Tag Archives: Alice Bailey

Leo Rising: The Leo Soul

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

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

The regal sign of Leo is associated with kings, royalty, nobility, drama, theater, actors, children, creativity, and play. Leo is the sign of self-realization – the path that takes us from self-consciousness through self-awareness to ultimate self-realization. Along the way we may develop a misguided sense of self-importance, but this is understandable when we consider our experience as we pass through the Leo stage of our soul’s journey.

As mentioned earlier in this series, your soul’s journey is indicated by your Rising Sign (Ascendant). If you have Leo rising, you can consider yourself to be a Leo soul, and you are part of the group of Leo souls who are here to usher in an era of heart-centered leadership through creative expression of divine will.

Before you can reach this highest potential, you need to overcome the fear-based expressions of Leo so you may live your life through the highest love-based expression of Leo. This means fully understanding the ego personality so you can rise above it. There is a false self and a real self, and it is Leo’s job to figure out which is which. The Leo stage of our soul’s journey is a highly significant developmental milestone in the evolution of human consciousness. Leo is indeed very important, but not in the self-important way that the ego would like to think!

Whether we have personal planets in Leo or not, this article is relevant to us all, because we are all at varying stages of the individuation process symbolized by Leo. Leo can be thought of as the sign for our times, and it is indeed interesting that the current president of the United States, Barack Obama, has Sun in Leo. (Read more about the significance of Leo in the evolution of consciousness in this previous post.)

In Esoteric Astrology, by Alice Bailey, the Tibetan Master explains that we “do battle” in two signs, Leo and Scorpio. In Leo we are fighting for our individuality while, at a later stage, the battle in Scorpio is for our soul. The journey of Leo is one of individuation, and recognizing the importance of the individual is a vital step in the process. It is Leo’s job to stand up and say, “What about ME?” A newborn infant is a bundle of pure awareness. They are aware that they are hungry, they cry, they get fed. They are aware that they are uncomfortable, they cry, someone (hopefully) comes to make them feel comfortable again. There is no idea of “me.” This is an important point to recognize, if we are to fully understand individuation.

You might be able to remember back in your own life to a time when you were so young, there was just experience without labels. If you have been fortunate enough to spend some time with young infants, you’ll notice this exploring stage. When they pick up a flower, a building block, an insect – anything – the process is the same. They touch. Feel. Look. Probably put it to their mouth. If left undisturbed, they will spend a long time getting to know the object. They are immersed in pure experience without mental concepts. A new baby can’t think, “This is a flower.” Labels are given later by those around him who will tell him, “That is a flower.” But it is important to recognize that even before he had the capacity to think “this is a flower,” he was still experiencing, and his experience was individuated. It was his experience, nobody else’s.

It is a normal part of our intellectual development that we will quickly learn language and labels. It is an essential stage, because it is how we relate to the society into which we have been born. We initially connect with others and begin to relate in non-verbal ways with our parents, but very quickly as our social circle grows, we begin developing social skills, one of the most important of which is language.

This process hints at both the fear-based ego-personality expressions of Leo and the highest love-based soul expression. The biggest ego-challenge for Leo is not to get caught in labels. When the society tells a Leo that he is a banker, nurse, actor, fire officer, police officer, dropout, genius, addict, executive, scientist, slob, etc., he is likely to play the role full out. With great integrity, responsibility, and deep sincerity Leo will play the part that society has conferred upon him, whether he be a prince or a pauper. The danger is when he comes to believe this is who he really is. Deep down he knows he really is a “somebody,” but the mistake is in thinking that the “somebody” is his role in society. This is why sometimes Leo can appear stuffy or pompous. There can be a sense of being unnatural, as Leo wholeheartedly throws his life and soul into the role he has been given.

[headline h=”4″]Self-Conscious[/headline]

At this point our Leo friend is self-conscious. At some point our infant began to develop the idea of “me.” There is a point in child development where an infant will just look into a mirror and giggle. There is no “self” recognition. Then one day it arises. Suddenly, the infant looks in the mirror and realizes they are looking at their individual self, which they will soon come to call “me.” This is the arising of self-consciousness. From this point, as the child grows, he will be comparing self with other to find his place in the world. To see where he fits into the society in which he was born.

Until recent times, people never went beyond this stage. In communist countries, we can see there is very little emphasis on an individual self, as one is expected to be a “good citizen” and do one’s duty to contribute to the society. This was also the case in the West before 1945. Since then, in the West at least, we have seen the emergence of the individual. People no longer want to be seen as cogs in a machine. We can also see this in the current wave of revolutions in the Middle East as people are standing up and saying, “What about ME?” Individuals are demanding to be acknowledged, and this is a vital stage in the evolution of consciousness, because it is individuals who awaken, not societies. Society itself is merely a label that we have given to a group of individuals.

[headline h=”4″]Self-awareness[/headline]

For Leo, the way home to his authentic self is the pathway to his soul. Leo’s spiritual path is to keep asking, “Who am I?” and not to stop until he has the answer. Through this process, he cultivates deeper awareness of himself as an individual, self-awareness. Authentic self is the one who was there before all the labels, the one who was experiencing as a baby, before the development of conceptual thinking and language. You don’t have to do anything to be a somebody. You always were, even before the label “I,” even before you “thought” you were you. You were. You existed. Existence itself was experiencing life, as you. This is what Christ meant when he said, “Be as children.”

