Category Archives: Saturday Extra!

Cancer Rising: The Cancer Soul

Cancer/Xochiquetzal, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

Cancer/Xochiquetzal, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

The sign of Cancer is associated with home, food, nourishment, family, nurturing, childbirth, motherhood, empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence. Symbolised by the Crab it is also associated with the ocean, and like a crab it is associated with being near the ocean, yet living on the land.

Esoterically there are deep mysteries associated with the “quiet” sign of Cancer. Cancer is the smallest of the constellations, but that shouldn’t lead us to underestimate her power. Cancer is the cardinal water sign, and all cardinal signs are here to take the lead in some way: to pioneer, introduce enlightened ideas and new ways of being into a specific area. In the case of Cancer, that area is emotions. All water signs are about mastery of emotions, so as the cardinal water sign, Cancer is here to take the lead in terms of our personal emotional development and to lead us into a new era in the evolution of human consciousness through emotional intelligence.

Cancer: The Light Within The Form
~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

As we have seen in the previous articles in this series, our Rising sign (Ascendant) indicates awakening: how we awaken into our spiritual reality, how we awaken or are born into the world, and indeed how we awaken each day into the world. With Cancer Rising, you are really here to learn how to nourish yourself and others with your soul-light. The whole journey of the soul through the twelve zodiac signs is a story of light, building up the volume of light in our light-body, or soul, while simultaneously increasing the amount of light that can be held and processed in our physical bodies. When the soul is in Cancer there is the potential for you to become aware of your soul-light.

I build a lighted house and therein dwell.
~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

Our Rising sign indicates how we awaken into our world, into new situations, and stages of consciousness. According to the Tibetan in The Labours of Hercules: An Astrological Interpretation,” Cancer is the last of the four signs of preparation (read more about the stages of the soul’s journey in a previous post) and, as a cardinal sign, leads us into the next phase of our soul’s development. If you have Cancer Rising, you are about to leave the womb in a spiritual sense, and be born into the next phase of your soul’s development. It marks a rite of passage, where we are maturing into our Soul’s awakening.

Not only does our Rising Sign indicate awakening, but also the sign of Cancer is about birth and awakening. In Cancer, we experience the first glimmer of our soul’s presence. We begin to realize that we have a soul and are so much more than just a physical body. We awaken to a greater aspect of our being. If you have Cancer Rising, you are here to find your soul-light and, like a lighthouse keeper, keep your light lit, no matter what is going on in the world around you, even if it sometimes feels like trying to keep a candle alight in a howling gale!

The zodiac uses animal symbols to convey an impression of energetic qualities. The energy of Cancer is crab-like in many ways – for example, walking sideways! Cancerians tend to approach new situations side-on, as they feel their way forward. Rising Cancer tends to approach new people, places, and situations with caution, possibly a little trepidation, and maybe come at it sideways until they can establish a feeling of safety.

Have you ever watched crabs near the ocean? They have the ability to quickly bury themselves in the sand and hunker down to wait until the most dangerous tides have passed. We can use this symbology to understand the soul’s journey in Cancer. It is about where you place your attention. Because Cancer has the ability to attune to mass consciousness, it is too easy for Cancer to be swept away on the current tide of mass consciousness, fear, and emotional overreacting. This is where the Cancer soul needs to learn how to hunker down and ride out the tide. You do this by keeping your attention on your own light, not the tsunami of mass human emotion that is (apparently) heading your way. When you do this, you learn how to keep your soul-flame alight, and by so doing. you realize that the real key to changing the world lies in changing yourself.

Every jewel is intimately connected with all other jewels in the universe, and a change in one jewel means a change, however slight, in every other jewel.
~ Stephen Mitchell

As the sign of mass consciousness, Cancer has built-in radar, which you can send out to sense the mood and feelings of the collective. Your innate sense of connectedness with all of humanity is the source from which your deep empathy and ultimately compassion arises. This ability to feel what others are feeling is the key to understanding both the highest spiritual purpose of Cancer and the ego-based challenges at personality level.

