PATHWAY OF THE SOUL THROUGH THE ZODIAC
My spirit and soul fought a long and bitter battle with my earthly self,
Who for aeons believed that it was a lost and fallen Angel
From a misty, half forgotten galaxy of Stars.
Now we both know that in truth our spirit once descended
From the Highest levels of life and that we are a child of the Sun,
The spiritual Sun behind the Sun of Earth life,
Come to Earth to each learn and grow through our own experiences.

In the course of many lifetimes,
We have been wounded cruelly by the painful thrust of Mars;
Caught in Neptune’s tangled web;
Shocked and torn asunder by the sudden violence of Uranus;
Tortured by the clever lies of Mercury;
Crushed beneath the icy weight of stern and unyielding Saturn,
Hours often felt like days, days like years,
And years like eternities of frustration and waiting.

There was a time when my soul and I believed we were the Sun,
So that our own exploding bursts of arrogance and pride
Scorched and nearly blinded us.
In the ignorance of our true self,
Eve and Adam deep within us cried helplessly.
Yet, we fought on in unrelenting fury and struck blow for blow;
Driven on by the pounding drums of Jupiter’s throbbing passions;
Stumbling at the precipice of the Moon’s enticing madness;
To fall – at last – in trembling fear before the threat
Of Pluto’s ominous tomb-like silence;
Consumed by inconsolable sadness and the bleakness of despair …

Bearing the wounds and scars of furious battle,
My spirit and soul are now coming home.
Once again, we are walking hand in hand with God and the Angels,
Serenely and in quiet peace.
Having gathered together the scattered pieces of our being,
We are whole and healed, once more.
The evolutionary circle closes and the twin serpents of the dual forces
Of Creation, Highest and lowest, masculine and feminine,
Who once were opposed to each other are now working together harmoniously.
Winding round the Caduceus, they are the serpents of wisdom and healing.

Willingly we now follow the pull of the Sun and yield to the
Attracting power of Venus,
Leaving the enslavement of the earthly self behind.
Under the protection of a rainbow of light that surrounds the Earth,
Humankind is coming home into its true nature and
Is finding that the long promised land of plenty lies within every heart and soul.
Our highest ideals, hopes and dreams
Are finding fulfilment in us and our world at last.

Crowned by gentle Venus and the victory of a love that never left us,
We and our world have survived the might of selfish seeking
And the downward pull of the earthly self.
Equipped with the gift of a renewed understanding of
God’s true nature and our own,
A new morning’s soft forgiveness is dawning
For us and our world.

Anon.
Edited by Aquarius 2007

THE QUALITIES OF THE SIGNS

The pathway of the cardinal signs is to lead others and to make continual progress. They can be demanding, but are always ready to dig in and take charge in order to get things done.

Aries – cardinal fire –creative ideas leader
Fire – spiritual/sexual/creative energy – energy, work, inspiration
Cancer – cardinal water – emotional leader
Water – emotional – feelings, imagination, nurturing
Libra – cardinal air – intellectual leader
Air – intellectual – ideas, thoughts, communication
Capricorn – cardinal earth – leader on the material plane of life
Earth – material – practicality, protection, conservation;
always ready to dig in and take charge in order to get things done.

Cardinality is a characteristic of something on which other things hinge or depend. The cardinal signs have in common that part of the basic approach to life of those born into them is an outgoing quality, notwithstanding the fact that Cancer is a Water sign and Capricorn an Earth sign, therefore feminine and receptive. Each one of the cardinal signs in its own special manner is capable of getting things going, of taking the lead and of working to some specific end. The downside of this energy is that because of their incessantly strong urge for creating something and bringing something new into being those born into the cardinal signs are extremely restless people.

The pathway of the fixed signs is to conserve and protect what they have. They can be stubborn and unyielding, but they care for others by providing them with a sense of continuity and security.

Leo – fixed fire – is a spiritual protector
Fire – spiritual – energy, work, inspiration
Scorpio – fixed water – emotional protector
Water – emotional – feelings, imagination, nurturing
Aquarius – fixed air – intellectual protector
Air – intellectual – ideas, thoughts, communication
Taurus – fixed earth – material protector
Earth – material – practicality, protection, conservation

The pathway of the mutable signs is to assist and help others. They can be changeable or indecisive – sometimes too much so – but they are capable and always willing to bend and adjust to meet the needs of those around them, and to lend a helping hand.

Sagittarius – mutable fire – serves spiritually
Fire – spiritual – energy, work, inspiration
Pisces – mutable water – serves emotionally
Water – emotional – feelings, imagination, nurturing
Gemini – mutable air – serves intellectually
Air – intellectual – ideas, thoughts, communication
Virgo – mutable earth serves the material plane of life
Earth – material – practicality, protection, conservation

In case you are now wondering about the compatibility between your own Sun sign and that of your loved ones, my experience has shown that there are no hard and fast rules but as a general rule the signs within their own element get on well with each other, also the signs that are in polar opposition in the zodiac, for example Earth and Water, Fire and Air. Because there is an underlying harmony between them they enjoy working with and responding to each other. Water gets on well with Earth, Air with Fire, and vice versa. Whenever two extremes join forces and find the golden point of balance halfway between them, they are capable of giving of their best. The others can have difficulties, but they do not have to. In loving relationships where two people are seriously making an effort to get on with each other, in my view, it should always be possible to work things out together.

THE DECANATES OR DECANS OF THE SIGNS

The decanates or decans divide each sign into three sections; they carry the name of the planet that rules them.

The first 10 degrees of each sign are believed to be most emphatically of its own nature and are ruled by its own ruling planet. The next 10 degrees are sub-ruled by the planet that rules the next sign in the same triplicity, i.e. Fire, Air, Earth or Water. The final 10 degrees are sub-ruled by the last sign in that triplicity.

To give you an example of this, the decanates of the Earth sign Capricorn are ruled and sub-ruled as follows:

1st decanate 1-10 degrees by Saturn, Capricorn
2nd decanate 11-20 degrees by Venus, Taurus
3rd decanate 21-30 degrees by Mercury, Virgo.

 SUN IN SCORPIO
THE SIGN OF TRANSFORMATION AND REGENERATION

On the 23rd October 2010, the Sun enters Scorpio. As this is also the day of the full Moon in Taurus, during the period of the Sun’s transit through Scorpio, we and our world may be presented with many opportunities for finding a better understanding of some of the things that may have been deeply puzzling us, up to now. On the 22nd November 2010 the Sun moves forward into the next sign, the much more light-hearted and easy going Sagittarius.

Please, note that everything mentioned in this file does not only apply when your Sun is in Scorpio but also if:

• Your Sun is in the eighth house, the natural house of Scorpio
• Your Moon is in Scorpio or the eighth house
• Your Ascendant is in Scorpio
• You were born on the 11th and 29th day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Scorpio. In this case I also recommend the study of:
• ‘Two Studies In Mastership’
• ‘Master Number 11’
• ‘Master Number 22’
• ‘How To Become A Master Builder’

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Scorpio, I recommend that you pay particular attention to the negative expressions of this sign. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can be causing considerable problems, as they are then far more difficult to detect by ourselves – in spite of the fact that our behaviour may be a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can potentially be achieved by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology is one of the best tools for finding them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Libra/Scorpio but also Scorpio/Sagittarius, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Scorpio – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for souls born into them. Like some of the other signs, Scorpio is co-ruled by two planets. On the one hand there is Mars, the God of war of the ancients, and on the other Pluto, who in those days was worshipped as the God of the underworld. Pluto is now regarded as a symbolism for the subconscious. The Romans venerated Mars more widely than any other God. His Greek counterpart was Ares, who seems to have been much less popular than Mars. Maybe this is an indication that the ancient Greeks were not as belligerent as their Roman counterparts.

Many of the Roman legends have their origin in Greek mythology and in some of these Venus was the consort of Mars, who appeared in many different roles. For example, he was the agricultural God who presided over springtime and crops. Astrologically, Mars rules two signs, Aries and Scorpio. When the Sun moves into Aries at the spring equinox, springtime has come in the Western hemisphere. The month of March took its name from Mars. In his function as God of war the Romans offered sacrifices to Mars before going into combat. He was of such great significance in Roman life that throughout the year various festivals were celebrated in his honour.

Interestingly, to the ancients Pluto was the brother of Jupiter and Neptune; they are the two planets that co-rule Pisces and the house that has been allocated to this sign, the twelfth. The way I understand the Water signs Scorpio and Pisces they have in common that they cannot be understood from a purely worldly point of view; the reason for this is that Scorpio is of the spirit and Pisces of the soul. The signs and their natural houses can only begin to make sense when one approaches them from the understanding that human beings are much more than just the bodies they walk around in. Each one is an eternal spirit that has its own soul. During their lifetimes on the Earth plane they are only temporarily encased in matter.

The planet Pluto was named after the God of the underworld of Roman mythology, known as Hades to the Greeks. According to one legend Pluto carried Persephone, daughter of Zeus, the chief God, and of Demeter, the Goddess of agriculture, into his own world to make her his consort. Demeter, the mother, was also the Goddess of grain. The departure of her daughter caused her so much pain that the Earth became barren. Life came to a standstill as the devastated Demeter, Goddess of the Earth, searched everywhere for her lost daughter. Helios, the Sun, who was believed to sees everything, eventually told Demeter what had happened.

When people and animals were starving, Zeus, pressured by the cries of the hungry people and by the other deities who also heard their anguish, was no longer willing to put up with the dying Earth. He forced Hades to return Persephone, but before she was released to Hermes, who had been sent to retrieve her, Hades tricked her into eating some pomegranate seeds. Their magic powers forced her to return to the underworld for a season each year. When Demeter and her daughter were re-united, the Earth flourished again with vegetation and colour, but for four months each year Persephone has to return to the underworld and the Earth once again becomes a barren realm.

A long time ago, with the help of this tale the Universe explained to its children of the Earth, during the infant stages of its evolution, how the seasons came into being. It needs bearing in mind that there must be a strong possibility that you and I were part of it. Persephone is a thinly disguised variation on the theme of Mars and the renewal of all life in spring. When the Sun moves into Aries, the other sign ruled by Mars, the Sun’s pure creative energy combines itself with that of Mars. On the Earth plane the Mars energy expresses itself in all living things in the sexuality that is necessary to make procreation possible. When the combination of these potent energies pours into all lifeforms on the Earth a new growing season begins in the Northern hemisphere.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘When Creation Was Began’

According To the Legend of Uranus and Gaia
A Tale for the Aquarian Age

GENERAL NOTES – THERE IS NO DEATH

During the time of the Sun’s transit through Scorpio it becomes quite visible in the world around us that life is one continuous flow and that in truth there is no death, only regeneration which in due course is inevitably followed by rebirth. How wonderful and wise you are, Mother Earth and Father Sun. See the chestnut tree with its old leaves being pushed off the branches by fat brown shiny new buds? Following behind, they look as if they were ready to burst forth any moment. The old leaves drop to the ground and as they decay they provide the nourishment for the next crop of leaves, flowers and fruit.

Forget about the old myth that Nature dies in autumn and winter; it’s just not true! Just like us when we move on into the world of spirit, she does not even go to sleep; she rests for a little while and active growth slows down, but she is very much alive. Nature is an outer manifestation of what is happening inside us; the world around us at all times reflects our own inner state back to us. Don’t take my world for it, go out into Nature and see for yourself that there is no death. You don’t have to go all that far: the daffodils in my garden are eagerly pushing their shoots through the earth. What a joy! The first messengers of spring; aren’t they living proof enough that Nature never goes to sleep and most certainly doesn’t die?

Oh, how I love these misty November days when the Sun has moved in Scorpio! They are filled with the magic and mystery of this sign whose true meaning for a very long time remains hidden from those born into it. It may take a soul many times round the zodiac, until it has evolved sufficiently that the mysteries begin to reveal themselves. And it takes even longer until the same soul is ready to be taught by its Highest Self how to access and use them wisely for the highest good of all.

The atmosphere of those days can sometimes be filled with feelings of imminent departure and transformation that are tinged with a deep sadness. But there is also a sweetness and melancholy that has nothing to do with depression, because it seeps into the soul and comforts it. It whispers of regeneration and rebirth, of coming things and life-states that are good and filled with joy. A distant sense of excitement and anticipation can also be felt; it’s more than just heralding the coming of Sagittarius with its bonhomie and goodwill to all people. It is the birthright of every soul to eventually reach the higher and highest levels of being, but this is impossible without the struggles every soul has to tackle in Scorpio.

CHARACTERISTICS

Now, let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Scorpio. Here is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into perfection or rather wholeness. The circle of the zodiac with all its signs and houses is a symbol of this process. The law of life is evolution and round and round the zodiac every human soul has to go. Lifetime after lifetime we slowly absorb ever more of the lessons that are needed to integrate the qualities of our Divine parents. Every new lifetime brings us that bit closer to our final goal, the perfection, i.e. the wholeness, of the Great Father/Mother of all life, our true ancestors. This task will not be fulfilled until they are all functioning together in the same perfect harmony that is in God.

Scorpio is a fixed Water sign which, as mentioned earlier, is co-ruled by the planets Mars and Pluto. It is the eighth sign in the zodiac and the eighth house is its natural sphere of influence. This house represents possessions of or from others, legacies, shared feelings, the life-force as expresses itself in sex, birth, death and in the afterlife, as well as the will and the power to survive. In the physical body the generative organs are under the rulership of Scorpio.

The energies of our Sun sign are reflected in our approach to life and our attitude to and perception of it. Should this be the only sign you are interested in, it will be useful for you to know that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, whereas that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. Because of the passive nature of their feminine Water sign, it is unusual for souls born into Scorpio to be found among the shakers, movers and initiators of our world. And because theirs is one of the fixed signs, Scorpios can be astonishingly fixed and rigid in their views and opinions, as well as their perception and general vision of life, our world and their place in it. This in itself is a good demonstration of how the energies of our Sun sign reflect themselves in people’s attitude to and perception of life.

With the help of the link provided at the end of this paragraph, you might like to read up about the astrological meaning of fixed in ‘The Qualities of the Signs’. Should this be the only Sun sign you are interested in and you are as yet unfamiliar with these concepts, you need to know that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, and that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Qualities of the Signs’

MARS

Mars rules sharp instruments, like knives and the surgeon’s scalpel that cuts away the diseased parts of the physical body, so that healing can take place – more about this later. Pluto is the instrument for the development of the spiritual will, which the soul encounters through the trials and tests on the spiritual path. Pluto, the God of the underworld, is the facilitator of the many deaths and transformations which the soul must undergo during each lifetime it spends in this sign. The Ancient Wisdom teachings tell us of the two different types of death every soul must face. The first is the one in Scorpio; here the earthly personality with its longings, desires, ambitions and pride must die; they have to be sacrificed and nailed to the cross of Earth. This sets the spirit and soul free to rise above the Earth plane and serve its Highest or God Self. The second death is the one each soul must eventually encounter in Pisces. By letting go of all earthly attachments the soul liberates itself and is ready to serve its Creator on a Universal scale.

Alice A. Bailey wrote in ‘Esoteric Astrology’: ‘The Ancient One – known as the personality, the Dweller – dies by drowning…The waters envelop him and there is no escape. The fires of passion are then quenched. The life of desire ceases to appeal and the dweller descends to the bottom of the lake. Later, s/he re-ascends to Earth and enters into another lifetime, where the white horse – a symbol of the power of the Great White Spirit – awaits it, so that it may integrate the lessons of the sign Sagittarius. By mounting the horse and partaking in this learning the dweller moves another step forward towards the second death in Pisces. When the dweller arrives there, it is no longer seen. It sinks to the depths of the ocean of life and descends into hell, but the gates of hell cannot hold it. The new and living one, the initiated soul, leaves below that which has held it down throughout the ages and rises from the depths unto the heights and is drawn ever closer to the throne of God.’

PLUTO

Pluto is one of the outermost planets in our solar system; it is normally the farthest one away from the Sun. As the outer planets take a very long time to move through the whole zodiac, apart from affecting us individually they also influence whole generations in a similar manner. That’s why they are known as the generation planets. Pluto’s energies have a powerful cleansing and purging effect on the individual psyche and that of our world. Slow and extremely potent undercurrents run through any part of our lives and that of the collective consciousness that are affected by them at any given time. Pluto’s influence is cathartic and if there is anything within us and our world that is in need of changing and should by rights be brought to the surface so it can be looked at and got rid of, at the right moment Pluto comes to our help.

Under the influence of this planet’s forceful energies we and our world are likely to have to work our way through some difficult experiences. When they come it needs bearing in mind that life without its fair share of trials and tribulations does not exist, and that no evolutionary progress can be made without it. Each soul must shoulder its own cross, i.e. its earthly existence, and learn to walk with it. Whenever I have to work my way through some particularly difficult experiences, I find it helpful to remind myself that they are not coming to me as some kind of punishment. In truth, they are gifts from the Universe to help us grow in understanding, develop some inner strength and bring forth from within the highest, noblest and best.

Whilst editing and re-writing this part of the Sun in Scorpio in the year 2008, history has been made in the USA. On the 5th November of that year for the first time a black man became the country’s president! My hopes and prayers, my love and best wishes, together with those of the rest of the world are with him in the difficult tasks that lie ahead of him. Let us hope that by the time Pluto leaves Capricorn, the purging influence of this planet energies will have cleansed the consciousness of our world sufficiently so that all together we can find ever more satisfactory ways of sharing our beautiful planet with all its life forms, because by that time we and our world will have become much more re-connected with the Source of our being.

THE LAW OF LIFE

For anyone interested in getting to know their own and other people’s human weaknesses and foibles, to my mind there is no better tool than astrology. The Astro Files were created for that specific purpose and I trust that you will find the reading of not just your own sign but, if you can make the time available, all of them. If you do, not only you but also your relationships with those around you are sure to benefit greatly.

The law of life is evolution and progress and we find ourselves in it because the Universe demands from every human soul to eradicate its weaknesses by transforming them into strengths. But before anyone can set about doing this, one first has to become aware of one’s negative character traces and behaviour patterns. Many of them are by no means instantly visible on the surface because they are so well hidden that they can only be recognised by gazing deeply and with utter honesty into the mirror of our self and that is the world around us in the form of the people who accompany us on our pathway through life. Like a looking glass life itself in this way constantly reflects back to us what we ourselves are on the inner level. For a better understanding of this I warmly recommend the re-reading of the following articles from my jottings:

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

THE INFLUENCE OF SCORPIO AND PLUTO

Souls can be strongly affected by Scorpio and its ruler Pluto in different ways. If both are prominently configured in our birthchart, this applies to the whole of our present lifetime. But there are also times for those who are not normally unduly affected by Pluto’s energies when it moves through vital areas of their lives, for example by transit and/or by progression. No matter what happens, the purpose of these energies is always the same. At all times, the Universe is trying to move us into a spiritual awakening and a growing inner knowingness of other realities and inner dimensions; it is just that at certain times the intensity of the energies influencing us increases. It is likely that our interest in these objectives then increases. Those who follow the Universe’s call may at such times be given great gifts of deeper inner understanding. The more willingly we follow the guidance of our Highest Self, the better it can work for and with us, to help us gain – instead of mere head knowledge – a deep inner understanding that

• The concerns of the spirit are of far greater importance than those of the flesh housing it.
• The spirit eventually must take charge of and become the master of the form it inhabits.
• The dimensions of the spirit are more real than the outer form. They will never fade away because they are of the spirit and its world and therefore eternal.
• Although it has to take place on the earthly plane, the only true and lasting healing takes place on the inner level, where hand in hand with God and the Angels it can and indeed has to be sought.
• On our own we can do nothing, but with their help and will all things are possible and all conditions can be healed.

As the influence of Pluto’s energies in our lives increases, our soul sends us messages that there is a greater need than usual for shedding old beliefs, relationships and things, which no longer serve our highest good and our best interest. The whole process is a kind of psychic surgery that is meant to take us through a thorough cleansing of our soul that is life affirming, regenerating and renewing, if we can get ourselves to work with it instead of struggling against it. If we resist and neglect to follow our inner guidance and fail to respond to the call of our soul to respond to the energies that at any given time are flowing through our lives, we do so to our detriment and are likely to create big problems for ourselves. It makes no difference whether this is done consciously or simply because we have no idea what is operating in our lives.

There is no point in trying to suppress Pluto’s demands, though many attempt it, if only because the issues in question usually seem to be too painful to be looked at. But when Pluto’s powerful energies are suppressed for too long, they have a tendency of finally releasing themselves in volcanic type eruptions. Yet, even when they happen and the dust eventually has settled again, one becomes aware of the beneficial influence this cleansing experience has had in one’s life. This will always be noticeable, in spite of the fact that the events are usually highly traumatic, especially since unpleasant outbursts of violence and/or aggression in some form or other may also be involved when Pluto is involved.

The one thing we can be sure of is that this planet’s influence is always a profoundly transforming one and that on everything it touches; life on the Earth on all its levels is affected by it. As individuals for example, when Pluto transits certain parts of our birthchart, we can suddenly become totally absorbed, sometimes to the point of obsession, in something that previously may not have interested us at all. Scorpio rules the processes of creation, of degeneration and regeneration, of death that is invariably followed by rebirth onto a different level of life. Such events and other major transformations have to be reckoned with under the influence of transiting Pluto; the effects of its transforming energies are likely to stay with us permanently.

INTENSELY EMOTIONAL SCORPIO

The Water signs are the emotional ones of the zodiac; the purpose of a lifetime spent in one of them serves the further development of our emotional nature. In Scorpio the emotions run deep and are felt with passionate intensity. Much can be achieved by sufficiently evolved souls who, instead of pursuing the pleasures of the Earth, rise above their lower instinctive nature and devote their great intensity to serving the requirements of their Highest Self.

Scorpio is known as the mystery sign of the zodiac and more than anything else those born into it enjoy probing into the depth of life and its processes. Unlike in any other sign, in this one it is possible to look for and find an ever increasing and deepening comprehension of what lies behind and beyond life. In days gone by, this sign had an unsavoury reputation for being solely connected with death. Fortunately, by now we realise that this only applies in the widest possible sense. When one recognises that before anything new can ever be born, something old must die and that any death – physical or otherwise – is inevitably followed by a rebirth, the exceptionally high creative potential of this sign reveals itself.

For those wishing to come to terms with their own nature and to make better use of the energies at their disposal, to my mind, nothing could be more helpful than familiarising themselves with the effects of the energies of their Sun sign. The fiery masculine planet Mars is a symbolism for the pure sexual energy, the earthly expression of the Divine Fire of Creation. Can you see why Aries and Scorpio people get their reputation for being the sexiest people in the Zodiac? Mars in masculine Aries represents the up-rushing fountain of life; active and outgoing, it reaches into the world. However, in feminine and passive Scorpio, it takes us into the depths of our own being, the unconscious and also into the collective consciousness, where the regenerative effect of its energies is just as necessary.

It is not hard to see that the fiery energy of Mars cannot operate too happily in a feminine Water sign, where it can and does frequently whip up the emotions to such a pitch that violent outbursts of rage sometimes may take almost superhuman inner strength to control. As their lives progress and through the occasional glimpses they gain into their behaviour and reactions to those around them, they get to know the depths they are capable of stooping down to. They may have to find out, usually quite early in life, that when they allow themselves to express their feelings, they can be frighteningly intense, violent, and painful. As a result, later in life some of them hold onto their feelings too tightly for their own good. This, however, is a dangerous thing because in the long run suppressing one’s feelings may lead to deep depressions and other dis-eases of mind and body. Creating opportunities for regularly releasing one’s feelings safely and harmlessly, to ourselves and others, is of vital importance for every soul’s emotional well-being. Creating a safe environment where this can be done without hurting or harming ourselves or anyone is advisable for everybody; for Scorpios it is a must.

MORE ABOUT THE PLANET MARS

Understanding the planetary energies is the first step towards mastering them. But how can one sensibly be expected to do so with anything without possessing a thorough grasp of the matter? That’s why we are now going to take a closer look at the nature of Mars. As we are required to take charge of and master all our energies, it is helpful to familiarise ourselves with the field of their working and effects.

Mars is the planet of desire and Scorpio’s keyword is: ‘I desire!’ In its most basic expression on the Earth plane Mars is a force, a drive that causes young souls constantly feel and then shout into their environment: ‘I want, want, want – and I want it NOW! Wiser and more experienced souls do so quietly to themselves. The effect is the same. Should anything get in the way of the young ones who are still under the unadulterated influence of the force of the Martian desires, trouble inevitably ensues – in extreme cases warfare is the result. If the world refuses to do what such souls want, those unwilling to oblige are suppressed, shouted down, bullied and, if need be, manipulated into submission. At worst Mars is willing to walk over dead bodies to get what it wants; it goes to war and unthinkingly destroys everything that does not surrender willingly, if need be even the objects of its desires.

The Mars energy moves the newly created Divine spark onto the Earth plane where it needs to build itself an earthly personality. By each soul dwelling in its own physical body it begins to recognise and experience itself as an individual. With the help of its developing earthly personality the soul finds itself a place in its new environment. It maintains this place by bursting forth with all its youthful vigour and vim and the enthusiasm for the enjoyment of life that is typical of the Fire element and the signs it rules. Mars is a force that in young soul expresses itself like a wild mustang that has to be caught, tamed and harnessed before it can be ridden wisely. To master this energy, the same as all others, every human soul must spend sufficient lifetimes on the Earth plane. Instead of the earthly desire nature riding us, it needs to be conquered, so that eventually we can ride on the desires of our Highest Self, i.e. following the directions of our inner teacher, back home into the oneness with God.

To make this possible the soul has to learn the wise handling of the Martian Fire; it initially burns in the earthly self as unbridled passion and in that form it can turn into something destructive and evil. It takes time until the soul wakes up to the realisation that its own sexual energies are part of God’s creative/spiritual energies of the purest kind. Each soul must eventually learn how to them with great caution and reverence. It is worth noting that in God’s creation nothing is inherently evil or bad; the intention behind any action alone decides whether its outcome is going to be good or evil. The Mars energy is a good one, but when used selfishly and for the domination of one part of the population, on an individual, national and international level, it all too easily gets out of control. Ever escalating conflicts and wars are the result, as the state of our planet clearly demonstrates. If we and our world ever wish to find peace, the control and mastery of the Mars energy is the most vital lesson that is facing us and our world. Bear in mind that this energy is usually the underlying cause of all manner of warfare, especially in human relationships.

SCORPIO’S DEADLY WEAPON: THE TONGUE

As established, Mars rules sharp instruments. Under the influence of this planet’s energies the human tongue can easily be deteriorate into a deadly weapon. In less experienced Scorpios this reveals itself in the way they enjoy wielding the weapon of their razor-sharp tongues to hurt and sting anyone who causes them pain. Like any tool, this one when used in the wrong place can wreak havoc. Alas, for as long as souls remain unaware that all life is subject to Universal laws and the law of Karma in particular, they are constantly in danger of happily giving back in kind, unaware that one fine day the same must inevitably return to them, if not during this lifetime, then in another.

To understand why this is so, we shall take a closer look at the nature of the Fire element. Think of how fire behaves when someone carelessly drops a spark of it in the wrong place and the whole shebang goes up in smoke! In situations like that Fire is capable of destroying any kind of structure, including relationships that may have taken many years to build up. Take for example young and inexperienced souls, during one of their lifetimes in Aries, may still express themselves by impulsively and thoughtlessly blurting out their cutting and hurtful remarks of the first thing that comes into their minds, so far blissfully unaware that every action causes a reaction, and that whatever they send out into the world must eventually come back to them. By the time the same souls reach Scorpio, their speech faculty may have deteriorated into one that enjoys inflicting pain upon others. With its high psychic sensitivity Scorpio easily senses the Achilles heels of any opponent and is thus capable of ensuring that almost each time its carefully aimed poisonous arrows score a bull’s eye, leaving the other one deeply wounded. We shall return to the inevitable consequences of such actions later.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Sowing the Wind’
• ‘Taking Charge of our Tongues’

LEARNING TO TRUST

Because Scorpios know their own feelings and motivations all too well, and the way they are capable of acting and re-acting towards those around them, they do not trust themselves and therefore find it very hard to trust anyone. Highly suspicious in all their social contacts, they are only willing to reveal their true feelings under very exceptional circumstances. They are likely to do so only when they have known someone for long enough to trust and feel safe with, and that is rarely the case. Until the soul in Scorpio has reached at least a certain evolutionary level it can be proud, arrogant and standoffish, and may feel as if somehow it was a cut above the rest. When unevolved Scorpios discover their ability to sting, they may consider it as some kind of a special gift that miraculously someone has put at its disposal, to be used with pride and for best effect is used to gain advantages over others, subduing them through bullying.

Do not let the seemingly tough outer shell fool anyone though, for there is an extremely soft and sensitive side to Scorpios, which they guard most carefully. With their great emotional sensitivity they are in constant danger of being hurt by someone, which makes them feel highly vulnerable. Because of this they constantly feel on the defence and are ever ready to attack and protect themselves, and they may choose attack as their first line of defence. When they suspect that someone is about to hurt them, their lower survival instincts get the upper hand and they sting indiscriminately. Their most important lesson consists of finding out that human behaviour is chosen and they do not have to sting when the lust for doing so threatens to overwhelm them, and that they are not bad through and through for feeling that way. No-one is truly either especially good or bad, maybe even all good or all bad. We all have everything within and because of this everybody is capable of every kind of behaviour. The very reason for any soul’s stay on the Earth plane is that it should become aware of its true nature again and learn how take charge of and control its lower earthly nature.

THE DARKER ASPECTS OF LIFE

One of the most difficult aspects of a lifetime in Scorpio is that the soul has to experience more encounters with the darker and darkest aspects of life than in any of the other signs and therefore feels drawn to them. Like everything that is in our lives, these things happen for wise, that is educational reasons. Remember the mirror effect and the way life itself reflects back to us everything that is part of our own character make-up – and everybody else’s I hasten to add – that is in need of attention? When the less pleasant characteristics, theirs and ours are visible and if we already are sufficiently evolved, this happens because they are waiting to be looked at, worked with and overcome. Nothing more, nothing less.

Whether someone still gives in and succumbs to the drives and urges of their lower earthly nature – or strives to rise above them – depends on its present level of spiritual maturity. As this alone determines every soul’s subsequent life lessons, it is most unwise to ever sit in judgement over anyone. It’s impossible to know another’s Karma and which lessons they have come to imbibe this time round.

Scorpios are the strong, silent types. Excellent at presenting a cool, calm, and well controlled mask to the world, comparing them to a swan is not too far fetched. Seemingly serene and unruffled on top, underneath they are all too frequently peddling like mad against the currents of their strong emotions. Yet, hidden underneath that usually well controlled exterior is the kindest, softest, most sensitive and vulnerable soul imaginable. Given the right circumstances, they are sensuous and loving, and just as needful of giving and receiving love as everybody else. Some insist on going through life hiding their vulnerability so carefully that they rarely allow their protective visor against the world to come down. If this goes on for too long, the earthly self is in danger of building a protective inner wall around itself which, in due course, becomes a veritable prison of one’s own making. It can turn out to be surprisingly difficult to demolish again, when one decides the time for doing so has come.

Scorpios enjoy surrounding themselves with an aura of secrecy and mystery, but do not be taken in by that. It may take them a very long time until they find a better understanding of themselves and of special purpose and meaning of their present lifetime. Some never find this turning point during their present lifetime. What a pity! Such souls are missing many valuable opportunities that are on offer by the Universe to them, now. They may have to wait a very long time before more of them come round for them, to develop the Scorpio energies to their highest potential. Every soul must walk the Scorpio pathway eventually and those who refuse to get on with it now have to repeat the experience in some of their next lifetimes. If dallying souls knew that the transformation that is required from them is then likely to be even more difficult to cope with, they would no longer want to remain on the surface of life but willingly go off in exploration of the deep.

That is where Pluto, the God of the underworld, invites us to go. Its energies are of a transforming nature and for souls who follow its invitation willingly, there is every possibility that to their own greatest amazement they will re-discover gifts and talents that may have taken many lifetimes to acquire. This process quite naturally reconnects the soul with the latent healing, restoring and regenerating power we all carry within; they are particularly strong in Scorpios. It will be allowed glimpses into the deepest, innermost parts of life and also of its own being.

FREEDOM OF CHOICE

Scorpio is one of the signs that can either bring out the worst or the best in human souls. The greatest depravities and evil, as well as the highest good and the noblest character qualities are equally within our reach during each one of our lifetimes in this sign. In spite of this, during our explorations of the inner self, there is no need of being afraid of what may surface. Anything that is not to our liking, we can and indeed are meant to change. It is worth knowing that human behaviour is chosen and that the only real freedom we have is the choice of how to behave and react to people and circumstances that arise in our lives. The events of everybody’s life are predestined; they depend entirely on the Karma that we ourselves have created in the course of previous lifetimes and also the present one.

Humankind’s much cherished freedom is comparable to a dog going for a walk on a lead. We are the dog and our Karma is the lead; our Highest Self is taking us where we need to go, which lessons we have to integrate and which experiences have to be gone through, to achieve this. Therefore, if during our mediations and healing journeys, something that seems evil to us surfaces into our conscious awareness, it is up to us whether we bring it forth and act it out, or whether we change and transmute its energies into something good. Life is constantly offering us choices, for example no-one can force us into doing anything we do not like. There is always a choice and it has to be made – by us. But before anyone can choose wisely, one first has to find out about this matter of choices.

As mentioned earlier, Scorpios are proud people, which may express itself in less experienced souls as arrogance and snobbery. Scorpios can be super-critical and sarcastic and if allowed to run freely, as mentioned earlier, their tongues can be deadly. The younger and less experienced souls among them may expect to be respected by those around them, as if it was some kind of a God given right especially created for them. They would dearly love to command respect and are astonished when, because of their lack of good behaviour, the world around them refuses to oblige. It comes as a surprise to them to discover that nobody has a birthright to be respected and that it is something that has to be earned, through one’s daily actions and reactions to people and situations. Scorpios are notorious for their difficulties in all their relationships, because they are over-fond of getting their own way. When this is denied, the strength of inexperienced souls can turn all too easily into vindictiveness and resentment, especially in the family circle.

God is our partner in this adventure, known as life. We are children of God, co-creators with God and young Gods in the making. With the help and will of God all things are possible and all energies can be changed; all situations and relationships can be healed and improved, especially the one between God and us. All our wishes are always fulfilled and all prayers replied to. Whatever our heart truly desires, for good and for evil, for better and for worse, God helps us to bring forth, so that we may learn from the resulting experiences and grow through them more heaven-tall.

By the way, I do not believe that every soul always has the right to choose. Very young ones must go the way they are shown, so that they can learn their most basic lessons. That is why it is unwise to ever judge anyone! I feel intuitively that it takes until we reach a certain evolutionary level that freedom of choice is revealed to us. But, having reached that crucial point, it is vital that to act accordingly. For example, if there is something we do not like about ourselves, it is up to us whether we remain the same or change the offending part into something positive and acceptable. Through our inner connection with God we are all capable of transmuting anything. But as our thoughts create our reality, first we must take charge of our unruly thinking patterns; only then can we set about cleansing our inner self, one small step after another, by the sheer power of thought.

As pointed out earlier, the world around us is an outer manifestation of what is inside us; it reflects it back to us like a mirror. Even the greatest evil that exists in us and our world can and must be transmuted into something good and positive. We are in this life to find healing for all the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual wounds we and our world ever had to endure, throughout the long process of our evolution. Each soul, through its very own efforts, must save and redeem itself and our world by doing their share of blessing and healing it. God and the Angels are waiting to show us how to go about it. That, in a nutshell, is evolution, and the reason why we are in this existence.

SCORPIO’S INNER BATTLE

Between the desires of the soul’s earthly personality and those of its Highest Self a battle rages, during lifetimes in Scorpio. For a very long time, it may seem that both are simultaneously trying to gain the upper hand. However, the living God within, that which is best and highest in every soul, is always trying to move it forward into the future and to encourage it to lift itself above the clouds of its material existence. To show it that it is on the right track it is allowed occasional glimpses of its highest potential, but then it is firmly placed down on the Earth again, to face and deal with the demands of its present existence. For a better understanding of how the earthly part struggles against its Heavenly twin read follow the link below:

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Sun in Gemini’

It is true in every sign that, with all its fears of the future and the unknown, the Earth twin works very hard on holding the soul back in the past by following its lower drives, urges, and instincts. This is particularly strong in Scorpio, but awareness is the key for overcoming this aspect, too. To reach for and fulfil the high potential of growth that can be achieved in this sign and all others, the soul must bring forth its very best, so that God and the Angels can do the rest.

We all need their help for the reconciliation that is required to end the age-old struggle between the earthly and the heavenly twin parts of the human nature. They have to be brought together and taught to work together harmoniously and for the highest good of all. One of the symbols of the healing magic of this process is the six-pointed Star, which was given by the White Eagle group of guides as a focal point for meditations, contemplations and prayers. The upper triangle of the Star represents the Holy Trinity of Mother/Father God and the Universal Christ, their only born Son, the spiritual Sun behind the Sun, whose tiny spark is now waking up in every heart. The lower triangle stands for the human three-fold earthly personality:

• Mind – Ai
• Body – Earth
• Spirit – the Divine spark in every heart – Fire

Pure spirit is Fire and of Air; this spirit on its own is incapable of feeling and experiencing itself; it needs a soul. That is why in the course of many lifetimes, every human spirit has to develop a feeling side, an emotional body of Water, which is its individual soul. We bring the memories of all our experiences with us into each new lifetime; they are embedded in the very atoms of our physical bodies. Thus the spirit belongs to the domaine of Fire and Air, the soul body to that of water and the physical body to that of Earth.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘What is Soul?’

NAILING THE SMALL EARTHLY SELF TO THE CROSS

Every spirit and soul eventually reaches the stage when its earthly personality has to be nailed to the cross of consciousness of the Earth by willingly surrendering itself to the guidance and protection of its Highest or God Self. This is by no means something that can only be encountered in Scorpio. The birthchart reveals that everybody has Scorpio somewhere and it is in this part where the earthly self has to be sacrificed, so the spirit self can come alive, until it eventually takes over completely. If you are having difficulties with this rebirth and transformation, don’t be disheartened. Even the most highly evolved and spiritually aware Sun Scorpios are likely to be required to fight some arduous battles to overcome the drives and urges of their lower nature. One of the most famous examples of this is the life of the Indian teacher of the Aquarian Age, Sai Baba, born 23rd November 1926.

The necessary final transformation is unlikely to happen early on in anyone’s life, because the first part of this lesson consists of getting to know, through the soul’s own experiences, the over-strong pull of its earthly self. This is essential because that way alone can Pluto take any soul into the very depths of its inner self and, alas, at times also of human experiences. Souls who still require this lesson are thus taken to the very gates of Hell. This is the only way God and the Angels can teach its children of the Earth that even this is perfectly safe, that truly there is nothing ever to be afraid of, because no matter what befalls us they will always bring us back safely and after such experiences help us to rise to the highest heights.

The Sun in the sky above us and in our birthcharts is a symbolism for the great Light of the Universal Christ, the Sun above and behind the Sun, who is the most powerful force in the whole of Creation. This is the only or first born Son of the Great Father/Mother. As it moves through the zodiac, it pours its love and light through one sign after the other. When it reaches Scorpio, it combines its creative strength with that of Mars and Pluto. Together they represent the creative and regenerative healing power of God’s creative/sexual/spiritual energies that are a vital part of every human soul’s power supply. These awesome energies are waiting to be tapped into by each one of us, and it is not hard to see that with its help all things really are possible and it will be possible to remove the remaining inner mountains of a general lack of faith and trust in the collective consciousness of our race.

All who come with good intentions and willingly submit themselves to the protection and guidance of their inner teacher can thus align themselves to the forces of the Universal Christ and Its healing power. We are in this life to take possession of it and learn how to use it wisely, with great reverence and respect, and never for selfish purposes. That alone can empower any soul to do its share of blessing and healing, regenerating and restoring its inner self and its outer life. And as both change, the world around does the same – alleluia!

WILLPOWER – THY NAME IS SCORPIO

Scorpio’s most outstanding feature is the strength of its willpower, which matches that of its desire nature. Yet, with the soul’s spiritual awakening there comes the comfort of the knowledge that with the help and will of God all things are possible, all conditions can be healed and even the lowest desires of its earthly nature overcome. By that time the soul has found out that whatever we truly wish for will appear in our lives; therefore, it considers very carefully which ones of its desires, when it becomes aware of them, are worth following up and which ones are best ignored. As its awareness of what is at stake increases, it helps to know that its God Self can at all times be called upon for Its advice and strength to rise above the promptings it gets from its lower nature. Thus it slowly proceeds along its predestined path, until the temptations of its lower nature have ceased altogether.

Complete and utter trust in the goodness of life can only be found through everybody’s own experiences. That is the only way human souls, during their lifetimes in Scorpio can discover that they themselves have the strength and are capable of gaining access to the power of God. Each must make their own decision to move away from the old self, its outdated thinking and behaviour patterns, and whole way of life. That is the only way that eventually enables any soul to rise from the rubble of its old life into the oneness with its God Self, like the legendary Phoenix once did from the smouldering ashes of its own funeral pyre.

Before God we all stand alone. Accompanied by its guides and Masters, each soul on its own must learn how to, quite literally, walk hand in hand with God and the Angels again, the way we all once did. Small hand in big hand, the frightened earthly self will then be taught by its Highest self how to do its share of comforting, blessing and healing. During this process the Divine spark in human hearts grows first into a small still flame. As we aligns ourselves in our meditations and prayers with the power, love and wisdom of God’s great fire, the flame in our heart shines ever brighter and clearer. As over time this burns away all remnants of the dross of darkness and fear from our soul, God and the Angels can work through us ever more to bless and heal everything we come in contact with.

PROBING INTO THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE

The presence of the Mars energies in their sign explains Scorpios keen interest in the great mysteries of Earth life, like birth, death and especially sex. Pluto’s energies awaken the soul’s curiosity for searching beneath and beyond their present earthly existence. This is likely to manifests itself at an astonishingly early age. I share the view that there is no death and that there are only transformations into different life-states that take all human souls back into the world of spirit, our true home on a different level of life. It has been said that Scorpios are unafraid of death. Take it from me, that is another one of those astrological myths that is not based on fact; read more about them in the chapter ‘Conclusions’ at the end of these files. Initially Scorpios may well fear death; I know quite a few who do. But the potential for overcoming this fear is much greater in this sign than in the others, but only for those who are willing to open their inner eyes and get on with their spiritual development.

It’s anyone’s guess for how many lifetimes the earthly self has been dreading death. In the final analysis, to overcome this fully death too must be experienced first hand; I hope that for many of us this time – maybe for the first time ever – it will be possible to remain in a fully conscious state of awareness. Surely that is the only way we can truly find out that the death of our physical body really is nothing to be afraid of. Throughout each lifetime every soul must undergo many types of death. Something is constantly dying inside us and we all have to develop our own way of dealing with these deaths. Something like a veil has been separating our earthly existence from the world of spirit, for a very long time. At last we are ready to find out that all physical death is but one aspect of the illusion that had to be created, but for time only, to help us become aware of our individuality. Now that this has served its purpose, the veil is dissolving.

The death of someone around us always presents all those who are witnessing it with valuable learning opportunities. Choices have to be made at such times; it is up to us whether we use such events as occasions for renewal and regeneration or whether we allow ourselves and lives to degenerate. Wise ones recognise every death as an opportunity for regenerating and re-birthing themselves, when Scorpios can tap into and bring forth their incredible inner strength. Every soul eventually reaches the evolutionary phase when its earthly personality must be transformed. Unless we mail it to the cross of consciousness of the Earth and allow it to die, our spirit and soul cannot gain access to higher levels of consciousness.

