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3. Spiritual Effects of the Zodiacal Constellations. - Part 9

 

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-thinking instinctual stage and their consciousness is predominantly Atlantean. These enter via Venus and hence the conflict.

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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."

Again, the keynotes of this sign convey their meaning clearly and there is no need for me to elucidate. On the ordinary wheel, the command goes forth in the following words which institute the activity of Virgo: "And the Word said, Let Matter reign." Later, upon the wheel of the disciple, the voice emerges from the Virgin Herself and she says: "I am the mother and the child. I, God, I, matter am."

Ponder upon the beauty of this synthesis and teaching and know that you yourself have said the first word as the soul, descending into the womb of time and space in a far [285] and distant past. The time has now come when you can, if you so choose, proclaim your identity with both divine aspects—matter and Spirit, the mother and the Christ.

LEO, THE LION

Passing as we are into the Aquarian Age in which the spirit of Aquarius will be exemplified in its universality and its sense of "general distribution," it is inevitable that a point of crisis should be reached. The true Leo type must react in a new and unique manner to the proffered opportunity, and when I say type, I refer to those people whose sun is in Leo or who have Leo rising. The reason for this is that Leo is the polar opposite of Aquarius, and the interplay of energies between these two is far more potent than at any previous time in racial history. This is a fact which you are not in a position to verify, but I make it as a statement of fact. It is because of this fact that you have the appearance of the dictators in different countries at this time, and it is because of this fact also that in this present cycle (the ante-chamber of the New Age) you have the pronounced attitude of these dictators—an attitude which is so often ignored but which has real racial value. It is the attitude which leads to a synthesis of the national life, aims and intentions. A typical instance of this attitude is that of Hitler. No matter what may be our personal opinion of him, there is no question that he has unified, produced fusion and blended together the various elements in the German race. This activity is Aquarian in nature but in its lowest and most undesirable aspect. It is also of the nature of Leo, for the people who can produce these results have necessarily to be intensely self-aware. This is the major characteristic of the Leo person. What [286] [286] part Leo may play in the personal horoscope of Hitler I do not know, for I have not investigated it, but it plays a very prominent part in the horoscope of his soul.

I would suggest to modern astrologers that they cast the horoscopes of the dominant world figures at this time, with the planets which I have given you as the esoteric rulers; all advanced people and those of major importance are on or nearing the path of discipleship and the influence of the esoteric planets is becoming, therefore, increasingly powerful. It might prove most illuminating and teach them much. The tendency to fusion, blending, amalgamation, and the spiritual counterpart of this unity is stronger today than heretofore and the types which produce this exoterically must have Leo somewhere in a prominent position in their horoscopes or the Sun controlling in some important house. If the horoscopes do not prove this, it is because the exact hour, moment and day of birth has not been accurately ascertained.

This sign, Leo, is the fifth sign of the zodiac which indicates that it is part of the mysterious number, ten—the number of perfection, a relative perfection, prior to entering into a new cycle of progress. This links Leo consequently with Capricorn, the tenth sign of the zodiac, for it is the processes of initiation which make the self-conscious person the group conscious individual. I am choosing these words with care and fore-thought. Upon the reversed wheel, this is the eighth sign, the sign of the Christ and of the indwelling Reality; it therefore marks—in this manner—a new cycle. When self-consciousness is born (as at the moment of individualisation) a new cycle begins. This numerical significance links Leo with Scorpio (the eighth sign of the Zodiac) in an effective manner and you have, therefore, the triangle of Leo-Scorpio-Capricorn involving [287] humanity and indicating the three important crisis points in man's career:

1. Self-consciousness or human awareness. Unity—Leo.

2. Consciousness of warring dualities. Discipleship—Scorpio.

3. Group consciousness as an initiate. Unity—Capricorn.

This sign is a fire sign, and it is the pre-eminent fire sign at this time. The Sons of Mind, the self-conscious Sons of God, are above everything else the Sons of Fire, for our "God is a consuming Fire." There is in them that peculiar quality which can burn and destroy and so eradicate all that hinders their essentially divine expression. I would have you bear in mind the purificatory nature of fire. There are two elements in nature which are connected in the public consciousness with the thought of purification—one is water and the other is fire. It is in this connection that the water signs, Cancer—Scorpio—Pisces, are interesting, and the fire signs, Aries—Leo—Sagittarius, warrant study. Fire always carries forward esoterically that which water has begun.

In Cancer, the purificatory waters of experience begin their beneficent work. This is begun upon the Cardinal Cross because that cross deals only with wholes and, therefore, with mass experience.

In Scorpio, the purificatory waters of testing and trials are applied. This takes place upon the Fixed Cross and their effect is drastic in the extreme.

