Divine Intelligences, or Angelic Beings, who oversee the different stages of our Soul’s development. In this fantastic journey, the Soul begins in Aries as “a point of light in the mind of God.” 2 In Aries we see the initial spark of inspiration: the first impulse to exist, a divine idea that eventually translates into the pulse of life, an original concept.3

The Soul in Aries is carrying the blueprint and the potential, just as the seeds of spring have the potential to become trees, under the right conditions. They are not yet trees, and the seed is very different from the tree. It is similar with our Soul’s journey. We are in the process of growth and, under the right conditions, we will realize our spiritual potential. Just as the seed needs the right mix of sunlight, warmth, water, earth, and nutrients in order to grow, so a human soul is also conditioned by a number of factors, not least of which are the planets.

The planets play a vital role in this conditioning of our Soul, and three planets have an important relationship with Aries: Mars, Mercury, and Uranus. At the personality level, Mars is the primary energy providing the motivating, driving force. Mars is related to the vital body and brings life force energy into physical existence.

As we navigate our inner journey, we become more familiar with our inner world. The dedicated master yogis and saints who have trodden this inner path before us have described their experiences in scriptures, leaving a kind of map, so we can know what to expect on our own journey. Although each journey is unique, there is some common ground that we can all expect to experience.

Patanjali, one of the founders of modern Yoga, described five bodies we can experience on our inner journey.4 He related these to five elements of earth, fire, water, air, and ether. These he called the physical or “earth” body (annamay kosh), the energy “fire” body (pranamay kosh – this is also known as the vital body in other traditions), the mental “water” body (manomay kosh), intuitive “air” body (vigyanamay kosh), and the bliss “ether” body (anandmay kosh). Our journey is one of awareness and movement through each of these inner bodies. Once all five have been transcended, we attain Universal Mind.

Mars brings drive, motive, and motivation.5 It is the driving force that pushes life-force energy into the physical world. It is the energy of creation, conception, and new life (think sperm!). It enlivens and vitalises, brings life and vitality, and is closely related to Patanjali’s energy body. The driving force of Mars motivates us into action. This universal force is present throughout nature.

Animals live and are driven primarily by their vital, or energy, bodies. Only in humans did Mars fall out of favor as its influence historically became associated with war and aggression. This is because of man’s misinterpretation through his lower consciousness. The message of Mars is, “Take action,” or “Move.” When this pure life-giving energy is distorted through the filter of a human mind, it all too often becomes, “Let’s fight,” or “Go to war.”

This is partly due to the consciousness of humanity at this current time and the effect of Mars vitalising our lower nature. In time, as we expand our consciousness, we will experience and respond to Mars differently and perceive its influence as largely beneficial.

The effect of Mars is, therefore, largely mass effect and group results, producing great struggles but eventually leading to great revelation. In Aries, it is the final revelation of the nature of knowledge and the purpose of incarnation.
~ Alice Bailey

Mars moves us into action. Ultimately it is up to us to choose the action we take: conscious action or unconscious reaction. The outcome of our actions depends on our own motivation. It is important for anyone with planets in Aries, especially Mars, to continuously check their motives. Are your actions motivated by the needs of your head (ego) or the call of your heart and Soul?

Mars rules the lower octave of Aries, the personality, and empowers Aries with motive – the need to move the Self forward into life and light.6 For the Soul-centered individual, who has fully integrated personality and Soul, the ruler of Aries is Mercury. The hierarchical ruler of Aries is Uranus.2

As we evolve in consciousness, our spiritual eyes are opened, and we are suddenly able to perceive that which we could not before. More subtle energies and influences become apparent to us. At this point in our evolution, the Hierarchical level is beyond our perception, so we will focus on the personality and Soul rulers: Mars and Mercury.

Next: From Mars to Mercury in the three stages of spiritual development.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. Incarnate: From Ecclesiastical Latin incarnates, past participle of incarnari (“be made flesh”), from in- + caro (“flesh”). All definitions from Wiktonary.
2. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.
3. Concept: From Latin conceptus (“a thought, purpose, also a conceiving, etc.”), from concipere, present active infinitive of concipi? (“to take in, conceive”).
4. Mastery Over The Five Elements, by OSHO.
5. Motive: From Medieval Latin motivus, “serving to move, motive.” From Latin motus, past participle of movere, “to move.”
6. For more about the lower and higher octaves of Aries, see my previous article on Aries.

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Pisces-Virgo: The Healing Heart, Part II

Pisces SoulHaving cultivated spiritual realizations to the point of enlightenment, the Piscean Soul, now fully equipped, awake, and aware, turns back in order to save others.

