1. Leo, Capricorn and Pisces.

The effects produced are mass effects and the Rulers of these constellations which move into activity at this time are those listed in one of the earlier tabulations which I gave you.

Leo.—Ruler: The Sun, veiling Uranus, the planet of occultism, and that which governs group relations, organisations and the eleventh House. It relates the Leo influence to Aquarius.

Capricorn.—Ruler: Venus, governing the second House, which is concerned with economics, the distribution of money and metals and which rules Taurus, the "seed house" of illumination and the new emerging light. Venus also rules Libra exoterically and the seventh House wherein enemies are recognised and unions and friendships achieved.

Pisces.—Ruler: Pluto, governing the eighth House, the house of death, of dissolution, of detachment and ruling Scorpio, the sign of testing and of discipleship.

This tabulation and its inferred relationships warrant careful study in the light of modern affairs and the present world situation. From the angle of the ray energies involved and seeking to control human life, you have the influence of the seventh Ray of Ceremonial Law, Order and Magic, [539] the fifth Ray of Concrete Knowledge, or Science and the first Ray of Will unitedly bringing about fundamental changes, and ushering in the new era. This combination is terrifically potent and brings about the precipitation of inner forces, an increased activity of the lower mind and an outpouring of the Shamballa force—all three of which can be seen functioning in the field of the planetary life today as never before. The greater effect is produced owing to the greatly increased sensitivity of mankind, compared to the two other times in which (in cyclic evolution) these three constellations were active. The combination is seen demonstrating in human affairs today. It was responsible for the organisation which lay behind the World War—an organisation involving all three levels in the threefold world of human evolution and which affects also the three kingdoms in nature, climaxing in the fourth. It is responsible for the use of mental power on a vast scale, notably in the material sense as at present and for the achievement of human desire, plus the self-will of an evil few, who, because of the seeds of evil in their own nature, respond to the lower aspects of this force. It is also responsible for the steadily mounting will-to-good of the awakening many.

A close analysis of these constellations, their planetary rulers and the ray forces which these transmit will clarify the world issues in an amazing manner, plus an appreciation of the houses in which these effects will primarily be felt. The following brief tabulation may prove useful, even if it is only a repetition of that earlier said:

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The energies poured out, therefore, will be felt primarily in those aspects of human living which are influenced by the rulers of certain houses.

The seventh Ray of Ceremonial Order or Organisation is felt in the house of relationships, of organisations and of mutual effort and of aspiration (either towards good or evil). The forces of this ray work out on the seventh or physical plane—the plane whereon major changes in all forms are made and on which the disciple must firmly stand as he takes initiation.

This seventh ray sweeps into organised and directed activity the world of forces upon the outer sphere of manifestation, and produces the precipitation of Karma, which, in this case leads to:

1. The working out into expression of all the subjective evil of the life of humanity, thus producing the world war.

2. The initiation of the planetary Logos and—with Him—of all who take their stand upon the side of the Forces of Light. This takes various forms as far as humanity is concerned:

a. The initiation of the consciousness of the masses of men into the Aquarian Age, bringing them under the new influences and potencies, and enabling them to make a response of which they would not otherwise be capable.

b. The initiation of the aspirants of the world on to the Path of Accepted Discipleship.

c. The bringing about of certain major initiations in the case of those world disciples who are ready enough and strong enough to take them.

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In spite of the vast destruction everywhere, the work of the seventh ray is being increasingly felt; the destruction of the forces of evil is going on even though at great cost to the Forces of Light; simultaneously there is a regrouping and a rearrangement of human attitudes and thought; this is brought about as a result of the tremendous demand upon the world thinkers for direction and guidance. Thus the nebulous structure and the dim outlines of the New Age civilisation can already be seen.

The underlying spirit of freedom will triumph as it is organised into revolt against slavery. To this end, the seventh ray will increasingly make contribution.

Leo, the constellation in which the keynote is full self-consciousness, is becoming increasingly dominant. The issues involved in today's situation are becoming clearer in the minds of the masses of the people; they can and will act with full awareness and intentional conscious purpose when the right time comes and will understand the implications and the price involved in a manner not hitherto possible. Hence the meaning back of my reiterated statement that the issues and determinations of the present situation are in the hands of humanity itself. The "stars in their courses" will aid humanity or bring destruction, according to human determinations. Men can achieve liberty and organise for the New Age with its unique civilisation and constructive synthesis, or they can commit suicide (if I may speak symbolically) and hand over their immediate future to the forces of evil and of death. These work for the death of all the true values and of all for which the human spirit has fought.