In Pisces, the waters of purification are applied through daily life and the processes of incarnation; they apply to the "fish swimming in the waters of matter and finding there its sustenance." This is upon the Mutable Cross of [288] ordinary material existence and experience. Thus the influence of the three crosses is brought to bear upon the incarnated Son of God upon the wheel of ordinary life and in the usual order. Upon the wheel reversed, the fire takes the place of water and burns away all dross. Purification of the entire nature is thus achieved gradually, and the man becomes sensitive to the influences which can be brought to bear upon him when the fiery triplicity plays its part and the influence of Aries-Leo-Sagittarius begins to re-orient him towards universality, self-consciousness and one-pointed attitudes. As we go on with our study, the significance of this statement will increasingly appear. I am hinting at matters of spiritual and esoteric importance because this sign, Leo, is of paramount control in the life of the aspirant. He has to know himself through true self-awareness before he can know that divine spirit which is his true Self and know also his fellowmen.

Leo is a part of the Sphinx, and upon this I need not enlarge as we have touched upon this elsewhere. This is a great mystery. Virgo and Leo together stand for the whole man, for the God-man as well as for spirit-matter. It is important to have this in mind, for when the nature of the world is revealed, then the mystery of the Sphinx will no longer exist.

The keynotes of this sign are exceedingly well known. They sound out the note of individuality and of true self-consciousness. Many people are convinced 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 [289] [289] 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. Ponder on this.

There are two subsidiary yet potent keynotes of the Leo person upon which I should touch 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; it is this which links them with Taurus, which "carries the fair jewel which gives light upon its forehead." In the relationship of Taurus-Leo-Aquarius, you have a significant and important zodiacal triangle as far as man is concerned and it is peculiarly significant to the fourth Creative Hierarchy, the human Hierarchy. You have, therefore:

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1. Taurus.—The incentive towards experience in order to gain knowledge.

2. Leo.—The expression of experience in order to justify knowledge.

3. Aquarius.—The use of experience in order to make the gained knowledge a factor in service.

This triangle expresses the life of humanity and it demonstrates finally the perfection or consummation of the human way. Another triangle is of a somewhat similar nature, Leo-Virgo-Pisces, but these three produce a still more subtle expression of consciousness.

1. Leo.—The self-conscious man. Personality. Lower unity.

2. Virgo.—The latent Christ life or principle. Duality.

3. Pisces.—The group conscious soul. The world Saviour. Unity.

You will note how consistently the emphasis is laid upon consciousness and its progressive unfoldment, and not upon the form or the aggregate of forms which veil the conscious entity of whatever nature or grade of being. Just as A Treatise on Cosmic Fire endeavoured to give the psychological key to The Secret Doctrine and to interpret the underlying consciousness which the Beings (considered in The Secret Doctrine) express, so in A Treatise on the Seven Rays, I am carrying on the same idea and, at the same time, seeking to give the needed key to modern exoteric psychology and also some indications as to the astrological key to The Secret Doctrine to which H.P.B. refers. The Entities dealt with in her masterpiece of esoteric truth are here revealed as cosmic, solar and planetary influences evoking—in response to Their outpoured energy or vibratory [291] activity—an awakening of consciousness in the form so that it becomes aligned to or closely related to Their Own. All revelations appear to emerge into the consciousness of the race in their lowest or most material form because the "ascent of knowledge towards wisdom" is always the key to progress, and, therefore, exoteric psychology and exoteric mundane astrology had to precede the revelation of their significance; the nature of the form had to be made apparent and man accustomed to it before the meaning behind the form could be revealed.

You may ask what is the reason for this mode of procedure? I can give you one among many which, with a little intuitive reflection, should be convincing to you. The understanding and the reasoning powers of the soul are complete and developed. But souls—oriented towards incarnation and the will-to-sacrifice—have not, as yet, the necessary forms in the three worlds which are adequate for the expression of the knowledge which the soul has on its own plane and level of awareness. If the inner meanings of the outer symbolic forms of existence were registered by an unprepared form (the response apparatus of the soul in the three worlds and, in the case of man, involving an unprepared and undeveloped nervous system, glandular system and brain) the destruction of the form by soul energy would naturally supervene and a shattering of the lower expression would take place. It is here that the significance and purpose of time can be noted and intelligently employed, but this involves a most definite development of the esoteric sense. There are other reasons, but this one will suffice. In the evolutionary process there is, therefore, first the form, gradually prepared, adjusted, aligned and oriented during many aeons of time; behind this active form, as it steadily improves and becomes more responsive to environment and [292] contact, stands the slowly awakening consciousness. This is the thinking, intuiting, loving soul, which tightens its hold over its response apparatus, avails itself upon every possible occasion of every advance made by the form, and employs every influence for the perfecting of the great work which it undertook under the Law of Sacrifice.

It is for this reason that I have not attempted in this Treatise to prove—scientifically and in the modern exoteric sense—the natural response to the inner psychological factors and to the esoteric astrological influences. These can be easily demonstrated and instantly made apparent once modern science accepts the occult premises, even if only in an experimental and hypothetical manner. I am confining myself entirely to the theme of the unfoldment of consciousness, of meaning and of significances and of the response of this conscious entity to the many influences and vibratory impacts to which it is subjected on account of its being an integral part of other and greater Lives. Ponder on this. This is my frequent injunction, given because the activity of reflection is a potent means to revelation.