I leave the Father’s home and turning back, I save. ~ Alice Bailey1

The deeper mysteries of Pisces speak to the spiritual development of humanity and to the fulfilment of spiritual purpose. The Piscean Soul doesn’t turn back to save others from some glamorous idea of being a hero, but rather from a quiet and simple recognition of divine purpose and that the point of existence and incarnation is to be a spiritual “pacemaker,” keeping the beat of spirit in matter, so all sentient beings may do likewise through a process similar to (but subtler than) entrainment.2 To attain this capacity is the whole purpose of incarnation in general and human incarnation in particular.

For as long as space remains/And as long as sentient beings remain
Until then may I too remain/To dispel the suffering of all beings. ~ Shantideva

The Soul’s journey through the Zodiac signs is one of human spiritual development. The completion of the cycle in Pisces brings resolution: the dissolution of illusory boundaries and final fusion of soul and personality. The fully mature human soul in Pisces at last has the power and capacity to be of service. According to Esoteric Astrology,1 the true spiritual purpose of humanity is to be a kind of conduit for spiritual energy; as spirit descends into matter through humanity, our role is to flow and direct divine energy for the benefit of the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms.

Pisces plays a vital role in humanity’s awakening process. As each one of us purifies our thoughts and intentions, we rise up from fear and learn to focus and direct our Sacred Heart energy like a laser-beam. Each human who awakens then becomes like a spiritual pacemaker! Each pacemaker “cell” in the heart of humanity works silently in service, radiating pure divine energy from their Sacred Heart, which invites others to fully mature, awaken, and join them in the fulfillment of divine purpose. In this way, the fully awakened Sacred Heart acts as pacemaker for an awakening humanity. Many individuals are now sensing, responding to, and aligning with this growing pulse of Sacred Heart energy as its rhythm ripples through human consciousness.

In conventional astrology, the sign of Leo rules the heart, for it is in Leo that the individual first awakens to the warmth and love flowing through his own heart. Yet, as we shall see, it is in Pisces that we finally have the power, consciousness, and capacity to emit a continuous pulse of transformation!

Our current state of mind, with our focus on manmade war and suffering, is the result of our spiritual immaturity, which leads us to be blinded by “glamour.”3 We are so easily deceived by the appearance of things, and we do not yet have the spiritual maturity to see things as they really are. Our spiritual eyes are still closed. We believe what we see and hear, which causes fear and negative emotions and results in our continuously living in a fearful, reactive, state. Watch a TV drama, thriller, or horror movie, and notice what happens to your emotions (and especially your heart rate!) when, in truth, nothing is actually happening to you.

This problem of not perceiving reality as it is, is what creates fear and a false idea of ourselves that is rooted in our ego-personality and sustained by the illusory nature of glamour. It will change because it is only a phase we are going through. We will grow up and awaken to our divine nature, because it is part of our natural development. A child cannot remain a child. This is what was meant when Jesus Christ said, “We are as children.” He was referring to our spiritual immaturity and our inability to connect with and be a channel for divine love and purpose.

In the Pisces personality, there is still polarity. The personality and soul are experienced as separate, and, in a sense, the Soul is in bondage to the personality, as the higher vibration Piscean energy is filtered through the lens of a human mind, with all its fear and illusion. The mind creates an idea of separation: an ego-personality, which sustains the veil of illusion through fear. Realizing that we create the very illusions that keep us asleep is an important part of our awakening, and this happens in Pisces.

It is under the influence of Pisces that each cell in the Sacred Heart of humanity, each drop in the ocean of consciousness, ripens, matures, and starts beating in synch with the divine. Such is the magnificence and importance of Pisces. There isn’t much that can be said that offers consolation to the personality. Pisces is associated with death, because there is a symbolic death. Symbolically, the personality dies in this sign; it fuses with the soul as the individual becomes fully soul-centered.

This is not nearly as dramatic as it sounds. The truth is that because our personality is also a glamorous illusion, when we fully awaken it simply dissolves and leaves us standing in the truth of our sacred self. We retain our awareness of being an individual drop and part of the ocean at the same time. That is the point of our soul’s journey: to bring us into contact with important lessons and experiences that catalyze us into becoming fully awakened, conscious individuals in alignment with divine will and purpose and in service to all sentient beings – all hearts beating as one.

