Esoteric Astrology

by Alice A Bailey

  Taurus—Illumination.

  Vulcan—First ray or endurance.

  Third Creative Hierarchy—Liberating Light.

  Virgo—The Christ-life, latent and unexpressed (as is the 3rd Creative Hierarchy).

  The Moon—The form nature, the substance of the flame which lights the way.

  A vast field of psychological research in connection with all the constellations, the planets and Hierarchies is indicated above, but it is of too vast a nature for me to consider in this treatise. It will constitute the astrology of the future and will begin to be understood when group awareness and continuity of consciousness are established among men. However, as a form of mental gymnastics and as indicating possibilities, the concept is of use to you, for it widens your [275] horizon and indicates the marvellous scope of the divine plan and the synthesis underlying manifestation.

  Neptune is as you know, the God of the waters, and the term “water” covers many angles of the esoteric wisdom, such as:

  1. The whole concept of matter—universal and itemised.

  2. The “waters of substance.”

  3. The ocean of life.

  4. The world of astral glamour and reaction.

  5. The astral plane as a whole.

  6. The desire and the emotional nature.

  7. The world of focussed incarnation for the masses.

  8. Mass existence, as in Cancer.

  Of all these attributes or conditions of the feminine pole in existence (the material aspect), the constellation Cancer is outstandingly symbolic. It precedes Leo, the sign of individuality and of self-conscious effort, and is concerned with the slow rhythm of mass life—either instinctually active or the reactions of an imposed consciousness which is a result of chosen experience after initiation. It connotes mass life, leading to group life after the experience of initiation, for which its polar opposite, Capricorn, stands and which finds full expression in Aquarius which completes the experience of Leo and fuses it with that of Cancer and Capricorn. These six signs:

  Cancer . . . . . . . . . .Leo . . . . . . . . . . . . .Virgo

  Capricorn . . . . . . . .Aquarius . . . . . . . . Pisces

  form another six-pointed star of profound significance which is the subjective counterpart of the six-pointed star (the interlaced triangles) which we call King Solomon's seal. This interlacing of the two above triangles constitutes what [276] is called a triangle of humanity and—under the theories of the Science of Triangles—it concerns the relation of the individual to the mass of humanity and of the disciple to the group. These triangles warrant most careful study. It is the planet Neptune which is predominantly active in bringing about such an activity in Cancer that adequate momentum can be set up which will produce progress (through the intervening signs) to Aquarius.

  I would like here to add something more to the teaching about the wheel of life and its reversed motion which occurs at a particular stage of evolution. I want to call your attention to the fact that the difficulty of the problem and the intensification of the life of conscious duality which marks the earlier stages of the Path of Discipleship, up to and immediately preceding the third initiation, is based upon the wheel of the zodiac contributing its influences to the life of the form nature in a normal manner; the myriads of lives which constitute the form are conditioned by the signs of the zodiac proceeding in its normal manner—clockwise, due to the precession of the equinoxes, whilst the life of the disciple, focussed in the soul consciousness, is governed (or should I remark, should be governed?) by the wheel, proceeding anti-clockwise. Both motions are in potent opposition and, symbolically speaking, produce eventually that “tearing asunder” which always precedes initiation and illumination and which is testified to by all the mystics and initiates. This is in reality that which produces the destruction of the veil of illusion and is symbolically referred to in The New Testament as “the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.” This constitutes the result of the dual activity of the Great Wheel. It precedes the dark night of the soul wherein the man stands pendant between heaven and earth and then cries: [277]

  “Where is the one God Who has forsaken me? He is nowhere to be seen and all other gods have gone. I stand alone, bereft yet unafraid. I see the dark of form; I see the dark of distant spirit. And all the light of soul seems gone.” Then comes the cry triumphant: “I know I am the Light of God. There is naught else.”

  Through the Moon and also through Jupiter, Virgo is brought into relationship with Aquarius which means, in this case, with the seventh Creative Hierarchy, or with the atomic substance out of which the dense body of manifestation has to be constructed if the Christ life (which the Virgin nurtures) is to be brought to successful manifestation. The cause of manifestation is, esoterically speaking, the stimulation of the “dead lives” (the so-called inorganic substance) into activity and into usefulness to the positive Christ life, which is the agent of the stimulation. Hence the Moon is the symbol of the response of the dead lives to the outer spiritual impact. The central idea of occultism that even the smallest atom of substance has in it the germ of that which can respond to spiritual energy is preserved for us in the teaching anent the influence of Jupiter, the second ray agent of the Christ spirit.

  In connection with Jupiter, as might be expected from a study of the rays, Virgo is related both to Sagittarius and to Pisces. This is an exoteric impact but produces a constant stimulation of the life of the indwelling Christ. Sagittarius rules or conditions (for that is what the word means) the activity of the lunar lords who build the body of man out of their own substance. It will, therefore, be obvious to you why, when a man begins the one-pointed activity of Sagittarius and becomes the earnest disciple, it [278] is possible for him to rule his personality and to govern it so that eventually it becomes the vehicle of the soul. It accounts also for the reaction of the personality against this control. It is because of facts such as these that astrology is bound to become one of the major sciences of the future, and when this is so the control of the personality will be scientifically carried forward; full use will be made of the planetary influences and the energies coming from the signs as they cyclically make their appearance, and special effort will be made, for instance, to gain certain aspects of control during the month in which the Sun is in the sign Sagittarius.

