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An Astrological Mandala - Cycles of Transformation (Dane Rudhyar)
An Astrological Mandala - Cycles of Transformation (Dane Rudhyar)
AN ASTROLOGICAL
M AND ALA: THE CYCLE
OF TRANSFORMATIONS AND
ITS 360 SYMBOLIC PHASES
A reinterpretation of the Sabian symbols, presenting them as a contemporary American I CHING
ASTROLOGY
51200>
9 780394"719924
ISBN
D - 3 ^ - ? m E - l
U.S. $12.00
Can. $16.95
Dane Rudhyar
AN ASTROLOGICAL
M A N D A L A TheCycle
of Transformations a n d
Its 3 6 0 Symbolic Phases
Vintage Books
A Division of Random House
New York
in 1973
[BF1708.1.R835 1974]
ISBN 0-394-71992-1
133*5
73-14736
To SAM BERCHOLZ
in grateful appreciation
and friendship
D.R.
Contents
Introduction 3
PART ONE: THE INTERPRETATION OF LIFE CYCLES AS A
CLOSED SERIES OF ARCHETYPAL PHASES
L Symbols and the Cyclic Character of Human Experience g
2. The Sabian Symbols: Their Origin and Internal Structure 35
3. The Positive and Negative Approaches to Individual
Experience 35
PART TWO: A REFORMULATION IN DEPTH OF THE SABIAN
SYMBOLS
First Hmicycle: The Process of Individualization 49
Act I: Differentiation 49
x CONTENTS
SCENE FOUR: CONFIRMATION (TAURUS 16-30*) 80
SCENE FIVE: DISCOVERY (GEMINI 1-15") 89
SCENE SIX: EXTERIORIZATION (GEMINI 16-30*) 100
Act II: Stabilization 110
CONTENTS xi
AN ASTROLOGICAL
M A N D A L A T h e Cycle
of Transformations a n d
KS360 Symbolic Phases
Introduction
4 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
INTRODUCTION 5
and complete reinterpretation of the entire series of symbols,
considered as a cyclic and structured series which formalizes
and reveals the archetypal meaning of 360 basic phases of hu
man experience. Part One introduces the whole subject and
discusses the meaning of symbols when used in such a cyclic
frame of reference and in relation to a structured process of
growth in consciousness. Part Three discusses in greater detail
the different ways in which this factor of structured unfbldment
can be analyzed and the quite extraordinary results which can
be produced by such an analysis.
The book ends with considerations of the use to which this
series of Sabian symbols can be put for what might be called,
somewhat inaccurately, the purpose of "divination." The study
of what is involved in divinatory practices in itself could take up
an entire volume, especially as it challenges Western man's
concept of time. Here I can only touch upon a few basic points
and present a simple way in which the Sabian symbols can be
used to answer basic questions which baffle the ordinary con
scious mind.
In Marc Jones's version of the symbolic series, particularly
in the book published in 1953, the fact that each symbol refers
to one degree of the zodiac has been emphasized. It should be
clear, however, that the concept of symbolization of a cyclic
series of basic individual experiences within the context of our
modern society is not to be limited to the study of the meaning
of zodiacal degrees. The concept includes, but also transcends,
astrology.
While this text is most likely to be used mainly by people
interested in astrology and desirous of discovering, as it were,
a "new dimension" of astrological interpretation, its validity
reaches beyond such a use. The symbols can be applied to any
cycle of experience that can be conveniently divided into 360
phases. For instance, it could be used to interpret the cycle of
precession of the equinoxes, if one were absolutely sure when
this cycle began. It can be used with reference to the cycle of
daily motion of the Mid Heaven and Ascendant. Nevertheless,
the cycle of the yearthe tropical zodiacis the most natural
field for its application.
6 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
It is hardly necessary to add that this book leaves many
things unsaid concerning both the theory of symbolic series and
the interpretation of each of the 360 symbols. But to extend the
size of the volume would have been impractical and would
defeat the essential purpose of my writing. I can only hope that
in these pages the attentive reader and user of the symbols will
find, distilled into significant statements and consciousnessexpanding vistas, much of the harvest of a long and complex life
span of experience in manyfieldsof creative and philosophical
activitya life concerned with significance and understanding.
This is not a book for cursory reading, no more than is
Richard Wilhelm's translation of the texts and commentaries of
the I Ching. The material in it is to be used, to serve as a catalyst
to deepen thinking about individual experiences and their es
sential meaning. It is a book about MEANING. And a life with
out meaning is hardly worth living. The worth of an individual
indeed depends upon the meaning and the structural, archetyp
al character with which he endows all his acts, and as well his
feelings and his thoughts.
Part O n e
THE INTERPRETATION
O F LIFE C Y C L E S
A S A C L O S E D SERIES
OF ARCHETYPAL PHASES
l. Symbols a n d the
Cyclic Character
or H u m a n Experience
10 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
scientist may think they deal with mere facts, but these facts can
arouse many varied emotions. If they reach a collectivity of men
at special times their meaning can be magnified or distorted and
can radiate into many unforeseen directions. Einstein's formula
e = mc , refers to a mere fact of the atomic realm, but after
Hiroshima it became far more than a sign or a factual indication
of the objective relationship of energy to mass. It stood as a
symbol of the possible fate which the Western scientific mind
and technology had foisted upon mankind, incorporating an
immense variety of direct or indirect consequences, a constella
tion of emotions, such as pride, greed and fear. Indeed, a basic
question about the end value and moral implications of a certain
type of knowledge and of its unprotected and possibly prema
ture dissemination became implied in the fact-defining equa
tion. Einstein's objective discovery and the purely factual state
ment of it has become an extremely potent symbol of the state
of existence which mankind has reached todayand it is a cru
cial and potentially frightening as well as perhaps inspiring and
challenging state. As I stated in my recent book The Planetaria
zation of Consciousness*:
*Cf. My Humanistic Astrology series of booklets, particularly No. 1: "Astrology for New Minds."
fFor a thorough study of the mandala, the reader is referred to the
beautifully illustrated book Mandala (Shambala Publications, Berkeley, California, 1972) by Jos and Miriam Argiielles.
13 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
developed language is a collection of symbols; some of its words
go beyond merely representing entities, to expressing the char
acter of the relationship between entities, or the quality of an
activity (past, present, or future) and often its biological polarity
or gender. Algebra is a symbolic language which answers the
need for precise yet abstract and universal statements of rela
tionships; its formulas are actually more than mere statements
of fact, for they imply the existence of universal order and the
belief in permanent laws of nature and "constants."
All cultures depend on the use of symbols which are ac
cepted more or less consciously by the total community. Cul
tural institutions, and the arts and sciences of a fully developed
community, whemer/'primitive" or modern, constitute essen
tially complex and systematized organizations of symbols which
structure the behavior, basic feelings and thinking of the human
beings belonging to this culture. As the culture develops, ma
tures and decays, so do the symbols on which it rests and from
which its cohesive strength and vitality emerge.
number of men. They take events from the realm of the fortui
tous, the unprecedented, the unique and the incomprehensible
to the realm of "universals." The logical sequence of symbols
which one finds in all languages, in all scientific theories, in all
traditional art forms and in all religious rituals creates from the
seemingly chaotic, unpredictable and senseless facts of life pat
terns of order and meaning. A thousand events or personal
situations come to be seen as mere variations on a central
theme. The symbol depicts for us this one significant theme.
And the theme is part of a coherent sequence of similar chal
lenges, which acquire purpose through their interrelationship.
Expressed through symbols, life becomes condensed into a rela
tively few interrelated units of experience. Each unit is a con
centrate of the experiences of millions of people.
Today, we who have been molded by the Western tradition
usually think that there is for each of us an infinite variety of
possible experiences. What we experience is strictly our own;
14 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
I have discussed these ideas in The Planetarization of Consciousness, but they have to be restated briefly here because if
they are not understood and at least accepted as significant
hypotheses, the logical and philosophical foundation for the use
of cyclic series of symbolsas, for example, the I Ching and the
Sabian seriesloses all solidity. Indeed, the whole of astrology
rests philosophically on the basic idea that it is possible to refer
all the essential functions implied in the existence of an organized field of activity, and especially of a living organism, to ten
variables represented by the ten "planets" of modern astrology
(including the Sun and Moon). Astrology also claims that the
twelve Houses constitute archetypal classes of experiences
necessary for the development of a mature individual person,
and that the twelve signs of the zodiac refer to twelve basic
modes of "energy," or archetypal qualities of being, which es
sentially color any functional activity (i.e. planet) operating in
their fields. In these and related instances the basic idea is al
ways that we are living in an ordered and structured universe
which constitutes a "cyclocosmic" whole, which is finite. All
structuredfieldsof activity are finite, yet the existential events
and the possibilities of interrelationships are indefinitewhich
does not mean infinite!
We have been more or less accustomed to the idea that the
internal activities of any organism are limited and periodical.
We speak of the cycle of food metabolism, of blood circulation,
and in a broader sense of the cycle of activity of the endocrine
glands throughout a complete life cycle, from birth to death.
But we are usually unready to assume that the experiences of
the person as a whole are also limited and periodical; or, to put
it differently, to admit that there are only a certain number of
basic meanings to be gathered by a human being in his life
time, and that these meanings can be seen in terms of structural
and cyclic sequence.
Again, this does not mean that a person cannot experience
a great variety of events. He may have many thoughts and
experiences. But to experience events is one thing; to release
from them vital and creative meanings is another. What counts,
spiritually speaking, is the harvest of meanings a person is able
16 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
structuring is fundamentally dualistic. There are two life princi
ples operating in and through all human experiences: Yang and
Yinlight and darkness, positive and negative, Day-force and
Night-force, masculine and feniinine, "essence" and "life,"
"Logos" and "Eros," etcetera. These two polarities, combined
in a three-fold and six-fold pattern of interaction (or at three and
six "levels" of being) produce the eight permutations repre
sented by the trigrams of the I Ching, and the sixty-four hexa
grams (8 = 2 3 , and 6 4 = 2*. The next increase, 2 " , would be
4096).
18 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
20 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
conception of orderare searching for some kind of "revela
tion" with a superhuman and even superrational and supermental origin.
This is obviously the deepest reason for the present
popularity of astrology; for in the order of the cosmos the
uprooted consciousness hopes to find a solid frame of reference
from which new meaningsnew to himcan be derived.
These new meanings in turn can provide him with the yearnedfor inner security.
In this sense, astrology constitutes a cosmic type of oracle,
at least insofar as it is person-centered, referring to the prob
lems and the search for meaning of individual persons. The
"solar astrology" of popular magazines and newspaper columns
is oracular in that it is meant to convey to human beings, catego
rized according to the twelve Sun signs, general value judg
ments concerning the character of those responses to everyday
circumstances which would be most suited to their basic tem
peraments. The position of the planets in zodiacal signs and
their mutual relationships are believed to establish such value
judgments. That is to say, the state of the solar system at any
time is said to provide an oracular message to human beings
according to their Sun-sign relationship to the solar system.
Obviously such an oracle can at best be very general, and
unless it is formulated in very abstract termswhich then are
susceptible of an infinite variety of interpretationsit can be
ludicrous and meaningless for the individual. On the other
hand, the oracular potentiality of astrology becomes precisely
focused in what is called "horary astrology," for there a particu
lar individual at a precise moment demands the solution to a
particular problem. The pattern of the sky for that precise mo
ment requires a very complex type of interpretation, but tradi
tional rules are available to at least guide the interpretation.
We find the same type of situation whenever the I Ching
is asked for oracular pronouncements. The Sabian symbols can
serve the same function, even though so far the astrologers who
have made use of them have applied them almost exclusively to
giving a new dimension of meaning to the exact positions of the
planets and the angles in the charts erected for the birth mo-
22 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
We shall deal with these questions in the next chapter. But
i n closing this discussion it seems necessary to state that the
symbolic and holistic characterization of the 3 6 0 degrees of the
zodiac has nothing to do with the analytical and statistical at
tempts, which a number of astrologers have been making for
some time, to relate at least some degrees of the zodiac to
specific bio-psychological characteristics or tendencies and to
particular faculties or diseases. In these attempts the analytical
and would-be scientific astrologer is not concerned with mean
ing, but only with definite and standardized traits of human
nature, unusual or outstanding circumstances, or telluric
events. The entire procedure is existential and statistical, and
fundamentally it should not interest the individual person. Its
results can actually be most detrimental to the individual: for
instance, if in the degree characteristics of his Sun or Mars or
Ascendant he sees a degree of "suicide" or "insanity" or "con
sumption" or one showing "homicidal tendencies" or even
"homosexuality."