So, Pisces, it’s time to put down that cocktail, turn off the TV, and hear the call of your heart. Don’t worry, you won’t have to go anywhere or do anything. You are not here to take center stage. You are simply here to be awake and focus on the power of your own heart, and to do that, you need to access the focus and discernment of your opposite sign, Virgo. Then Mother Nature will do the rest. You will soon realize how suffering really is transformed in your heart through the power of your pure love.

When enough of us mature spiritually and become heart-centered, transformation naturally happens. All you need to do is silently keep focusing on your heart-center while the rest of your human family wakes up and joins you in divine service.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.
2. “Entrainment in the biomusicological sense refers to the synchronization of organisms to an external rhythm, usually produced by other organisms with whom they interact socially. Examples include firefly flashing, mosquito wing clapping as well as human music and dance such as foot tapping.” (From Wikipedia entry on “entraintment.”)
3. The Piscean Age is called the “Age of Glamour,” in which our suffering is very real indeed, yet the causes are rooted in illusion and delusion. To understand the mechanism of this and how it relates to Pisces, see my earlier article, “Pisces-Virgo: Completing the Age of Spiritual Redemption.”

[hr]

Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Pisces-Virgo: The Healing Heart, Part I

Pisces SoulThe sign of Pisces is associated with illusion, delusion, glamour, suffering, sensitivity, bondage, captivity, prisons, hospitals, religious orders, renunciation, detachment, self-sacrifice, and death.

Sound like fun? If you thought Scorpio was intense, welcome to the oceanic depths of Pisces. Having journeyed through the previous 11 signs of the Zodiac, spending up to eight lifetimes in each, the Soul in Pisces has been around the block. No wonder your Piscean friends sometimes seem to be carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Having learned to flow the energies of love and life consciously, accurately, and consistently in Aquarius to become a World Server, the Pisces Soul becomes a liberated, radiant expression of Christ Consciousness, a World Savior. A developmental cycle is complete, and the Soul is now fully mature and ready to fulfil divine purpose.

In Aquarius, the sign of world service, the lesson is finally learned
that produces the world Saviour in Pisces.  ~ Alice Bailey1

Does every Piscean we meet have the saintly qualities of a World Savior? Not quite. As we shall see, there is a big difference between the personality vibration and the Soul expression of Pisces. The gap between the lower octaves and higher octaves of this mysterious sign is the biggest in the whole Zodiac, and the difference is one of fear and love. Bridging this gap is the longest journey humanity will ever make.

The sign of Pisces embodies oceanic consciousness. Water signs are all about mastery of emotions, and mutable signs are all about change, so that gives us a clue to the higher purpose of this sign. Collectively, under the influence of Pisces, we are here to transform through our emotions. As the sign of oceanic consciousness, Pisces is aware of and experiences the consciousness of humanity. This is why Pisces has the reputation of being the most sensitive sign of all. It means sensitive in the sense of being aware of and able to use all of our senses – not, as some people unfairly presume, in the sense of being a wimp.

Indeed, our Piscean friends can really step up to the plate when the chips are down and stand their ground as good as anybody. You wouldn’t want to cross a Piscean who is standing up for what they believe is right. The real sensitivity of Pisces comes from their ability to sense everything. Now think about that. Would you really want to feel everything that everyone is feeling? All of the time? Pisces does. And with that comes great sadness and great responsibility.

Pisces feels and lives with the truth of suffering every moment of every day. No wonder they drink – and many do! All forms of escapism are a very real risk for our Piscean friends: movies, TV, computer games, drugs, alcohol – anything that numbs the pain is a big temptation for them. For Pisces, the suffering of humanity is a real, lived experience, not a mental concept or idea. Pisces feels the interconnectedness of us all and feels your pain. In a sense, they really are carrying the burden of humanity. If you have Sun, Moon, or Rising Sign in Pisces, you’d be wise to avoid the temptation to numb yourself. Learn about the higher power and purpose of your magnificent sign, and know what you can do to ease the pain for yourself and others, by using the “medicine” of your opposite sign.

The challenge for the Pisces personality is one of identification. Water signs tend to become identified with their feelings, and the Pisces personality all too easily becomes identified with deep feelings of sadness, self-pity, and low self-esteem. (Low self-esteem comes from the illusion that negative and painful feelings are yourself). Blinded by glamour and desperate to escape from their fears, the biggest life lesson for a Pisces personality is to learn that they are not their feelings.2 Your fears will dissolve like morning mist when you to realize your true spiritual nature. But to do this, you first need the laser-like discernment of your opposite sign, Virgo.

