Third, that on the Path of Discipleship three constellations control and lead up to the activity of Capricorn, at which time initiation becomes possible.
Fourth, on the Path of Initiation the activity of all the three Crosses is felt simultaneously through the medium of the “released powers” of Taurus, Libra and Pisces. You will note also that the first ray influence, expressing through Pluto and Vulcan, is only felt in a positive manner upon the Path of Discipleship. This first ray potency has only lately been experienced by humanity as a whole as it neared the stage of being the world disciple, and vast numbers relatively stood upon the Path of Discipleship and Probation. Hence the recent discovery of Pluto and the sensed power of Vulcan, veiled by the potency of Mercury and hidden behind the planet.
[167] Second ray influences and potencies are abidingly present and pour into our planetary sphere and life, via the Sun (veiling a hidden planet) and Jupiter. These sweep the forces of Leo, Sagittarius, Pisces, Aquarius and Virgo into and through our entire planet and all its kingdoms in nature.
From the above few points, hints can be gathered together as to the interlocking forces of all the twelve constellations, as they pour into and through all the kingdoms in nature, carrying with them also not only their own individual potencies but also those of the seven rays, focussed through the sacred and non-sacred planets—the discovered and undiscovered planetary Lives. It has been occultly said that a vision of these powers and their many weaving lines (seen as rivers and streams of light) is given to the initiate from the mountain top of Capricorn, once that summit has been reached. It is at the Transfiguration initiation that this vision appears before the eyes of the astounded disciple. The great experiences upon the various mountain tops as related in the Bible have all to do with Capricorn. Moses, the Lawgiver on Mount Sinai, is Saturn in Capricorn imposing the law of karma upon the people. A clue to the significance of the Jewish people as a karmic clearing house can be found here. Ponder on those words “a karmic clearing house.” The Mount of Transfiguration in the New Testament is Venus in Capricorn when love and mind and will meet in the person of the Christ, and “He was transfigured” before all men. At the same time, He received the vision of the Father and of what He had to do as He “went up to Jerusalem,” the place of death and likewise the city of peace. This Jerusalem is Pisces. In Aquarius, Christ put His disciples in touch with the “man, bearing a pitcher of water,” Aquarius, and in the upper room introduced them to union and unity under the symbolism of the [168] communion feast. For that feast, humanity is today preparing, as we saw when studying the last constellation. The astrological significance of the New Testament is as yet little understood. Christ was born in Capricorn, fulfilled the law under Saturn, initiated the era of intelligent brotherhood under Venus and is the perfect example of the Capricornian initiate who becomes the world Server in Aquarius, and the world Saviour in Pisces, thus completing the round of the zodiac and able to say triumphantly in Pisces “It is finished.”
The polar opposite to Capricorn is Cancer and, as you have been taught, these two signs are the two great Gates of the zodiac—one opening the door into incarnation, into mass life, and into human experience, whilst the other opens the door into the life of the spirit, into the life of the Kingdom of God, the life and purposes of the Hierarchy of our planet. Cancer admits the soul into the world centre which we call Humanity. Capricorn admits the soul into conscious participation in the life of that world centre which we call the Hierarchy. Libra admits the soul into the world centre which we call Shamballa, for it is the polar opposite of Aries which is the place of beginnings. Libra demonstrates the perfect balance of spirit and matter which first came together in Aries. This balance and this relation of the great opposites, spirit and matter, is symbolised for us in the personality situation of balancing the pairs of opposites on the astral plane, and finding between them the “narrow razor-edged path” which leads the man into the kingdom of the soul. As man passes around and around the zodiac in the ordinary manner, he continually and consciously enters into life in Cancer, the constellation under which the Law of Rebirth is applied and administered. But it is only on the reversed zodiac that the man learns to pass with [169] equally conscious purpose through the gate of Capricorn. Five times he has to pass through that Gate in full waking consciousness and these five happenings are frequently called the five major initiations. Viewing the fourth Creative Hierarchy as a whole, the appearance and experiences of the life of the planetary Logos through the medium of the five races—two past, one present, the Aryan, and two to come—are planetary correspondences to the five initiations. This is peculiarly interesting to study because at the time that any particular race comes into being both the doors in Cancer and Capricorn stand wide open, being then occultly aligned.
A study of the characteristics and qualities of the man who is born in the sign Capricorn will reveal a great deal anent the human family because the Capricornian can express all the worst of which a man is capable and all the best. It is a sign of extremes, and this because at the time there were only ten signs, Capricorn was the first on the ordinary wheel and the last on the reversed wheel. This is obvious. 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.
Capricorn rules the knees and this is symbolically true, for 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. As long as he arrogantly stands where he has not earned the right to stand, he can [170] never safely be given the information which is imparted to all true initiates. The ancient mode of pilgrimage in India, by which the devotee passed or progressed from one holy place to another upon his knees, is indicative of this deep need of the Capricornian for humility. India is ruled by Capricorn and India knows this truth. Though India has permitted the physical act to usurp the place of a spiritual attitude, yet the symbolic meaning is eternally true. When the man born in Capricorn can kneel in spirit and in truth, he is then ready for the initiatory process upon the mountain top.