It should be evident to any psychologically alert and intelli
gent astrologer that such negative and, in several instances,
appalling characterizations might easily throw an insecure per
sonality off balance. Making them available to the average per
son surely has psychologically destructive potentialities. In fact,
such statistics should be altogether disregarded in any type of
person-centered astrology, for they cannot be taken as a basis
for an answer to any problem which an individual person may
seek to solve by way of astrology, including the fundamental
problems of "Who am
and "What am Iherefor?"Ifstatistics
seem to show that many people dying of tuberculosis have "ma
lefic" planets, or even the Sun and Moon on a particular degree
of the zodiac, it does not indicate in any way that a person with
Mars, Saturn or the Ascendant on that degree will contract
tuberculosis. Perhaps 65 percent of the persons having such a
natai configuration can be said to have developed TB; but even
if this were so, it tells nothing to an individual with this configu
ration, for he can just as well belong to the 35 percent who are
totally free from the disease.
The modern mind hypnotized by quantitative values and
24 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
redeeming acts are performed through the individual person
by a fbcalization of the whole universe. This is the "transper
sonal way" of which I have spoken for many years.* It is the way
of the symbolic life, which is not merely a life lived in "the
presence of God," but a life lived by the Divine within the
individual person as well as within the entire universe.
The mystic states: " I do not live. God lives me." But if this
is actually what takes place, he has become the Avatar of his
own Divinity, which is one with the divine Meaning of all ex
istence.
2. T h e Sabian Symbols:
Their Origin a n d
Internal Structure
After writing this chapter I came across a published long letter by Marc
Edmund Jones in which he explains what led to the production of the Sabian
symbols, and describes the manner in which they were obtained. This letter
is reproduced in the Appendix (p. 387).
26 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
Diego. She was a lovely woman, crippled by arthritis and
confined to a wheelchair when I saw her. She was a clairvoyant
medium and had a remarkable ability to "see" symbols, a talent
which made it possible to help clients who came to see her. This
is true of many clairvoyants of this type, but she proved to have
the ability to a spectacular degree.
In the morning of a certain day, Marc Jones took Miss
Wheeler in his car to the San Diego park and stopped in a quiet
place. He had with him a pack of 360 small index cards; each
card was blank except for a very small, hardly visible marking
at the extreme top right corner indicating a zodiacal sign and
degree: for example, Aries 1, Aries 2, Aries 3 , etcetera. Marc
Jones then began to shuffle the cards thoroughly, and kept
shuffling them throughout the operation. He then took one card
at random, and without looking at the small marking, so that
neither he nor Miss Wheeler could know which zodiacal degree
was noted on it, asked her what she saw. Apparently a scene
flashed to her inner vision; she described it quickly and Marc
Jones made a brief pen notation of what she said. These nota
tions are reproduced exactly in Marc Jones's book. I saw the
original pack of 360 cards in 1936 when I was working on the
chapter on Sabian symbols for my book The Astrology of Person*
ality.
28 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
An eonic consciousness is a consciousness able to perceive,
at once and as a whole, a complete cycle of existence in which
each phase of the structural process is in its own place of destiny
(dharma) for the actualization of one of a great number of innate
potentialities. The Eon is the cycle-as-a-whole in terms of inte
grating power and consciousness. The Eon of a particular hu
man life extending from birth to death is, in terms of consciousness, the "Soul" of that person. Considered as a source of power
as a rhythmic vibration or "tone" which keeps on unchanged
from the alpha to the omega states of the life cyclethe Eon is
what I have called the "self' of the individual person.
A set of symbols like the Sabian symbols, or the I Ching or
the Tarot, confronts us with the challenge of integrating the
archetypal and the existential through a symbolic image, scene
or statement in which these two realms are in a state of conflu
ence and interpntration. Ideally, therefore, the production of
a valid set of symbols should enact this interpntration and
confluence; and it is just what the actors in the car in the San
Diego parkthe two visible, and the invisible Presencesdid.
In this sense, the performance was highly ritualistic. It focused
Meaning of an archetypal and cyclic character through polar
ized contemporary minds.
There remains, however, the problem of interpretation of
the products of the ritualistic focusing. An ideal interpretation
should reveal the existence of all the factors implied in the
symbol and should formulate their implications in such a way
that they are susceptible of as general as possible applications to
situations encountered at our present stage of human evolution
and history. This is a nearly impossible task to perform, for there
are as many levels of possible interpretation as there are levels
at which the consciousness of human beings can operate, par
ticularly today in our chaotic and individualistic society. One
can only try to present formulations which are inherently able
to branch into various byways of significance. The essential re
quirement, however, is that the interpretation should include
the structural and the existential approaches.
The symbol has meaning because it is a complex interweav
ing of factors, each of which is potentially significant as to its
cussed in Part Three, after the reader has had time to familiar
ize himself with the actual images. In order to avoid a superficial
and atomistic interpretation, however, the reader must have at
least a general understanding of the structural relationships
between the individual symbols and of the underlying process
of subdivision of the 360-degree circle into various patterns.
This process follows the usual astrological practice in many
30 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
ways, but it has really quite a different meaning and purpose.
As already stated, the Sabian symbols do not deal exclusively
with the degrees of the zodiac. They refer to the division of any
cyclic life process into 360 phases; for this reason I have stressed
the phase number of the symbol as much as the zodiacal degree
to which it refers. The essential point to remember is that we
are dealing with a life process; we might say a cosmic process,
but in any case it is a gradual process of actualization of a set of
new potentialities. It is a gradual process, i.e. it proceeds by
"degrees." But the progression is not to be considered unidirec
tional; it is rather multidirectional and in a sense multidimen
sional, as it involves the actualization of potentiality on at least
three levels. We should not expect that the sequence of symbols
will reveal a straight line of progress. There is progression, but
only within a number of definite structural fields of activity.
First, it should be clear that any life cycle divides itself
essentially into two hmicycles, just as the soli-lunar cycle is
divided into waxing and waning halves. One may use diffrent
names to characterize these two halves. In the soli-lunar cycle
which deals not with the Moon itself but with the changing
relationship of the Moon to the Sun, as this relationship is per
ceived by human observers on this Earthone can speak of the
hmicycle of "action" and of that of "consciousness."* During
the first period concrete forms of the energy released at New
Moon are being progressively built (unless the entire cycle
proves to be negative and the energy release ineffectual); dur
ing the second period the capacity for action tends to gradually
wane while, on the other hand, energy is focused (after Full
Moon) at the consciousness level and becomes productive of, or
subservient to, mental forms (including ideological systems and
sociocultural institutions).
In the cycle of the year, the period between the spring and
the fall equinoxes represents an effort toward the formation of
life organisms or of individualized persons at the human level.
The One Life becomes differentiated into and through many
*Cf. Dane Rudhyar, The Lunation Cycle (Shambala Publications, Berkeley, California, 1970).
32 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
I heard it mentioned in Paris a few years ago, by the eminent philosopher-psychologist Karlfried von Durckheim, author of the well-known book
Hara.
34 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
herent in the Creative Word "in the Beginning," the Logos.
I used the word "actor," but at a certain stage of human
development the actor becomes an "agent," for he has come to
realize that through him the purpose of the universe is indeed
focused according to the time and place of his life performance.
The ego in him has become a crystalline lens through which the
"Will of God" is concentrated into individualized acts. He does
not think; the One Mind thinks him. His life has become "sa
cred" because it is no longer "his" life, but the Whole perform
ing within and through the space of his total organism, and at
the time determined by the rhythm of the planetary process,
whatever act is necessary.
3. T h e Positive a n d
Negative A p p r o a c h e s t o
Individual E x p e r i e n c e
36 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
To live is to consume energy. There are two basic ways in
which this consumption of energy can be said to take place: the
purposeful use of power or the automatic operation of forces.
38 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
uses powers, instead of being swayed by natural forces. He lives
from the creative Spirit in him. And this is positive living,
spiritual living.
One should add that this type of positive living can be
demonstrated as well by the materialistic scientist as by the
philosopher who believes in universal creative intelligence. In
deed on the surface modern Western man displays a far more
"positive" approach to everyday living than does archaic man,
or the followers of Zen and similar philosophies who believes in
"letting" things happen. This is superficially a more passive
attitude; yet we must go beneath surface orientations if we want
to reach the vital creative meaning of human behavior. The
modern individual imbued with scientific and materialistic con
cepts may make a most positive and purposeful use of natural
forces; but so does any man who handles machines, tanks, explo
sives. Count Keyserling once referred to modern man as charac
terized by the "chauffeur type." Today we would speak of the
technologist or the technocrat. However, the man who deliber
ately uses machines and the forces operating them acts funda
mentally in a way not too different from the powerful warrior
of old who dominated his surroundings by sheer force and an
instinct for quick and sound decisions in battle.
Let me take an extreme example from the recent past: Nazi
Germany nearly succeeded in dominating mankind by using
natural "forces" (physical and psychological) with great positiveness; however, Nazism failed to use the creative powers of
the Spirit within Man. It achieved spectacular successes for a
while through the ruthless use of technology, but it was de
feated, not only by superior forces but by the very power of
human evolution. The Roman empire some sixteen centuries
ago suffered much the same fate, in spite of excellent adminis
trators and its masses of slaves. And the Vietnam war should
have shown us how "superior forces" can be successfully met by
the power of the collective human will when focused by an
unyielding desire for seff-determination and autonomy, a desire
based on the deeper realities represented by the phase in hu
man evolution which mankind has reached.
Because by the very logic of planetary evolution a phase of
40 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDAXA
increasingly uninhabitable. Modern society demonstrates in the
main a negative type of consciousness, because any conscious
ness without a universal frame of reference within which action
can be seen in its timeliness, spatial accuracy and fitness to
cyclic purpose is a negative type of consciousness. It is con
sciousness devoid of creative significance and therefore spiritu
ally empty, however great the intellectual and engineering ca
pacities sternrning from i t
42 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
tive-negative characterizations in a few instances and in a short
ened form.
As I see it, the interpretation of the symbols should be based
on two sets of factors: (1) An objective analysis of the most signifi
cant features in the symbolic image, and (2) the relationship of
the symbol to other symbols within the framework of the entire
cyclic process. We find the same situation as we deal with any
cyclic set of symbols or images from which meaning is to be
derived. This is particularly true of the images characterizing
the twelve signs of the zodiacwhich have little apparent
resemblance to the group of stars they were supposed to repre
sent when constellations and signs coincided, presumably to
ward the close of the Greek period (around 100 B.C.).
In the same way, if we consider the ten original Rorschach
cards used in clinical psychology, it seems most evident that the
cards constitute a definite sequence beginning with simple
shapes and ending with a complex picture in which several
colors add to the meaning. The appearance of color in one of
these cards at a characteristic stage of the sequence should be
significant to anyone who thinks at all holistically and in terms
of structured process. Yet I am told that the people to whom this
test has been given, including Carl Jung, have not been aware
of the significance of there being ten cards in a clearlyeven
if perhaps unconsciouslystructured series. Thus, I feel con
strained to repeat that no experience can be understood in its
total meaning unless it is related to the whole process in which
it occurs, at the very place and the very moment that conditions
and reveals its function. No isolated occurrence has any basic
meaning of itself. It only acquires meaning as it is related to the
larger whole or process of which it is a part. The relating may
be entirely unconscious, yet it is the foundation of the meaning.
Moreover, it is not the function which should be considered
positive or negative; no action of itself is positive or negative,
good or evil. It is the response of the individual-as-a-whole to the
performance of the function when the time has come for it to
be performed, and in the particular environment in which it has
to be performed, which determines the positive or negative
character of the act We acclaim the soldier who has killed five
44 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
the symbol for Cancer 5'.* In his book The Sabian Symbols in
Astrology Marc Jones states the symbol as follows: An automobile wrecked by a train. Then in order to remove some of the
negativity from the picture, he interprets it as follows:
This is a symbol of the irresistible power of completion inherent in the
very make-up of man's world whenever a sequence of events once is
set in motion, as is evident continually on the objective side of things.
Implicit in the reverse symbolism is the concept of control, or the
assurance that it is not necessary to continue any given action to the
point of self-cancellation. The ultimate obligation of the individual is
to himself and not to the narrow and momentary direction of circum
stances. The keyword is DISPERSION. When positive, the degree is
a special genius for a creative reorganization of all experiences, and
when negative, an insensitive recklessness.
I cannot help feeling that this interpretation is not based
strictly on an analysis of the elements in the picture, but centers
on the emotional implications of the word "wrecked." I do not
know, of course, how Miss Wheeler described the image she
"saw," but let us analyze it carefully. There is practically no way
an automobile can be wrecked by a train except when the road
on which the automobile is driven crosses a railroad track. We
must therefore consider three factors involved in the image: the
automobile, the train and the crossing of their paths.