The Piscean personality often confuses self-sacrifice with people-pleasing, which leads to the mistaken thinking that you are either a victim or a martyr who has to continually neglect your own needs and defer to the whims of others. This misguided thinking is part of what you are here to transform and transcend. At Soul level, Pisces knows the deeper spiritual significance of self-sacrifice, in the sense that the deeper meaning of the word “sacrifice” means “to make sacred.” The “sacrifice” is of your lower, fear-based self, as you awaken to your sacred heart energy and align with the Self that knows all are one.

What do we mean by a sacred heart? We are not talking about the physical heart, but a very subtle and powerful energy field. The sacred heart is the subtle connection between us and the divine, which, when awakened, allows us to flow divine energy into the physical world. All you need to do to awaken it is to continuously and consistently place your attention upon it. Before this can happen, the pure focus and discernment of Virgo is needed: first, to cultivate somatic (body) awareness and then to discern subtler and subtler energies within our whole being. The word “sacrifice” refers to the practice of bringing loving attention to the subtler aspects of our being, so that we realize our own spiritual nature, our “Sacred Self.” Our sacred heart lies at the center of our Sacred Self and is that which connects us all.

The fluid, sensitive, temperament in Pisces – mediumistic and psychically polarised – must be stabilised in Virgo, in which sign mental introspection and critical analysis become possible and serve to arrest the fluidity of Pisces.  These two signs balance each other. ~ Alice Bailey1

When the oceanic consciousness of Pisces accesses the pristine purity and loving awareness of Virgo, something miraculous happens. Rather than being numb, the focus and precision of Virgo helps you to feel more deeply and precisely, until you identify and access your sacred heart. You experience the transformation of negative emotions as you breathe through your own heart. This felt experience in Virgo brings Pisces to the realization that when you make just one small change within yourself, it changes the whole. This is the true power and mystery of Pisces, and it comes from a real-lived experience, not from a belief or an idea. It is the knowledge of how one transforms the many: that one pure droplet, changes the whole ocean.

It is in the sign of Pisces that humanity’s greatest spiritual achievements are fully realized, and so it makes sense that our greatest challenges also lie in this sign. Before we can realize the spiritual heights, we have to acknowledge the depths. Acknowledging the truth of the ocean of human suffering, rather than trying to escape, avoid, or run from it, is the greatest challenge our Pisces friends will ever face. Yet it is only by fully examining suffering with the critical eye of Virgo that we begin to fully understand the cause.

In Part 2, we explore the whole purpose of human incarnation. We will see the mechanism through which the highest octave of Pisces transforms an “ocean of suffering” and becomes a World Savior.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.
2. The Piscean Age is called the “Age of Glamour,” in which our suffering is very real indeed, yet the causes are rooted in illusion and delusion. To understand the mechanism of this and how it relates to Pisces, see my earlier article, “Pisces-Virgo: Completing the Age of Spiritual Redemption.”

[hr]

Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website, <a title="Soul Astrology with To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Aquarius-Leo: The Flow of Love and the Flowering of Human Consciousness, Part II

Stars being born in the Orion Nebula. Composite of images from the Hubble Space Telescope, by C.R. O’Dell of Rice University and NASA/ESA.

The Soul Journey through Aquarius mirrors the unfoldment of human consciousness at this current point of our evolution as we enter the Aquarian Age. Over a period of time, roughly spanning the next 140 years, the whole of humanity will undergo a rite of passage akin to the Soul’s journey through Aquarius. As we shift from unconscious reacting to our external environment (impulsiveness in Aries), we pass through self awareness (in Leo) and eventually become conscious co-creators of our reality, powerful masters of our own energy flow in Aquarius.

How many of us are consciously able to choose a specific emotional energy wavelength – for example, love or appreciation – and then consciously flow that energy for a prolonged period of time without any interruption or distraction? The ability to become a continuous outpouring of love and life without interruption from our “monkey mind” is the hallmark of the fully integrated Aquarian Soul.

There are some key distinctions which will help us to understand the progression from the lower Aquarian vibration to the higher Aquarian octaves. As we collectively journey through the Age of Aquarius, these shifts in consciousness are some of the signposts we may see along the way:

Indifference to Compassion

The urge to be of service to the group can lead the Aquarian personality to adopt an aloof air of indifference, for fear of being subsumed by the needs of others. This indifference becomes transformed into detached compassion and true equanimity in the fully integrated Aquarian Soul as deep empathy and the importance of each individual within the group is recognized.

From Powerlessness to Empowerment

In spite of an urge to serve, the Aquarian personality often feels powerless in the face of all the problems in the world and can often be found in political activist groups, protesting the perceived enemy. The fully integrated Aquarian Soul has built up powerful spiritual energies over many lifetimes, which radiate from him like the Sun, transforming all around him. He combines this with a capacity to direct the flow of this energy wherever it is needed. He knows it is not what he says or does that matters as much as his presence and how he is flowing his energy. This is Christ Consciousness.

