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Soul and Spirit express themselves through substance.
Introduction to Our 12 Zodiacal Deities
We live in a swirling sea of magnetic forces, smaller fields contained within even greater fields, expanding throughout infinity. As our understanding increases, a new picture of the universe emerges ~ one of vast cosmic interdependence and connectedness. From first cosmic dawning to the last electron's feeble light, the whole universe is a complex of coils within coils, spirals within spirals, magnetic fields within magnetic fields.
The stars are interconnected with each other, all flowing along magnetic field lines, the arteries of the galactic body. The galaxy's coiled field lines diverge into intergalactic space where they ultimately connect to other galaxies. Do these tendrils of energy act as the nervous system of the universe, relaying information from star to star, galaxy to galaxy, on and on?
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Zodiacal Deities examines the conditioning effects upon humanity by the specialized and quite unique energies of the star groups comprising the zodiac. We hold these star groups to be conscious, living entities in whose greater bodies we reside.
Traditionally the zodiac is described as the imaginary path of the sun through the heavens. This path "exists" only from our earth's perspective. If you were observing the path of our sun from another planet or body in space, our sun would appear to be "traveling through" different constellations at different times of the year, to be on an entirely different path through the heavens. This path is largely an illusion but at the same time the 12 zodiacal constellations do exist as great beings, and the streams of energy which pass and repass, intermingle and interlock throughout space are by no means illusions. They express eternal cosmic relationships.
The science of astrology is a study of the interlocking forces of all the 12 constellations as they pour into and through all the kingdoms in nature, carrying with them also their own individual qualities as well as those of the seven rays, focussed through the sacred and non-sacred planets of our solar system ~ the discovered and undiscovered planetary Lives. The vision of these powers and their many weaving lines, seen as rivers and streams of light, is given to the initiate from the mountaintop of Capricorn, once that summit is reached.
As the various energies and forces circulate throughout the etheric body of our solar system ~ itself a Great Being ~ their effects depend on the state of the planetary centers, and upon the point of unfoldment of the centres within the individual planets themselves. Those great zodiacal entities who qualify life as we know it imprint their frequencies or harmonic resonance on the various vehicles that comprise a human being.
Water of life am I, poured forth for a thirsty world.
The constellation Aquarius is one of supreme importance to our solar system at this time, for it is the sign into which our sun is rapidly moving ~ and with each passing decade its influence gains momentum and potency. It is largely related to the changes now taking place in our world, particularly towards group consciousness, focus and service. And because it is an air sign, its influence is all pervasive and inter-penetrating.
Our earth will fully enter the 2300-year cycle known as the Aquarian Age in the next few hundred years, and meanwhile we've begun to feel this new age approaching, heralding illumination and the establishment of order upon our home planet. Aquarian illumination comes in the form of realizing humanity’s essential unity and recognizing the processes of sharing and cooperation to assist all of humankind. Soul awareness developed in Capricorn becomes the working reality for the Water Bearer, and with these the true hallmarks of those aligned with Soul ~ group consciousness, selfless service and self-sacrifice.
Aquarius governs the blood system and its circulation. By means of the blood, the life force is distributed throughout the entire human body. It is symbolic of the task of the liberated Aquarian who dispenses spiritual life throughout the human kingdom.
Aquarius and the Fixed Cross
Aquarius is intricately linked to its position on the Fixed Cross, the cross of discipleship, named esoterically the Cross of Transmutation. It is related to the process of desire becoming aspiration, and selfishness transforming into selflessness. A crisis of reorientation occurs on this cross of soul unfoldment wherein the great initiation dealing with the Christ consciousness occurs, held as the third initiation to the personality yet from the perspective of soul, as the first initiation.
While the subsequent two initiations take place on the Cardinal Cross, in the preceding sign of Capricorn, initiation on the Fixed Cross occurs in Aquarius. This cross is where integration with its opposite ~ Leo, the sign of individual unfoldment, self-expression and assertiveness ~ happens. For the person on the Mutable Cross, as the interplay goes on between Leo and Aquarius, there comes a deepening of all qualities and the superficialities disappear until ~ on the reversed wheel ~ the intensive self-consciousness of Leo expands into the group awareness of Aquarius. The individual becomes the universal, losing their personal identity in the good of the whole, yet retaining their spiritual identity.