An automobile is a private means of transportation; a train
a public one. Obviously therefore the symbol relates in a cer
tain waya tragic or destructive waythe private or individual
and the public or collective spheres in a technologically devel
oped society. These two spheres or realms of activity usually
exist more or less parallel with each other; a person may give
his allegiance to, or at least prefer to operate in, one or the other
realm. But there are times when these realms "cross"; that is to
say, their directions become roughly perpendicular, and a mo-
*I should make it clear here that, if the symbol is referred to the position
of a planet in an astrological chart, Cancer 5* begins at 4*1* (four degrees and
one second or minute) and ends with Cancer 4*59'59"; just as the first year
(year number 1) of a life begins at birth and ends with thefirstbirthday. We
are dealing with a process, and "Phase One" starts the very moment the
process begins.
46 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
sequence a warning of what the first symbol might lead toi.e.
of how at critical times society might react to the "radical
change of allegiance." If the symbols had been visualized today
we might have had the image of a policeman beating a youthful
protester during an antiwar demonstration! If we consider care
fully the sequence of the first five degree symbols of the sign
Cancer, we can see the possibilities which the "radical change
of allegiance" opens up in terms of action. The entire sequence
has to be considered and understood; and much more still
should be considered, for the whole seventh scene refers to
"Decision." For instance, this seventh scene in Act Two of the
entire ritual can be related to the corresponding nineteenth
scene of Act Four, whose Keyword is "Crystallization."
The whole series of 360 phases is structured in a manner
quite clear to anyone able to consider it in the light of a holistic,
if not eonic, consciousness. We are dealing here with a signifi
cant process of gradual and purposeful transformation. The
symbols enable us to get a new perspective on the interrelated
phases of this vast process of existence, the keynote of which is
indeed transformation.
After becoming acquainted with each of the symbols we
can return to the study of their interrelationship and to the two
basic ways they can be used.
Part T w o
A REFORMULATION
IN D E P T H O F T H E
SABIAN SYMBOLS
First Hmicycle:
The Process
O f Individualization
ACT I: DIFFERENTIATION
SCENE ONE:
DESIRE
80 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
ism of the Earth, and in a particular type of human society
and culture.
To be individually conscious means to emerge out of the sea
of generic and collective consciousnesswhich to the emerged
mind appears to be unconsciousness. Such an emergence is the
primary event. It is the result of some basic action: a leaving
behind, an emerging from a womb or matrix, here symbolized
by the sea.
Such an action is not to be considered a powerful, positive
statement of individual being. In the beginning is the Act; but
it is often an imperceptible, insecure act. The small tender germ
out of the seed does not loudly proclaim its existence. It has to
pierce through the crust of the soil still covered with the re
mains of the past. It is all potentiality and a minimum of actual
presence.
In the symbol, therefore, the emergent entity is a Woman;
symbolically speaking, a form of existence still close to the un
conscious depths of generic biological nature, filled with the
desire to be rather than self-assertion. The woman is seen em
braced by a seal because the seal is a mammal which once had
experienced a biological, evolutionary but relatively uncon
scious emergence, yet which retraced its steps and "returned to
the womb" of the sea. The seal, therefore, represents a regres
sive step. It embraces the Woman who has emerged, because
every emergent process at first is susceptible to failure. This
process is indeed surrounded by the memory, the ghosts of past
failures during previous cycles. The impulse upward is held
back by regressive fear or insecurity; the issue of the conflict
depends on the relative strength of the future-ward and the
past-ward forces.
The possibility of success and that of failure is implied
throughout the entire process of actualization. Every release of
potentiality contains this two-fold possibility. It inevitably opens
up two paths: one leads to "perfection" in consciousness, the
other to "disintegration"the return to the undifferentiated
state (the state of humus, manure, cosmic dusti.e. to the sym
bolic "great Waters of space," to chaos).
PHASE 3 (ARIES 3*): THE CAMEO PROFILE OF A MAN, SUGGESTING THE SHAPE OF HIS COUNTRY.
KEYNOTE: The sustaining power of the Whole, as the individual identifies himself with Its life.
52 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
ability to identify himself with the complex of life activities
surrounding him, the individual person can become truly, not
only an image and representation of the Whole of his natal
environment (local, planetary and perhaps eventually cosmic),
but an agent through whom the Whole may express itself in an
act of creative resonance and outpouring. This is the avatar
idealthe ideal of a "transpersonal" life and consciousness to
tally consecrated to and directed by a divine Power. This Power
can also be conceived as the archetypal Self, the Christ-princi
ple as it operates in and through an individual person and des
tiny who have become its outward manifestation in order to
meet a collective human need.
The concept of the formal-structural identity of the univer
sal macrocosm and the human microcosm is a very important
one, as it manifests itself at many levels. It provided an inner
sense of security and harmonic strength to archaic man. To the
modern individual assailed by surface evidence of meaninglessness and futility it gives a feeling of participation in the vast tide
of evolution. It is the answer to the tragic sense of alienation so
prevalent today.
This symbol characterizes the third stage of thefirstfive-foldsequence
of phases: the stage of PARTICIPATION IN A GREATER LIFE.
This desire for individualization operates at first as a onepointed or one-sided drive focusing itself upon an exclusive
goal. All emotions are at first possessive, and all cultural manifes
tations operate on the principle of exclusion. All that does not
54 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
belong to the tribal sphere (one blood, one land, one folk) is the
potential enemy. This is a necessary phase, foras in the case
of "the woman emerging from the sea"the first attempt at
building an inner realization of integral being may be defeated
at any time by the regressive pull toward undiflerentiation and
the prenatal state of nonindividualization within the vast womb
of nature or within unformed cosmic space.
Thisfirststage of the secondfive-foldsequence of symbols presents the
theme which will be dialectically developedafive-phasedialectical
process: A ONE-SIDED URGE FOR INNER STABILITY.
56 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
PHASE 9 (ARIES g): A CRYSTAL GAZER.
KEYNOTE: The development of an inner realization
of or-
ganic wholeness.
58 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
League of Germanic cities in the late Middle Ages, and El
Hanza, the founder of the occult Brotherhood of the Druzes in
Lebanon, during the era of the Crusades), has always had at least
an undertone of integration at an expansionistic level, spiritual
or economic. The Hindu hamsa was the symbol of man's tran
scendent soul. What previous interpretations of this Sabian sym
bol have failed to grasp is that the flight of geese presents not
only a remarkably geometrical V-shape moving through the
sky, but also that this flight is seasonal and therefore attuned to
planetary rhythms. Thus, it symbolizes comic order, in contrast
with the social-political order within a nation which is repre
sented by its ruler. I t is order made visual on the background
of the clear sky. I t is a "celestial" type of order, even though i t
is earth-born birds which reveal it by their ability to keep their
flight structured. The symbol therefore refers to the Soul-con
sciousness as visualized by the heaven-oriented mind. Yet this
soul-consciousness can be called transcendent because it has not
yet become "incarnated."
Because this is a second stage in the thirdfive-foldsequence begun
with Phase u, we have to consider what it pictures in contrast to the
preceding symbol. A basic dualism of consciousness is thus suggested.
We see arising a potential conflict between cosmic and social princi
ples of order. The principle of COSMIC ORDER polarizes the all-toohuman reliance on the social concept of law and order.
TION.
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"spiritual marriage" of Saint Francis of Assisi and Santa Clara,
or recently of Sri Aurobindo and Mother Mira.
The Adam and Eve story (in Hebrew, Ish and Mamuch
more significant names!) refers to this principle of polarization,
although the story has been turned upside down by priestly
intellects to serve their purposes. Adam and Eve accepted the
Presence, not of the Tempter, but of the Individualizer, who
sought to have them born out of the womb of unconscious
passivity to Nature's God. But the result of the experience
frightened them. They "hid"; they failed in the great test of
individuahzation, and in this sense the archetype of that failure *
is deeply imbedded in man's generic unconscious. It is repeated
time after time.
Modern "individuals" are confronted with another test, but
they do not understand its meaning. It is the test of polarized
conscious participation in the evolutionary processa polariza
tion that could dissolve alienation, isolation and egocentricity.
In a sense at least, this was the old Tantric concept in India; but
today many young people accept the concept only superficially
and miss its real essence. They cannot understand the meaning
of entering into the serpent, i.e. of developing eonic conscious
ness and that transpersonal living which once was characterized
by the words: Not I live, but Christ lives meChrist, whose
symbolic number in Gnosticism is 888.
At this fourth stage of the thirdfive-foldsequence, we are confronted
with an image suggesting the transpersonal way to the "cosmification"
of desire and the conscious acceptance of polarization as the solution
of the problems generated by individualization. But this need not
mean what is currently meant by "sex" and the glorification of the
orgasm. It implies rather the RTTUALIZATION OF RELATIONSHIP.
62 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
SCENE TWO:
POTENCY
The ability to transform a natural lack of potency into poise and inner serenity.
64 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
owner of the hammock is active, but in his consciousness he can
hold the image of rest in the midst of reenergizing nature. The
concept of following the rat race of business therefore has no
hold. Potency may be preserved and extremes avoided. Time is
found for recuperation.
This is a third stage symbol which suggests a middle path between
total involvement in instinctual or social drives, and withdrawal in
impotent silence and narcissismthus LIVING RHYTHMICALLY.
Here we find potency glorified as muscular strength and will-topower. Because it is potency operating at a harshly competitive
level, it can and often does imply the possibility of defeat or
disfiguration. In one sense the symbol translates into social
terms the primordial struggle for survival of the fittest, adding
to it an eagerness for social fame and social power (i.e. money).
In another sense, the ring with twofightersin it can be referred
to the Tai Chi symbol and the interplay between Yang and Yin.
Each of the two types of energy wins in turn. Victory is always
temporary in a dualistic world.
This is the first stage of thefifthfive-foldsequence of cyclic phases.
Potency and the two-fold possibilities inherent in any release of power
are seen operating at the sociocultural and emotional level. The sym
bol reveals man's deeply rooted feeling of admiration and envy for
whoever can generate OVERWHELMING POWER.
66 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
PHASE 2 2 (ARIES 22*): THE GATE TO THE GARDEN OF ALL
FULFILLED DESIRES.
KEYNOTE: Abundance made possible by human togetherness and cooperation.
MENT.
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THIRD LEVEL: INDIVIDUAL-MENTAL
PHASE 2 6 (ARIES 26'): A MAN POSSESSED OF MORE GIFTS
THAN HE CAN HOLD.
KEYNOTE: Obsession by potentiality.
The mind whichfindsitself confronted with a totally unfamiliar
and as yet unexperienced type of potencyfindsit difficult at first
to adjust to its new world of perception and possibilities of,
action. He may rush ahead excitedly and lose his bearings. He
should try to reach a state of calm watchfulness, and to learn
that at this level too there are limits and restrictions, i.e. laws
expressing this new type of "order."
This is the first stage of the sixth five-fold sequence of cyclic phases.
This entire sequence of symbols shows us that man at this evolutionary
station has to move carefully in his new realm, for his consciousness
is not yet fully able to operate in it, except with closely defined limits.
It is a symbol of WARNINGa warning against undertaking more than
it is as yet safe and sound to attempt.
PHASE 2 7 (ARIES 27*): THROUGH IMAGINATION A LOST OPPORTUNITY IS REGAINED.
KEYNOTE: Revision of attitude and inner revaluation.
The second stage of a five-fold sequence of phases always re
veals a contrast to the first, but not necessarily an opposition.
This symbol makes it clear that the mind that has become overstimulated and obsessed by all it appears to be able to accom
plish in some new realm of experience may easily fail. The
disciple fails in his test, or at least it seems to him that he has
failed. Actually the "failure" may have been meant by his guru
to be a challenge to the emergence of a new capacity; generally
speaking, this capacity is what one calls "creative imagination."
The mind must first "imagine" that which he will then be able
sooner or later to actually experience.
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PHASE 2 9 (ARIES 29 S ): THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES.
KEYNOTE: Attunement to cosmic order.
At the fourth stage of a five-fold sequence a technique is often
presented. It is based on the experiences implied in the preced
ing symbols. In this case, what the individual who has entered
into a new realm of possibilities of action should learn is the
harmonic principles operating in this realm. The music of the
spheres is the celestial embodiment of principles of polyphonic
interplay. The individual advancing "on the Path" should seek
to understand and realize his place in the vast scheme of man
kind's evolution, in the immense Chord of the harmony of the
universe.
The message to the seeker for meaning which is implied in this symbol
is TO LISTEN TO THE INNER VOICE; to listen without personalizing this
Voice in a glamor-producing manner. It is the Voice of the Whole, of
which one begins to realize that one is a tiny little partyet a signifi
cant part, for every note of the universal Chord has its place and its
ineradicable meaning.
SCENE THREE:
SUBSTANTIATION
72 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
PHASE 3 2 (TAURUS 2*): AN ELECTRICAL STORM.