[headline h=”4″]Self-realization[/headline]

On our spiritual path, there comes a time to drop all labels and recognize reality for what it is. In meditation, we might return to the state of pure experiencing, where we can spend time with a flower simply experiencing its essence without the thought, “This is a flower.” If you have Leo Rising, you are here to awaken, to remember the state of pure being that is beyond all labels and concepts. Once you have returned to this childlike state, you will recognize yourself as awareness itself, and awareness will be aware of itself. This is the ultimate self-realization. You recognize your self as the essence of all existence. Then you will live life through your heart-center and be a pure expression of divine will in the world. You will know your will and God’s will to be one and the same.


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.

Gemini Rising: The Gemini Soul

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

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

The sign of Gemini is associated with all aspects of communication: speaking, talking, writing, also thinking, and all at lightening-speed. Fast-talking, fast-moving, fast-thinking, ever-moving, restless fidgety Gemini!

Conventionally, Gemini is associated with gossip and fickleness, yet there is so much more depth to this highly significant sign than first meets the eye. According to Esoteric Astrology by Alice Bailey, Gemini is the only sign that is connected to the remaining eleven signs of the zodiac. Well wouldn’t that make sense from the sign of connection?

If we think connection, communion and weaving, we are starting to touch upon the deeper spiritual significance of Gemini. Gemini takes the threads of life, the threads of the Universe, and weaves them all together into one cohesive whole. No small task.

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…”
~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

Yet we can go even deeper. In his book The Self-Aware Universe, quantum physicist Dr. Amit Goswami explains how consciousness is the basic building block of the Universe (and all universes). Everything is made of consciousness. The very threads of life that Gemini weaves are threads of consciousness. Now we’re talking! (Or not, as the case may be!) Gemini knows that words are powerful, but that thoughts are even more powerful, and consciousness beyond thought is even more powerful again.

The deeper purpose underlying Gemini’s sometimes incessant chatter is an innate need, not only for connection but for deeper communion. Gemini is the sign of holy communion in the most sacred sense of communing with all that is healthy, healed and whole (holy). Gemini can be thought of as the connective tissue of the Universe, permeating, weaving through, and touching, everything and every no-thing! It is in Gemini that consciousness becomes aware of itself by reflecting itself back to itself through the illusion of another. This is one of the deepest esoteric mysteries of Gemini. As the mutable air sign, Gemini is a sign of mind and changeable mind at that!

If we observe closely (and intelligent Gemini is excellent at noticing things!) we can see how it is the everyday working of the mind that divides and separates. From the all-inclusive experience of this eternal present moment, the mind steps in and begins categorising: That is a tree. There goes a plane. Here is my computer. There is a cat. This is my house. If you really watch your own mind, you will see it does this constantly. From the eternal universal dance of interconnected energy, the mental mind isolates and labels things, and this becomes a habit until all we see are things, and we lose sight of the continuity of the Universe.

The Gemini mind divides and separates, creating polarity and duality. Me and you. Male and female. This and that. Yet we are only ever a moment away from stepping outside of this mental dialogue and becoming aware once more of the universal consciousness that is all that is. This awareness would also be a function of Gemini, through which he has an innate understanding of relationship. Because Gemini is connected to everything, he can see how everything fits together. Gemini can see the big picture and the finer details at one and the same time.

Here then is the key to understanding both the highest spiritual purpose of Gemini, and his lower fear-based expressions. One of the (many) dualities that Gemini needs to resolve is the separation of the head-mind and the heart-mind. Remember, in reality there is no separation. As we mentioned earlier, the separation is an illusion created by the mental aspect of mind. If we really understand Dr. Goswami’s hypothesis of everything being consciousness, then we could in fact say that, in a sense, everything is “mind.” Patanjali, the founder of modern yoga, referred to this higher mind as “Universal Mind.” Perhaps it is also analagous to what Carl Jung called the collective consciousness. This all-inclusive Universal Mind encapsulates the wholeness of our being. In Universal Mind there is no separation.

If you have Gemini Rising, you can consider yourself to be a Gemini soul, and you are here to learn right human relations yourself so you can teach it. To do this, you have to “marry” your head-mind and your heart-mind and deeply understand relationship as the interplay of light. Because Gemini is so curious, you are interested in everything, so your biggest challenge is to stay focused on your soul path and not become distracted by mundane affairs.

The highest octave of Gemini accesses the intelligence of the heart through higher love. You learn this from experience when you spend more time in your heart and realize that when you are heart-centered, there really is no separation. It is the illusion of separation itself that creates fear. The danger for Gemini is that you may weave your own web of thoughts and then get caught in it yourself. The Gemini mind separates, labels, and categorizes. This is a brilliant device that you have created that allows you to process vast amounts of information.

You are an ace at mental processing, but mental processing is only a tool. It is a device that we use, not the essence of our being. If you become identified with your mental processes, you begin to feel lifeless. When you spend too much time thinking, not only do you become identified with your thoughts, but also you begin to notice something is “missing” in your life. You become disconnected from your heart, spirit and soul, and the playful light of Gemini begins to dim.

When Gemini gets “lost” inside his own head, the illusion of separation becomes magnified. You can become fearful and may spend too much time talking about and processing mental information in a scattered and unfocused way. This can lead to mental overwhelm, burnout, anxiety, and even fatigue. The solution is to go deeper in meditation, learning to focus your attention in the heart, resting peacefully in your heart center. From this place of peace within, you realize that there is no separation, that we are all one and, indeed, all mental concepts arise from the one source.

Energy follows attention, and through the practice of meditation (in other words learning to focus your attention), you begin to access Universal Mind and set yourself free from the “prison” of lower mind and mental processing. Universal Mind includes your heart and soul. Mental processing excludes everything else. Once you perfect the art of keeping your attention in Universal Mind, you resolve the final duality of Gemini: that of personality and soul.