Part of the journey for a Cancerian soul is to cultivate intuition. It isn’t easy, when you can tap into mass consciousness, to hear your own voice over and above the many. It also explains why the sign of Cancer is associated with fear and caution. If you have Cancer Rising, it is likely that you experience fear on waking each morning! This is because when you first awaken and your mind is quiet, this is the time that you are most tuned-in to the consciousness of the masses, and it is a simple fact that there is a lot of fear rippling through humanity at the moment. You are aware of it. You feel it. All cardinal signs are courageous signs of leadership. This may not be how you initially think of the sign of Cancer, but imagine the courage that is needed to stay focused on compassion in the face of a tide of human suffering and fear. On a very practical level, for someone with Cancer Rising, your first act of courage is to get out of bed in the morning in the face of all fear and to stay focused on your light throughout your day.

As the sign of emotional intelligence, part of your work in this lifetime is learning how to navigate through emotional frequencies so you don’t keep your attention on the wavelength of fear, but are able to transcend it and hold a higher emotional tone within your own being. You understand the truth of our connectedness by experiencing for yourself that the changes you make within your own being have a definite ripple-effect in the consciousness of humanity, and that you have the power to reduce fear in the world by first and foremost working on it within yourself. This process of emotional evolution through the water signs begins in Cancer (cardinal water), is consolidated in Scorpio (fixed water) and culminates in Pisces (mutable water).

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.  Without them humanity cannot survive.
~ HH XIV Dalai Lama

Through your own experience you begin to learn that compassion is not just an idea or a philosophy, but a real tangible energy that you can consciously flow through your own heart-center and, by doing so, you change the “flavour” in the ocean of human consciousness. The Dalai Lama has Cancer Rising and has spent a lifetime teaching, demonstrating, and transmitting compassion and unconditional love across all cultures and boundaries. This is the true nourishment that Cancer brings to the world: spiritual nourishment. When you transcend fear, you will come to know that the divine nectar of compassion, which flows through your heart, is what will truly nurture and nourish humanity on our journey of evolving consciousness.

If you have Cancer Rising, you are here to bring compassion and unconditional love into the world in ways that you possibly cannot imagine. You do this by overcoming fear and attachment, cultivating emotional intelligence, and fine-tuning your own intuition. Your spiritual home is the light that you always carry within, the whole world is your family, and you selflessly nourish others primarily through the emanation of your inner light.


Ruth

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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.”

Karen MacKenzie is working on a series of astrology inspired paintings using goddesses from different cultures. For more information about the symbolism in this print and to view other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art.

Jupiter, Earth, and the Inner Journey of Sagittarius, Part I

© Bezik for Dreamstime.com

Sagittarius season is upon us once again, bringing with it an opportunity for deeper wisdom and the possibility to recognize and focus on our spiritual goals.

The fun-loving gregarious sign of Sagittarius is associated with freedom, truth, optimism, travel, adventure, spirituality, religion and philosophy. What do all these have in common? The search for ultimate truth and freedom. The true freedom that Sagittarius seeks is liberation of the mind.

Following the journey of the soul through the 12 signs of the zodiac, after the final struggle in Scorpio the way forward becomes clear. Scorpio brought necessary purification and transformation in preparation for the experience in Sagittarius:

The Archer has to acquire and hold a steady eye, hand and stance prior to firing the arrow which, when rightly directed and correctly followed, will carry him through the portal of initiation [in Capricorn]. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

Last month, we saw how Scorpio was the last of the signs of challenge (or crisis) and here in Sagittarius we have the first of the signs of service. The soul is now matured and ready to fulfill divine purpose with confidence. Throughout this series we have been looking at how specific planets provide the necessary conditions for each stage of our soul’s growth and development. Three planets are important to Sagittarius: Jupiter (at personality level), the Earth (at soul level) and Mars (at hierarchical level). For our purposes here in understanding our evolution from personality-centered beings to soul-centered beings, we will be looking at Jupiter and the Earth. It is just interesting to note that once again we have the influence of Mars at a much higher level of consciousness than he would normally be associated with!

Scorpio is a sign of purification which sets the soul on a path of discipleship (discipline), so here in Sagittarius the experience is one of discipline, focus, and direction. Jupiter is a planet of expansiveness and higher mind, so his role in conditioning us at personality level is one of expanding awareness and consciousness. It is through the influence of Jupiter that one realizes there is something higher to aim for: a bigger, larger, grander picture of ourselves beyond our small, limited mind.

