Good afternoon friends. Today we are working with the very potent energies of Leo. Each month brings us new qualified energies to work with in meditation. These energies are constantly available for us to work with. But with each astrological sign we can concentrate on those particular qualities which are prominent at any one time. These are soul qualities to which all in the human kingdom must become sensitive and learn to express if the work of the great Deity of our planet is to be carried out. All of these qualities taken together provide us with a unique picture of the characteristics of the citizens of the coming new kingdom of souls, the kingdom of God. Drawing forth these soul qualities and outwardly expressing them is a worldwide group effort. And group meditation is the best means to accomplish this. It is a method of working directly with the evolving plan of God and not simply being passive bystanders. In this direct approach we take our place as co-workers with God, and in a very real sense we begin to take control of our own evolution.

Shall we take a few moments to focus our minds within the soul—the group soul—and link in thought with the hundreds of other groups and individuals around the world who are also working with these same qualifying energies. Altogether we are creating an invocative vortex of energy which will help to evoke the potential soul qualities already in humanity. Qualities which must be drawn to the surface and the forefront of human consciousness where they can become an expression in everyday life. And in this moment of silence let us reflect on and then sound together the profound words of the Gayatri.

O Thou Who givest sustenance to the universe,
From Whom all things proceed,
To Whom all things return,
Unveil to us the face of the true Spiritual Sun
Hidden by a disc of golden Light
That we may know the Truth
And do our whole duty
As we journey to Thy sacred feet.

The Gayatri is one of the most ancient prayers of humanity. And with its reference to the face of "the true Spiritual Sun hidden by a disc of golden Light", we have an expression of the soul, the divine intermediary between God and man. This intermediary expression is summed up in the keynote for Leo "I am That, and That am I." This is the keynote we will be using as a seed thought in our meditation today. It sums up the profound test for the Leo subject, and for that matter, for all of us: the test of transcendence. First is expressed in the words "I am" – the word of the self-conscious, selfish individual Leo. But this stage must be superseded by the words "I am That." This brings home to the struggling Leo personality what he is in reality: a divine son of God who is rapidly gaining the higher consciousness and preparing for a fresh and universal expression in Aquarius.

Aquarius is of course the polar opposite of Leo, which makes our work with these energies all the more fortuitous, since Aquarius is the age into which we are rapidly moving. The spirit of Aquarius will be exemplified in its universality and its sense of "general distribution." This universal quality presents points of crisis for the Leo type because it presents an opportunity to transcend the self-centered focus and to merge with the universal quality of Aquarius, but at the same time, he brings with him that uniquely developed sense of self-assurance of Leo.

We are very familiar with the characteristic types of the first stage: I am the Word of the self-conscious self. "Many people are convinced", says the Tibetan, "that they are self-conscious when they are only swayed by desire and are oriented towards the satisfaction of that desire or when they recognise themselves as the dramatic centre of their universe. Yet the only truly self-conscious person is the man who is aware of purpose, of a self-directed life and of a developed and definite life plan and programme. Where these are present, the inference is that there is mental perception and some measure of integration. To be motivated only by emotion and actuated by desire is no indication of true self-consciousness. In the undeveloped man, it is far more instinctual than is self-awareness. In the truly developed self-conscious man not only is direction, purpose and plan present, but also a consciousness of the active agent of the plan and action."

So the influence of the opposite sign—in this case, Aquarius—is crucial to human advancement on the path. In our current zodiacal system there are six pairs of signs and each pair must eventually become as one. "It should be remembered", he said, "that—from the angle of the final development of the twelve zodiacal potencies—the twelve opposites must become the blended six, and this is brought about by the fusion in consciousness of the polar opposites.. The opposites eternally remain from the point of view of human reason, but to the initiate whose intuition is functioning they constitute but six great potencies, because he has achieved "the freedom of the two," as it is sometimes called. For instance, the Leo subject who has an initiated consciousness preserves the individuality, developed in Leo, as well as the universality of Aquarius; he can function, if he so chooses, as a fully self-identified individual, yet possesses simultaneously a fully awakened universal awareness…".

So we see that pairs of opposites exist not just for the purpose of setting up a situation of conflict; they exist for the purpose of stimulating change and transformation, as we see in the case of Leo and Aquarius. And the same opportunity exists for all of us no matter what our sign may be.