[callout]I recognise my other self and in the waning of that self, I grow and glow. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology[/callout]

If you have Gemini Rising, you are here to recognize and teach the interelatedness of all things through loving awareness. To do this, you must first release the fear-based expression of Gemini that comes as a result of being over-identified with your thoughts. You are not what you think. It is vital that you meditate or take up some similar practice for focusing your attention, so you can go beyond mental processing and realize for yourself the reality of Universal Mind. From this higher perspective, you will experience your soul as the truth of your being and experience the highest wisdom that comes through deep connection and communion with higher love and all that is.

Next month, we’ll explore Cancer Rising and the Cancer Soul. If you can’t wait to hear about the purpose of your Soul Sign, you can read a summary of all 12 signs on Ruth’s website, RuthHadikin.com.

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, Soul Astrology with Ruth.

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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 (her prints are very affordable).

Taurus Rising: The Taurus Soul

Taurus, a Tribute to Japan. by Karen MacKenzie.

Taurus, a Tribute to Japan. by Karen MacKenzie. See link below for more of Karen’s zodiac prints.

Each one of us is on our own unique individual journey from fear to love. How we experience that journey in this lifetime is largely indicated by our Rising sign (Ascendant). As we continue exploring the 12 zodiac signs from the perspective of the Rising sign, we will begin to understand that how we react when we are in fear is not the highest and best expression of our soul, and that to reach the highest potential of our soul sign we need to learn to respond from love in all of life’s challenges.

This series exploring the fear-based reactions and love-based expressions of each sign continues this month with Taurus. As we saw last month, our Rising sign is the indicator of our soul’s journey and purpose, because it indicates the prevailing energy at the time of our birth. It is how we entered the world and it is how we move forward into all new situations throughout our lives. According to Errol Weiner in his book Transpersonal Astrology, we can have the same soul sign for up to eight incarnations.*

It seems, then, that since we are already a Taurus soul, our soul carries the energetic signature of Taurus. When the time of our birth is approaching, and Taurus rises on the horizon (the rising sign is the sign that is rising on the horizon at the exact time of our birth), a “window of opportunity” opens, and because it already matches our soul vibration, we are able to “beam in” on that frequency to begin a new incarnation. I like to think that our Rising sign indicates the “beam of light” that we rode in on!

As such, our Rising sign is also indicating the pure vibrant spiritual energy that we brought with us to be expressed in this lifetime, and which serves the dual purpose of fulfilling our own personal spiritual development while at the same time making our own unique contribution to the spiritual upliftment of humanity and our beautiful Earth home. We are born at the precise place and time when a particular sign is rising on the horizon, because we already resonate with that frequency. It is our wavelength.

This is why birth is a very exciting time! It is literally the dawn of your life, and the birthing of new life on Earth is always filled with potential and possibility. All newborns carry their own unique and divine energy signature, so there will never be another you throughout all of eternity. With Taurus rising, you are part of a group of souls who share the same soul purpose, and you will express that purpose uniquely depending upon other factors in your chart, including your Sun and Moon signs.

According to Esoteric Astrology, if you have Taurus rising, you are here to realize the freedom that comes with releasing personal desire and attachment. This sacred sign is associated with the opening of the third eye and the highest spiritual illumination and realization, right up to full enlightenment. The Buddha was born, became enlightened, and passed into parinirvana during the time of Taurus. The association with Taurus and enlightenment cannot be ignored, and the power of this sign to bring spiritual illumination cannot be underestimated. But what do we mean by releasing desire and attachment? It sounds a bit impoverished and miserable, especially when you think that most Taureans love to indulge their sense-pleasures. More cake anyone?

To understand the spiritual path of Taurus, true freedom, and the liberation that the release of attachment brings, we can look to the teachings of Buddha himself. Why not? He was a Taurus after all! Dynamic Buddhist Nun Ven. Robina Courtin uses the analogy of chocolate cake to provide a clear, humorous, and eloquent explanation of what Buddha meant by attachment. It is not the pleasure of chocolate cake that causes us suffering, but our attachment to it.

When we are attached, we experience an exaggerated idea about the object of attachment – for example, chocolate cake – yet we believe this to be true. Then if we don’t get it we feel upset, and if we get too much we feel sick! Without this false exaggerated idea called attachment, we would enjoy the pleasure without the pain. Without attachment, we wouldn’t be upset if there was no chocolate cake, and we wouldn’t overindulge. The cake would have no power over us, and we would simply take it or leave it. In this example, we’re using cake to keep it simple, but you can substitute any of the things we humans get attached to: our homes, our friends, lovers, spouses, jobs, money, pets, etc.

The spiritual path of Taurus uses sensuality without attachment to explore spiritual heights and understand our true nature. Using our sense-perception for deep self-exploration, we become capable of examining the true nature of reality through direct perception. With this capacity we can see that the whole of humanity is one body, and the nature of that body is light. This is why the sign of Taurus is associated with illumination.

I see and when the Eye is opened, all is light.   ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

Fear arises when we become caught in the illusion of ourselves as a separate entity, rather than anchored in the truth of our being as a unique individual within this body of humanity. We all experience this, and it is part of our human journey from being an innocent newborn, to pass through the experience of fear and separation, to once again return to a deeper spiritual connection. With fear comes attachment, as we try to hold onto the things we fear to lose. So for example, Taurus rising brings the capacity and predisposition to experience the physical world mainly though the senses. Sense perception is an innate ability. Sensuality is a way of experiencing life. When that sensuality is tainted by attachment, fear and possessiveness arises.