Jupiter invites us to expand our vision, our awareness, and our experience of ourselves. Initially the earliest inkling of self-awareness shows up as self-consciousness, as we mentioned in Leo. Jupiter’s expansive influence in Sagittarius invites us to expand our experience on all levels, so we can expand our awareness. Taken to extremes at personality level, this expansive tendency can lead to self-indulgence and leave our Sagittarian friends with an expanding waistline! However, it is important to note that although Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, it is largely comprised of gas. The symbology here implies expansion beyond the density of physical matter. Jupiter encourages us to expand our minds.

Jupiter’s role is to create the conditions to guide us from small mind to higher mind. When we are in small mind we are limited by mental concepts and ideals. We impose limitation on ourselves by creating mental concepts and then adhering to them as though they were truth. When we know the difference between small mind (personality level) and higher mind (soul level), we see a distinction between religion and spirituality and begin to understand why both are associated with Sagittarius.

When we follow a religious path, at first we adhere closely to a creed or code of conduct. Although religious traditions are mental constructs, they have been created for the ultimate purpose of taking us beyond religion itself to experience higher spiritual truth. It is a path that someone created. The danger lies in mistaking the path itself for spiritual reality, and this is one of the pitfalls of Sagittarius.

In Part II, we’ll discuss how expanding consciousness with Jupiter increases our awareness of our connection with the Earth.


Ruth

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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.”

Pluto, Mars and the Inner Journey of Scorpio, Part I

Detail from Hercules, by John Singer Sargent, 1921.

Scorpio season is upon us once again, bringing with it another opportunity to look more deeply into our own psyche than we have ever done before. The enigmatic sign of Scorpio is associated with such intense themes as sex, death, cruelty, rebirth, power, regeneration, money, and the deepest darkest depths of our own minds. Jolly good fun!

Scorpio goes where angels fear to tread and for this reason is also the sign of priests and psychologists. All seven so-called “deadly sins” can be explored in Scorpio, with a couple more thrown in for good measure.

So what is it all about? It is time to take courage, dive deeply, and understand the spiritual significance of this vitally important sign and the deepest mysteries of existence. The following information applies to everyone, not just people with planets in Scorpio. This is an important stage in the evolution of humanity, and it concerns every one of us.

Following the journey of the soul through the 12 signs of the zodiac, after the point of balance between body and soul has been reached in Libra, the final struggle takes place in Scorpio. This is a kind of birthing and, just like the contractions in physical childbirth, this spiritual rebirth happens in waves. As the personality gradually comes under the command of the soul, there are waves of depression where the personality feels as though it is being squashed, followed by waves of rebellion where it fights back. The personality doesn’t give up easily without a fight! The personality isn’t being squashed, however; it is being gradually assimilated, as more spiritual energy is able to enter into the being. The end result of this struggle is total fusion of soul and personality, body and soul. The personality is the interface, the meeting place between the body, with all its animal urges and instinctive impulses, and the finer energies and ethereal vibrations of the soul.

Three planetary rulers, or space-holders, are the guardians of this birthing process, which is vital for the evolution of humanity from an animalistic being into a fully awakened soul-centered being. Both Mars and Pluto are guardians of this process at personality level, while Mars is the guardian at soul level. In Esoteric Astrology, Mars is considered a great beneficent planet, not malefic as is thought in some astrological systems. It is through the activity of Mars that this final struggle between personality and soul is fought and won, with the fully integrated (fused) soul emerging victorious. Triumph and victory are keywords with Scorpio, and it is important to remember this especially when the going gets tough. Mercury is the planetary ruler at hierarchical level, which we won’t explore here except to notice that this again hints at the vital importance of Scorpio for the spiritual evolution of humanity.

It is in Scorpio that the preponderance of the spiritual energy is
imposed upon the lower personal forces
~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology.

The combined effect of Mars and Pluto at personality level serve to bring awareness to the potency of desire working through the form nature and that, although we experience desire, it is not fundamental to our nature and can be brought under control through illumination. At this level Mars governs life-force energy: stirs the blood, agitates and activates our animal instinct, and arouses the passions. It is the fuel that feeds the fire of desire.

Pluto, at personality level, brings somatic awareness, the instinctual felt-sense in the body. Otherwise known as the great revealer, Pluto is able to hold our animal urges up to the light for healing and understanding. While in the dark they have control and power over us. Once they are brought to light, the soul has victory. It is this dual effect of Mars and Pluto that brings about both the tests and the triumph in Scorpio.