SCORPIO’S THREE LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

During each lifetime in Scorpio it is potentially possible for every soul to reach three different levels of consciousness; each one carries its own symbolism. First in line is the scorpion, the insect with the deadly sting in its tail. It does not take the human version long to discover that it has a tongue that can sting others and hit them where it really hurts; this gives it a feeling as it if had some kind of power over others. Ah yes, the power to hurt and to destroy. Every soul must also get to know the destructive power of Mars. Each must gather experiences of how, when obstacles get in the way of its over-strong will, it is capable of lashing out and of angrily destroying in seconds, through a word or a gesture – careless hurled at someone or carefully planned – what may have taken many lifetimes to build. This goes for personal relationships as much as for national and international ones.

That is how, as life progresses, the soul in Scorpio may enjoy hurting and stinging so much that it ever more frequently indulges in it for the sheer pleasure of it. Unbeknown to the earthly self, the ideas for its most successful stinging actions have their origin on the subconscious level, from where the soul is prompting it in order to bring this early evolutionary phase to its natural conclusion. Only when the scorpion part has destroyed itself is the earthly self allowed to move on to its next lessons, the exploration of the second level. Thus the human scorpion eventually stings itself to death and its Highest Self takes it through the transformation onto the second level.

The symbol of this level is the Eagle. It represents the Spirit Self; the human soul’s Earth-bound spirit needs to learn to rise above that plane on the eagle’s mighty wings. It may take a long time until the earthly self eventually lifts itself above the concerns of the Earth and, like the eagle, flies higher and nearer to the Eternal spiritual Sun, than any other creature on Earth. For another very extensive period, the human eagle is likely to behave like the lower form of the eagle, a bird of prey with an exceedingly cruel beak and claws to match. When the human eagle has gathered sufficient experiences of using them to serve its own selfish purposes, it crash lands. The eagle must die and transform itself the dove, the Dove of Peace. This is the sign’s third and final evolutionary phase which is crucial for the soul on its pathway to perfection. At last, the Scorpio spirit rises triumphantly from the smouldering ashes of what once was its life, to willingly and unselfishly, meekly and mildly serve as a channel of blessing and healing between God and all life.

This stinging to death happens frequently through relationships that inevitably go wrong because of Scorpio’s stubborn insistence to have their own way. Maddened by the heat of the battle in which the partners have become embroiled, embittered and enraged to the utmost, yet unable to perceive that they themselves are the cause of their struggle, Scorpio recognises in the end that all is lost. That’s the moment when they decide to use their most deadly weapon, their tongue to hurt the other one so deeply – most unwisely in karmic terms – that even the mildest and most loving soul can do nothing but turn its back on Scorpio. With the end of every relationship that touches us deeply, we leave some part of us behind and dies. And so, enraged to the point of wanting to kill someone or something to punish them for the pain they are causing, Scorpio punishes itself by stinging itself to death.

For inexperienced soul, who are as yet unaware that they are responsible for themselves and the consequences of their actions, each one of these encounters forms an essential part of their basic learning process. Unpleasant though it is for everybody around, in itself is nothing to worry about. Every soul can only learn and mature through the re-actions to its own actions by the people they enter into relationships with. Without the growth we gain through every single one of experiences and especially the most traumatic ones, no soul would ever be able ascend to the higher realms of human existence. It is true for each one of us that we can only learn through our own experiences how to lift ourselves, when our turn for doing so has come, on the Eagle’s wings of our indwelling Highest and Spirit Self. To become the Dove of Peace, all stages have to be experienced first hand and gone through. As the downward pull of the earthly self is great, and it steadfastly tries to cling to the Earth and its desires, it takes all of Scorpio’s inner resources and strength to counteract and overcome them.

Probably the most famous documented Scorpio ever was Saint Francis of Assisi 1182-1226. Although the church has appointed 4th October as his feast day, he is believed to have been a Sun Scorpio in his most recent lifetime. A study of his birthchart confirms this. To me, the Saint’s life is one of the best demonstrations of the transforming powers every soul carries within and has the birthright to tap into it, which is highlighted during a lifetime in Scorpio. The early part of St. Francis’ life shows the strength, determination, willpower, resource, and stamina Scorpios can call upon. The later part shows the courage to humbly expose to the public its soft and gentle side, the Dove of peace.

As pointed out earlier, we all have Scorpio somewhere in our birthcharts. Whatever aspect of life is affected by this, transformation of the earthly self and resurrection of its Highest or God Self has to take place. No-one can do this for us, but those who are willing to do the work this requires can give expression to the highest form of creativity, namely re-birthing themselves onto a new and higher level of consciousness. For example, if our Ascendant is in Scorpio we can do this by transforming our personality; if our Moon is in this sign letting go of the past and its memories of hurtful events is going to be difficult. But whenever some of them come to haunt us, through recognising them as learning experiences they are meant to be transformed by us into positive and constructive energies.

MOON IN ITS FALL IN SCORPIO

Why should this be more difficult for Moon and Ascendant Scorpios? The Moon is in its fall in this sign and if that applies to you, moving forward in your life and your evolutionary path could turn out to be extra difficult. Yet, when the world of feelings has been conquered and mastered the experience turns into a most rewarding one. To me, this Moon position is an indication that a soul may have spent its previous lifetime as a Sun Scorpio. If this is the case for you, but you integrated sufficiently the lesson of giving in to the desires of your earthly self, as far too many are doing to this day, the awareness of what is at stake here, will help you to reach higher and move on. In that case, rejoice, dear Moon Scorpio soul. The struggle to overcome the negative manifestations of your sign will probably be even tougher this time round. But, this way you are sure to achieve a great deal more soul growth than would otherwise have been possible.

The Universe loves us; it is infinitely kind, loving and patient. That is why it constantly presents every soul with fresh opportunities for learning exactly the right lessons. Those who eagerly grab them and work with them with all their might are sure to go far in their present lifetimes. Every soul has inner reserves of regenerative energy that are waiting to be tapped into. This is accentuated in Scorpio, so they are in a better position than any of the other signs to get on with the work in hand. Their inner resources enable them to bounce back from death’s door, literally and metaphorically speaking, whenever this is required. We shall return to this theme in the chapter ‘Cleansing of Human Consciousness’.

THE SCORPIO PERSONALITY

The Scorpio personality is a complex one; much lies hidden beneath the surface, invisible even to souls born into this sign and therefore hard to fathom out. That is where it has to remain, until an inner urge awakens in Scorpio souls to dig into their own depths, to get in touch with the solid gold of their innermost and Highest Self. As this is the most precious part of every soul, the required process of excavation cannot be avoided by anyone. Souls who have gained a degree of awareness and who go willingly in search of that which lies hidden deep within the core of their own being, thus re-establish their direct connection with God. The need for doing this is even greater during lifetimes in Scorpio.

Wise ones take extra care of how they express themselves and seriously work on overcoming their destructive behaviour patterns. The Universe is placing an extremely powerful tool into everybody’s hands and that is the knowledge of the law of Karma. The awareness of this law goes a long way towards saving Scorpios from the experience that can be so very typical of this sign, namely becoming so cynical and bitter that later in life they find it impossible to believe in anything. It does away with the need for creating inner protective walls, to hide behind against what is perceived as an unloving Universe and a hostile environment. But even for less advanced souls, who still believe that this is the case, let no-one be fooled by the ice-cold and often cynical exterior they may be showing to the world. Rest assured that well hidden from your view a great deal of suffering is going on inside them, because of their soft and sensitive Scorpio part that so easily gets hurt and wounded.

Scorpios are passionate people who do not suffer fools gladly. Their egos are so strong that stepping onto them and thus upsetting and hurting the world of their feelings is sometimes almost inevitable. Every soul has psychic abilities and during lifetimes in the Water signs they move more into the foreground of our consciousness because they are awaiting further development. However, unless we protect ourselves against it, high psychic sensitivity leaves us wide open to absorbing the negative feelings of others. Scorpios in particular are highly tuned into the emotions not only of those around them, but also of the collective. Connected with this is the ability to assess the atmosphere in a room filled with people, as soon as they enter.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Psychic Protection’

Scorpios love the truth and are good at searching for it. Constantly feeling the need to look behind and probe into the depths of things and people, psychology and related subjects are open invitations to them. Scorpio souls have a built-in lie detector; they can smell a rat a mile off and are therefore excellent in detective work. Other fields of employment they may feel drawn to are the mining industry, butcher, undertaker, coroner, pharmacist, psychologist, public analyst and sanitary inspector. To illustrate the diverse interests and occupations Scorpios may pursue, here is a list of famous ones.

Joan Sutherland – Opera Singer; Marie Curie – Scientist; Sarah Bernhardt – Actress; Katherine Hepburn – Actress; Goldie Hawn – Actress; Bo Derek – Sex Symbol; Sylvia Plath – Poet; Prince Charles; F. Dostoevsky – Writer; Dylan Thomas – Writer; Whoopi Goldberg – Comedienne; Hillary R. Clinton – Candidate for the US presidency; Grace Kelly – actress and later princess of Monaco; Alistair Cooke – Letter from America; Martin Luther – Father of the Reformation in Germany; Erwin Rommel, known as the Desert Fox during World War II; Goebbels – Nazi Politician; Sai Baba, Aquarian teacher.

THE MASTER MANIPULATOR

Scorpios are the master manipulators of the Zodiac. Less experienced souls who are as yet unaware of the law of Karma, consciously and unconsciously, may think endlessly of subtle ways of influencing others to make them servants of Scorpio’s desires, instead of their own. Not knowing that this law inevitably brings back the same measure for measure, if not during this lifetime then in others, they may invent elaborate ploys to get their way. In their ignorance they may even rub their hands with glee – metaphorically speaking – when their efforts are crowned with success. The odd touch of emotional blackmail is by no means below such soul’s dignity.

In contrast to them, wise ones realise that the ability to manipulate and influence things and people is a gift which the Universe bestows on human souls for good purpose. This one, the same as all others, is in need of wise and careful handling and therefore never for achieving personal advantages over who are somehow in a weaker position, maybe younger, less experienced and shrewd. Everything that is in our world can either be abused, i.e. used for evil and destructive purposes and/or selfish gain, or it can be applied to serve good and higher purposes. The purpose of this particular exercise is to teach us and our world to differentiate between good and evil. The onus is upon every soul to think carefully before it uses anything that has been given into its care, including its physical body and especially its tongue.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Of Good and Evil’

Mars’ rulership of sharp instruments may make some Scorpios into excellent surgeons, but in young souls it also provides the push and drive for using the deadly poison of their tongues. They are the most efficient tool for reaching and eventually leaving behind Scorpio’s first evolutionary landmark, the scorpion. Angered by something, in the heat of the desert it stings itself to death. Wise ones turn the same weapon into a veritable sword of truth that cuts through the debris of false beliefs, superstitions and illusions that still abound in our world. Divine wisdom and truth is now coming to us directly from the Source ever more strongly.

There is much demand in our world for Scorpios to develop this sword, so it can be wielded to cleanse their own consciousness and that of those around them, to create the space into which God’s truth can freely pour itself. Every soul is in this life to make their contribution towards dispersing the clouds of ignorance that still surround our world by willingly acting as channels for the Divine. Any knowledge we find needs to be shared; when it is used in the right way it creates the ripple effect on the pond of human consciousness. First every soul has to apply the wisdom it finds to its own life, but then an effort must be made to bring its understanding to those whose souls are also in need of healing and peace. Through this the same happens to the soul of our whole world and all worlds.

Scorpios can be extremely stubborn and jealous; this behaviour is a reflection of the fixed nature of this sign. The same applies to their opposite sign, earthy Taurus, ruled by Venus. In the zodiac two signs are always in opposition to each other and it is true for all of them that what works on the conscious level of one of them does so from the subconscious in its polar opposite. Hence, Taureans are consciously fond of the good things of life – wine, women/men and song, good food, nice clothes and beautiful things; all must be of good quality. They love to possess and be possessed and steadfastly hold onto their loved ones. Scorpio too are very clinging and possessive in their relationships, but with them this is more an unconscious rather than a conscious reaction.

Knowing all that, it does no longer come as a surprise that Scorpios and Taureans between them are known to be the most clinging parents of the Zodiac. The reason for this kind of clutching onto people and things is caused by fear, the fear of loss. The knowledge that nothing on the Earth plane truly belongs to any of us saves wise ones much suffering because it allows them to let go whenever the moment for doing so has come. With the help of their Highest Self they are learning to rise above and overcome all their fears, including this one. On the wings of its wisdom and the understanding it brings to human souls, who ask for it, enables them to lift themselves above the Earth plane. In that blessed state they begin to see an ever fuller picture of our world, instead of merely a tiny fraction, the way the earthly selves have to do for as long as they are still struggling on their own.

SCRATCH A TAUREAN AND FIND A SCORPIO!

For getting in touch with our inner motivations there is nothing better than studying the polar opposite of our Sun sign. It is known as the sleeping partner, because it reveals that which is hidden away from our conscious knowledge and therefore difficult to access. You can easily try this for yourself. Scratch a Taurean and guess what you will find underneath? A Scorpio! Watch a Taurean when angry! See how the seething, smouldering, violent and difficult to control emotional cauldron of their Scorpionic subconscious breaks through and takes over. The upside of this is that Taureans, when they are at peace, can draw on the great devotional inner strength, resourcefulness, and stamina of Scorpio.

For the same reason it is unwise to try to push unevolved Scorpios into a corner! If you are lucky, you may merely rouse their stubborn Taurean streak into action. You will then see how they insist on having their way, no matter what the outcome. Beware; a lashing with their deadly tongue is not the worst thing that can happen, because that could lead them into one of those violent emotional outbursts so typical for Scorpio that makes them see red and lash out at their offender. However, evolved Scorpios make wonderful and devoted friends, while less experienced ones can become deadly enemies when you do not give in to their demands.

The polarity in all signs is always a two-way traffic that can and should be made to work for us, rather than against. To take advantage of this, we first need to remind ourselves that Scorpio is ruled by Mars and Pluto and Taurus by Venus. When Scorpios feel threatened or angry, the negative aspect of their Taurean subconscious comes to the fore, which may make them over-possessive and jealous. But have a look at them when they are at peace and are drawing on the great strength of patient, earthy and placid Taurus, the Bull. To ground and get rid of anger, violence, and smouldering resentment in constructive and harmless ways, there is nothing finer for Scorpio than tapping into the loving energies of Venus in their Taurean part.

Mythology illustrates this beautifully, when it tells us that out of the loving union of Mars and Venus, there came forth a child by the name of Harmony. When Scorpios ground themselves in earthy pursuits and pastimes, such as setting up and looking after a home and family, or gardening and the enjoyment of Nature, their soul can find the peace they are so badly in need of. Such pastimes also help Scorpio to become ever more aware of how the Spirit is working behind and through all lifeforms; how it brings them into being, moves them along and finally takes them from this life again.

Accepting, working with and integrating the highest qualities of both our Sun sign and those of the opposite sign can help us greatly towards reaching our goal of wholeness and perfection. So, let us stay with Taurus for a moment longer? Having reached a certain evolutionary level, no further progress can be made until the soul in Scorpio has developed the ability to rise above the desires of its lower earthly nature, whose drag is extremely strong in everybody. A better understanding of the earthiness of their sleeping partner, as well as the knowledge that all form is inhabited by spirit and that it is the indwelling spirit that motivates all matter, including that of their own body and everybody else’s, can be used to conquer this. Without this awareness the pull of Scorpio’s Taurean subconscious can be so strong that growing spiritual wings to rise above them is almost impossible. Can you see how understanding is the key for unlocking just about anything?

POWER

Scorpios are very conscious of a sense of power; they have a strong taste and desire for it and like to think of themselves as powerful. It may take young souls many times round the zodiac until they realise that no-one on the Earth plane has any real power. Scorpio’s polar opposite, Taurus, shares this liking for power but with them this operates from their unconscious. Four famous examples of this that come to mind are the present Queen of England, the country’s former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and the two dictators and cause of much suffering, Saddam Hussein and Adolf Hitler. Having been born as a royal princess, the Queen chose her calling for this lifetime before entering it. The remaining three must have been karmically destined to go in search of power and partake in the resulting lessons, each in their own way, or they would not have found themselves in the positions they filled for a time.

Evolved or not, Scorpios think in terms of power and everything to them is an issue of power. Wherever there are unevolved Scorpios around power struggles are a certainty. Wise ones appreciate that there are only two types of true power anyone in this existence can ever have. The first one is over our earthly self, its desires and behaviour patterns; those of others are there responsibility, we have no power over them. The second kind of power is the right to make our own decisions and choices. It is important to become aware that human behaviour is not compulsory but chosen. When I am so angry about someone that I could kill that person, it is up to me whether I give in to this impulse or find healthier and non-destructive outlets for my anger, forgive the offender – without condoning their behaviour – and move on. We are responsible and we must choose how we react to those around is in any given situation. The Universe is constantly testing each one of through the events of our daily lives to see how well we handle the limited powers that is given into our hands.

Scorpios will try to take the lead in all their endeavours, but may well overlook that leadership is one of the many things that will never be granted to any soul as a God given right; earning it takes patience, stamina, hard work and application. Without at least a degree of awareness of what is at stake it is very difficult to wield our ‘powers’ with a modicum of success. Thus, it is hardly surprising that unevolved Scorpios experience more than their fair share of difficulties in all their relationships. This is how it comes about that, rather than subordinating themselves to anyone and being part of a pack, they not infrequently prefer to live as lone wolves.

Yet, marriages and partnerships of all kinds are as vital to Scorpio, as they are for anyone, because life’s lessons alone can teach us that relationships can only be successful when they are based on mutual tolerance, equality and humility – qualities that do not come naturally to Scorpio. That’s why the wise ones amongst them do not avoid partnerships but appreciate their value as the best teachers of all to human souls for becoming more co-operative, considerate, giving and outgoing towards others. On top of all that the associations with others provide the constant source of growth, regeneration, and transformation that is essential for all of us and for Scorpios in particular.

Scorpios have the proverbial memory of an elephant; it is incredibly long. No hurt or slight – imagined or real – anyone ever did to them is likely to be forgotten by them. Know that if you hurt them, unevolved Scorpios are likely to insist upon seeking revenge. To take it, they can be extremely patient and if need be can wait until sometimes decades after the event, when the other one has long forgotten it and moved on. Those who understand the workings of the Cosmic Laws know that all life is governed by them are the wise ones. Realising that the great wisdom of the Universe is taking care even of everything, it has created the law of Karma. And that ensures that we all get what we deserve and have rightfully earned – for better or for worse. What anyone sends out into the world must return to them, hence there never is any need for anyone to take revenge.

To my mind, making it our business to find out as much as we can about the Cosmic Laws and then conducting our lives in accordance with them is the greatest must for everybody. One of the many beneficial side effects a better understanding of them brings with it is finding forgiveness for those who trespassed against us is a natural progression, because these laws are extremely fair, just and strict. Everyone is responsible for themselves, their own thoughts, words and actions and no exceptions are ever made for anyone. Ignorance of the laws cannot protect us against the consequences of our actions. Knowing them puts the remedy against all that is amiss in us and our world into everybody’s own hands and we are all required to share the wisdom we find with those around us, so that too may come alive to their true reality and willingly shoulder their responsibilities.

UNDERSTANDING SCORPIO

Strange astrological stories seem to circulate about this sign. This does not surprise me because, as befits the mystery sign of the zodiac, only fairly recently has it started to reveal its true potential. To my mind, understanding Scorpio and fulfilling its purpose is just about impossible from the viewpoint of a purely material existence and the way it has been interpreted in the past. Scorpio is meant to guide human souls back into the re-discovery of their own true nature and that of all life. In this sign the veil of consciousness, mentioned earlier, that has been separating our earthly existence from our true home, the world of spirit, is thinner than in any other sign. That makes it easier for the soul to see for itself that all matter is permeated by and ruled by the spirit that dwells inside it.

During its lifetimes in Taurus the soul’s experiences are mostly centred on earthly matters. But, by the time it reaches the opposite sign, Scorpio, it should have developed sufficiently to gradually become aware again of the need for focusing on and attending to the concerns of the spirit, its own and the one of the people in its environment. There comes a time for every earthly self when it wakes up to the fact that it is an eternal being, spirit and soul, who cannot and will never die. To my mind, finding out that the true purpose of our being on the Earth plane is evolution is the only way of making some sense of the experiences we had to undergo earlier in this lifetime and all others.

The earthly self begins to understand that in truth everybody is on a spiritual pathway and it does not take long until if finds out that on the spiritual level of life everything is for real and there are no shortcuts. Not a great deal of progress is possible for any soul until at last its poor suffering earthly self wakes up to the fact that in truth it is the creator of its own misery; that what it sends out into the world must inevitably return to it, if not in this lifetime then in another. The law of Karma is the reason why actions always speak louder than words and why spiritually everything has to be for real, acted out, experienced and lived through, with all its consequences.

SCORPIO MYTHS

As mentioned earlier, one of the myths that surround Scorpios is that they automatically do not fear death. My experience has shown that until inexperienced souls born into this sign have learnt from their own experiences that there is no death, they are likely to be as afraid of it as anyone else. However, the potential for shedding this fear once and for all is great for souls who willingly pay attention to Scorpio’s lessons. Only by living through its own traumatic experiences that result in ‘deaths’ of some kind, can the earthly self find out that death does not exist; and that all deaths are only ever transformations into different life-states. Becoming aware of this is the Universe’s way of offering every soul opportunities for working on and overcoming all its fears. Even the worst ones, the fear of death, of the future and of the unknown can be conquered, not just by Scorpio souls but everyone. Accepting that life on Earth is a school, where life itself is the teacher, every soul needs to bravely tackle the lessons its present Sun sign presents. This is the only way any soul can earn the gifts its Sun sign wants to bestow on it. The most precious one in all of them is increased wisdom and understanding.

Another one of those astrological myths that appears to be in circulation about Sun Scorpios is that they automatically have depth. Not so! As pointed out many times in the other signs, none of the gifts that any of the Sun signs can potentially bestow will ever be handed to anyone on a silver-platter. If we wish them to become our possession, they have to be worked for jolly hard. It would therefore be more appropriate to say that a lifetime in Scorpio offers many opportunities for building some depth into the earthly self’s character make-up, if it so wishes. Many a Sun Scorpio is trying to do their utmost to remain on the surface of things, in spite of the promptings they receive from their inner self, who is trying to coax them into investigating the depths of their being. No-one would wish to deny that to do so can be very scary and painful. We would not be human, if we did not shy away from such experiences. Evolved Scorpios, however, have the ability to bring forth from within the courage and the strength to eventually successfully venture into the deep. The long overdue transformation more often than not comes about through some kind of an experience of a life-changing nature, like an illness or bereavement.

SEXUALITY

Three of Scorpio’s greatest strengths are intensity, courage and inquisitiveness. Fascinated by the mysteries of life, they love delving into them and feel drawn to the occult. No need to be alarmed by this because by definition the word means that which is hidden from common view and public knowledge. Equipped with Scorpio’s gifts, the soul in this sign pursues and eagerly explores its dearest concerns. These are its own and other people’s creative/sexual/spiritual energies and the creative processes of life that result in birth and end in death. It may take a very long time until young souls become aware of the true meaning and value of their sexual energy. But, in the end each one the moment of awakening comes when the soul realises that its own sexuality is something extremely valuable and precious that demands and deserves to be handled wisely and with the greatest respect and care, as the most essential part of every soul is the sexual/creative/spiritual energy of its Divine parents.

Wisdom and truths from the highest levels of life are now increasingly flowing into the individual and collective consciousness of humankind, and ever more of us are opening up to receive and understand them. Finding more spiritual approaches to just about every aspect of our lives helps us to build them on more solid foundations than ever before. This applies especially to the way we handle our sexuality and the energies involved. Every soul eventually reaches the evolutionary point when it becomes aware that its sexuality is pure creative/spiritual energy and part of God. This means that sexual activities of any kind make use of something that is extremely valuable and precious and therefore demands and deserves that we should learn to handle it wisely and with the greatest respect and care.

Potentially, making love between any two highly evolved souls, not only those born into Scorpio, is an act of worshipful devotion to the creative forces of the Universe and each other, in which the partners offer themselves and a large part of their lives as a living sacrifice on the altar of the God of love. Every soul’s awareness eventually wakes up to the fact that through its inner connection with God and by blending its sexual energy with that of the Source, the earthly sexual drive and energy can and need to be transmuted into blessing and healing energy. This then needs to be shared unselfishly with everything that is in our world. God and the Angels are waiting to be called upon by every soul to act as midwives in the rebirth of every soul on all levels of its existence and also for the soul of our whole world. A complete renewal of our life’s forces is ahead for all of us, not only for ourselves but also for our environment.

Recommended Reading:
Explorations of the higher and highest aspects of sexuality and lovemaking:
• ‘A New Perspective on Childlessness’
• ‘The Miracle of Birth’
• ‘The Mystery of Life and Death’

THE POTENTIAL OF ALL SUN SIGNS

Each Sun sign can bring magnificent gifts to souls born into it. But for a long time this is by potential only, not until the soul wakes up to its true nature and starts to become aware of the existence of these gifts can it learn to take advantage of them. One of Scorpios greatest assets is the development of considerable inner strength. But, at this very special time in the evolution of our race every soul must learn to tap into the rich reservoir of its inner world and bring forth, from there, its godlike qualities which include this strength. Each spirit and soul is a spark of the Divine and in seed form at least contains all the powers that are in God. They are waiting to be tapped into, to help us rise above our earthly nature and surrender its desires and passions to our Highest and God Self; an awe-inspiring prospect if ever there was one!

The only true power that exists in the whole of Creation is the power of God; re-establishing its inner connection with it is every soul’s inheritance and birthright. Humbly the soul needs to kneel before the Highest and pray that its whole being should be cleansed and purified, so that it may become worthy of being used as Its channels. Each soul potentially is capable of bringing its wisdom and knowledge into this world. This sheds light into the darkest corners of human existence and brings healing to alleviate the suffering of our whole world, not merely that of humankind. Every soul must learn to once again walk hand in hand with God and the Angels; they alone can show us how to bring forth the Divine qualities of compassion, love and respect for ourselves and others. Through us they want to heal the sick, comfort the bereaved and bring new understanding wherever a need for it exists. Souls who no longer seek power for themselves and their own selfish purposes can be used by The Power to bless and heal our world and all that is in it. Every soul needs to let its inner light shine brightly and to be taught by God and the Angels how to become truly powerful, dynamic, and majestic beings.

THE SURVIVAL INSTINCT
It’s easy to cry that you’re beaten – and die;
It’s easy to crawfish and crawl;
But to fight and to fight, when hope’s out of sight –
Why, that’s the best game of all!
And though you come out of each gruelling bout
All broken and beaten and scarred,
Just have one more try – it’s dead easy to die.
It’s the keeping-on-living that’s hard.

From ‘The Quitter’
Robert W. Service

What a wonderful expression of Scorpio’s life lesson. Through the strength of its own will, together with the powers that be, the soul once brought itself into being. Eager for growth through new experiences, it entered lifetime upon lifetime motivated by its own will and desires, which it developed. Mars is the planet of desire; it rules the will and the two signs Aries and Scorpio; in both the soul’s will is exceedingly strong. Aries stands for new beginnings of all kinds that promote the development of the self; its motto is ‘I will!’ Scorpio contains that same strong will but by the time the soul has reached this sign it has learnt not to show its feelings so openly. Because of this, Scorpio souls react more passionately, secretively and penetratingly to their environment.

The early part of every soul’s evolutionary cycle is complete by the time it reaches Scorpio. As this sign represents the human survival instinct through the sheer strength of the soul’s power of its own will, during its present lifetime it draws towards itself experiences that support and strengthen its ability to stay among the living, no matter how high the cost may be. This same strength of the survival instincts is available to us for souls whose Moon and/or Ascendant are in Scorpio. To help the soul discover that it has the ability to courageously and tenaciously cling to life and its envisaged goals, from time to time it may find itself in situations where it must struggle for its existence. This is the only way the soul can get to know that under all circumstances it has the strength and determination to succeed. To achieve its dream position and maintain it, it has to learn to access its inner resources and bring them fully into play.

SCORPIO’S NEGATIVE ASPECTS

Everything about this sign has great strength, including its negative aspects. Wise ones pay attention to them and guard themselves carefully against:

• Excessive passion
• Too much intensity
• Over-estimation of the self
• Trying to achieve their goals through ruthlessness
• Vindictiveness
• Being too fearless and fanatical in their beliefs
• Creating unnecessary problems and obstacles for themselves and others, through faulty inner attitudes and perception of life and their role in it
• Over-fondness of quarrelling
• Stirring up unrest and making trouble for others

If you are not a Sun Scorpio yourself and are reading this, resist the temptation to rub your hands with glee, thinking: ‘Ah, those Scorpios! I knew it all along!’ Instead, remind yourself that everybody has everything within and that therefore Scorpios do not have a monopoly on the above characteristics. And don’t forget that the only reason for being able to recognise negative traits of any kind in others is that we have the same inside and that projection is rearing its head. It is merely that, although they are well hidden from public view, they are more likely to rise to the surface of the consciousness of souls in whose charts Scorpio is prominent.

Souls who wish to fulfil the highest potential of their sign recognise them as obstacles and work on overcoming them. Aware that it is unwise to suppress negative thoughts and feelings that rise from within, they face them and concentrate on working creatively with them. They focus on transmuting negative thoughts and feelings that rise from their subconscious into positive energies. They find affirmations helpful that reassure them that these things are but shadows and skeletons of past realities and, therefore, no longer worthy of them. Whenever some of their thoughts and feelings are too strong to be resolved on their own, they ask God and the Angels to help them uplift and transmute all our negative energies into blessing, healing and harmonious ones towards for all life.

CLEANSING OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS

Such negative thoughts and feelings are a normal part of the healing process every soul has to experience on its way back home into the oneness with God. Cleansing our consciousness of them and clearing them out so that they will never return is the only reason why they come knocking at our inner door. Many excellent books have appeared by now to assist us in this more than somewhat daunting task. My booklist in the ‘Further Reading’ section on this site contains several of them. If you are looking for down-to-Earth practical advice about healing on all levels of your being, I warmly recommend Dr. Ingrid Bacci’s books. To me, they are the best self-help books on the healing journey that I have ever encountered.

• ‘The Art of Effortless Living – Simple Techniques for healing, mind, body and spirit’. The goal of this book is to offer the reader a comprehensive, practical and pleasurable map of the journey into becoming more fully ourselves and of helping us to find the healing that we and our world so desperately need.
• ‘Effortless Pain Relief – Especially from Chronic Pain’, a worthy companion to and extension of the previous book.
• For further information on these books, as well as free articles about Dr. Bacci’s work, please go to http://www.ingridbacci.com/

It may interest you that both Ingrid Bacci’s Moon and Ascendant are in Scorpio. She is living proof of the fact that everything that applies to the Sun in Scorpio does in equal measure to the Moon and the Ascendant in this sign. But there is more! The way the author describes her life in her books presents us with one of the finest case studies imaginable of the regenerative powers of Scorpio; its stamina, determination and sheer willpower to triumphantly rise above all obstacles. She and her life are a shining example to us all; they demonstrate how the human spirit is capable of lifting itself above the limitations of the Earth, as soon as it learns to listen to and follow its inner guidance.

Ingrid Bacci demonstrates by her example how, with the help of our God Self, it is possible for each one of us to readjust and regenerate our whole being and our life. Her courage and determination shows us how, if only we learn to go with the flow of the river of our lives, our earthly self can avoid a great deal of unnecessary effort, struggle and suffering. For the Aquarian Age the author presents us with a fresh version of ‘The way of the Tao’, which has been known to humankind for a very long time. Tao comes from the Chinese word ‘dao’ and means ‘the right way’. This is the way that is shown by our inner guidance who has always spoken to us through the small still voice of conscience.

The deep underlying purpose of every lifetime in Scorpio is to bring about the transformation of the self experienced and described by Ingrid Bacci in her writings. Only when Scorpios transmute their passion into compassion can their magnetic inner healing powers begin to develop. Dr. Bacci’s life shows how the earthly self first has to heal itself and its life, so that in the fullness of time this precious energy can also be used to bless and heal others. Through this process the earthly self gradually transforms itself and its life into a healing channel through which the Great power of the Universe flows through ever more strongly. In her tale the high and holy potential of this sign is revealed, but it can only be fulfilled when the small earthly self freely and willingly surrenders itself to its Highest Self. This conversion must be gone through by every soul; in the long run it cannot be avoided by anyone.

For as long as the earthly self struggles in the darkness of not even knowing why it is on the Earth, it can hardly help constantly feeling like one of life’s helpless victims. This it will remain until it becomes aware that the Universe is now laying into the hands of every soul the tools for taking an active part in their personal evolution and destiny, as well as that of the whole race. Our character determines our life and also our destiny. Both are every soul’s own responsibility and the onus is on each one of us to make the changes and do the work on ourselves which this awareness demands. As you can see, knowledge can truly be powerful; this one empowers each one of us to take charge of the ship of our whole being. And it is helpful to know that we all contain the Scorpionic energies and that they are waiting to be tapped into by each one. Under the guidance and protection of God and the Angels, we are in this life to develop and learn how to use them for the highest good of all. Once and for all, we can set ourselves free from pursuing what is commonly known as ‘power’ for personal gains.

MASTERING THE SCORPIO ENERGIES

Scorpio is such a high and holy pathway that it is not only a greatly misunderstood sign; it is also a difficult one to master. It has ever been true that masters do not fall from the Heavens; whatever craft we turn to, we have to work our way upwards one tiny step by another. No Scorpio soul has chosen an easy lifetime, but this is at it should be because Scorpios constantly need to be presented with challenges they can rise to. When they have woken up to the true purpose of their existence and have chosen to willingly respond to the demands of the spiritual pathway, real progress is possible and the rewards can be great.

Bearing in mind the obstacles any soul has to encounter before it finally wakes from its spiritual slumber, it is hardly surprising that this transformation usually comes about fairly late in life, if at all during this lifetime; this is not only valid for Scorpios but for all of us. Whenever the going gets particularly tough, I find it useful to remind myself that I myself chose this life and that I did so, because my soul wanted and needed every single experience as one of its lessons – especially the hard ones!

The cross is the oldest symbol known to humankind of the Earth and our existence on this plane. It comforts me to know that no soul ever takes on a cross, i.e. another lifetime in physicality, which is too hard or heavy to carry. Alas, it takes difficult experiences for every soul to bring forth the best that is within them. Hence, the need for creating many opportunities of this nature; rejoice, Scorpio, for that’s where you are in our element. Truly, deep down you enjoy danger and love rising to a challenge! You thrive on crises and knife-edge situations. If life is in danger of getting too dull for you, you do not hesitate to manufacture such situations for yourself and others. Your soul pushes you on because it knows that such experiences enable you to regenerate yourself and your life, time and again.

Alas, for as long as Scorpios remain unaware of their true nature, they can be so touchy, hyper-sensitive, devious, deceptive, manipulative, subversive and vindictive that they frequently behave like their own worst enemy. Whatever the outcome of their lifetime in Scorpio may be for any soul, it is sure to bring either the best or the worst out of them. One of Scorpio’s greatest assets is their ability to keep their cool, when everybody and everything around them is falling to pieces. As you can see, the upside and downside of this sign are equally strong, and the required golden middle-way is hard to find. Whenever you have had enough of the behaviour of unevolved Scorpios and wish to part company with them, mind your back very carefully and endeavour to do so on at least reasonably friendly terms.

Try not to sit in judgement and be too harsh on such Scorpios; just be extra careful. If necessary, step back and leave them to their own devices. With hindsight you may later be able to recognise that this was a much better for them because such partings may aid the transformation the other one was so clearly in need of and therefore unconsciously seeking through their behaviour. The only way the higher Scorpio levels of consciousness can be reached is by undergoing one death and transformation after the other, until one level has been conquered and mastered, the next one cannot be entered.

The ending of a relationship that Scorpio really values, yet through their behaviour makes impossible for the other one to continue, may be just what they may need most of all, at that particular moment. We are all in this life to act as teachers and pupils to each other. You yourself may have chosen the role of demonstrating to your Scorpio friend/lover that they have no power over others. One of the most vital Scorpio lessons consists of recognising that, in the final analysis, none of us on the Earth plane has any true power. Without this knowledge Scorpio cannot turn into a loving servant to all humankind and who works with honesty, integrity, and above all humility as a channel through which God’s blessing and healing power and love can flow with ever greater strength.

THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM
To dream the impossible dream;
To fight the unbeatable foe;
To bear with unbearable sorrow;
To run where the brave dare not go.

To right the unrightable wrong;
To love pure and chaste from afar;
To try when your arms are too weary –
To reach the unreachable Star.

This is my quest:
To follow that star;
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far;
To fight for the right, without question or pause;
To be willing to march into hell, for a heavenly cause...

And I know, if I’ll only be true to this glorious quest,
That my heart will be peaceful and calm,
When I’m laid to my rest...
And the world will be better for this;
That one man [soul],
Scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage –
To reach the unreachable star.

From “The Man of La Mancha” (Don Quixote)
Joe Darion and Mitch Leigh

The Mars energy expresses itself in Scorpios that they are soldiers and warriors at heart. To my mind, nothing demonstrates the motivating spirit of this sign better and more beautifully than the above song. The best use of Scorpio’s energies is when at last they can dedicate themselves and their lives to a holy and just cause they can stand up for, give of their best and fight. Having been shown by their Highest Self how to first heal themselves and subsequently, with its help, learn how to use their energies blessing and healing our whole world, they are capable of turning into potent crusaders, saviours, redeemers and healers of all humankind.

More than anything else Scorpio souls require an ideal and a quest to live for and to which they can give their all. Once they are acting from the depths of their soft and vulnerable soul self, they are likely to willingly dedicate all their energies and resources to their chosen course. They are then ready to fight for it, and – should the need arise – lay their earthly lives down for it. For a Scorpio that is not as difficult as it may sound to many, because reached the higher and highest level of consciousness they will be able to confirm from first hand experience that there is no death.

Whenever the human soul reaches above and beyond itself and endeavours to bring forth the best from within, it is not only fulfilling its own highest potential but that of our whole race; could there be any worthier course for any of us than that? As a wise one once said: ‘The impossible is something that nobody can do, until someone does it!’ Because with the help and the will of God all things are possible, why not give it a try? Only for those who have walked through their personal inner hell is it possible to one find and establish God’s Kingdom on the Earth. Every soul must know for itself that Heaven and Hell are not places anyone goes to somewhere ‘out there’, but inner states of consciousness which every heart and soul must at times experience.

To me, the star mentioned in the song represents the Highest Star, the Christ Star, of whom each one of us a tiny spark. This Star is no longer unreachable; it can and is meant to be found and brought to life in every heart. The time has come for opening our hearts and lifting our souls and spirits to this Star, so that it may lead each one of us to our own salvation and that of our world. This we do from the safety of our inner sanctuary and guided by the deep inner recognition of who and what we truly always have been, eternal and immortal beings whom nothing and nobody can destroy. It is good and right for every soul to dream of peace and goodwill for all on Earth, and throughout the whole of Creation. Now that the Aquarian Age is with us, this vision is no longer an impossible one but about to come true. Guided and protected by God and the Angels, the star is their symbol, we need to firmly hold onto our vision and set about doing our share of helping to make it a reality on the Earth. Our guides and Masters are also with us, ready to help us lift ourselves, each other and our world into the light of the Star. What is before you is part of my contribution.

SCORPIO’S MOST DIFFICULT LESSON: HUMILITY

The same as for everybody, things for Sun Scorpios occasionally take a bad turn. Get to work by first taking stock of the situation and then reminding yourself that you have the ability and strength to completely restore and regenerate yourself and your entire life, and that from within the very core of your own being. Never forget that the only purpose of difficult experiences is so that through them the soul should gain a better understanding of its inner powers. Take charge of them, learn to master and respect them as the power to control your own character and through it your destiny. At the same time don’t overlook that everybody else has the same inside; that true power belongs to God alone and that the only ‘power’ any soul on the Earth plane ever truly has is the one to make its own decisions. More than anything else this knowledge will help you master Scorpio’s most difficult lessons: humility.

It seems to me that when the Sun moves through this sign, the veil between our two worlds is so thin that it is possible to draw much closer to the world of spirit than at any other time of the solar year. This explains why during a lifetime spent in this sign, the Universe is constantly trying to offer Scorpios opportunities not only for looking behind the veil, but also for penetrating it. You do not have to take my word for it; only through experiencing or feeling something for oneself is it possible to verify whether what someone says is true or not. So, next time the Sun transits Scorpio, you may like to find out for yourself how much easier it is to meditate and tap into the healing and regenerative forces of the Highest Star than usual. If you have been trying for a long time to solve a long standing problem but it seemed to be impossible – whatever this may apply to, but especially with your healing efforts – at that time of the year there is a very real chance for getting through to the very core of things and especially of your own being.

We need to play the role of the skilled surgeon who wields the sword of Divine truth to cut away the diseased parts of your consciousness that are still filled with much of the rubbish and debris of false beliefs and prejudices that were accumulated in the course of many previous lifetimes. It is every soul’s birthright to learn how to tap into the wisdom of all the Ages that is contained within our own Great Mother, the Mother of all life, the Goddess. When you finally get to the bottom of all your beliefs, you will find the truth about God, your own being and all life. You may then find to your surprise that there is nothing inside you except love, for from love each one of us has come, to love we now are returning.

ALL OUR NEEDS ARE PROVIDED FOR

I can never stop marvelling at how the Universe, in its infinite wisdom, down to the tiniest details of our lives always provides for every soul’s needs. It is astonishing how it constantly tries to move each one of us forwards and upwards onto higher levels of awareness and understanding through our earthly experiences. Let me illustrate this with an example. Imagine you are a Sun Scorpio – whether you are or are not is irrelevant for this purpose – and you were born, say, into the first degree of this sign. By progression the Sun moves forward one degree per year of our lives. This means that by the time you reach your twenty-ninth birthday and first Saturn Return – most Scorpios live that long – the progressed Sun in your birthchart has moved into Sagittarius. This is the Fire sign of spiritual explorations and adventuring; its symbol is the Archer, the wise centaur who is half horse and half human. If you watch yourself carefully at that time you will notice that your consciousness is changing and that your approach to life is becoming more active and outgoing. For souls who have managed to leave the lower aspects of Scorpio behind, the energies of Sagittarius are then waiting to lift onto higher and highest levels of consciousness.

Happily you soldier along and if you pay attention to what is happening inside you, at age sixty you notice that your consciousness is slowly changing again. You are now moving into Capricorn, the cardinal sign with its high creativity, in which the highest spiritual achievements are possible once for sufficiently evolved souls. For them the time has come for grounding their spiritual aspirations on the Earth plane and attending to the life lesson of the Earth element, which is loving service to the One. In this way the Universe, in the natural course of events, takes every soul born into Scorpio through the three evolutionary phases of their sign, so they can be explored and developed to the fullest. Sufficiently evolved souls willingly follow the guidance of their Highest Self, symbolised by the Sun in the birthchart. Capricorn offers them opportunities for increasingly working as a Dove of Peace on the Earth plane.

Each sign in its own way offers every soul the same chances for growth in wisdom and understanding that expand its consciousness. Before God we are all equals and every soul has the same right to learn exactly the right lessons on this level of life that move it forward in its personal evolution, simultaneous with that of our race, our planet and all life.

