Esoteric Astrology

by Alice A Bailey

  I want you to have this innate spiritual sensitivity and this outer material sensitivity most carefully in mind if you want truly to understand the influences of Leo upon human beings and especially upon the person born in this sign or who has this sign rising, as well as its influences upon the planet. Throughout the universe, it is the soul which is the conscious, sensitive theme of the divine plan—the soul as the anima mundi, or the soul of the world, animating all forms of life below the animal kingdom; the soul as the animal soul and the extension of this to the bodies of all animals, including the human physical body; the soul as the human soul, which is a still further expansion of the same sensitive factor but augmented or stimulated by the principle of self-awareness or of focussed personal sensitivity to all sub-human soul expression, plus awareness (conscious or unconscious) of the immortal or divine soul; the soul as the ego or spiritual soul on its own plane—the source of consciousness as far as the three worlds of evolution are concerned, and the goal of all present evolutionary processes.

  The three aspects of the Sun (as dealt with in The Secret [296] Doctrine) are of importance at this point, because influences flowing through and from them bring the entire subjective and latent world consciousness to the fore and produce eventually (at the final revelation and liberation) the full expression of the consciousness of Deity. This can be called divine sensitivity, the universal mind or the divine plan or purpose. Words are inadequate to express that of which the highest initiate as yet knows but little. These three aspects of the Sun are the factors which bring consciousness to the birth and make the ultimate goal attainable; they make all forms of consciousness possible because these are rooted in the Sun (symbolically speaking) and are an inherent aspect of the greater whole.

  1. The physical Sun—the anima mundi; the animal soul. Multiplicity.

  2. The heart of the Sun—the human soul and the divine ego. Duality.

  3. The central, spiritual Sun—the divine consciousness. The will of the whole. The awareness of God. Unity.

  As you have been told, the Sun veils certain hidden planets, and in the case of Leo, the two planets through which the Sun focusses its energy or influences (like a lens) are Neptune and Uranus. The “heart of the Sun” employs Neptune as its agent, whilst the central, spiritual Sun pours its influences through Uranus. The activity of Uranus is, however, only registered at a very advanced stage of development upon the Path and is analogous to that point in the unfoldment of consciousness wherein, by an act of the will, the conscious and illumined man (focussed in the highest head centre) arouses the centre at the base of the spine and draws the kundalini fire upwards. Making a broad and consequently [297] somewhat inaccurate generalisation, it might be said that this process is followed upon the three Crosses:

  1. Upon the Mutable Cross, it is the physical Sun and its influences which affect the man, stimulate the bodily cells and sustain the form nature, affecting the centres below the diaphragm.

  2. Upon the Fixed Cross, it is the “heart of the Sun” which is called into activity and which pours its energies through Neptune upon man. These stimulate and affect the heart, the throat and the ajna centres.

  3. Upon the Cardinal Cross, it is the central, spiritual Sun which is called into play, and Uranus is then the distributing agency and the head centre becomes the centre in the initiate's body through which direction and control come.

  In connection with the Mutable Cross, the rays of the Sun in a threefold form (combining the lowest energies of the threefold Sun) pour into and through the man, via Jupiter. Jupiter is the agent of the second ray which the Sun expresses—cosmically and systemically.

  Hence the triple relation of the Sun to Leo which is unique in our solar system, and hence the importance of the triangle which controls the man born under Leo—the Sun, Uranus and Neptune. The energy of Leo is focussed through the Sun, and is distributed to our planet via the Sun and the two planets which it veils.

  Neptune, being the sign of the Deity of the waters, is related to the sixth ray which governs the astral or emotional plane of desire. When Neptune is thus active in the advanced Leo subject, then emotion-desire have been transmuted into love-aspiration and are dedicated to and oriented [298] to the soul; the entire emotional or sensitive nature is responsive to energies coming from “the heart of the Sun,” and when this is the case, it indicates that the disciple is now ready for the second initiation. This orientation is brought about by what is called “the sublimination of the influence of the Moon” which is, as you know, the mother, symbolically speaking, of the form nature and reflects the Sun, or the Father aspect. The above statement is exceedingly occult in its significance. Esoterically speaking, you have the emergence of an interesting triangle of force which affects the Leo subject—the Sun, the Moon and Neptune; these are an expression of Rays 2.4.6 and, where these three are dominantly active, you have the establishing of that “inner alignment and attitude which forces open the Door into the Holy Place.” I use these old phrases here because they express concisely what it would take many pages to elucidate and because they have that note of esoteric stimulation which awakens, in the disciple, the power of abstract thought.

  In connection with the horoscope of the Leo subject and the theme of initiation, I would point out that when the Sun, the Moon (hiding a planet) and Saturn are all combined in a certain house in the horoscope you have what is called the “sign” of the man who is to take initiation. Leo, being the fifth sign of the zodiac, counting from Aries via Taurus, and also the eighth sign, counting from Aries via Pisces, is closely connected through numerical affinity with Mercury, who is esoterically called “the Messenger at the eighth gate”; Mercury was active at the time of individualisation when the “eighth gate” was opened and a major initiation of our planetary Logos took place, producing, in the human kingdom, the process of individualisation.