The tests in Scorpio and the activity of Mars are potent to arouse the entire lower nature and bring about its final rebellion and the last stand, so to speak, of the personality against the soul.
~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

The tests in Scorpio are the temptations of desire that keep our attention trapped in the cycles of materialistic existence. In Esoteric Astrology they are listed as nine, in three groups. The first test is appetite which relates to sex, physical comfort and money; the second is desire and relates to fear, hatred and ambition; and the third test is of the lower mind and relates to pride, separativeness and cruelty.

When explored deeply with the light of awareness, these tests – which Christian theologians called the seven deadly sins and in Buddhism are known as the destructive emotions, or kleshas – can clearly be seen to be faults of attention, or discipline, and are not inherent in our nature. They are distractions which sway us from our path. We can see that it is not the activities themselves that cause problems, but the tendency within our own psyche to become attached, obsessed and addicted to them. Then we make the mistake of identifying with them and not recognizing our true spiritual nature.

In Part II, we’ll explore the roles of Mars and Pluto in bringing awareness to the unconscious tendencies that divert us from the spiritual path.


Ruth

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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, Uranus, and the Inner Journey of Libra, Part II

White Buffalo Calf Woman, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

To make progress on our spiritual path, we need a degree of stability in our ordinary life. If we have a chaotic life where we are constantly in turmoil meeting our daily needs, we will have no inclination to pursue a spiritual path.

The action of Venus in Libra plays a vital role in balancing and stabilizing our mundane “ordinary” lives, ensuring we live simply, in alignment with natural law, so that our energy is free for transformation, and our being is open and receptive to our spiritual development. The action of Venus in Libra harmonizes, balances, and stabilizes our personality, and thereby our mundane world. When the light in Libra has “come to rest,” we are then open to receiving the subtle energy of Uranus, which transforms consciousness.

Uranus is the energy of rebellion. Not rebellion for the sake of trouble-making, but rebellion because it is necessary to evolve and align with Divine Law. In Greek mythology, Uranus is the sky, vastness, space. The primordial being from which all other beings arise. He is the father of the gods who begat all the gods on Mount Olympus and their rivals, the Titans. Primordial consciousness. Uranus is a planet of transformation who has the power to transform consciousness in particular. When we have been touched by Uranus our lives are never the same. There is no going back.

He who has penetrated to the limits of thought, dares to take the leap into the Great Emptiness,
the primordial ground of his own boundless being. ~ Lama Anagarika Govinda

Sometimes in mundane astrology, Uranus is referred to as a revolutionary, but it is important to make a distinction between a rebel and a revolutionary, if we are to fully understand the spiritual purpose of this rebellious energy of Uranus and his ability to transform consciousness. A succinct explanation of this distinction comes from the Indian mystic OSHO, who says:

The rebel … brings into the world a change of consciousness – and if the consciousness changes, then the structure of the society is bound to follow it … No revolution has yet succeeded in changing man; but it seems man is not aware of the fact. He still goes on thinking in terms of revolution, of changing society, of changing the government, of changing the bureaucracy, of changing laws, political systems. Feudalism, capitalism, communism, socialism, fascism – they are all in their own way revolutionary. They all have failed, and failed utterly, because man has remained the same … The rebel is a spiritual phenomenon. His approach is absolutely individual. His vision is that if we want to change the society, we have to change the individual.”

The revolutionary has the same consciousness as the society in which he arose. He may overthrow a dictator and then himself become the new dictator. He is just the other side of the same coin. There has been a change in name, but not a change of consciousness. The energy of Uranus is not revolutionary, it is rebellion. It transforms consciousness. The rebel brings inner change, a change of consciousness within the individual. The rebellion is not “against” anything but, like a flower blossoming, is a natural unfoldment into the next stage of evolution. Where Uranus is concerned, it can be a complete quantum leap that bears no resemblance to what has gone before.

Once Venus has done her job of opening the heart, then the individual is open to receive the touch of Uranus – to allow inspiration to move them and break free from the limitations of the lower mind. Venus initially brings desire, attraction, animal magnetism. Through the experiences of Venus, the individual experiences the beginnings of love, but this lower consciousness love has a price: it comes with conditions. There is a possessiveness to it. Once Venus has softened the heart, Uranus is able to bring in expansiveness. The expansiveness of space, of being, and the individual is never the same again. They are made anew. Passion can now make a quantum leap into higher love and then further again, into limitless compassion.