KEYNOTE: The cosmic power able to transform all the implications of natural existence.
bonds.
74 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
possibility of participating in a larger sphere of existence. This possibil
ity rarely manifests itself except as one is ready to DISCARD THE PAST.
pectable conditions.
Here we have a combination of two factors: "the sleigh," which
is a product of traditional skill (cf. Taurus 6* symbol) and the
ability man has to foresee and thus to prepare for a future
76 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
situation. This ability relates this symbol to the one for Taurus
7*, because the woman from Samaria had the capacity to re
ceive a revelation of the future state of human evolution,
though in a different and subconscious sense. Man should be
ready to use past knowledge and skill to meet the demands of
a stage yet to come.
At this third stage of the eighthfive-foldsequence we should realize
the value of FUTURE-ORIENTED IMAGINATION but also of relying upon
the natural order of unfoldment of all life processes.
hours.
HUMANITY.
78 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
This is thefirststage of the ninth sequence of phases, a sequence that
basically refers to the overall situation related to the development of
the ego. The Keyword here is CULTIVATION.
The woman waters flowers in her garden: this is the inwardturned attention of the mind reveling in its ownflowering.But
now we have a scene symbolizing the outward longing of the
ego, which has polarized itself and become "man-woman." The
"man" aspect is that part of the ego which craves direct partici
pation with society and the world of other egos. Fully to partici
pate requires a special kind of substantiationand we are still
in this third scene, the Keyword of which is "Substantiation."
Clothes, goods of various types, adornment, and working tools
are needed. The consciousness surveys possibilities; they are
defined by organic nature (personal abilities) and by the ambi
tion to succeed in society.
This second stage is defined in contrast to thefirst.The ego becomes
aware of what society has to offer. Its attention is turned outward. An
interplay takes place between the individual and his culture. He is
being molded by what he sees and by prospects for growth in social
prestige. It is a phase of SOCIALIZATION OF DESIRES.
At this third stage of the ninth five-fold sequence we see the outcome
of the first two. The relationship of ego-man and society has taken the
aspect of COMPULSION FOR GAIN.
PHASE 44 (TAURUS 14*): O N THE BEACH, CHILDREN PLAY
WHILE SHELLFISH GROPE AT THE EDGE OF THE WATER.
KEYNOTE: Returning to simpler joys for revitalization.
This somewhat ambiguous picture suggests the way in which
simultaneous activities of different natures can fill the individu
alizing mind. The consciousness of socialized man operates at
two levels, in close parallelism with what goes on in the uncon
scious parts of the mind (i.e. the sea). Natural urges are half
conscious, half unconscious. They exist in a borderlandthe wet
sands still partly covered by small waves. The children play a
little further away, learning imaginative yet sociocultural
games. The hardworking porter loaded with baggage should
remain a little child at times and allow himself to be close to
subconscious but natural urges. At least he should do so for a
while until he feels surer of himself.
This symbol suggests that it is better not to attempt at once more than
one can achieve through conscious and ego-driven ambition. It refers
to the value, at this stage, of close contact with natural energies and
simple pleasures, of a LIVE AND LET LIVE attitude.
80 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
PHASE 4 5 (TAURUS 15'): HEAD COVERED WITH A RAKISH
SILK HAT, MUFFLED AGAINST THE COLD, A MAN
BRAVES A STORM.
KEYNOTE: The courage needed to meet the crises precipitated by social ambition.
The man with the silk hat has seen some of his ambitious efforts
bring him social success; but he learns that often "nothing fails
like success." The storm may be within him, or it may attack his
social status. He is ready to face it daringly. This shows a willing
ness to accept crises and to go through themand therefore
great character, the soil upon which a higher kind of conscious
ness may develop.
This is the fifth and final stage of this ninth five-fold sequence of
symbols. It implies a transition to a new level at which the individ
ual who has learned from experience demonstrates a truly mature
mind. What is revealed here is CHARACTER under adverse circum
stances.
SCENE FOUR:
CONFIRMATION
(Taurus iff to Taurus 30V
During this Act One of the cyclic process the emergence of new
developments is emphasized. In time of crisisas, for example,
the "storm" being braved by the man of the last symbol (Phase
45)the type of wisdom learned from this past remains in the
VALUES.
82 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
PHASE 48 (TAURUS l8 ): A WOMAN AIRING AN OLD BAG
THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW OF HER ROOM.
KEYNOTE: The cleansing of the ego-consciousness.
#
In this third stage of the present sequence the first two stages
should be considered background. The traditional teachings
concerning man's nature are somehow reconciled with the
youthful enthusiasm that sees in every problem of growth an
issue between the "good" and the "bad." The symbol suggests
that the real enemy is within the mind; it is the ego and its
attachment to possessions. The mind is shown in the likeness of
a "bag," now empty and needing to be aired in the sunlight. But
the "window" must first be opened and the bag emptied.
The phrase "cleansing the doors of perception" has become well
known of late. But even more to be cleansed is the container of per
ceptual imagesi.e. the ego mind. The Keyword is PURIFICATION.
KEYNOTE:
84 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
This is the first stage of
VIVAL.
collective
86 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
results of man's collective endeavor to live in peace and to enjoy
moments of relaxation. The public park is designed and kept for
the enjoyment of all the people of the city.
This is a symbol of COLLECTIVE ENJOYMENT. The individual finds in
the products of his culture an emotional enhancement bom of the
feeling of "belonging" to a large, organized, peaceful whole.
After having stated the youthful and the aged approach of the
human individual to the use of what his culture has brought to
him, the symbolism stresses man's capacity to rise above the
limitations which both biological nature and the "normal" social
pattern of behavior have tried to impose on him. As in many of
the preceding symbols, a "woman" is pictured, because at this
early stage of the cyclic process the individual consciousness still
has a receptive or "feminine" polarityas was indicated in the
very first symbol of the entire cycle (Aries i).
Whenever this third stage of the twelfth sequence is brought to a
person's consciousness, the indication is that he or she should freely
open his or her mind to the possibility of always new REBEGINNINGS.
Ideally, the new beginning should imply a more mature response to
the new possibility of experience.
88 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
SCENE FIVE:
DISCOVERY
90 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
PHASE 6 2 (GEMINI 2 # ): SANTA CLAUS FURTTVELY FILLING
STOCKINGS HANGING IN FRONT OF THE FIREPLACE.
KEYNOTE: A rewarded faith in spiritual blessings.
The popular allegory refers to the spiritual blessings which
come to the "pure in heart," whose consciousness is likened to
that of a little child. Polarized by eager expectation and faith in
the existence of celestial Powers, the pure consciousness as yet
unsolidified by ego and rationalistic arguments experiences the
concrete manifestation of what it had imagined. In this symbol,
Santa Claus acts "furtively." The gifts from an imagined and
intensely believed in spiritual world must not be examined
closely or at length by the reasoning intellect. The would-be
clairvoyant is told not to look straight and intently at what he
begins to "see"; instead he should cast sideways glances at it,
since the sharply focused mind would make the apparition
vanish.
At this second stage of the thirteenthfive-foldsequence we have once
more a symbol in contrast to the one for the first stage. In order to
discover the wonders of the normally unconscious depths of the collec
tive psyche, the individual has to build the proper kind of vehicle (a
glass-bottomed boat); but the reception of new blessings from the
spiritual realm above (the superconscious) requires mostly faith and
purity of heart, and a common type of understanding (stockings)thus
a state of INNOCENCE.
The intellect ruled by the ego has taken all that had been seen
by the translucent mind (the "glass-bottomed boat") and has
given it a logical, rational form. Yet old memories of childhood
and its naive faith sometimes make their way into the conscious
ness. They are aroused by what remains of the ancestral images
that once had great vitality and power (mistletoe was sacred to
the Druids). The holly with its brilliant contrast of red and green
recalls a more primitive and magical sense of color, as exem
plified in Tibetan art. A nostalgia for more natural and feelingoriented values tends to lead to a movement of protestthus,
to the intensification of the emotions in the individual personal
ity, or to the Romantic Movement after the post-classical and
post-rationalistic European period.
This is the fourth stage in the thirteenth series. It recalls the fourth
stage in the eighth sequence (Phase 39, Taurus 9") symbolized by "a
fully decorated Christmas tree." But the vivid experience of childhood
now has become only an obsessive or nostalgic memory. It heralds a
92 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
94 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
it is a simple natural effort under the shade of trees which attest
to the presence of the life-giving fluid. This presence depends
on the cooperation of sky (rain) and earth (the geological forma
tion able to hold the water), and man must develop the intuitive
sense which enables him to feel this presence and to make it
effectual in his daily life. He must sense the hidden reality which
preserves for the use of all living organisms this gift of the "sky,"
the bounteous rain.
At this second stage of the fourteenthfive-foldsequence of symbols,
the power of the collective and bio-spiritual energies which sustain all
earth-rooted cultures is stressed, in contrast to whatever the techno
logical mind of man can make available to increase his personal com
fort and mastery over matter. The symbol implies A FUNDAMENTAL
96 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
ing it man prepares himself to pierce beyond the physical and
to reach higher realms of existence. He may lose the struggle,
but that prospect makes the effort more exciting. He might gain
"immortality."
This is thefinalstage of the fourteenth sequence. The symbol for it has
a strong sense offinality.No possibility of half measures exist. Man is
committed irrevocably to success or failureat least as a conscious and
self-reliant mind. The alternatives are clear-cut. One may describe it
as MIND vs. MATTER, or as Man's will against the fate that gravitation
so aptly symbolizes.
98 AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
rive Powers guiding human evolution. His role is to mobilize
emotions, to present to others an image of what for most people
is beyond their mediocre and lukewarm responses to the chal
lenge of becoming "more-than-man"to experience more in
tensely and to see farther. This is the role of the true and ideal
"virtuoso" (vir meaning strength, manliness; thus "virtue") and,
in a far-reaching sense, of the Avatar whose example fascinates
human beings, leading them to leave behind their past and to
venture forth into new realms of experience.
At this third stage we see the meanings of the two preceding symbols,
synthesized. One moves into new realms and successfully challenges
the fears, the insecurity and the lack of self-confidence of the past in
oneselfall negative attitudes which, while conditioned by the social
environment, have become engraved upon the unconscious. Having
achieved this liberation, one can bring to the environment the power
generated by self-discipline, skill and self-confidence. One has become
an at least potential SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.
individuals.
EXTERIORIZATION
From the One, the Many arise in due time. The Original Source
gives birth to the mountain stream which, gathering to itself the
downflow of rain water, becomes the large river around which
cities are built. These in turn pollute the river on its way to the
WASTE.
SECOND L E V E L :
EMOTIONAL-^XJLTURAL
This symbol parallels the one which began the process of "ex
teriorization" (Gemini 16*), but the process is seen here operat
ing definitively at the level of collective responses. The mass of
men have been aroused by mental images, slogans and an appe
tite for the abundance the "ruling class" enjoys. This also applies
to the individual person in whom contrasting spheres of activity
have taken shape as the result of the mind-based individualizing
process. The organic functions make their collective demands
upon the lordly intellect. The stage may be set for the kind of
"revolution" we call psychoneurosis.
This begins the seventeenthfive-foldsequence of symbols. It sets the
stage for a tumultuous process, which may lead to a new approach to
the problems resulting from individualization. The repressed or op
pressed instincts stage an EMOTIONAL OUTBURST, claiming their due.
ENERGETIC REBUILDING.
This is the third stage of a process which should lead to a deeper and
more natural understanding of human existence. It suggests that the
TION.
DECISION
PHASE Q2 (CANCER 2*): A MAN ON A MAGIC CARPET HOVERS OVER A LARGE AREA OF LAND.
KEYNOTE: The ability to expand one's consciousness by
stabilizing one's point of view at a higher level
IMAGINATION.
to imitate
PERMANENCE IN TRUTH.
fulfillment
SCENE EIGHT:
CONSOLIDATION
PHASE 107 (CANCER 17'): THE UNFOLDMENT OF MULTILEVEL POTENTIALITIES ISSUING FROM AN ORIGINAL
GERM.
KEYNOTE: The life urge to actualize one's birth potential
What is pictured here is simply the process of germination. As
it unfolds from the sundered seed the plant pierces the crust of
the soil and reaches up toward the light. This is a dynamic
process turned outward, in contrast to the more static or intro
spective process of mtegration-through-understanding de
picted in the preceding symbol. Gennination is the crucifixion
of the seed. The seed becomes the germ, just as the Tibetan
student meditating silently and peacefully on the Mandala is
Keyword is GROWTH.
KEYNOTE: The practical concern with everyday nourishment necessary to sustain one's outreaching activities.
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L - C ^ T U R A L
P H A S E 111 (CANCER 21): A FAMOUS SINGER IS PROVING HER
VIRTUOSITY DURING AN OPERATIC PERFORMANCE.
