INTRODUCTORY ESOTERIC ASTROLOGY

INTRODUCTORY ESOTERIC ASTROLOGY

CAPRICORN, Part I 2012

Labor of Hercules
Strangle Cerberus in Hades; Save Prometheus

Purity-Initiation-Two men attacked by cattle / strangles Cerberus / saves Prometheus [ saving coworker]
Strangles middle throat of Cerberus (sensations / desire / good intentions); Tail of Serpents is fear of failure.
All Sun Gods born in Capricorn go to Hell to save Humanity – intense suffering and loneliness.

Motto: Lost am I in light supernal, yet on that light I turn my back.
(Capricorn consummates the work of Scorpio)

Sound Judgment with Capricorn and Saturn

The Topic of Judgment — Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces

Scorpio — judgment from the factor of analysis, self-discipline, and self-possession
Sagittarius — judgment arising from capacity for broad view and participation from ring-pass-not of extent of individual’s magnetic field, facilitating the factor of synthesis through inclusiveness, engagement, and principle of cooperation subordinating essential competition – with one’s limitations
Capricorn — judgment deriving from practical reasoning in regard to Knowing Oneself (one’s present ‘place/space’ and limitations) through the ring-pass-not of planetary and social-system (national) laws and constraints. This enables one to be intelligently pro-active, intrepid and daring, initiating a new cycle of effort and struggle that will turn obstacles into opportunities. Karma is the Will-to-Action for the purpose of Equilibration. Karma is a law and principle. It is not an excuse as perceived in the barbarian West.
Aquarius — judgment arising from a wide grasp of planetary societal forms and norms, enabling one to recognize one’s peers and colleagues, and organize optimal teams for innovative projects and inclusive social program promotion. It involves not only reform and programs of social betterment in the context of human evolution. It brings in the factor of Synthesis in terms of intrepid ingenuity and paradigm shift.
Pisces — judgment arising from a deep esoteric understanding of the relation of the factors of Ignorance and the Unconscious, individual and collective. The Unconscious and Ignorance are factors to be recognized and utilized in work with the masses and mass instinctive consciousness, taking genetic (4th Hse), subconscious (8th Hse) and planetary unconscious (12th Hse) social forms, dilemmas, and crises.

The Esoteric Astrologer and Sound Judgment with Capricorn and Saturn

All the planets of the chart represent lessons in the University of Life and of the World. However, Saturn gives the clearest key to lessons one has with the structure and limitations of one’s own character, and with the status-quo social Contract or Establishment within which one must function. Its sign placement provides the key to the individual secret of using obstacles as stepping stones in ascending the mountain of one’s life and work in the world. It has to do with

When analyzing or assessing the individual chart, I first look at Ascendant, Sun and Moon for super-, self-, and sub-conscious factors — soul/triad, personality, and subconscious goals. The basic drive and subconscious goals of the reptilian part of the brain cannot be ignored in the fight of the threefold brain with Instinct. It is ancient and knows how to survive and “win” and is the dragon who must be worked with and eventually “slain” as it is integrated into higher states. This little ‘dragon’ is as precious as the jewel it holds, as it governs the resilience and perpetuation of the form –longevity– with which one is enabled to work on earth in a physical body. It is in struggle with the lunar dragon that we discover how to minimize and master the Fires by Friction which are all-pervasive in the Three Worlds and wear out the form or lead to premature cessation of the soul’s and spirit’s projects in the reincarnating world.

Then I look at the Three Crosses and particularly the Cross the Sun inheritance is trapped in. Is the Fixed or Cardinal sign living its life conditioned on the Mutable Cross, or is the Mutable sign working and focused on the Fixed or Cardinal Cross, etc. The three Sign Rulerships are helpful here.