Love is Higher Thought about someone.” ~ Anya Sophia Mann, Visionary Intuitive

We are evolving from instinct, through intellect, to intuition. In this process, Venus initially opens our hearts and minds, opening us up to shift from instinct to intellect. Then Uranus catapults us from intellect to intuition. Uranus brings inspiration, clarity, intuition and vast, clear space. Boundless sky untouched by clouds. Initiating, catalyzing the evolution from intellect to intuition. Unexpected, because how can we know what to expect from a level of consciousness which we have not yet experienced? Under the influence of Uranus, without the limitation of intellect, Libra is capable of leaping through “octaves” of higher mind to higher love.

Reason, the highest property of the intellect, is what guides purposive thought. Purposes, however, are limited; and therefore reason can operate only in what is limited.

Wisdom alone can accept and intuitively realize the unlimited, the timeless and the infinite, by renouncing explanations and by recognizing the mystery, which can only be felt, experienced, and finally realized in life – and which can never be defined. ~ Lama Anagarika Govinda

If you have Sun, Moon and especially Rising Sign in Libra, you are here to go beyond your own limitations and become an expression of higher love in the world. You will do this through right relationship between yourself and other. When you lean too far toward the Aries end of the spectrum, there is too much emphasis on self; when you lean too far toward the Libra end of the spectrum, there is too much emphasis on others. When you come to rest at the center, the balance-point, you are in perfect harmony, and this creates the window through which the energy of Uranus can enter to transform consciousness.


Ruth

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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.”

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About the artist: This oil painting, the seventh in the Empowered Feminine Zodiac series by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie, envisions Libra as White Buffalo Calf Woman, who brought a message of peace to the Lakota people two centuries ago. For more information about the symbolism in this print and to view other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art (her prints are very affordable).

Mercury, the Moon, and The Inner Journey of Virgo, Part II

Zemnya, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

In Buddhist teaching, the highest perfection is said to be the perfection of wisdom.

There is an ancient Buddhist scripture called the “Holy Heart Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom” (often just called “The Heart Sutra” for short). This scripture tells of a conversation between the historical Buddha and one of his heart disciples, Sariputra. In this scripture the Buddha says to Sariputra:

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form
Emptiness does not differ from form,
and form does not differ from emptiness.
~ The Heart Sutra

This speaks to the deepest mysteries of Virgo, and it is important to understand what is really meant by “emptiness” in this context. It doesn’t mean “nothing,” but rather refers to space, which is “empty” of physical forms but filled with spirit, filled with love – filled with all that we value, yet cannot see or touch. It speaks to the synthesis of spirit and form that happens in Virgo.

In Esoteric Astrology, the Tibetan refers to the Moon as the “Mother of All Forms.” In certain Buddhist traditions, reference is made to the “mother void” and the “son awareness.” This is referring to the karmic cycle through which physical forms arise from the “void” (or space), then awareness (of self) arises through form, and then divine awareness (soul) returns to the void (space) through synthesis, after the dissolution of form. Esoterically this is described as the synthesis of father (spirit) and mother (form) which gives rise to the birth of the child (Christ consciousness). At a higher level, the unified mother-father is simply referred to as mother. The deeper mysteries of this divine process lie within the Virgo-Pisces cycle of arising, awareness, synthesis and then resolution. This is how the deeper mystery of Virgo, symbolized by mother (spirit/form) and child (awareness), leads to the expansion of divine love.

After the Moon has done her earlier work in Cancer, creating the conditions for us to transform negative emotions into positive altruistic states such as compassion, she returns in Virgo to teach us how to flow the subtle physical energies of compassion through the subtle channels that have been created by Mercury. Again, this is a two-way street that speaks to the highest purpose of Virgo. Through the channels created by Mercury and under the conditions created by the Moon, we experience a greater expansion of divinity into physical form and come one step closer to experience our soul – that droplet of divinity which resides within each of us.

Likewise, as a result of the expansion of the human heart and a greater flow of human compassion, there is a greater experience of human potential within the divine. Heaven travels to earth, and earth meets heaven. Interestingly, the ruler of Virgo at the hierarchical level is the expansive, magnifying planet Jupiter. So we can see that the expansion of love on many levels and throughout many realms is deeply connected with the highest soul purpose of Virgo.