To round it all up, in Aries the amazing human soul – and by that I mean each one of us – brings itself into being through the sheer power of its own will, to experience and grow some more. In Scorpio the survival instinct is added to its armoury. In its lowest form this is expressed as survival of the species and also the survival of the fittest. Souls who have reached the necessary evolutionary level this same drive, the power of our own will, takes us back to be reunited with our Source. By the time the soul has reached Scorpio its willpower has increased to such an extent that it is ready to be taught by its Highest Self how to develop the ability to restore and regenerate its whole being, so that when the need arises the soul learns how to bounce back from death’s door by willing itself to do so. By practising this skill the soul builds it into its permanent character make-up.

To guide each soul back to its true nature, eventually the Divine desires of our Highest Self break through into the consciousness of our earthly self. A great yearning stirs in us for happier and holier ways of living and being. We begin to dream of a life that is free from shackles, happy and joyous in a world where all live together in peace and harmony, where sickness and diseases, violence and crime are unknown. We have visions of a world where each to the best of their abilities makes their own contribution towards the welfare of the all, where everybody unselfishly shares everything that the Universe makes available to us. Such a world can and is meant to become a reality on the Earth plane, too, but each must do their share of bringing it about. Our thoughts created our reality; that is why in our thoughts and imagination we first need to create the world of our dreams. By steadfastly and constantly holding onto these thoughts, by not allowing anything to banish them from our consciousness, we are actively helping to create the long promised New Heaven and Earth. This not only raises our own vibrations but also those of our whole world.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Desire Nature’

© Aquarius 2010

SUN IN SAGITTARIUS
SIGN OF THE SUPERCONSCIOUS MIND AND TRAVELLING,
SPIRITUAL EXPLORATIONS AND ADVENTURING

On 22nd November 2010, the Sun enters into light-hearted, optimistic and easy-going Sagittarius. As this is also the day of the full Moon in Gemini, during the period of the Sun’s transit through Sagittarius, we and our world may be presented with many opportunities for finding a better understanding of some of the things that may have been deeply puzzling us, up to now. In sharp contrast to the Sagittarian energies, on 21st December 2010, the Sun brings us the Winter Solstice, as it moves into the next sign, stern and dour Capricorn.

Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only to those with their Sun in Sagittarius, but also when:

• Your Sun is in the ninth house, which is associated with Sagittarius;
• Your Moon is in Sagittarius or the ninth house;
• Your Ascendant is in Sagittarius;
• You were born on the 3rd, 12th, 21st or 30th day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Sagittarius.

For those interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Sagittarius, I recommend that you pay particular attention to the negative expressions of this sign. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can be causing considerable problems, as they are then far more difficult to detect by ourselves – in spite of the fact that our behaviour may be a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can potentially be achieved by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology is one of the best tools for finding them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Scorpio/Sagittarius but also Sagittarius/Capricorn, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Sagittarius – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for souls born into them. Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system and is fifth in distance from the Sun. When ancient astronomers discovered it, the name one of the ruler of the Gods in the Greco-Roman pantheon was chosen intuitively, in spite of the fact that they had no idea of the planet’s vast dimensions. Jupiter is larger than all the other planets together and has an internal heat source that emits more energy than it receives from the Sun. Jupiter has a whole system satellites that is the source of intense bursts of radio noise. At some frequencies they too occasionally radiate more energy onto the Earth than our Sun. On the inner levels of life Jupiter represents the principles of spiritual growth and expansion through a better understanding of life’s experiences.

In Roman mythology Jupiter was the supreme God who reigned on Mount Olympus. His Greek equivalent was Zeus, the son of Saturn and Ops, and the husband of his sister, Juno. His titles included Fulgur, the thrower of lightning – Tonans, the maker of thunder – Invictus, the protector in battle – and Triumphator, the bestower of victory. The largest temple of Rome on the Capitoline Hill was dedicated to Jupiter, where victorious generals and their solemn triumphal processions paid homage to him. On top of all these roles Jupiter played the one of the protector of Rome – all office taking consuls honoured him in his temple.

Jupiter, Juno and Minerva were known and celebrated as the Capitoline Triad. Juno was a major Roman Goddess, whose Greek counterpart was Hera, the queen of their Gods. As sister and wife of their ruler of the Gods, Jupiter, and the mother of Hebe, Vulcan and Mars, Juno was an ancient and central deity in Roman religion. Minerva was the daughter of Jupiter and the Goddess of wisdom. She was believed to have sprung forth from her father’s brain fully grown and clad in complete armour. Not only did she preside over the useful and ornamental arts, she was also a warlike divinity. But, she was only responsible for defensive warfare and was not in sympathy with Mars’ savage love of violence and bloodshed. Athens was her chosen seat, her own city which had been awarded to her as the prize in a contest with Neptune, the ruler of the oceans of our world.

THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE AIR!

Are you familiar with the song: ‘There’s something in the air!’? These words perfectly describe the Sagittarian energies. At the time of the Sun’s transit through this sign there is an expectancy and a low-key excitement in the general atmosphere that is quite palatable. It seems to consist mainly of a general feeling of joy and benevolence to everybody, because somehow one knows – if only subconsciously – that something good is coming one’s way, in spite of probably not knowing why this should be so.

Undoubtedly, these feelings in the individual and collective consciousness of our race are a preparation for what is known as the coming of the Christ. This is because at this time of the year, the energies of the Christ circle are pouring more strongly into our world than at any other, to bring about a renewal and rebirth of the Divine spark in every heart. It is waiting to be newly born into every heart and soul at Christmas and if one opens one’s inner eyes on can recognise that the Bible story of the birth of the Christ child in the manger is super-charged with spiritual symbolisms.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Healers and Healing’
• ‘Astrology on the Healing Journey’

And then, at the Winter Solstice, the Sun moves into the Earth sign Capricorn, ruled by Saturn. Life returns to normal. Everyday duties take over and a rude awakening waits for many for their excessive spending under the influence of the benevolent and expansive atmosphere and energies of Jupiter. Down to Earth goes everything with a bump; one feels deflated and possibly slightly depressed as if something good had been taken away.

CHARACTERISTICS

Now, let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Sagittarius. Here is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into perfection or rather wholeness. The circle of the zodiac with all its signs and houses is a symbol of this process. The law of life is evolution and round and round the zodiac every human soul has to go. Lifetime after lifetime we slowly absorb ever more of the lessons that are needed to integrate the qualities of our Divine parents. Every new lifetime brings us that bit closer to our final goal, the perfection, i.e. the wholeness, of the Great Father/Mother of all life, our true ancestors. This task will not be fulfilled until they are all functioning together in the same perfect harmony that is in God.

The mighty and expansive planet Jupiter rules the mutable Fire sign Sagittarius. It is the ninth sign in the zodiac and its natural domain is the ninth house. Among many other things this house is responsible for higher education, especially that which can be found in religions and philosophies, long distance travelling and distant relations like in-laws.

For a better understanding of the astrological meaning of mutability, please follow the link below to ‘The Qualities of the Signs’. Should this be the only Sun sign you are interested in, I would like to explain that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, whereas that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. Because of the active and outgoing nature of Sagittarius, the masculine Fire sign, those born into it may well find themselves among the shakers, movers and initiators of our world. Theirs being a mutable sign, Sagittarians can be astonishingly flexible and adaptable in their views and opinions, as well as their perception and general vision of life, our world and their place in it. They and their lives are as good examples as any of how the energies of our Sun sign reflect themselves in our attitudes to and perceptions of life.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Qualities of the Signs’
• ‘Varying Perceptions of Life – Why?’

SAGITTARIUS – SIGN OF EXPANSION

A lifetime in Sagittarius, spent under Jupiter’s rulership, brings to human souls the ability to expand on all levels of their being, not only mentally and spiritually, but also physically! On the whole, Sagittarians are jovial folks who are ready at any time to widen their horizons and the skills that are required to learn through many and varied experiences. Jupiter is a symbolism for the super-conscious faculties of humankind and our direct connection with God. Gemini and Sagittarius are in polar opposition to each other in the zodiac. Both signs deal with the mind – they are twins of many of the legends of our world. Gemini represents the earthly twin with its earthly mind and Sagittarius is its Heavenly counterpart with its superconscious faculties.

These two aspects of our nature have to be brought together and trained by us, until they have learnt to complement each other and work harmoniously together. Only when this has been achieved can the two together play for us the role of the allegorical winged messenger of the Gods, Mercury. He stole the fire of the Gods – the wisdom and knowledge of the Highest – we are required to do so unselfishly and for the benefit of humankind. Our only motivation should be to alleviate the ignorance of our race which, to this day, is the sole cause of all the suffering on this plane of life. This will have to continue until every last shred of misery has gone from us and our world.

Although there is a great deal of difference between Gemini and Sagittarius, souls born into both of them are usually intelligent, lively, active and interested in mental pursuits. The scope of our journeying and activities, mental, spiritual and otherwise, during a lifetime in Sagittarius is likely to be much wider and our studies more profound than those in Gemini. Whereas in Gemini we tend to prefer living on the surface of life and enjoying ceaselessly and breathlessly flitting from one experience to another, by the time we reach Sagittarius an interest in topics of a more substantial and expansive nature comes alive in us. This is meant to us ever further into the exploration of the spiritual background of life, so that through our studies we may grow in wisdom and understanding of its true purpose.

This, however, does not just fall from the Heavens into anyone’s lap, but has to worked for – like all things on the Earth plane. Used to its earthbound ways of thinking and perceiving our world and its role in it, when the soul enters Sagittarius for the first few times may still be reluctant to take the opportunities for lifting its vision to the higher and highest aspects of life. Yet, the Universe has endless patience with all of us and there comes the time for every soul when it responds to the calling of what is known as ‘the Father’, its Highest Self, ever more strongly. The soul wakes up Its horizons start to widen and responding to the influence of the Fire element, in the end it enjoys the Sagittarian experience so much that it eagerly seizes all opportunities for travelling and experimenting on all levels of life, especially spiritual adventuring and explorations. Ask any Sagittarian whether this is true!

Because all human souls finally take to their wings so wholeheartedly that, to slow down their progress to a sensible pace, the Universe in its infinite wisdom decrees that the next lifetime should be spent in Capricorn, the sign that follows Sagittarius in the zodiac. Capricorn is ruled by stern and undeviating schoolmaster Saturn. Here the Earth element has to be encountered at its densest and so our souls come down to Earth with a bump. Our wings have been clipped and we have been grounded on the Earth plane, where we must serve the needs of humankind in some fashion. Instead of constant moving around and travelling, we become stationary and receive a lesson that lasts a whole lifetime on serving and focussing on our objectives in life, especially long-term ones.

THE FIRE ELEMENT

Sagittarius belongs to the Fire element. In this context fire means the creative energy, the life force itself. In Aries, the first fire sign, it expresses itself as the fire of the head, the creative ideas that constantly flow from the Highest mind into the human mind and everything else that is in our world. Thus, it is hardly surprising that Aries souls are known as the original ideas people of the zodiac. Leo is the second fire sign, the sign that rules the heart. Here the fire manifests itself as that of the heart and of love. Just like the Sun itself, Leo souls are romantic, ebullient, always overflowing with creative ideas and forever falling in love.

And finally in Sagittarius, the third Fire sign, the human soul encounters the spiritual fire of God, the inspiration, wisdom and truth that has always remained available – though for a long time inaccessible – to humankind. Having reached this sign, the soul has matured and mellowed sufficiently to be capable of reflecting at least a degree of the pleasantly mellow glow of its fire. Wise ones who are willing to work unselfishly with this energy, it lifts above the Earth plane and brings them into ever closer contact with the highest levels of life. This enables them to fulfil the high and holy potential of their sign which is bringing the philosophical and religious ideas of the Universe down to the Earth, so that they can be shared by all.

The symbol of Sagittarius is the archer and the wise centaur. Half human, half animal, though horse and rider are one, he reflects the duality of human nature. To enable the soul to rise above the exceedingly strong pull of the animalistic desires of its earthly self, like the archer, whose bow and arrows are pointing heavenwards, it needs to aim high into the super-conscious realms. The rider represents the spirit and soul whose task it is to take charge and control its unruly steed, the mind of its earthly personality, so that it may grow into a faithful and loyal servant of its highest mind. The archer demonstrates the capability of rising above and transmuting the instincts of our earthly nature, so that they can be brought into alignment with those of our Highest or God Self.

To be re-united with it and to find healing through having its whole being filled with Its energies is the potential and birthright of every soul. Each one of will then once again fully be what the innermost core of our being always remained, namely pure spirit. To achieve this, the soul needs to learn to rise above the pull of the Earth and free itself of the accumulated dross of all ages that has been gathered through the experiences of its earthly self. In the fullness of time, when we have reached a certain evolutionary level, even the soul will be shed. To what degree these lessons are mastered by any soul in its present lifetime depends to a large extent upon on the progress that was made in the preceding sign, Scorpio.

RECEIVER/TRANSMITTER STATIONS OF THE HIGHEST

Every soul contains at least in seed form the super-conscious faculties of the Universal mind and has therefore inwardly always remained connected with it. At least potentially each one of us is a receiver/transmitter station of the Highest. Our small earthly minds have been given to us be worked like tools, so that as soon as we have reached the right evolutionary level, our instrument can be tuned into the Highest mind.

Interestingly, the human super-conscious faculties are not part of the functioning of our brain; they are situated behind it and all along have been waiting to be developed by each one of us. When the time has come to do so, the Sagittarian energies provide everybody who knocks at the door of God with a direct line and a golden bridge into Its mind, over which anyone who is ready can walk in their prayers, mediations and contemplations. This is not something that will happen to anyone automatically; it has to be worked on conscientiously and demands application and self-discipline. And if any spiritual inspirations and intuitions that flow through us are used unselfishly and only for the highest good of all, in the course of a whole lifetime, horse and rider will grow together into the wise centaur who at all times channels comfort and healing into humankind.

Sagittarians are friendly, outgoing, optimistic and extroverted souls. They are the original sales people of the Zodiac, the promoter types who are capable of selling commodities, services and ideas with equal ease. It’s got to have been a Sagittarian who first thought of and succeeded in selling ice-cream and fridges to the Eskimos! Facile and easy talkers, they have what is known as the gift of the gab. With their charming and deceptively easy-going manner, they can talk anyone into anything. They have a wonderful knack for inventing stories and for convincing people of just about anything. Natural entertainers, show people and raconteurs, they are quite capable of getting so carried away with their story-telling that, in the end, they themselves believe the yarns they spin.

Because wise and experienced souls act upon any spiritual knowledge they find, they never hesitate to give of their best. Being familiar with the Cosmic laws, they know only too well that the law of Karma ensures that when someone gives of their best, only the best can come back. These souls use their natural gifts for humanitarian pursuits and in all their endeavours they are truthful and honest, especially when they are on their quest of unearthing spiritual truths and that is something they are extraordinarily fond of. Being genuinely fond of people, they enjoy meeting and helping them and are usually only too happy to share their findings with those around them. Incidentally, institutions like the church and its clergy are ruled by Sagittarius, and I shall resist the temptation to explain that in more detail.

Wise ones appreciate that to fulfil the highest potential of their sign of acting as veritable seekers and finders of Divine wisdom and truth, they need to aim high, like the earlier mentioned sign’s symbol, the archer. In this way they can in time grow into pure and clear channels, through which a better understanding of Universal truths can flow into humankind from the highest mind. Alas, until Sagittarians have developed a certain amount of integrity and oneness with their Highest Self, they can all too easily fall into the trap of aiming and shooting their arrows from their earthly animal part into the world around them. They can then be extremely gullible; quite capable of believing their own tall stories, they may have great difficulties telling a truth from a lie. And with the help of their glib tongue, there is every possibility that they could be sliding ever more into the role of the conman.

SAGITTARIUS – THE WISE CENTAUR

Souls who have risen above this and are already acting the part of the wise Centaur, in this way are rebirthing themselves into their immortality. Besides, they are finding deep inner healing by unselfishly showing those around them better ways of living and being, so that their souls can also find healing. Knowledge about the healer’s path has been with our world for a very long time. For example, in Greek mythology, the Centaur Chiron was the wounded healer. Half horse and half God, he got involved in a row and received a wound that would not heal.

In his endless search for healing he eventually decided to share the lot of humankind on the Earth, to try his luck there, although this meant giving up his immortality and his identity as a God. Chiron is a symbolism for humankind’s past, present and its future. Like him, we are Gods and our parting from our Creator wounded our souls deeply. Yet, like Chiron, we bravely went to do battle with the Earth environment, where in the course of many lifetimes our soul received numerous wounds. The deeper we descended into physicality, the further we moved away from our Source, until we seriously started to believe that we and our Creator were separate beings. We had forgotten our immortality and for a very long time believed that our earthly self was all there was to us. It seemed that we had lost our immortality forever.

The good news is that this is impossible, so let all human souls rejoice! The time has come for humankind to seek healing for all its wounds, mental, spiritual and physical ones alike. Because they were received in physicality, they can only be healed in this state. As we know by now we are all potential healers, but to become one each must first seek their own healing. Just like Chiron, we gave up our conscious awareness of our immortality and, like him, we suffered and were wounded a great many times. But the great wisdom of the Highest had decreed from the beginning that the memory of the fact that in truth we are young Gods in the making should only be lost for a certain phase of our evolution. And this lifetime is an extra special one because opportunity for re-awakening to our true nature and finding healing through re-uniting the human and Divine parts of our being are on offer to everyone.

For as long as the earthly self fails to understand who it really is, its greatest fear is being snuffed out like a candle and ceasing existing when it has reached the moment of death for its physical body. Terrified of losing its identity it kicks and struggles mightily and clings to life like ‘grim death’, as the saying goes. This explains the great difficulties many people are having when the time for letting go has come, so that soul and spirit, the eternal self, can be released and set free. As it has done many times before at the end of other lifetimes, all it wants is to be allowed to walk hand in hand with the Angel of Death through the gates of its true home, the world of spirit. The only way of overcoming these difficulties is through reconnecting with our Highest Self and the soul memories of all previous lifetimes, including those of where we come from and who we truly are. My advice therefore to anyone, not just Sagittarians, is: nurture your soul and follow your inner guidance, for in its memories your very own key to eternity is hidden.

We are all meant to be teachers and pupils to each other in this great school of life, in which life itself is the teacher. The great wisdom of the Universe has decreed that before we can teach something to another, we first have to be taught by life. Whatever one of us learns during their individual healing journey later needs to be shared with those who are still suffering the way we once did. Wise ones use the wisdom, truth and knowledge they find to relieve the suffering of humankind and for shedding light into the darkest corners of the spiritual ignorance of the children of the Earth. In this way they gradually become ever clearer channels through which the white healing magic of the Highest can flow into all those who are in need and ready to receive it. Over time, this energy slowly grows stronger, until it blesses and heals all who come into contact with the healer.

Having reached that stage, they no longer feel the need for seeking rewards for their services. On their journey back home into the oneness with God and all life, their selfishness has dissolved and they not only have found healing for themselves but they have also become instruments through which the healing energies of the Highest flow into our whole world. True healers realise that it is a great privilege to bring something as holy and precious as Divine wisdom into the Earth environment. To be able to share it with their siblings in the human family of life, to them, is reward enough in itself and there can be no greater achievement and prize to be gained than helping another that little bit forward on their journey back home into God. Needless to say, that applies to us all, whether our Sun is in Sagittarius or in any other sign.

FREEDOM LOVING SAGITTARIUS

On the whole, Sagittarians are sporty outdoor people. But as exceptions confirm the rule, here as everywhere, you are sure to come across some who do not care for sport at all. Sagittarians are the gamblers of the zodiac who are usually prepared to take a chance on just about anything. A great fondness for horses, horse racing and the gambling associated with it are all traces of the Sagittarian wide range of interest. The first half of their lives they may conduct very much on the surface of things, and their interests can be rather superficial and limited. The mutable fire energy within them makes them extremely restless; best of all they like constantly being on the move. To be truly happy they must be given a great deal of freedom. Their battle cry is: ‘Don’t fence me in!’ They get around so fast that it can be very difficult to catch them. Trying to keep hold of one who has not yet mastered their restless energy is likely to prove useless! The mutability of their sign also provides them with the ability to easily adjust themselves to people and circumstances – too easily sometimes. Sagittarians can be extremely hard to pin down. Fleet-footedly, they like to be on their way before anyone can catch them and hold onto them over-much.

If you have read about the characteristics of all the Sun signs so far, would you agree that we can all save ourselves a great deal of heart-ache in all relationships, if we make ourselves familiar with the inherent qualities and energies of each sign? The study of this is particularly helpful when one wants to find out the compatibility of two people. For instance, if Sagittarian’s potential partners knew beforehand about their loved one’s strong thirst for freedom, many future problems could – one way or another – so easily be avoided. If you were in their shoes, armed with this knowledge you would be able to make a conscious decision whether you are willing to put up with this need for freedom. All will be well if you also have Sagittarius in a prominent position in your chart, for example if your Moon or Ascendant is in this sign, because you would then need a lot of freedom yourself. After all, like attracts like and this is because we are magnetic beings who attract in their partners what we are ourselves.

Each one of the twelve signs of the zodiac has a different temperament and the two signs next to each other are usually of a profoundly dissimilar nature. The approach to life of Sagittarius and Capricorn, the two signs side by side, are as good an example of this as any; they could not be less alike. Driven by their freedom loving energy, Sagittarians look into the future and are constantly searching – whether they are consciously aware of this or not – for ways out of any entrapment they encounter, even if it is only an imaginary one. In contrast to this, Capricorn clings to tradition, the past, home and mother. Above all things, Sagittarians want to be free. But it may take them a surprisingly long time until it dawns on them, through their own life’s experiences, that the only true freedom that can be had in physicality is that of becoming aware of spiritual free will. That is the freedom we are all trying to find, but the need for it is certainly accentuated during a lifetime in Sagittarius.

In the early part of their lives their thirst for freedom is likely to find itself an outlet in their love of travelling and moving about. Because of all this restlessness, Sagittarians are also known as the gypsies of the zodiac. They are happiest in jobs where they can constantly be on the move, being sales representative, long distance driver or taxi driver really does suit them, even if the rewards are not too great. During my own travels, I have come across many a taxi driver who had an outstandingly philosophical and wise outlook on life. As they are usually happy to reveal their birth details to me, I found that even if a driver was not a Sagittarian, on closer examination and when working with numerology, I usually find the energy of this sign somewhere, for example in someone’s date of birth or name.

Upon reaching the middle part of their life’s journey, the Sagittarian’s desire for distant horizons is likely to slowly turn inward and upward. They may then discover their need to find a better grasp of the super-conscious faculties, as well as of the religious and spiritual aspects of life. There is a lot of duality in this sign and the pull between the earthly and Highest Self is probably felt more strongly in this sign than any other. Less experienced Sagittarian souls can sometimes be extremely hide-bound by dogma and creed, clinging firmly to traditional beliefs and churches. Their lack of spiritual vision may cause them to be astonishingly intolerant and dogmatic in their beliefs. But even they – if not in this lifetime, then in another – will reach the point where they will no longer allow themselves to be tied down in that way. Following their inner guidance, they will then have found the spiritual freedom to believe what their own heart tells them to be true – no matter what other sources may say – and they will stick to it. Whichever way this works in any individual life, as it progresses the Sagittarian’s spiritual side usually pushes itself further and further into the foreground, until eventually it cannot be overlooked and pushed aside any longer.

KEYWORD: PERCEPTION

The definition of Sagittarius is: ‘I understand!’ and its keyword is ‘perception’. This is another word for intuition and that is one of the greatest gifts Sagittarius can bestow upon humankind. Every soul’s potential born into this sign is to develop this gift to its fullest and to learn how to make good use of it. And that they do most of the time and with so much ease that they are not at all aware that this is what they are doing. However, like all gifts, this one is meant to be used for good and unselfish purposes, not for furthering one’s own causes but those of humankind. As Sagittarians love people and have an exceptionally good intuitive understanding of human nature, they can be wonderfully inspired counsellors, ministers, personnel directors and/or workers in humanitarian movements.

Alas, they are also known as the procrastinators of the Zodiac. All too often, too easily and too happily, they put off until tomorrow what should by rights be done today. Filled with good intentions, they dream their splendid dreams, as mentioned earlier. Sadly, because of their great love of moving on to what they believe to be greener pastures, they may encounter major difficulties when it comes following their objectives through and grounding their ideas on the Earth plane. If this happens too frequently, it can be a signal from our inner self that we are insufficiently convinced of the validity of our aims. We could in that case be barking up the wrong tree and would be well advised to start looking into a different, almost certainly more spiritually orientated direction, to find outlets for pouring our energies into that are more suited to our present evolutionary state. Aware of this and knowing that procrastination is the most successful thief of time, wise ones refuse to waste theirs and therefore make a special effort to unflinchingly and unselfishly act with positive actions upon their highest ideals and inspirations. They rest safely in the knowledge that this is their inner teacher’s way of trying to steer them into fulfilling their highest potential.

The archer has an unerring ability to find and hit other people’s Achilles heel. His words are the arrows he shoots into the world, and they frequently score hits. Usually without any mal intent and many times in all innocence, they can be as direct, harmful, and hurtful as arrows. And the one thing they are particularly good at is shooting themselves into their own feet. If Sagittarians want to find the success they are hoping for, they are well advised to make a conscious effort at building some tact and diplomacy into their character. The positive, outgoing and masculine and approach to life of all the Fire signs, when not handled skilfully enough, can result in too much aggression. These energies are particularly difficult to handle for the female of the species. And it is equally important for both genders to develop their feminine, nurturing and passive faculties, as well as the male outgoing ones. Again this is something everybody has to practise, because it ensures that by the end of this lifetime, we shall hopefully be a well balanced and more integrated being than we were before entering it.

It depends entirely upon the choices of the individual Sagittarian soul whether it responds to the call of its lower nature and therefore joins the ranks of the conmen of the zodiac, or whether – preferring to follow the pull of its Highest Self – it becomes one of the much loved wise and kind centaurs. If you are a Sagittarian, the decision is in your hands; make no mistake about it. If any soul, not just a Sagittarian one, unaware of Cosmic laws and of the fact that spiritually nobody ever gets away with anything, encounters many gullible people and unashamedly takes advantage of them – thinking that because nobody is looking it’s okay to lie and cheat – in its next lifetime it is likely to be in for a great shock.

Let me give you an example of this. If in this lifetime the soul’s Sun is in Sagittarius, in the next one its Moon could be in this sign. It may then be prone to falling prey to con-merchants and to dreaming great visions of spiritual achievements that somehow never find fulfilment. Undoubtedly, the suffering that results from such disappointments and frustrations brings great soul growth. At the same time it presents opportunities for learning first hand what it feels like to be taken advantage of any trickster with their latest hare-brained get-rich-quick recipe that comes their way. The suffering of that poor soul will be all the greater for as long as remains unaware that such things do not happen to anyone perchance or because some unkind and unloving God, fate or destiny is pouring them out, but because the soul itself created these experiences in other lifetimes, so that it could learn from them.

The following items are my contributions to letting the light shine at this special time of the year. Because the Winter Solstice and Christmas straddle Sagittarius and Capricorn, they have been placed halfway between these two signs.

SATURN AS FATHER CHRISTMAS

For a very long time our world has suffered from a great lack of spiritual awareness and we have been the prisoners of many false beliefs and prejudices. At the beginning of the Aquarian Age the inflow of the light of Divine wisdom and truth is increasingly flowing from the highest levels into all life into the consciousness of humankind. With its help, the doors of our inner prison are swinging ever wider open and this is especially true around Christmas. As already pointed out, potentially we are all receiver/transmitter stations for God’s Divine wisdom and truth. This can be felt particularly strongly under the influence of the Sagittarian energies; they aim to provide each one of us with a direct line with God and a bridge into the highest mind. Making contact with our Source is easier at this time of the year than any other, as the lines are then clearer and suffer from less interference. This is not just for the privileged few; everybody is invited to take advantage of this – none is excluded and none left out.

If I told you that Saturn really is the Father Christmas of the Zodiac, would you believe me? In spite of the impression both signs create, it is not Jupiter, the jolly and jovial ruler of the Fire sign Sagittarius, whose energies provide the background to the build-up to Christmas. However, immediately before Christmas the Sun moves into Capricorn and there is the profound and marked change of energies described in ‘The Sun in Sagittarius’. Doesn’t everybody know about that one? Try to watch out for this when Christmas comes round again. On the day of the winter solstice, which in the year 2009 takes place on 21st December, the Sun moves into Capricorn, where the Earth energies are felt most solidly and heavily. See whether you can sense this energy change, when it sometimes feels as if everything was coming down to Earth with a bump. If you can, then you will be living astrology the way I am doing.

It is not without reason that Christmas falls into Capricorn, Saturn’s own sign! The prayers, hopes and aspirations which under the influence of the spiritual fire of Sagittarius rise into the conscious awareness of the individual and collective soul of humankind have to be grounded and find their practical expression in the darkest part of the winter and the densest ones of the Earth signs. In the olden days, the jollity and merry-making of Christmas were known as Saturnalia. Deep spiritual symbolisms are hidden behind many of the old customs, for example that only children who have been good and who worked hard receive presents from Santa Claus. To deserve Saturn’s gifts, all God’s children of the Earth certainly have to toil unceasingly, but they are worth striving for. They consist of the wisdom that can only be found through everybody learning from their own practical earthly experiences. Any knowledge we find in this way becomes our spiritual property and that is the only thing that anyone is ever allowed to keep and take into eternity.

Saturn is the symbol for the Divine aspect of the stern taskmaster, tough and demanding, which every child of Earth needs. For those who willingly attend to their lessons, in the end the loving and caring rewarder aspect of Saturn emerges and pours its blessings over them. Alas, the human soul seems to react with fear to all contacts with the energies of Saturn, but the time has come for shedding all our fears. The only way of doing so is through learning to trust the goodness of life to fulfil all our needs and that the great wisdom and love of our Creator will always provide us with the experiences that are right for us, at any given moment. God and the Angels are waiting to be called upon to help us dissolve the spiritual prison that consists of our deepest, darkest and innermost fears which, individually and collectively, we ourselves created. The doors of this prison are gradually creaking open for us and our world. It is true that initially contacts with Saturn stirs up fear, but this too happened for wise reasons. During past lifetimes, our fears protected us against experiences for which we were as yet unready. Now that we are ready and those fears have to be dissolved again, the energies of Capricorn and its ruler, Saturn, can be tapped into to give us the required determination and strength.

The day of the Sun’s entry into Cancer and Capricorn marks the solstices. In Cancer we celebrate the summer solstice and in its polar opposite, Capricorn, the winter solstice. Both events are special times when – for a brief moment – the Sun in the sky above us appears to stand still, although in reality it never does. As mentioned in ‘The Random Jottings of a Stargazer’, throughout the whole of Creation, all is movement and constant changes; nothing ever stands still. At the time of the solstices especially powerful outpourings of blessing and healing energies flow from the highest levels of life into us and our world and everything that shares it with us. In the build-up to the solstices these energies grow more potent from day to day and they continue for some time after. For souls who are already walking the healer’s pathway, great cosmic events of this nature create some great opportunities. They can consciously act as channels of light and play their part in the healing of our world, thus dispersing some more of the darkness that still surrounds it.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Saturn as the Teacher and Rewarder’.

CHRISTMAS AND THE WINTER SOLSTICE

The story of Christmas is but one of the many ways of expressing some ancient traditions and for re-telling the age-old myth of the birth of Christ and the light that comes into our world from the highest levels of life. In Cosmic terms the Universal Christ, not the Master Jesus, is this light. Time and again, the myths surrounding this Light, the Great Sun of all Life, have been told throughout the ages in many different ways. For example, the Bhagavad-Gita tells about the birth of the child Krishna – even the name is not that far removed from that of Christ – in the heart of the followers of the Lord Krishna.

In the Western part of our world for a very long time the customs that the early Christians declared to be pagan and therefore, to them, heretic also honoured the return of the Sun’s light to Earth, at the time of the winter solstice. All the legends that ever surrounded this event have subconsciously been conveying the message to humankind that, in truth, the Sun in the sky above our world is but a symbolism for the Great Sun, the Universal Christ, who is the only born Son of the Great Father/Mother of all life. A spark of this Great Light each one of us carries within, waiting to come alive when the time is right for doing so. This first takes place on the inner level of life and to facilitate the awakening of the Divine spark in humankind, around the time of the solstices a special outpouring of wisdom and love from the heartmind of God into all life on our planet takes place.

Christianity has been the Universe’s tool for re-telling the ancient allegory of the birth of the child and the coming of the light that has been promised since time immemorial. This reflected the progress that had been made up to that point in the evolution of the consciousness of humankind on the inner levels of life. As the Aquarian Age and with it the rebirth of humankind drew closer, the influence of the changes that were taking place on the inner level was increasingly felt in the outer world. Thus, it became inevitable that eventually Christmas had to replace the pagan traditions. They were gradually taken over and integrated into the Christian festivities. As the dates of the solstices are based on astronomical and astrological data and astrology was rejected by the church – officially it still is to this day – a new festival had to be created to replace that of the pagan winter solstice. So that the new celebrations did not look too reminiscent of them, the church founders had to find an appropriate day and eventually settled that the coming of the Light of our world – in their view in the form of the Master Jesus – should be celebrated on the 25th December.

This not only satisfied the demands of the outer world, the world of appearances, it was also of great significance on the inner level of life. The twenty-five is under the influence of the seventh ray, because 2 + 5 = 7. The seven is ruled by Neptune, the highest love vibration of the Universe that knows nothing of and is unhappy in the dense vibrations of the Earth environment. Changing the slightly fluctuating date of the celebrations for the winter solstices to the constant date of 25th December was necessary to bring us and our world into alignment with the rest of the Cosmos. The child was born at the beginning of the Age of Pisces, the Water sign of Karma and the soul, which is co-ruled by Jupiter and Neptune. Jupiter is also the ruler of Sagittarius and the prayers, hopes and aspirations which under the influence of the spiritual fire of this sign rise into the conscious awareness of the individual and collective soul of humankind have to be grounded and find their practical expression in the darkest part of the winter and the densest ones of the Earth signs.

As the centuries marched on, humankind’s joint efforts slowly created the golden bridge of light that is required to bring illumination from the highest levels of life to the soul of our world and within it to every individual soul. At all times and especially around Christmas, unseen by earthly eyes, Angels walk over this bridge into every heart and soul, especially when someone has a special need and calls for them. Their task is to bring blessings and healing, love, light and comfort to all. Thus, during the two thousand years that have passed since the story of the birth of the child in the manger came into our world, this bridge has grown ever stronger, so much so that by now the Christ blessings are reaching us in full strength.

By the way, the three wise men of the Christmas story are known to have been astronomer/astrologers, because in those days the two sciences were still treated as one. The symbolism of these men reveals that astrology – which is after all based on the calculations of astronomy – can indeed guide us to the child in the manger, in the same way they guided our world to it. As you can see, in simple terms that can easily be grasped by everybody astrology can provide us with a better understanding of the underlying spiritual meanings of this particular story and that of all life. And that, to my mind, is altogether the best use of astrology.

Dear Friends, let us lift our hearts and souls up to where our Sun would be if it was visible, even if it isn’t visible in the sky above us on Christmas Day. Isn’t it wonderful to know that our beloved Sun is a physical manifestation of the glory and the power of the Eternal Sun, the Great Light not only of our Universe but also of others that to this day are still way beyond the capabilities of our present understanding of the Cosmos?

Incidentally, the same especially powerful outpourings of the Christ energies are flowing into our whole world on other occasions, for example around the time of the Wesak Moon and the Christ Moon, as well as the Summer and Winter Solstices, and the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes. No matter whether we live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, they simultaneously reach and influence all life on our planet equally strongly; the reversal of the seasons in the hemispheres does not make any difference.

CHRISTMAS PRAYER
O Universal Christ, You are the true Christ,
The spiritual Sun behind the Sun,
The Great Light and the Highest Star in the whole of Creation.
You are the only born Son
Of the Great Spirit, Mother/Father Creator,
Whose children we all are.
Your great love and wisdom and love
Always have been and forever will be with us and our world.

May Your loving and peaceful energies
Flow ever more freely and strongly
Into every heart and soul and from there into
The heart and soul of our world and all worlds
For the blessing and healing of all life.
May we all be blessed with the gift of understanding
The true meaning of the Christ and His love.

May we and our world through this
Be renewed and grow strong in hope, faith and trust that
Your eternal promise of the coming of
Another golden and peaceful age of Aquarius
Is finding fulfilment at last.
May Your great wisdom and love rise from
The deepest innermost core of our being,
To guide and protect us all and
Show us the way home into the oneness with You.

Amen

THE TWELVE HOLY NIGHTS
MEDITATION AND CANDLE BURNING PLAN

Because December contains the festival of Christmas
It is a very holy and special month and within it
The twelve holy nights represent a particularly hallowed period.

1) The three nights starting with Christmas Eve are the holies of holies.
They are a time for receiving and the door to the Angelic Kingdom Stands wide open, inviting us all.

Each of these nights, as you light your candle,
Hold in your mind the image of
Our planet, the Earth, turning on its own axis in space.
Reflect on the fact that every being on this planet is united
And an integral part of this Great Life.
Bless it and commit yourself to healing it.

2) The following four nights bring us to night seven;
They are about understanding the Christ energy
Which at this time flows particularly strongly into every heart and soul.
It is a time for contemplations and meditations.

Each of these nights, as you light your candle
Bring to mind those close to you and whose love
Helps to give your own life quality and purpose.
During your meditations, hold them in your heart
And share your love with them.

3) The remaining five nights bring us to night twelve;
They are about grounding the Christ energy.
It is a time for making plans, for activity and new beginnings.

Each of these nights, as you light your candle,
Review your life and consider which areas of it are in need of changing,
Resolve to invest in yourself, to make it more productive and positive.

After this the elemental kingdom is said to take over the energy
And its value to the human kingdom is supposed to be spent.
Hence the importance of shutting things down on Twelfth Night,
But do not forget to persevere with your meditations and efforts, throughout the whole of the coming year.
The Twelve Nights by kind permission of the
D.K. Foundation

Merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful New Year 2010 to each one of you.
With Love and Light,
Aquarius

SUN IN CAPRICORN
THE SIGN OF HIGH ACHIEVEMENTS

In the year 2010 the Sun enters into Capricorn 21st December and by 20th January 2011 it will have reached the next sign, Aquarius. The Sun’s entry into the new sign again takes place on the day of the full Moon, this time in Cancer, the sign of the Great Mother and the soul of all life. She is the storehouse of all the knowledge that was ever gathered throughout the whole of Creation. We, Her children of the Earth through our inner connection with Her can gain access to her wisdom and love in our devotions, prayers and meditations. Thus the period of the Sun’s progress through Capricorn heralds another time for growing in wisdom through finding a better understanding of some of the things that in the past could have been deeply puzzling us.

The day of the Sun’s entry into Capricorn also marks the Winter Solstice, when the Sun moves from the exhilarating expansive fiery energies of Sagittarius into the deepest and darkest ones – on the Earth plane – of the Earth sign Capricorn, ruled by stern and undeviating Saturn. Under its influence life returns to normal and everyday duties are pushing ever more into the foreground of our consciousness. A rude awakening waits for those who, under the influence of Jupiter’s benevolent atmosphere and energies, indulged in living beyond their means and overspending.

Under Saturn’s rulership everything comes down to the Earth plane with a bump. So, don’t be surprised if you begin to feel more than somewhat deflated and maybe even slightly depressed, as if something good had been taken from you. As this is quite normal, don’t be alarmed and rush to your doctor’s for a prescription for the anti-depressants. Be aware that these are just feeling which, like all earthly things in due course will pass.

Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only to those with their Sun in Capricorn but also when:

• Your Sun is in the tenth house, the natural house of Capricorn;
• Your Moon is in Capricorn or the tenth house;
• Your Ascendant is in Capricorn;
• You were born on the 8th, 17th or 26th day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Capricorn.

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Capricorn, it is advisable to pay particular attention to the negative expressions of that sign, whilst watching out how they may express themselves in you. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can cause us considerable problems, because they are then far more difficult to detect in ourselves – in spite of the fact that this kind of behaviour is probably a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can be achieved potentially by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology can be used to help us find them.

Recommended Reading:
•‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
•‘Karma in Families.

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Sagittarius/Capricorn but also Capricorn/Aquarius, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Capricorn – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for the souls that are born into them.

Saturn is the planetary ruler of Capricorn. In sheer mass and size this planet is the second largest one in our solar system and in the order of distance from the Sun it comes in sixth place. Saturn’s dimensions are almost equal to those of Jupiter although in mass it is about three times smaller and it has the lowest mean density of any object in our solar system. Both Saturn and Jupiter resemble stellar bodies, because their bulk chemical composition is dominated by the light gas hydrogen. In Roman mythology Saturn represented the God of agriculture and harvest, of sowing and of reaping. Pictures of him usually showed him as bearded and carrying a sickle or an ear of corn. Saturn is known as the planet of Karma. This is a powerful symbolism that reminds us that the law of Karma ensures that as we sow, so we shall reap. Saturn’s Greek counterpart was the agricultural deity Cronus or old Father Time himself, a name by which Saturn is also known.

One of the main Roman festivals was known as the Saturnalia. Lasting seven days, it was a celebration of the Golden Age which, according to legend, Saturn had once ruled. We shall return to this theme in the Sun in Aquarius. A special feature of the Saturnalia feast was that temporary freedom was given to all slaves. It was a time when they were served by their masters and given first place at the family table. The Christmas and New Year celebrations of the Western world still echo the influence of this ancient festival. Originally, it lasted only one day and took place on 17th December; at a later stage this was extended to seven days. It was the merriest festival of the year. All work and business were suspended; slaves were given the short-term freedom of saying and doing what they liked; certain moral restrictions were eased; and presents freely exchanged. Saturday took its name from Saturn, the Romans called it dies Saturni. It is the only day of the week to fully retain its Roman name in the English language.

According the legend, Saturn was the husband of Ops, Goddess of plenty and the father of Jupiter, the ruler of the Gods; Juno, goddess of marriage; Neptune, God of the oceans; Pluto, God of the dead; Ceres, Goddess of the grain; and Veritas, the Goddess of truth and the mother of virtue. She was believed to hide in the bottom of a holy well, because she was very elusive. That’s where she still is most of the time, these days! Her hiding place is of special interest. Pictures usually show her as a young virgin dressed in white. The name Veritas was given to the Roman virtue of truthfulness; it was considered to be one of the highest virtues a good Roman could possess. Nothing has changed there; the same principle undoubtedly still applies to us and our time. Can you recognise the symbolisms in the Gods and Goddesses of times gone by and how they can still speak to us and our world?

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Saturn as the Teacher and Rewarder’

PROGRESS ON THE EVOLUTIONARY PATH

Capricorn with its planetary ruler is a cardinal Earth sign. It is the tenth sign of the zodiac and the tenth house is its natural domain. This house is commonly referred to as the one of social status. It is also considered to be the house of the parent who plays the more prominent role in our lives, usually the mother. The tenth shows up the place the soul is likely to attain during its present lifetime in its social/work/career groupings, in society as a whole and the role it is destined to take in its community. This house deals with promotions we may receive and any fame that may or may not come our way. It also reveals how we see ourselves and how the community as a whole views us and our efforts.

Through Capricorn and the tenth house the inner self manifests itself and its desires in the outer world. The soul learns how to extend itself through its own efforts and there awakens the ambition to somehow leave its mark on its world. On the highest level of spiritual development Capricorn is the sign of the priest and of the power behind the throne. As soon as the soul has become sufficiently evolved, opportunities for becoming a mediator between humankind and the Divine will come its way, in which it can learn how to give loving service as one of its channel.