How does this translate into the situation in the world today? Self-centeredness and selfishness seem too often to be the dominant quality governing human decisions. But fortunately there is also a growing power of universal awareness and a greater sense of compassion and concern for the real needs of the world. We see this in the plight of the refugees in Darfur and in the concern over global warming. Self-centeredness is not just a Leo characteristic; it is universal, it is very human. Because it is a stage that we have gone through, are going through now or will go through in the future. It is an inevitable quality that has its uses because it is such a good learning tool. And Aquarius is now present to reveal the path ahead for all who are led by selfishness.

Moving in consciousness from I am to I am That is a huge step forward. And then from that stage of integration to I am That and That am I is an even greater leap forward. The whole path from I am a personality, to I am a soul-infused person, to I am that universal Monad and one with God the Father, is embodied in the keynote for Leo. The opportunity for real transformation is stated in that keynote for all humanity to use, not just for Leo types, but for all who are sensitive to its influence. The qualifying energies of all the signs are flowing into and through human consciousness all the time, and we simply must develop a heightened sensitivity to their unique note.

And the particular quality that Leo provides is the key to this developing process. It is said that the whole story and function of Leo and its influences can be summed up in the word "sensitivity".

1. Sensitivity to the multiple impacts from the environment, from the people around us and to their needs; sensitivity to the community and to the nation and even to the world.
2. Sensitivity to the will, wishes and desires of your own personality, the lower self.
3. Sensitivity to the soul, the inner spiritual self, and the conditioning qualities which it provides.
4. And then finally, a sensitivity to the soul-infused, integrated person and to that even higher source which lies in the monadic realm.

Developing sensitivity to all these different stages of the soul is of course a long, slow and often painful process, requiring many lifetimes to achieve. It is the underlying task of the soul no matter what the outer personality may be doing in the world. Ever finer degrees of sensitivity are gained by experience as one reacts outwardly and inwardly to the world. Eventually, as our sensitivity becomes more acute and we gain more freedom from the control of the environment, we become liberated from its effects. We are no longer conditioned by the environment, but in a reversal of the process we begin to condition it in relation to the working out of the divine plan of God. We begin to take an active role in the service of God, as a conscious agent of the redemptive process.

This is a stage of sensitivity where we find a growing number of people in the world today. Significant numbers are expressing a need for higher, spiritual values, indicating the conditioning influence of the soul. We are at a point where, in a very real sense, the soul is exerting a sense of responsibility and taking command of the environment. And we are rapidly reaching that stage of sensitivity in which the liberated person is not always conditioned by his environment but begins the arduous task of conditioning it in relation to the divine plan and purpose of God. The global warming movement and the persistent emphasis on ecology of the earth are obvious examples of this soul response.

There are two subsidiary, yet potent, keynotes of the Leo person which we should consider at this point if the nature of the influences wielded by Leo are to be clearly perceived. These are the will-to-illumine, which constitutes the driving urge towards self-knowledge, self-perception and intellectual positivity, and also the will-to-rule and to dominate, which is of such a controlling nature in this sign and such a subtle potency in the Leo type. It is this will-to-rule which leads a person born in this sign eventually to achieve self-mastery and the control of the personality (for either a good motive or a selfish one), and it is also the same tendency which leads him finally to the control by the personality, ruled by Leo, of groups and large or small bodies of people. This—at an advanced stage—is an expression of the fusion of Leo energy and Aquarian potency. It is inevitable in the long run for men and races; for this all experience in Leo is preparatory. The will-to-illumine is that which drives all Leo people on to experiment and so to gain knowledge.

And so we have these particular qualities impressed upon human consciousness through the sign of Leo, and they can form the basis for our meditation work this afternoon. Primarily, we have the quality of sensitivity, which is a word that sums up the whole story of Leo. How do we develop this sensitivity? Through the induction of the energies of the soul. Allowing soul qualities to govern your life will automatically induce a more sensitive nature. The coarser particles of substance that react to the desires of the little personal self will be driven out and replaced by the more refined and sensitive energies of the soul. These same soul energies will also strengthen the will-to-illumine, and qualify in a more loving way the will-to-rule. Altogether, this sensitivity and strength of will will enable one to say I am That. Today, that is Leo's gift to humanity.

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Dale McKechnie

New York,
July 29, 2007