The symbolism underlying the astrological fact that Mars is exalted in Capricorn, whilst the power of the Moon is lessened in that sign, and Jupiter and Neptune both fall, is significantly beautiful and instructive. Mars is the God of War, the Producer of conflicts, and in this earthly sign Mars triumphs in the early stages of the evolution of the fourth Creative Hierarchy and in the life history of the undeveloped and average man. Materialism, the fight for the satisfaction of personal ambitions, and the conflict with higher spiritual tendencies goes steadily forward, and this most material of all the signs is the battleground of the old established order and habits and the new and higher inclinations and tendencies. India, governed by Capricorn, has been a battlefield right down the ages; Port Said, ruled by this sign, is synonymous with the satisfaction of all the earthly and animal desires of the baser sort and is one of the wickedest cities in the world—a meeting place for the evil of three continents.
But as evolution proceeds, the power of the Moon, which is the symbol and ruler of form, grows less and less, and the man upon the reversed wheel is steadily freeing himself from the control of matter. The attractive lure of that [171] which is material wanes increasingly. Jupiter, which has been the ruler of Pisces and also of Aquarius, falls in this sign. This fall must be studied from two angles, for Jupiter in its lowest aspect gives the fulfilment of desire and satisfied demand, whilst in its highest Jupiter is the outgoing expression of love, which attracts magnetically to itself that which is desired—this time the good of the whole. In Capricorn, therefore, Jupiter reaches its lowest po
int of expression in the densest material aspect, and then—as love and selflessness triumph—this lowest aspect vanishes and disappears. It is to the “fall” of the highest aspect that the symbolism refers, and then later to the fall or disappearance of all that is base and low. Love is fallen and blinded when desire is rampant; desire vanishes when love triumphs. Neptune is often spoken of as falling in this sign and for the same reasons. Neptune is the God of the waters, and is esoterically related to Pisces. It should be noted that both Neptune and Jupiter are exalted in Cancer, the great sign wherein the desire for incarnation finds its fulfilment; the power of both is lessened in Virgo, wherein the first signs of the Christ consciousness are felt; both fall in Capricorn, when the Christ life and consciousness come to full fruition. There is much, as you can see, to be worked out along these three lines and the above suggestions will indicate how a comparative study and a philosophical research can be fruitfully made.
In Capricorn we have the triumph of matter; it reaches its densest and most concrete expression; but this triumph is followed by that of spirit. There is full expression of the earthly nature in Capricorn but also immense spiritual possibilities. India, for instance, expresses a widespread degradation, but at the same time the heights of spiritual attainment; a study of India—her history, characteristics [172] and spiritual qualities—will reveal much anent the influences and possibilities of this sign.
The triplicity into which each sign is divided and which we call the decanates is of particular interest in the case of Capricorn. As is the case in all correspondence, this triplicity can be related to the three aspects of God and man—spirit, soul and body. The central decanate is therefore of peculiar moment in our world period as it is concerned with the effect of the planetary influences, the solar rays and the energy of the constellations upon the soul or the consciousness aspect. This is the case whether we are considering man on the ordinary wheel or man upon the reversed wheel. From the standpoint of astrological interpretation and in the case where the astrologer is not sure which way the wheel is turning, it is the only decanate with its ruler of which he can be sure. The influence of the ruler is, therefore, inevitable. This is strikingly the case in connection with the sign Aquarius into which sign our sun is now entering, its three decanates, Saturn, Mercury and Venus, bringing inevitably difficulty, illumination and brotherly love. On the ordinary wheel, in all outer affairs, Saturn controls, and we consequently find ourselves today in a state of chaos and trouble, but as far as the consciousness of the race is concerned, Mercury is becoming increasingly active. A steady illumination is taking place and light is being thrown on all problems—light on government and politics through experiments and the study of great and basic ideologies; light on the material nature of the world through all the many branches of science; light on humanity itself through education, philosophy and psychology. This light is spreading down to the very darkest places in our planet and its many forms of life.
Two sets of rulers for the three decanates are available. [173] According to Alan Leo, we have Saturn, Venus and Mercury. According to Sepharial we have Jupiter, Mars and the Sun. Of these two, the first is the more correct and the more esoteric. The true rulers are Saturn, Venus and the Sun. I would remind you that Mercury and the Sun are interchangeable but that in this case the Sun stands exoterically for Mercury and esoterically for a hidden planet.
Saturn relates Capricorn to the previous sign Aquarius, upon the ordinary wheel, and Jupiter, exoterically understood, relates Capricorn to Sagittarius upon the reversing wheel. It will be obvious to all esotericists that the Sun is the obvious ruler of the third decanate, veiling as it does a hidden and deeply significant planet and being that which reveals divinity at the time of the third initiation. You will note how, in this great sign of initiation, Saturn reveals the nature of the third aspect of divinity, the nature of intelligent substance; Venus reveals the nature of the second aspect, which is consciousness or intelligent love, whilst the Sun—the physical Sun and the heart of the Sun together—reveals the synthesis of these two.