The self-consciousness aspect of the human being is [542] being steadily expanded under this major interplay and through the forces transmitted by Uranus, via the eleventh house, and will ultimately give place to group consciousness and group relationships and group work. Hence the trend towards amalgamation today, towards federation, spheres of action and the many groups which distinguish increasingly human intercourse. The group spirit and the forms through which it will express itself are being increasingly demonstrated and this constitutes a veritable initiation for the race. It is the emergence of the glory of the human spirit in a more definite and arresting way and involves an orientation towards freedom which will later stand in the historical records as the outstanding characteristic of this age of major conflict. Humanity is today participating in the preparatory tests for initiation, the initiation of the world disciple. Great is your privilege to be taking part in this. Forget not that eleven is the number of the Initiate and that today it is the eleventh house which is so dominant; forget not that Aquarius, the eleventh sign, is the sign of universal relationships, interplay and consciousness. For all this, the combination of signs, Leo, Capricorn and Pisces—is preparing the race.

The evil men who guided the destiny of Germany talked of world groups and of the European Order of Nations but it was a grouping around Germany as the centre and for the selfish interests of Germany. The grouping which is a part of the divine Plan is not around any one nation but a grouping based on the ideal of brotherhood, on the will-to-good and on the freedom of the whole. One expresses a selfish materialistic distortion and the other a spiritual objective.

Capricorn is related, as you have been told, to initiation; [543] it is also the sign of the coming world Saviour and these higher aspects of the Capricornian influences can be potently demonstrated if humanity so wills it and will take advantage of the Venusian influence to use the mind as the reflector of soul purpose. If this does not take place, the present situation will turn into something far worse—a situation wherein the mass of men will be "re-initiated into the Earth and forced to turn their backs upon the dawning light." A dark period of civilisation will ensue. Instead of the dark cave of initiation wherein the light of the initiate's own nature illumines the darkness and so demonstrates his command of light, the dark cave of materialism and of physical, animal control will take the place of the "lighted Way." The earthy aspect of Capricorn, the lowest concrete aspect of the mind and an increased control by the Taurian spirit in its worst form will take the place of the divine possibility of entrance into greater light, the manifestation of the soul nature and the recognition of the "light which is found in the eye of the Bull."

Such are the possibilities confronting the world of men today; the issue is dependent upon the final triumph of the Forces of Light (working through the Allied nations) or on the control of the forces of materialism. Germany represented materialism in the West and Japan in the East. I would also add that those who in both nations (and there are many such) represent the "lighted Way" were so imprisoned in their environment and so dominated in their personalities by the thoughtform of their powerful rulers that for them right action was impossible. It is this thought which prompts the Hierarchy to renewed effort. The Forces of Light recognise and work for the spiritual good of all people, irrespective of their national relations. They are [544] working for the release of Germany from the glamour which descended upon her people. The Hierarchy makes a distinction between the bewildered mass, the wrongly educated youth and the obsessed leaders in all branches of the government. The latter are "shells," obsessed by evil entities and hence their dynamic, one-pointed potency, hence also their extreme skill and cunning, based on very ancient evil experience and hence also the well-nigh ludicrous falsity of their propaganda. They are the spirit of materialism embodied, devoid of all true feeling and perception, lacking the light of love and understanding, but powerfully animated by the energy of substance itself. It is time that men woke up to the nature of these beings who sought (under the present grouping of constellations) to enslave the race. The earthly influence of Capricorn made their activity possible; they themselves have been evoked out of their evil past by the material side of humanity itself and the potency of the massed selfishness of mankind. In like manner, the Forces of Light can be evoked in tremendous potency but only by the massed aspiration and spiritual desires of the peoples of the Earth. Of this evocation, there are already signs.