  The relation existing between Virgo and Pisces (between the Virgin Mother and the Fish Goddesses) is well known, for they are polar opposites and their functions are interchangeable in a peculiar manner. In the revolution of the ordinary wheel, Aries and Scorpio mark the beginning and the end, and consummate in the rounded out and equipped personality. They are, exoterically, Alpha and Omega. In the life of the disciple, Virgo and Pisces stand in the same relation. Pisces consummates the work carried forward in this major world cycle. Some idea of the creative story above indicated can be gained if the tabulation of the nine constellations with their signs is studied.

  1. Aries . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . Cardinal Cross.

  2. Gemini . . . . . . . . . . . Relation . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mutable Cross.

  3. Taurus . . . . . . . . . . . . Desire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fixed Cross.

  4. Cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . Movement . . . . . . . . . . . Cardinal Cross.

  5. Scorpio . . . . . . . . . . . Test—Trial . . . . . . . . . . Fixed Cross.

  6. Sagittarius . . . . . . . . . Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . Mutable Cross.

  7. Aquarius . . . . . . . . . . Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fixed Cross.

  8. Pisces . . . . . . . . . . . . Salvation . . . . . . . . . . . . Mutable Cross.

  9. VIRGO . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE MOTHER . . . . . . . . . MUTABLE CROSS.

  One point of interest emerges: All the four arms of the Mutable Cross are represented in this interrelation, indicating [279] the completed activity of the Mutable Cross or of the preparatory stage of evolution which has successfully prepared the man for moun
ting the Fixed Cross. The personality is prepared to be the mother of the Christ.

  If we consider the two solar systems (the past and the present) as a unity, it might be said that:

  1. The Mutable Cross governed the first solar system. In that system and in this solar system, and to humanity en masse, this Cross rules or governs the path of probation (which in reality is the entire life experience, prior to treading the path of discipleship).

  2. The Fixed Cross governs the present solar system and corresponds to the path of discipleship.

  3. The Cardinal Cross will govern and rule the next solar system and in this system governs the path of initiation, which is trodden by the flower of the race.

  The fact that all four energies of the Mutable Cross, three of the Fixed Cross and two of the Cardinal Cross pour into the sign Virgo in relative degrees and potencies indicates the fundamental importance of this “sign of reception” as it is called. All nine energies are required to bring a man to the point where the world and influence of the two solar systems have done their task in:

  1. Preparing the vehicle of reception and protection, which is the personality, the form, the self-conscious man.

  2. Bringing into manifestation thereby the hidden man of the heart, the Christ within, the soul, the group conscious man.

  What will be the objective and the consummation of the activity of the Cardinal Cross during the next solar system [280] is hidden in the revelation which comes to the man who has taken the third initiation. It is connected naturally with the Spirit or first aspect of divinity, or with the Monad and with the expression of the divine consciousness. Until a man has, however, taken this initiation, he profits not from anything that I could tell him in this connection. For its impartation also, words are useless and in fact do not exist.

  As I have told you, Virgo is regarded by the esoteric teachers of the Hierarchy to be identified with the third aspect of divinity, with the mother principle and is believed to be the director of the energies, developed and recognised in the first solar system. It is for this reason in this solar system that Virgo is subjected predominantly to the influence of the second, fourth and sixth ray energies through Jupiter (second ray) the Moon and Mercury (fourth ray) and Neptune (sixth ray). The Moon and Mercury together indicate the activity of the higher and lower mind and are, therefore, related to the third Ray of Active Intelligence which controlled the first solar system. There is consequently only one planet, Vulcan, which is distinctly and purely first ray energy. These are points which advanced astrologers will later elaborate but which at the present time mean little.

  There is another point in connection with the planetary influences which I would like to mention here because it emphasises again the synthetic position of Virgo and its contribution as a major focal point for the distribution of energy to the fourth Creative Hierarchy. Jupiter rules four signs and each of them represents a different element out of the four which are expressing themselves in the three worlds of human evolution. The following tabulation will make this somewhat clearer: [281]

  Virgo Pisces Sagittarius Aquarius

  Earth Water Fire Air

  Hidden Christ Hidden Saviour Hidden Master Hidden Server.

  Jupiter—ruler and the conveyor of EXPANSION

  In this sign, Virgo, the place and the mode of expression of the planets are of paramount interest, though most esoteric in implication and most difficult to understand.

