INTRODUCTORY ESOTERIC ASTROLOGY

INTRODUCTORY ESOTERIC ASTROLOGY

GEMINI 2008

Labor of Hercules
Golden Apples of the Hesperides

Fails to recognize Nereus, messenger of his Teacher; lifts Hundred-headed Serpent Antaeus off earth and into air; frees himself from Busiris son of Neptune for Nereus son of Neptune; he turns aside from his search to free Prometheus from vultures; forgets his search to lift world’s burden from Atlas

Motto: I recognize my other self and in the waning of that self I grow and glow.
(Gemini moves towards Libra)

This Gemini period is exceptionally powerful. The New Moon of 6/2 is conjunct the north node of Uranus. Mercury conjuncts the Sun on 6/7 and Venus the Sun on 6/9. The Full Moon of 6/18 is conjunct Polaris, the guide star which helps humanity orient itself to the universe and to the divine nature within.

Gemini is one of the deepest signs of the zodiac for Humanity because its basic impulses are inspired by a pure sense of brotherhood, pure love, and the greater family of humanity.

Gemini is often found when the Soul wakes up to its distinction from common personality concerns. This means it wakes up to the difference between Quality and Quantity, between Spirit and Form

Gemini and Ideation are rooted in Being. The visionary must become the master of action. This takes place by merging knowledge and wisdom, basically leaping from peak to peak, instead of traveling the “broad and common road which leads to death.” Be-ness or Being without ideation or visualization would make knowledge, wisdom and creation impossible. Ideas are spiritual impulses taking form. For many rank intellectuals, knowledge is gained from amassing forms. But with no true ideation, humanity would be reduced to role-playing puppets, social mechanisms, clattering skeletons and slaves. As someone once said, “understanding is the application of knowledge in the light of wisdom to the problems of life.” The problems, difficulties and obstructions in our lives are our best and most immediate opportunities (Saturn).

In Gemini, buddhi or compassion demands that belief and mystical vision are turned into goals, achievements and manifestation. Compassion, or bodhicitta, is sometimes referred to as “pure reason.” The Hindu name for Mercury is Budhi, Who “comprehends extremes and relates them divinely to each other.” Humanity always has the choice of purification through War (Mars) or through Vision (Mercury). The advanced Gemini, or the human soul, always chooses Vision. But Mars or Action must serve that Vision.

Hercules faced five tests to attain the golden apples of the Sun, held by the three graces in the Isles of the Hesperides. The first test he failed, which was taking the hints from Nereus (the Mercurial messenger of his true Teacher, his Soul), and running with them. Hercules was blind. Nereus could not violate free will, and could only offer hints from his own store of wisdom, which Hercules failed to recognize.

The second test was lifting the giant serpent guarding the Tree of Life which held the golden apples into the air and off the face of the earth, to assert the power of spirit over form — and recognize that within himself.

The third test was to reject the false or worldly teacher who only mastered persuasion and could only pretend to offer Hercules something real, outside Hercules’ own spirit and soul. All Busiris had to offer Hercules was a weakening of his free will, regret at time lost, and an incremental gain in spiritual perspective.

The fourth test was perseverance and self-forgetfulness out of compassion, driving the vultures from the liver (or solar plexus gut-brain lower psychism) of Prometheus, who was being punished by jealous gods for giving Fire to Humanity. In this test, Hercules began to see the difference between his own desire to gain the (spiritual) golden apples, and spiritual will inspired by love — in other words the difference between desire and spiritual will, period.

The fifth test was taking on the burden of Atlas – the entire world – which resulted in Atlas giving Hercules the golden apples without his having to ask for them. In this test Hercules passed from obsession with his own solar angel and began to practice the divine Presence.

The Labor of Hercules in Gemini was the only test that was planetary in scope and left Hercules to create his own opportunities. In other words, this Masonic test between the pillars of earth and heaven was that of the Risen Master. The solar apples were three, and represented perseverance in Love, Service and the spiritual will-power to Tread the Path.

Inspiration: Alice A. Bailey, Esoteric Astrology, and her 24 books on esoteric philosophy. NY: Lucis Publishing Company – website (http://www.lucistrust.org/en/publications_store).
Source: H.P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Centennial facsimile ed. Los Angeles. Theosophical University Press, 1988.