The key words upon the ordinary wheel are “And the Word said: Let ambition rule and let the door stand wide.” Here we have the key to the evolutionary urge, to the secret of rebirth, and of that word which reverberates from Cancer to Capricorn. The door of initiation stands ever open, but for aeons of time man prefers the open door in Cancer. Ambition urges him on from life to life until he has discovered the worthlessness of all earthly gratification. Gradually then spiritual ambition and a desire for liberation take the place of worldly ambition, and become an impelling impulse, until finally the moment arrives when a true sense of reality supersedes both earthly and spiritual ambition. The man can then say with truth “Lost am I in light supernal, [174] yet on that light I turn my back.” For him there remains now no goal but service. He therefore passes back through the gate of Cancer, but with his consciousness held steadily in the sign Aquarius. From being the world initiate in Capricorn he becomes an incarnated world server in Aquarius, and later a world saviour in Pisces.
SAGITTARIUS, THE ARCHER
This sign is, as you know, a peculiarly human sign and is connected in a definite manner with the appearance of humanity upon our Earth. There are three of the zodiacal signs which are more closely connected with man than are any of the others. These are: Leo, Sagittarius and Aquarius. In one peculiar (but not yet provable) manner, they are related to the three aspects of body, soul and spirit. The following tabulation or concise statement of rather momentous implications may serve to make this clearer:
Leo Sagittarius Aquarius
The Lion. The Centaur. The Water-Carrier.
The Man. The Archer. The Server.
Self-consciousness. Focussed consciousness. Group consciousness.
Physical nature. Emotional nature. Lower mental nature.
Integrated man. Aspiring man. Intuitive mental man.
Human soul. Spiritual human soul. Spiritual soul.
Individualisation. Discipleship. Initiation.
Personality. Egoic focus. Monadic focus.
The Fixed Cross. The Mutable Cross. The Fixed Cross.
Centralisation. Orientation. Decentralisation.
Individual unity. Sensed duality. Universal unity.
Fire. Fire. Air.
Selfishness. Struggle. Service.
Evolution. The final path. Liberation.
I could continue to summarise the qualities and characteristics of these three and their peculiar inter-relation but the above will suffice amply to demonstrate the connection between them and their progressive effect upon the subject [175] passing under their influence periodically and cyclically. They are frequently referred to as the signs which—when studied—will reveal divine intent in man, will mark the points of crisis in his progress and will (when the three influences which they express have done their work) carry the man “from door to door, for Leo is the next sign to Cancer, and Sagittarius is the sign which precedes Capricorn.” I am quoting from an ancient book on the signs.
Sagittarius is sometimes depicted as an archer on a white horse and a study of the meaning of this symbolism will reveal a great deal of inner teaching. This is one of the later ways of portraying this constellation. Earlier, in Atlantean days (from which period we have inherited what we know about astrology), the sign was frequently depicted by the Centaur—the fabulous animal which was half a man and half a horse. The horse symbolism dominated Atlantean myths and symbols, just as the ram and the lamb are prominently to be found in our modern presentations. This earlier sign of the Centaur stood for the evolution and the development of the human soul, with its human objectives, its selfishness, its identification with form, its desire and its aspirations. The Archer on the white horse, which is the more strictly Aryan symbol for this sign, signifies the orientation of the man towards a definite goal. The man is then not part of the horse but is freed from identification with it and is the controlling factor. The definite goal of the Centaur
, which is the satisfaction of desire and animal incentives, becomes in the later stages the goal of initiation, which meets with satisfaction in Capricorn, after the preliminary work has been done in Sagittarius. The keynote of the Centaur is ambition. The keynote of the Archer is aspiration and direction, and both are expressions of human goals but one is of the personality and the other of the soul. [176] From ambition to aspiration, from selfishness to an intense desire for selflessness, from individual one-pointed self-interest in Leo to the one-pointedness of the disciple in Sagittarius and thence to initiation in Capricorn. It is interesting to note that the astrological symbol for this sign currently used is simply the arrow with a fragment of the bow depicted. The Archer as well as the Centaur have dropped out of the picture and this is largely because the emphasis or focus of human living today is not based upon the objective outer facts of life upon the physical plane but upon some form of inner focus or emphasis, which varies from the many stages of astral and emotional ambition to spiritual aspiration, and from the activities of the lower mind bent upon selfish interest to the illumination of the same mind through focus upon the soul. An ancient catechism which all disciples have to master, asks the following questions and supplies the needed answers:
“Where is the animal, O Lanoo? and where the Man?
Fused into one, O Master of my Life. The two are one. But both have disappeared and naught remains but the deep fire of my desire.
Where is the horse, the white horse of the soul? Where is the rider of that horse, O Lanoo?
Gone towards the gate, O Master of my Life. But something speeds ahead between the pillars of an open door—something that I myself have loosed.
And what remains to thee, O wise Lanoo, now that the horses of two kinds have left thee and the rider, unattached, stands free? Now what remains? [177]
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