Next I look at Saturn as the most obvious key to Karma, as it is the most productive in terms of the individual living a life of light, beauty and achievement, even though Pluto rules collective karma and Mars ‘critical’ (vs. ‘chronic’) Karma. All the planets represent lessons we must learn in life on earth, that is, while in incarnation. But Saturn represents the lessons of long-term karma we have constructed in our interaction (Action) with the world of Form as well as the changing Form of the World in a more inclusive sense. While Saturn brings structure, it also brings limits and obstacles, lessons, and tests of what is learned from these lessons. Saturn and Jupiter work in tandem to cultivate wisdom — Jupiter stretching limits with goals, dreams and motivation to expand one’s territory of consciousness and experience. Jupiter, or Guru, is an inner teacher. Saturn rules the lessons we must learn in order to live well in the Three Worlds and therefore examining its lesson is a more productive way for the esoteric astrologer to be an agent of mercy for the ‘prisoner of the planet’ whose chart he is studying.

No matter what the individual’s ruling planet is –and that can be difficult to identify– Saturn is the ruler of all who live within the seven planes of the solar permanent atom “within which we live, move and have our being.” Understanding and working intelligently with love on karma and Fire by Friction is the most merciful way of addressing the client. Secondarily one must address his immediate crisis in the light of Karma, karma which is Action aimed toward equilibrium, self-possession and poise.

Next, I would examine Mercury-Venus-Mars (with the Moon/brain) to see the development, focus and degree of coordination of the mind and brain, and their limitations/problems vs. capacity for Vision and opportunities — in other words the mind/brain’s complexes. These three planets are examined by Nodal, Heliocentric, and Heliocosmic (conjunction and opposition only) placements on the orthodox natal positions.

Once one has examined these basic structures of the chart, the three planetary rulers are the key to unlocking the basic functioning and ‘Process’ of the chart. Most beginning esoteric astrological students are fascinated with these threefold rulerships, like I was, because it is a new and profound study to learn and absorb, but can be counterproductive without first assessing the overall structure of the chart’s basic factors.

Working with humans, in terms of Service, is a daunting challenge. There is a natural and automatic resistance (conscious or unconscious) which forces a give-and-take dialogue and a demand for clarification. There is a need to quickly grasp the individual’s mode of learning and assimilation, a need to avoid giving ‘advice’ beyond observation in order to further avoid a sticky codependence in interaction. Saturn provides these challenges to both the esoteric astrologer and client/colleague. The capacity to clearly ‘outwit’ Karma does not stabilize until after the third initiation.

Sagittarius judgment involves Aim, Balance, Tension, Poise, Timing — balance and poise on the Plains of Earth.
Capricorn Wisdom involves Construction / intelligent demolition / reconstruction
Aquarius accomplishes this on a group, club/cabal, or ‘society’ level.

Saturnian Judgment in Time


R1	Ist CH	Sun veiling Uranus/Vulcan/Pluto — Uranus	7-yr quadrants x 3 = 21 x 4 = 84
R2	IInd CH	Jupiter	7 x 12 signs (c.11 years) = 84
R3	IIIrd CH	Saturn	7 x 12 = 28 years x 3 = 84

SATURN CYCLE — Cycles of increasing self-discipline, self-control, self-possession, and renewed effort at benevolent conditioning of the environment, resisting Resistance itself and the conditioning of one’s spiritual work or mission.
Sun-Uranus is the Spirit. Saturn is the Form through which Spirit contacts and transforms the Three Worlds.
Saturn cycles bring crystallization in the constructed form that spirit must shatter (personality) or transform (soul) before a “renewed cycle of Effort” can take place.


1st	1-7		physical self-possession
2nd	7-14		emotional self-possession
3rd	14-21		mental self-possession
4th	21-28		personality self-possession
5th	28-35	1st Return	integrated personality locates work in world (IDs individualized environment)
6th	35-42		individual throws self into work with ambition or aspiration/vision (higher astral)
7th	42-49		7 centers integrated into working relationship of consciousness and environment (manas)
8th	49-56		8 chakras on the mental plane assoc. with throat center (2nd soul ray – the ‘egoic’ ray)
9th	56-63	2nd Return	9 triadal combinations (108) associated with ajna center (1st soul-group ray)
10th	63-70		3 centers in head transfer lower 7 chakras into 7 head centers
11th	70-77		7 head centers transfer major work to inner planes
12th	77-84		One individual integrates into planetary heart/head center, the Hierarchy/Shambhala
13th	84-91	3rd Return	opportunity for occultly blending R1 and R2 work with R3 world at large
14th	91-98		Increasing focus on the Inner Life and Work
15th	98-105		Increasingly subtle refinement of one’s prior work in the world — a pentimento
16th	105-112		Increasing potential impact on the world at large due to its focused attention on ‘you’
17th	112-119	4th Return	Keep on going on…
18th	119-126
19th	126-133
20th	133-140