  Mercury is exalted in this sign because the mother is necessarily ruled by her son, the Son of Mind who is also the Son of God. Of this son, she is the protector and is responsible for his development and slowly acquired experience. Mercury, being the Messenger of the Gods and the Agent of Their applied control, is therefore the agent of the third aspect (active intelligence) from one point of view, and of the second aspect (love-wisdom) from another. He is regarded as embodying in himself both these aspects of the mental principle, the expression of the concrete and the abstract mind of God. The lower concrete mind was unfolded in the first solar system and the higher abstract intuitional mind, the pure reason, is unfolding in this system. Mercury is the synthesis of manas-buddhi, mind-wisdom which expresses itself through the human soul; Mercury rules the bridge or the antahkarana. In Virgo, Mercury reaches his full power, for Virgo is intelligence and the hidden Christ is wisdom or pure reason.

  Venus, pure love-wisdom, falls into generation in this sign and occultly “descends to earth” and stands (as The Secret Doctrine has so carefully pointed out) for the gift of mind and of divinity, embodied in the Son of Mind and thus for the descent of the Christ principle into generation or into matter. Virgo and Venus are together two aspects of intelligence. The symbolism of the descent of Spirit into [282] the womb of the virgin mother is preserved for us in the astrological fact that Venus falls in this sign; esoterically, she disappears from view and vanishes into the darkness. Neptune, the expression of the sixth Ray of Idealistic Devotion, is naturally rendered more impotent in this sign and simultaneously his “power is lessened,” for the drive and urge of devotion and desire give place in this powerful sign to the natural processes of form production and to the silent activity which is going on within the womb of time and space.

  Jupiter, in spite of its latent power, is also “lessened” in influence at this time because of the second principle or second aspect of divinity, the Son or the germ of the Christ Who will come, the Son of Mind, descends into the depths and is temporarily veiled or hidden. I would recommend to the astrologers of the future a careful investigation of the falls, exaltations and the diminution of power which take place within any zodiacal sign; the whole problem must be viewed in a large manner and not so specifically from the angle of personality horoscopes. When the planets are rightly related to the rays which they are expressing, then the wider theme of the soul's life will emerge; these condition the personality but not in the same sense as material circumstance (physical body and material environment) condition the mass of men. Ponder on this.

  In connection with the decanates, I would point out that what I am in this treatise constantly emphasising is that the astrologer needs to study the horoscope of an individual from the angle of his place upon the wheel of the zodiac and to consider which way he is going. Is he progressing around the wheel as a personality or is he moving forward as a soul? The conflict to which all disciples are subjected can be traced to the fact that the form life of the disciple [283] is influenced in one way by the wheel, and the consciousness aspect in another way or in the reverse direction. The disciple enters the sign under the influence of that decanate which is for him the first but which is the third for the ordinary man. This is interestingly and practically instanced by the constellation which we are now entering. The three decanates of Aquarius, from the angle of the disciple, are Saturn, Mercury and Venus. It is in this sequence that they affect him and carry him forward on his desired way, thus giving opportunity through conflict, the illumination of the mind and eventually the achievement of brotherly love which is wisdom. Ordinarily speaking, the mass of men would pass through the sign via Venus, Mercury and Saturn, for the undeveloped man is influenced by those qualities which can be best described as instinctual mind or affection (Venus), which is brotherly love in embryo; by the slow unfoldment of the mind through the activity of Mercury; finally, as the result of this unfoldment, conflict supervenes and Saturn offers opportunity to suffer and, through suffering, to learn to choose rightly, to analyse correctly and to decide upon the higher values. These points must be carefully considered by the astrologer. But at this time, we are at a point of crisis and the problem takes wider implications, for the reason that, for the first time in its history, humanity is beginning to mount the Fixed Cross of the disciple, thus reversing its progress upon the circle of the Zodiac. Humanity—as a whole and owing to the large proportion of aspirants and thinking idealists—is entering Aquarius, via the open door of Saturn. At the same time, a very large number of men are in the non-thinki
ng instinctual stage and their consciousness is predominantly Atlantean. These enter via Venus and hence the conflict.

  [284] According to Sepharial, the three decanates into which Virgo is divided are governed by the Sun, Venus and Mercury, whilst Alan Leo gives us Mercury, Saturn and Venus. I would remind you here of a point which is oft forgotten by astrologers; this is that, in the case of the disciple, Mercury and the Sun are interchangeable terms. When the disciple becomes aware that he is himself Mercury, the Son of Mind, and therefore one with the universal Christ, the “Sun and yet the Son of God” (as it is esoterically called), he is then an initiate. Therefore, Leo's assignment of rulers is the truly esoteric one. When the disciple knows Saturn as the God who offers opportunity and does not only feel him to be Deity who brings disaster, then he is on the path of discipleship in truth and in deed and not just theoretically. When Venus is the source of wisdom and the expression of the transmutation of the mind into intuition and of intellect into wisdom, then he is ready for initiation. He is rapidly achieving liberation. The weakness of the rulers of the decanates as given by Sepharial lies in the fact that as both Mercury and the Sun are one, the choice is therefore redundant; he omits Saturn and because of this omission, esoterically speaking, the “door is not open.”