In our spiritual development we pass through stages (described by Patanjali as “bodies”). As we collectively pass through the mental/intellectual stage,** fear arises as a side effect of our capacity to create mental concepts. One such mental concept is the idea that “I” am separate. This concept then branches off into ideas of ownership: that this separate “I” possesses things. I, me, mine. When Taurus experiences fear, she becomes more avaricious and possessive, as though having more things would make the fear go away. When she releases fear and lives from love, she is able to enjoy all her senses without the pain of attachment.

If you have Taurus rising, you are here to release attachment and develop your senses for their highest purpose: to lead you to freedom, liberation, illumination and eventually enlightenment. Then your full spiritual potential will blossom and you will truly live from love.


Ruth

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Footnotes:

* Transpersonal Astrology, by Errol Weiner, is available on Amazon and can be ordered through all major bookstores. Errol can be contacted for Soul Astrology readings at rainbowzodiac@gmail.com.

** Patanjali associated manomay kosh (mental body) with the element of water, and we can see that throughout the Piscean Age (astrologically Pisces is the mutable water sign), which spanned from around the time of Christ to our modern era, the body of humanity has largely been cultivating, developing, and refining the intellect. Interestingly, Patanjali’s next stage is vigyanamay kosh (intuitive body), which he associates with the element of air. We are currently in a transitional period between the Age of Pisces and the Age of Aquarius. Since astrologically Aquarius is the fixed air sign, we can expect the next 2000 years to be a time in which the body of humanity will cultivate, develop, and refine the intuitive faculty.

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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: 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 (her prints are very affordable).

Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto andThe Inner Journey of Pisces, Part II

© James A. Weythman, 2013

© James A. Weythman, 2013

This is the inner mathematics, that the part of the whole is not smaller than the whole. That will be difficult to understand. The part of the whole is equal to the whole, because the whole cannot be divided into parts. Division is not possible. That’s why we call the real authentic being in you ‘individual.’ Individual means indivisible — that which cannot be divided. ~OSHO

When personality and soul fusion is complete, we are aware of ourselves as an individual and the ocean at one and the same time. It is then that Pluto, the great revealer, can step in at soul level bringing the conditions for the final transformation at soul level in Pisces. Esoterically it is said that the “final death” happens in Pisces. What could this mean, the final death? Possibly the end of Samsara. Samsara is the cycle of death and rebirth and many spiritual traditions, including Buddhism, teach that it is possible to become enlightened and finally be free of this cycle of continuous death and rebirth.

Here, at the final stage, Pisces stands for the death of the personality and the release of the soul from captivity and its return into the task of the world Savior. The great achievement is finished and the final death is undergone. ~ The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology

We first experience Pluto’s influence in Scorpio at personality level. Pluto is a deep and mysterious planet, which was only discovered on February 18th, 1930, and incorporated into astrology after that date. In Esoteric Astrology, the Tibetan Master explains that until mankind has the consciousness to respond to the subtle influences of planets, they remain undiscovered, and such was the case with Pluto. Pluto was discovered and is now included in modern astrology, precisely because humanity now has the consciousness to perceive and respond appropriately to his subtle spiritual influence.

Towards the end of the evolutionary process the disciple begins to respond consciously to the fourth indirect influence – that of Pluto, producing the death of the hindering factors and of all that prevents synthesis.” ~ The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology.

Mythologically, Pluto is interesting. His journey begins in duality in Greek mythology as Hades, Lord of the Underworld, and Plouton, the giver of wealth, before myth finally unites him as Pluto. He is said to hold custodianship over all that lies beneath the surface of the Earth, which includes graves and all of the Earth’s riches: the fertility of the soil and the wealth of her gems. The story of Pluto hints that there is something at our core, a jewel, an inner light, which is carried over beyond death. In Esoteric Astrology, the Tibetan Master states that “Pluto or death never destroys the consciousness aspect.”

While Neptune sensitizes us to receive ever-increasing vibrations of spirit in physical form, Pluto reduces our attachment to physical form and brings us to the light. In this way we begin to more closely identify with our inner light, or soul – that which continues beyond death. While Pluto brings the cycle of life to an end, Neptune ensures we carry with us as much illumination as possible.

The concept of returning to the light as an individual, enlightened being seems fundamental to the whole purpose of physical incarnation. Buddhist scripture speaks of attaining the rainbow body or “body of light,” wherein we return to the ocean of consciousness from whence we came, but with our individuality intact. We return to the light, yet are not lost in that light.

I leave the Father’s home and turning back, I save. ~ The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology

The combined effects of Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto in Pisces support us in embodying and identifying with the divine light at the core of our being. As a result of our adventure into physical incarnation which began in Aries, we return to the “Father’s house” fully laden with the riches of experience, within an individual soul.

If you have Sun, Moon and especially Rising Sign in Pisces, you are here to walk your individual path while holding the awareness that, at one and the same time, you are the ocean. This awareness will strengthen the power of your heart and allow the world savior (the essence of universal love) to flow freely into the world through you.

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.”

Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto andThe Inner Journey of Pisces, Part I

© James A. Weythman, 2013

© James A. Weythman, 2013

Pisces Season is upon us once again, bringing with it an opportunity to check in where we are up to on the vast continuum of human experience ranging from glamour, illusion and delusion right up to enlightenment and universal love! Pisces brings us full circle, not only with the completion of one zodiac year, but in this current series of exploring the personality and soul rulers of each sign.