KEYNOTE: The emotional reward accompanying cultural
excellence.
If anything represents the type of response that a welldeveloped society gives to the individual who successfully pours
his energy into the skillful externalization of the great images'
of its culture, it is the opera. The operatic prima donna is not
merely a lonely performer, like the piano virtuoso (Geniini 13*);
he or she is the star in a collective effort The opera is not only
music, but a story, a mythos, which embodies some of the most
basic images and emotions characterizing the culture that gave
it birth. Euro-American culture is indeed extolledor con
demnedby its operas and their lurid and tragic passions. It is
interesting to compare the opera with the equivalent type of
social performances and their topics in India, Java or Tibet.
At this first stage of the twenty-thirdfive-foldsequence of cyclic
phases we find the drive toward individualization by means of con
creteformsof cultural activity glorified in social andfinancialsuccess.
In its deepest sense the symbol refers to THE PRICE OF SUCCESSfor
the individual, as well for as the collectivity acclaiming him or her.
What is success really worth? A question few people ask.
P H A S E 114 (CANCER 24*): A WOMAN AND TWO MEN CASTAWAYS O N A SMALL ISLAND O F T H E SOUTH SEAS.
KEYNOTE: The focalization of complex inner potentialities
in harmonic and concrete relationships.
DEPENDENCE.
KEYNOTE: The response of spiritual forces to the integration of personality through positive will-full
deavors.
en-
We are dealing here with a man who uses his will and positive
imagination in facing his life problems. To him comes a Pen
tecostal descent of power. He receives the "mantle of power,**
the grace (baraka in Sufi philosophy) or the Providential assist
ance which can make him a true leader in his culture.
In this fifth symbol we witness a more transcendent expression of
"success." It is not merely external success (as is given by society to its
prima donnas), but a spiritual response, a sign of inner strength and
uncommon ENDOWMENT.
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V I D U A L - M E N T A L
P H A S E l l 6 (CANCER 26*): GUESTS ARE READING I N T H E
LIBRARY O F A LUXURIOUS HOME.
KEYNOTE: The transference of social privilege to the level
of intellectual enjoyment
PHASE 119 (CANCER 29*): A GREEK MUSE WEIGHING NEWBORN TWINS IN GOLDEN SCALES.
KEYNOTE; The intuitive weighing of alternatives.
This symbol seems to show that the "return to nature" pictured
in the preceding symbol is only one of two possibilities. Some
how the repolarization of consciousness and life activities im
plied by that symbol may be more a dream or ideal than a
practical reality. In any case, at this stage in the process of
individualization two ways are open. The individual person may
hesitate before making his decision. His "intuition" (the Muse)
is able to show him what the choice is. Perhaps there can be a
way of combining the two alternatives. But, as the next symbol
implies, the one which in the end has the greatest appeal may
not be the "nature" way. The "white boy" may rather bring the
"Indian girl" to the city, as in Pocahontas' life story.
Thefourthstage of this sequence of symbols reveals to us the pro and
con operation of the mind when faced with a vital decision. Because
it is the "Muse" that is doing the weighing, it is apparent that forces
deeper or higher than the intellect are actually at workthe intuitive
TATION OF ALTERNATIVES.
COMBUSTION
FIRST LEVEL: A C T I O N A L
P H A S E 121 (LEO \*)\ BLOOD RUSHES T O A MAN'S HEAD AS HIS
VITAL ENERGIES ARE MOBILIZED UNDER T H E SPUR O F
AMBITION.
KEYNOTE: An irruption of bio-psychic energies into the
ego-controlled field of consciousness.
crises
through a collectivity.
While the original reading of the symbol over fifty years ago
spoke of the mature woman having dared to bob her hair, today
a similar kind of rebellion against aging and the customs of late
middle age would manifest itself in different ways. The meaning
of the symbol can be extended to any desire an individual
woman would have to claim her right to experiences of youth
which may have been denied to her, especially when according
to the fashion of the day such experiences are considered highly
valuable.
This third stage symbol implies a reorientation of one's ideal of action
in relation to the collective mentality of the social environment; more
particularly, a refusal by the individualized consciousness to be bound
by biological or social standards. The Keyword: INDEPENDENCE.
The cold air of night having precipitated upon the field of man's
consciousness the moisture of his deepest feelings, this widely
spread dew is blessed with the light of significance by the rising
sun of the new day. Even tears can be transformed into jewels
in the light of victory over night and sorrow.
At thisfifthstage of the present sequence we see the potential culmi
nation of the process which began on a note of social and cultural crisis.
The would-be reformer has to meet many emotional problems as he
While the preceding symbol dealt with the simple and spon
taneous pleasure of children, this one refers to the more or less
standardized and fashion-dictated relaxation of adults who have
PHASE 133 (LEO 13*): A N OLD SEA CAPTAIN ROCKING HIMSELF O N T H E PORCH O F HIS COTTAGE.
KEYNOTE: The quieted mind's recollections of crises and
joys long past
TION.
UO AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA
is the transpersonal urge of the spirit, expressing itself in many
ways during the whole life span. But most avenues are blocked,
and the soul waits until it can wait no longer. Then comes the
dramatic release, which may mean a joyous carnival or mad
ness.
The fourth stage of this twenty-seventh sequence brings a transcen
dental clue to the technique of living: Let the soul speak outl Allow
the power of the true tone of your being to manifest itself smoothly,
easily, unobstructedor expect a variety of consequences, LET the
soul manifest!
This last picture of the series dealing with the ninth scene,
"Combustion," recalls in a collective sense the dramatic event
represented by the first (Leo i). The street pageant, perhaps a
tumultuous carnival, brings men and women to a peak of emo
tional excitement, and perhaps incandescence. But the pageant
had to be planned carefully by individual minds that sought to
express themselves in the process of giving a concrete form to
the desires and expectations of the collective crowd. The theat
ricality of the Leo type is fully expressed here.
This is the fifth stage of the twenty-seventhfive-foldsequence of
phase. At this stage the mind of the individual is able to give a public
DEMONSTRATION of his ability to sway the multitudes by a dramatic
presentation of popularized ideals. This leads to a new scene on the
cyclic journey around one's own universe, symbolized by the signs of
the zodiac.
RELEASE
NINGS.
PHASE 137 (LEO 17*): A VOLUNTEER CHURCH CHOIR SINGING RELIGIOUS HYMNS.
KEYNOTE: The feeling of togetherness which unites men
and women in their dedication to a collective ideal.
NESS.
PHASE 138 (LEO 18*): A CHEMIST CONDUCTS AN EXPERIMENT FOR HIS STUDENTS.
KEYNOTE: In inquiring into the hidden process of nature,
the human mind experiences the thrill of discovery.
rig-
This symbol in a sense duplicates the one for Leo 12*, except that
it implies a less conventional and more youth-oriented type of
gathering. The houseboat brings an intimacy and a "bohemian"
WORLD SERVER.
The horse has always been the symbol of the vital energies. In
a wild state the horse represents the magnificent, raw, impetu
ous energy of the libido in all its forms. When tamed, this energy
is put to man's service. There are men who have dominated
their natural energies so well that they can perform spectacular
feats. Here these achievements are seen within the context of
a social function and expressing a flair for dramatics.
At this third stage, the ego is in control; he is a great showman, but
he serves a purpose. The performance stirs the imagination of the
young consciousness. It raises the mind above the commonplace. The
Keyword is VIRTUOSITY.
PHASE 144 (LEO 24*): TOTALLY CONCENTRATED UPON INNER SPIRITUAL ATTAINMENT, A MAN IS SITTING IN A
STATE O F COMPLETE NEGLECT O F BODILY APPEARANCE AND CLEANLINESS.
KEYNOTE: An interior focalization of energy and con-
While the rainbow marks the end of the crisis, early dawn indi
cates the real beginning of the new period of activity. I n the
NATION.
Coming as it does as the end of this tenth scene and linked with
the last degree of the zodiacal sign, Leo, this symbol seems at
first quite puzzling; when it has been thought of as an isolated
symbol, its essential meaning has not been apparent. The fact
that a letter is unsealed does not imply a trust that other people
will not read its contents, but rather the idea that the contents
SCENE ELEVEN:
CHARACTERIZATION
ORDEAL.
At this fourth stage the basic technique which applies to all truly
spiritual progress is clearly stated. Every human being should be seen,
approached and warmly met as a "child of God," or in less religious
terms as an exemplar of Man. Such a status gives to every social and
interpersonal group the character of a BROTHERHOOD.
PHASE 155 (VIRGO 5 0 ): A MAN BECOMING AWARE O F NATURE SPIRITS AND NORMALLY UNSEEN SPIRITUAL
AGENCIES.
KEYNOTE: The opening of new levels of consciousness.
In thefirstof this sequence offivesymbols we saw the individual
seeking to bring out of everyday contacts a consciousness of
significant form and meaning. Now, as the sequence ends, a
further stage of realization is shown in its initial and relatively
primitive character. The consciousness is gradually reaching
beyond physical characteristics and becoming aware of energy
processes, i.e. of the dynamism of forces which externalize
themselves as life forms.
This is the last stage of the thirty-firstfive-foldsequence of phases of
the cyclic process of consciousness. The mind in its objectivizing and
analytical character always tends to give "name and form" (noma and
rupa in Sanskrit) to that which it contacts as energy process. It "images
forth" energy or feeling, relating it to more or less familiar sense
experience. We call this IMAGINATION.
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L - C ^ T U R A L
PHASE 156 (VIRGO 6*): A MERRY-GO-ROUND.
KEYNOTE: The first experience of the dynamic intensity of
EMPTINESS OF WAITING.
TION.
OF THE MIND.
PHASE 163 (VIRGO 13*): A POWERFUL STATESMAN OVERCOMES A STATE OF POLITICAL HYSTERIA.
KEYNOTE: The focusing of the collective needfor order and
structural interdependence into a personage who incarnates the answer to this need
Stressed here is the fact that the power available to any man in
time of crisis and decision has very deep roots in the past,
whether the past of physical ancestry or the past outlined by a
series of previous embodiments conditioned by some dominant
purpose and by the many-phased development of a particular
type of complex character. True spontaneity and creativity are
always based on a structured sequence of antecedents if they
are at all genuinely spiritual, i.e. i f they are able to meet a
collective need. Only the actions that are necessaryeven if
only in the long runfor meeting such a need can actually be
called "spiritual."
This fourth stage symbol, strange as it may seem to many peopleespecially young people of our daysuggests a technique which, at
critical times, must be used. It characterizes the means for true "suc
cess." One returns to the roots in order to produce thefloweringof
personality, if thisfloweris to bring forth a living seed. ROOT POWER
is essential to seed-achievement
P H A S E 165 (VIRGO 15*): A FINE LACE HANDKERCHIEF, HEIRLOOM FROM VALOROUS ANCESTORS.
KEYNOTE: The quintessence of deeds well done.
Root strength produces beautifulflowers.The neophyte who
acts with determination, courage and discrimination while fol
lowing "in the footsteps" of his predecessors receives a symbolic
SCENE TWELVE:
EDUCATION
F I R S T LEVEL: ACTIONAL
P H A S E 166 (VIRGO l6 ): I N T H E Z O O , CHILDREN ARE
BROUGHT FACE T O FACE W I T H AN ORANG-UTANG.
4
During this twelfth subcycle closing the first half of the cycle we
deal with phases of unfoldment which can be very broadly clas
sified under the term "e-ducation," i.e. a leading out into the
world of transcendent activity. Every hidden motive and depth
energy has to be "led out" and objectively faced. According to
the occult tradition, at least some of the ape species are actually
throwbacks resulting from the perversion of the Man archetype
when it belatedly came in touch with the elemental energies of
an adolescent Earth. Likewise many of the so-called "primitive''
tribes in places like Australia and New Guinea should be consid-
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V I D U A L - M E N T A L
P H A S E 176 (VIRGO 26*): A BOY W I T H A CENSER SERVES T H E
PRIEST NEAR T H E ALTAR.
KEYNOTE: The first stage of actual participation in the
great ritual of planetary evolution.
P H A S E 179 (VIRGO 29*): A SEEKER AFTER OCCULT KNOWLEDGE IS READING AN ANCIENT SCROLL WHICH ILLUMINES HIS MIND.
KEYNOTE: After a crisis one should seek to realign the
PHASE 180 (VIRGO 30*): TOTALLY INTENT UPON COMPLETING AN IMMEDIATE TASK, A MAN IS DEAF T O ANY ALLUREMENT.