After a lifetime of spiritual adventuring and explorations in Sagittarius, the soul comes down to Earth – sometimes with a bump, though not necessarily; if it has done its preparatory groundwork all will be well. Having reached Capricorn, the time has come for grounding the soul’s high hopes and aspirations it that awoke in it under the influence of the energies of the previous sign. They are waiting be made concrete on the Earth plane in Capricorn and to make this possible, first and foremost the soul requires at least a degree of Saturn’s gifts. It begins to feel a growing sense of responsibility towards the wellbeing of society as a whole and the individuals in it, and it realises the need for discipline. The more highly evolved the soul becomes, the more it becomes aware that every human being is responsible for itself and the development of its whole being, mind, body, spirit and soul, and especially its character. Instead of insisting on disciplining others it then takes charge of the ship of its own life and everything in it.

Following the experiences of roaming and moving about in search of ever new experiences in Sagittarius, in Capricorn the soul settles down to serve its world. A sense of having a contribution to make or a message to bring to make this world a better place for all begins to stir in the soul’s consciousness. Whatever expression and outlet this will eventually be channelled into, the soul quietly nurtures the hope that it will be able to leave its mark in its own unique way. The life of Sun Capricorn Elvis Presley reveals this; he did indeed believe he had some kind of mission. It is amazing how from the rolling stone that gathers no moss and finds it hard to endure ties and shackles of any kind, the soul in its Capricorn lifetime moves on to gathering experiences that lead to a deep appreciation of home, mother, family life and traditional institutions, like marriage, that aim to protect the wellbeing of society. From forward looking Sagittarius the soul now learns to appreciate the past, the things and the ideas it contained. It draws on and becomes anchored in the traditions of the cultural background the Universe has placed it in.

CHARACTERISTICS

We shall now take a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Capricorn. The following is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into the perfection of wholeness. As mentioned earlier, Capricorn is one of the cardinal signs. For a better understanding of the astrological meaning of cardinality, please follow the link below to ‘The Qualities of the Signs’.

Should this be the only Sun sign you are interested in, I would like to explain that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, whereas that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. Because of Capricorn’s passive and receptive nature, those born into this sign are not usually found among the shakers, movers and initiators of our world. To make up for this they are people with a practical and serious approach to life and the cardinality of their sign guarantees them a great wealth of creative ideas, especially when it comes to solving practical problems. None can equal or do better there than those with a strong influence of Capricorn in their birthcharts.

Recommended Reading:
•‘The Qualities of the Signs’
• ‘Varying Perceptions of Life – Why?’

Back to Capricorn’s characteristics though. It seems strange that the symbol of this sign should be a goat and it is worth noting that among the souls born into this sign are two different types of goat and what a difference there can be between them! The first one represents the highly evolved Capricorn who moves with great agility through its life, always able and willing to climb to scale the heights of human achievement, as sure footedly as a mountain goat. The second goat is a metaphor for the less experienced soul. As its life progresses it is in danger of resembling ever more one of those boring, down-trodden and tethered domestic goats. If children born into this sign are to grow up as mountain goats, they need as much parental encouragement and loving support as possible.

Mind you, the wisdom of the Universal laws ensures that those wishing to receive that kind of sustenance during their present lifetime must have been good parents in their previous ones. As Capricorn is the sign in which the highest spiritual achievements can be reached, it is hardly surprising that it is also one of the most difficult signs to come to terms with. And every small effort you make on behalf of your personal development, not only if you are a Capricorn or have a child born into this sign in your care. If you witness a Capricorn succeed at something, rest assured that it did not happen perchance, but was brought about through sheer hard work, willpower and determination.

They are hard working people and what others would usually consider as downright slog can and does provide them with a great deal of satisfaction. Unless you are willing to do the same, there is no need to be envious. Just let them get on with their ceaseless toiling; it is right for them because during a lifetime in this sign, nothing ever does fall into anyone’s lap like manna from heaven. Everything has to be earned and worked for extremely hard. That is a challenge Capricorns can easily rise to; they do enjoy working and their present lifetime is going to offer them many opportunities for just that. And whatever evolutionary level their soul may have reached, many frustrations, delays and trials are certain to come their way that will test their mettle, sometimes to breaking point. Such experiences sort the wheat from the chaff; they bring Capricorns the choice of either rising to the highest levels a human soul is capable of reaching whilst in physicality, or of stooping down to the lowest.

Whether anyone is as yet consciously aware of this or not, the spiritual progress we shall be making in the course of this lifetime depends entirely on the wisdom of the choices we make. The only real freedom the human soul has on this level of life is how to react to people and circumstances. The events of our life are predestined and also the encounters we shall have; they were decided before we ever entered the present round of experiences. As we can only learn from our own experiences by testing, trying and exploring, it seems inevitable to me that at first every human soul feels mostly drawn towards the negative aspects of its Sun sign. We can only recognise its positive qualities by getting to know our own and other people’s reactions to the negative ones.

Life itself invariably turns out to be their best teacher of souls who are strongly under the influence of Saturn, not only when our Sun is found in Capricorn or the tenth house, but also when the Moon and/or Ascendant are located here. The same applies when Saturn forms one of the hard aspects, like a conjunction, square or opposition, to either the Sun or the Moon and also other planets in our birthchart. It needs bearing in mind that it is true for all of us that the more life experience we have under our belt, the more chances we have of finding and developing the special gifts each Sun sign is waiting to bestow upon each one of God’s children of the Earth.

Potentially they are ours, but the only way of taking possession of them and integrating them into our character make-up is through constantly practising, living and working with them. Thus, the light of experience grows in humankind, individually and collectively. With every bit of knowledge any one of us gathers ever more of it flows into the pool of consciousness of which, on the inner level of life, every soul is an integral part.

AMBITION – THY NAME IS CAPRICORN

Not for nothing is Capricorn known as the sign of the highest achievements. Those born into it are ambitious souls who have an inner drive to do better than anyone else, even in small details and that in all aspects of their lives. If their neighbours are decorating their house at Christmas time, it is likely that their display will be even more splendid. No trouble is too much and they are willing to work hard for everything, which is just as well because nothing ever comes their way easily or could be expected to be served on a silver platter to them. And when all is said and done, a true Capricorn would not wish it to be any other way, because otherwise it would not be much of a mountaineering job and victory. What the unruly human soul needs most of all is self-mastery and self-discipline, and that is what it will certainly learn in this sign. Here comes yet another one of those astrological myths! Being a Sun Capricorn does not automatically mean that they are experts at self-mastery; far from it. The same as all good things, such qualities will never come to anyone without effort; they have to be worked for very hard indeed.

Someone having been born into Capricorn can be an indication that we are having before us an old and experienced soul, but this is not necessarily so. One thing you can be sure of though and that is that no matter which degree of spiritual awareness that person has reached up to now, on their journey through life their patience and endurance will frequently be stretched to breaking point. Let no-one begrudge this, for it is the Universe’s way of eventually providing every human soul on its evolutionary pathway with what it needs most of all: self-mastery and self-discipline. Ambitious as they are by nature, Capricorns are sure to succeed in the end. Those who persevere with their efforts are sure to find self-discipline, if nothing else. Persistence is one of Capricorn’s keywords and that is one of the most precious gifts that can be developed in this sign. If on the surface these things do not sound like too much, rest assured that on the spiritual level they are the most sought after qualities for any soul.

Success on the material level frequently comes late to Capricorns; this is because of all the obstacles, tests and trials they are sure to encounter on their way up the ladder. Capricorns frequently come across as being of rather a frail and delicate constitution, but do now allow such outer expressions to fool you. They usually are as tough and durable as a pair of old boots. As much as Mars rules youth, Saturn rules old age; many Capricorns and people with a strong tenth house reach a ripe old age and as a rule, the older they get the better and easier they cope with their lives.

PATIENCE – THY NAME IS NOT CAPRICORN

Now let us dispose of yet another one of those astrological myths, namely that Capricorns are naturally very patient people. In spite of all their tenacity and stamina to patiently work away at just about anything, let no-one run away with that idea, because it is not true! Or at least it was not when the soul entered its current lifetime. If you ask any Capricorn, you are sure to find that at least the more mature ones among them, male and female alike, who are honest enough with themselves and in touch with the world of their feelings, quite happily confirm that deep down they are not patient at all. It’s just that the great wisdom of the Universe provided them with many opportunities for acquiring the gift of patience, Saturn’s most splendid gift. In the fullness of time, hopefully it will grow as a natural by-product of the sheer endless delays and frustrations they encounter almost at all times.

Saturn is a symbolism for the Divine aspects that presents itself to us as the stern teacher and taskmaster, who teaches human souls mastery of the whole self through self-discipline. Under Saturn’s eagle-eyed scrutiny things must be done properly and right; ‘i’s have to be dotted and ‘t’s crossed; nothing less will do. Capricorns reflect this by being orderly and responsible people who like things to be ‘just so’! Much spiritual progress is possible when Saturn’s energies are worked with in the right manner, namely conscientiously, as indeed is Capricorn’s way. This requires a positive frame of mind and that does not come naturally to souls born into this sign. But when it has finally been achieved, Saturn acts as a stabilising and balancing influence between Heaven and Earth, spirit and soul on the one hand and the small earthly self with all its fears and inhibitions on the other. We are in this life to heal these two aspects of our nature together into one. Numerology demonstrates better than anything else how this is done. The eight is ruled by Saturn. Lay it on its side and what do you get? It becomes the ∞, the symbol of infinity, of life and worlds without beginning and end, ever flowing into each other, renewing each other and themselves in the process of healing together into one.

There is always a certain aloofness and coldness to all Saturn’s contacts; its cold touch crystallises everything and gives rise to fear in every human souls. This undoubtedly is the most formidable obstacle that must be overcome by each one of us, but it is especially true for Capricorns. Make an effort not to look at this not as some kind of punishment and recognise it as being in our lives for good and wise reasons. Our fears teach us to take great care in all our actions and until we have mastered this aspect, we show that we are unready to move onto higher evolutionary levels.

It is for this reason that souls who would otherwise go too far and too fast in their present lifetime choose to be taught by the restrictions of Saturn. Together with the wise ones who guide and protect us all, it is decided that the soul should either reincarnate into Capricorn or come in some other way strongly under the influence of Saturn, the pernickety and fastidious schoolmaster of the zodiac. Here are a few examples of how this may show up in the birthchart: Sun in the tenth house, which is associated with Capricorn, irrelevant of which sign the Sun is located. As mentioned earlier, the same is true for souls born on the 8th, 17th or 26th day of any month. Numerologically, the eight is ruled by Saturn; wherever it turns up it is always an indication that throughout the soul’s present lifetime old Father Time is putting some formidable breaks on it.

The Sun in every birthchart represents the male, active and outgoing aspect of the soul’s nature. Because of the Sun’s close contact with Saturn in Capricorns both genders are likely to experience restrictions in expressing this part of themselves. As a result, throughout their whole present lifetime they are likely to constantly have to strain against all manner of frustrations. Yet, whenever we reach the point when we think we can bear no more of the soul lessons, it is helpful to remind ourselves that we ourselves chose this particular lot, once upon a time in the world of light. Capricorn is the densest one of the Earth signs and because of the earth-bound ways of those born into this sign, it can be extremely difficult for them to find and grow some spiritual wings. If that has been the case for you up to now, rejoice because that is the purpose of the exercise. But when your wings finally do grow, you will have found one of the finest achievements any soul can hope for.

SENSE OF HUMOUR

Two of Capricorn’s keywords are: ‘I use’ and expediency. Having reached this sign, for human souls the time has come for learning how to act responsibly and develop a sense of purpose, be serious minded and practical. Wise ones who follow their inner need to attend to their duties punctiliously and intuitively knows how to make good use of everything that comes their way are making excellent use of Saturn’s energies. Yet, their heavy earthiness and seriousness are quite a burden to carry and may result in a more than somewhat gloomy outlook on life. This, however, in some Capricorns is considerably alleviated by a delightfully Saturnian sense of humour, which in this sign can be developed to the fullest. The ability to recognise the funny side of things lightens up their frequent test, trials and frustrations, so they can be endured with fortitude. Exceptions, as always, confirm this rule.

The more highly evolved the soul already is by the time it has reached another lifetime in this sign, the more its sense of responsibility towards the community around it develops. While younger, less experienced souls ask themselves: ‘How can I use this?’, more evolved ones prefer to reflect on: ‘How can this be of use to everybody?’ What a world of difference! But whatever level the soul may have reached thus far, like in all the other signs, the focus is on bringing forth from within the highest qualities of its present sign. Capricorn’s most outstanding ones are great inner strength, tenacity, stubbornness and a good sense of purpose. It is of the utmost importance for the soul’s personal evolution these gifts are applied and for what purpose they are used. As this lifetime progresses and the more these character traits are practised, the more it is likely that its dreams will be fulfilled before this lifetime is over. So, take heart, dear Capricorns! For those who are willing to pay attention to Saturn’s demands, success is inevitable, but don’t be disappointed if it comes late in life; that’s Saturn’s way.

With the necessary degree of maturity Capricorns potentially function at their best when they are allowed to rule by delegated authority, as a kind of power behind the throne. Their greatest strength lies in leadership, but taking charge with humility is required of them is. However, that is something that does not come easily to any Capricorn, because one of the greatest pitfalls of this sign can be false pride and that is an open invitation to failure. This is a weakness like any other that can be overcome with the help of Saturn’s gift, self-discipline. No soul has it automatically; but to overcome this weakness, like any other, it has to be developed. To develop this takes great honesty with ourselves, as well as time and application, but rest assured that it is worth every small effort one makes.

CAPRICORN – THE CONTROL FREAK

Capricorn in the physical body rules bones, skin and knees. The knees represent the soul’s ability to bend inwardly and that is where Capricorns encounter difficulties. In later life this may manifest itself in their physical bodies as problems with their knees, a complaint that is particularly common among them. Less experienced souls in this sign may be control freaks who find putting themselves into another’s shoes very difficult. Because of this they can be in constant danger of believing that they are the only ones who know what’s really best for everybody around them, and that is an open invitation to troublemaking in human relationships, if ever there was one.

Self-knowledge is the key for unlocking this problem, the same as all others. Wise ones are aware their urge for control is but an externalisation of their soul’s inner need to learn to control its earthly aspect and especially its unruly mind. This helps them to make an effort at counteracting it when their need to control rises to the surface of their consciousness. No longer breathing down people’s necks but stepping back from them and giving them the space to listen to their own inner guidance and to learn from their own mistakes, they are capable of conducting much happier and mutually satisfying relationships with those around them.

MONEY – MONEY – MONEY!

Capricorn is the densest of the Earth signs. This reflects itself in the attitude towards life of those born into this sign, which with some of them can be altogether too Earth bound, materialistic with too much emphasis on money matters. The love of money is shared by the Earth signs Taurus and Capricorn – more of this in a moment. Interestingly, this manifests itself in each in its own unique way. Capricorns are not really interested in the money itself, the way Taureans can be. Capricorns love money as an expression of the power it helps them to wield in the material world, but what they do is not as much seeking ‘power’ as control. Acquisitive and fond of the good things of life, Taurus loves money and lots of it, to buy, possess and enjoy as many of these as possible. Fifty pairs of finest quality shoes, thirty odd tailor-made suits, shirts and accessories, all carefully colour-matched, that is part of many a Taureans’ idea of Haven on the Earth.

Thrifty and cautious by nature, Capricorn is the minimalist. As few possessions and as much money as possible, safely tucked away in a savings account that yields the best interest rates, as a security shield during old age – that is Capricorns’ dream of the ideal life. Exceptions, as always, confirm the rule, but that in a nutshell is the basic difference in their attitude towards money between the two signs. Highly attentive and sensitive to what people may think of them, they want to be seen to ‘be someone’. To illustrate this point, let me tell you of a Capricorn friend of mine, who in the course of many years has sighed to me quite a few times: ‘If only we could see ourselves as others see us!’ He has difficulties accepting the concept that it is more important to get to know ourselves and to find out who we really are, not what other people think of us. Maybe this idea is so alien to a Capricorn that he just cannot grasp it, because it does not fit into his view of the world and of his and other people’s role in it.

Back to Taurus, the value and also the money sign of the zodiac for a moment and the excessive fondness of those born into this sign of money and also gold. As referred to earlier, the Taurean love for money is shared by Capricorn and you may find it interesting to look into the motivations behind this. Taureans love to enjoy all the good things Mother Earth has to offer and this means spend, spend, spend! Both signs will do all they can to get their hands on money, lots and lots of it. Having it to Taurus means being able to afford wine, women/men and song, literally and metaphorically speaking, as well as good food and drink, fine clothes, furniture, works of art, especially sculptures and pottery. These things are eagerly explored and greatly enjoyed by Taureans, who will insist that everything is of the best and the finest quality they can possibly afford.

However, by the time that same soul has reached Capricorn, through its own experiences it will have grown wise to the fact that in Earth life – and that on all its levels – times of abundance are inevitably followed by ones of great need. The same principle applies to lifetimes and the wise purpose behind it all is to teach each one of us the value of things and to help us differentiate between fat and lean times. That’s how in Capricorn we realise the need for putting something by for a rainy day and enjoy the merits of thrift and saving, but care needs to be taken that this does not wind up in miserliness and excessive frugality. The balance, as ever, lies halfway between the two extreme approaches to money of Taurus and Capricorn.

TESTS OF WEALTH AND POWER

During lifetimes in Capricorn respect and wealth, like everything, have to be earned and worked for exceedingly hard. Those who succeed will not suffer from a shortage of opportunities for finding out that both great wealth and power are the greatest of all spiritual tests for the human soul, because they bring with them a great deal of responsibility. Appreciating this helps wise ones to use them wisely. Not for nothing does the Bible warn us in St. Matthew 19:23-24: ‘Truly, I say to you: It is difficult for a [materially] rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven [whilst still on the Earth]. Again I say to you: It is easier for a rope to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom of God [to find, bring forth and act upon the goodness within them].’ Words in square brackets have been added by me in the hope of further clarifying the meaning of this quote.

As the planet of Karma, keeping a perfect set of books about everything any soul has ever done is a vital part of Saturn’s role. It is true that the laws of this earthly existence can at times be broken in such a way that the impression is created that the offender has somehow got away with things. Rest assured that in truth no-one ever truly gets away with anything; it is impossible. Whether we are as yet aware of this or not, if we break the Cosmic laws, the laws of God, sooner or later the price we have to pay the price. We all get our just deserts and there comes a time when every soul is presented with the bill for all its misdeeds.

The Divine wisdom behind the Universal laws ensures that everything in the whole of Creation must balance, and that anything that ever becomes unbalanced has to be put right again, by none other than the one who broke the law. The law of Karma sees to it that eventually everything returns to its source. That is why, for good and for ill, whatever we send out inevitably must come back to us. Thus, sooner or later we all get what we truly deserve – no more and no less. And when our learning is finally done and we are ready, it takes us back to where we truly belong, into complete reunion with God, the source of our being.

LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

Meanwhile back on the Earth, a well used lifetime in Capricorn can help the human soul to develop and bring forth from within the very core of its own being, the already mentioned sterling qualities of leadership, patience and persistence, but also efficiency and practicality. Capricorns are ambitious and industrious, ever willing to work hard for what they want out of life. There is great strength and integrity in the higher evolved ones among them, who thus reflect and use the qualities of Saturn. Dependable, confident themselves and superb at instilling a sense of confidence in others, they are fond of tradition, home, mother and the past; some are also fond of antiques. These things reveal the influence of Cancer, Capricorn’s polar opposite in the zodiac. As you may recall from other interpretations, this sign is known as the sleeping – or rather unconscious – partner. Appreciating this, it does no longer come as surprise that Capricorns of both genders tend to cling to their mothers, even after they themselves are married.

The wise ones among them take extra care not to make their mother the hub of their life, which helps them to avoid problems in marriage and partnerships. In touch with their inner world of feelings, they are capable of being the most competent and caring leaders anyone could hope to find. In spite of having great difficulties of showing their affection to those around them, Capricorns can be most deeply committed family people. Let the cool exterior fool no-one, underneath there does beat a warm and loving heart – it’s just that it suffers from too many inhibitions and are over-afraid of rejection.

A strong presence of Saturn can bring either the best or the worst out in human souls. This explains why less experienced Capricorns tend to behave like street angels and house devils. Mind you, by showing us how not to behave, such people can be excellent teachers to those around them. Although we have the freedom to choose how to behave in any situation, it may take us a long time before we become aware of this. Clearly, making wise choices becomes much easier once we understand what is at stake. That enables us to turn into a wise one, who pays attention to overcoming the negative aspects of our sign, including making a special effort at being as pleasant at home as the face we are showing to the world.

PARENTHOOD

When wise Capricorns have children of their own, they avoid acting like an over-strict and altogether too heavy-handed disciplinarian. Realising how hard they find it to put themselves into another’s moccasins, they endeavour to remind themselves frequently that everybody has a right to their own feelings and needs to have sufficient amounts of personal freedom, if they are to learn and grow from their experiences. Aware that they can be veritable control-freaks, if they let themselves go, they resist the temptation of constantly telling their offspring: ‘Do as I tell you!’ Although they may find this difficult, within reason they then let their children do their own thing. Due to Saturn’s rulership of their sign, at heart and underneath it all they really are strict disciplinarians. The prospect of not being hated by their children in later life is sufficient reward for them, which they justly look forward to.

Wise parents, not only those whose Sun is in Capricorn, love their child as the precious and unique child of God that has come through them and been given into their care, for a limited time. With the help of the link provided you can read more about this in ‘You are special’. Each child is indeed a chip off the old block, though not of its earthly parents but of the Divine. People who are aware that this is so no longer dream of trying to live their unfulfilled dreams vicariously through their children. They know that each one of us has come into this lifetime to develop their own special gifts some more; and to follow their own dream and ambitions, because that is how the Wise teacher within guides each one to the fulfilment of their highest potential. As parents, it is our task to support and encourage our children to bring forth the best from within, which they have not inherited from us. Their gifts were given to them by God, the same as we received ours. In the course of many lifetimes everybody’s talents have been developed and we bring them with us into each new one, so that they can be practised and honed to new peaks of perfection.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘You Are Special’

As briefly touched upon earlier, the need for controlling those around them can be exceptionally strong in inexperienced Capricorn souls. To resolve this, it helps to know that this is but a misinterpretation of the promptings the soul receives from its Highest Self that the time for learning to discipline the drives and urges of its earthly self has come. As long as this remains unrecognised it is almost impossible for poor Capricorn to change its behaviour patterns and to avoid creating further negative Karma. But even young souls eventually reach the point for becoming aware of what is at stake and focusing on taking their earthly self in hand. This may take another lifetime or two, maybe even several more circuits round the whole zodiac, but every soul gets there in the end.

On the inner level of life all is one. Unbeknown to us for a very long time, our Highest Self or God Self has always guided and protected us from within the core of our own being. It alone knows our soul’s evolutionary needs, our Karma and this lifetime’s lessons. It is the only who can safely guide each one according to their specific requirements through their own experiences, not only in this world but in all those yet to come. Each one of us is constantly receiving guidance from our inner and Highest Self. Alas, it takes a certain degree of spiritual maturity until we finally wake up to its existence and by tuning into it, first learn to interpret the meaning of the messages we receive through this channel and then also to act upon them.

FAMILY LIFE

Back to Capricorn though. In their constant striving for success, they can sometimes be in danger of not having sufficient time for their families. They are capable of getting so wrapped up in business matters and making money that they grow rather cold, remote and unconcerned about the needs and feelings of those around them. Another risk they are running is getting too immersed in the practicalities of life and as a result losing touch with their own inner world of feelings. Besides, concentrating too much on one’s working life frequently leads to ignoring one’s own and other’s need for satisfying personal relationships. It is all too easy to overlook that everybody has a right to having their wants and needs fulfilled in their personal relationships, including one’s own.

There are many reasons why it is important to stay in touch with the world of our feelings; the main one is that through it we are meant to receive guidance from our inner or Highest Self. Alas, if Capricorns concentrate too much on their thrust for worldly success, in the long run their feeling nature is likely to suffer and become increasingly impoverished. I believe that it is worth everybody’s while to regularly take time out and create a special place where they can allow their feelings the luxury of flowing naturally. That is the only way one can get to know and take advantage of the cleansing and healing properties of tears, as well as of the comfort our inner Self is always waiting to give to us, when we are in distress. Those who attend to this regularly are far less likely to find their physical bodies crippled with arthritis in later life, an all too common Capricorn complaint.

It is useful to remind ourselves, at least now and again, that the main purpose of our being on the Earth is that we should learn to love wisely, the way God loves us. The Sun’s close contact with Saturn reflects the somewhat cold and aloof nature of Capricorn; for them it may take a special effort to build some lovingness into their character make-up, too. The wise ones among them no longer insist upon always wanting their own way, regardless of how the world around them feels about things. They know that making an effort at going towards others and meeting them half-way will get them much further in life; and that with the help of love their frostiness can be dissolved. That indeed is the healing ingredient that can rid Capricorn – and everybody else – of all arrogance and selfishness, because anyone who truly loves no longer puts their own wellbeing first.

As explained in ‘The Random Jottings of a Stargazer – Healers and Healing’, we are all in this life to find healing through taking possession of all aspects of our being and becoming whole; wholeness means to be holy and healed. This is a process through which every soul gradually grows into the role of a healer in their own right. First of all we need to become aware that our world is one of paradoxes and that each one of us is a many faceted jewel that contains many puzzling dualities and polarities.

Familiarising ourselves with all aspects of our nature, working with them and coming to terms with them are essential parts of every soul’s healing process. To my mind, one of the best ways of doing this is by studying the qualities of the sign that is in polar opposition to our own Sun sign, the sleeping partner already mentioned. The negative and positive qualities of the opposite sign slumber in our subconscious, from where they influence our instinctive reactions and behaviour patterns. Consciously taking possession of and integrating the best qualities of both signs into our character is every soul’s own responsibility.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘All Life is Evolution’

SEEKING WHOLENESS AND HEALING

All negative aspects and weaknesses have to be worked on and overcome, so that they can no longer wreak havoc in our lives. Until we finally resolve them by making peace between the two parts, the polarities within will cause us many inner conflicts and turmoil, because they are then struggling against each other by one part seeking to dominate the other. Becoming aware of what is happening is the tool that is now given into everybody’s own hands for putting an end to such struggles through reconciliation of these polarities. We need to take possession of all conflicting parts and teach them to make peace, so that they can work together, instead of against each other, supporting the wellbeing of the whole person – mind, body, spirit and soul. To my mind, the most urgent issue on which each one of us now needs to concentrate is finding inner peace and living our lives in more peaceful ways. That is the only way that peace can come to us and our world. The world around us is a mirror of what inside us, as inner manifestation must always come before outer. Read more about this in the jottings.

In their search for wholeness Capricorns can benefit greatly from getting in touch with Cancer, their opposite sign, also know as the sleeping partner. Theirs is ruled by the Moon and represents the essence of femininity, the mothering and nurturing principle of Creation, the sensitive feeling side of humankind, its soul. Lo and behold! Suddenly there reveals itself to us a very different Capricorn. Now we can take a peek behind the cool, aloof and usually self-controlled face they like to present to the world. In truth, this is but a mask that hides their tender and extremely sensitive underside, i.e. the world of their innermost feelings which, alas, all too frequently they keep hidden even from themselves.

By consciously taking possession of their inner alignment with the Moon’s own sign the power is given into Capricorn’s hands to establish a beautiful direct connection with the Great Mother of all life. Through Her they can then not only draw on great intuitive and psychic abilities, but also consciously tap into the Moon’s treasures – their own individual and the collective unconscious of our world. It is not advisable to use such gifts for the pursuit of selfish gains, like money-making and career. To become truly powerful they need to be made available for helping souls in distress and for alleviating the suffering of humankind. As this is the course highly evolved Capricorns dedicate their lives to, the difference between them and younger and less experienced souls easily reveal themselves.

Capricorns make good civil servants and politician, mathematicians and osteopaths, but their interests and ambitions vary as widely as you could possibly imagine. To illustrate this, some famous Capricorns, in alphabetical order of first names, are: Ava Gardner – Actress; Cary Grant – Actor; Dolly Parton – Singer; Edgar Allen Poe – Writer; Elvis Presley – Singer.; Helena Rubenstein – Cosmetics; Helmut Schmidt – Politician; Henry Miller – Writer; Howard Hughes – Millionaire Recluse; Janis Joplin – Singer; Kevin Costner – Actor; Louis Pasteur – Scientist; Marlene Dietrich – Actress; Michel de Nostradamus – Astrologer; Muhammad Ali – Boxer; Oliver Hardy – Comedian; Paul Cezanne – Artist; Richard Widmark – Actor; Tycho Brahe – Astrologer.

SCALING THE HEIGHTS OF HUMAN ENDEAVOURS

No matter what occupation they may choose in the end, to be genuinely happy Capricorns desires to come first, but this has to be worked for very hard. Any success on the earthly plane has to be earned; it never arrives without being deserved, if not in this lifetime then in previous ones. By nature Capricorns are solitary creatures and although they are ambitious and love to scale the heights of human endeavours, in all they do they venture forth with great caution. In spite of looking determined and confident on the surface, they do proceed with utmost caution by putting one foot in front of another. While in Aries the human soul experiences what it is like to boldly blunder in where Angels fear to tread, by the time it has reached Capricorn, it has learnt that such behaviour is not courage but foolhardiness. In this sign the soul gets to know what fear is; its motto is now: ‘Feel the fear and doing it anyway!’ Through many first hand experiences, it thus finds out that only those who overcome their fears are truly courageous.

Yet another exceedingly fine and rare gift that can be developed by the soul during its present lifetime is the ability of envisaging a distant goal, while slowly, carefully, watchfully and patiently working its way towards it. It does not seem to matter how long success may be in coming and how arduous the journey turns out to be. When this gift is applied by evolving Capricorns to humanitarian pursuits and for the good of the whole, having learnt to meekly bend their knees before the Highest, they can indeed be truly great, worthy and unselfish servers and carers of humankind.

Understanding is the beginning of wisdom. In the course of a great many lifetimes of going round and round the zodiac, one more lifetime in every round is spent in Capricorn. All the time the soul grows in wisdom and comes that bit closer to understanding the purpose and meaning of its existence in physicality and of the delays and frustrations of a lifetime spent in Capricorn. This continues until finally the soul appreciates and gratefully accepts Saturn’s precious gifts of patience, endurance, stamina. Applying them all, it skilfully envisages any far distant goal and plods its way towards it, safe in the knowledge that – no matter what obstacles may ever present themselves – it will get to its destiny in the end.

So, my dear Capricorn friend, whenever you are struggling make an effort to take comfort from knowing that great soul growth is achieved through the intensity of the suffering, which most souls born into your sign create for themselves in their struggle against the constant frustrations, restrictions and limitations during their transit through it. For many the time of release from further earthly lessons is getting ever closer. Yet, this can only happen for souls who are capable of bearing the above things with a gradually increasing acceptance and appreciation for the value of the all-important and essential self-mastery. Without having mastered this aspect of their nature no soul will ever be released from its education in the material world.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Power of Thought’

CHANGING THE WORLD
Do not try to change the world.
You will fail.
Try to love the world.
Lo, the world is changed,
Changed forever.

Sri Chinmoy

If we try to change our world
Without first changing ourselves, we are sure to fail.
But when we come to terms with its true purpose
And perceive it in a new light, we learn to love it and
For us, quite magically, the world changes forever.

As our inner eyes open, we begin to recognise
The good in all people and situations.
Our heart and soul then fills with compassion and love
For those who, trapped in the darkness of
Their ignorance and greed, still insist on creating suffering,
Maybe for millions, and therefore negative Karma for themselves.
We no longer sit in judgement over anyone
And that helps us to create ever more positive Karma
For ourselves and our world.

© Aquarius 2010

SUN IN AQUARIUS
THE SIGN OF TRANSMUTATION AND TRANSFIGURATION

On 20th January 2011, the Sun entered into Aquarius and by 19th February 2011 it will have reached Pisces, he next sign. Please, note that much of what has been mentioned in this file applies not only to those with their Sun in Aquarius but also when:

• Your Sun is in the eleventh house, which is associated with Aquarius;
• Your Moon is in Aquarius or the eleventh house;
• Your Ascendant is in Aquarius;
• You were born on the 4th, 13th or 31st day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Aquarius. It does, however, not apply to the 22nd day – see ‘Two Studies in Mastership’ and ‘Master Number 22’.

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Aquarius, it is advisable to pay particular attention to the negative expressions of that sign, whilst watching out how they may express themselves in you. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can cause us considerable problems, because they are then far more difficult to detect in ourselves – in spite of the fact that this kind of behaviour is probably a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can be achieved potentially by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology can be used to help us find them.

Recommended Reading:
•‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families.

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Capricorn/Aquarius but also Aquarius/Pisces, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Aquarius – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for the souls that are born into them. Aquarius is co-ruled by the planets Saturn and Uranus. In Roman mythology, Saturn was the ancient God of agriculture; his Greek counterpart was the God Cronus. Zeus was the son of Cronus, who eventually usurped and dethroned his father. In Roman mythology Zeus was represented by Jupiter. Cronus is said to have fled to Italy, where he ruled during a Golden Age of perfect peace and happiness.

We shall return to Saturn in a moment, but first let us take a closer look at his co-ruler, Uranus, the seventh most distant planet from the Sun. Its low density and large size place it among the four giant planets that have no solid surfaces; each one is composed primarily of hydrogen, helium, water, and other volatile compounds. According an ancient Greek legend, when Gaia, the Goddess of the Earth, emerged from the primeval Chaos, she first gave birth to Uranus, i.e. the Heavens, and then to the Mountains and the Sea. As well as being her son, Uranus also became Gaia’s husband. Astrologically, Uranus to this day represents the will of God.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘When Creation Was Began, According To the Legend of Uranus and Gaia – A Tale for the Aquarian Age’

Back to Saturn, the much maligned planet who, in the olden days for a very long time had to endure an exceedingly bad press. Yet, if with the help of the link provided at the end of this chapter, you read ‘Saturn as the Teacher and Rewarder’ you will discover that his reputation as the great astrological villain is by no means justified. When you have studied it, like me, you will no longer allow anyone to say negative things about Saturn in your presence. Saturn stands as the guardian and keeper of the gateway into the Aquarian Age. He is a symbolism for the bridge of learning to control all parts of our being which every soul must cross of its own accord. Earthly and heavenly parts alike have to be mastered by us. And our energies have to be cleansed and purified of all earthly desires before any one of us can return into the perfect alignment with our eternal or God Self; to find it one day is every soul’s birthright.

The co-rulership of Aquarius by Saturn and Uranus explains the way forward into the New Age quite clearly, and the order in which the planets are appearing is of particular significance. Saturn, the strict disciplinarian comes first; Uranus, the destroyer of false beliefs is the liberator who follows behind; more about him in a moment. All those who are willing to undergo the cleansing process and show their readiness by behaving in an unselfish and disciplined manner, and that at all times, Uranus releases into the freedom of the Aquarian Age. He is waiting to help us burst all Karmic chains and shackles of past ages and by bringing us God’s Divine truth that flows directly from His/Her loving heart into the individual and collective consciousness of our world, he assists us in shaking off all false beliefs and prejudices.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Saturn as the Teacher and Rewarder’

CHARACTERISTICS

We shall now take a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Aquarius. The following is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into the perfection of wholeness. As mentioned earlier, Aquarius is one of the fixed signs. For a better understanding of the astrological meaning of fixed, please follow the link below to ‘The Qualities of the Signs’.

Should this be the only Sun sign you are interested in, I would like to explain that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, whereas that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. Because of the active and outgoing nature of Sagittarius, the masculine Fire sign, those born into it may well find themselves among the shakers, movers and initiators of our world. Theirs being a mutable sign, Sagittarians can be astonishingly flexible and adaptable in their views and opinions, as well as their perception and general vision of life, our world and their place in it. They and their lives are as good examples as any of how the energies of our Sun sign reflect themselves in our attitudes to and perceptions of life.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘‘The Qualities of the Signs’
• ‘Varying Perceptions of Life – Why?’

THE SIGN OF REVOLUTION

The fixed Air sign Aquarius is co-ruled by Saturn and Uranus. It is the eleventh sign in the zodiac and the eleventh house is its natural abode. Aquarius is the sign of revolution, whose symbol is the water bearer holding a pot in his arms from which he pours what appears to be water. Because of this symbol it is not surprising that to this day there is quite a bit of confusion about the nature of this sign. In spite of it and contrary to popular beliefs, Aquarius is by no means one of the Water signs. It is an Air sign and the water that flows from the man’s vessel is not of the liquid kind. It is an allegory for the cleansing and purifying effect of fresh spiritual knowledge and wisdom that is constantly being poured from the highest levels of life into the earthly consciousness of humankind, to enable us and our world to move forward on the evolutionary spiral of life.

Aquarius is also the sign of siblinghood, kinship and friendship among all peoples and all nations, and ultimately with all life. In this sign the highest human hopes and aspirations can potentially find their fulfilment, on a personal as well as on the collective level. I hope I shall be forgiven for using the word siblinghood instead of brotherhood; for my liking it smacks too much of times gone by, the patriarchy and the suppression of the feminine. The true spirit of Aquarius is equal rights and opportunities for all. Fortunately, by now there is sufficient evidence in our world this spirit is slowly but surely gaining the upper hand in the consciousness of our world. Many opportunities for conducting our lives in accordance with this principle are offered to each one of us, but especially to souls who are spending their present lifetime in this sign. If they so wish and work very hard on themselves to fulfil the special requirements of our time, they have excellent potential for growing into significant mental pioneers of this our New Age.

Much love and devotion to the Highest are required; let no-one run away with the idea that the Aquarian gifts, the same as those of all other signs, will ever automatically fall into anyone’s lap. Nothing could be further from the truth in any sign and especially in those in which Saturn is involved, the soul has to work jolly hard if it wishes to succeed. The co-rulership of Saturn and Uranus clearly shows that discipline and self-mastery must be shown before any soul can be released into the spiritual freedom of Aquarius. Uranus, the liberator, is the planet of revolution and upheavals that come about by the will of God, to free us and our world from the restrictions that bind us to the past. In inexperienced hands the Uranian energies can become so destructive that they can be likened to an atom bomb that someone places into a toddler’s hands. Clearly, concentrating on the invaluable Saturnian gifts is essential. They are the fundamentals which every soul must learn under the guardianship of the incorruptible, impeccable and stern taskmaster of the zodiac, Saturn. Ever watchful it guards the inner gates before any of us will be allowed to come anywhere near being allowed to handle the Uranian energies.

THE NEGATIVE AQUARIAN ASPECTS

Aquarians do not take kindly to authority of any type and the figures that represent this concept. Because of this they tend to be happiest when they themselves have either been entrusted with some authority or they are fully self-employed and in charge. Their opposite sign and sleeping partner, Leo – more about this in a moment – reflects that they have good leadership potential. Alas, before any soul can find out about and work on integrating the highest qualities of its Sun sign, through its own experiences it has first to become familiar with its negative aspects. That is why inexperienced Aquarian souls may act as revolutionaries and rebels without a cause, whose behaviour can and does all too easily deteriorate into disestablishmentarianism. Now, there’s a word for you! Between you and me, I have always wanted to find some use for it.

Seriously though, this character trait – like all others – is but a tool that has to be used and experienced, until we can eventually wield it to its greatest effect for the wellbeing of all. That’s why in Aquarius the Universe offers us many opportunities for studying its effects on our own lives and that of the societies we have been placed in. This continues until this instrument has been mastered and the more highly evolved the soul becomes, we are guided into finding appropriate outlets into which we can pour all our creative energies.

Uranus represents the Universal Mind, the intelligence of the Highest and its super-conscious faculties. Because we are created in God’s image, everything that is in God is also in us. Therefore, the same kind of intelligence is also in each one of us, if only as a seed that is waiting to be brought forth and developed. Can you see how unwise it is to sit in judgement over anyone, even if some folks behave as if they had been overlooked when intelligence was handed out? It is just that such a soul has not yet had sufficient opportunities for developing this part. Knowing this, next time you encounter someone who seems to be ‘as thick as a navvy’s sandwich’ – as a friend of mine likes to call it – remind yourself that you are merely dealing with someone who has not yet had sufficient opportunities for developing their natural intelligence. It’s good to become aware of such things on the spiritual pathway. They help us to become more tolerant, kind and patient with people in general and with those who seem mentally less well endowed than others in particular.

The Air signs rule the intellect and the main purpose of any lifetime spent in one of them is the further development of our mental capabilities. In the Sun in Gemini the functions of the earthly and the superconscious minds are explored in more detail; you may like to read up about it. All we need to concern ourselves with here is that through the soul’s intuition and during the whole course of its evolution, the Divine mind is always guiding everyone. The earthly mind is the vehicle through which the Universe constantly sends us all flashes of inspiration and grants us the gift of insights into people and situations that help us to cope better with life. The aim of the Highest mind all along has been to eventually guide each one of us home again into the knowledge of who and what we truly always have been. This, the authority behind all life, is constantly trying to guide and inspire every soul to work for the good of the whole of humanity.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Sun in Gemini’

GAINING ACCESS TO THE WILL AND POWER OF GOD

At the beginning of the Aquarian Age we are discovering that in truth human beings are amazing creatures. Ever more are coming home into the awareness that we are a spark of the Divine, children of God and young Gods in the marking. We are part of God and God is part of us; created in God’s image each one contains the same godlike powers that are in our Creator. Each time Aquarius comes round on the wheel of life, whose symbol is the zodiac, all human souls are allowed a certain measure of access to the will and the power of God. As the soul spiritually matures, it eventually finds out that as co-creator with God it has the power to create in the same way that God brings whole worlds and Universes into being and is capable of destroying them again, namely by the sheer force of His will and thoughts.

The unpalatable fact is now facing us that we ourselves created our world the way it presently is. If it seems to be in a mess, there’s no-one to blame, except ourselves; we did it through our own thought processes. It therefore stands to reason that the most urgent issue facing humankind at present is each one must learn to control and direct their thoughts in positive and constructive ways. You may find reading my collection of White Eagle’s wisdom on the power of thought helpful.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Power of Thought’

As we know by now, everything that is in our world and all words first had to manifest itself on the inner level as an idea; all creation and any change in us and our world could ever come about this way. Therefore, if we wish to see true and lasting revolutions in the outer world they first have to be born within. To bring about a peaceful and meaningful revolution that benefits all life on this beautiful and precious jewel, Mother Earth, God and the Angels are waiting to be called upon. They alone can teach each one of us how to safely tap into and handle the Uranian energies.

The time has come when each one of us must sweep in front of their own inner doors first and revolutionise their attitudes and mental thinking patterns. Before any real progress can be made by us individually and collectively, we have to redefine and determine our own destiny and that of the family of humankind and everything that shares our world with us. For this purpose a great many preconceived ideas and prejudices about the purpose and meaning of this life have to be shed by every soul on the Earth plane. Any new insights and understanding into life that comes to one of us brings to the finder the moral and spiritual obligation to share it with as many others as possible, so that in due course they in turn will be able to distribute their knowledge to those who follow behind.

SELF-WILLED, REBELLIOUS AND UNRULY SOULS

That’s what Aquarians are and they’re usually quite proud of it, too. The wise ones amongst them know that, because of these traits, applying the self-discipline that Saturn demands is of the greatest importance, no matter how difficult a task this may be. Aware that anything that is really worth having has to be worked for very hard, especially when Saturn is involved, and that a genuine pot of gold is waiting for them at the end of the rainbow, they buckle down and get to work on themselves. They appreciate that this is the only way to fulfil the highest potential of their sign, which is to help human souls to grow into truly forward thinking benefactors of humankind, who unselfishly serve all life, in whatever capacity this may be required from them.