From “Us and Them” to We (there is no separation)

The Aquarian personality has a tendency to divide and separate. There is still polarity and a tendency to view the world in categories: this type of thing and/or that type of person, supporting one group over another, or taking sides with one group against another. The fully integrated Aquarian Soul has realized true equanimity – that there is only one humanity, there is no separation, we are all connected, have equal needs, and we all matter. There is no Aquarius versus Leo; it is all one energy, on a continuum.

From Emotional Coolness to Emotional Intelligence
Because of his preoccupation with mental processing, the Aquarian personality can sometimes be emotionally immature, and often presents as a scientist or boffin who is intellectually brilliant yet emotionally insecure, detached and socially inept. In contrast, the fully integrated Aquarian Soul is highly spiritually and emotionally intelligent, utilizing all his senses including empathy, warmth, self-awareness and intuition to discern where and how he may next be of selfless service.

Aquarius is depicted as a man holding an inverted vase.
The man inverts the vase and out of it come two streams of water,
the river of life and the river of love,
and those two words, life and love,
are the two words that embody the technique of the Aquarian age;
not form, not mind, but life and love.
-Alice Bailey1

The fully integrated Aquarian Soul is the World Server: an individual expression of Christ Consciousness in service, pouring forth the dual waters of love and life for thirsty humanity.”2 But before he can reach such spiritual heights, the Aquarian personality has a long way to go, and his journey takes him within, where he discovers the unpredictable terrain of his own heart by accessing the energy of his polar opposite, Leo.

This is a tricky path. Another ego trap for the Aquarian personality (and there are many!) is in believing he is already “there,” already enlightened. Because he quickly grasps concepts mentally, he believes there is nothing more for him to do in terms of his own spiritual journey. He may make the common mistake of thinking he has “got it,” when in fact he has yet to realize the concept within his own experience and integrate it into his physical being.

The powerful energies of love and life that flow through the fully integrated Aquarian Soul have accumulated over many lifetimes spent transforming fear and negative thought patterns, while cultivating life-force energy, unconditional love and compassion. The Buddha used the analogy of untying knots to explain our spiritual process. As we re-trace our steps on our inner journey home, we undo all the knots of our own pain and suffering. This experiential learning is first grasped mentally, synthesized emotionally, then fully integrated physically. We cannot skip over it or bypass this pathway.

Aquarius can’t leap to the end result without having walked the path in Capricorn (although he may want to!). It is interesting that Saturn, the task master and Lord of Karma, is the personality ruler of Capricorn and also the old ruler of Aquarius. No Zodiac sign stands in isolation, and it is important for Aquarius more than any to remember this important point. Each sign unfolds one into the other, and Aquarius needs to remember the important lessons learned in Capricorn if he is to fully flower into Christ Consciousness.

Only by going deep within will Aquarius discover powerful energies within himself, that he has the power to bring under his conscious control:

[In Aquarius] Hercules had to aid in the cleansing of the world by the right direction of the forces of life through it. You appreciate that we are entering into the Aquarian age where materialism, as we know it, will have completely died out at the close
and when the whole life will be interpreted in terms of energies.
We are dealing entirely with forces…
You are dealing with energies and you are mis- using energies.
Watch yourself and begin to work in the world of forces within yourself.”
– Alice Bailey1

There are deeper mysteries hidden in Aquarius that we cannot yet begin to comprehend. Many of these will be revealed to us as we progress through the Age of Aquarius, expanding our perception and inner awareness. In the Labors of Hercules: An Astrological Perspective, Hercules’ eleventh labor is a metaphor for the Soul’s journey through Aquarius.1 After completing his task successfully, not only was his work not recognised, but the King accused Hercules of trickery and refused to pay him! This is an important key to understanding the heightened stage of consciousness and advanced skill that is demonstrated by the Aquarian Soul.

At this level the flow of love and life continues as a steady stream, not for personal reward, payment or recognition (these are concerns of the ego, which would be a distraction from our Soul work). If the flow of love and life was dependent upon praise, which then never came, these vital energies would wane. This is an important point.

This point is illustrated in the story of a Tibetan monk who was imprisoned and tortured for many years by Chinese Soldiers.2. When asked if he was ever afraid, his reply was yes: he was afraid he would lose compassion. He knew that his ability to continue flowing benevolent energy was what mattered most, irrespective of the attitude and behavior of those around him and the external circumstances. It is the same point that Jesus Christ was making when he taught about “turning the other cheek.”

