It is valuable also to remember that in the studying of the ray forces and their effects in Cancer, we must do so from the angle of the mass mind and the mass reaction and not from that of the individual. This is one of the signs of synthesis and of a relative fusion, but it is a fusion on the lower level of the spiral and connotes the fusion of the physical body and the soul but only in the embryonic stage and with the psychic stage still unindividualised. It is the stage of mass reaction to the incoming of the Sons of Light.
The entire theme of the zodiac can be approached from the angle of light and its unfolding and increasing radiance and of the gradual demonstration in what I have called elsewhere, “the glory of the One.” The mode of the development of this inner light and of its externalisation must remain—from the standpoint of its cosmic effects—one of the secrets of initiation and this for a long time to come. It will, however, not be out of place if I were to give symbolically certain phrases and sentences which will indicate [329] (for each sign) this “growth of light in light,” as it is esoterically called, bearing in mind that we are attempting to express conditions connected with the soul whose essential nature is light. This soul-light affects the form as evolution proceeds and produces sequentially the revelation of that form, and of the nature of space-time as well as of the goal.
1. Aries.—The Light of Life Itself. This is the dim point of light found at the centre of the cycle of manifestation, faint and flickering. It is the “searchlight of the Logos, seeking that which can be used” for divine expression.
2. Taurus.—The penetrating Light of the Path. This is a beam of light, streaming forth from the point in Aries, and revealing the area of light control.
3. Gemini.—The Light of Interplay. This is a line of light beams, revealing that which opposes or the basic duality of manifestation, the relationship of spirit and of form. It is the conscious light of that relationship.
4. Cancer.—The Light within the form. This is the diffused light of substance itself, the “dark light” of matter, referred to in The Secret Doctrine. It is the light awaiting the stimulation coming from the soul light.
5. Leo.—The Light of the Soul. A reflected point of light logoic, or divine. The light diffused in Cancer focusses and reveals eventually a point.
6. Virgo.—The blended dual Light. Two lights are seen—bright and strong, the light of form; one faint and dim, the light of God. This light is distinguished by a waxing of one and the waning of the other. It differs from the light in Gemini. [330]
7. Libra.—The Light that moves to rest. This is the light that oscillates until a point of balance is achieved. It is the light which is distinguished by a moving up and down.
8. Scorpio.—The Light of Day. This is the place where three lights meet—the light of form, the light of soul, and the light of life. They meet; they blend; they rise.
9. Sagittarius.—A beam of directed, focussed Light. In this the point of light becomes the beam, revealing a greater light ahead and illumining the way to the centre of the light.
10. Capricorn.—The Light of Initiation. This is the light which clears the way to the mountain top, and produces transfiguration, thus revealing the rising sun.
11. Aquarius.—The Light that shines on Earth, across the sea. This is the light which ever shines within the dark and cleansing with its healing rays that which must be purified until the dark has gone.
12. Pisces.—The Light of the World. This is the light, revealing the light of life itself. It ends for ever the darkness of matter.
A study of the above thoughts will reveal the symbolic story of the irradiation of matter, of the growth of the light body within the macrocosm and the microcosm, and finally make clear the purpose of the Logos.
It is because—speaking in parables—the light of Cancer is only diffused, vague and inchoate that the influences of the first Ray of Focussed Intention and of purposeful Will and of the second Ray of Love-Wisdom (recognised duality and gained experience) are found to be missing. Their influences are not present, except in so far that love and purpose underlie all manifestation. But they are not focussed in this [331] sign. Only five rays play through this constellation which even at a relatively high point of development and upon the returning wheel preserves ever the mass relationship for the benefit of the incarnating individual and in order to guarantee the ultimate salvation of substance itself. Human beings, without initiated vision, are apt to interpret all the signs and their effects in terms of individual man, whereas the purpose of their coordinated influence is both planetary, solar and cosmic. The initiate who has taken the three lower initiations is occupied henceforth with the effects of the cosmic influences upon the planet and incidentally upon the fourth kingdom in nature and with the higher mental study of their effects as they produce basic and fundamental changes in the systemic life which, in its turn, affects our planet, its kingdoms in nature and incidentally human beings. You can see from this, therefore, that as the evolutionary changes are brought about and as human, planetary and solar consciousness progressively develops, the influences pouring from the constellations, via their intermediaries, the planets, will produce very diverse changes and significant happenings to which man will consciously or unconsciously respond according to his point of development. The response of the individual Cancer subject to the incoming influences and to his environment will be different to those of the disciple or initiate and these again will differ in every sign, thus rounding out human development. Here again is a point which astrologers will have later to take into consideration. I would here like to give you a tabulation which will indicate somewhat the nature of the response of the man during the three stages of his development—undeveloped, advanced and upon the Path—to the various influences to which he is subjected when he enters into physical plane existence through the open door of Cancer, and proceeds then through all the signs. [332]