However, the surrendering of their strong will to the will of God and waiting to be guided from within into right words, thoughts and actions by the living God within is by no means an easy task for Aquarians. Yet again, the wise ones appreciate that without fully submitting themselves to this no progress is possible for them or anyone else. By willingly and constantly attuning the mind of their earthly self to that of the Highest, over time their potential is great for growing into faithful, loyal and obedient servants and channels, through which the blessing and healing power of Divine flows ever more strongly into all life.

Like Sagittarius, Aquarius looks forward and into the future; you can notice this in the behaviour of souls born into both signs. On the whole, Aquarians are outgoing and impersonally friendly people who do not have too much time for dwelling in the past – exceptions, as always, confirm the rule; their birthchart may reflect this through a Moon or Ascendant in Cancer or Sun and/or Moon in the fourth, the natural house of Cancer. Aquarians appear to have a great deal of confidence in themselves, but when one looks beneath the surface it may turn out that this is purely top-show and not really how they feel inside. As their sign is a fixed one, they are stubborn and may find it hard to compromise; no-one can push them into anything they do not want to do. And again on the outside, you may not easily recognise their stubbornness, but you can rely on it that it is there on the inner level. Wise souls recognise this and do not allow their views and opinions to become too fixed and rigid.

As mentioned earlier, the Air signs are the intellectual ones of the zodiac. Wise Aquarians take great care not to get over-involved in the development of the intellect at the expense of the needs of their souls, the soft, sensitive, feminine side of both genders. Aware that underneath our skin we are all brothers and sisters helps them to avoid acting in a too cold, calculating and unfeeling manner towards those around them. Regularly making time available for attending to their inner world of feelings and channelling their efforts constructively into humanitarian pursuits protects them against becoming too eccentric and detached from their environment.

There can be no doubt about it, the Aquarian energies are very difficult to handle. Matters are not helped one bit when the world around them fails to understand those born into this sign. But that is hardly surprising, as the less experienced ones among them are frequently puzzled by their own eccentric oddball behaviour. Know that there is a purpose and meaning behind everything and resist the temptation to sit in judgement over them. It’s more constructive by far to appreciate the difficulties someone is wrestling with and to try to help them a bit. Aquarians, maybe even more than all the other signs, are sure to benefit from learning to appreciate their own uniqueness, and coming to terms with the difficulties of the energies that are influencing them, during their present lifetime.

These things go a long way towards helping us to come to terms with ourselves, the world around us and, most importantly, with our Creator who loves each one of us exactly the way we are. It needs bearing in mind that every human spark of the Divine contains the unruly Aquarian energies; it is just that this comes much more to the fore in souls born into this sign. Hence the wise provision of the restricting and restraining influence of Saturn is very necessary indeed, whose influence in Capricorn, Earth at its densest, and Aquarius, Air, is felt most strongly.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘You Are Special’

THE INNER COLDNESS OF AQUARIUS

The presence of Saturn reflects a certain inner coldness that can be typical for souls born into this sign. Wise ones regularly take time off from purely thinking and pay attention to the small still voice of their conscience instead. They do this because they know that staying in touch with the wonderful world of their innermost feelings is vital for those who wish to receive the guidance of their Highest Self, who communicates with them from within. They remind themselves frequently that many of those around them operate on a different frequency, that they have souls and emotions that get hurt easily. Their awareness that acting in mentally cruel ways that lack both love and mercy can all too easily become one of the hallmarks of inexperienced Aquarian souls helps them to steer clear of this trap. Equipped with the twin tools of the knowledge of the Universal law of Karma and the negative aspects of their Sun sign, they avoid creating much suffering for themselves and those around them.

This is by no means as selfish as it may sound, because any suffering we do not create during this lifetime does not have to be redeemed by us in one of the coming ones. That’s why wise ones in all their dealings with the world around them always bear this law in mind. In case you are as yet unfamiliar with it, in a nutshell it decrees that everything must return to its source, be it good or bad. Whatever anyone sends out into the world has to come back to its sender. In practical terms this means that any act of unkindness, in thought, word and in deed, has to be made good by us, if not during this lifetime, then another. On the upside, even the smallest act of kindness also comes back; it will return though not usually through the same people. Makes one stop and think, doesn’t it?

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Law of Karma’

COOL DETACHMENT OF THE AIR SIGNS

The Air signs tend to respond to life through the intellect, and their manner can be rather impersonal; Aquarius is no exception. There is a cool detachment about them that can be maddening to those around them, especially for souls born into the Water signs Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, who during their present lifetime are experiencing life predominantly through the world of their feelings. The other Air signs, Gemini and Libra, however are likely to respond well to the Aquarian approach to life. It is difficult for anyone who functions mostly through the emotions and the feeling nature, as the Water signs do, to cope with the Air signs, especially Aquarians’, cerebral approach to life. Without a minimum of understanding of the energies involved, those who experience life through the mind do not have much of a chance of ever getting along with those who do so through their emotions.

Leo is the sign in polar opposition with Aquarius in the zodiac. Familiarising ourselves with all aspects of our nature, working with them and coming to terms with them are essential parts of every soul’s healing process. To my mind, one of the best ways of doing this is by studying the qualities of the sign that is in polar opposition to our own Sun sign, which is known as the sleeping partner. The negative and positive qualities of the opposite sign slumber in our subconscious, from where they influence our instinctive reactions and behaviour patterns. Consciously taking possession of and integrating the best qualities of both signs into our character is every soul’s own responsibility on its way back into wholeness.

The presence of Leo, consciously or unconsciously, reveals itself in the fact that Aquarians are excellent leaders who function particularly well in organisational work and in large organisations. Through the richness of their ideas for new inventions and working procedures, as well as their forward looking and individualistic approach to whatever comes before them, they can become veritable trail blazers for those around them. They are brilliant in all scientific endeavours and in research work of any kind; they love technology and are especially at home with computers. Aquarians are not at all emotional people; it is easier for them to get emotionally involved and express themselves with their work rather than with the people around them. As they like to invest much of their vital force and energy in their work, and spend much of their time working, it really is important that they should find the right kind of employment, which they like and enjoy. Their home is important to them as a status symbol. Ideally, it should be one that increases their sense of pride and prestige.

FAMOUS AQUARIANS

As can be seen from these examples, when evolved, Aquarians’ potential for making some real and lasting contributions to the welfare of our race. Appearing in alphabetical order of first names, my list reflects the wide range of their interests: Abraham Lincoln – President US; Adlai Stevenson – Politician; Alfred Adler – Psychiatrist; Andres Segovia – Musician; Boris Pasternak – Writer; Charles Darwin – Evolutionist; Charles Dickens – Writer; Charles Lindbergh – Pilot; Clark Gable – Actor; Emanuel Swedenborg – Occultist; Eva Braun – Hitler's Consort; Evangeline Adams – Astrologer; King Farouk – Egyptian Royalty; Francis Bacon – Writer; Harold MacMillan – British Prime Minister; James Dean – Actor whose best role, for my liking, was rebel without a cause, maybe because all he had to do was being himself; Jack Lemmon – Actor; John L. Lewis – Union Leader; Jules Verne – Writer; Leontyne Price – Singer; Rabelais – French Writer; Ramakrishna – Mystic; Roger Chaffee – Astronaut; Stockard Channing – Actress; Thomas Malthus – Economist; Yoko Ono – Artist; Zsa Zsa Gabor – actress.

Aquarians thoroughly dislike any form of constraint, as the behaviour of some of the above demonstrated, but even when this is the case they still have a contribution to make to the richness of life. Knowing, as you and I do, that they are rebels and individualists at heart, who have to go their own way and learn in their own sweet fashion, could you be cross with them? After all, they can’t help themselves being as independent, inventive, imaginative and creative as indeed they are. There can be a touch of real genius about them, once they have reached a sufficiently high evolutionary level. The wise ones born into this sign, the same as they do in all others, make it their business to rise above and overcome the negative aspects of their sign, the most destructive Aquarian one is mental cruelty. Such wise ones appreciate that not everybody is prepared to put up with their eccentricities and because they value their relationships with the people in their lives, they take good care not to force their forceful will and individuality upon anyone.

In the physical body the shin and ankles are ruled by Aquarius. Although most Aquarians have strong and resilient bodies, they are usually not particularly keen on work of a physical nature but prefer the predominant use of their minds. Many of them have beautiful teeth. In positions of authority they can be critical and demanding, and it can be more than somewhat trying to be their employees. There can be such a coldness and detachment about the inexperienced among them that others may be repelled by it. But once they have evolved to such an extent that their heart centre has opened up, when they are capable of feeling love instead of thinking it, they can be truly great souls; no-one could then be more magnanimous than Aquarius or as monumental. This development is greatly helped when Aquarians learnt to tap into the energies of Leo, their polar opposite sign.

TWO TYPES OF FRIENDS

On the whole, Aquarians are kind, generous and big-hearted people, though often very unsure of themselves and over-anxious about the impression they create on other people. They have a wonderful knack for making friends with just about anyone. And because of this most of them have two distinctly different groups of friends, of which one never or rarely gets to meet the other. One is the conservative, traditional type, the other the unconventional Bohemian one; this better than anything reflects the two sides of the Aquarian coin and the dual rulership of Saturn – tradition and the past, and Uranus – the future and rebellion.

As already mentioned, the lessons of these planets wish to provide each one of us with the key for unlocking the inner doors to the long promised freedom of the New Age. By taking charge of the instincts and desires of its lower nature and making an effort at rising above them, over time it slowly learns the necessary mastery of all parts of the self. Through carefully guarding every word, thought and action, it returns into perfect alignment with its Highest Self. As the soul’s will gradually becomes ever more at one with the will of God, it also increasingly gains access to the power of God and is released into the spiritual freedom of the Aquarian Age, that has cast off all remnants of the spiritual and mental imprisonments of past ages.

The only true freedom the human soul and spirit can find on the Earth plane is of the spiritual kind. It is the freedom to believe and follow what we ourselves know to be good and right, in accordance with our inner guidance. Aquarius is the gateway to this freedom and, as established, Saturn stands guard that Uranus, the liberator, does not release any soul too early. This is a liberation that can only come from within, through tapping into and following the guidance of the wisdom of our inner Teacher, our intuition. The freedom of Uranus will only be granted to souls who withstood every test that came their way and therefore now possess the required sense of responsibility and seriousness of intent. Only those who have mastered this lesson, individually and as a race, will be released into the freedom that another Age of Aquarius brings to humankind.

Each time it came round in times gone by, another batch of souls was ready to be tried and tested and if found worthy, i.e. sufficiently evolved, set free into learning from their experiences on the higher levels of life. This time is very different indeed because our whole world, Mother Earth herself and all life with her, is now undergoing this transformation of truly Cosmic proportions. As pointed out in Astrology on the Healing Journey, those who as yet have got no further on their evolutionary pathway than learning the lessons of creating Hell on Earth for someone or maybe even many. They are the allegorical bad trees of our tale who can do nothing but produce bad fruit. If this is their predestined role for the whole of their present lifetime, who would anyone be to want to argue with the wisdom of the Divine for providing them with this lesson? Rest assured that all is by no means lost for such souls! Instead of being cast into hellfire and eternal damnation or being destroyed, in due course they will reincarnate onto a planet that still has lower and denser vibrations than the Earth. There they will find many evolutionary opportunities for making the spiritual progress that is every soul’s birthright.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Barren Fig Tree’
• ‘They Will Rise From Their Graves’

Awakened ones do well to remind themselves frequently that because the spirit is eternal and cannot be destroyed or even damaged, no experience is ever wasted spiritually. Never forget that less experienced souls have as much right to be here and to learn their lessons, as you and I have done and will continue to do. In the long course of the personal and collective evolution of our world and all worlds every soul is constantly cared for. The true needs of each and every one of us are unfailingly and unstintingly met by the Universe; invariably this is in keeping with the lessons that are right for us at any given time.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Great Year and the Ages of Man’
• ‘The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth’

FREEDOM – AT A PRICE!

The Age of Aquarius is the age of transmutation; for every soul it brings many opportunities for transmuting and redeeming even the oldest karmic debts. We have brought them with us into every subsequent lifetime, including this one, to do just that. For many by now this process is well on its way. The wisdom and knowledge the water-bearer is bringing us under Saturn’s guardianship is meant to be used to fulfil the Uranian task of breaking up and freeing us from all outdated forms, traditions, perceptions and crystallised feelings.

As established, the traditional dual rulership of Aquarius is now taking on some extra special significance and the myths and legends surrounding this sign in particular contain potent messages for us and our world. Everything that has been said in ‘The Sun in Capricorn’ and elsewhere in my writings about Saturn’s role applies in equal measure to Aquarius. From our present position it is easy to recognise the necessity for the sternness of the heavenly schoolmaster. When the soul moves on from Capricorn into Aquarius, again it is tried and tested, many times to breaking point because this is the only way those in charge of us on the higher levels of life can tell whether we are truly ready for the Aquarian experiences.

Souls who have insufficiently mastered their earthly self during other lifetimes are presented with many fresh opportunities for catching up in Aquarius. Clearly, before any soul can be entrusted with true power, self-mastery must be achieved and its consciousness completely cleansed and purified of all the ills of the small self that are caused by fear, like selfishness, greed, envy and violence. The Master Jesus by the exemplary way he conducted his earthly life showed our world the way we all have to go, forwards and upwards, and at the same time back home into our true nature. ‘Greater miracles you shall see!’ the master said. He spoke the truth; like him, each one of us eventually has to grow into pure and clear channels of love through which God’s power can work to bring about the greatest healing miracle of all, the healing of our whole world and everything that is in it.

Love is the great solvent; it alone can help us to purge ourselves and our world of all the evil that is still in it. It starts with us, with loving and respecting ourselves, being able to see our own uniqueness and preciousness, as well as that of everybody else. And it continues with loving the life that has been given to us and our Creator, who in His/Her great wisdom brings everything into being and maintains us all. Thus, instead of begrudging old Father Time’s lessons, let us rejoice and gratefully accept them as the key that is the Universe’s gift to show us all the way back home. Considering how disastrous it could be, if any soul was let loose on true power too early, are you as glad as I am that the wisdom of the Universe is so insistent?

THE GOLDEN AGE OF PLENTY

Not unlike the Roman God Janus, the Saturn of mythology who looks back on the golden Age of plenty he once ruled also points the way into the future for us and our world. Janus was the spirit of doorways and archways, whose two faces simultaneously peer into the past as well as the future. Isn’t it amazing how many of the mythological concepts of the Ancients are still with us and in use now, though unbeknown to most people? For example, Saturday took its name from Saturn and the month January from Janus. Interestingly, January, the month when the Sun transits through parts of both Capricorn and Aquarius, is at the same time the doorway into another year.

Ever more of the debris of the false beliefs and prejudices of past ages, which have been weighing the consciousness of our race down for far too long, is presently washed away by the fresh knowledge the water-bearer is constantly pouring into us and our world. To me, one of the best examples of this is that in truth Saturn never was any soul’s enemy, that on the contrary he has always been waiting to be understood, seen in a new light. The true value of his lessons have to be recognised by all human souls, so that he can be accepted and welcomed into our live as one of our best friends, teachers and helpers. By practising self-restraint and freely giving of our gifts and talents to all, each one of us will eventually make their own very special contribution towards the wellbeing of our race and our whole world.

The Earth’s vibrations are speeding up now and the pace of human evolution somehow has to keep up with this. Each must make their contribution towards putting an end to the over-consumption of Mother Earth’s precious resources. Without this we shall never reach the stage when there is no more selfishness and greed. The promised golden age can only come about through everybody taking responsibility for themselves and our world, extracting from the system only that which we truly need. This is not as difficult as it may sound to some because the more one becomes aware of one’s true nature again the easier it is to rise above the desires of one’s lower earthly self. All together we have to bring Saturn’s new golden age into being. Every soul on this side of the veil of consciousness will then have sufficient to eat, clean water to drink, a roof over their heads, clothes to wear and shoes on their feet – if they wish to wear them. None other than you and me and those who come after us are going to bring all this about. We are the only ones who can and will do it, hand in hand with God and the Angels, for it has thus been decreed and is indeed written in the Stars.

AQUARIUS – THE SIGN OF TRANSFIGURATION

Aquarius is also the sign of transfiguration. By definition this means the process of changing from one appearance, state or phase to another and that is precisely what we and our world are going through at present. The further we proceed into the New Age, the more strongly the Aquarian energies will make their presence known to us all. Aquarius is the sign of spiritual rebirth, during which the long promised and awaited spiritual rebirth of humankind is taking place. Souls who respond to the call of this age and willingly submit themselves to its requirements will increasingly be presented with great opportunities for making their own unique contribution through consciously acting as channels for the Divine to bring new understanding and through it healing and peace to our world.

If during these times of transition from one age into another the Uranian energies would sometimes be all too happy to smash to smithereens everything that gets in its way to just sweep it away, Saturn steps in and prevents it. Among the sterling qualities that can only be acquired with his help are a deep inner sense of responsibility, duty, restraint, discipline and an appreciation of the values of that which has come to us down the ages from our ancestors. The Saturnian virtues can help us to preserve that which has stood the test of time and is worth preserving because it is good. Bear in mind that they could be the things we ourselves may have striven for and bled to death – maybe many times – in previous lifetimes in the role of our own ancestors, and do your best to avoid pouring the baby out with the bathwater during our rebirth. That is what we and our world at this very special time need more than anything else. Now, isn’t that in itself proof enough that Saturn most certainly is one of the best friends of humankind?

And when it comes to dealing with all those outdated inner beliefs and attitudes, let us follow the poet’s example who wrote a long time ago:

Ah, Love! Could you and I with fate conspire,
To grasp this sorry scheme of things entire,
Would not we shatter it to bits – and then,
Re-mould it nearer to our heart’s desire?

’The Rubayat’ by Omar Khayyam 1048-1123

Humankind’s dream and the vision of a better world is in the process of becoming a reality on the Earth plane. Each one of us now needs to conspire with our Creator, the Great Father/Mother of all life to bring it about. Let us call upon the Uranian energies to help us smash that wobbly building of prejudices, false beliefs and illusion to bits, so that with Saturn’s help, we can rebuild our inner and outer world, nearer to God’s and our own heart’s desire! As in the final analysis all inspiration comes from God, I feel that all along this has been the message Khayyam was meant to bring to our world such a long time ago.

© Aquarius 2011

SUN IN PISCES
SIGN OF THE SOUL AND KARMA

On 19th February 2011 the Sun entered into Pisces and by 20th March 2011 it will have reached the next sign, Aries. The day of the Sun’s entry into Aries marks the Spring equinox and after a long and hard winter, the coming of spring is more welcome than ever. Please, note that much of what has been mentioned in this file applies not only to those with their Sun in Pisces but also when:

• Your Sun is in the twelfth house, the natural house of Pisces;
• Your Moon is in Pisces or the twelfth house;
• Your Ascendant is in Pisces;
• You were born on the 7th, 16th or 25th day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Pisces.

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Pisces, it is advisable to pay particular attention to the negative expressions of that sign, whilst watching out how they may express themselves in you. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can cause us considerable problems, because they are then far more difficult to detect in ourselves – in spite of the fact that this kind of behaviour is probably a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can be achieved potentially by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology can be used to help us find them.

Recommended Reading:
•‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families.

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Aquarius/Pisces but also Pisces/Aries, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Piscses – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for the souls that are born into them.

Pisces is traditionally co-ruled by the two giant planets Jupiter and Neptune. In Roman mythology, Jupiter or Jove was the ruler of the Gods. He was the son of the God Saturn, whom he usurped and overthrew. Jupiter was originally the God of the sky and the King of Heaven, hence also the God of rain, thunder and lightning. As Jupiter Optimus Maximus, the best and greatest, he was also the protector of Rome. And as Jupiter Fidius he was known as the guardian of law, the defender of truth and the protector of justice and virtue. The Romans identified Jupiter with Zeus, the supreme God of the Greeks. As they assigned the attributes and myths of the Greek divinity to the Roman God, the Jupiter of Latin literature bears many Greek characteristics, whereas the Jupiter of Roman religious worship remained substantially untouched by Greek influence.

The co-ruler of Pisces is Neptune. He was worshipped by the Romans as the God of the sea, although originally he had been the God of springs and streams. His Greek counterpart was Poseidon. Many of the myths surrounding Neptune and Poseidon reflect them as bad-tempered, easily angered and quarrelsome, like the sea. Maybe this is because humankind has always been good at creating Gods in its own image, instead of the other way round, i.e. us created in the image of God. That is why in the times of the ancient Greeks we still did not know any better than projecting our human characteristics onto the sea. Like life, the sea just is. Certain factors sometimes make it wild and troublesome to humans, but their opinions cannot mean anything to the sea and its inhabitants. The vast, mysterious and unfathomable spirit of the sea, symbolised by Neptune/Poseidon, lies far beyond the boundaries of human perception, even though at times it interacts in limited ways with those of our race who resonate particularly strongly with its frequencies, for example those with their Ascendant in Pisces and/or their Sun/Moon in this sign or the twelfth house.

Neptune was usually depicted as holding a trident that resembles a pitchfork. At that time, this was the traditional weapon of the fishermen in the Mediterranean region. The trident was adopted as Neptune’s astrological glyph. Both Greek and Roman cultures dramatised their God of the sea. They allocated them emotions, lovers, offspring and made them the rapists of numerous nymphs and Goddesses. Poseidon, the supreme ruler of the seas, was known as an awesome, unruly and powerful God, who was associated with storms, earthquakes and other violent forces of nature. When angry, he could stir the sea to a fury. Yet, he was also capable of calming its raging waters with a mere glance. In one of the Greek legends Poseidon is known as Hippios, the Lord of the horses, who presented horses as gifts to his favoured people. He rode the waves in a swift chariot drawn by golden sea horses.

In another one of these tales Poseidon is a God with a blue mane who once lay with a willing, serpent-haired Goddess named Medusa on the floor of Athena’s temple. Together they produced the winged horse, Pegasus. Pegasus, like his sire, was thought to have water-magic; he used it to churn up the springs of inspiration from which the Muses drank. From those magical waters sprung all the arts and everything that makes us truly human, empathic, creative, humorous and also wise. Mythically speaking all art forms have their origin in the wild and fluid sea-God and the passionate Earth-serpent Goddess of whom it is said that whenever they make love on the floor of the human mind, new works of art come into being.

GENERAL NOTES

Here then is my interpretation of the Sun in Pisces means to human souls on their evolutionary pathway back into perfection, i.e. wholeness. Pisces is a mutable Water sign; it is the twelfth and final one in the zodiac. As you know by now, it is co-ruled by the vast and expansive planet Jupiter and the mysterious and unfathomable Neptune. For a better understanding of the astrological meaning of mutable, you might like to click on ‘The Qualities of the Signs’ with the link at the end of this chapter.

However, if this is the only Sun sign you are interested in, all you need to know is that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, whereas that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. Let me give you a few examples of how the energies of our Sun sign manifest themselves in our attitude to and perception of life. Because of the passive nature of the feminine Water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, it is unusual for souls born into them to be found among the shakers, movers and initiators of our world. One needs to look towards the Fire and Air signs to find this quality.

When it comes to the fixed signs, Taurus and Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius, the views and opinions of those born into them, as well as their perception and general vision of life, our world and their place in it can be astonishingly fixed and rigid, whereas the mutability of Gemini and Sagittarius, Virgo and Pisces may manifest itself as a wonderful chameleon-like ability of souls born into these signs to adjust themselves to those around them and their needs; at times with almost too much ease.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘‘The Qualities of the Signs’
• ‘Varying Perceptions of Life – Why?’

CHARACTERISTICS

‘The soul yearns to fly home on the wings of love to the world of ideas. It longs to be freed from the chains of the body.’ Plato, ca. 428-347 BC

For an improved comprehension of Pisces, we shall return to Jupiter for a moment. In Sagittarius this planet is a symbolism for the super-conscious realms of the Highest and the development of these faculties in humankind. Jupiter’s influence in Sagittarius and Pisces awakens in human souls an interest in such diverse topics as higher education, religions and philosophies. It also bestows upon us the gifts of hope, faith and trust. When Neptune’s energies are added to this in Pisces, human souls begin to develop their artistic, idealistic, dreamy, mediumistic, spiritual and most subtle qualities.

Bearing all that in mind, it does not come as a surprise why the Piscean motto is: ‘I believe’. And many souls born into this sign bear witness to this by revealing a deep built-in faith in the goodness of life, even though they may otherwise have no time for the concept of God and the Angels. A Piscean friend once described her beliefs like this: ‘I have always known that I have a Father in Heaven. But, it took me a long time to appreciate the true nature of this Father and that He is not ‘out there’ somewhere but right here, inside you and me and all life.’

The Piscean astrological glyph is two fish tied together in the middle by a silver cord. The cord stands for our small earthly self’s connection with our spirit Highest or God Self and its soul. The fish represent the human soul in its struggle of coming to terms with the ravenous and rampant desire nature of its earthly self and its higher nature. Like these two aspects of our being, the fish are pulling in opposite directions. One of them wants to swim upstream and the other one down. The upstream one is our spirit and soul that knows nothing of earthly life and does not understand it. Although it cannot wait to get back to its true home, the oneness with God and all life, it appreciates that this can only come about through going forward and swimming upstream. It does so because it contains every bit of wisdom the earthly self has gathered throughout all its experiences, in its present lifetime and all previous ones. For as long as this part fails to understand the purpose of its earthly existence, it has little choice but pulling in the opposite direction.

Afraid of the future and all things new, the soul remains stuck in the illusion of life in physicality and tries to cling onto the past and that which it already knows. Thus it creates ever more suffering for itself, which in turn leads to more and more soul growth, proving the truth of the statement that the soul creates its own suffering. This can only change when the earthly finally finds its way back home into the knowledge of its true nature. This awakening is something that everybody must experience sooner or later. When this happens to us, we have to make a conscious decision which way we want to proceed. Do we want to continue to listen to and pursue the desires of our small earthly self or would we rather follow those of our Highest Self and the soul? Peace between these two parts and therefore healing can only come when the earthly self finally begins to recognise the light of its true existence; when it understands that it lives in a world of paradoxes and learns to pay careful attention to the guidance that comes from within, its Highest Self.

It has always tried, with more or less success, to communicate with us through what is known as the small still voice of conscience. Instead of neglecting, ignoring and pushing it away, as we have all done at least at times in the past, we do well to make every effort to learn to listen to it and trustingly follow its guidance wherever it may wish to lead us. Individually and collectively the time has come for courageously moving forwards, no more peering anxiously back to the past and trying to hold onto it, because no progress has ever been made that way. The Piscean fish are the symbol of this vital choice that is constantly required of every soul. For Sun Pisceans this need is greatly accentuated and as their present lifetime progresses, this is likely to become an ever more pressing issue for them.

OTHER-WORLDLY PISCES

The Piscean energy is a soft, sensitive, gentle, dreamy and rather other-worldly one and during the Sun’s transit through this sign we can all take advantage of it. This is not really a time for action – that will come soon enough, when the Sun moves into the next sign, Aries. But it is a wonderful time for letting go of old things; for dreaming, praying and meditating; for getting in touch with the purpose of one’s soul and for reconnecting with the whole of life. It is a great time for healing journeys because it is then much easier to explore the innermost world of one’s feelings and it is surprisingly easy for the floodgates to open, so that healing may come. Whenever this happens, I allow the tears to flow because I know from first hand experience that this - more than anything else – always helps to release and let go of my soul’s pain. I don’t know how these things work for you, but for me – provided I am in the right place – it is it best not only to allow the pain to come to the surface, but to even welcome and embrace it, so that the all important cleansing and healing process can take place.

Going with the flow of one’s feelings can at first be scary and therefore more than somewhat difficult. My own healing journey has taught me that, when I give in to my feelings and allow my inner pain to rise to the surface of my consciousness, when floods of tears threaten to overwhelm me, it’s okay to go with their flow. I now know that letting go of my feelings without reservation and allowing any pain that wishes to surface to do so in all its strength, I will not always stay in this mode. Each time yet another wave of pain rises from within, I lovingly embrace it, feel it and then let it go. You might like to try this for yourself, next time you are feeling weepy. Do not hold onto anything that comes; there is no need – just hand it over to God and the healing Angels, who draw especially close to every soul in distress. They can help much better when we open our inner doors, to ask them in and show them how much loved and well received they are. Such tears always bring great relief and healing; I guarantee you that the next day you will feel much better and clearer within yourself. Allow God and the Angels to comfort you; sense their presence and feel their gentleness, and let go of anything that is troubling you.

Listening to soft and gentle classical music and relaxing into it has always helped me more than anything else to communicate with my soul; it helps me to let go and to invite healing to come. One of my favourites is ‘The Homecoming’ from ‘New World Symphony’ by Dvorak – I never get tired of listening to it. Maybe this is because homecoming has always been a subject most dear to my heart. And what could be more appropriate now that we are on the threshold of a New Age and a new world, than all going home together, hand in hand with God and the Angels? Isn’t it wonderful that spiritually going home no longer means having to wait until we return into the world of spirit? God and the Angels are inviting each one of us right here and now to each do our share of making it happen.

GOING HOME
Going home, going home – we’re all going home.
Quiet like, some still day – we’re all going home.
It’s not far, just close by – see that open door?
Work all done, care laid by –
Going to fear and hurt no more.

Mother’s there, expecting us – Father’s waiting too.
Angel folks are gathered there – guides and friends we know,
Guides and friends we know.
Morning Star lights the way – Earth-bound dreams all done.
Shadows gone –  break of day – real life’s just begun.
There’s no break, there’s no end –  just a moving on.
Wide awake, with a smile – going on and on.

Going home, going home – we’re all going home.
It’s not far, just close by – through the open door
We’re all going home.

William Arms Fisher
Edited by Aquarius

Music brings us closer to the beautiful Piscean energy and lets us benefit from it better than anything else. Its healing effects are well known, but to receive them it is essential to choose pieces that truly speak to your soul calming and soothing ways. When we listen to this kind of music, the Angels of healing can draw ever closer to us. They are especially fond of souls who show in their prayers that the angelic healing powers and comfort are not sought only for healing of the self, but also for that of our world and everything that shares it with us. Inviting the Angels into our reflections and meditations lifts our healing sessions onto the highest levels of life, transforming each one into a rare and special occasion. Just ask the Angels to draw close, relax into things and imagine that their healing energies are flowing through you into the farthest and remotest corners of God’s Creation, for the blessing and healing of all life.

During the Sun’s transit through Pisces under the influence of its ruler Neptune, a general lack of energy can be felt. To make up for this, go steady in all your endeavours. Do not be surprised if at this time, your efforts frequently come to nothing and you get a feeling as if you were trying to wade through treacle. Consciously experiencing this will help you to be more compassionate towards Sun Pisceans; that’s all the energy they have at their disposal throughout their present lifetime. To get the greatest possible benefits from Neptune’s energy it is best to pursue certain pastimes and to abstain from others. For example, artistic and creative ones are more suited to the Piscean constitution than those that require much physical effort. Learning to master the energies of our Sun sign, like all good things, takes time, careful observation of self and the world around us and also patience. Sun in Pisces can be turned into a truly inspiring time when prayers, meditations and quiet contemplations reconnect us, probably better than at any other time of the year, with the Source of our being and with all life.

SUBTLE AND ELUSIVE NEPTUNE

The influence of the Neptunian energies is subtle and elusive. This reflects itself in the more than somewhat indefinable and ungraspable nature of those born into this sign. There is a sweetness, gentleness and kindness about emotionally highly sensitive and compassionate Pisces that is not quite of this Earth. They suffer from strong urges to escape from the harshness of its life altogether, and whenever the fish feels it is in some kind of danger it attempts to go into hiding. They are creatures who have a habit of coming into one’s life and disappearing from it again – seemingly without a trace. It is unwise to try to hold onto them if they unwilling to stay, because they will just slide through your fingers and be gone. This is in keeping with Neptune; creating an illusion is its greatest strength: ‘Now you see me; now you don’t!’ Not surprisingly, photography and cinematography come under its rulership.

In the physical body the feet ruled by Pisces. Literally and metaphorically they represent our under-standing; as well as being the things we walk about on, they stand for our understanding of life. The Master Jesus washing the feet of his disciples is an allegory filled with higher meanings and underlying esoteric symbolisms. The Master himself is a representation of the Universal Christ, who taught and worked through him. The disciples are a metaphor for all those who believe in Him – not the Master Jesus – and follow His teachings, given through the Master, and by living their lives in accordance with His laws. The washing is a metaphor that stands for the cleansing of their consciousness – and through them that of the whole of humankind – of spiritual concepts.

For as long as the Piscean soul is held prisoner by its personality and on the purely material level of life – it is likely to suffer deeply. The spiritual motto of Pisces ‘to serve or to suffer’ reflects this. At the same time, it shows the way out all this suffering, namely that it is by no means compulsory. It can be and is meant to be alleviated through loving service on the Earth plane that makes a serious contribution towards reducing the suffering of humankind. The difference lies in the choices we make, because life constantly offers all of us choices. As Dag Hammarskjöld put it: ‘We cannot choose the framework of our destiny, only how we respond to it.’

All suffering on the Earth plane is self-created and caused by ignorance. But spiritual knowledge has never stopped flowing into the individual and collective consciousness of humankind, ever since descent into matter began. It comes to us from the highest levels of life and its aim has always been to place into everybody’s own hands tools for releasing ourselves and our world from all kinds of suffering. This inflow of Divine wisdom is getting ever stronger; yet, it can only be accessed on the spiritual level of life and through re-establishing our inner connection with God, for example in meditations and prayers.

SERVING ON THE EARTH PLANE

How can Pisceans find ways of service, to alleviate their suffering, that do justice to their great sensitivity? To my mind, the best way is through healing work. Pisces rules large institutions like hospitals and prisons; they are good places for Pisceans to work in. Excellent in the healing professions, they are capable of being highly devoted nurses and doctors who serve those in their care with wonderful compassion and empathy for their suffering. Tuning into Pisces’ opposite sign, its sleeping partner, meticulous and hard working Virgo, the teaching and healing sign of the zodiac, explains why this is so.

Souls with a strong emphasis on Water in their birthcharts are highly sensitive and tuned into the emotional world of those around them. Every soul has psychic gifts and mediumistic qualities; they especially come to the fore of our consciousness during a lifetime in Pisces. They are waiting to be explored some more and developed so that they can be used in loving service to those who are in need of finding a better understanding of what lies behind the veil of consciousness that to this day very largely hides our true home, the world of spirit, from our earthly view. Spiritual mediumship is but one of the ways open to Pisceans in which they can be bringers of light and on the Earth plane, to alleviate the suffering of humankind.

On some level each one of us is in need of healing and there are numerous ways of finding it. Through the ensuing healing process the soul’s own instinctive healing abilities wake up. As mentioned in ‘The Random Jottings of a Stargazer – Healers and Healing’, we are all on the Earth to be healed and become healers in our own right. My advice to those who do not know where to get started is: just go in search of healing for your own suffering and that of our world. The way will be shown when you listen to your inner guidance and one step at a time, you willingly and unselfishly share your gifts – whatever they may be – with the rest of humankind, whenever a chance for doing so arises.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Healers and Healing’

THE EARTH – NOT OUR TRUE HOME

Pisces, the twelfth and last sign, is sometimes called the dustbin of the zodiac. To regularly make some time available and create a space where they can retreat from the hustle and bustle of earthly life is essential for souls born into this sign. A lifetime spent in it offers the soul many opportunities for tying up loose ends that were left behind in previous lifetimes and bringing unresolved issues in its human relationships to a conclusion; wise ones seize them when they become aware of them and get to work. A variety of artistic talents that have been developed during previous lifetimes may be available to the Piscean during this one. Frequently, however, they seem to lack the willpower, ambition and stamina to bring them forth and to full unfoldment. In many cases this is due to nothing more than a general lack of energy, as the supply of energy was very low at the time the soul took its first breath on the Earth plane. The amount of energy that is available at that moment is also the one that influences us the rest of our present lifetime.

Escapist tendencies are strong in Pisceans because somehow their soul senses and intuitively knows that the Earth is not their real home. As ever, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing! The greatest hazard lies in the fact that until Pisceans have reached at least a certain degree of spiritual awareness, whenever life seems to difficult for them to handle, the temptation of looking towards suicide as a permanent way out is always close at hand. Little do they know that this could not be further from the truth. Nobody can run away from their difficulties. Sooner or later and one way or another they must be faced and tackled, by none other than us. If we try to end it all by our own hand, we just have to come back and repeat the whole experiences all over again. It is impossible to run away from ourselves and suicide is never the answer to anything, because upon our return into the world of spirit, we shall be faced with all unresolved issues and relationships again. We will have to bring them with us into our next lifetime, and the next, and the next – if need be – until a resolution has finally been found. Yet, spiritually no experience is ever wasted; we always learn something. This one is no exception; it presents the soul with an invaluable lesson.

In case you are as yet unfamiliar with what happens to us at the end of each lifetime, allow me to briefly outline the way I see the time when we come face to face with our eternal and true Self again. Angels and guides are in charge of all humankind; they have always guided and protected us, bringing us into each new lifetime and taking us home again at the end of it. Each time we return to the world of spirit, we first rest and recuperate from the stresses and strains of Earth life. When we are good and ready for it, we – together with the wise ones in charge of us – review the ‘performance’ of our most recent lifetime, as well as all previous ones. At the latest we shall then become aware that there is no point in suicide.

In spite of that, spiritually no experience is ever wasted. Even if our only learning consisted of recognising the futility of suicide, this is valuable indeed because we shall then have evolved and grown in wisdom. By the way, I do not share the view that we come into this world with nothing and that we leave it with nothing. That is just not true! Any learning we ever find through the experiences of all our lifetimes becomes our spiritual property; it is the only thing we truly own and every shred of it is ours to keep; it is of great value and we bring it with us into all following lifetimes.

I believe that in the long course of its evolution every soul has to experience suicide at least once, so that the learning and the memories of this event can be stored in the consciousness of its soul forever. During each subsequent lifetime, when the earthly soul has to undergo particularly traumatic experiences, suicide will no longer occur to it as an attractive option. Somehow it then instinctively chooses to stay around and attend to its problems; from the depths of its subconscious its soul reminds it that that there is no point in trying to run away from itself and its problems. The soul remembers only too well the time when it tried to escape them and how, when it arrived on the other side of life, they were there waiting to be tackled again in another lifetime and another, if need be, until finally the required lesson had been learnt. Wise ones, not just Pisceans, know that with the help and the Will of God, all things and adversaries can be overcome, even the strongest one and that is for each one of us our small and frightened earthly self.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Spiritual Aspects of Depression and Suicide’

THE PISCES CHILD

It is essential for the emotional/spiritual/physical wellbeing of Pisces children that they should regularly be allowed times for dreaming and retreating from the world. They will later be able to cope better with their adult lives, if afterwards they are gently brought down to the Earth plane again, and made to face the realities of Earth life and their responsibilities. In my circle of friends and acquaintances I have found that the juxtaposition of Mother Sun Aries and child Sun Pisces, or vice versa, is a fairly common one. As the energies and the soul requirements of two adjoining signs are always profoundly different from each other, at first glance this may appear like some kind of a Cosmic joke. The relationship between the two people involved is invariably an exceedingly difficult one. Yet, peering behind the scenes of life and searching for wise purpose behind such scenarios, it comes clear that both souls must have chosen this experience, before they came into their present lifetime in order to be taught extra lessons in patience and tolerance by each other.

For starters the supply of energy of the two signs could not be more different; they are worlds apart. In fiery Aries the Sun is in its exaltation and the life force flows at its strongest, to give all new life that is now coming forth a real chance of survival. Thus, Sun Aries seems to have endless energy supplies at their disposal. Watery Pisces, however, is an end time and one for allowing old things to die, so that new birth and growth can take place in the next sign. To facilitate the old to pass on, it is a peaceful and slowly flowing energy. Aries is masculine, active and outgoing; it loves to be out in the world, doing things, while Pisces is feminine, passive and introverted and in need of regularly seeking seclusion.

The restless charging about and searching for activities that promise thrills and excitement for the Aries soul, its positive energy actively taking charge, are the antithesis of souls born into Pisces. Trying to keep up with the pace that Mars ruled Aries likes to set is sheer poison to them and it will only be question of time when illness for the Piscean will be the outcome. But even that is understandable, considering that the Sun Aries person is likely to have spent its previous lifetime in the seclusion and constrictions of its soul’s pathway through Pisces. That is why it’s now dying to get on with life and forges ahead, always in search of greener pastures and fresh adventures.

In child and adult alike, emotions and feelings run deep and strong in Pisceans and they are extremely sensitive to the world of their inner realities and their soul. At times they can be so moody and introspective that the world around them may find them difficult or even impossible to understand. Never mind other people; much of the time it is just as difficult for them to understand themselves and their own motivations. So that they should no longer be at the mercy of their feelings, wise ones seek to take charge of them. Whether they are as yet consciously aware of this or not, Pisceans have an innate knowingness that the Earth is not their or anyone else’s true reality and habitat, but somehow they have to exist in it. As long as they remain out of touch with their soul’s purpose and have not yet come alive to their true nature, their suffering continues. Being good, kind and loving to ourselves and those around us is humankind’s real nature and progress can only be made when we insist on being true to it, no matter what. Any other behaviour always means a step back, as further difficult Karma is created that has to be redeemed by us at some stage.

In principle there is nothing wrong with anyone’s escapist tendencies, but we all have to become aware that they can and indeed are meant to be satisfied in safe and harmless ways. For Pisceans escaping from the harshness of the material world is a must. Regularly making time available and creating a space where they feel safe to be left on their own by those around them, to enable them to find and restore their inner equilibrium through connecting with their inner centre will benefit them greatly. Meditation, Yoga, prayer, contemplation, the art of positive thinking and other related activities are good for everybody, but they are ideally suited to Pisceans. More than anyone else they need safe and reliable ways of plumbing the oceanic depths of their rich and fertile imagination, to become inspired by allowing it to speak to them through the world of their innermost feelings.

PISCES AND SCORPIO – DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND

Both Pisces and Scorpio are in essence so much spiritual signs and of the soul that their true meaning is difficult to understand and almost impossible to grasp from a purely material view of our world. Pisceans are hard to grasp and get hold of; like their symbol, the two fishes, they somehow slip through your fingers. Their other-worldliness in particular can be infuriating and hard to come to terms with for those around them. The special purpose of a lifetime spent in Scorpio and Pisces, especially so in the latter, is to re-establish the earthly self’s inner connection with its soul and to become one again with its Source and all life. True peace and serenity will evade Pisceans until this reunion has finally taken place and they are functioning from the security of their inner centre. Once they have given up all selfish aims and are putting all they have into serving the good of the whole human race, they are capable of being truly great and magnificent souls. Overflowing with compassion and love for all life and lifeforms, they then fulfil the highest potential of their sign and truly great achievements can indeed come their way.

Alas, there are still many souls who have not yet reached this stage. Frequently, their most popular escape route from the harshness of their earthly existence is to seek relief through drug or alcohol abuse, or worse still both. The most important message the present lifetime of these souls wants to give them through their experiences is the following: ‘Even if any relief that can temporarily obtained from substances of this kind, it will remain be short-lived. None of them could ever be a genuine escape route, because it would serve no evolutionary purpose. In truth, every addiction is merely a road to more suffering which our souls create for themselves, so that in lifetimes yet to come we shall be able to appreciate the value of a life without suffering.’ Each one of us can only grow in understanding and compassion through their own suffering. The wise ones who eventually listen to what life wishes to teach them and who make an effort at learning as much as possible through their afflictions, will in future lifetimes draw upon and benefit from the work they are presently doing on overcoming them.