Virgo stands for the “womb of time’ wherein God’s plan  (the mystery and the secret of the ages)  is slowly matured and – with pain and discomfort and through struggle  and conflict – brought into manifestation at the appointed time.
~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

The Moon is a bit of an anomaly, an enigma, in astrology. Technically, she isn’t really a planet at all (for moons are not planets). Indeed H.P. Blavatsky (author of the earlier esoteric works The Secret Doctrine and Isis Unveiled), Alice Bailey (channel for The Tibetan, Author of Esoteric Astrology), and mystic Vera Stanley Alder all agree that the Moon is “dead,” having no life force or vitality of her own. Yet the magnetic pull of the Moon affects the Earth’s tides and likewise the emotions of humanity. So here we have the esoteric symbology of the Moon, something that is dead and connected to the past, yet is still tugging at us. The Moon symbolizes those aspects of our past that are no longer useful or beneficial for our spiritual progress, yet we collectively and individually (in our personal natal chart) haven’t released them yet.

The Moon thus creates conditions of human experience that are womb-like in the sense of being deep, dark, and quiet. In Virgo, she creates the conditions for “the valley of deep experience wherein secrets are discovered and eventually ‘brought to light’; [Virgo] is the place of slow, gentle and yet powerful crisis and periodic developments which take place in the dark and yet which lead to light.” (The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology)

Esoterically, the Moon veils Vulcan (according to Esoteric Astrology, Vulcan is a hidden planet), and Vulcan is known as the blacksmith of the gods. In the alchemical fiery furnace of Vulcan, physical forms are transformed like molten lead into gold. It is this alchemical action of Vulcan that conditions the physical form to be more receptive to light and thus enables the synthesis of spirit and matter in Virgo.

The Moon/Vulcan conditions the form, while Mercury lays down a connective network of light on all levels. With this dual action of Mercury and the Moon/Vulcan, the physical human form becomes a pure and suitable vehicle for light and the subsequent birth of Christ consciousness.

This time of year, under the influence of Virgo, we all have an opportunity to deeply contemplate our life and ensure we are fully aligned with our divine purpose or vocation. If you have Sun, Moon or Rising Sign in Virgo, it is important that you be aware of your physical energy and stay grounded. You are here to radiate love into the world.


Ruth

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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.”

About the artist: This oil painting, the sixth in the Empowered Feminine Zodiac series by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie, features the Lithuanian harvest goddess Zemnya as the representation of Virgo. She is dressed in traditional Lithuanian embroidered clothing. For more information about the symbolism in this print and to view other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art (her prints are very affordable).

The Sun and the Inner Journey of Leo, Part II

Sekhmet, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

Just as the physical Sun connects to the great spiritual Sun through the heart of the Sun, so the Sun indicates to us that the path to our own deeper spiritual truth is an inner journey through our hearts to our spiritual core.

We cannot know the truth of these esoteric teachings by thinking about them, but only through experience. We need to go deep into our hearts in meditation to experience the truth of our innate connection with the heart of the Sun.

The Sun’s heart beats at eleven-year intervals, and with this ‘beat’ it sends out its life-force into its entire system, just as the human heart sends out this same vital force, via the bloodstream.
– Errol Weiner, Transpersonal Astrology

Through the infusion of life-force energy, the Sun illuminates the path to self-realization, and Leo is the sign of self-realization. There are many steps on this path and they can be put into three stages: self-consciousness, self-awareness and self-realization. These three stages can also be equated to the three aspects of the Sun and three stages of development on the soul path of Leo.

The path of self-realization in Leo is itself a vital stage in the overall evolution of human consciousness. The German philosopher Friedrich Neitzche spoke of three stages of consciousness: the camel, the lion and the child. The camel represents tribal consciousness, where we follow the herd, follow the masses, and go along with the collective consciousness. This is the pre-egoic state.

The lion represents individualization – the ability and the willingness to stand alone. Separate. Apart from the herd. In terms of our personal spiritual development this is the development of, and identification with, our ego. At the same time this is the beginning of our spiritual awakening. Just as the great river Ganges has its source in a tiny mountain stream, so our collective spiritual awakening has its origin in our currently emerging egoic state. Within the lion stage are stages one and two (below) of our path of Leo.

The child represents the free spirit once we are liberated from our egoic challenges and delusions. This is the post-egoic state (and the third stage of the path of Leo, which is why Leo is also associated with creativity, playfulness, and children. Our spirit is free. The child is our fully awakened state of self-realization, or enlightenment. In this final stage we arrive at a deeper realization, through experience, that we are not separate but have an individual expression in our oneness. When we finally reach this stage we experience the truth of our connectedness with the Sun and all living beings.