Throughout the past year, we have followed the soul’s journey through the twelve signs of the zodiac, where the soul began as “a point of light in the mind of God” in Aries, right through to the flowering of human consciousness in Aquarius, and finally arriving here at the sign of the world savior in Pisces. The “world savior” referred to here is the recognition of humanity’s true role in respect to our Mother Earth, when we have fully blossomed as a species and all our hearts beat as one as the “sacred heart” of humanity in Pisces.

In essence the World Savior is the incarnation of Love within each one of us. ~ Alan Oken

We have discussed how the planetary rulers are space-holders or custodians maintaining the necessary conditions for specific stages of development in the evolution of human consciousness, and three planets are important when we look to the human experience in Pisces. Jupiter and Neptune are custodians at personality level, while Pluto is the custodian at both soul and hierarchical level. This speaks to the transformative potential inherent in Pisces.

Last month, we saw how Jupiter’s role is one of expansion, fusion and synthesis, and since there is a degree of overlap between stages (and therefore signs) this process continues as the soul enters Pisces. Hence Pisces has two custodians at personality level. The expansive conditions of Jupiter create a greater capacity in us to perceive and respond to the subtler energies of Neptune. Neptune’s influence on human development began in Cancer at soul and hierarchical level, and by the time the soul has reached this stage of development in Pisces, the individual is now sensitive enough to receive Neptune’s energy at personality level.

You are not a drop in the ocean;
You are the ocean in a drop.
~ Rumi

For most people who are still on the mutable cross (see the Capricorn article in this series for a summary of consciousness described in terms of the three crosses), the experience with Neptune in Pisces can be one of being swept away by the ocean, going with the flow, and falling deeper into glamour, illusion and escapism. This is because they have not yet completed the individuation process, which begins in Leo and completes in Capricorn. The whole story of the incarnation process in astrological terms, from Aries up to this present point in Pisces, has been one of personal experience through individuation. Individuation is a vital stage in the evolution of consciousness, for without it, we cannot return to the ocean intact with the remembrance of our experience as a drop.

The purpose for involution is to allow Spirit to penetrate deeper into matter so that eventually all things of matter realize their spiritual Essence. ~ Alan Oken

Neptune’s job at personality level is to dissolve limiting physical and mental conditions that would impede the influx of spirit in physical matter in the form of universal love, so that we may once again remember the oceanic nature of our consciousness, the divine love within and experience this within the context of our individual physical incarnation. If the effects of Neptune are felt before we have successfully completed our individuation process, then we can experience problems with addictive and co-dependent behaviors as we will be challenged to set appropriate personal boundaries in our individual sphere of influence. Hence some of the pitfalls for Pisces at personality level.

The Fishes in Pisces are bound together, as we have seen,
and this is symbolic of the captivity of the soul in form,
prior to the experience upon the Fixed Cross. ~ The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology

How we experience and respond to Neptune’s universal influence depends upon the degree of our own individual consciousness. If we are on the mutable cross, where we are still personality identified, we will experience Neptune’s energy as illusion and delusion, where we can become lost in the thick fog of mass consciousness. If we are on the fixed cross, we are beginning to awaken spiritually and we will experience Neptune as a planet of universal love. He shows us that our true nature is one of oceanic consciousness, that we are an aspect of divine love and that all separation is illusory, so we may begin to appreciate our underlying spiritual reality.

It might be helpful at this point to make a clear distinction between individuation and separation. Individuation and separation are not the same thing. The fingers on your hand are individual; they have the capacity to move independently of one another, and have individual experience. You may hurt one finger for example, while the others remain unharmed. They are not ever, at any point, separated from your hand. If they become separated, they die. Likewise, while it is vital and necessary for the evolution of human consciousness that we each have the capacity to move independently from one another and have our own individual experience we are never, at any time, separated from the whole body of humanity. At the level of consciousness, we are connected and we experience one another’s pain.

We’ll explore this idea in Part II, the last article in this year-long series, and we’ll also introduce Pluto as a soul ruler of Pisces.

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.”

Uranus, Jupiter and the Inner Journey of Aquarius, Part II

Young Woman with a Pitcher, by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, 1660-1662. The painting represented a shift in how the artist used light.

Young Woman with a Pitcher, by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, 1660-1662. The painting represented a shift in how the artist used light.

The symbology of Aquarius as the water carrier belies the higher purpose of Aquarius to flow the dual waters of love and life for thirsty humanity, like a divine fountain or wellspring. Aquarius’s role within this one body of humanity is to provide this constant source of divine energy, through the fusion of heart and mind.

This is why conventionally in astrology, even though Leo rules the heart, it is Aquarius that rules the circulation and flow of blood. Esoterically, Aquarius governs the distribution of the vital waters of love and life throughout both the individual human body and the larger body of humanity!

In the first article in this series, we looked at Patanjali’s description of consciousness in terms of five “bodies” or dimensions of experience: physical, energy, mental, intuitive, bliss and, ultimately, universal mind. It seems that Uranus and Jupiter in Aquarius combine to create those conditions necessary for us to experience and transcend the intuitive and bliss dimensions on our journey to universal mind.

The heightened intuition of Uranus combined with the expansiveness of Jupiter serve to expand the fullness of experience towards universal mind by supporting the fusion of mind energy (intuition) and heart energy (bliss). Jupiter plays a major role in the fusion of head and heart, so that the dual “waters” in Aquarius may become one steady stream that we may call “heart-mind.”