Aquarius and Initiation
What is initiation? It is an achievement and an attained success of the soul which has at last succeeded in dominating the personality and in manifesting its true nature and character, despite the personality and the antagonism of the individual, intent upon their own purposes. It is literally the attainment of certain desired objectives, towards which the units of the spiritual kingdom in nature have been working for aeons, and expresses the end of the enforced task of sacrifice and planetary service. For humans this achievement reaches its goal at the third initiation and from that time on the individual, liberated and free, serves from free choice and as a soul, conscious of intent and purpose upon the physical plane.
Indeed, the truth about initiation is that "initiators initiate." This is why they are known as initiates! In the Aquarius labor of Hercules, he volunteered to clean the royal stables of Augeas upon noting the blighting pestilence caused by the stench of the stables. Hercules literally "rose to the occasion."
Thusly the Aquarian is consecrated to group service and to the welfare of humanity. The average well-meaning Aquarians upon the common or Mutable Cross, for instance, will be faithful employees, adherents and workers in some firm or business within whose limits all their interests are confined and to whose welfare all they have is consecrated. Whereas upon the Fixed Cross this consecration to others expands to world service.
The energy which produces opportunity, illumination, and love of all humanity, as expressed and attained upon the Fixed Cross, demonstrates upon the Mutable or common Cross as difficulty, the versatile and volatile mind, unstable and dark, and as sex.
This demonstration appears clearly in the words relating to the person upon the Mutable Cross as they pass through an Aquarian cycle, "And the Word said, let desire in form be ruler." For desire becomes knowledge gained, and the knowledge of that which is hidden at any stage upon the path of evolution relates the individual to Uranus. So when the person is upon the Fixed Cross, the words come forth, "Water of life am I, poured forth for a thirsty world."
No planet is exalted in Aquarius and no planet falls in this sign, because the true Aquarian has reached a point of balance. The pairs of opposites no longer hold them, but instead are used for spiritual ends. No longer hindered by the earth of Capricorn and the water of Pisces, the tests of both incarnation and initiation have been passed ~ the worker now stands free, distributing energy and life, as symbolized by the two wavy lines in the Aquarius symbol.
Yet the sun (the physical sun, ruling planet of Aquarius's opposite, Leo) is lessened in its power in Aquarius. And in Aquarius, the initiate consummates all that has been achieved in Leo through the influence of the sun. When the third initiation has been undergone, the light of the personality has been "put out" or dimmed by the light of the greater sun, the soul.
Planetary Influences
Planetary influences are unusually potent in Aquarius during this world cycle because it is, in a peculiar way, a culminating sign for the majority of people who proceed from Aries to Pisces upon the Fixed Cross. The bulk of the world initiates climax their experience in Aquarius and become liberated world servers; they turn their backs upon all further progress for themselves in this cycle and on all satisfaction of their own spiritual aspiration to become carriers of the water of life to humanity.
As Uranus rules Aquarius, the influence of the seventh ray of Ceremonial Magic and Ritual is strong here. Uranus bestows innate spontaneous activity, and this produces evolutionary development ~ both natural and spiritual. It is the urge to better conditions. The seventh ray brings into expression on the physical plane the major pairs of opposites ~ spirit and matter ~ and relates them to each other, producing eventually one functioning whole.
The other ruling planets of Aquarius are Jupiter (esoteric) and the moon (hierarchical). Jupiter influences develop the second ray of Love-Wisdom in the power to pour out love and wisdom on earth. The fourth ray of Harmony through Beauty and Art, as presented by way of the moon, indicates our field of service on planet earth and the mode of attaining the goal, that of conflict and struggle in order to reach harmony and thus to express fully all truly human characteristics.
Service is its own reward.
It is interesting to note that during the time we say the sun is in Pisces, each year from approximately February 20 to March 19, due to the precession of the equinoxes, and from the earth's perspective, the sun is actually traversing the zodiacal constellation Aquarius. With this consideration, we invite you to review the SouledOut.org materials on Aquarius freshly, from this perspective.
Credit
for information and synthesis:
The collected volumes of writings by Alice A. Bailey,
specific reference here to Esoteric
Astrology, p. 134–153
and The
Labours of Hercules, p. 180–194
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To read the pages from The Labours of Hercules in their entirety, click here
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Artwork: adapted from Urania's Mirror, London, c. 1825