It takes a very long time until the human soul finally wakes up from its spiritual slumber. But there comes the time when it begins to recognise that a loving wisdom lies behind all human experiences and that everything that is in this earthly existence always serves a higher purpose. As every experience can teach us something, there is no harm in making mistakes, trying all the wrong ways first, including the ones mentioned above. It is true for all of us that it is never too late to make a new start and to turn our lives round. As Confucius, 551/ 479 BC, put it: ‘Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising again, each time we fall.’ More important still is the knowledge that we are never alone, on the Earth plane or elsewhere. For any soul who is willing to learn, help is always at hand; all it needs to do is reach out for it and ask.

For as long as souls born into Pisces are still unready for more elevated experiences, they can be exceedingly unhappy when forced to deal with life’s physical and mundane aspects. It is a great moment when their earthly self finally wakes up from the illusion that the Earth is humankind’s permanent home. The need for feeling lost on this plane then goes and any task that presents itself can be carried out as a kind of spiritual discipline in loving service for the One. This is usually accompanied by an ever growing awareness of the importance of caring for everything that is on the Earth plane as a temporary gift.

With it comes the realisation that all things that are made of matter and are visible to our earthly eyes are outer manifestations of God’s inner eternal reality and that this is also our own. Every cell and atom of everything that exists in physicality, including our physical bodies, is imbued with the lifeforce and the energies of our Divine Father/Mother. It may take a long time until a young and inexperienced human soul, whilst in physicality, realises that the body it is walking around in is a great deal more than just a big and cumbersome item that constantly demands attention and all too easily gets hurt and wounded. In truth, our outer physical body is on loan only and given to each one of us to act as a vehicle for our spirit and soul to gather its experiences in yet another lifetime on the Earth. Because the Divine spirit of the living God dwells together with us in this body, it is sacred and holy and deserves to be treated with reverence and respect.

DISINTEGRATION AND DISSOLUTION

Let us consider for a moment the intentions behind Neptune’s soft and dreamy energies. Under its subtle influence the human sense of separateness and ego boundaries are slowly dissolving, so that the soul and spirit can once again become one with all life. The house position of transiting Neptune shows up which part of our life this dissolution is taking place at any given time. In the course of a lifetime in Pisces our whole being is more strongly by this than it is for those whose Sun is in one of the other signs, as the life force itself – the Sun in our birthchart is its symbol – is in that case constantly under Neptune’s influence. The Great Spirit created us and our world in such a way that, individually and collectively, having reached a sufficiently high evolutionary level all ego boundaries are taken from us completely. When this has come to pass for sufficient numbers of us through once again being aware of our true nature and our relationship with God, peace will reign on the Earth.

On the earthly level all changes that take place under Neptune’s influence come about gradually and are centred on five words beginning with ‘d: disintegration, disorientation, dissolution, deception and disillusionment. Like everything that is in this life, this too serves a wise higher purpose; the aim of the Neptunian energies is to assist humankind to transcend and dissolve all boundaries and confinements. They are meant to connect us with the inspiration of our Highest Self and lead each one of us back into partaking more fully in the stream of the creative ideas that constantly flows from the Source into all life. Wise souls who consciously attune themselves to their Highest Self, Neptune helps to develop their spirituality. Their highest potential is to develop into ever clearer channels of the Divine, through which in due course the inspiration for some truly magnificent creative works are meant to be given to our world. The most outstanding example of this, to my mind, is Frederic Chopin, the Polish born composer, my favourite Piscean of all times. His music knows nothing of this world; it is on the soul level and speaks directly to the souls of the listener.

The following list of famous Pisceans shows the wide variety of interests and professions in which those born into this sign are capable of leaving their mark on our world: A. Armstrong-Jones – Photographer; A. Schopenhauer – Writer; Albert Einstein – Scientist; Albert Speer – Nazi Politician; Bobby Fischer – Chess Champion; Buffalo Bill Cody – Historical Figure; Edward Kennedy – Senator; Elizabeth Taylor – Actress; Fats Domino – Singer; George Harrison - Beatle; Harry Belafonte – Singer; Jim Backus – Comedian; Joanne Woodward – Actress; John Updike – Writer; Johnny Cash – Singer; Maurice Ravel – Composer; Merle Oberon – Actress; N. Rimsky-Korsakov – Composer; Nat King Cole – Singer; Neville Chamberlain – British Prime Minister; Pierre Renoir – Artist; Prince Andrew – Royalty; Rudolf Nureyev – Dancer; Rudolph Steiner – Mystic and Occultist; Rupert Murdoch – Publisher; Shelly Berman – Comedian; Sidney Poitier – Actor; Sir Richard Burton – Explorer; W.H. Auden – Writer; William Westmoreland – Military; Yuri Gargarin – Astronaut.

AIR AND WATER SIGNS

Pisces is a Water sign and Aquarius an Air sign. The Water signs serve the development of the emotions and the Air signs that of the human intellect. Having reached the Aquarian Age, we are leaving behind the Age of Pisces. It has been a highly emotional age and one of the soul when, under the co-rulership of Jupiter and Neptune, blind faith was top of the agenda. Individually and collectively, we were deceived by the institutions we allowed to be in charge of the spiritual wellbeing of our race. Part of the lessons our whole world had to imbibe during the Piscean Age was being tricked by others into blindly following them. A rosy dream and an illusion appeared in our world that a saviour and redeemer would come, who would be capable of waving some kind of magic wand to release us and our world from all suffering. This tale was like a balloon that went up; it is in the nature of balloons that eventually something sticks a pin into it and deflates it.

Enormous soul growth is achieved as, at the beginning of the Aquarian Age, ever more individual souls and that of our whole race are waking up from their misapprehensions. In deep disappointment more and more are turning away from the institutions that have let them down, to go in search of their own truth. This is very necessary indeed now that we have reached the age that is under the rulership of the awakener and enlightener, Uranus. Aquarius is an Air sign and we are moving into an intellectual age, during which learning to control the thinking of our lower earthly mind is of the utmost importance.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Power of Thought’

PISCES – THE IDEALISTIC DREAMER

Souls who are strongly affected by Neptune’s energies and in particular Pisceans tend to be highly idealistic dreamers. Because they view their earthly existence through rose-tinted glasses, at least early on during their present lifetime, they usually have great difficulties coming to terms with this plane of life. During the Piscean Age this affected us individually and collectively. Yet, the disappointments, disenchantments and disillusionments that this kind of approach to life is bound to bring in the long run also serve a wise and higher purpose. They are certainly not meant to drive us into depressions and maybe even suicide. Quite the opposite is true; the soul’s disenchantment with life and people is meant to stir it into lifting its eyes to the higher and highest levels of life, to search for life’s purpose and meaning there. This expands our horizons into the realisation that the Earth is not our true home and that if we wish our idealistic dreams to be fulfilled, we must look elsewhere, namely towards our Creator and His/Her messengers, the Angels and ask for their help.

They are in charge of humankind and it is their task to encourage and coax every soul to move forward in life. We, in return, are required to give of our best and to concentrate on working with any gifts and talents that have been bestowed upon us by the Highest, so they can be used for the good of the whole. Developing any art or craft to the point of excellence may take a great many lifetimes of concentrated efforts. Always they were given to us for a specific purpose; that’s why it is unwise to neglect them, now. Alas, assessing one’s own abilities is extremely difficult wherever Jupiter and also Neptune are involved. Both their energies should always be handled with a considerable amount of caution and discrimination, as they all too easily lead the soul into self-deception and over-grandiose ideas, especially of our own and other people’s capabilities. Being aware that at times they can be somewhat gullible, wise Pisceans are constantly on their guard against people who try to deceive them and pull the wool over their eyes. Before ever signing any document they read all small print extra carefully.

As a result of the Piscean difficulties of clearly assessing their own true value, they usually have a deep hidden inferiority complex and an unhealthy sense of unworthiness that adds to their suffering. Somehow they never seem to be able to get rid of a nagging inner feeling that they are not doing enough. In their efforts at compensating for this in some way, they are always trying to do too much; they are then in danger of pushing their physical bodies too hard and neglecting its demands. If this is allowed to go unchecked for any length of time, they can make themselves seriously ill. At the other end of this spectrum lies a Piscean experience that can be an extremely self-indulgent one, in which the earthly self wallows and gets lost in its senses.

The crushing sense of worthlessness that plagues the Piscean is shared by its opposite sign, Virgo. Such feelings have their origin in the fact that, at the end of each one of the vast cycles of learning from our own experiences in all the signs of the zodiac, there comes the moment for every soul when – with the help of the wise ones in charge of us – we have confront every single one of the errors of our ways. This assessment takes place time and time again, until all earthly lessons have been thoroughly imbibed by us. Disappointed and tired of deluding itself and being cheated and lied to by others, of being hurt and wounded and doing the same to others, every soul eventually has to find its own inner way to God and gain the direct access that is every soul’s birthright. However many lifetimes of going round and round the whole zodiac this may take, we all get there eventually.

Before our Creator each one of us stands alone and when we become aware of the many times we have thus far broken God’s laws and sinned, we kneel in deep submission before our Divine Father/Mother. Faced with Its radiance and glory, we do indeed feel as nothing. All that is then left to us is praying for forgiveness for all the mistakes we ever made. Without hesitation this is granted because God knows only too well that each one of them merely represented a lesson, which in the end would lead us back home into the oneness with our Source.

On the conscious level, the soul’s earthly counterpart and twin experiences the above described feelings that rise from within. For as long as it fails to understand their origin and meaning, it is bound to misinterpret them as signals of its own unworthiness. Awareness, as ever is the key for unlocking this suffering, the same as all others. The first step is recognising and accepting the feelings for what they truly are, which lifts them into our earthly self’s consciousness. From here they need to be released through the realisation that in the eyes of God all souls are loved and each one of us equally precious and worthy.

THE PISCEAN DREAM OF FREEDOM

No matter which evolutionary level the soul has reached thus far, it yearns and dreams of a freedom that, in truth, is impossible to find on the material plane of this life. It does not exist here and can only come when the earthly personality surrenders itself completely to its Highest Self; that is the only way the deep spirituality of Pisces can be unfolded. The purpose of every lifetime in this sign is a high and holy one that can only find fulfilment through the earthly self’s recognition and unflinching response to the needs of its innermost soul. As the first and most important step on this journey of discovery is that it learns to follow the calling and the guidance of its inner teacher that rises from inner levels of life that dwell deep within its own being, where all is one.

There is only one way that can and will truly satisfy the needs of the Piscean soul in the long run and that is striving to walk once again hand in hand with God and the Angels, and under their guidance become a true and humble servant of all humankind. By the way, the same high and holy destiny awaits each one of us and the things mentioned here do not merely apply to Pisceans; they are true for all of us. To my mind, the most important aspect of spirituality that every soul first needs to discover is the fact that on the Earth plane we are always allowed a certain amount of freedom, i.e. we are allowed to choose how we react to people and situations. The awareness of this puts the onus on each soul individually to make wise choices. But how are we to know what is right or wrong in any given situation? Our inner and Highest Self is the only one who can tell us that; it knows the way of all things and the answers to all our questions; it is waiting to show us the way – all we need to do is ask. And that is the only way the freedom our souls are yearning for will come to anyone. This is a particularly urgent issue for souls born into Pisces, as they are at present experiencing the end of at least one whole evolutionary circle and are preparing themselves for a whole new cycle after their present lifetime.

Pisceans are compassionate souls; alas, this is a faculty that can only be developed through the experience of one’s own suffering. Pisceans feel drawn to helping the underdog and many do not hesitate to sacrifice themselves for those in less fortunate circumstances. Theirs is a deep love and appreciation of music; it brings them much comfort and sustenance, as well as healing. Part of the soul’s experience in this sign is a strong wish for escaping and losing its sense of separateness. As it becomes more highly evolved, the true reason behind these feelings dawns on the soul. It recognises them as the calling of its innermost spirit and soul, who is trying to help it find its way back home into the re-awakening into the deep spirituality of its true and Highest Self.

When this has taken place and the earthly self has surrendered itself completely to its Highest Self, when the destructive desires of its lower nature have been relinquished, the soul can pours itself into the healing currents of the great river of life. The more Pisceans dedicates their lives to work of a spiritual nature and to giving loving service; the more the pull of the pursuit of lust and earthly pleasures diminishes, the further they are along on the road to being one of most wonderful and dedicated servants of humankind.

Not surprisingly, the road there is cobbled with many temptations. Worst of all is the one of the soul deluding itself because it is has got trapped and is held prisoner of what is known as the Neptunian illusion. Neptune’s energy is the highest love vibration of the Universe. This love knows nothing of material things and earthly existence; it is the kind that deep down inside we all yearn and crave for. It is the perfect love our most beautiful love songs talk about which, in truth, is not about human love but God’s all-embracing love. The love that is all-knowing, all-understanding and therefore all-forgiving, all giving and wanting nothing in return, except to love and being loved. We vainly seek it in others, because this love is not of the Earth, but belongs to the highest realms of life. Nonetheless, it is a reality that exists. It is there for everybody and can be accessed by anyone who is willing to walk the inner way. We are all capable of re-connecting with this kind of love and experiencing it, whilst dwelling in physicality.

This is something the soul feels more strongly during its lifetime in Pisces; their softness and sensitivity is a gift that equips them for this work much better than it would be in any of the other signs. They willingly seize the opportunities that are on offer to develop their gifts, and endure their suffering with fortitude. The Piscean’s high emotional sensitivity earlier in life frequently feels more like some kind of a curse than a gift. But, eventually the soul reaches the point when it realises that in truth something this is a character trait that, like any other, must first be developed and used only for unselfish and loving purposes, so that it can turn into a gift. In this process, the soul gradually turns into a finely tuned instrument and a channel, through which the inspiration of the Highest can flow through, to bring comfort, healing and peace to all who come in touch with it. Through constant attunement with the Source of all being, the soul slowly becomes one again with God, whose blessing and healing energies then flow through it into all worlds and all beings, on all levels of life.

The legend of the Master Jesus shows us how even the human voice can finally be used as a tool through which the prayers and blessings of the Highest are meant to flow into our world and speak to us of the Divine wisdom and truth that brings healing, peace and reconciliation for all life. On the inner levels all life has always remained one and once we are consciously re-united with God, our connection with all life is restored. From this grows the realisation that it is because of this inner oneness that when one of us suffers, all life suffers with us and when one of us heals, all life heals with us. From that evolutionary point onwards at the latest, we do our utmost never to hurt or wound anyone again, in thought, word or deed.

© Aquarius 2011

REFLECTIONS ON EASTER

Did you know that the date for Easter, probably the highest of all Christian Church Festivals, depends on the Moon, the full Moon to be precise? Here are a few examples: in the year 2011 Easter falls on 24th April, while in 2010 it took place on 4th April, in 2009 on the 12th April and in 2008 very early indeed on 23rd March. If you have ever wondered, like me, why the dates should fluctuate so wildly from year to year, you may find the result of my investigations into this matter of interest. Maybe you will be as surprised as I was that the date of such a biblical event as Easter is actually based on astrological calculations.

A long time ago, to be precise in the year 325AD, the tenderly guiding hand of the Unseen, who on all levels of life cares for us all and provides for every need of our whole world and all worlds, steered the members of the Church Council of Nicaea into an important decision. At that meeting the Church fathers decreed that Easter should from then onwards be celebrated on the first Sunday following the first full Moon after the vernal equinox. Should the full moon occur on a Sunday, Easter would have to wait until the following Sunday. That is why to this day the date of Easter can fluctuate as wildly as between 22nd March and 25th April.

Probably unbeknown to the Church fathers, the underlying reason for coming to this decision is quite obviously an astrological one. The timing of Easter must have been taken over from the pagan tradition, which was ever more suppressed as the Christian faith spread. To my mind, this is one of the finest examples of how many of the ancient pagan customs were integrated into the new faith and how, only thinly disguised, they re-appeared in the celebrations of the new faith.

The vernal equinox is the event that marks the Sun’s entry into Aries; its date fluctuates slightly from year to year. A full Moon is visible in the sky each time the Sun and the Moon are in exact opposition to each other. At Easter two signs of the zodiac are involved; cardinal Aries, the point of all new beginnings, and cardinal Libra, the sign of marriage and partnerships. The spring equinox signals a renewal of the marriage vows between Heaven and Earth, so that new life may spring forth on all levels of life. As, for example, in the year 2008 the first full Moon after the equinox took place on Friday, 21st March, Easter had to be celebrated as early as the 23rd March. All very simple, don’t you think?

Ah, as ever there’s more to this than meets the eye. It is remarkable that each time the Sun moves into one of the cardinal signs is marked by a special event, either an equinox or a solstice that call for special celebrations, whose origins are lost in the mists of time. Somehow humankind has always known, initially probably only sensed instinctively that Cardinal energy always means some kind of a new beginning, when a fresh outburst of creative ideas from the highest levels of life then flows into our world. It is more than likely that you and I spent quite a few of our past lifetimes in some of the pagan traditions. If that was not the case, we would hardly be interested in the matter; so, shall we continue our investigations?

We probably took part in rituals of worship that celebrated the Sun’s entry into Aries as the rebirth of the Sun into our world. Worshipping the Sun and the elements was all humankind knew in those days; anything more and higher would have been impossible for us to grasp during that phase of our evolution. What a long way we and our world have come since then! Now that at last we are learning to look further and also deeper into things, it can be recognised that everything that took place in our world, even in ancient times, invariably had hidden meanings and was of great esoteric significance.

Only now is it coming clear why the most important focal point of all earthly acts of worship has always been the Sun, who since the days of yore was celebrated as the giver and the source of all life. Over the ages, this theme remained unchanged. It was just that, as our race slowly progressed into greater understanding of spiritual ideas, the symbol we were given from the Highest levels of life for this giver of life became a different one. God’s truth is unchangeable; that’s why from time to time the name and description of a concept has to change, so that we can grasp its meaning better; yet, the underlying meaning always remains the same. From the very beginning of life on the Earth, the Sun in the sky above us has been a physical manifestation and a symbol of the Great Light, the Universal Christ. Isn’t it interesting to observe how all the ancient rituals and ceremonies that are still known to our world already contained this message in seed form?

Let us turn to astrology to help us understand why by rights to all earthlings Easter should be the most sacred time of the year; this has nothing – and in a way everything – to do with Christianity. What I mean is a much higher and elevated version of the Christianity that our world has known, up to now. Although many are as yet unaware of the true meaning of their celebrations, they are taking part in nothing less than a great Cosmic event, in which on all levels and all lifeforms throughout the whole of Creation are involved. Our Creator has wisely provided that in Aries the Sun should be in its exaltation, so that as it moves through this sign the life force can pour itself particularly strongly into all life, not only that of the Earth. Our Sun is but one of the many outer manifestations of the Universal Christ energies that are constantly flowing from the highest levels into all life, including that of the Earth.

The vernal equinox marks the points when, on the physical level of the life on our planet, the strength of the Sun is at its greatest in the Northern hemisphere and at it is at its lowest in the Southern one, and vice versa. Yet, there is no need to suspect that one part might be receiving preferential treatment. Because of our oneness on the inner level, everybody always receives the Sun’s blessings from wherever they are most strongly received. After the gradual slowing down of the life force on our planet during the autumn and winter months in the Northern hemisphere, spring is the time of year that is designed to help all growing things of the Earth to forge ahead with great vigour. The Southern part of our globe has to wait its turn for this to happen until six months later.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FULL MOON

What has the full Moon to do with all this? And why does it have to be the first one after the Equinox? Each full Moon reflects the maximum amount of the light of the Sun onto the Earth, physically and also spiritually. Esoterically, darkness is ignorance and light is God’s wisdom and knowledge that brings increased understanding to humankind. Astrologically, the Moon is the symbol of the human soul and its earthly personality with its many and varied experiences, through which we all have to learn and grow. The soul is the memory bank in which every bit of knowledge, i.e. the light the earthly self gathers through its experiences is stored. The evolutionary pathway takes every human soul time and again round the zodiac. Its earthly self – the Moon – is occupied with gathering understanding through its experiences on the Earth plane. Since time immemorial help has come to us and our world through the light of the spiritual wisdom and knowledge that has always emanated from the Sun behind the Sun in the sky above us, the spiritual Sun, the Universal Christ. Its light has constantly been pouring itself into our world, so that every more of the darkness of human ignorance should be dispersed. We are under the moral/spiritual obligation to share any light we find with those around us, so they can be released from their darkness, too. In this way each has their part to play in the increasing of the amount of light that is in our world.

One Moon cycle takes approx. twenty-nine and a half days and, as mentioned before, when the Sun and the Moon are in opposition to each other in the sky, a full Moon lights up our world at night. This is always a very special time for giving thanks for everything that is and ever has been in our life. It is also a time for finding enlightenment. Now, this does not usually happen through majestic earth-shattering and world-changing flashes of inspiration, like the Buddha is said to have received; more of that in a moment. But if you watch out around the time of the full Moon in future, you may notice that you are gradually finding a greater understanding of difficult life situations and relationships. Insights may come to you that will somehow make them more bearable for you. It is possible to help things along! If there are things in your life that are puzzling you, maybe have been doing for a long time, turn to your inner teacher, the Moon, the Universe – whichever appeals to you most – and ask questions about them. The answers are sure to come, sometimes when you least expect them. So, be prepared and show your readiness to receive them by setting aside regular quiet times. Withdraw from the hustle and bustle of earthly concerns reflections and turn in prayers, contemplations and meditations towards your inner and Highest Self.

Because of the extra mighty outflow of the blessing and healing power of the Cosmic Christ around Easter, it makes a great deal of sense to place its celebrations as closely as possible to the full Moon after the vernal equinox. And as in a physical and spiritual sense the full Moon reflects a maximum amount light of the Sun onto the Earth, humankind’s celebrations of all times have always ensured that it is received as fully as possible. Thus, the love of the Sun, who all along has stood for the Son, who in the Christian tradition became known as the only born Son of God, has gradually come increasingly alive in our world. Over the ages, it has been reborn in ever more earthly hearts that, one way or another, were being prepared by the celebrations of whatever faith they may have confessed to and followed, during any one of their many lifetimes.

I find it astonishing how the ancients, just the same as the early Christians, fixed the date of Easter and celebrated it, each tradition in its own style, without having a clue of the higher meaning of their ceremonies that to this day may still be hidden to a great many of its followers. And isn’t it amazing how down the ages humankind was always guided into doing the right things? For example, that we celebrated Easter in spite of not knowing that in truth we were taking part in a great Cosmic event, to which the Universe invites all who understand and are thus ready to consciously take part in the festivities, if they so wish. And what would you say if I told you that most of the insights I am sharing here with you came to me around the time of the full Moon before the vernal equinox? Here the Sun and Moon are in opposition in the signs Pisces, ruled by Neptune, the enlightener, and Virgo, the healing and teaching sign of the zodiac, ruled by Mercury, the messenger of the Gods.

Some of the ancient pagan rituals and ceremonies date back to the earliest human settlements on the Earth and are still known and practised to this day. Carrying them forward into Christianity and continuing with them, in a somewhat changed format, ensured an uninterrupted flow of the great festival’s true purpose. These blessings of the Universal Christ have always taken place and will continue for as long as there is any need for them anywhere. It is astonishing to be able to see now how all this went on behind the scenes, unencumbered by any of the beliefs that are by now wildly outdated, which at any given time our world was desperately trying to cling on to.

As Easter straddles Pisces and Aries in the same way as Christmas does Sagittarius and Capricorn, I am presenting this article to you here as an extra special Easter egg. It is one with a less fattening centre, intended to expand your horizons rather than your waistline. And because each one of the equinoxes is a bridge into a different kind of new creativity, I wish you all a very happy Easter and much creativity that brings you nothing but joy.

A special Easter Card is waiting for you:

With Love and Light,
Aquarius

SUN IN ARIES
THE PIONEERING AND WAYFINDING SIGN

In the year 2011, the Sun moved into Aries on 20th March and it will be reaching the next sign, earthy and sensuous Taurus, on 20th April. The Sun’s entry into Aries marks the Spring equinox and especially after a long and hard winter like the one we have just had, we welcome the arrival of spring with open hearts. The Spring equinox heralds a time of change and brings a renewed openness to change for all life. As it begins to stir in Nature and the gardeners get to work, the promptings we receive from our inner guidance remind us of our own potential for change and growth.

The broadening of our horizons and the opening of our inner eyes help to restore our faith in the goodness of life. The realisation that, no matter what may ever befall us and our world on the outer plane of life, as long as we are willing to accept the new things that wish to be born, we shall remain open to the signals the Universe is constantly sending us individually and collectively. This kind of trust in the future ensures that many good things and pleasant surprises are always waiting for us.

Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only to those with their Sun in Aries but also when:

• Your Sun is in the first house, the natural house of Aries;
• Your Moon is in Aries or the first house;
• Your Ascendant is in Aries;
• You were born on the 9th, 18th or 27th day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Aries.

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Aries, it is advisable to pay particular attention to the negative expressions of that sign, whilst watching out how they may express themselves in you. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can cause us considerable problems, because they are then far more difficult to detect in ourselves – in spite of the fact that this kind of behaviour is probably a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can be achieved potentially by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology can be used to help us find them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Pisces/Aries but also Aries/Taurus, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Pisces – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for the souls that are born into them.

Aries is ruled by the planet Mars. According to legend, he was the son of Juno and either of Jupiter or of a magical flower. As the word Mars has no Indo-European derivation, it is most likely the Latin version of the agricultural Etruscan God Maris. Mars was initially the Roman God of fertility and vegetation, as well as being the protector of cattle, fields and boundaries. Only later did he become identified with the Greek God Ares, the one of wars and battles. Mars was also found in the role of teaching God of Rome; and he is believed to be the legendary father of the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, whose mother was the Vestal Virgin Rhea Silvia.

Mars was more widely worshipped by the Romans than any other of their Gods. His Greek counterpart Ares was less popular by far than Mars and one cannot help wondering whether this reflects that the ancient Greeks were not as belligerent as the Romans. In some of the legends the Romans took over from Greek mythology, Venus was the consort of Mars. Considering that Mars is also the co-ruler of Scorpio, it is interesting to note that in his capacity as agricultural God, Mars presided over springtime as well as crops. The Romans offered Mars in his role as God of war sacrifices before they went into combat. He was of such great significance in their lives that they celebrated various festivals in his honour, throughout the whole year.

The Sun’s entry into Aries marks the official beginning of spring and we celebrate the spring equinox, when – for a brief moment – day and night have the same length and our world is in perfect balance. The seasons of the year in our calendar are outer reflections and manifestations of the different stages in the development of the human soul on the inner levels of life. In the days of yore, the equinoxes were still thought of as symbols and gateways for the human soul. In Aries, it signified the soul’s entry into earthly life and its pleasures; and in Libra into the greater freedom and happiness of life in the world of spirit, its real home.

In Aries the Sun is what is known astrologically as in its exaltation. This signifies that at this time of the year the Sun’s energies find particularly forceful expressions and are more strongly felt by all life than at any other time of the year. The only exception is when the Sun moves through Leo, its own sign. As the Sun travels through each sign, it activates their energies and all life on our planet is affected by them and responds to them. And when it moves into Aries, the creative fire of the spirit of the life-force itself is reborn and coming newly alive. A great Cosmic event is taking place in which we, on the Earth plane, take part in our very own fashion and celebrate the resurrection of all life. In the Christian tradition this has evolved into what is now known as the Easter celebrations.

Fire is pure creative energy and that is why at this time of year an urge to bring something new into being is strongly felt by all that is. Everything is taking part in this upward rushing fountain of life that brings us and our world rebirth and regeneration. Contrary to popular belief, Mother Nature never dies; her growth rate merely slows down considerably during the autumn and winter months. And then along comes Aries! All nature rejoices – and gladness comes to the human heart for being fortunate enough to be allowed to experience yet another spring and to be alive – on this side of the veil of consciousness.

Mars, the ruler of Aries, is the planet of desire, and when the Sun moves through this sign everybody’s desire nature is more strongly felt. The same applies to souls born into Aries for the whole of their present lifetime. Eager for experiences and hungry for life, they go after what they want – never mind the consequences! Well, at this time of year there is a touch of recklessness to us all, and the sexual drive is strong – after all, it’s the mating season! New life is stirring and urging to surge forth, throughout nature, and also within us. Not for nothing are some of the Aries keywords push, drive and taking the initiative. When the Sun moves through this sign, it is wonderful time for action and for launching new projects and enterprises.

As these energies presently are affecting all life, the Universe is providing everybody with natural help for getting things started and moving them forward. Sun in Aries is an excellent time for moving project from the idea phase of their development onto the material plane of life. There could be no better time of the year for getting new ventures going. And if you wait until the New Moon in Aries – this year on 6th April – that would be just perfect! Probably the best example of this is the launch of this website on April 1, 2006; three days after a New Moon had taken place. The site has been going from strength to strength, ever since. Thanks be to God and the Angels for this and to each one of you for your loving support.

Recommended Reading: ‘When Creation Was Began, According to the Legend of Uranus and Gaia – A Tale for the Aquarian Age’

CHARACTERISTICS

Let us now have a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Aries. The following is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into perfection, i.e. wholeness.

Aries is the first sign in the zodiac; the first is its natural house. It is a cardinal Fire sign and, as already established, it is ruled by the planet Mars. For a better understanding of what cardinal means astrologically, see The Qualities of the Signs’. The cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. The Sun’s entry into each one of these signs, in the sky above us and also in our birthchart, heralds the beginning of a new cycle, within the wheel of life. On the outer level of life Aries and Libra mark the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, and Cancer and Capricorn the summer and winter solstices. Each one is a turning point in the year and also within the human soul on its evolutionary pathway. In some of the ancient traditions of our world, the vernal equinox symbolised the human soul’s birth into the outer world of matter, to seek its happiness here; and the autumnal equinox was a symbol for its re-entry into the greater freedom and happiness of its true home, the world of spirit.

However, if this is the only Sun sign you are interested in, all you need to know is that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, whereas that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. Let me give you a few examples of how the energies of our Sun sign manifest themselves in our attitude to and perception of life. Because of the passive nature of the feminine Water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, it is unusual for souls born into them to be found among the shakers, movers and initiators of our world. One needs to look towards the Fire and Air signs to find this quality.

When it comes to the fixed signs, Taurus and Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius, the views and opinions of those born into them, as well as their perception and general vision of life, our world and their place in it can be astonishingly fixed and rigid, whereas the mutability of Gemini and Sagittarius, Virgo and Pisces may manifest itself as a wonderful chameleon-like ability of souls born into these signs to adjust themselves to those around them and their needs; at times with almost too much ease.

Recommended Reading: ‘The Qualities of the Signs’’ and ‘Varying Perceptions of Life – Why?’

GENERAL NOTES

Understanding the planetary energies is the first step towards mastering and bringing forth the best of our Sun sign. How can one sensibly be expected to do that about anything when one does not how something works? To master Aries, one needs to take a closer look at the nature of Mars. Mars is the planet of desire; in its most basic expression on the Earth plane it is a force, a drive that makes souls who are still inexperienced on this level of life feel and shout loudly: ‘I want, want, want – and I want it NOW! If anything gets into the way of the force of the Martian desires by refusing to do as such a soul wants, the unwilling ones get suppressed, shouted down, bullied and, if need be, in some other way still manipulated into submission. At worst Mars walks over dead bodies to get what it wants; it goes to war and unthinkingly destroys everything that does not surrender itself to its will. Arians are quite capable of doing this with any of the objects of their desires.

The Mars energy moves the newly created Divine spark onto the Earth plane where it needs to build itself an earthly personality. By each soul dwelling in its own physical body it begins to recognise and experience itself as an individual. With the help of its developing earthly personality the soul finds itself a place in its new environment. It maintains this place by bursting forth with all its youthful vigour and vim and the enthusiasm for the enjoyment of life that is typical of the Fire element and the signs it rules. Mars is a force that in young soul expresses itself like a wild mustang that has to be caught, tamed and harnessed before it can be ridden wisely. To master this energy, the same as all others, every human soul must spend sufficient lifetimes on the Earth plane. Instead of the earthly desire nature riding us, it needs to be conquered, so that eventually we can ride on the desires of our Highest Self, i.e. following the directions of our inner teacher, back home into the oneness with God.

Mars is the planetary ruler of Aries and, together with Pluto, he is also the co-ruler of Scorpio. In Aries Mars represents the human soul’s will and instinct to live, its desire to be and to grow through many and varied experiences. In Scorpio the Mars energies express themselves as survival instinct and demonstrate the ability of the human spirit to survive under all circumstances. The combination of Mars and Pluto brings to humankind the gift of the ability to completely regenerate and restore ourselves and our lives. These energies are meant to be developed to their highest potential during the lifetimes the soul spends in Scorpio.

Recommended Reading: ‘Sun in Scorpio’

CHARACTERISTICS

The symbol of Aries is the ram who, with the force of its strong head and formidable horns, is only too happy to run head first into anything that gets into the way of what it is after. Mars is creative energy in its purest form that relentlessly and all too frequently without due forethought or consideration for endangering of the self or others causes the soul to push forward on its evolutionary pathway. The Mars energy is responsible for the fact that souls born into both the signs it rules do not suffer fools gladly. Learning to control their anger is a must for them, if they wish to make the spiritual progress that is possible – though by potential only – for the soul in every sign.

Sun in Aries represents the overflowing and upwards rushing fountain of life. As briefly touched upon earlier, in this sign the Sun is in its exaltation. A planet is said to be strong or in the old terms ‘dignified’ when it is either in the sign it rules or in the sign in which it is exalted. This is when the essential and most positive qualities of the energies of the planet involved can unfold to their best and developed to their highest potential.

As a result, the life force in Aries flows particularly forcefully through those born into this sign, whose definition is: ‘I am!’ Equipped with the awareness of this, the human soul storms forth into life. Its motivating force is: ‘I will!’ and ‘I want; and I want it, NOW!’ Impatient to get on with things, the soul in this sign tackles all its enterprises with great vigour and enthusiasm. This is because unconsciously it is filled with a strong desire of wanting to leave its mark on the world and to become someone of importance. Not all that many succeed in this, as Arians frequently lacks the staying power of bringing their dreams down into the reality of the Earth. On top of that they have an extremely low boredom threshold and all too soon get tired of things, people and situations and are then only too willing to drop whatever is in pursuit of new adventures and excitement. To help them along, they almost seem to have a never ending supply of energy at their disposal. Always full of beans and bounce, what they love most of all is rushing around and doing things.

Fire is creative/sexual/spiritual energy in its purest form. Each of the three fire signs expresses it in its own unique way. In Aries it is the creative fire of the head; the idea, the initial spark of energy without which the creative process cannot start. The ideas of the Universe are constantly pouring into everything that is in the whole of the created world and, therefore, also into us. Arians are particularly well tuned into this energy and it is not for nothing that they are known as the original ideas people. As they are always bursting forth to impart the creative ideas of the Universe to those around them, they are the ideal partners and team members for brain-storming sessions. If you ever get involved in one of those, try to watch out and observe through whom the most brilliant ideas are flowing.

ARIES – THE SEXY ONE

Arians are impulsive, passionate and enthusiastic souls whose sexual drive is particularly strong. Don’t believe the myth that Scorpios are the sexiest people in the zodiac. In my view, this title belongs to Aries. Souls born into this sign – probably more than in any other one – are in need of learning to control the untamed fire of impulse. That is easier said than done though! Fire flares up; it goes ‘whoosh!’ and before you know it, the excitement is over and the fire has died down again. Restlessly they then go looking out for new adventures and greener pastures! Being the fire of the head, Arians are headstrong and they know exactly what they want – or rather they think they know. And they do go after it! The trouble is that when they get the object of their desire, they usually find out all too quickly that it is not what they wanted, after all. Should it have been you they fancied and you were taken in by their charms – and make no mistake about it, they know how to turn on the charm; remember, their opposite sign is Libra – it is quite within the realms of possibility that very soon after you will be dumped again and dropped like a hot potato.

Although usually cheerful, buoyant and optimistic, Arians are by no means always on top of the world – no-one can be that. Yet, when they are down in the dumps, on the whole they soon recover. Fighters and warriors at heart, they enjoy a good tussle and are always ready to tackle anyone for an argument and can be too aggressive and confrontational for their own good. Forthright and direct, they hand out their opinions frankly and in no uncertain terms to anyone who is willing to lend an ear. Others may fall out with them over this, yet they themselves never seem to bear grudges against anyone. To them, life is simply too short for that, for there is within them a great hunger for life. Eager and keen for new experiences and learning, they feel they never have any time to waste. Instead of persevering with something, they would rather move on and get on with a new project.

ARIES – POINT OF ALL BEGINNINGS

Aries is the point of all beginnings in the zodiac and souls born into this sign are on a whole new cycle of experiences. This, however, does not necessarily mean that they are young, i.e. inexperienced souls. Working on building themselves an earthly personality is Aries’ main task for this lifetime. Because of this all their energies are typically centred on the self and directed by the self. The fierce and fiery energies of Mars take some handling, as the storming and urging nature of Aries clearly demonstrates. They are enthusiastic, courageous, bold and audacious, often to the point of foolhardiness. Theirs is a great sense of purpose and objective, and their urge for ruling the roost and their lust for power is exceptionally strong.

Aries is the pioneering sign of the zodiac. Wanting to make the progress that is potentially possible in all signs, therefore also in this one, wise ones resist the temptation of being too aggressive towards others, of trying to push people around and bullying them into things they are not interested in. They know that browbeating those around them into accepting their views no longer works in an age when ever more are encouraged to do their own thinking and find their own beliefs. Under such conditions, instead of listening people will turn away, even if one’s arguments are good; if the approach is not right no-one will want to know and instead of followers one gathers enemies.

Yet, even that cannot stop Aries. Constantly on the look-out for fresh opportunities and greener pastures, they are the pioneers and wayfinders of the zodiac. They are good at finding new and better ways of living and being, and of showing others by their example how to do the same for themselves. Never afraid of charging ahead and trampling a path where no-one has been before which more timid and cautions souls may wish to follow. They are the eager beavers of the zodiac, never lacking energy and enthusiasm for new enterprises and are always willing to take the initiative and lend a helping hand to anyone. Excellent executives and wonderful at getting new projects started, because of their restless nature they may encounter great difficulties when it comes to following through and grounding their many ideas. Unless they can find the assistance of someone born into one of the Earth signs, they are unlikely to ever reap the rewards and find the success that is potentially theirs.

Take heart, dear Arians, everybody has the tendency to first act out the negative aspects of their Sun sign, before the positive ones can be taken possession of. They can only be developed from getting the feedback of that which we ourselves once sent out into the world. Life itself is the teacher in this school of Earth life. Through the reactions to any of our own negative actions, from earlier during this lifetime or previous ones, it is constantly trying to teach each one of us to give of their best and to reach for the best and highest qualities of our Sun sign.

ARIES CHILDREN

In their childhood Aries are active and noisy, always on the go and wanting to do something. They can be a bit of a pain in the neck all round and quite capable of driving those in charge of them round the bend. Being sporty souls, they enjoy games and sport. To understand all Fire signs better, look at the nature of their element. Its action and reactions are swift, and speed and moving fast is the true element of all souls born into the fire signs, no matter what activities they may be involved in. As adults, Arians are nowhere happier than behind the wheel of a fast car. Headstrong as they are, they are quite happy to run head first into any kind of obstacle that chances to get into their way, whenever the need arises. Like all fire signs, but even more so than Leo and Sagittarius, Arians have a tendency of rushing head-first into things. They do not suffer fools gladly and have a knack of instantly jumping to conclusions, shooting first and then asking the questions. Like the proverbial fool they rush in where Angels fear to tread. Having lots of physical energy at their disposal, they may leave all around them frequently gasping for breath.

When it comes to assessing the compatibility between two signs, do not forget to consider the strength of their energy supply. There often is a strong attraction between people born into opposite signs. This is particularly marked in Aries/Libra; yet, a partnership between them may well be doomed from the word go. The Sun in Aries being in its exaltation, those born into it are blessed with an abundance of energy. However, in Libra the Sun is in its fall and as here the energy levels are low, it is an important task for those born into this sign to learn to take good care of their energy supply. Having a partner with so much energy to keep up with – as kind and obliging Librans dearly like to do – could easily spell problems for this relationship later on.

Never attempt to tell Aries anything, especially not how to run their lives; there just isn’t any point. You would be wasting your time, because they are the only ones who know how to do that. Although on the surface this frequently comes across as stubborn and pigheaded, it is all part of the soul’s character for wise evolutionary reasons. It knows that it must learn from its own first hand experiences and that is why it simply refuses to listen when someone tries to give them some good advice. Other people’s learning is of no use to them; their predestined pathway is to find out everything for themselves. The Aries soul insists upon doing whatever it wants to do and when it wishes to do so; any attempts at interference from others is likely to bring wrath upon the offender. Especially in its younger years, this can be the cause of a great deal of friction at home and at school. In spite of the fact that it is thus creating many problems for itself, unerringly it goes its own sweet way – without listening to anyone.

Arians are the self-starters of the zodiac; the original get-up-and-go people. Alas, they soon lose interest when the pace slackens or things become too complicated for their taste. Their greatest difficulties arise because they tend to function too much from their head, instead of allowing their heart to have its say, too. Make no mistake about it though, in spite of all that a warm, loving and romantic heart beats in them. As already mentioned, their desire nature is strong and they go after whatever they want. Having got hold of it, after a while they all too often come to the conclusion that it is not really right for them, after all. They may then drop whatever that applies to without any further ado and chase after something else. This is particularly troublesome when it comes to choosing a partner.

THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS

The polar opposites Aries and Libra are romantics at heart, who find it difficult to be without someone to love. Souls born into both signs are always on the lookout for the ideal person to come into their lives. Yet, even when that special person has finally appeared, Arians are unlikely to keep them in their lives for very long, unless they learn to master their urge to dominate others. This is probably the most negative aspect of this sign; some of the others are:

• Arrogance and egotism;
• Ruthlessness;
• Creating problems for themselves through hastiness;
• Wishing to impose their views on others;
• Trying to dominate those around them;
• Being too opinionated, positive and pushy;
• Wishing to be right, no matter what.

Above all things it is worth Aries while to work on mastering the following three things beginning with c: co-ordination; conservation of energy; completion of new projects. Without this they are constantly setting traps and creating difficulties for themselves. Wise ones pay attention to the negative aspects of their small earthly self and seriously work on overcoming them. For souls of both genders born into the masculine signs, Fire and Air, it is important not to neglect their feminine and passive side. If Aries wants to make the progress that by potential can be made in their sign, they will benefit greatly from making regular times available for being quiet, receptive and willing to listen.

Because of their restless nature and their natural inclination to scatter their energies and resources, Arians are unlikely to ever achieve anything that is truly worthwhile, unless they make a genuine effort at controlling the negative aspects of their sign. Tuning into their opposite sign, Libra, can be most helpful here, especially when it comes to building a good dose of the much needed tact and diplomacy into their character. Libra is ruled by Venus. Mars and Venus can benefit greatly from the contact with each other. Left to its own devices Mars energy can be too aggressive and destructive, while undiluted Venus energy can be too laid back and hedonistic. In truth, they need each other. There is harmony between the opposing forces in the zodiac, and the point of balance between expressions of their extremes lies always halfway between them. The influence of Mars can energise Venus and add some get up and go; Venus in return can bring a softening and civilising sway on Mars.

ARIES – EVER YOUNG AT HEART

Arians are ever young at heart and their outlook on life never grows old, even when their physical body does. There’s something about them that is hard to define and that is that no matter how old they may be, they will always remain enthusiastic about life, which is accompanied by a freshness and a kind of innocent and childlike quality. At best this can be most endearing, but at worst their behaviour can be downright childish and infuriating. Wise ones, who are in touch with their feelings, are aware that deep down they frequently feel like insecure and vulnerable children, inadequate and unworthy. They avoid covering such feelings up with a top show of blustery self-confidence, as the less evolved souls among them like to do. Instead they set to work on replacing any feelings of lowliness with a genuine sense of self-worth and appreciation of the uniqueness of their own being – bearing in mind that this also applies to everybody else. Upon such wise ones the Universe really does smile; it values their efforts and grants them the success they have always dreamed of and which they now deserve.