The Sun continues to shine whether we remember to appreciate it or not. The Aquarian Soul is here to be of service to humanity for no other reason but that (in the words of his Leo counterpart) “the show must go on!” If you have Sun, Moon or Rising Sign in Aquarius, you are here to consciously flow your energy into the world in ways that make a positive difference.

You matter, Aquarius. Your energy is truly vital for the good of the whole, but you will never realize this by self-denial and using group activism as an excuse to avoid your inner path. Your own ego is a vital foundation for the flowering of your Soul. Adopt the courage of your opposite number, Leo. Look your own ego squarely in the eye, complete with all your deepest fears, failings, needs, and vulnerabilities, and be prepared to walk your inner path to the very end. This way you will discover your true magnificence: your inner light that is brighter than any Sun, and the beautiful energies of love and life may flow through you continuously without end, for the good of the whole.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. The Labours of Hercules: An Astrological Perspective, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.
2. Garchen Rinpoche tells his story in the movie The Yogis of Tibet.

Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Aquarius-Leo: The Flow of Love and the Flowering of Human Consciousness, Part I

Stars being born in the Orion Nebula. Composite of images from the Hubble Space Telescope, by C.R. O'Dell of Rice University and NASA/ESA.

The sign of Aquarius is associated with humanitarianism, science, individuality, uniqueness, technology, the future, and groups. Gather a group of Aquarians together and the one thing that they will all have in common is their desire to be unique — to be different from each other and from everyone else.

Yet, somewhat ironically, the highest octave of Aquarius is group consciousness, and the highest purpose of the integrated Aquarian Soul is that of World Server. The secret to the future of humanity lies hidden deep within the mysteries of Aquarius, but before he can unlock them, Aquarius has to access the heart-centered energy of his opposite sign, Leo. Welcome to the mysterious and complex sign of the water carrier.

Aquarius is often commonly mistaken for a water sign because of its symbolism of the water carrier; the key here is in the word “carrier.” The key to the deeper secrets of Aquarius lies in his ability to be a vessel – a vehicle for the “dual waters” of Love and Life. Does this mean every Aquarian we meet continuously flows love and life? Not quite yet. It is Aquarius’s job to channel these vital life force energies for the good of the whole, to dedicate personal energy for the benefit of the collective. But, before he can do this, he must have a storehouse of spiritual energy and must become a Master at flowing it.

The single flame must light the other forty-nine1

We have tamed the mind in Sagittarius, then cultivated and focused our Soul-Light in Capricorn. As we continue our Soul’s Journey around the Zodiac, the mature Soul is ready to flow a steady stream of love and life in Aquarius. With the possible exception of Pisces, the Aquarian individual just might have the biggest challenge of all. It is as though the further we travel in our Soul Journey around the Zodiac, the bigger the gap between personality and Soul. To cross this great divide, Aquarius needs to have the courage of his opposite sign, Leo, to navigate the unfamiliar and unpredictable terrain of the human heart.

Air signs are all about mastery of the mind, and fixed energy is all about stability. So, as the fixed air sign, Aquarius brings structure and stability not only to our mental processes, but to the whole experience of our heart-mind. Only in the West do we think of heart and mind as separate — as if our mental processes were something distinct and separate from our heart and feelings. The true path of Aquarius depends upon fusion and stability in the use of heart-mind energy. The fully integrated Aquarian Soul knows that the way to flow the energy of love and life is through skilful use of the mind; that mental energy is not meant to be wasted as we currently do in petty conflicts or the pursuit of mental games to amuse the ego, but that our mind is meant to be a focused vehicle for the influx of spiritual energy.

Once mutable air sign Gemini dissolves old, outmoded heart-mind patterns that are no longer working, cardinal air sign Libra restores right relationship between thought and feeling, thus bringing coherent harmony. Then it is the job of fixed air sign Aquarius to stabilize heart-mind patterns, building etheric structures and neural pathways for the transmission of vital energies as we enter the “New Age” of Aquarius.

These are indeed challenging energies to master, and it is why Aquarius has the often unfair reputation of being aloof, emotionally cool, detached and distant, for the first thing the Aquarian personality has to master is the use of mental energy. With his brilliant and innovative laser-like mind combined with the mental dexterity of a brain surgeon, Aquarius has a tendency to divide and separate.