Sign Undeveloped Man Advanced Man Disciple Initiate
1. Aries Blind, undirected experience. Directed Personality effort. Recognition and work with the Plan.
Instinctual reaction. Desire. Will.
Keynote: Aries turns towards Capricorn.
2. Taurus Selfish desire. Aspiration. Illumined living.
The Light of Earth. The Light of Love. The Light of Life.
Keynote: Taurus rushes blindly until Sagittarius directs.
3. Gemini Mutation of relation. Orientation of Right relation.
“I serve myself.” “I serve my brother.” “I serve the One.”
Keynote: Gemini moves towards Libra.
4. Cancer The blind unit is lost. The unit awakens to that which is around. The Whole is seen as one.
The Mass. The House. Humanity.
Keynote: Cancer visions life in Leo.
5. Leo The Lower Self. The Higher Self. The One Self.
The hidden point. The revealing point. The relinquished point.
Keynote: Leo seeks release in Scorpio.
6. Virgo The germinating energy. The creative force. The Christ activity.
The Mother. The Protector. The Light.
Keynote: Virgo hides the light which irradiates the world in Aquarius.
[333]
7. Libra Unbalanced fiery passion. The weighing of the opposites. Balance attained. Divine love.
Human love. Devotion and aspiration. Understanding.
Keynote: Libra relates the two in Gemini.
8. Scorpio Unity of selfishness. Conflict with duality. Higher unity.
The Monster. The Fighter. The Disciple.
Keynote: Scorpio stages the release of Leo.
9. Sagittarius Self-centredness. One-pointedness. The Director of men.
Experimental approach. Directed approach. The controller of the Gate.
Keynote: Sagittarius, the disciple becomes the Saviour in Pisces.
10. Capricorn The earthbound soul. The one who crosses the water. The Conqueror of Death.
Fluid. Initiated.
Keynote:
Capricorn consummates the work of Scorpio.
11. Aquarius All things to all men. Dedication to the soul. The Server of all men.
The burden of the self. The burden of humanity. The burden of the world
Keynote: Aquarius releases Virgo from her load.
12. Pisces Responsiveness to environment. Sensitivity to soul. Spiritual responsibility.
The medium. The Mediator. The Saviour.
Keynote: Pisces takes from all the signs.
[334] You will note that these relationships between the signs are not those of the opposites but intermediate signs and, therefore, marking the intermediate period of relationship and not consummation as is the case when such opposites as Leo and Aquarius or Cancer and Capricorn are considered. These relationships, it will be found, create quite definite geometrical forms just as the crosses, formed between the opposites create the three crosses of the heavens. I commend this to your consideration. The above tabulation gives you a new and inner relation of the signs to each other and one which only becomes definitely active and effective after initiation. It is consequently of small use to the average reader at this time, though it opens up, nevertheless, new astrological contacts and influences most of which are established through the ray influences and which require a grasp of individual evolutionary status for correct interpretation. It is essential, for their right understanding that the astrologer knows whether the subject is relatively unevolved, whether he is an advanced man or whether he is upon one or other stages of the Path. There is so much to be reckoned with in the new esoteric astrology—prediction, interpretation from the standpoint of both the personality and the soul, character indications, as well as a close study of the Law of Rebirth as it can be arrived at through an understanding of the influences of Cancer. One thing which will later emerge, but which is at present impossible of elucidation, is the fact that the twelve Creative Hierarchies are all connected with one or other of the twelve signs of the zodiac and these all definitely affect the human family and the unit in that family also. A close study of the relations indicated in this new tabulation and a study also of the Hierarchies and the signs will cause a drastic revolution in modern astrology and one of most basic importance. More [335] than this I cannot here indicate and more will not be possible until the present astrologers have done some concentrated work along the lines here designated.