KEYNOTE: The total concentration required for reaching
any spiritual goal
This is the final symbol of the first half of the cycle. In the year
cycle the fall equinox is now at hand; autumn begins. Through
spring and summer many ways and byways have been ex
perienced. The last message of this hemicycle of "Individualiza
tion" is that on all decisive occasions what must be done has to
be done so intently that no outer voices can penetrate the mind,
still less the soul. The neophyte stands at the gates of the sacred
Pyramid. There is only one step he can takeahead, or he is
lost
This is the culminating step, the decision that results from a myriad
of small choices. Still a shadow of hesitation can remain. Attention may
be distracted from the Now by a voice from the past, glamorizing
some old memory. The outer doors of perception and thought must
be closed, so the soul can complete its CONQUEST OF ILLUSION.
S e c o n d Hmicycle:
The Process
of Collectivization
TRANSFIGURATION
if)
F I R S T LEVEL: A C T I O N A L
PHASE l8l (LIBRA 1*): IN A COLLECTION OF PERFECT SPECIMENS OF MANY BIOLOGICAL FORMS, A BUTTERFLY DISPLAYS THE BEAUTY OF ITS WINGS, ITS BODY IMPALED
BY A FINE DART.
KEYNOTE: The immortal archetypal reality that a perfect
and dedicated life reveals.
Just as the symbol for Aries i * evoked the keynote of the entire
first half of the cycle, i.e. differentiation out of the undifferen
tiated "Ocean of potentiality," this symbol for libra i * reveals
to the intuitive consciousness the essential character of the sec-
potentially an INNOVATOR.
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A I S - C U L T U R A L
P H A S E 186 (LIBRA 6*): A MAN WATCHES HIS IDEALS TAKING
A CONCRETE FORM BEFORE HIS INNER VISION.
KEYNOTE: The need to visualize clearly one's dreams or
ideals in order to make them truly effectual
J
I
I
I
I
I
I
f
&
I
I
I
I
I
1
At this second stage we witness the contrast between the ideal situa
tion envisioned clearly by the creative consciousness (first stage) and
what it will be in actual operation; thus the forever-present struggle
involved in making it possible for the future-oriented actualizers of an
ideal to survive the attacks of tradition-worshiping minds that can only
follow the lines of automatic response. The keynote is GUARDIANSHIP.
!
I
Until the fire of the Soul within the human psyche totally dies
outa rare and tragic occurrencethere is always hope of
recovery and rebegirming. Many disciples find themselves com
pelled to abandon their spiritual quest, even after having had
sense of essential being. Yet "the home** that once received
themthe guru's loveremains ready to welcome the return
of the "prodigal sons.**
This is the third stage in the thirty-eighth sequence offivesymbols. In
a sense it links the vision, catalyzed by the contact with an inspirer,
with the possible reaction of fear or shock that arises from such a
contact. Within the abandoned great dream, some intangible and
warm "presence" remains: the ever-renascent HOPE for a rebeginning.
There are always moments which focus in our minds the long
ing to re-ground ourselves in the great achievements of the past
The number 3 suggests completeness; esoteric traditions speak
of the three-fold Soul, or of three fundamental "Rays**of
Power, of Love-Wisdom, and of Intelligence-in-action. Medita
tion, in its deepest sense, is a return to Sourcean attempt to
reidentify oneself with one's archetypal essence of being, which
is triune in manifestation, and now, after confused but challeng
ing wanderings, to identify oneself consciously with this "es
sence.** The finer forms of one*s culture provide the means to
do this. The great moments of the collective past become an
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V I D U A L - M E N T A L
P H A S E 191 (LIBRA 11*): A PROFESSOR PEERING OVER HIS
GLASSES AT HIS STUDENTS.
KEYNOTE: Problems attending the transmission of knowledge in a special cultural setup.
This is a rather peculiar symbol for this phase of the process, and
it reveals a rather humorous approach to what man's mind can
fulfillment
This seems to refer to the use of the imagination and the value
of fantasy in a collective setup. Men dream together as a prepa
ration for acting together. Rituals related to the great aspira
tions of mankind are both sacred ceremonies and playthings for
young minds; so also are court ceremonies and operas for the
social elite, or baseball games for the crowds. Some men work
hard at acquiring knowledge and providing society with what
it needs to enjoy warmth and lighted palaces; others play at
imagining themselves perfect spheres of multicolored radiance
soap bubbles so soon proven evanescent!
At this third stage of the thirty-ninth sequence we deal with another
aspect of the cultural life made possible, in a sense, by the two just
symbolized. It is a symbol of IMAGINATIVE PLAY, which foreshadows
the idea of "global man," the man of plenitude.
RECONSTRUCTION
F I R S T LEVEL: A C T I O N A L
This is the third stage of the fortieth sequence. Negative as the image
may seem, one may see implied in it the power in every individual to
assume socialrisksin order to express his convictions or deepest
desires. Nevertheless, one thing is needed: FACTNG THE CONSE-
QUENCES.
CROUP PROTEST.
KEYNOTE:
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L - C ^ T U R A L
PHASE 2 0 1 (LIBRA 21): A SUNDAY CROWD ENJOYING T H E
BEACH.
KEYNOTE:
The sea is the vast matrix from which living organisms originally
emerged. It also symbolizes the collective Unconscious, the
The cock that crows as the first coloring of dawn appears at the
eastern horizon is a beautiful symbol of the ability, demon
strated by all pioneers and cosmically attuned individuals, to
give voice to what is as yet unmanifested, but is on the way to
manifestation. At the ego level, chanticleer may feel that he
makes the sun rise; but someday he will learn through painful
experiences that to create is only to reveal what essentially is.
It is the vivid recognition of the as-yet-unknown in the known.
This third stage symbol should make us think afresh about issues we
too often take for granted. At every "sunrise" there are a few isolated
witnesses that herald the coming of a new day. What is at stake here
is the individual's capacity of RESPONSE TO LIFE'S RENEWALSrenew
als which are cyclic, predictable, yet always new, always creative.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V I D U A L - M E N T A L
P H A S E 206 (LIBRA 26*): AN EAGLE AND A LARGE WHITE
DOVE CHANGE INTO EACH OTHER.
KEYNOTE:
TRANSCENDENT REALIZATION.
ENDURING
E F F O R T T O REACH F O R KNOWLEDGE TRANSFERABLE
F R O M GENERATION T O GENERATION.
TION.
The fulfillment of man's power of understanding at whatever level of existence the person operates.
KEYNOTE:
SCENE FIFTEEN:
F I R S T LEVEL: ACTIONAL
P H A S E 2 1 1 (SCORPIO 1*): A CROWDED SIGHTSEEING BUS ON
A CITY STREET.
KEYNOTE:
The accidental nature of opportunities that impel one to break away from a past, the remembrance of
which is still poignant and cherished.
KEYNOTE:
DERED.
KEYNOTE:
The educative power of ceremonies which impress the great images of a culture upon its gathered
participants.
KEYNOTE:
procedures.
Slow is the rise of the land from the vast ocean, but once it is
formed it develops a formidable resistance to change in spite of
storms. Likewise, once a culture has expressed its basic symbols
and its particular way of thinking, feeling and acting in concrete
institutions, these change very slowly indeed. The individual
who came to the great city (Scorpio i * symbol) soonfindshis life
set by the rhythms of city living, which obliterate vaster life
processes and the moving tides of evolution.
This is the last of thefivesymbols of theforty-thirdsequence. We see
in it how binding and resistant a communal way of life can become.
In this there is strength and stability, and these are necessary factors
in the social life of manuntil new horizons beckon. The Keyword is
STABILITY.
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L - C U L T U R A L
PHASE 2l6 (SCORPIO 6*): T H E GOLD RUSH TEARS MEN
AWAY FROM THEIR NATIVE SOIL,
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
prac-
display INVENTIVENESS.
KEYNOTE:
This symbol pictures the essential nature of the bond that unites
individuals who have participated in some common activity.
The social feeling of communion, plus all that it engenders,
arises after the act performed together. Activity is at the root
of consciousness. Activity in common generates social con
sciousness and cultural patterns which become set in the form
of institutions. A group-personality emerges, which displays
characteristic features and gives birth to collective emotions
and values.
KEYNOTE:
representatives
cation.
TION or COMPREHENSION.
Early steps in the development of a mind seeking to be attuned to the higher level of human evolution.
KEYNOTE:
is FUTURE-ORIENTED GROWTH.
FAITH
(Scorpio iff to Scorpio 30*)
SCENE SIXTEEN:
within.
KEYNOTE:
The person who has lived with faith the transpersonal lifethe
life through which spirit radiates creativelycan experience
blessedness and peace, even though his or her cycle of experi
ence nears its end. It has been a life full of seed. The seeds are
hidden perhaps, yet they are filled with the power to overcome
cyclic death. The soul is at peace. The clear autumnal sky si
, lently intones the great message: "Well done, little manP
In this third symbol of thefive-foldsequence we see the smile of the
youth brought to a more mature, more spiritual culrnination. Human
nature is a magnificent symphony of warm, rich colors, now that the
TION.
edge.
knowl-
SHIP.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
individual's
INSTINCTS.
STANTIATION.
KEYNOTE:
experiences
struc-
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V I D U A L - M E N T A L
PHASE 2 3 6 (SCORPIO 26*): AMERICAN INDIANS MAKING
CAMP AFTER MOVING INTO A N E W TERRITORY.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
Here the soul is presented as a mother whose sons (i.e. her active
energies) have become disruptive forces in the collective life of
the tribe. She seeks to counteract the karma of their misdeeds
through her love and implorations. The soul is responsive to the
experience of unity (the spiritual king or chief) but the energies
of human nature often follow their self-seeking, divisive tenden
cies.
This is the fourth symbol of the forty-eighth sequence. It presents us
with the value of prayer. The principle of wholeness in manthe soul
acts to offset or attenuate the dictates of karma. In a religious sense,
Mary, the Mother, is seen as the Mediatrix, in constant acts of INTERCESSION for the sake of waylaid individuals.
PHASE 240 (SCORPIO 30*): CHILDREN IN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES INDULGE IN VARIOUS PRANKS.
The periodic outlets society furnishes within traditional limits to still-immature energies.
KEYNOTE:
TENSION.
ABSTRACTION
(Sagittarius i* to Sagittarius lg)
SCENE SEVENTEEN:
F I R S T LEVEL: A C T I O N A L
P H A S E 241 (SAGITTARIUS 1*): RETIRED ARMY VETERANS
GATHER T O REAWAKEN OLD MEMORIES.
KEYNOTE:
Two important factors are revealed in this symbol: the men who
have come together are Army men, and they are linked by
actions and a type of consciousness that have roots in a common
past. What we call "civilization" is built by constant struggles
against nature, for it seeks to wrench power from nature. This
element of power is seen in its most obvious aspect in the mili
tary consciousness. Moreover, all civilization is built upon the
accumulated products of the experiences of past generations of
dedicated men who agree to follow rather rigid procedures of
work. Veterans' groups in all countries seek to rekindle in their
members the old fire of well-fought battles; but the type of
abstract or religious thinking normally related to the zodiacal
sign, Sagittarius, also implies a special kind of "fire." I t is a fire
that burns the "now" of natural living in order to build a greater
"tomorrow." I t is future-oriented. I t aspires to produce a
greater, wider civilization, even though it finds its roots in the
harvest of mankind's past. Comradeship and group activities are
implied, but the togetherness is one of fighting spirits.
PHASE 242 (SAGITTARIUS 2*): WHITE-CAPPED WAVES DISPLAY T H E POWER O F W I N D OVER SEA.
KEYNOTE:
Wind and sea are in constant interplay, and the results of that
interplay are inspiring and beautiful. In symbolism, the wind
(pneuma is the early Greek word for "spirit") is associated with
spiritual dynamism; the stirring of deep energies this dynamism
produces obeys cosmic or superpersonal rhythms, the power of
which is irresistible.
At this second stage of the forty-ninth five-fold sequence we have a
picture which contrasts the powerful but beautiful storms of nature
with the often gory and hysterical crises of a civilization which pro
gresses through war. The picture presented speaks of SUBTILIZATION
KEYNOTE:
The owl has always been a symbol of wisdom, and its hooting
call has evoked a rise to mysterious and hidden elements in life.
The owl functions lucidly in the night aspect of existence. His
CIDITY.
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L - C U L T U R A L
PHASE 246 (SAGITTARIUS 6*): A GAME O F CRICKET.
KEYNOTE:
group-situations
tic love.
TIONAL REBIRTH.
P H A S E 2 4 8 (SAGITTARIUS 8 # ): W I T H I N T H E DEPTHS O F T H E
EARTH N E W ELEMENTS ARE BEING FORMED.
KEYNOTE: The alchemical fire which both purifies and
which
person.
T H I R D LEVEL: INDIVIDUAL-MENTAL
P H A S E 251 (SAGITTARIUS 11*): I N T H E LEFT SECTION O F AN
ARCHAIC TEMPLE, A LAMP BURNS IN A CONTAINER
SHAPED LIKE A HUMAN BODY.