The ability to label all incoming information and place it into categories earns Aquarius the distinction of scientist, and many distinguished medical doctors are born under this sign, because it allows them to marry their humanitarian ideals with a love of science. Unfortunately, it can also make our Aquarian friend the ultimate materialist, reducing the value of everything to that which can be seen, observed, studied, researched, dissected, … and labelled!

One of the ego traps for Aquarius lies in believing his own labels. Such divisions may help us when communicating and learning, but we would be wise to remember they have no basis in reality. Nature has only one season: the eternal NOW. It is the human mind that divides it into spring, summer, autumn and winter, purely for descriptive purposes. Our Aquarian friends would be wise to remember this point.

The urge towards humanitarianism and the tendency to have their attention on group activities can also lead the Aquarian personality to miss the point of their own existence altogether: their own inner journey. The Aquarian personality can fall into the trap of busybody – telling others how they “should” be living their lives, keeping themselves focused on the group agenda, while overruling the needs of the individual and conveniently neglecting to attend to their own backyard, in terms of their personal and spiritual development. Before he can ignite others, Aquarius must first ensure his own flame is burning brightly.

Although Aquarius has a great love of and respect for individuality it is actually in his opposite sign of Leo that he finds the gift of “opportunity through individuality” and finally manages to experience this for himself.1 The Aquarian personality, in his desire to please and remain loyal to his group, may actually keep himself stuck in group conformity. He will access the highest octave of Aquarius (and thus master the powerful spiritual energies that he is here to channel) only when he allows himself to follow his heart, stand alone, and find his true individuality.

The undeveloped Aquarian upon the Mutable Cross manifests through a superficial self-awareness. This matures in Leo and becomes a deep seated self-consciousness and a profound interest in self and its need and wishes. As the interplay goes on between Leo and Aquarius (for they are polar opposites) there comes a deepening of all qualities and the superficialities disappear until – upon the reversed wheel – the intensive self-consciousness of Leo expands into the group awareness of Aquarius.
The individual becomes the universal.2

The group consciousness that is the highest octave of Aquarius is difficult to comprehend from our current level of consciousness. It is not misplaced loyalty to one’s own group or tribe, nor is it being swept along in mob consciousness. Rather, it is a higher perception that comes from inner connection to one’s own Higher Mind.

It is a true realization, firmly rooted in personal experience, that humanity is one being. This dual awareness of one’s own individuality, while at the same time being attuned to the larger group awareness of humanity, is the highest octave of Aquarius. The humanitarianism of Aquarius refers to a higher state of awareness not as an idealized philosophy but as a realization of spiritual truth rooted in personal experience.

Esoteric Astrology concerns itself primarily with the unfoldment of consciousness2
– Alice Bailey

At this level, specific attributes of Higher Mind begin to unfold: clairvoyance, clairaudience, omniscience and telepathy. It is a higher vibration, a higher frequency, than we can currently comprehend from this stage of our evolution. In Esoteric Astrology, Alice Bailey outlines six stages of consciousness:

Aries: subjective latent consciousness
Gemini: the consciousness of duality
Cancer: mass consciousness
Leo: individual self-consciousness
Libra: equilibrised consciousness, and
Aquarius: group consciousness2

When we see mass riots and mob consciousness, that is clearly the influence of mass consciousness in Cancer. There is a clear distinction between this and the group consciousness that we are talking about in Aquarius. There is still an “us and them” mentality in Cancer, whereas in Aquarius, all polarity has resolved, leaving only “us” as one humanity. The individual has broken away from the herd in Leo, cultivated equanimity for all living things in Libra, and (as a fully realized individual) becomes aware of his group mind in Aquarius. The fully integrated Aquarian Soul is no longer personality-driven, yet still has an individual spiritual identity that has integrated Christ Consciousness and is ready to be of service. The personality is now in full service to the Soul.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. The Labours of Hercules: An Astrological Perspective, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.
2. Esoteric Astrology, the wisdom of The Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice Bailey.

[hr]

Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”

Capricorn-Cancer: The Creation of Heaven on Earth, Part II

Mount Shuksan at dusk. © Pat Paquette, 2011.

Acknowledgement of the oneness of all beings is an essential stage in our spiritual development. It will heal the unhealthy split that separates humanity from the rest of nature and restore our true place in creation. Understanding the importance of our role in the whole of creation and, in particular, as custodians of the Earth and our environment is an important part of the higher wisdom of Capricorn.