From the above it can be seen that modern societies are given the chance of completing at least 12 cycles under the influence of Uranus and the Sun. For those born with Pluto in Leo, they will have experienced a Pluto opposition to their natal Pluto at around 84 years (of a c.251-year orbit), since Pluto’s perihelion is at mid-Scorpio. The opposite is true with those born with Pluto from Scorpio to Taurus. This is an interesting confirmation of the nature of the Taurus-Scorpio horizontal and Leo-Aquarius vertical arms of the Fixed Cross.

Taurus-Scorpio-Sagittarius rule the 4th Ray cultivating Intuition, associated with Mercury and essential nature of Humanity as a unit.
It mobilizes the individual and collective will to destroy limitation.
Leo-Aquarius-Sagittarius rule the 5th Ray cultivating the Factor of Analysis, intelligent Love, and the intelligent ‘placement’ of Love.
It is the will to work intelligently on all planes.

Capricorn and Planetary Humanity

As the Heavenly Man (soul on the cosmic buddhic plane) of the planetary Logos (logoic monad) takes incarnation in the Lesser Heavenly Man in incarnation (soul, personality, physical body), Humanity as causal bodies on the mental plane form his etheric and ‘gross’ physical body. The planetary physical system expresses the planetary ‘Personality’ and Anima Mundi aspects.

As regards Earth, Monad-Soul-Personality are expressed through Rays 1-2-3. Venus, the Soul of Earth, associated with Ray 5 is expressing the Ray 2 Sun and Ray 2 planetary Soul aspect (Pisces-Virgo-Gemini).

As regards Humanity, the predominating notes are Ray 4 (Sagittarius-Taurus-Scorpio) moving toward Ray 2 (Pisces-Virgo-Gemini). There is also the larger Piscean Age cycle of 500,000 years to consider. In the Piscean Age (and perhaps even earlier), Humanity’s collective ‘Personality’ was governed by Ray 3 (Capricorn-Libra-Cancer). In the Aquarian Age the ‘Personality’ aspect is ruled by Ray 5 (Aquarius-Leo-Sagittarius). Here, on Humanity’s “personality” level, we have a sequence of Sagittarius – Capricorn – Aquarius – (Pisces). This parallels the sequence of IVth Creative Hierarchy, Vth CH, VIIth CH, and Ist Liberated Hierarchy — Aquarius and Pisces (VIIth & Ist) representing that portion of Humanity undergoing the 4th initiation union of base and head centers on behalf of the planet, the Lesser Heavenly Man (in the 500K-year cycle). The next Precession Age will be ruled by Capricorn (Saturn and Venus).

With a Ray 5 (Venus) Personality associated with Aquarius (Aquarius-Leo-Sagittarius), Saturn will have a very different role to play with regard to Humanity. It brings the possibility that Humanity as a collective unit is about to become Self-Conscious though the means of individual group-consciousness. This is entirely distinct from the instinctive mass consciousness of human animal (baboon-hierarchy) society which, from a higher planetary resource perspective, temporarily resembles a situation of rapidly multiplying ‘1st world’ banana slugs taking over the garden variety. One key to the nature of Aquarius (highs and lows) and the Aquarian Age and its extremes in expression, is the Aquarius relation to Cancer — mass- versus group-consciousness. With Self-Consciousness (Leo), the Gardener as Human Host will come into His Own as benevolent husbandman of Nature (and the four lower kingdoms in nature).

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).