Know thyself. If thou canst learn the true nature of thine own self,
thou wilt know the reality of the Universe.
~ Abhedananda

We can see how important the path of Leo is for the evolution of consciousness. During the first stage of the path of Leo (self-consciousness) we become aware of self versus “other.” This is the first stage towards individuation. The path to individuation begins with an idea. An idea of separation. We become aware of the idea that there is a “me” in here, and there are others “out there.” This focus on the outer world, conditioned by the corona of the Sun, is vital for the development of a sense of an individual self. The individual at this stage will (necessarily) be personality–oriented with no sense of soul. This is the stage where we become self-ish, because our world is centered around our idea of “me” and meeting the immediate needs of our personality.

In the second stage of the path, self-awareness, we move to the heart. Conditioned by the heart of the Sun we begin asking, “Who am I?” We hear the call of spirit and our journey moves within. The individual at this stage is still largely personality-driven but has experienced soul awakening. We are aware of our spiritual nature but still experience soul and personality as separate. We become less selfish and more altruistic in our outlook.

At the final stage of the path, conditioned by the core of the Sun (the great spiritual Sun) the individual is fully self-realized. We realize there is no separation, and we live from unity consciousness (oneness). We are fully integrated in that there is full personality-soul fusion and no experience of separation. We become oriented toward world-service for the benefit of all living things, because we know from personal experience the deepest meaning of the soul keynote for Leo:

I Am That, and That Am I
-The Tibetan (Alice Bailey, Esoteric Astrology)

It is under the warm, loving, life-giving, custodianship of the Sun in all his aspects, that we walk the path of Leo to the full realization of our true nature as spiritual beings. To fully express our divine purpose, we need a strongly defined sense of self. From our fully integrated self-realized state, we are able to fulfill our soul purpose, which is to be a unique individual expression of divine will.

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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.”

Image caption: Sekhmet, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

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 view other works in her ongoing series, check out her website, Karen MacKenzie Art (her prints are very affordable).

The Moon, Neptune, and the Inner Journey of Cancer, Part I

Cancer/Xochiquetzal, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

Cancer/Xochiquetzal, original artwork by Seattle artist Karen MacKenzie. See end of article for more info.

Cancer is associated with home, birth, family, and our tribe, clan or nation. It is also the sign of empathy, emotional intelligence, re-birth and mass consciousness.

The mysterious sign of Cancer is one of the quietest. It is the tiniest of constellations in the Zodiac and could easily slip by without being noticed. Yet within this tiny, silent sign are held the deepest secrets of reincarnation, for Cancer is the gateway into the physical realm. The sacred marriage of matter and spirit happens through this gateway of Cancer.

In considering the planetary rulers of Cancer, it is most important to understand what we really mean by “rulership.” Continue reading →

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.”

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

It’s Saturn-day and Christmas Eve. What could be more fitting than this marvellous treatment by Ruth of Capricorn in Soul Astrology? Indeed, Saturn – Capricorn’s planetary ruler in Western astrology – was more of a “Santa Claus” for the ancient Romans than Jupiter, the planet we associate with abundance and joy. The Roman Saturnalia, celebrated at the winter solstice, even included gift-giving and parades.

On that note, I turn you over to Ruth’s excellent post, with best holiday wishes, no matter what spiritual tradition you follow. ~Pat.

Mount Shuksan at dusk. © Pat Paquette, 2011.

Capricorn is the great resource manager of the Zodiac. The sign of Capricorn is associated with business, accounting, banking, finance, governance, authority, ambition and achievement through practical, diligent, precise and methodical application of one’s energy. One could be forgiven for thinking that the sign of Capricorn is the most practical, down-to-Earth sign of them all. This is quite true and, at one and the same time, it is also the most mysterious and esoteric sign, because the true mysteries of Capricorn remain deeply hidden. Welcome to the enigmatic world of Capricorn.

“The light of life must now shine forth within a world of dark”1
~ Alice A. Bailey

The Tibetan2 tells us that Capricorn is the least understood of all the Zodiac signs, because humanity does not yet have the consciousness to comprehend its true meaning at this stage of our evolution. He also explains how the true symbol for Capricorn has never been drawn because of its power: it is the signature of God. According to the Tibetan, Capricorn is the sign of Christ Consciousness.