  From another angle, as might be anticipated, Leo is related [299] to Scorpio, whose numbers upon the zodiacal wheel are the same as those of Leo, being five and eight. You have, therefore, the formation of the triangle to which I earlier referred: Leo-Scorpio, leading to initiation in Capricorn.

  As we are upon the subject, one other point might be touched upon here. August, which is ruled by Leo, is the month of the Dog-star, or of Sirius, which thus brings Sirius into close relation to Leo. Leo, in the cosmic sense (and apart from our solar system altogether) is ruled by Sirius. Sirius is the home of that greater Lodge to which our fifth initiation admits a man and to which it brings him, as a humble disciple. Later, when the new world religion is founded and is working, we shall find that the major, monthly festival in August, held at the time of the full moon, will be dedicated to the task of making contact, via the Hierarchy, with Sirian force. Each of the months of the year will later be dedicated (through accurate astrological and astronomical knowledge) to whichever constellation in the heavens governs a particular month, as Sirius governs Leo. This I shall later elaborate in the papers to be written anent the new “Approaches” to spiritual reality.

  Mercury again comes, at this point, into our discussion, and you thus have the formation of an esoteric quaternary, affecting powerfully the major quaternary of man—spirit, soul, mind and brain. This energy brings about an inter-relation and an inner awakening which prepares the aspirant for initiation. This higher quaternary is Sirius-Leo-Mercury-Saturn. You have, therefore:

  Sirius Leo Mercury Saturn

  Spirit . . . . . . . . . Soul . . . . . . . . . . Mind . . . . . . . . . Brain.

  Life . . . . . . . . . . Quality . . . . . . . . Illumination . . . . Appearance.

  Inhalation . . . . . . Interlude . . . . . . . Exhalation . . . . . Interlude.

  [300] The above tabulation gives you the clue to the basic reality and necessity of meditation as practised by the disciple and the initiate. This may not be apparent to you at first sight and I may not further expand these suggestions, but the directed reflection of the illumined mind may bring insight to you i
n time. The influence of Sirius is not consciously felt until after the third initiation when the true nature of the spirit aspect begins to dawn upon the liberated, intuitive perception of the initiate. For the advanced initiate in this sign, and after the third initiation, Sirius becomes a major life factor. He begins to respond to its vibration because he now rules the Sun and the Moon and is controlling those two planets, for that is what the Sun and the Moon have become to him—simply planets to be ruled. This is a great mystery and I simply state the fact. Sirius, Leo, the Sun, the Moon and Mercury are now the influences with which the initiate is concerned. The influences of Sirius, three in number, are focussed in Regulus, which is, as you know, a star of the first magnitude and which is frequently called “the heart of the Lion.” There is more real occultism hidden in the names given to the various stars by astronomers down the ages than has yet been realised, and here you have a case in point.

  It will be apparent to you (given a little thought) that the Sun, as it veils Neptune, produces a potent effect upon the personality, symbolised for us here by the astral body, whilst Uranus (which is also veiled by the Sun) symbolises the effect of the soul upon the personality. Hence the activity of the seventh ray, which is—from one angle—the lowest aspect of the first ray. Hence you have also the underlying idea of: [301]

  1. The awakening of the personality to soul control and contact, with a true expression eventually, in the three worlds, of soul-will, desire and intent.

  2. The awakening of the seventh centre, the centre at the base of the spine, by the soul working through the first or highest head centre and producing (as a consequence) the surging upwards of the kundalini fire. This, in its turn, produces fusion with the higher forces. When this takes place the three major centres in the body are

  The Head The Heart The base of Spine

  Central spiritual Sun . . . . The heart of the Sun . . . . . . The physical Sun.

  Sirius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mercury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saturn.

  The Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uranus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neptune.

  As the above alignment corresponds to a very high stage of initiation, it will not be possible to grasp all the implications, but enough may be apparent to reveal the underlying theme and purpose of the great work.

  Several major triangles of force were active when individualisation took place and the “Lions, the divine and tawny orange Flames” came into being and thus humanity arrived upon the planet. I would touch here briefly upon one triangle: The Sun (second ray), Jupiter (second ray) and Venus (fifth ray). It will be apparent to you that we here have another sphere of influence of major importance, governed by Leo. It is a triangle to which H.P.B. refers in The Secret Doctrine, the influence of which she was endeavouring to elucidate. So potent was the influence of this triangle that its effect upon the Moon was to denude her of life by drawing out all the “seeds of life,” thus destroying her influence, for it was undesirable where humanity was concerned.

  [302] Through Uranus, Leo is related to three other signs of the zodiac: Aries, Libra and Aquarius, and these three constellations, with Leo, form what has been called “the subjective quaternary of the reincarnating soul” because they are related to the permanent atoms which persist from life to life and which form—during the cycle of reincarnation—the repositories or the storing houses of the experiences undergone during life in the three worlds.

  1. Aries—is connected with soul intention, the vibratory activity of which (under impulse from the Monad) initiates the successive involutionary periods which produce appearance upon the physical plane.