I have sought to bring the above thoughts to your attention because the sign we are now studying is one in which the theme of self-consciousness lies open to the investigator. Mass consciousness in Cancer gives place to individual consciousness in Leo. Out of the mass or the herd emerges the self-sufficient unit which becomes increasingly aware of its oneness, its aloneness and its isolated attitude as the "one in the centre" of its small cosmos. This attitude continues to develop and to become emphatic and dynamic (I use these words with intent), leading to the pronounced ego-centric consciousness of the selfish, intelligent man and to the ambitious display of selfish power of the man who desires place and position. But eventually the time comes [293] when the nature of the Fixed Cross begins to dawn upon the consciousness of the man and the influence of Aquarius (the polar opposite of Leo) begins to balance that of Leo. Then there comes the gradual shift of the focus of attention away from the "one who stands alone" to the environing group, and an equally important shift away from selfish interests to group requirements. This gives concisely the objective which is attained by the man upon the Fixed Cross; the effect of that Cross is to bring light and liberation. This can be clearly seen if we contrast the energies of the four arms of the Cross as they are demonstrated by the man both before and after the long and drastic experience upon the Cross.

1. Taurus.—The Bull of Desire. The light of aspiration and knowledge.

2. Leo.—The Lion of Self-assertion. The Light of the Soul.

3. Scorpio.—The Agent of Deception. The Light of Liberation.

4. Aquarius.—The Chalice of Self-service. The Light of the world.

The Fixed Cross is the cross of light. And playing through this Cross all the time, and emanating from Leo, are the "fires of God"—cosmic, solar and planetary—producing purification, the intensification of the light and eventual revelation to the purified man who stands in light. From Aries comes cosmic fire; from Sagittarius comes planetary fire; and from Leo comes solar fire; and each of these fires "clears the way by burning" for the expression of the three divine aspects: spirit (Aries), soul (Leo) and body (Sagittarius). Such is the scientific basis for the yoga of fire, applied by the fully self-conscious man to the reflection of [294] the three divine aspects in the three worlds; these are the three modes of divine expression in these three worlds. Such is the significance of the fact that it will be found that before the Door of Initiation lies the burning ground which all disciples and initiates must tread. The Leo subject treads this burning ground with will and self-effacement. When he has reached full self-consciousness and mental integration and when he has attained personality effectiveness, then he treads it—undeterred by pain.

A little thought will make it apparent to you why the Sun is the ruler of all the three conditions of Leo—exoteric, esoteric and hierarchical. It is a correct surmise that the purpose of this solar system is the unfoldment of consciousness, and if for the strictly human being self-consciousness is the goal, then the Sun must obviously rule, for it is the source of physical consciousness (exoteric and symbolic of the personality), of soul awareness (esoteric), and of spiritual life (hierarchical). I am reiterating the necessity to recognise the stimulation of consciousness as the objective of all the astrological influences because the outstanding theme of Leo is the activity of the self-conscious unit in relation to its environment or the development of sensitive response to surrounding impacts by the one who stands—as the Sun stands—at the centre of its little universe. The whole story and function of Leo and its influences can be summed up in the word "sensitivity," and this sensitivity can be studied in four stages:

1. Sensitivity to conditioning impacts from the environment, i.e., to the impacts of the world of human evolution, the three worlds or planes, through the medium of the three aspects of the response apparatus of the soul;

2. Sensitivity to the will, wishes and desires of the personality, [295] the integrated self-conscious man, the lower self;

3. Sensitivity to the soul as the conditioning factor instead of sensitivity to the environing world as the conditioning factor;

4. The spiritual sensitivity of the God-Man (the soul and personality fused) to the environment. At this stage of unfoldment, the liberated man is not conditioned by his environment but begins the arduous task of conditioning it in relation to the divine plan and purpose and at the same time to cultivating sensitivity to the higher impacts of those worlds which lead to the final goal.

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.

 

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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 in 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:

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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.

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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 as 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.

The relation of Leo to Cancer, through Neptune, has already been touched upon above and is, of course, easily apparent to you if you have the slightest understanding of the consciousness aspect of evolution. There is, first of all, the mass consciousness; then the consciousness of the dramatic, isolated self, and finally again group consciousness, which is, in reality, the highest forms of group consciousness and individual consciousness combined together in the service of the Plan. Reflect on this definition, for it will stimulate you to understanding.

The peculiar significance of Leo in the general evolution of consciousness, particularly in the human family, is determined by the control of those two mysterious planets, Uranus and Neptune; in the man who is ready for initiation you have, therefore, a dual control, i.e., the Sun itself and also the Sun as it veils the influences of these two planets, or rather, as it focusses and transmits them with intensity. This produces the following developments:

1. The Sun—Full self-consciousness. This—through the influence of the physical Sun and the "heart of the Sun"—produces awareness of the relation of the higher self and the lower self. Man becomes aware of his essential duality.

2. Uranus—Occult consciousness or that intelligent, fusing condition which produces the scientific at-one-ment of the two factors, higher and lower self, through the intelligent use of the mind.