KEYNOTE:
challenges.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
What the "widow's past" is remains obscure but the point is that
even as a past cycle is closeda phase of married life endsthe
karma of whatever deeds or misdeeds this cycle witnessed will
almost inevitably intrude into the new life period. Also, once a
cycle of activity is concluded, much that was unclear or uncon
sciously motivated in the events it witnessed can now more
easily come to the clear consciousness of the mind. It is possible
to joyously herald the dawn from high above the actual stresses
of existence (the preceding symbol), but the new day may be
found loaded and darkened by the unfinished business of many
a yesterday.
This is the third stage of thefifty-firstfive-foldsequence. Mankind is
"the widow," because our soon-to-be-concluded Piscean Age has
buried most of the ideals it once revered and proclaimed. Yet the New
Age will have to deal with many oppressive ghosts. This is a symbol
Of RETRIBUTION.
KEYNOTE:
OF SPIRITUAL ANCESTRY.
KEYNOTE:
TRANSFERENCE
(Sagittarius iff to Sagittarius 30*)
SCENE EIGHTEEN:
KEYNOTE:
SUPPLY.
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L ^ U L T U R A L
P H A S E 261 (SAGITTARIUS 21*): A CHILD AND A DOG WEARING BORROWED EYEGLASSES.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
The reward which meets every effort at integration into a social environment for those who remain
true to their own selves.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V I D U A L - M E N T A L
PHASE 2 6 6 (SAGITTARIUS 26*): A FLAG BEARER IN A BATTLE.
The nobly accepted subservience of the individual to collective values and goals.
KEYNOTE:
TION TO AN IDEAL.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
ITY.
SCENE NINETEEN:
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
TO PROVE ONESELF.
KEYNOTE:
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L - C U L T U R A L
PHASE 276 (CAPRICORN 6): T E N LOGS LIE UNDER AN
ARCHWAY LEADING T O DARKER WOODS.
KEYNOTE:
The ability to act as a mouthpiece for the revelation of a transcendent will and truth determining future action*
KEYNOTE:
iS MEDIATORS HIP.
P H A S E 278 (CAPRICORN 8*): I N A SUN-LIT HOME DOMESTICATED BIRDS SING JOYOUSLY.
KEYNOTE:
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V I D U A L - M E N T A L
P H A S E 28l (CAPRICORN 11): A LARGE GROUP O F PHEASANT
O N A PRIVATE ESTATE.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
PHASE 2 8 3
(CAPRICORN 13*):
A FIRE WORSHIPER M E D I -
KEYNOTE:
SCENDENCE?
PHASE 2 8 4
(CAPRICORN 14*):
A N ANCIENT BAS-RELIEF
KEYNOTE:
PHASE 2 8 5 (CAPRICORN 15*): IN A HOSPITAL, THE CHILDREN'S WARD IS FILLED WITH TOYS.
KEYNOTEt The responsibility of society to ensure the welfare and total health of the new generation.
The sociocultural process must look to the future as well as to
the past. It has created conditions which may harm the children
who will carry forward its work, and it must try to repair these
negative conditions through love as well as through physical
care. In personal life, the individual should take great care of his
fresh intuitions and his dreams of future growth. They are often
fragile developments which the pressures of everyday life can
easily distort or destroy.
This is the last stage of Scene Nineteen, which began with a powerful
claim for socio-political power. The exercise of such a power can in
deed produce social conditions which endanger the healthy and
spiritual unfoldment of a community, and especially of its children.
There is therefore constant need for TENDER CARE as well as skill to
neutralize the destructive tensions of social living.
SCENE TWENTY:
FIRST LEVEL: A C T I O N A L
P H A S E 286 (CAPRICORN l6*)t SCHOOL GROUNDS FILLED
W I T H BOYS A N D GIRLS IN GYMNASIUM SUITS.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
TUDE of being.
consciousness.
group-
The realization that one may grow through defeat as well as, and perhaps more than, through success.
KEYNOTE:
of individual
responsibility.
goal
In this fourth stage symbol we see the paradoxical nature of the social
process operating more strongly than ever. This derivesfromthe fact
that man's nature contains in seed the possibility of overcoming and
transcending itself in acts of complete denials and of surrender to a
"higher" Law or quality of being. All spiritual techniques are indeed
paradoxical. Rigid discipline conditions pure innerfreedom.The final
goal is the attainment of TRANSCENDENT SECURITY.
TION.
T H I R D LEVEL: INDIVTDUAL-MENTAL
PHASE 296 (CAPRICORN 26*): A NATURE SPIRIT DANCING
IN T H E IRIDESCENT MIST O F A WATERFALL.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
UPREACHING.
the soul
implications.
SCENE TWENTY-ONE:
(Aquarius i* to Aquarius
ig)
CONTRIBUTION
F I R S T LEVEL: A C T I O N A L
KEYNOTE:
The disciplined use of spiritual energies in restoring the natural harmony disturbed by man's inharmonic attempts to transcend nature through mind.
KEYNOTE:
ENERGY.
Age. The power of the whole is focused within him in perfect freedom
from ancient standards of value based on local conditions.
wax figures are impersonal forms. The gowns constitute a static pre
sentation of ideal patterns; yet they are the PREFORMATION of what
will be experienced in the culture being born. They herald new collec
tive developments.
KEYNOTE:
This symbol nearly duplicates the one for Sagittarius 12*, but in
this five-fold sequence it has a somewhat different meaning
especially since the last term of the mysterious transformation
(i.e. the crowing of the eagle in chanticleer's fashion) is omitted.
All that is implied here is the vitalization of a powerful symbol,
its embodiment in a living reality, i.e. in a person able to fly in
consciousness to the highest spiritual realm. The archetype is
given living substance and wings. The Image has become a
Power.
This fourth stage symbol, as usual, gives us a technical suggestion. To
"see" the new archetype, to perceive the new standard of value with
one's mind is not enough. The seer must become the doer. The imper
sonal is dynamized and brought into focus. We have here the ACTING
OUT of the vision.
KEYNOTE:
TION.
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V I D U A L - M E N T A L
PHASE 311 (AQUARIUS 11*): D U R I N G A SILENT HOUR, A MAN
RECEIVES A N E W INSPIRATION W H I C H MAY CHANGE
HIS LIFE.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
facts that
PENETRATION.
MANAGEMENT
(Aquarius 16 to Aquarius 30V
SCENE TWENTY-TWO:
8
F I R S T LEVEL: A C T I O N A L
P H A S E 316 (AQUARIUS 16*): A BIG BUSINESSMAN A T HIS
DESK.
KEYNOTE:
The development of the capacity to protect oneself and to safeguard one's individual rights under
complex social pressures*
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
PHASE 319 (AQUARIUS 19*): A FOREST FIRE IS BEING SUBDUED BY T H E USE O F WATER, CHEMICALS AND SHEER
MUSCULAR ENERGY.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L - C U L T U R A L
P H A S E 321 (AQUARIUS 21 9 ): A DISAPPOINTED AND DISILLUSIONED WOMAN COURAGEOUSLY FACES A SEEMINGLY
EMPTY LIFE.
The capacity to meet emotionally upsetting experiences in human relationships with strength of
character and personal integrity.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
The constructive use to which difficult past experiences can be put as examples for those who are still
striving to overcome their passions.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
Knowledge and skill used in its natural surroundings for the satisfaction of vital basic needs.
KEYNOTE:
SCENE TWENTY-THREE:
FEDERATION
F I R S T LEVEL: ACTIONAL
MERCE.
violence is a possibility never to be dismissed The need for SELFPROTECTION and caution is ever present
. PHASE 333 (PISCES 3*): PETRIFIED TREE TRUNKS LIE
BROKEN ON DESERT SAND.
KEYNOTE: The power to preserve records of their achieve*
merits which is inherent in fully matured cultures*
When a vast group of men succeed in building a culture with
strong institutions which express themselves in significant sym
bols and works of art or literature, such an effort of many gener
ations is rarely lost altogether. In one form or another, records
of this culture endure or are mysteriously preserved, simply
because they reveal the place and function of this particular
culture in the long process of unfoldment pf the potentialities
inherent in archetypal MAN. It is such a concept that has been
mythified and popularized in the religious idea of the resurrec
tion of the dead on the Last Day. The symbol of petrified wood
in the Arizona desert, however, tells us that the actual preserva
tion of the records is never perfect or total. Only fragments
remain, significant enough to reveal the essential archetypal
form.
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L - C U L T U R A L
P H A S E 336 (PISCES 6*): A PARADE O F ARMY OFFICERS IN
FULL DRESS.
KEYNOTE:
The spiritual blessing which strengthens individuals who, happen what may, stand uncompromisingly for their own truth.
KEYNOTE:
Of SELF-ASSERTION.
P H A S E 340 (PISCES 10*): A N AVIATOR PURSUES HIS JOURNEY, FLYING THROUGH GROUND-OBSCURING CLOUDS.
KEYNOTE: Man's ability to develop powers and skills which
Of MASTERY.
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V T D U A L - M E N T A L
P H A S E 341 (PISCES 11*): M E N TRAVELING A NARROW PATH,
SEEKING ILLUMINATION.
*
KEYNOTE: The capacity inherent in every individual to
realm
KEYNOTE:
Through the effectual use of his will a consecrated man can become a symbol of courage for all
those who follow in his footsteps.
KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE:
Coming just after the preceding symbols and as the fourth stage
of a five-fold sequence, which is usually related to some kind of
technique, this symbol may at first seem irrelevant. The key to
its interpretation, missed by the commentators, is fox fur. In
symbolism and mythology the fox is always a clever and subtle
animal. It represents the intellect at its early stage of "cunning'';
in a broader sense, it also refers to "intelligence," considered as
the ability to adapt to any and all life situations. Spiritual will
and the ability to stand in facing tests are necessary in any
SCENE TWENTY-FOUR:
PERPETUATION
F I R S T LEVEL: A C T I O N A L
KEYNOTE:
The collective appeal of a well-staged and exciting display of skill and/or oratory.
KEYNOTE:
the traditional performance of skilled clowns, acrobats or animal trainers, or that of a religious fundamentalist dramatizing
an old religious imagery, what takes place is the use of personal
achievement and conviction to bring a crowd to a state of enthusiasm sufficient to make it forget its boredom with everyday
routine or its familiar sins of commission or omission.
At this third stage of the seventieth five-fold sequence, the individual
person and the collectivity are brought together in a significant performance which subtly strengthens the communal spirit directly or indirectly. The implication of the symbol, whenever it is found
operating, is that the time has come for the individual to dare to
present himself and his works to his community for applause, or for
the purpose of attracting a following. What is suggested is PUBLIC
SELF-DRAMATIZATION.
KEYNOTE:
An indication that in the end and at the appointed time the individual's needs will be met among
those to whom he is linked by a spiritual (or biological)
web of energies*
KEYNOTE:
The significant element in this scene is not only the meal, but
the fact that it is an "evening" meal. To use traditional symbol
ism, after a long chain of personal existences the Soul returns to
its spiritual home at the close of the day-of-nianifestation. There
it finds that which renews and amply sustains; the happiness of
the "beyond of existence" is experiencedif all has gone well.
This last symbol of the seventiethfive-foldsequence promises a satisfy
ing or fulfilling end to whatever one has been undertaking. As the life
closes, the Soul-consciousnessfindsNOURISHMENT in the harvest of
whatever, during the whole life, has been relevant to the archetypal
purpose and destiny of the Soulone of the myriad of aspects of the
divine creative word which began the cycle.
SECOND LEVEL: E M O T I O N A L - C U L T U R A L
PHASE 351 (PISCES 21 # ): U N D E R T H E WATCHFUL AND KIND
EYE O F A CHINESE SERVANT, A GIRL FONDLES A LITTLE
W H I T E LAMB.
KEYNOTE:
This symbol recalls the one for Phase 174 (Virgo 24*)"Mary
and her little lamb"but it occupies a different position in the
KEYNOTE:
The need to consciously accept one's own personal limitations in order to concentrate one's energies
and to live a centered and fulfilled life.
KEYNOTE:
CENTRALIZATION.
The power of the Soul to intervene in the personal life and to induce necessary catharses.
KEYNOTE:
PURIFICATION.
T H I R D LEVEL: I N D I V I D U A L - M E N T A L
PHASE 3 5 6 (PISCES 26 0 ): WATCHING THE VERY THIN MOON
CRESCENT APPEARING AT SUNSET, DIFFERENT PEOPLE
REALIZE THAT T H E TIME HAS COME T O GO AHEAD
WITH THEIR DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
KEYNOTE: A
The rather obscure original notation for this zodiacal degree, "A
new moon that divides its influences," when translated into
practical terms refers to the fact that, confronted with the op
portunity to expand their energy along new lines, modern in
dividuals will react according to their own personal characters.
