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Esoteric Astrology - The Nature of Esoteric Astrology - Spiritual Effects of the Zodiacal Constellations
Uranus - 7th Ray of Ceremonial Magic - God the Father. He who relates. The Source of Duality. He who perceives the end from the beginning. Spiritual consciousness. Intuition to Inspiration [248] Venus - 5th Ray of Mind - God the Son. The Son of Mind. He who includes. Egoic consciousness. Intellect to Intuition. Saturn - 3rd Ray of Intelligence - God the Holy Spirit. He who knows. Mind. Human Consciousness. Instinct to Intellect. It is for this basic reason - founded upon the above triple relationship - that Libra is the "point of balance" in the zodiac. In most of the other constellations, at some stage or other, there comes a "point of crisis" wherein the effect of the energy pouring through the sign (via the ruling planets) to man is at its highest point of effectiveness. This in time precipitates the crisis which is required to release the man from the planetary influences which condition his personality and bring him more definitely and consciously under the influence of the sign of the zodiac. But in Libra there is no such point of crisis any more than there is in Aries. There is only the interlude of balance as a prelude to a more effective and sensitive progress upon the path. It is the same in Aries. As it is esoterically said: "Before creation, silence and the stillness of a focused point." This applies to both Aries and Libra - the one in a cosmic and creative sense and the other in an individual and progressive evolutionary sense. The following planets and their rays govern the Cardinal Cross of which Libra is one of the points: Mars - 6th Ray - Idealism, Devotion, Struggle. Mercury - 4th Ray - Harmony through Conflict. Uranus - 7th Ray - Ceremonial Order, Law or Magic. Venus - 5th Ray - Concrete Knowledge or Science. Saturn - 3rd Ray - Active Intelligence. Neptune - 6th Ray - Idealism, Devotion, Struggle. [249] Here we have six planets and five rays of energy and the expression of the two lines of spiritual energy; Love-Wisdom in two of the rays and planets, and three of the rays and planets upon the first major stream of energy, will or power. You will note how three of these rays definitely predispose the Libran subject to concrete understanding, to intelligent will and to knowledge: the first ray (functioning through the 3rd and 5th rays) the fifth ray and the third ray. Hence the effectiveness of Libra upon the physical plane and the power of the developed Libran to project the inner spiritual purpose or intended will into physical expression. An instance of a person, equipped to do this, can be seen in H. P. Blavatsky. In this sign, Saturn is exalted for - at the point of balance - opportunity comes and a situation is staged which makes a choice and a determination inevitable. It is a choice which has to be made intelligently and upon the physical plane, in the waking brain consciousness. It is only now that the full purpose and the work of Saturn for humanity can reach a point of group usefulness, for it is only now that humanity has reached a point of general and widespread intelligence which can make any choice a definite conscious act, entailing responsibility. Prior to the present time, only a few pioneering disciples and a handful of intelligent people could be regarded as freely choosing at the "point of balance" the way that they intend "to tip the scales." Today, there are countless numbers and hence the intense activity of Saturn as we enter into the first decan of Aquarius and hence the same activity because humanity itself now stands upon the probationary path. This, Libra governs and controls, therefore the path of choices, of deliberately applied purificatory measures and the turning point [250] before Scorpio, which governs the path of discipleship, can properly play its part. The power of Mars is lessened in Libra; this is the sign of interlude and Mars is temporarily quiescent, prior to gathering his forces for a renewed effort in Scorpio or for the "quickening" of the spiritual life in Virgo, according to which way the wheel is turning for the man. The Sun "falls" in this sign because again neither the personality nor the soul dominates in the man who is a pure Libran; a balance is achieved and thus they esoterically "tune each other out." Neither the voice of the personality nor of the soul is heard particularly but, as the Old Commentary puts it, "a gentle oscillation now proceeds. No strident note is heard; no violent coloring of the life affects (I know not how else to translate the original phrases) and no upsetting of the chariot of the soul." The significance of the place of the planets in this sign will emerge clearly in your consciousness when you study them with care and the meaning of Libra will become definitely formulated in your mind. The characteristics of this sign are not easy to define or comprehend because they are in reality the synthesis of all past qualities and achievements and any clear presentation of the pairs of opposites is difficult to get. As regards man upon the probationary path or upon the verge of treading it, it might be said that his characteristics and qualities in this sign are: Balance of the Opposites in Libra Fickleness and variability - A secure and settled position. Imbalance - Balance. Bias. Prejudice - Justice. Judgment. Dull stupidity - Enthusiastic wisdom. Untrue, showy outer form life - True correct expression. Intrigue - Straightforward conduct. Materialistic attitudes - Spiritual attitudes. [251] It is the balancing between the pairs of opposites which makes the man in Libra sometimes difficult to understand; he appears to vacillate but never for long and often unnoticeably, for there is always the final balancing of the qualities with which he is equipped. The rulers of the decanates in this sign are again dual in their presentation by different schools of astrologers. Sepharial gives us the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter, whilst Alan Leo posits the controlling planets as Venus, Saturn and Mercury. In this case, as in some others, the truth lies between the two or in a combination of both. The true rulers of the decanates in Libra are Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury. I need not enlarge upon their effect except to point out that the result of the Jupiterian influence is to "open the door of the womb" in Virgo - a planet which we shall consider when we study that sign of the zodiac, which is our next undertaking. The words or keynotes of this sign are so dear and plain that any elucidation of mine would serve but to confuse the issue. They speak straight to the heart and without obscurity. To the average man with no developed spiritual consciousness, the word goes forth again and again throughout the aeons: "And the Word said: Let choice be made." The response eventually comes back as a result of the evolutionary process and from the soul: "I choose the way which leads between the two great lines of force."
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