  2. Libra—is related to the mental unit and, as we saw when studying the sign Libra, produces eventually a balance between the pairs of opposites. This is brought about upon the astral plane. It is the attainment of this balance which produces the reversal of the mode of passing around the zodiacal wheel and it takes place when integration has occurred, and the man is focussed upon the mental plane. He can, then, through right use of the mind, discriminate between the pairs of opposites and find the narrow razor-edged path which passes between them and keep his balance upon it.

  3. Leo—is connected with the astral permanent atom, for the reason that desire or the power to go forth and occultly touch that which is desired is the basis of all sense of awareness or responsiveness and the underlying cause of progress or evolutionary movement forward; it is the keynote of the man who has achieved that true “self-centred” attitude which makes him an individual. Later, as responsiveness grows and the world of small affairs is converted into the world of ever larger [303] values and reality, the desires change into aspiration and finally into spiritual will, purpose and intent.

  4. Aquarius—is eventually connected with the physical permanent atom which is, as you know, upon the etheric level. It is this individual web which is the medium of relationship to the whole. The universal consciousness of Aquarius becomes expressive just in so far as the individual etheric body is in conscious relation with the etheric body of humanity, the solar system and—of course—the planet.

  I would here point out that the term “permanent atom” is essentially symbolic and that what we call the permanent atom is in reality only a unit of energy within the sphere of influence of the soul ray which can at any time “pick it up” (if I may use so un-euphonious a phrase). In these atoms the past memory of the personal self is stored; these are in the nature of “memory cells” and are the repositories of past experience, of gained quality, and of the particular note which the body of which it is the nucleus has achieved. They are material in nature, are connected only with the form aspect, and are imbued with as much of the quality of consciousness as the soul has succeeded in developing in the three worlds. The whole subject is most abstruse and will be only understood, and the symbolism involved rightly interpreted, when clairvoyance is a normal attribute of average man. Then the focus of the substance in any form (its galvanising centre) can be seen. I do not here advise much reflection on the subject, as it is an exceedingly difficult one, constituting, in itself, a very advanced science, and embodying the mystery of the first solar system, the past—again the memory cells give their contribution. It is through the permanent atoms that the Forces of Materialism can [304] work; the Great White Lodge works through the seven centres.

  Aries begins the process and is the “initiator of the process which leads to progress” and—at the end of the age (as it is now at the final or seventh initiation)—the Initiator of the Mysteries will work under instructions and with energies which emanate from the Lord of the Constellation Aries. In the last analysis and esoterically speaking, fire is the great liberator and Aries is the leading fire sign which will eventually “fuse the beginning and the end, blend the opposites and dispel both time and space.” At present, the Initiator of the Mysteries acts under inspiration and with energies emanating from Capricorn—an earth sign—because humanity is, as yet, earth-bound. The forces of initiation produce their major effects upon the physical plane, for it is there that the initiate has to demonstrate his liberation, his understanding and his divinity.

  Because of its position upon the Fixed Cross, Leo comes under the influence, direct or indirect, of six planets: The Sun; Neptune; Uranus; Jupiter; Venus; Mars. All of these are potent in expression in this sign, achieving a determined point of revelation and producing, through their united activity and interplay, the six-pointed star of humanity. They condition the man's consciousness but not events, except in so far as his consciousness assumes control at a certain point in his evolution. Connected with the esoteric science of astrology are subsidiary sciences, such as the Science of Triangles, to which I have frequently referred; there is also the Science of Relationship, which concerns the relations between the many quaternaries which can be discovered in the planetary interrelation, the relation between four constellations, plus many human and divine quaternaries. There is again the Science of Stars of Energy, [305] such a
s I have here noted when referring to the six-pointed star of humanity, and of this Science King Solomon's Seal is the well known symbol. These stars, triangles and squares are found in all horoscopes—human, planetary, systemic and cosmic—and constitute the life pattern of the particular Being under investigation; they determine the time of manifestation and the nature of the emanations and influences.

  The squares or quaternaries relate to material appearance or form expression; the stars concern the states of consciousness, and the triangles are related to spirit and to synthesis. In the archives of the esoteric astrologers connected with the Hierarchy, charts are kept of those members of the human family who have achieved adeptship and upwards. They are composed of superimposed squares, stars and triangles, contained within the zodiacal wheel and mounted upon the symbol of the Cardinal Cross. The squares, having each of their four angles and points in one or other of four zodiacal constellations, are depicted in black; the five-pointed star is depicted yellow or golden colour and its five points are in contact with five of the constellations on the great wheel; the triangles are in blue and have, above each point of the triangle, an esoteric symbol, standing for the constellations of the Great Bear, Sirius and the Pleiades. These symbols may not here be revealed but indicate the point of spiritual consciousness achieved and the responsiveness of the initiate to these major cosmic influences. A glance at these geometrical charts will indicate in a moment the status of the initiate, and also the point towards which he is striving. These charts are fourth dimensional in nature and not flat surfaces as are our charts. This is an interesting piece of information but of no value, except in so far that it indicates synthesis, the fusion of spirit, soul and body, and the point of development. It [306] proves also the fact that “God geometrises” where the soul is concerned. These charts are most interesting.