Jupiter gives an inherent tendency to fusion which nothing can arrest. The achievement of ultimate synthesis is inevitable, and this Jupiter promotes. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

The soul experience in Aquarius can be likened to a collective awakening, which we will have more experiential knowledge of as we reach the culmination of the Aquarian Age. As a result of the conditioning effects of Uranus and Jupiter, there is a flowering of human consciousness. We may think of it as a collective awakening, yet it is more akin to an awareness of our individual roles within the universal mind. Here there is a hint at the role of the Moon at hierarchical level in this mass awakening of humanity. The experience of universal mind is the higher group consciousness of Aquarius and is nothing like our current mental-intellectual experience. Rather, it is a level of higher mind that is born within from the fusion of higher mind (intuition) and heart-wisdom.

If an egg is broken by an outside force life ends.
If an egg is broken by an inside force, life begins.
~ Unknown

Your vital life-force energy comes from within. While it is natural for Aquarius to circulate (Aquarians are amazing networkers) it is more important that you pay attention to how you are flowing your energy. A fully integrated Aquarius will have accessed the heart-energy of their opposite sign Leo and be flowing vital heart-mind energy through an open heart. The Aquarian who is not yet fully attuned to their heart may just be circulating mental information at best and misinformation at worst. If you have Sun, Moon and especially Rising Sign in Aquarius, a major theme in your life is the circulation of life-force energy in the form of heart-wisdom. Be sure to access the inner dimensions of your own heart first to discover the inner fountain of life force energy and heart-wisdom, so you can then flow this energy with conscious intent for the benefit of humanity.


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.”

Uranus, Jupiter and the Inner Journey of Aquarius, Part I

Young Woman with a Pitcher, by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, 1660-1662. The painting represented a shift in how the artist used light.

Young Woman with a Pitcher, by Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, 1660-1662. The painting represented a shift in how the artist used light.

Aquarius Season is upon us once again, bringing with it an opportunity to check in where we are up to in dedicating our personal energy to the body of humanity.

The sign of Aquarius is associated with individuality, uniqueness, science, technology, the future, humanitarianism, the New Age and group consciousness.

According to Esoteric Astrology, the last four signs of the zodiac – Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces – are signs of service. Following the soul’s journey through the 12 signs of the zodiac, after the soul in Capricorn has followed and completed the path of light, leading to Christ consciousness, it is time for the soul in Aquarius to become the world server, flowing love and life for the benefit of thirsty humanity.

Four planets are important in creating the conditions necessary for the soul’s development and experience in Aquarius: Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, and the Moon. Saturn was traditionally considered to be the planetary ruler of Aquarius, and to many people still will be. The conditions that we mentioned in last month’s article pertaining to Saturn and Capricorn also relate to Aquarius when humanity is largely personality centered and driven by fear and attachment. Once the soul has completed the stage of development in Capricorn and has accessed Christ consciousness, it no longer is limited by the constraints of Saturn and comes under the custodianship (planetary rulership) of Uranus.

On the reversed wheel. The Saturnian influence exhausts itself in Capricorn and the man is then set free from karma and needs no presentation of opportunity for he stands a free initiate, a true Master Mason* and can proceed with world service undeterred and held back by no thought of self or selfish desire. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

As humanity increasingly moves onto the fixed cross (see last month’s article for an overview of the evolution of consciousness in terms of the three crosses), where there is awareness of soul and personality, Uranus increasingly becomes the custodian of Aquarius at personality level. Jupiter is the custodian of Aquarius at soul level, while interestingly the Moon is the custodian at hierarchical level. Since we already explored Saturn in last month’s article on Capricorn – and the effect would be the same here in Aquarius until the individual consciousness has become receptive to the energies of Uranus – for our purposes in this article we will focus on the two major influences for this early phase of the Aquarian Age, Uranus and Jupiter.

Uranus causes the great transference in the human consciousness from intellectual perception to intuitive knowledge. ~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

The subtle influence of Uranus begins in Aries at hierarchical level, continues working through Libra at soul level, and here in Aquarius, human consciousness has evolved to the degree that the subtle energies of Uranus can be received at personality level so the individual can perceive and fully utilize the intuitive faculty. Although even talking about “perceiving” and “utilizing” is misleading, because it sounds like there is something distinct and separate outside of ourselves to be perceived and utilized, which is not the case. By the time we have a conscious soul in Aquarius, we have gone beyond duality, and the experience of the intuitive faculty is that of embodiment. We realize it is who we are. We are aware of ourselves. This is also why Jupiter is the custodian at soul level in Aquarius, because we are experiencing our most expanded and expansive nature (without self).

The soul in Aquarius becomes the world server, and the highest soul purpose of Aquarius is the dedication of personal energy to the collective. Once again, even the term “collective” could be misleading, because our common understanding of collective is separate individuals forming a group. Yet, the highest soul experience in Aquarius is not one of separation, but of each individual being part of the whole body of humanity. Humanity is experienced as one, with each individual being an integral part, just like the cells within a human body that are individual yet indivisible from the whole. Since there is no experience of a separate self, there is no question of harming “others,” as to do so would be tantamount to chopping off one’s own fingers or toes! Others do not exist as such and all that is experienced is we, as one.

In Part II, we’ll look at the connection between Aquarius and the collective awakening of humanity.


Ruth

Footnote:
*I don’t believe this refers to modern Freemasonry, which the Tibetan describes as a “distortion,” but rather is a simple metaphor for one who is a Master in their respective field.

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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.”

Saturn and the Inner Journey of Capricorn, Part II

Detail from Capricornus, from Johannes Hevelius's Uranographia, 1690.

Detail from Capricornus, from Johannes Hevelius’s Uranographia, 1690.