In deepening our understanding of the underlying energy involved, we can think about the relationship between the three qualities: cardinal, mutable and fixed. Cardinal energy is the energy of spring. It is the driving force of creation that brings new life. Fixed energy brings stability. For the entire lifespan of a tree, the trunk represents the fixed energy that stabilizes the form in existence. Mutable energy is the energy of dissolution. It breaks down forms and boundaries, as in the autumn, when the leaves and dead wood de-compose so the energy can be freed up and used again.

Then it is again the role of cardinal energy to direct the released energy into new forms. This describes the cycle of life and the unique role of each Zodiac sign as one unfolds into another throughout the year. So it is the highest Soul purpose of Capricorn to take the lead in directing light into form. In this critical time of the Pluto transit, the old structures are dissolving while the higher octave of cardinal earth-sign Capricorn is directing us in creating new structures that more appropriately serve our future selves as spiritual, soul-centered beings.

In a sense, this is a homecoming. It is an awakening to the truth of who we really are as spiritual beings having a human experience. This oft-quoted statement is, for most of us at this stage in our evolution, just a nice idea. We hear the words, but is it really the truth of our experience? Do we experience ourselves as a spiritual being in a physical body? This is where we begin to enter the deeper mysteries of Capricorn.

Capricorn is said to be the sign of the disciple or initiate, which indicates Capricorn’s significant role in our spiritual awakening or ascension.1 Three animal symbols – the goat, crocodile and unicorn – are sometimes used to depict the stages of our spiritual ascent through Capricorn.

At the foot of the mountain the goat, the materialist, seeks for nourishment in arid places. The scapegoat on the way up finds the flowers of attained desire, each with its own thorn of satiety and disillusionment. At the top of the mountain the sacred goat sees the vision and the initiate appears. In other writings the symbols are the goat, the crocodile and the unicorn.2

We are told that there are two great gateways in the Zodiac.1 Cancer is the gateway into the physical, and Capricorn is the gateway into the spiritual. As we evolve spiritually and resolve the Capricorn-Cancer polarity into one, we fully experience spirit as physical matter. We will experience and know physical matter to be light, the light of God.

At the moment we can consider the idea of physical matter as light, but at this stage of our evolution it really is just an idea. We cannot really see physical matter and light as anything other than separate. Yet scientists are beginning to create physical matter from light,3 so we are beginning to touch upon the true mysteries of Capricorn: the process of creation and the true alchemy of light that is hidden deep within this mysterious sign!

Our current so-called “real-world” – the manmade world that has been imposed upon, pollutes and drains the natural world – is an expression of lower Capricorn consciousness, exploiting natural resources for personal gain. The highest vibration of Capricorn will honor and acknowledge the Earth, recognizing humanity’s true role as sacred custodians of the Earth. To reach this high octave, Capricorn needs to fully integrate the highest compassion and Unity Consciousness of Cancer.

At the moment, while the world is self-serving, greedy, and politically unstable, it would be dangerous for us to have the full power of Capricorn in our hands. We would be like children playing with matches, causing unimaginable devastation. So we can see how the integration of Capricorn-Cancer and a wise spiritual maturity is needed before we can fully realize the implications of Capricorn’s highest octave.

It is time for us to grow up and care for our environment, to put systems into place that will preserve the life and health of this planet and its inhabitants for future generations. This is the purpose behind the healing Pluto-Capricorn transit.

Unto Prometheus, O Hercules, you are asked to be a savior.
Go down into the depths, and there upon the outer planes
release him from his suffering.
Having heard and understood, the son of man
who was also a son of God, embarked upon this quest…2

There is much hidden meaning in the above verse. In mythology, Prometheus was banished to Hades for stealing the fire of the Gods. This could be an analogy for our sacred Kundalini energy and the misuse of our sacred life-force energy for worldly (outer) gain. Capricorn realizes her true power when she turns her attention inward, integrates Cancerian energy, and directs her light for the good of all.

If you have Capricorn Sun, Moon or Rising Sign, you are here to shine your light through the darkness during these vital times. Will you lose yourself in the concrete manmade material realm, believing only what your eyes see? Or will you expand your perception to worlds within worlds, shine your light, and build a healthy future that heals our Earth Mother by reuniting her with the people? Capricorn, you are an engineer of light … and it is time to shine.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. Esoteric Astrology, The wisdom of the Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice A. Bailey.
2. The Labours of Hercules: An Astrological Perspective, by Alice A. Bailey
3. “Scientists Use Light To Create Particles.”

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Ruth Hadikin, Soul Astrologer

Ruth Hadikin – Soul Astrologer

To get your personal Soul Sign/Life Purpose Report (FREE with a consultation), contact Ruth via her website. You can also request a FREE mp3 download, “The Energetics of Soul Astrology.”