Simple as it sounds when stated, the most fundamental point for astrologers to grasp today is the need for them to know—prior to interpretation—where, upon the path of evolution, the subject under consideration stands. One other hint I will give. It will be from a study of those people who are born in the Cardinal Signs that the clearest information will emerge in this connection. It might be useful to point out here that:
1. Through a study of the Cardinal Cross—Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn—the astrologer can arrive at a clearer understanding:
a. Of ordinary, individual, human beings.
b. Of group beginnings.
c. Of the significance of the first initiation.
2. Through a study of the Fixed Cross—Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius—he will arrive at a right interpretation of the lives:
a. Of initiates.
b. Of group absorption into synthesis.
c. Of the significance of the third initiation.
3. Through a study of the Mutable Cross—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces—he can arrive at the significance:
a. Of disciples.
b. Of group activity.
c. Of the second initiation.
The above indications may not conform to the ideas generally held, and appear to reverse also some of the points [336] which I have earlier made, but a careful study of the suggested implications may make the point clearer. Every Cross has its exoteric significance and with this all astrologers are somewhat familiar; it has also its esoteric meaning and import and this is as yet an untried field of investigation; and it has its spiritual importance, and this of course is only revealed at the major initiations. It should be remembered that these are the threefold differentiations of the One Life and that Capricorn, for instance, marks not only the point of the deepest concretion and therefore of death but also the point of highest initiation and of entrance into the life aspect of deity.
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; astrologers must also think more in terms of qualities and of characteristics, as is the trend of the more advanced astrology today. The whole story of astrology is, in reality, one of magnetic and magical interplay for the production or externalisation of the inner reality; it is the story of the response of form—vast as in a solar system, microcosmic as in a human being, and minute as in an atom or a cell—to the urge or pull of foci of energy and of streams of force. These two are not identical, but must be taken into the calculations of the investigating astrologer and his interpretations.
It is the focussed energy of Cancer which makes it a major magnetic or attractive focal point leading to the processes of incarnation. Through the door of Cancer streams the “magnetic magical light which guides the soul into the dark place of experience.” Similarly, it is the magical pull of Capricornian energy which upon the returning wheel (in contradistinction to the wheel of rebirth or the outgoing wheel) of expression and of discipleship draws the [337] soul steadily away from form life and experience and constitutes that “radiant light which leads the soul in safety to the mountain top.” In the recognition of this comes elucidation of the fact that in time and space the controlling factor and determining condition is the sensitivity of the incarnated soul to form life, leading to incarnation through the door of Cancer, or to soul life, leading to initiation through the door of Capricorn. It is also in the relation of these two signs to each other that you get one of the clearest pictures of the interplay between the pairs of opposites as they exist in the zodiac, and it might profit us here for a minute to study the two types of consummation which this interplay between opposite signs brings about. I will endeavour to put these for you in tabular and suggestive form for your later consideration and study. The consummation on both the form side and the soul side might be expressed as follows, bearing ever in mind the limitations of language:
ON THE WHEEL TURNING CLOCKWISE
(Aries to Taurus, via Pisces)
For ordinary humanity.
1. Aries-Libra.—Unstable embryonic beginnings leading to the balancing of the lower psychic nature and its expression through form. Embryonic desire for expression consummates in the passion of satisfaction. Lower love controls.
2. Taurus-Scorpio.—Powerful focussed lower desire leads to death and defeat. The triumph of the lower nature which eventuates in the awakening to satiety and death. The man is the prisoner of desire and at the moment of consummation knows his prison. [338]
3. Gemini-Sagittarius.—Fluid interplay and instability leads to personality focus and determination. The man is one-pointedly devoted to personality achievement. The threefold lower nature, synthesised and directed controls all activity.
Esoteric Astrology Page 31