Interestingly the Romans thought of Saturn not only as a God of agriculture and time, but as a God of liberation, and there is also a key here to the higher purpose of Saturn and Capricorn.

The Soul in Capricorn has to journey up the mountain from the very depths of humanity to the very heights of Christ consciousness, and this is no small task. The higher purpose of Capricorn involves choosing a spiritual path and understanding the laws of creation so that we may create heaven on Earth.

Capricorn rules the knees, and this symbology is important in understanding the soul’s journey through Capricorn. It is Saturn’s job, at personality level, to bring Capricorn to his knees so he develops insight and humility and turns his attention away from the trappings and excesses of materialism that would keep him trapped in ego.

Saturn is a wise teacher bringing important lessons and guidance to support us in making choices that align with our highest good. The word creation comes from the Latin creõ, which means to create, make, produce, beget, give birth to, prepare, cause or choose. So in creating heaven on earth, there is an element of choice: it is through our choices and actions that we create heaven on Earth, or not.

[quote cite=”The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology”]Only when the Capricornian subject learns to kneel in all humility and with his knees upon the rocky mountain top to offer his heart and life to the soul and to human service, can he be permitted to pass through the door of initiation and be entrusted with the secrets of life. Only on his knees can he go through that door.[/quote]

Karma can be thought of simply as the law of cause and effect, and there seems to be a common belief that it refers to the results of our actions. Yet according to some Buddhist traditions, karma specifically refers to the volition, motivation, intention and action that creates the result. It is more about the action and intention than the result. So our personal karma is our past actions and intentions that planted the seeds for the results we are currently experiencing.

Saturn is bringing us the important lesson that these seeds ripen over time, and that if we truly want to create heaven on earth, we need to change our actions and plant different seeds! Once our intentions, motivation, thoughts and actions are fully aligned with divine will, we are liberated from the cyclic existence that keeps us trapped in ego and the physical realm (Samsara), and Saturn has fulfilled his role as a god of liberation.

Saturn is not only about restriction and limitation, because karma is not only about restriction and limitation. Conventionally many people feel that natal or transiting Saturn is “blocking” them in some way. This might seem to be the case from the perspective of the ego-personality that isn’t getting what it wants, but in reality Saturn brings important lessons about natural law, nature’s cycles, rhythms, potential, and possibility.

From the ego’s point of view spiritual progress is ‘one insult after another’
~ Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

At personality level, Saturn teaches important and necessary natural laws. The nature of the physical realm is one of limitation, because everything works according to change and cycles of time. This lesson lies behind the old story of King Canute, who tried to hold back the tide. The limitation is not imposed by Saturn, but actually by our own mind. It is King Canute’s mind that is limiting him, in narrowing his view of reality to only that which he can control with his small ego. The lessons of Saturn are guiding us beyond our small mind, beyond the limitations of ego and the intellect, so we can see the greater reality, the truth of our own being.

Mind gives place to intuition and reason to pure perception.
~ The Tibetan Master, Esoteric Astrology

It is our egoic ideas that limit us, and once Saturn has “brought us to our knees” at the personality level, we are forced to accept that there is a greater reality happening outside of our small world, of which we are also a part. It is then that we align with our soul path and become receptive to the higher teachings of Saturn. Saturn then becomes the Lord of Liberation by showing us the true path to freedom.

If you have Sun, Moon, and especially Rising Sign in Capricorn, you have an important role to play in creating heaven on earth, by paying attention to your motives and choices and ensuring they are fully aligned with divine will for the highest and best good of all.


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.”

Saturn and the Inner Journey of Capricorn, Part I

Detail from Capricornus, from Johannes Hevelius's Uranographia, 1690.

Detail from Capricornus, from Johannes Hevelius’s Uranographia, 1690.

Capricorn Season is upon us once again, bringing with it an opportunity to return to the light. While having their feet planted firmly upon the ground, our Capricorn friends have clear sight of the mountaintop and a sure steady method that will take them there.

The sign of Capricorn is associated with practical methodology, steadfastness, business, finances, resource management, ambition and spiritual aspiration. This sign of extremes is associated with both the worst excesses of materialistic egotism at personality level, and yet esoterically is associated with the heights of spiritual aspiration leading to Christ consciousness. We will understand why as we explore the planetary conditions that exist for the soul’s highest development in the mysterious sign of Capricorn.

Esoterically, all world Saviours and Sun Gods are born in Capricorn but also the very worst type of man – hard, materialistic, cruel, proud, selfishly ambitious and egoistic. The head rules the heart in such cases, whereas in the perfect example of the influences of Capricorn, head and heart are perfectly balanced.
~ The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology

As we follow the soul’s journey through the 12 signs of the zodiac, after the Archer clearly identified the path in Sagittarius, in Capricorn it is time to follow the path of light all the way to Christ consciousness.

Two planets are important in creating the conditions for the soul’s experience and development in Capricorn. Saturn is the planetary space-holder (ruler) at both personality and soul level, while interestingly, it is Venus that holds space at hierarchical level. In Esoteric Astrology the Tibetan Master describes the evolution of consciousness in three stages which he refers to as the three crosses.