The Venusian influence—as you will have noted—brings in likewise the influences of Libra. You find today a cycle wherein an appropriate balance or point of equilibrium has been brought about which is a correspondence to the great point of balance on the Path of Involution when spirit and matter balanced each other, making the upward arc of evolution the next possible step. This time the balancing is on mental levels; in the earlier crisis, it was on the physical plane. This point of equilibrium is to humanity, to the Sons of Mind, what the earlier point of crisis was to the planetary [545] Logos. This is a fact to be remembered and given due place in your thinking. The problem to be solved is: Which aspect of humanity will finally triumph and so disturb the balance by achieving dominance—spirit or matter, soul or personality? Such is the nature of these points of crisis. As in the planetary crisis, if spirit should triumph, a new feature, function or quality of divinity will begin to manifest—the highest mind. In the human crisis, the same thing is possible. If the spirit of man triumphs, then the aspect of true love in its divine nature and with its group emphasis will be possible. Such are the issues involved.

To bring about the full presentation of the choice and to indicate the mode whereby the spirit of man can triumph, the influence of Pisces was called in or rather evoked. It is conditions which evoke, aided at times by voiced Words of Power on the part of the Hierarchy. Pisces, through its ruler, Pluto (ruling both the mass and the disciples esoterically), necessitated the triumph of death—not necessarily physical death—leading to the dissolution of the form of man. It is frequently the death or ending of old forms of civilisations which cyclically come and go; of religious teaching when it does not serve the need of the spiritual nature of the people (as is today the case); of educational processes which fail to educate the developing nature of man and serve only to delude and imprison. When I say this, I mean not the death of religion or of forms of thought. I refer here to death as the Great Releaser, which shatters the forms which are bringing death to that which is embodied. It is to this philosophic death in its lowest aspect that Germany has responded. The destruction of religion which Germany sought to bring about is not a prelude to the establishment of a better approach to divinity but the effort [546] to evoke the ancient gods, to deify the forms of matter and to make the state the supreme end of men's lives; the spirit of love and of individual right relations are not known—those relations which are so basically characteristic of the Kingdom of God.

The completely atheistic approach of Russia to the problem of religion at the time of, and during the period of, the revolution is much more sound than the German approach. The spirit of man in its essential divinity can be trusted to arise unhurt from the experience in answer to the call of the undying spirit. This call can sound forth clearly in a void and be evoked by time and circumstance—unopposed if the only difficulty with which it is confronted is the spirit of agnosticism and an attitude of questioning. But the imposition of the ancient myths in an effort to still the demand for truth and the carefully planned attack upon the Christ of the world is dangerous, evil, and will cause retrogression. Of these, the rulers of Germany were guilty. They did not succeed in quenching the spiritual life of the nation because religion in Germany was not corrupt as it was in Russia and needed not such a drastic purification. These are points which thinkers would do well to remember. In mystical Russia, the seeds of the spiritual life are emerging to fresh beauty and a triumphant religious ideal is on its way to manifest; in Germany, ancient crystallised forms of belief are met with something more ancient still and the combination of world dislike and decadent forms will make the lot of the German people one of great tragedy. In the consequent struggle for that which is spiritually alive and in the effort to regain belief in the realities of divine revelation, and in the determination to right the evil wrought by her rulers to the world, Germany may some day regain the expression of soul life. To this end, she must be first released [547] from evil rule and then aided to regain her spiritual standing.

Pluto, therefore, comes into full force and expression in order to stage the testings of the world disciple and to this end brings in the potency of Scorpio, the sign of discipleship. Under these influences, the death of forms must eventuate leaving the disciple free; the dissolution of old group structures of thought, embodying worn-out ideas and ideals must necessarily supervene; crystallised old forms must dissolve and disappear, but in their place the undying spirit—impressed by revelation and sensitive to the emerging new concepts of truth—will create the needed new forms of appropriate expression.

Such are the influences which today are dominating the world, finding expression according to the type of vehicle which reacts to their impact. The type of conscious response and resultant activity is—as the occultist well knows—dependent upon the quality of the vehicle which is receptive to the approach of any type of energy. The interplay of the energy and the vehicle then produces consciousness of some kind. This is a basic and unalterable law.

In the few things which I have been able to say anent these constellations and their relation to our planet at this time, I trust I have made clear and practical something which esoteric astrologers need unceasingly to grasp—the fact that once it has been established which constellations are at any one time influencing our Earth, which planets—exoteric and esoteric—are transmitting their influence and which rays are consequently active, it should be possible to prove then the fact of these distributed energies by the appearance upon Earth and among men of their appropriate results, and the expected response.

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