Does this mean that every Capricorn we meet has the spiritual awareness of Christ? Of course not. However, there is a clue to the deeper mysteries of Capricorn in the idea that Capricorn is at the same time associated with both the consciousness of Christ and the material world. In our spiritual development, Capricorn is where we learn to use spiritual resources and deeply imbue physical matter with spiritual energy.

Capricorn season is the time of year when the Northern Hemisphere of Earth is farthest from the Sun. Winter Solstice is a time when northern cultures traditionally held major festivals to celebrate the return of the light. It is no accident that the birth of Christ is also celebrated at this time and was heralded by a bright star.

Capricorn is the farthest point into matter that light has travelled thus far. So our Capricorn friends can be forgiven if they seem deeply rooted in the concrete material world – they are – and yet they have whole universes to bridge with their light.

Hidden deep within the mysteries of Capricorn are vast, undiscovered, metaphysical sciences. Sacred arts, including sacred geometry and alchemy are just the tip of the iceberg. Capricorn is the sign of precision engineering, and while many Capricorns do indeed use their innate knowledge of physical matter to engineer the physical realm, the highest octave of Capricorn involves engineering light. Capricorn is here to utilize spiritual resources to build heaven on Earth and beyond! But Capricorn can never access this highest potential with her nose stuck in an accounting book.

Many spiritual traditions consider those who only believe what their eyes can see to have limited capacity for spiritual development.3 This is the ego trap of Capricorn: becoming so deeply focused on concrete, tangible results that she forgets to acknowledge the deepest wisdom of her other senses. Capricorn needs to acknowledge all her sense perceptions if she is to awaken not only to higher awareness, but to higher skill and capacity as an engineer of light, masterfully utilizing spiritual resources for the benefit of all sentient beings. In order to realize her higher mind, potential, and greatest capacity, Capricorn needs the multisensory capability of her polar opposite, Cancer.

Whereas Cancer embodies empathy and emotional intelligence at the personality level, our Capricorn friend has the unfortunate reputation of sometimes being the most ruthless sign of all. It is as though, in her diligent focus on getting through the business of the day, she is able to take into account and audit all the tangibles of a situation, while forgetting the very reason why resources need to be managed in the first place: to ensure that all creatures have opportunities for growth. A fully integrated Capricorn senses what will be needed by all, takes everything into account, and with great care, respect and compassion, moves mountains to make sure all needs are covered.

Cardinal energy is the pioneering energy of creation that initiates change and ushers in new ways of being and doing. Earth signs are all about mastery of the physical. So, as the cardinal earth sign, Capricorn is all about creating new ways of mastering our physical realm – how we utilize our energy and physical resources for the highest good. It is no accident that the cardinal earth sign is associated with governance and authority.

At the moment, we are experiencing a transit of Pluto through Capricorn, which began in November 2008 and lasts until 2023. These are very important times we are living through. Many of the political and governmental upheavals that we are experiencing are a result of the transformational energy of Pluto being in the sign of Capricorn. Pluto is known as the great revealer. It breaks down old systems that are no longer working and reveals that which is hidden by bringing it to the light for healing.

Pluto is revealing to us where we have created governmental and financial systems from a low-vibration Capricorn perspective, which was so off balance that it became possible for us to “use and abuse” Earth’s resources ruthlessly for personal gain. During this transit, we have the opportunity to transform by accessing the highest octave of Capricorn, which pioneers new ways of sharing and relating to Earth’s resources by bringing in the compassionate energy of her polar opposite, Cancer.

The healing and balancing of the Capricorn-Cancer polarity is what we are currently experiencing. The Pluto-Capricorn transit is calling us up to heighten our awareness and to access the highest octave of Capricorn for the good of all. At the end of this transit, Capricorn-Cancer will have created new ways of being in the world that honor, respect, and nurture all sentient beings, ensuring everything is taken into account (including the needs of the Earth herself) to build healthy, harmonious, sustainable futures for Mother Earth and all her creatures.

In Part 2, we go deeper into Capricorn’s Soul journey and explore her significance as a custodian of the Earth.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

1. The Labours of Hercules: An Astrological Perspectiv, by Alice A. Bailey
2. Esoteric Astrology. The wisdom of the Tibetan (Master DK) as channelled through Alice A. Bailey.
3. Creative Meditation and Multi-Dimensional Consciousness, by Lama Anagarika Govinda.

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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.”