The mutable cross is where most of humanity currently is. This is where we are largely personality-centered and personality-driven. The fixed cross is where we begin to have some soul awareness and follow a more spiritual path, yet we are still identified with personality, so duality is still present. The cardinal cross is where we are fully integrated, living and expressing our lives as fully soul-centered beings. According to Esoteric Astrology, Saturn cannot follow mankind onto the cardinal cross and so only has influence at personality and soul level:

Saturn’s power is completely ended and his work accomplished when man (the spiritual man) has freed himself from Karma and from the power of the two Crosses – the Common [Mutable] and the Fixed. Esoterically, Saturn cannot follow man on to the Cardinal Cross.
~ The Tibetan Master DK, Esoteric Astrology

Saturn has a reputation for being a serious, strict, limiting, authoritarian, law-giving father figure. He is known as the Lord of Karma and the Lord of Time and is known for being a very harsh taskmaster. Believe it or not, this is ultimately all for the highest good, for it keeps Capricorn on the truest path towards Christ consciousness and prevents any wayward diversions that would tempt Capricorn to stray from his path and become lost in the trappings of material existence.

To understand Saturn’s role we must understand karma and natural law. If you put your hand in the fire, it will be burnt. You are not being punished for putting your hand in the fire; it is simply the result of natural law. The nature of fire is heat, and so anything coming into proximity with it will simply be burnt. Although we are spiritual by nature, Saturn brings us important lessons that we must heed while we are living a material existence: namely the law of cause and effect (karma) and the realities of time and limitation. If we are to plant seeds, grow crops, and harvest them effectively to provide food for our survival, we must heed the cycles of time, and plant and harvest according to the seasons. These are the simple lessons of Saturn.

In Part II, we will take a more in-depth look at the concept of Karma and how it relates to Saturn and Capricorn.


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 II

Detail from Hercules, by John Singer Sargent, 1921.

In Part I, we discussed how material desires, fear, cruelty and other destructive emotions are distractions that keep us from fulfilling our life’s purpose.

We can see how such obsessions keep us from our spiritual path, and how evident they are as dominating factors in our current world age. It is a misuse of our divine energy. While we are lost in the pursuit of these activities, we remain unaware of our spiritual nature.

In The Labours of Hercules, by Alice Bailey, the ninth labor, in which Hercules enters a stagnant swamp to battle a nine-headed Hydra, is symbolic of this battle in Scorpio. Whenever Hercules cut off one of the heads of the Hydra, another would grow in its place. The only way Hercules triumphed was by lifting the Hydra above ground, into the light, whereupon it withered and died. This symbolizes our struggle with the desires of the personality which have control over us for as long as they remain in the dark, unseen.

The relentless activity of Mars magnifies these desires to the degree we can no longer ignore them, and then the activity of Pluto brings them into the light of our awareness. We cannot change what we cannot see. Once we see and fully understand the nature of desire, and the source of the struggle, it is transformed. The struggle itself lies in our trying to hold onto something which needs to change.

This is similar to the symbolism of the lotus. A lotus usually grows in a filthy, stagnant swamp. The symbology is that, just like the battle of Hercules with the hydra, our own spiritual essence blossoms as a result of our inner struggles. Interestingly, in addition to being known as the lord of the underworld, the mythological figure of Pluto was also known in some traditions as a lord of abundance, riches, or wealth. The symbolism here is the spiritual wealth that arises when we emerge victorious from our struggle with our own underworld (our lower nature).

Soft conquers hard,

weak conquers strong.

The flexible is always superior to the immovable.

This is the principle of controlling things

By bringing oneself into tune with them,

The principle of mastery through harmony.

~ Lao Tzu

Once Pluto and Mars have done their work at personality level, by revealing this darkness to not be our true nature but a result of the misdirection of our mind and energy, we are now receptive to a higher octave of Mars which transforms passion into spiritual energy through awareness, thus revealing our true divine nature. When Mars has conditioned the passions at personality level and Pluto has brought illumination, Mars at soul level reveals knowledge through awareness.

At soul level, Mars brings the higher consciousness that is pure awareness beyond the five senses. From this perspective, it becomes clear that all our darkness is the result of our misinterpretation of energetic influences as perceived by our five senses and misinterpreted through our ignorant, fearful and confused lower mind. With the illumination of Pluto, we are then able to use this higher wisdom of Mars to perceive through our senses our own divine energy and that of others. Once this happens, we naturally correct any excesses and misapplications of our energy, and use the power of our mind to direct our energy to the highest good.

The sage avoids excesses, extremes, and complacency.

~ Lao Tzu

In Esoteric Astrology, the Tibetan refers to Scorpio as a sign of discipleship. The word disciple and discipline come from the same root, which means learning or knowledge. With the knowledge gained through these tests in Scorpio, we acquire deep wisdom and understanding of our role as a spiritual being. We are ready to renounce worldly pursuits, those activities that misuse our spiritual energy, and dedicate our lives to our spiritual path and purpose. As the soul develops through the 12 zodiac signs, the first four signs are signs of preparation, the middle four are signs of crisis and challenge (for the purpose of growth and learning), and the final four signs are the signs of service to humanity. Scorpio is the last of the signs of challenge.

The self-indulgence which was initiated in Taurus gives way in Scorpio to the selfless attitude of the disciple; ambition gives place to the executive quality of the soul, whilst attachment to personality desires, likes and dislikes is transmuted into the tenacity of soul purpose. The hidden powers of the soul nature – misused because misunderstood and misapplied and, therefore, misdirected – are superseded by … the practical understanding of the energies.

~ The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology

Due to the revelatory action of Mars and Pluto, we will all sooner or later undergo these trials and tribulations in Scorpio, as we continue our soul’s journey. The soul’s purpose in Scorpio is to transform darkness into light. The activity of Mars and Pluto elevates and illuminates, lifting our collective “Hydra” to the light so we can see that we are not our darkness, and that we truly are an emanation of divine love and 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.”