One basic cosmic-spiritual impulse will lead these varied per
sonalities to take equally varied steps. In any society that glo
rifies individualism, everyone should therefore accept this fact
and not try to compel other individuals to conform to a single
pattern of response.
Thisfirstsymbol of the seventy-second and last series offivestresses
the essential nature of the cyclic process of actualization of human
potential, i.e. the emergence of the individual (cf. symbol for Phase 1).
This should lead to a realization of THE FALLACY OF TOTALITARIAN-
ISM; at times we can all act like despots, demanding that others react
to any situation exactly as we do.
needs.
basic
PHASE 359 (PISCES 29*): LIGHT BREAKING INTO MANY COLORS AS IT PASSES THROUGH A PRISM.
KEYNOTE: The analytical power of the mind necessary for
the formulation of life processes in their many aspects.
Cycles of existence begin in unity and end in what I have called
"multi-unity." At the stage of consummation the many individ
ual differences are totaled; they constitute a sum. Within that
suma unified totalthe inevitability of the future process of
differentiation is implied, because every cycle leaves a mass of
waste products slowly returning to the unconscious state of
chemical matter, of "humus." What the symbol tells us is that
unity will always break again into multiplicity. The "prism" is
always there. There is no abolsute unity; if anything could be
called "absolute" it is the relationship between the One and the
Many.
This fourth stage symbol of the concluding five-fold sequence of
phases points to the fundamental type of operation in all modes of
existence. The most beautiful and seemingly everlasting experience of
unity will in time be superseded by the need to attend to a multiplicity
of details. Existence implies DIFFERENTIATION.
KEYNOTE:
Keyword: ARCHETYPAUZATION.
Part T h r e e
THE NUMERICAL
STRUCTURE OF THE
Z O D I A C A L SERIES
l. B i n a r y Relationships
B e t w e e n Z o d i a c a l Signs
they are clearly interpreted the symbols that stand at the mid
point of the cycle tell the story in a very significant manner. The
symbol for Virgo 3 0 ' (Phase 180) tells us that as a person reaches
the midpoint of his evolutionwhich in a human life may be the
age of thirty-five or forty-two, depending on one's level of evolu
tionhe must be "totally intent upon completing an immediate
task" and "deaf to any allurement." This concentrated attention
can lead to "Initiation." Having surrendered the fleeting and
unessential pursuits of human existence, the individual becomes
fully aware of what he archetypaUy istherefore, of the place
he occupies, or could occupy, in the permanent record of Man.
The symbols that follow (Libra 2*, 3*, 4*, 5*) bring more light
to the somewhat mysterious symbol for Libra i*. The metamor
phosis which leads to the revelation of one's permanent seedarchetype (butterfly) demands a "repolarization of inner ener
gies." This repolarization throws a transforming fight upon
everything that has so far been seen only in the relative dark
ness of the mind-consciousness. Moreover, the light should be
sustained not only by the efforts of the individual alone, but by
a group of companions; their joint dedication inevitably brings
the Teacher-Exemplar who transmits to them knowledge and
power.
Of course in considering these symbols, one can get only a
glimpse of what is at stake in the cyclic process of transforma
tion. The internal structure of the cycleand therefore the
character of time itself, at least in terms of human experience
becomes apparent when the annual sequence of seasonal
changes is used as a model. This model reveals that all life
processesat least on this Earthimply the existence of two
opposite and complementary forces, called Yang and Yin by
Chinese philosophers. In relation to man's seasonal experience
of light and darkness I have spoken of them as the Day-force and
the Night-force.* The hemicycle in which the Day-force is
dominant (spring and summer) witnesses the actualization of
the potential of individualization, the formation and growth of
Cf. The Pulse of Life.
i*
collection of perfect specimens of many biological forms, a butterfly displays the beauty of its wings, its body impaled by a
fine dart.), we enter the second hemicycle of the process of
theoretically
Subba Row, "The Twelve Signs of the Zodiac" (in A Collection of Esoteric Writings of Subba Row, Bombay, 1917). Quotations from this article are
also included in H. P. Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine, original edition, Vol. I, pp.
292-93.
307
i*
i*
A "prototype" is thefirstand basic concrete manifestation of an archetype. One might say it is a projection of the archetypal idea into earth
substance as an "Exemplar."
fornia
mission).
i*
3- T h e Four E l e m e n t s
in Z o d i a c a l S y m b o l i s m
an organic whole.
i*
on a city street.)
i*
(pneuma, atma).
335
NUMERICAL STRUCTURE OF THE ZODIACAL SI
stances. The symbol for Taurus i * (a clear mountain
stream)
refers to the descent of a power which will enable man and all
living organisms to participate healthfully in an ecological
whole, in which every participant has a more or less definite
biological role. The symbol for Virgo i* (a portrait) reveals the
intellectual and creative capacity to extract from a biological
and psychic type of integration (the face of a person who has
become individualized within a particular culture) what is most
characteristic and significant in the person, and thus most re
vealing. We see the Earth Element at work in the social (Ca
pricorn), the biological (Taurus) and the individual-personal
(Virgo) realms of activity.*
By relating the four Elements to the equinoctial and solsticial points we obtain holistic and archetypal sequences showing
the relation of the Elements under three aspects within the
whole zodiacal cycle. But the more ordinary way of interpreting
the sequence of these Elements is to study it at the existential
levelthat is, as one sign follows another in time. Then AriesFire is followed by Taurus-Earth, Gemini-Air and Cancer-Water
and the four-beat series of Fire, Earth, Air and Water repeats
*These three 28-year periods have been discussed in both my books, The
Astrology of Personality (1936) and The Astrological Houses (1972).
Part Four
THE ORACULAR
AND ASTROLOGICAL
USE OF T H E SYMBOLS
W h y M o d e r n Individuals
S e e k A n s w e r s from
'Oracles*
about the I Ching; no doubt there already have been and there
will continue to be many different interpretations of the Sabian
H o w t o U s e the S a b i a n
Symbols a s Oracles
I N ORDER T O CLARIFY A L L T H I S , I S H A L L M E N T I O N O N E
actual incident. Quite a few years ago, a man came to me be
cause he was unable to understand the meaning of a personal
tragedy which was bringing confusing changes to his life. The
testimony of the astrological charts which he knew well did not
seem very clear-cut or convincing to him. There were many
ways of interpreting Uranian transits and "difficult" progres
sions. The man kept asking, "But what does it mean? How am
I to take it?"
After a while Tasked him to be quiet for a moment, and
with his mind at rest, to see if a number would intrude into his
consciousness. He looked astonished, hesitated for a moment,
closed his eyes, then suddenly said, "Yes, I quite definitely feel
something in my head saying 342. What does it mean?"
I explained briefly the value and purpose of the Sabian
urn.
return to primitive forms of aggressivity; yet this image of "con
quest" need not reveal a destructive use of power. It may refer
to an ability to survive in the midst of natural predators and a
constructive alertness to danger. It is a symbol of preparedness.
Another interesting case is that of the tragic philosopher,
Friedrich Nietzsche, whose natal Sun was Libra 22*7', a degree
symbolized by Chanticleer's voice heralds sunrise. In the oncefamous play of the French poet, Edmond Rostand, the rooster
who is the main personage not only salutes the dawn in ringing
tones, but is possessed by the belief that it is he whose voice
brings about the rise of die sun. Nietzsche was one of the first
poet-seer-philosophers to dream of the rise of a type of human
being who would bring forth a new civilization. His was a tragic
life ending in what we call insanity, and his passionate, hammer
ing words have aroused destructive forces in many people; yet
through and beyond this destructiveness he nevertheless acted
as a herald of much that has taken more positive form since his
death near the turn of this century.
Nietzsche's natal Mars culminating in his tenth House and
ruler of his Scorpio Ascendant is located on the 28th degree of
Virgo. The symbol, A baldheaded man who has seized power,
stresses the "Power of the Will" in times of crises. Interestingly
enough, when I wrote those Keywords for the degree I was
unaware that Nietzsche's ruling planet, Mars, was located at this
place; and one of his most famous books is entided The Will to
Power.
birth chart, one can also use the four-fold type of questioning
discussed in the preceding chapter: WHAT, WHERETO, HOW,
WHY. In this case it seems best to go first from the Ascendant
(WHAT) to the Descendant (WHERETO), for the veryfirstques
tion that comes to mindat least to most mindswhen a situa
tion begins to take on clearer features is: WHERE will this lead?
A birth chart refers to a "situation," because it is condi
tioned by a particular birth time and birthplace, and it occurs
within a social-cultural-national organismin my case, France.
Somehow there must have been a meaning to this birth situa
tionthe first breath of a physical organism which was to de
velop individual features. In a very real sense, lam this meaning. I f there is no awareness of this meaning in the
consciousness that says " I , " then there is no concrete working
knowledge of who or what " I " is. There is consciousness, of
course, but no consciousness of who is being conscious, because
the essential character of any human "who" is that it is poten
tially conscious of being consciousand secondarily of being
conscious of why it is what it is. The innate urge to search for
this "why" in all circumstances is what makes a living organism
"human"; otherwise it remains only a specimen of an animal
species with unused potentialities.
T h e Symbolic Life
Appendix
Los Angeles,
California
RUDHYAR
APPENDIX 389
that they had been moralized; in other words, some were put
down as bad, some as good, and so on. On the assumption that
good and bad are relative terms and assuming that the meaning
of each degree has as much a constructive as a destructive
function, I found that these degrees were exceedingly valuable.
My first idea was to obtain permission to re-interpret them,
describing them in such a fashion that both good and bad points
could be brought out.
At this time, I had a student who was a rather highly gifted
psychic, making her living as a professional medium. She was
greatly distressed by the idea that so much spiritualistic work
was dishonest and cheap, and had wanted for a long time to do
something of enduring worth. She is deceased, and for the rec
ord her name was Miss Elsie Wheeler, of San Diego, California,
a woman of rather brilliant mind and very interesting to me
because she was hopelessly crippled with arthritis, living in a
wheel chair, and remarkable for her indomitable deterrnination
to make her own way and be dependent upon no one. When I
first met her she accomplished this purpose by dressing dolls of
a rather unusual sort and I perhaps am somewhat responsible
for encouraging her in facing the world professionally as a
medium, which was her deepest desire, and at which she was
very successful up to the time of her death. I asked her if she
would be interested in participating in an attempt at gaining
360 fresh symbols for the degrees on the pattern of the work of
John Thomas.
Two factors were responsible for my making this sugges
tion. The first of these was the fact that during investigation
quite a number of years before in New York, I had experi
mented with the idea of a series of 5 2 symbols for the playing
cards, in the construction of a special form of the Tarot which
I then used and still use as a psychological training device for
students under occult discipline. A New York woman of high
psychic gifts had insisted upon attempting this and so I had tried
it with rather striking results. For the record, this woman, who
never did any professional psychic work, was Miss Zoe Wells,
who passed on quite a number of years ago. At the time of
working with Miss Wells, she made reference to a certifying
APPENDIX 391
and life. I used a series of blank cards of a size permitting them
to be shuffled constantly, each of which was marked on the back
with a sign and degree, and with 360 to cover the zodiac. Nei
ther Miss Wheeler nor myself ever knew what degree was dealt
with when she described the pictures she saw which I wrote
down hurriedly as I selected the picture. At times, I would
reject and sometimes she would correct. The cards were
shuffled constantly so that a law of random selection in statistics
could work, and I gave continual attention to checks of an occult
sort. After an approximate quarter of the cards were done we
rested, driving around the park and then returning to the loca
tion, where another quarter were done. Then I drove her well
out of town to a place where we could have lunch with little
chance of meeting anyone we knew. We finally returned for the
last two quarters, which were done in the same fashion.
With this much accomplished, I put the cards away in a
trunk carefully, deciding that this was stepping too far afield
from the kind of scientific work in which I was interested, and
thinking that I would keep in the realm of spiritualistic investi
gation. One day someone asked me if it were true that if the
cards were lost it would be impossible to repeat the feat, grant
ing it had any merit, and so I had the symbols that were roughly
penciled on the cards copied in a typed script, giving the car
bons to several of my students who did considerable astrological
work and asking them as a matter of interest to check the
pictures and see how they worked. Their reports were on the
enthusiastic side so that I was encouraged to take the next step
in putting down the mathematical structure of the whole and
issued them for the research group in mimeograph form along
with the other astrological mimeograph series.
The next step in the story was that Dane Rudhyar, with
whom I shared all this mimeographed material at the time he
was beginning his public astrological work in writing, became
so interested in these symbols that he asked permission to incor
porate them in an abridged form in his The Astrology of Personality. He was really instrumental in awakening a countrywide
interest in these degrees. I am starting at the present time to
prepare them for book publication and I am trying to find