FROM THE RAM TO THE LAMB OF GOD

In the sign of the ram the Universe endows us with an immensely strong will that it is capable of storming forth with all its strength against any obstacles that get in its way. As it first emerges from the heartmind of God, this is necessary to carry the Divine spark forth into its human experiences, so it can there begin to build itself an earthly character and carve out a niche of its own. That’s why at the moment of its release onto the Earth plane, it is given the forceful ways of the ram to help it survive in its new environment, where we all must gather wisdom through learning from our own experiences. Lifetime after lifetime, we thus slowly work our way, time and again, round the whole zodiac. All the needs any soul will ever have in the long course of its evolution are constantly met, to help us deal successfully with the tests and trials that inevitably come our way.

Tenderly cared for and protected by its Divine parents, guides, helpers and God’s messengers, the Angels are provided and no soul is ever abandoned or left to its own devices. Before the infant spirit descends into physicality it knows these things, but as it descends ever deeper into physicality something like a veil comes between it and its other world, its true home. To be capable of existing in earthly life each spirit must develop an earthly personality. And it takes along time until that self finally wakes up again from its spiritual slumbers and realises the truth of its own nature and the existence of its unseen companions. But, all along, seen or unseen, they are really there and watching every step, making sure that things come right again in the end, when damage has been done and wounds are healed, when the child gets hurt.

The infant spirit still knew all that and thus it first ventured forth, with total trust and confidence that its Divine parents will always provide for all its needs, as boldly and audaciously precocious as any small earthly child. In its new environment it could only learn from its own experiences that running headfirst into walls hurts. There never was and there never will be any other way of it finding out! And that is precisely what happens to every human soul during each lifetime spent in Aries. No matter how often it begins a new cycle of them on the Earth, the same central principle applies that the soul can only learn from its own experiences; this is as valid for the Sun in Aries as it is for all others. And each new round has to begin with a lifetime in Aries, then Taurus and so forth. It is just that the lessons get to be ever more sophisticated and the tests and trials harder, the more highly evolved a soul becomes.

Each soul is given ever more opportunities for learning from its mistakes and for making good any Karma that has been accrued in previous lifetimes and also earlier during this one. Programmed into each soul’s memories is the knowledge that its final goal is perfection. This is a word for wholeness and means that we all need to slowly grow into a perfect miniature replica of our Divine Father/Mother. That is why, lifetime after lifetime the soul strives with all its might, safe in the knowledge that one day it will have reached this goal. Every lifetime presents the soul with different lessons, offering many opportunities for slowly integrating ever more of the Divine qualities into its own character.

WHOLENESS IS HOLINESS

When complete wholeness has been achieved, the soul has been healed and become holy in its own right. Not holier than thou, but as blessed and righteous as its true parents. At the end of each lifetime, in the world of spirit, there comes a time for each soul for assessing the progress it has made up to that point. No matter what has happened or what might ‘seemingly’ have gone wrong in its most recent lifetime, and all others, it receives reassurance and learns that all is well. No soul is ever past redemption and no matter how dire anyone’s circumstances on the Earth plane may sometimes appear to be, sufficient chances for making good and doing better next time round will always be offered.

Thus when the time comes for venturing forth into yet another lifetime, the soul does so bravely and without hesitation. The end and completion of each cycle always comes in Pisces; in this sign the soul surrenders all its learning and wisdom to God. For as long as this is necessary, after yet another period of rest and recuperation in the world of spirit, undeterred by anything it tackles yet another new cycle. In its next lifetime in Aries it plays once again the role of the ram with all its strength, enthusiasm and love for life. Reaching for experiences on ever higher levels of life, it thus constantly moves onwards and upwards.

When the soul finally has grown into spiritual adulthood and mature sufficiently that no further lifetimes in physicality are deemed necessary, it surrenders its whole being to God. Through its reunion with its Source, by willingly becoming the Lamb of God, the soul is cleansed and all remnants of Karma are washed away. This principle applies to each individual soul and also to that of groups of people, nations, our world and the whole of Creation. Evolution is the law of life; it is its very purpose which no soul can escape; and no soul can ever truly be lost. Those who get caught up too much in the negative stream of life and sink too low into it, during their lessons of learning to differentiate between good and evil, in the end destroy themselves. However, the spirit, the Divine spark that is in very soul is indestructible. After a period of rest it eventually goes forth again. It is reborn and given another chance of building itself a soul, but must start once more from point zero.

During their present lifetime Aries souls are offered many opportunities for developing true leadership qualities. Yet, wise ones appreciate that the right for leading people, projects and enterprises is theirs by potential only. They also know that their most important requirement for this lifetime is putting their minds into gear before speaking. As the fiery temperament of Mars has a tendency of all too easily running away with Arians, this applies particularly to their tongues. Mars rules sharp instruments like knives, swords and surgeon’s scalpels, and under the influence of its energies the human tongue is in danger of developing into a deadly weapon. For a better understanding of why this is so, let’s take a closer look at the nature of the Fire element. Think of how fire behaves when someone carelessly drops a spark of it in the wrong place and something goes up in flames and smoke. On the outer level of life it is quite capable of destroying whole structures, like buildings and forests; on the inner level it can do the same to relationships that may have taken many years to build up.

For a long time every young and inexperienced soul, not only during its lifetime in Aries, remains blissfully unaware of the laws of the Universe, especially that of Karma and the fact that every action causes a reaction which unerringly has to find its way back to its sender. It may consider its ability of expressing itself impulsively and thoughtlessly, blurting out to all and sundry its cutting and hurtful remarks of the first thing that comes to its mind as a sign of its own greatness. If that is the case, by the time that same soul has reached Scorpio its speech faculty may have deteriorated into one that now knows how to very carefully inflict pain upon others. With its high psychic sensitivity Scorpio easily senses the Achilles heels of its opponents and is thus capable of ensuring that almost each time its carefully aimed poisonous arrows score a bull’s eye, leaving the other one deeply wounded; more of this later.

THE MARS ENERGIES

To find a better understanding of why this is so taking a closer look at the fiery nature of Mars is helpful. Its energy is the first spark of creation that brings each new spirit into this life, so that it may grow itself a feminine, soft and sensitive feeling part, a soul. As Mars represents sexual/creative/spiritual energy in its purest form, by rights it deserves some extremely careful and respectful handling. After all, it is the energy that in God’s hands can bring whole new worlds into being and destroy them again, at will. The whole of God’s creation consists of energies and none of them are inherently evil or bad; it is always the intention behind any action that decides whether its outcome is going to be good or evil. When used constructively and in the right place, Mars energies are wonderful. Yet, when applied selfishly and for the domination of one part of the population over another, it very easily gets out of control. Whenever this happens on an individual, national and international level, ever escalating conflicts and wars are the result, as the sad state of our world demonstrates all too clearly. This recognition in itself is the most vital part of the lesson we and our world most urgently need, and a first major step towards peace.

Yet another reason why wise ones are sure to benefit greatly from learning to control their tongues is that their speech may otherwise come across to others as too forceful and forthright for their own good. And because they know first hand that in truth nobody can tell an Arian anything, they leave the less experienced ones to happily dish out heartaches and pain to those around them, quite unaware that the same must one day return to them. They too will find out in due course that through their negative actions they are creating problems for themselves that with a bit of caution could so easily be avoided. When, in accordance with the laws of the Universe, their words and actions come back to them like boomerangs – maybe in another lifetime, more than likely they will feel mystified why anything of that nature should be happening to them.

If only we knew earlier on that every hurtful word that anyone speaks leaves behind a wound and later a scar, and that not only in the heart of the recipient but also in the soul of the perpetrator. Any pain of any kind we cause another has to be made good again by us, if not in this lifetime then in another. The more one becomes aware of these things, the more one realises the importance of getting one’s mind into gear before opening one’s mouth. Alas, it takes every soul a long time before it becomes aware that if it wants to find a solution to any of its relationship problems it has to first look towards itself and its own behaviour. All human relationships are of Karmic origin and it is our own reactions to other people’s actions that at one stage set the Karmic wheels in motion. We ourselves created all the problems that are no in our life in the first place. That is why it is impossible to change other people and we must look inside and turn to ourselves. If we wish another’s behaviour towards us to be different, we must first look towards our own underlying subconscious motivations and attitudes towards at person. And to avoid human problem from recurring time and again it is necessary that we work on our own character and not on that of others.

Knowing that constant arguing and word battles can only drive those away whom they would dearly wish to attract, wise ones step back and refuse to get involved. Tuning into Libra, their opposite sign and sleeping partner, to build some tact and diplomacy into their character make-up, they catch two birds with one stone, as they are also becoming more whole and integrated in this process. With amazement they stand by and watch their less experienced Aries brothers and sisters quarrelling and fighting, willing to pursue their aims in life by ruthlessly trampling over dead bodies, if need be; and how in their eagerness to reach the top, their better judgement seems to leave entirely.

Arians need to learn to control and use their ability of charging forth to butt their heads against obstacles that get in their way in positive and life-affirming ways that serve the good of others, instead of the self. When this has been achieved, this qualities turns into a most wonderful tool. However, trouble invariably brews when young souls, impatient and unwilling to wait for events to mature, rush in where angels fear to tread, with total disregard for its own safety and well-being, never mind anybody else’s. While still unaware of the laws of the Universe and the law of Karma in particular, such souls may well go round lustily hurting and wounding self and others with all the weaponry the Universe so kindly seems to have put at its disposal. The same tool, when placed into experienced hands, can be developed into a veritable sword of truth that is capable of slicing through the debris of false beliefs and prejudices. The soul then becomes a channel through which the Divine can speak and write to reveal Its eternal truths to humankind.

As mentioned earlier, the law of life is evolution and the zodiac is the symbol of the great wheel of life. Time and again, every soul must go through all its experiences. Round and round it goes in a great many cycles; each sign and every house has to be experienced time and again, until all the most positive and highest aspects of each one have been integrated. When the soul has reached this point it soul has acquired sufficient understanding of life and its purpose to be able to recognise the loving wisdom behind God’s great plan of evolution. Through all the reactions it received at the hands of others to its own unwise actions of previous lifetimes which returned to their source, as the law decrees, at the end of each cycle through the zodiac, the soul reaches Pisces.

Such a soul may be battered and bruised by life, but through its many and varied experiences it grows ever stronger and wiser. Immensely rich in learning, in the end it thankfully kneels before its Creator and declares: ‘Thy will, not mine, my Lord.’ When during its next lifetime in Aries this same soul makes the change from the battering ram into that of the Lamb of God who meekly and willingly follows its inner guidance, at long last the true and highest potential of this sign begins to unfold. When the Aries soul has matured sufficiently to unselfishly serve the highest good of the whole and the power of God works through it, all things are possible. The strength of the willpower of the ram needs to willingly transform itself into a humble tool in the hands of the Divine that can be used to move mountains of faith on the Earth plane. The barriers that to this day stand in the way of true faith on the Earth plane are waiting to be demolished. They need to make room for a devotion that is based on the knowledge of God’s Divine wisdom that is now flowing ever more strongly into every heart and soul directly from the Source.

THE EQUINOXES

Especially powerful outpourings of the Christ energies are flowing into our whole world at various occasions, for example around the time of the Wesak Moon and the Christ Moon, as well as the Summer and Winter Solstice or the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes. No matter whether we live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, they simultaneously reach and influence all life on our planet equally strongly; the reversal of the seasons in the hemispheres does not make any difference.

Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi
Dhio Yo Nah Prachodayat

The above is known as the Gayati Mantram. It comes to us from the Latin American traditions and is considered to be a tool for all humankind that is used at the time of the Equinoxes for the awakening and promotion of the eternal light and wisdom. This is the light of the spiritual Sun behind the Sun, which has been waiting for aeons to come alive in every heart and soul.

The Mantram invokes the aspect of the Great Mother of all life. The Virgin Mary, the Mother of God of Christianity, is one of the many symbolisms that have been used to bring her closer to her children of the Earth, since time immemorial on the Earth. The Mantram acts like a direct telephone line to the Great Mother and asks for her guidance and protection. May it assist each one of us to find their own way back into the loving heart of our Great Mother.

In case you would like to practise the Mantram and are wondering how to pronounce its words, here are the links for two videos to help you:

1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGVzOGP5Kng
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDnamSM3Z3s&feature=fvw

© Aquarius 2010

SUN IN TAURUS
THE BUILDING SIGN

In the year 2010 the Sun enters Taurus on 20th April and moves on into the next sign, Gemini, on 21st May. The Sun’s transit through earthy Taurus presents us and our world with a dramatic change of tempo. After the breakneck speed and impatience of Mars in Aries, in Taurus Venus enters the main stage. In this Earth sign the planet finds some of its finest feminine expressions and brings to souls born into it, and also to everybody else at this time of the year, a wonderful sense of enjoyment and appreciation of the good things in life. Slowly and with a deliberately measured pace, Earth presents herself as the beautiful young bride. Bedecked with a profusion of flowers, blossoms and new greenery as far as the eye can see, she reveals to us the freshness of as yet unspoilt youth.

Sun in Aries represents the renewed betrothal of Mother Earth and Father Sun. But when the Sun moves through Taurus her wedding feast is celebrated and the Universe invites us all to take time out and enjoy with all our senses one of the greatest Cosmic events, of which the wedding feast and the subsequent renewal of all life on the Earth plane are outer physical manifestations.

Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only to those with their Sun in Taurus but also when:

• Your Sun is in the second house, which is associated with Taurus;
• Your Moon is in Taurus or the second house;
• Your Ascendant is in Taurus;
• You were born on the 11th day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Taurus. In that case, the following articles may also be of interest to you:
• ‘Two Studies In Mastership’
• ‘Master Number 11
• How To Become A Master Builder’

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Taurus, it is advisable to pay particular attention to the negative expressions of that sign, whilst watching out how they may express themselves in you. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can cause us considerable problems, because they are then far more difficult to detect in ourselves – in spite of the fact that this kind of behaviour is probably a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can be achieved potentially by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology can be used to help us find them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Aries/Taurus but also Taurus/Gemini, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Taurus – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for the souls that are born into them.

The planetary ruler of Taurus is Venus. The ancient Babylonians around 1600 BC and also the Mayans were very familiar with this planet and worked with its energies. Their by now famous calendar is based on its movements. Whenever Venus is visible, it is by far the brightest star-like object that can be seen in the heavens. As this planet, after the Sun and the Moon, is the third brightest visible object in the sky it is likely to have not only been known but of great significance to humankind since our arrival on the Earth in prehistoric times.

Through Venus in earthy Taurus, feminine, and airy Libra, masculine, the Universe demonstrates to us the feminine and masculine energies and characteristics of the qualities of this planet. Each sign teaches us the expressions of the Venusian energies in its unique way. When the Sun is in Taurus Venus shows itself to our world as the ‘Morning Star’; by the time the Sun has reached Libra it has become the ‘Evening Star’. This fact carries a message of its own that is charged with symbolisms for the human soul on its return into its true nature and home. First each one of has to descend into matter and Earth, where Venus at certain times represents the morning star.

The nature of God is love and as sparks of the Divine, humankind’s true nature is love. Venus is its symbolism, hence the planet of love. The knowledge and wisdom each soul has to gather on the Earth through our lessons we receive under the guardianship of the Angels, guides and Masters, who are in charge of us on the higher and Highest planes of life, are the ones of Venus. Spiritually, knowledge is light and ignorance darkness. Each lifetime adds to the light of our understanding and every new bit of it eases the burden of our existence in the material world and this continues throughout all subsequent earthly sojourns. The lessons of Venus teach us how we can ease the load of the the earthly cross – read more about this in the link at the end of this chapter – through living in ever more loving ways that are in harmony with the laws of the Cosmos and also our real nature.

This continues until finally the soul is ready to begin its ascent back into the higher realms of air and understanding, represented in the zodiac by Libra, where Venus lights its the way as the evening star. In this sign the planet teaches different kinds of expressing human love with the help of all our faculties. This requires the development of the inborn intelligence that is a natural part of the equipment of every one of God’s children of the Earth. The Universe offers all souls born into the Air signs ever more opportunities for taking charge of their earthly minds and its thought patterns. Libra adds to the soul’s natural equipment the fine art of creating better relationships through learning how to express ourselves with kindness, tact and diplomacy, and finding words of love and forgiveness at the right moment.

Recommended Reading
• ‘Sun in Libra’
• ‘The Legend of Uranus and Gaia – A Tale for the Aquarian Age’
• ‘The true Meaning of the Crucifixion’

CHARACTERISTICS

Let us now have a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Aries. The following is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into perfection, which means nothing more than wholeness. The circle of the zodiac with all its signs and houses is a symbol of this process. The law of life is evolution and – without exception – round and round the zodiac every human soul has to go, lifetime after lifetime, so we can slowly absorb ever more of the qualities and characteristics of our Divine parents. Every new lifetime brings us that bit closer to this our final goal, the perfection and wholeness that is in our Great Father/Mother of all life, our true ancestors. This task will not be fulfilled until all parts of our being have learnt to function harmoniously together, the same as they do in God. More of this theme later.

First we shall turn our attention to Taurus, the fixed Earth ruled by the planet Venus. It is the second sign in the zodiac and the second house is its natural abode. For a better understanding of what fixed means astrologically, please read up about it in ‘The Qualities of the Signs’ with the help of the link provided below. Because of the fixed nature of their sign, wise ones born into it who are aware of what kind of effect this can have on their opinions and their views of the world, take care that theirs do not become too rigid and earthbound.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Qualities of the Signs’

The glyph of Venus is a cross with a circle above, which is used in biology as a symbol of the female sex and femininity. The cross represents the Earth and humankind’s earthly nature; the circle is a symbol of the human soul and Eternity. The glyph is an indication of how the spirit, the circle, through the power of love is capable of lifting itself above the cross, humankind’s oldest symbol of earthly life. The Universe uses astrology to show us that the love of peace and harmony is by no means intended to be restricted to the female gender, just as little as male aggression and assertiveness are the privilege of the masculine. The rulership of masculine Aries and feminine Scorpio by Mars, and feminine Taurus and masculine Libra by Venus clearly indicates this.

LEADING THE BULL TO THE WATER

Taurus represents the freshly ploughed Earth in spring, ready and waiting for the seeds of life to grow. Taureans define themselves by the words: ‘I have and I possess’. In the physical body, their sign represents the throat and the cerebellum, the back part of the brain. The symbol of Taurus is the bull and studying the behaviour patterns of this animal goes a long way towards finding a better understanding of some of those of souls born into this sign. Like the bull they are steadfast and extremely stubborn. Their reflexes are slow and as they can assimilate new ideas and concepts only slowly, they usually approach them with great caution.

Take it from me: there is no point in trying to push the bull into anything it does not want or like or to make them go faster. Forget about it, because it just cannot be done! Truly happy and in their element Taureans can only be when left in peace to do their own thing, in their own way, space and time. Venus, the planet of love, is generous with its gifts and as a result Taureans are affectionate, loving and lovable, sensuous and tactile souls. More than anything else they enjoy touching and holding people and acquiring belongings. No matter what happens, they will try to hold onto them with all their might. As well as being endowed with beautiful speaking and/or singing voices, many of them are particularly charming and good looking.

In all your dealings with Taureans you will find that they are much easier to get along with when one appreciates and accepts their nature and temperament and approaches them accordingly. Many problems in our relationship with them can be voided by never forgetting that it is alright to lead the bull to the water, but that it is most unwise to try to push its head into it. Taureans who are honest with themselves are likely to confirm that you would indeed be inviting trouble that way! Wouldn’t our world be a much easier place to live in, if we were all more aware of the inborn behaviour patterns of each other’s signs? Don’t make the mistake of thinking of them as lacking intelligence. It’s just that they simply need time to absorb and integrate new ideas and concepts. Unless they are allowed sufficient time to assimilate things at their own sweet pace, so they can gradually get accustomed to them, they will become unnecessarily flustered and upset. That is why, with them, indirect actions are always best.

Loving, kind and gentle, sensuous and equipped with a highly developed sense of touch, Taureans love to hold and touch people and earthly possessions. Because of their only seemingly sheer endless patience, they frequently put up far too long with things that are no longer right for them and their lives. Long suffering souls, all they want to do is possess and be possessed by their loved ones. They do not anger easily, but when the dam bursts and they get mad at you, your best course of action is to beat a hasty retreat. When you have known them for a while, you will be able to recognise the signals. At the first signs of pawing of the ground and smoke escaping their nostrils – metaphorically speaking – it is best to either make an effort at putting things right or quickly get out of their way. Having reached that phase in the proceedings, there is usually no longer any point in trying to argue with a Taurean. When they see red, just step back and give them sufficient time to cool down, until they have become their usual amicable and friendly self again. We shall return to this later, in more detail.

THE DESIRE NATURE

Taurus is the value and also the money sign of the zodiac, and souls born into this sign are particularly fond of money and of gold. The Taurean love for money is shared by Capricorn, another Earth sign. Yet, there is a big difference between the motivations behind this. Taureans love to enjoy all the good things Mother Earth has to offer and this means spend, spend, spend! Both signs will do all they can to get their hands on money, lots and lots of it. Having it to Taurus means being able to afford wine, women/men and song, literally and metaphorically speaking, as well as good food and drink, fine clothes, furniture, works of art, especially sculptures and pottery. These things are eagerly explored and greatly enjoyed by Taureans, who will insist that everything is of the best and the finest quality they can possibly afford.

However, by the time that same soul has reached Capricorn, through its own experiences it will have grown wise to the fact that in Earth life – and that on all its levels – times of abundance are inevitably followed by ones of great need. The same principle applies to lifetimes and the wise purpose behind it all is to teach each one of us the value of things and to help us differentiate between fat and lean times. That’s how in Capricorn we realise the need for putting something by for a rainy day and enjoy the merits of thrift and saving, but care needs to be taken that this does not wind up in miserliness and excessive frugality.

But in Taurus the soul is still busy with absorbing the lesson that neither money nor gold represent value itself and that these things are of value merely of the Earth plane, where they are two of its symbols. The Taurean desire nature is strong, which makes them into extraordinarily acquisitive people. All possessions and material things are of the greatest importance to them and their present lifetime will offer them many opportunities for appreciating the good things of the Earth to the fullest. However, the more experienced the soul becomes, after it has been many times round the zodiac, the more wisely it learns to handle its earthly resources – even during a lifetime in Taurus. In younger, less experiences souls over-possessiveness, jealousy and greed have to be experienced with great intensity and grappled with.

Why is it that the Taurean desire nature is so strong? When you put Taurus on the natural zodiac, so that this sign is on the Ascendant, the twelfth house of the soul and of subconscious awareness is then occupied by Aries under the rulership of the planet of desire, Mars. The aggressively pushy assertiveness the soul needs and gets from the Universe in Aries is still there. This trace does not just go away when the soul progresses into Taurus, but under the softening, mellowing and sweetening influence of Venus, that of Mars and Aries moves into the background of our consciousness, into our subconscious, from where it continues to drive the soul forward on its evolutionary pathway. During all subsequent lifetimes its influence remains with us. It then makes itself felt in different houses, i.e. aspects of our life.

The desire nature is just as strong in Scorpio, the sign in polar opposition to Taurus, co-ruled by Mars and Pluto. As a result Taurus is subject to a double dose of the subconscious influence of Mars. A fierce desire nature is a natural part of every soul’s character make-up on the Earth plane. That is the engine that drives us from one lifetime into another in pursuit of experiences that result in soul growth and are thus helpful to our personal evolution and that of our whole world. Through the consequences of our actions, in pursuit of our desires, life itself eventually teaches each one of us how to distinguish between the beneficial and detrimental expressions of our desire nature.

And so, off the soul goes in pursuit of satisfying its many appetites, to experience the good things of the Earth and learning to appreciate them. By exploring them its understanding of earthly life gradually expands. This continues until the soul has acquired a set of true values with regard to people and things. Having reached a sufficient degree of spiritual awareness, it begins to feel the need to nail the desires of its small earthly self to the cross and surrender itself, freely and willingly, into the loving hands of its Highest Self. The most important lesson and the greatest test of the soul’s spiritual maturity wait for every soul at the end of each lifetime. All earthly things must be handed back and consciousness alone remains. The better the understanding of the true purpose of life, the easier the letting go, the less chance of remaining stuck on the material level and of getting lost in the illusion of an over-materialistic existence.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Desire Nature’

LETTING GO

In all their relationships and especially those with their children Taureans and Scorpios are the most clinging and possessive people in the zodiac. Letting go of anyone or anything, not just their children, is painful and extremely difficult for souls born into both signs. The wise ones among them realise that all their negative character traits, including this one, have their origin in fear, to be more precise the fear of loss, and that in order to shed this fear they need to rise above the desires of their small self, most of all the desire of holding on. The realisation that their children are not some kind of property, that they do not belong to their earthly parents but to God, enables them to release loved ones with much more ease when the time for doing so has come.

I do not share the view that we come into this life with nothing and that we depart in the same state. We are spirit and soul, temporarily clothed in flesh, i.e. matter. We were consciousness when we arrived and any learning we manage to gather during our present lifetime helps us to grow ever more heaven-tall. The more diligently we attend to our earthly education and strive to fulfil the purpose of our being here, the faster we grow in awareness and our consciousness expands.

Apart from our consciousness, we do not own anything. Even our physical bodies are on loan and for a time only. All we can hope for in this life is to act as temporary keepers and caretakers of people and things – nothing more, nothing less. Happy are those of us who learn this lesson as early as possible in life, especially if their Sun is in Taurus. Wise ones rejoice in knowing that this earthly existence is but a passing state; that at the end of each lifetime everybody returns to the world of spirit, from where we once came; and that in love nothing can ever be truly lost. Anyone – not just Taureans, who whole-heartedly understands and accepts these things, is sure to have a much easier time when it comes to letting go of people and possessions at the time of the great transformation of death.

In my view, the true test of value and possessions does not lie in the denial of material life and things, but in one’s ability to enjoy and appreciate the good things of life for what they truly are, namely gifts of our Mother/Father Creator, and for a limited time only. When we stop to identify ourselves with our possessions but realise who and what we truly are, our hearts and souls can no longer be possessed by them. Yes, we are here to take good care of everything that has been given unto us and make sure that it remains in as good a condition as possible. But, when the moment for saying good-bye to the people and things we have cherished has come, it needs to be done gracefully and with deep gratitude to God and the Angels.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘About Children’

THE VIRTUE OF PATIENCE

Taureans are persistent and patient souls, often too much so. Another one of those false astrological myths is that souls born into Taurus and Libra, the two signs ruled by the peace and harmony loving planet Venus, are naturally patient people. Let no-one try to convince you of that; nothing could be further from the truth. All you need to do is have a look at the polar opposites of these two signs. The energetic, outgoing and aggressive spirit of Mars, the mythological God of war affects the souls of those born into Taurus and Libra through their subconscious and sees to it that this is not the case. Yet, because of their gentle nature, Taureans and Librans may indeed come across as patient.

This may at least partly be due to the fact that both are usually – at least early on during their present lifetime – not good at asserting themselves and standing up for their own needs and rights. They may be reluctant to establish firm boundaries for themselves that should not be overstepped by anyone. Afraid of not being liked by those around them, some may completely fail to set them and also because they may still be unaware that there is such a thing as boundaries. And this lack may cause souls who are usually kind, obliging and – only seemingly – far too patient to eventually blow their tops. This can sometimes happen so surprisingly and with a vehemence of an eruption of a long-smouldering volcano that the world around them, and they themselves too, may fail to understand what is hitting them!

This putting up with things for far too long and the suffering it causes is expressed by each sign in a different manner. Librans are likely to try endlessly and go to great pains to look after their relationships, mending and healing them, if at all possible. Yet, there comes a time when even Librans have finally had enough and reluctantly wrestle themselves through to the decision to put an end to this particular relationship and to move on. Watch out for the moment when someone has upset and disturbed the peacemaker’s delicate inner equilibrium too much and for too long! In spite of all their regrets and dithering, they are then quite capable of cutting someone from their life altogether, even though forgetting the other one may be an entirely different matter.

And then there is Taurus, the home-builder of the zodiac, who is very fond of home, hearth and family. Willing to work extremely hard at building a cosy nest for themselves and their loved ones, their transgressions all too easily disturb the harmonious and peaceful home-life that is the dream of any self-respecting Taurean. And when the gentle, kind and loving Taurus soul has finally had enough of people’s behaviour, the result may be a surprisingly violent outburst about which no-one could be more distressed than they themselves. Such an experience is usually far worse for them to endure than it is for those who provoked their wrath, in the first place.

Inevitable as they are, eruptions of this nature hurt and surprise sensitive Taurean or Libran souls more deeply than anyone else’s, especially when this happens for the first time during their present lifetime. Grown wise because they have found a measure of self-knowledge and learnt from their experiences, allows them to take precautionary measures, most importantly establishing firm boundaries for themselves and others, to which they will stick. One of Venus’ most pleasant gifts is good manners. This helps them to put their foot down firmly and give some kind of a warning signal – so far and no further, please, as soon as they recognise the early warning signs of intolerable behaviour of others towards them.

WHAT PRICE PEACE?

The most important part of their earthly education for Taurean and Libran souls alike is the discovery that peace at any price is the most futile exercise on Earth. It cannot bring peace; all it can do is create incessant inner turmoil, upset and suffering. As soon as the soul learns to love and respect itself and its own desires, this should be avoided. ‘Love your neighbour, as you love yourself’ pre-supposes that we love ourselves, not in a selfish way, but through paying attention to our own needs and wishes as much as those of others. After all, everybody has the right to find at least a measure of peace and happiness on the Earth plane.

The establishing of boundaries is very necessary when it comes to healing the most relationship of all, the one with ourselves. This applies to all souls, not merely those born into Taurus and Libra. No-one is meant to live in the extreme characteristics of any of the opposing signs. The point of balance lies in the middle, as the dot in the small circle in the middle of our birthchart indicates. Every soul must learn to have their being in the still centre of the hub of the wheel of life and of fortune, being constantly enriched by all its experiences. The zodiac is a symbolism for this wheel; it spins round and round and takes each one of us through lifetime after lifetime of ever new and changing lessons of great value.

To my mind, the perception that ‘men are from mars and women from Venus’ is nothing but a harking back to the ways of the past and the patriarchy. How good it is to know that these things fortunately by now have run their course. The times are definitely over when girls and boys were trained from babyhood in role-playing, instead of allowing them to develop their natural talents freely. In those olden days – not at all golden ones – boys were encouraged to act upon their Mars energy only; their soft and sensitive feeling side had to be brutally suppressed, if need be. The expectancy of little girls’ behaviour was based upon the unrealistic notion that it was possible for them to act merely on the Venusian qualities of sugar and spice and all things nice.

The evidence of the detrimental effects of such forced and unnatural behaviour patterns is still highly visible in many parts of our world. How good it is to know that ever more are waking up to the realisation that we all have everything within; and that we are in this life to reconcile and heal all parts of our nature together, in order to become more whole and integrated. The opposing aspects of our nature need to be coaxed to join forces and taught to work harmoniously together, the way they are doing in God. When this happens, they stop struggling against each other and no longer cause trouble and strife for us and our world on the inner and the outer levels of life. After all, we are here to learn from the mistakes of the past and to do better.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Sun in Scorpio’
• ‘Sun in Aries’
• ‘Sun in Libra’

THE WESAK MOON

The Moon greatly influences all life on the Earth and each month the time of the full Moon is a special one in a different way. Every year the full Moon in Taurus takes place in Scorpio. In the year 2010 it falls on 28th April at 12.20 hrs – in case you are struggling with the 24 hour clock: 20 minutes past noon. GMT. Undoubtedly this is the most important event during the Sun’s transit through Taurus and the time has come for celebrating the Wesak Festival. Studying both the Sun in Taurus and in Scorpio goes a long way towards a better understanding of the significance of this event.

In the Hindu religion the Banyan tree is the symbol of the tree of life. The Lord Buddha is said to have meditated under such a tree until he found his enlightenment. However, because by now the Buddha is as much a legendary figure as the Master Jesus, the tales about this vary considerably regarding the length of time this took and also the type of tree under which he sat. The Boddhi tree legend says that after having become enlightened, the Buddha stayed under it and also others for seven more weeks meditating and mastering all his senses. However, the accounts of these seven weeks do not always exactly match in some details such as timing. It seems likely to me that the seven weeks are more of an allegory, a symbolism and/or a teaching aid than what the Buddha actually did.

By the way, the same especially powerful outpourings of the Christ energies are flowing into our whole world at various occasions, not only around the Wesak Moon and the Christ Moon but also during the times of the Summer and Winter Solstice or the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes. No matter whether we live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, they simultaneously reach and influence all life on our planet equally strongly – the reversal of the seasons in the hemispheres does not make any difference.

The life of the Lord Buddha is a myth, just the same as the life of the Master Jesus. The one of the Buddha was given to our world to show us how each and every one of eventually has to work their way towards buddhahood, the state all souls have to achieve one day. The time of the Wesak Moon is a particularly good time for meditations and quiet reflections, not on the man but on the purpose of the legends surrounding him.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Moon’s Cycles’
• ‘The Significance of the Full Moon’

THE WESAK FESTIVAL

The ancient ritual of the Wesak Festival came to our world through the Masters of the Himalayan Mountains. Alice Bailey, the astrologer, writer and Christian mystic wove Eastern traditions into her work and helped to popularise this festival in the Western world. As you and I are now considering life from the same angle, we too are given an opportunity for finding a better understanding of this special time of the year on a Universal level.

The Wesak Festival is not just one day but covers the three month period between the Aries Full Moon – which coincides with Passover each year – and the Gemini Full Moon. Its date and time for this year is mentioned in the first paragraph of the previous chapter. The full Moon in Taurus is the highest point of the whole festival. Many other sages of our world have taught – and to this day still do – that the prophets and Ascended Ones are closest to the planet at this time and that the Great Plan for humanity for the following year is sent forth. At this very special time of the year God and the Angels are offering each one of us opportunities for projecting our personal group and planetary soul petitions for healing and change into the Universe.

It is no coincidence that the Jewish Passover, the Christian holiday of Easter, the Wesak Festival and the Spring Equinox all basically have the same themes: death of the old, followed by renewal and rebirth of life’s forces – within the Great Plan and with help from the highest realms. Even in the Aztec Temples of Mexico, the architecture of Chitzenitza was designed around the single day of the Spring Equinox. At sunrise only on that day, the shadow of the serpent – their symbol of the life force, Chi, Kundalini, Shefa of other traditions – can be seen moving up the side of the temple walls, and the renewed life force pouring into the Earth can be felt. The symbolic meanings of the resurrection of Easter, the freedom from persecution of Passover, the rights of the renewal of life in spring, all carry with them the energy of a new start after the darkness of winter.

The sages advise us to use this time as an opportunity for all manner of spring cleaning actions – inner and also directed into the world around around us. Here are a few suggestions:

• Write a petition or prayer to the Divine One and put it in a meaningful place, where it can be left untouched until the same time next year.
• Use one of the dates given to begin a new health practice that appeals to you, maybe a daily workout, yoga or the martial arts.
• Gather a group of friends for meditation and/or a group prayer for planetary healing.
• Organise a social service event with like-minded friends.
• Give food to the homeless or visit a local elderly community.
• Wesak is a good time for renewing old friendships, for healing family wounds, or making amends with someone who has been alienated. Even if it was not your fault, bear in mind that far too many souls have gone to their grave without reconciliation with a loved one, all because they valued being right too much.
• Make time to find out more about a tradition or spiritual practice you have wanted to study for a long time, but never got round to it. Choose one and stay with it for a while.
• As the energies for new beginnings of all kinds is with us very strongly now, let us make good use of it, maybe by going somewhere you have always wanted to see.

May the blessings of this season of renewal be upon us and our world.

© Aquarius 2010

 SUN IN GEMINI
SIGN OF THE EARTHLY MIND,
DUALITY AND COMMUNICATIONS

In the year 2010 the Sun moves into Gemini on 21st May. The next sign, Cancer, it will enter on 21st June. Yet another full Moon that is spiritually of the greatest significance takes place when the Sun is in Gemini. It is known as the Christ Moon which this year will take place on the 27th May at 23.07 hrs United Kingdom time. In the chapter ‘The Christ Moon’ at the end of this Astro File we shall return to and take a closer look at the special meaning of this Moon.

Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only to those with their Sun in Gemini but also when:

• Your Sun is in the third house, which is associated with Gemini;
• Your Moon is in Gemini or the third house;
• Your Ascendant is in Gemini;
• You were born on the 5th, 14th or 23rd day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Gemini.

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Gemini, it is advisable to pay particular attention to the negative expressions of that sign, whilst watching out how they may express themselves in you. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can cause us considerable problems, because they are then far more difficult to detect in ourselves – in spite of the fact that this kind of behaviour is probably a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can be achieved potentially by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology can be used to help us find them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Taurus/Gemini but also Gemini/Cancer, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Gemini – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY
CASTOR AND POLLUX

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for souls born into them. Mercury is one of the planets that rules two signs, namely Gemini, the sign of the twins, i.e. duality and of communications, and Virgo, the teaching and healing sign of the zodiac. The planet itself is going to be investigated later in this file, as my observations and insights make more sense there. So, instead of the planet itself we shall focus in this spot on what the myths and mysteries that surround the sign of the twins can reveal to us.

Castor and Pollux, the mythological twins and heroes of Greek mythology, were the sons of Zeus, the king of the Gods. They were great warriors and noted for their devotion to each other. Castor excelled as a horseman and Pollux as a boxer. The ancient Greeks believed one of every set of twins to be the son of a God and thus immortal. In one version of their legend, Castor, the earthly brother, was killed and Pollux, the son of a God, begged his father to allow his brother to share his immortality with him. Zeus in his great wisdom decided that the twins should divide their time evenly between Hades – Earth life – and Heaven – the world of spirit; in their honour they were placed together in the sky by Zeus as the constellation Gemini or The Twins.

To this day, the tale of the twins can give us some valuable clues about the mysteries of the dual nature of humankind, as well as providing us with the key for unlocking them. The fact that one of the twins descends onto the Earth plane, while the other one remains in the spirit world, from where he guides and protects his brother, is an indication of the close relationship that exists between our small earthly self and our Highest or God Self. The devotion of the mythological twins to each other shows that there has always been an intimate and loving relationship between the two.

In his role as the fabulous horseman Castor also points us in the direction of Gemini’s inner connection with its polar opposite, Sagittarius. This is the sign of the superconscious mind and travelling, spiritual explorations and adventuring. Here the human superconscious faculties are waiting to be developed until we have mastered them to perfection. However many times of going round the zodiac and passing through Sagittarius this may take us, we all get there in the end.

The Sagittarian symbol is the centaur, whose lower half is animal, horse, and the upper half is human and potentially Divine. In the animal speak of the Native American tradition the horse represents power, i.e. the power of the spirit to carry the human soul forward on its evolutionary pathway. The concept of the horse also brings to mind Pegasus, the winged horse of the Ancient Greek mythological tradition. The ideas from the Source provide the inspiration for all creative efforts and the steed is a symbolism for the creative imagination of writers on whose wings we can lift ourselves and our world into the heart of the Universe.

The inspiration for doing so is constantly flowing from the highest levels into all life, to be received by those who are ready to express them on the Earth plane wit the help of their very own individual perception of life. During previous lifetimes such people have been prepared for the main task of their present one of bringing some specific work of art, maybe several, into being. There’s just one snag and that is that to reach the conscious awareness of the recipient the Universe’s ideas must work their way through layer upon layer of that person’s residues of the soul memories from those lifetimes. And that is the cause of the bouts of deep depression that have to be endured by so many creative writers before their next creative outburst.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘A New Perspective on Depression and Suicide’

ROMULUS AND REMUS

Roman mythology also had a famous set of twins, Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Their mother was one of the Vestal Virgins who was impregnated by the God Mars. The Vestal Virgins were women priests in ancient Rome who entered their order as virgins and were sworn to chastity, as they played a very special role in the temple of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth. They were considered to be holy and their primary task consisted of maintaining the sacred fire of Vesta. The Vestal duty brought great honour and afforded greater privileges to women who served in that role than they would ordinarily have had. The virgins were the only female priests within the Roman religious system.

When the Vestal Virgin of our tale gave birth to twins, she called them Romulus and Remus. However, the King decreed that they should be left to die in the Tiber River. As fate had other intentions for the twins, they were placed in a basked that was set adrift on the river but later washed up on shore. A wolf found them, took pity on them and suckled them. When they were a bit older a woodpecker fed them, until eventually a kind shepherd found them and took them into his home. When they had grown up, Romulus and Remus restored the throne of Alba Longa to its rightful ruler, their maternal grandfather. Then they set out to found their own city, but sibling rivalry developed between them; as a result Romulus killed his brother. Thus he became the first King and the founder of the city of Rome which is named after him.

The wolf in the Native American tradition of animal speak stands for a teacher of the spiritual kind. And in the tale of Romulus and Remus we have two children of a God, whose mother, an earthly priestess, was forced to abandon them shortly after their birth because of a cruel King’s orders, but who were suckled by a wolf who took pity on them. Here we have an early version of God’s children of the Earth, who are abandoned by their true parents, and given into the care of earthly ones – who all their lives are likely to remain small and frightened children themselves. These earthly parents are meant to be the children’s teachers; yet, only up to a point. We, the children of the Earth are only seemingly abandoned by our true parents, the Father/Mother of the whole of Creation.

The wolf, to me, is a symbolism for the Angels who always take care of us, bringing us into this life and taking us out of it again when the right moment has come. The wolf also represents the spiritual teachers and guides from our other world, who feed all children of the Earth with their very own special nourishment. Later a bird feeds the twins, until the kindly shepherd finds them and takes them into his home. This represents a double symbolism for the nurturing and caring that is constantly provided for all human souls by spirit beings.

CHARACTERISTICS

Now, let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Gemini. The following is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into perfection or rather wholeness. The circle of the zodiac with all its signs and houses is a symbol of this process. The law of life is evolution and round and round the zodiac every human soul has to go. Lifetime after lifetime we slowly absorb ever more of the lessons that are needed to integrate the qualities of our Divine parents. Every new lifetime brings us that bit closer to our final goal, the perfection, i.e. the wholeness, of the Great Father/Mother of all life, our true ancestors. This task will not be fulfilled until they are all functioning together in the same perfect harmony that is in God.

Gemini is the mutable Air sign ruled by the planet Mercury, the messenger of the Gods, who is also responsible for the human soul’s early earthly education and the development of the earthly mind and its communication skills this requires. The third sign of the zodiac, Gemini is the ruler of the third house. Both sign and house deal mainly with siblings and close relatives of all kinds, like sisters, brothers, cousins and so forth. When our Sun is found in Gemini or the third house, the main focus of the lessons of our present lifetime is on further development of the skills that we, very unwisely, too often take for granted. Gemini is also concerned with short distance travelling like walking, cycling and motoring.

Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are the Air signs of the zodiac. Those born into them are much more ruled by their intellect than the emotions. This is how it comes about that Geminians think their way through life and they define themselves by the keyword: ‘I think!’ Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces are mutable signs. With the help of the link provided at the end of this paragraph, you might like to read up about the astrological meaning of mutability in ‘The Qualities of the Signs’. Should this be the only Sun sign you are interested in and you are as yet unfamiliar with these concepts, you need to know that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, and that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. The energies of our Sun sign are reflected in our approach to life and our attitude to and perception of it.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Qualities of the Signs’

THE POLARITY OF GEMINI AND SAGITTARIUS

The human intellect is an integral part of the great Universal intelligence. Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are the Air signs. They are the thinking and communication signs of the zodiac that serve the individual and collective development of this aspect of our nature, which slowly but surely leads us and our world into ever higher levels of comprehension of that which is known to us as God’s Divine truth. Each lifetime spent in one of the Air signs presents the human soul with many opportunities for the further advancement of their earthly intellectual faculties of logic and rational thinking. On the whole souls born into the Air signs are not emotional people. That’s why the best way of reaching them is through appealing to their reason and logic. Gemini is no exception to this, because its key motivation is: ‘I think’. And if one wishes to find the key for the thinking patterns of this sign, nothing could be more useful than studying its sleeping partner and polar opposite, Sagittarius.

Gemini represents the earthly logical and analytical mind of the small self. Detached from its soft and sensitive feeling side, the soul, this mind is cold and crystal clear in its analyses, its vision is firmly focused on daily life and the concerns of the Earth, which can therefore be extremely limited. The earthly mind is a jittery and nervous one that is doubtful and all too easily frightened. This is helped greatly when the Geminian soul learns to tap into the energies of Sagittarius. The most endearing qualities of this sign are unbounded faith, trust, joy and hope, because it is part of the faculties of the ebullient, expansive and trusting, which can also be exceedingly gullible, super-conscious mind of its Highest or God Self.

The study of Gemini and Sagittarius takes us back to the twins of mythology, for their two parts are active and alive in every human soul. It is not hard to recognise that Gemini is the earthly twin and that Sagittarius is its heavenly counterpart. On the whole, souls born into both signs are intelligent, lively, active and greatly interested in mental pursuits. During a lifetime in Gemini the soul is still mostly involved with earthly matters. But by the time it moves into Sagittarius its interests – especially from midlife onwards – begin to turn to higher concerns, for example the religions and philosophies of our world. While many a soul in Gemini still prefers to remain on the surface of things, carelessly flitting from one experience to another, the Sagittarian who has already reached a degree of spiritual awareness is likely to choose subjects of a more expansive nature that look further and deeper into things. The nature and the scope of that particular soul’s journeying and activities, mental, spiritual and otherwise, during its present lifetime is likely to be wider and its studies more profound than they are likely to be in Gemini.

BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS IN OPPOSING SIGNS

Great spiritual progress is possible as soon as the soul – in any of the signs – learns to tap into the energies of its own Sun sign and that of its polar opposite, because the two signs of each pair complement each other. The narrow window of the perception of life of the earthly personality’s mind, Gemini, can and needs to be opened through attunement to the expansive and spiritually enriched vision of Sagittarius. And the earthly logical and analytical faculties of Gemini benefit the soul’s process of sorting the wheat from the chaff in spiritual matters. On top of all that souls in Gemini, Air, and Sagittarius, Fire, are equally in need of grounding themselves in the Earth and Water elements. Inner guidance can only be received through the world of our feelings, i.e. the emotions and they are ruled by the Water element.

The elements of the signs in opposition in the zodiac get on well with each other. Because there is an underlying harmony between those elements they enjoy working with and responding to each other. Water gets on well with Earth, Air with Fire, and vice versa. Whenever two extremes join forces and find the golden point of balance halfway between them, they are capable of giving of their best. In the case of Gemini and Sagittarius, when this happens and Geminians devote themselves to selflessly attending to the needs of others, its over-concern for itself, its love of the minutest details of everyday life, and also for tittle-tattle and gossiping vanishes on its own over the horizon of their earthly consciousness. When the Sagittarian soul does the same, its devotion to boasting and tendencies to over-confidence are forgotten and its love of display loses all meaning. As the soul forgets itself increasingly in loving service to the One and through it, all life, these things disappear as if they had never existed.

Every soul must learn in its own time how to deal with the extremes of behaviour of its own sign and the one in opposition. Gemini and Sagittarius present us with one of the finest examples of this. To help the soul cope with its experiences on the Earth plane and for understanding its concepts, it has been given the gift of an earthly mind that has reasoning and logical faculties. Alas, this mind suffers from an extremely narrow field of vision. That’s why it is desperately in need of and can benefit greatly from integrating the best of the qualities of its opposite sign, Sagittarius. This is the sign in which the soul develops the ability to tap into the intuition and inspiration of the super-conscious mind of Its Highest Self. Because the Sagittarian vision can all too easily become over-expansive and far too advanced for the soul’s present evolutionary state, this part, in turn, requires the checking influence of the earthly mind.

The point of balance, as always, lies somewhere in the middle region between these two extremes. Eventually the soul realises this; it then connects its two minds with each other and trains them to work harmoniously together. Until this has taken place, during a lifetime in Gemini the earthly mind may keep the soul firmly bound to the Earth and chained to the endless trivia of its daily life. Deeply unhappy and suffering because of its inability to open its inner eyes and lift them above its present existence, it may sink ever deeper into depression. That, however, is by no means the end of anything!

Used to its earthbound ways of thinking and perceiving our world and its role in it, the soul when it enters Sagittarius for the first few times may still be reluctant to take the opportunities for lifting its vision to the higher and highest aspects of life. Yet, the Universe has endless patience with all of us and there comes the time for every soul when it responds to the calling of what is known as ‘the Father’, its Highest Self, ever more strongly. The soul wakes up Its horizons start to widen and responding to the influence of the Fire element, in the end it enjoys the Sagittarian experience so much that it eagerly seizes all opportunities for travelling and experimenting on all levels of life, especially spiritual adventuring and explorations. Ask any Sagittarian whether this is true!

Because in the end all human souls take to their wings too wholeheartedly, to slow down their progress to a sensible pace, the Universe in its infinite wisdom decrees that the next lifetime should be spent in Capricorn, the sign that follows Sagittarius in the zodiac. Capricorn is ruled by stern and undeviating schoolmaster Saturn. Here the Earth element has to be encountered at its densest and so our souls come down to Earth with a bump. Our wings have been clipped and we have been grounded on the Earth plane, where we must serve the needs of humankind in some fashion. Instead of constant moving around and travelling, we become stationary and receive a lesson that lasts a whole lifetime on serving and focussing on our objectives in life, especially long-term ones.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Taking Charge of our Tongues’

LEARNING TO TRUST

The Highest or God Self of every soul is waiting to be called upon, so that it can guide, protect, inspire and motivate us into right thoughts, words and actions. But, no matter what information we receive from anywhere, even from within, has to be filtered by us through our earthly mind, to ensure that it makes some sense. When in this way we, the earthly twin, are doing our best, God and the Angels, our heavenly twin, can do the rest and work through us for the highest good of all. There is no way that the earthly twin on its own can know what that may be. As its life progresses and the soul moves along, endeavouring to follow the guidance of its inner teacher, it learns through first hand experiences to trust that its heavenly Self infallibly knows a solution to every problem.

Our lives are meant to be conducted so that in due course we become aware and accept that trust is something that cannot be given to us by anyone; it has to grow from within. This can only come about through testing, trying and having a go at things ourselves, sticking our toes into the water, finding out and constantly learning from all our experiences. That is the only way of finding what we like and what we don’t like, what is right and what is wrong for us at any given time. Basically, life on the Earth plane is as simple as that. Why then can be often be so difficult? Because trusting, letting go and letting God completely take over our lives at the beginning can be very scary indeed. Yet, only by moving along and learning to go with the flow can genuine trust in the inherent goodness life slowly build up in us; and the more one practises this the easier it gets.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Reflections on Faith’

FINDING OUR SPECIAL TASK

Every soul was created so that as soon as it has reached the right level of spiritual evolution, it can carry out some kind of a special task that cannot be executed by any other soul. In the course of trying to find its special assignment every soul is bound to encounter many obstacles, delays and frustrations that may be exceedingly hard to bear. As each one that tests our mettle to the full is necessary for gradually building up our inner strength, courage and the power, so that in due course they can be brought forth, let us not begrudge them. One of the greatest facts of life is that if we learn something from every experience that comes our way, we will always gain and grow in wisdom and patience. As those two qualities are the two most precious gifts each new earthly sojourn wishes to bestow upon on every soul, it is not surprising that they are the hardest ones to come by. Ask any soul who is strongly under the influence of Saturn during their present lifetime; they are sure to confirm this.

In the light of all that, it is hardly surprising that many a time at the beginning of some of our more daring new ventures, something of a quantum leap of faith is required from us. In such cases, I find it helpful to imagine myself as following the example of the fool in my favourite Tarot, ‘The Medicine Woman – as a Symbol of Everybody’s Awakening Feminine Intuition and Wisdom’ by Carol Bridges. The fool in this Tarot is pictured as a young maiden, who is walking close to a steep river embankment. Blissfully unaware of the danger of her situation, she smiles and scatters her seeds, a symbolism for the inspirations that are flowing through her, onto the water and land below. Her gaze is firmly fixed heavenwards and the Sun’s radiance and love is fully upon her. It does not seem to bother her that she is only one step away from falling down a sheer rock-face into the river below. The look on her face shows that she trusts implicitly that she is safe.

However, we as healers have to go one step further still. Trusting our intuition and inner guidance, at the threshold of each new venture, there comes the moment when there is nothing for it but holding our nose and jumping with both feet into the abyss. That’s what it sometimes feels like, especially when it comes to finding the above mentioned special task. The fool is a symbolism for every human soul who in Gemini becomes more aware of its earthly mind and is required to develop it. Each time the soul attempts to ground one of its new ventures, through its inner connection with Sagittarius and the super-conscious faculties of the Highest mind, it receives inspiration and is guided into thoughts, words and actions that are right for its present evolutionary level.

As the earthly and heavenly twins are increasingly working together and the soul’s earthly self learns to trust the inner guidance it receives from its Divine counterpart, it finds it easier to surrender itself to its Highest Self. In this process the two parts heal together and so much become one that eventually the Highest Self takes over completely, as demonstrated by the Master Jesus when he walked in our midst two thousand years ago. If we so wish and ask for it – and who in their right senses would not? – our Highest Self can then manipulate the cells of our physical body, so that they return to normal and healthy functioning, and peace fills our whole being, body and soul. This process can be helped along by using affirmations.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘You Are Special’

THE DUAL FORCES WITHIN THE UNIVERSE AND US

Dual forces are at work within all life and therefore also in us and our world. For a very long time these forces were considered to be one the greatest mysteries of earthly life, but fortunately astrology can be used to unravel them all, one by one. Up to fairly recently it was believed that a division and an opposition existed between the Divine and its human offspring. This clearly was a false belief, which was necessary during past ages, to create the illusion that we were separate beings from our Creator. Ever more of us are by now becoming aware that in God everything is one – it always has been and forever will be. God is in all life and all lifeforms, we are as much part of God as God is part of us and in truth there never was any division between anything.

At the threshold of the Age of Aquarius we are at long last beginning to find the spiritual freedom that is the birthright of every soul and that is finding out who we truly are and making up our own minds about what we truly can and want to believe. All of us have been placed on the Earth plane at the present time, so that we may learn to look beyond the cultural illusion of our present world and to wake up to the realisation of the inner oneness of all life. Armed with the spiritual knowledge we are now allowed access to, it becomes ever easier to shed the apparent divisions that have for so long been the part of the great illusion of Earth life, thus helping us to create more suffering for ourselves and each than anything else. Every soul for itself has to first discover and then explore the underlying harmony that exists between all opposing forces within their own nature and that of our world. The task in hand for all of us is teaching them to work together instead of against each other.

As ever, the point of balance between two extremes – in behaviour patterns as in every other aspect of life – invariably lies halfway between them. In this case, on the one hand we have Sagittarius, the sign in which we gather manifold experiences in connection with matters of faith and trust. Beware! One of the greatest Sagittarian pitfalls is gullibility. This is something we all have to watch out for at certain times in our lives when our energies are more strongly under the influence of Sagittarius than we would normally be. There is no need to bore you with the technical details here, but such periods occur at certain intervals during each one of our earthly sojourns. This is probably what happened to one of my friends when he went through what I like to call his pork experience, to which we shall return in a moment.

The polar Sagittarius, and therefore the other end on the scale of this particular set of extremes, is Gemini, the sign in which every soul ultimately must meant learn how to take control of and master its earthly mind. This mind can all too easily become too analytical, in which case the danger of growing over-cold and cynical looms at the horizon, which may result in the total loss of faith and trust in God, people and the whole of life. Yet, his too is something every soul has to experience at least once in the long course of its evolutionary pathway. So, all is by no means lost when it does. We all get back into the awareness of our oneness with God and all life in the end. Only through its own efforts can any soul learn the wise use of its earthly mind, until it serves us as the tool for a true perspective of the concepts of Heaven as well as of the Earth.

Sagittarius represents the superconscious mind and Gemini its counterpart, the mind of Earth. The two faculties have to be brought together and trained by us, so they complement each other and work harmoniously together. Only when this has been achieved can the two together play for us the role of the allegorical messenger of the Gods. Like Mercury, who stole the fire of the Gods – the wisdom and knowledge of the Highest – we are required to do so unselfishly and for the benefit of humankind. Our only motivation should be to alleviate the ignorance of our race which, to this day, is the sole cause of all the suffering on this plane of life. This needs to continue until every last shred of misery has gone from our world.

TELLING A TRUTH FROM A LIE

Even when we are following our inner guidance, it is essential to develop our discriminatory faculties to the full and to use them with great care to enable us to tell a truth from a lie. There is only one way of knowing whether some information comes from our Highest Self or the, ego, its small earthly counterpart. To find it, it is necessary to focus our whole being on the mind in our heart and to listen to its murmurings that come to us through the innermost world of our feelings; that is the only place in the whole of Creation where truth it known. This joining together of the twin faculties of the two minds is the most vital part of the individual and collective healing journey that is presently taking place.

For aeons the Divine spark waits in all human hearts for the moment of its waking up. At long last it comes and our spirit and soul wake from their slumbers and the spark, the seed of the Divine, comes alive and develops develop into a small still flame of love that burns away the dross of darkness and fears of our conscious mind. This is increasingly happening on the Earth plane and the awakening love and wisdom of the mind in our hearts are our most precious friends and allies in our endeavours to be reunited with the heart-mind of God and the Universe.

We are creative beings, co-creators with God, and therefore constantly in the process of creating something, although most of the time we are unaware that this is what we are doing. It is vitally important to create the right things through the right way of thinking, the right frame of mind, not only for ourselves but also for those around us and for our world. The beginning of all creative processes is always a thought. Out of thought comes the word; out of this result the actions that bring new things into being. Because of this it is essential that, as early as possible in life, we take control of our earthly minds and establish patterns that enable us to express our thoughts in the right way.

MERCURY

In Virgo, the teaching and healing sign of the zodiac, Mercury’s energies benefit greatly from the stabilising and strengthening effect of working through the gentle wisdom of the Earth. This, alas, is absent in Gemini, the Air sign. To help it further along, the soul’s earthly mind in Virgo can learn to draw strength, faith and inspiration from its opposite sign Pisces and its rulers Jupiter and Neptune. In Gemini, it can be trained to tap into the faith, joy and optimism of its polar opposite sign, Sagittarius. Under the jurisdiction of Mercury Gemini and Virgo – not merely as Sun signs but also through other influences like Sun in the third or sixth house or the Moon in one of these signs or houses – between them have and still are producing some of our world’s finest writers.

In Roman mythology, Mercury was the fleet-footed messenger of the Gods. Many artworks depict Mercury as a young man who is wearing winged sandals or a winged cap. He holds a caduceus, a staff around which two snakes are winding themselves upwards and facing each other. Amongst many other things, it has always been Mercury’s task to steal the fire of the Gods. This symbolism has always tried to convey the message to our world that it is through the channel of the human earthly mind that Mercury in his capacity as God of communications brings the creative ideas, wisdom and knowledge from the highest levels of life, onto the Earth plane. Mercury’s gifts have always come to humankind to help us make some kind of sense of our temporary existence and to lessen our struggle with it. The highest levels of life are constantly trying to help us find a better understanding of ourselves and our environment, so that the wounds that were of necessity inflicted upon ourselves and each other would heal again. That’s what the messenger of the Gods is doing, to this day! Who do you think is writing this, through me?

Mercury’s counterpart in Greek mythology was Hermes, who also carried a caduceus but this time it represented a symbol of peace. His staff had originally been a rod or an olive branch that ended in two shoots and was decorated with garlands or ribbons, which were later interpreted as two snakes entwined in opposite directions with their heads facing each other. A pair of wings, as a symbol of Hermes’ speed, was attached to the staff above the snakes. Its similarity to the staff of Asclepius, the healer who carries a staff that is branched at the top and entwined by a single serpent, resulted in modern times in the adoption of the caduceus as a symbol of the physician. These processes have been taking place long before we – by that I mean that you and I in other lifetimes could have been among them – ever thought of giving the names of Hermes and Mercury to the earthly counterpart of the super-conscious mind of our Highest Self. To understand itself and the life it is in the small self has been equipped with a mind that can receive and understand the gifts that Mercury brings from the superconscious realms. Even the very ideas for the names of all those concepts have their origin in the Source, where ultimately all ideas come from and return to.

To this day, the legends that were given to us in the days of yore provide us with clues about the functioning of the dual nature of humankind. The two snakes represent the streams of consciousness of the earthly, conscious and logical mind, and the super-conscious mind of the Highest mind, the Divine within us. I see the caduceus as our spine. The intention is that through our spiritual practices, meditations, prayers and contemplations, the two snakes should start to work together, so that they gradually wind themselves evenly around each other and their energies rise through the staff of our spine. As the snakes, the two energies, begin to face each other, come into harmony and slowly become one, they are bringing healing and peace to us and our world.

With the coming together of the soul’s earthly mind, Mercury, and the super-conscious mind of its Highest Self, Sagittarius, the soul gains access to the mind of its own heart. Thus, it re-establishes its inner connection with the great loving heart of the Universe, where all truth is known. As the earthly mind devotes itself ever more to serving the Highest and Its mind gradually takes over, until the two minds have been healing together and act as one. The result is the small still voice of consciousness that is meant to be listened to in every heart. As every individual one is part of the heart of our world and also of the whole of Creation, the prayers of the Universe itself can then flow through us and bring healing and peace to us and our world. The voice in every soul’s heart is part of the great loving voice of the soul of all life; in that soul the wisdom and knowledge of all ages and all worlds are stored; that is why it knows the answers to all our questions. When we have become sufficiently evolved, the voice of this soul will also speak through us, as It once did through the Master Jesus, to bring Its wisdom, blessings and healing to us and our world.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Sun in Libra’

NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF GEMINI

Wishing to make the progress that could potentially be theirs during their present lifetime, wise souls familiarise themselves with the detrimental as well as the beneficial behaviour patterns of their Sun sign. They make it their business to find out what they are and then get to work on avoiding and overcoming them. Taking an active interest in those around them and their concerns stops them from getting too wrapped up in themselves. Aware that their critical and ever analysing approach to life makes it is all too easy to slip into the habit of noticing only that which is disadvantageous in people and situations, they steadfastly refuse to join the ranks of the whingers and moaners of the zodiac. Instead, they endeavour to always look for and concentrate on the good and positive in all people and situations. To their greatest delight they then very quickly discover that it most certainly is there for all those who look for it.

Because of their restless flitting from one adventure to another, in their ceaseless search for many and varied new experiences that promote inner growth, Geminians are known as the butterflies of the zodiac. As they are extremely restless souls, the Chinese call this one the monkey sign. Because of the mutability of their sign Geminians are the most adaptable and versatile people of the zodiac. Unfortunately, they are not known for concentration and persistence. Wise ones make special efforts to build these traces into their character, as experience – either during this lifetime or others – has taught them that this is essential for achieving the success they dream of as much as anybody else. That indeed is hard work for witty, charming and clever Geminians. If you have any contact with them you are sure to have become aware of their wonderful ability of thinking on their feet and how the butterfly breezes through people’s lives like a refreshing summer wind. Here today and gone tomorrow, but leaving us feel enriched for having known them.

The wise ones among them take control of their tendencies to endlessly fussing and nagging over inconsequentials and their obsession with too much detail and trivia. They learn to control their fickle temperament, because they appreciate how difficult that can be to cope with for all concerned. Many Geminians are averse to close and binding ties. This could possibly be an unconscious reaction to lifetimes spent in Taurus, the sign that comes before Gemini in the zodiac, in which the soul gathers experiences of ownership and hopes to develop a true sense of values. To own and being owned is part of the Taurean experience, but in Gemini the soul wants and needs to be free and therefore has a strong dislike for ties that bind them too much.

The approach to life of any of the two signs in the zodiac adjacent to each other are always profoundly different; this ensures that the soul is presented with ever more lessons of a different kind. And that is how it comes about that in Gemini the soul loves everybody and may find it quite hard to settle down to one love only, in spite of the fact that it also wants to be important and special to someone. The more understanding of the basic differences in each other’s life experiences two people can find before entering into a serious relationship, the more freedom they will be able to give each other and the happier their union will be for both of them.

As Geminians have a wonderful gift for communicating their ideas to others, they can be excellent teachers, writers, reporters, as well as sales people. They love talking to an audience, in spite of the fact that people make them nervous. Ideally, they need work where they can move about freely and mingle with people. Eight hours solidly stuck behind a desk is not usually their idea of happiness, unless there are other energies at work in them. For example, if their Moon was in one of the Earth signs or their Sun and/or Moon conjunct Saturn; that would some stability and help to pin the restless butterfly down.

Geminians are fond of dramatising everything that happens to them. They are capable of dreaming up big schemes, but because of their restless desire to be on their way – which they have in common with their polar opposite, Sagittarius – their difficulties in bringing their plans down to the Earth can be great. Being altogether too preoccupied with themselves to allow anyone else in isn’t helpful either. Wise ones who appreciate that their self-centredness is the cause of all their problems, prefer to lose themselves in service to others, because they know that this is the best and probably only way of taking the emphasis away from themselves and their many family problems. Further problems are all too often created by Geminians because they get lost too much in their descriptions of the minutest details and being over-absorbed with themselves and their tales. Thus, they may not notice when their listeners have lost all interest in them as well as their projects,

MASTERY OVER SPEECH AND MIND

The soul’s highest aim in Gemini is to achieve mastery over speech and mind. That is why opportunities for learning about the functioning of the earthly mind are constantly offered to those born into Gemini. Alas, in all of us the earthly mind has developed the habit of ceaselessly going on about something and nothing. Learning to control this is one of the most important tasks for this lifetime, not only for Geminians but for everybody. The murmurings and prayers of our Highest Self that rise to the surface of our consciousness from the depths of our innermost self can only be heard when the chattering of our earthly mind has ceased.

This mind is a powerful tool; it is also a delicate and sensitive one. All too easily swayed and influenced, it can be programmed into believing just about anything. Its tendency to believe any old tale and yarn, so long as someone says it comes from ‘above’ or ‘the beyond’ shows up its great need for attuning itself to the wisdom and knowledge of the Highest mind. As we are all receiver and transmitter stations for communications from the highest levels of life, it is of vital importance that we take charge of and learn to control our earthly mind. It is meant to be developed into a finely tuned instrument that can be used as an effective tool and a channel, through which the blessings of the wisdom of the Highest Self can flow to wherever there is a need for it.

We are responsible for everything that is in our world, including every part of ourselves, every thought, word and action. As thought is the most basic and most potent force in the whole of Creation, first and foremost we need to make every effort to take charge of our thought processes. We also have to answer for what we allow to penetrate our consciousness, and with what we fill our hearts and minds. It is essential that we learn how to point and focus our earthly minds in the right direction. The worlds of mass media and sensationalism, where only bad news are good news, because that’s what sells newspapers and fill the masses of air space on radio and TV that are now available no longer appeal to those who have seriously chosen the spiritual pathway. To them, developing positive thinking into a fine art form is a must.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Positive Thinking’

THE CONSEQUENCES OF EATING PORK?

May the following illustrate how false beliefs can all too easily embed themselves in the human consciousness. You are sure to know from your own experiences how extremely difficult it is to delete them again, even when one finds out that they are untrue. Let me illustrate this with the example briefly touched upon earlier.A friend of mine recently told me that he had become a vegetarian. But, even before he stopped eating meat altogether he had been avoiding pork for a very long time. This happened because he had joined a certain spiritual school – no need to dwell on its name, because that is irrelevant to our tale. In the view of this organisation pigs are very degenerate animals. One of its teachings was that eating the meat of pigs leads to ever increasing amounts of lust. As its followers also practised a kind of celibacy, this was most unwanted and so they avoided pork, though by the sound of things not any other animal products. My friend confided in me that he had noticed that any time he ate any kind of pork, even including sweets that had gelatine in them, in a very real way his lust reared up in a major way.

Now, if there had been any truth in the above mentioned teaching, don’t you think pork would by now be the best known aphrodisiac of our world, extensively hyped, recommended and exploited by all and sundry? That this is not the case, doesn’t that tell you something? I would say that my friend’s body reacted in the way he describes, because his mind had accepted the school’s belief as true. May it serve as a demonstration of what kind of a powerful tool our earthly minds are. It is a very versatile instrument, one that can make us ill and also one that can heal us again.

This tale demonstrates the importance of taking charge of our thoughts and seriously getting to work on the mastery of our restlessly working earthly minds. Geminians appreciate better than anyone else how difficult this is; for them thought control is an absolute must. A better understanding of their true nature and their predestined pathway through life goes a long way towards helping them to gradually shed any feelings of suffering from a somewhat split personality. Geminians have an extremely highly geared nervous system and it is not for nothing that they have the reputation of being the neurotics of the zodiac. Taking extra good care of their nerves can go a long way towards avoiding mental and physical health problems altogether.

YOUTHFUL AND ENTERPRISING GEMINI

At all times Geminians are mentally alert, alive and open to endless possibilities. They usually remain youthful in outlook and appearance, no matter what ripe old age they may reach. Eager curiosity drives Geminian souls to explore everything that comes their way, and they do not stop at the realms of infinite knowledge. However, they may fail to grasp ‘the Unknown’, if they approach it with their usual devastating logic only. Their duality often causes Geminians to be tantalisingly out of their depth, especially when it comes to confronting their own complex personality.

Whilst their opposite sign Sagittarius draws its strength from a bottomless well of optimism to support its belief in the self and its purpose in life, Gemini may have very little self-confidence. Both signs at times may suffer from bouts of extreme depression. By tuning into and making use of the energies of the sign that is in polar opposition with theirs wise souls can take advantage of and benefit from the blessings of both signs. Aware that fatigue in itself is frequently the cause of serious depressions, they do not allow themselves to become depleted of nervous energy. Because they know that conservation of energy is vital for them, they shut up once in a while and pay attention to what those around them have to say. Thus they waste none of their precious energy. Last but by no means least, they carefully watch out for the greatest pitfall of their Sun sign, which is due to its strong duality, and that is being two-faced. When wise ones say something, they make sure they mean it and follow their words up by positive actions.

• Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Power of Thought’
• ‘Negative Thinking Patterns – Cause of Depression’
• ‘The Negative Aspects of our Sun Sign’
• My interpretations of all signs in the ‘Astro Files’

DUALITIES AND POLARITIES

Our Creator consists of dualities and polarities that manifest themselves throughout the whole of Creation. This is also clearly visible in our world wherever one turns. Why else would there be the need for feminine and masculine expressions of almost all living creatures? Being sparks of the Divine, each one of us contains the same dualities and polarities. First and foremost we are in this earthly existence to become familiar with all aspects of the two parts of our nature, the feminine and the masculine within us, as well as the small earthly human self and its counterpart, our Highest or God Self, the heavenly twin. The conscious and super-conscious faculties are a vital ingredient of the Divine heritage that is the birthright of every soul. Alas, as long as our spiritual awakening has not yet taken place the two parts of our nature fail to understand each other. As for a very long time they do not even know about each other’s existence, a struggle develops between our inner and outer self. Because one is afraid of the other, they reject each other and are therefore frequently pulling us in opposite directions.

The only really effective way of overcoming this predicament is an ever increasing awareness that we are so much more than the physical body we walk around in, namely that we are spirit and soul who is but temporarily dwells in the world of matter. The first and most important step on the earthly twin’s journey is the rediscovery that it is not alone on the Earth plane, that is has a heavenly twin, a Highest or God Self that is well capable of taking care of all its needs. We are in this life to make our peace with this part, to take on its role and work on reconciling and healing the two parts of our nature together, so that finally they can operate as one. Although this applies to everyone, the issue is a far more urgent one for souls born into Gemini because until it has been attended to, the law of opposites will continue to operate in us and also our world.

The struggle of the two forces of our inner and outer being, our earthly and its heavenly counterpart, will only stop pulling us in opposite directions when the earthly self at last wakes up to its true reality and begins to work on reconciling itself with its spirit and soul. This alone makes it possible to shed the feeling that something is trying to tear us apart. As we know by now, the world around us constantly reflects back to us that which is taking place inside us, because inner manifestation must always come before outer. That is why true and lasting peace can only come to our planet when sufficient numbers of us have made peace within. Didn’t the legends of the ancients tell us all along that the heavenly and the earthly twin were good and devoted companions to each other? Isn’t it therefore the highest time that they should be re-united by each one of us?

THE CHRIST MOON

The Christ is the eternal Sun, the firstborn Son of God and the first spark of Creation from whom all life and lifeforms are constantly flowing forth. The Sun in the sky above us is a physical manifestation of the Universal Christ, the young God, the Son of the masculine aspect of God, the Father, and his companion, the Divine Mother, the Goddess. Mother Earth is one of her physical manifestations and so are we. As mentioned at the beginning of ‘The Sun in Gemini’, the full Moon in this sign takes place in Sagittarius. This is the time when the Christ Festival is celebrated on the highest levels of life and we are invited to take part in these festivities by joyfully opening ourselves up in our prayers and meditations to receive the special outpouring of the blessing and healing power of the Universal Christ, so we can act as one of its channels onto the Earth plane.

Each one of us contains the Christ qualities at least in its embryonic state and we are all in this life together to make our contribution towards assisting the birth of the Christ Spirit in all human hearts and to make it welcome on the Earth plane. This means bringing forth from within ourselves the Christ qualities and characteristics, which we all contain at least in seed form. In this manner alone can the long promised saviour and redeemer appear in our world, namely in us, to help us save ourselves, each other and our whole planet. The final destiny of every child of the Earth is to become fully one again with God and to become a Christed One , each in their own right just like the Master Jesus in whose footsteps we are all walking. Being one with God does not mean that we shall be completely absorbed into Its energies and that we will lose our individuality and identity. Far from it! It is just that through integrating the qualities of the Highest into our character make-up and making them our own, they grow ever more powerful in us – the same as they are in God.

Every human soul is of Divine origin, a spark the greatest light and the Highest Star, the Spirit of the Universal Christ. To help us move forward on the evolutionary spiral of life, throughout all the ages the Christ has continued to bring us and our world gradually ever more of the illumination of Its great wisdom, power and love. Many have by now developed sufficiently to be able to absorb these fully. By conducting our lives in accordance with our God Self’s requirements, we start to act like a God in our environment. The more we express our Christ Self, the more we become one with the Christ. A great deal more is involved here than merely a God consciousness, i.e. an inner knowingness and acceptance that there is a God. The small earthly self of many is by now ready to be fully taken over – become one with – Christ. Christ is the ever increasing presence of the God Self in everybody that dissolves the shadows of the past, transmuting all errors of the past into blessing and healing energies for all life, and helps us to change all karmic ties and shackles into bonds of love between siblings of the great family of humankind.

By the way, the same especially powerful outpourings of the Christ energies are flowing into our whole world at various occasions, not only around the Wesak Moon and the Christ Moon but also during the times of the Summer and Winter Solstice or the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes. No matter whether we live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, they simultaneously reach and influence all life on our planet equally strongly – the reversal of the seasons in the hemispheres does not make any difference.

THE MOON’S CYCLES

Considering the Moon’s cycles can help us find a better understanding of why the full Moon in Gemini carries its name. Each Moon cycle consists of approx. twenty-nine and a half days. At the end of each one of these periods a conjunction of Sun and Moon takes place in the Heavens; this is seen down here on the Earth as the New Moon. The ancients considered this to be the consummation of the marriage between the energies of the Sun and the Moon. Whether we are as yet aware of this or not, the New Moon invariably signals a time of new beginnings and rebirth for all life on the Earth plane. It is the most wonderful time for getting new projects off the ground.

Success is by no means guaranteed, but if a venture is meant to go ahead and is launched at the time of the New Moon, it will do so with a great deal more vim and vigour, as the supply of energies is fresh and new again. If you watch out for this in future, you may notice that in the run-up to each New Moon, it may sometimes feel as if you were trying to wade through treacle. No matter how hard you try, nothing will move. For those who are unfamiliar with this term, treacle is a type of heavy syrup like a light coloured molasses. When wise ones notice that this is the case, they wait for the next New Moon because they know that a very special kind of magic is at work under whose influence things start moving again; sometimes they do so with breathtaking speed!

Whenever the Sun and the Moon are in opposition to each other in the sky, a full Moon lights up our world at night and the time has come for giving thanks for everything that is and ever has been in our lives. It is also an occasion for finding enlightenment. Now, this does not usually happen through majestic earth-shattering and world-changing flashes of inspiration, like the ones the Buddha is said to have received; more of that in a moment. But if you watch out around the time of the full Moon in future, you may notice that you are gradually finding a greater understanding of difficult life situations and relationships. Insights may dawn inside you that will somehow make things more bearable for you. It is possible to help things along! If there are circumstances in your life that are puzzling you, maybe have been doing for a long time, turn to your inner teacher, the Moon, the Universe – whichever appeals to you most – and ask questions about them. The answers are sure to come, sometimes when we least expect them. To show your readiness to receive them, make sure to set aside regular quiet times for quiet reflections, contemplations and meditations.

WHY THE NAME THE CHRIST MOON?

Let us take a closer look at the polarity of Gemini and Sagittarius to find a better understanding of this. Sagittarius is the sign in which the human soul first begins to bring forth and develop the superconscious faculties that are part of its Divine heritage; the ninth is the house that has been allocated to this sign. Each subsequent lifetime in which the soul’s Sun is placed in Sagittarius or in the ninth house brings further opportunities for practising these faculties some more, until they have reached the perfection that is in God and the soul has become a Christed One. That brings us to the Christ Moon: during the Sun’s annual transit of Gemini the full Moon takes place in Sagittarius. The position of the two planets then reveals that the link between humankind’s earthly mind, Gemini, and the super-conscious Christ mind at such times is a direct one. This makes an especially great outpouring of the Universal Christ’s blessing and healing energy into the hearts and minds of humankind possible. Those who are ready to tune into this gentle, kind and loving energy are sure to enjoy the upliftment it brings for all life on the Earth.

The polarities between the signs in opposition to each other in the zodiac show up how the full Moon can be celebrated by us earthling, each in its own unique way, so that we may receive as much as possible of the blessings each one has to bestow. There could be no finer examples of this than the full Moon in Taurus and in Gemini. When the Sun is in Taurus, it takes place in its opposite sign, Scorpio, and is known as the Wesak Moon. Legend tells us that the Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Boddhi tree at Uruvela on Vaisakha Poornima, on the day of the April-May full Moon, i.e. in Taurus. After that, he is said to have stayed for seven weeks meditating and mastering all his senses, whilst staying under the Boddhi tree, as well as some other trees. Various Buddhist accounts of these seven weeks do not always exactly match in some details such as timing. It seems likely to me that the seven weeks are more of an allegory, a symbolism and/or a teaching aid than actual physical history.

For a better understanding of why the two Moons carry their special names the study of the following Astro Files is of particular interest:

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Sun in Taurus’
• ‘The Sun in Gemini’
• ‘The Sun in Scorpio’
• ‘The Sun in Sagittarius’

RECEIVING THE CHRIST BLESSINGS

The potency of the inflow of the Christ energies at this extra special time of the year is sure to bring considerable enlightenment to all who are ready to receive it – the results could be truly astounding. Unconsciously, all life on the Earth takes part in everything that comes to our world from the highest levels of life, but now the Cosmic Christ is calling upon all those we have reached the blessed state of being able to consciously take part in the special feast that has been prepared for all life. May any privileged spiritual knowledge we shall find never be used for selfish purposes, but only for lifting our whole planet and all lifeforms it contains in the visible and invisible world into the blessing and healing energies of the Cosmic Christ, our true Lord and Master, our Highest or God Self, in whom we are all one.

When once again the annual direct link between our earthly minds and the mind of the Highest has been established, may all those who read this be among the selected ones who are capable of receiving Its inspirations. As this direct link does not only exist in this particular potency at the exact time of the full Moon, but also in the run-up to it and for some time afterwards, in our meditations and prayers let us join forces and call upon God and the Angels to help us lift us and our whole world into the deepest and innermost heart-mind of God. May each one of us be used as a channel through which the blessing and healing energies of the Universe can flow in full strength into the heart and soul of humankind, that of our whole world and all worlds.

And when after one of these sessions we return to our daily lives let us be aware at all times of the love, wisdom and power of the Christ, as it shines ever more brightly through all those who can consciously receive Its light and reflect it into everything we come into contact with. The more we willingly do the required work on ourselves for the purification or our whole being, the closer we come to the Christ and the clearer, brighter and purer conduit of Its precious energies we become. This is as valid for the work of our hands as that of our heart, mind, spirit and soul. True and lasting peace can only come to us and our world through everybody own efforts of radiating nothing by gentleness, kindness and love into all we come into contact with. By steadfastly holding onto our inner knowledge that God is working very hard to bring the light of the Spirit, Its wisdom and knowledge to all humankind, we are making a valuable contribution towards bringing our new and peaceful world into being.

© Aquarius 2010

SUN IN CANCER
SIGN OF THE GREAT MOTHER OF ALL LIFE

In the year 2010 the Sun moves into Cancer on the 22nd June and it will enter Leo, the next sign, on the 22nd July. Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only to those with their Sun in Cancer but also when:

• Your Sun is in the fourth house, the natural house of Cancer;
• Your Moon is in Cancer or the fourth house;
• Your Ascendant is in Cancer;
• You were born on the 2nd or the 20th day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Cancer.
• However, if you were born on the 11th or 29th day of any month, the Master Number 11 applies to you and you may find the following files of interest:

‘Two Studies In Mastership’
‘Master Number 11’
‘Master Number 22’
‘How To Become A Master Builder’

The Sun’s entry into Cancer is the day of the Summer Solstice when special celebrations are held on the highest levels of life; those on the Earth plane are their outer manifestations. The summer and the winter solstice are special times when – for a brief moment – the Sun in the sky above us appears to stand still. But in truth, throughout the whole of Creation all is movement, constant changes and nothing ever stands still or remains the same, the planets never stand still, not even for the briefest of moments. We shall return to the theme of the solstice at the end of this Astro File.

The Sun’s transit through Cancer for us and our whole world heralds that soft and weepy times are ahead. Its energies are soft, sensitive and highly emotional. Focussed on home, hearth, family and ancestry, as well as the past in general, this is particularly good for getting our inner house in order and healing. An excellent opportunity for inner homecoming through connecting on ever deepening levels with our true home an mother, the Great Mother of all life, and for blessing her and giving thanks for allowing us all to share in the Universe’s abundance, which is created through her.

Through a better understanding of her nature and our own, as well as our relationship with her, maybe the time has come for making peace with our earthly mother:

Help me to forgive the mother of this lifetime for any unlovingness
She has shown towards me, knowingly or unknowingly, especially ...
[Now pour all your pain into God – S/He does understand]
Help me to forgive her for the times she failed to provide me with
The deep and fully satisfying Mother’s nurturing
That only You, my Divine Mother, can give to any of Your children.
Help me to forgive myself for expecting
Such love from someone who is merely human,
Like myself and who is, therefore, but one of your children,
On her own pathway of evolution and therefore still imperfect.

From ‘Healing Prayer for Parents and Children’

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Cancer, I recommend that you pay particular attention to the negative expressions of this sign. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can be causing considerable problems, as they are then far more difficult to detect by ourselves – in spite of the fact that our behaviour may be a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can be achieved potentially by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology can be used to help us find them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Gemini/Cancer but also Cancer/Leo, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Cancer – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for souls born into them. Cancer is ruled by the Moon and represents the essence of femininity. The Moon is a symbol of the mysteries of the feminine and its cycles, which are ruled by the Moon. Because of its constant waxing and waning, the Moon has always fascinated and puzzled humankind. All the records that are still available to us show a great deal of evidence that Moon lore and superstitions connected with the mysteries of the Moon and the feminine have been with our race for a very long time.

We, and by that I mean the whole human race in ancient times –yes, possibly even you and me in previous lifetimes – believed that the Moon was a powerful God or a Goddess. For example, the Romans called their Moon Goddesses Luna and Diana. Diana was also the Goddess of the hunt; she used a Moon crescent for a bow and Moonbeams as her arrows. The ancient Greeks had two Moon Goddesses, Selene and Artemis. Both the Greeks and Romans also believed in a Moon Goddess called Hecate; she was said to have three faces. As Hecate she was the Moon in its dark form; as Artemis or Diana she was the waxing Moon; and as Selene or Luna she was the full Moon. The early Egyptians honoured the Moon God Khonsu. The Babylonians knew the Moon as Sin, sometimes called Nannar, the most powerful of the sky Gods. Some American Indian tribes believed that the Moon and the Sun were brother and sister Gods. There are some cultures that to this day worship the Moon.

Although many cultures did not believe that the Moon was sacred, they were already aware that it greatly influenced all life. Early philosophers and priests believed and taught that the Moon, because of its many changes, was related to birth, growth, and death. In some parts of the world people feared eclipses, believing them to be signs of famine, war and other disasters. According to one superstition, sleeping by Moonlight could cause insanity. The word lunatic means Moon-struck; it is derived from the Latin word luna, the Moon.

Legends of various lands told how the ‘man in the Moon’ had been imprisoned there for stealing or for breaking the Sabbath. Some people saw other figures in the Moon’s markings, for example Jack and Jill, a beautiful woman, a cat, a frog, and a rabbit. Many people once believed that some form of life existed on the Moon. The ancient Greek writer Plutarch told of Moon demons that lived in caves. Johannes Kepler, a German astronomer of the 1600’s, wrote that lunar craters were built by Moon creatures. In 1822, F. P. Gruithuisen, another German astronomer, told of the discovery of a ‘lunar city.’ In the 1920’s, the American astronomer W. H. Pickering declared that insects might live on the Moon.

To this day, there is much Moon lore in our world and I can tell you from my own observations that the Moon does affect our weather quite strongly. You can easily check this out and see for yourself that frequently the weather changes around the time of each new and full Moon. If it has been warm, it may become colder, and vice versa; after a dry spell there could the long awaited rain, and again the other way round. Seeds are thought to grow especially well when planted during a waxing Moon. Because the time of the new Moon is always one of many new beginnings and a small rebirth, this is a myth that did not seem to make any sense to me. But on reflection it occurs to me that if one puts seeds into the ground after the full Moon has taken place, they can rest in the Earth to absorb water and the love and the warmth of the Sun. As the shoots develop inside the seeds, they are likely to get a head-start and really get going when the New Moon is in.

THE CANCERIAN ENERGIES

The Great Mother of all life is also the soul of the whole of Creation. Her energies are soft, gentle and highly sensitive. In her role as the soul of our world she bestows her own great emotional strength upon her children of the Earth, during their lifetimes spent in her sign, Cancer. And whenever the Sun moves through it and adds its energies to those of the Moon, all life on our planet partakes in and benefits from their combined energies. For those who are sensitive to these emanations this can be a particularly weepy time, when tears seem to flow all too easily and without too much provocation. This can be a great blessing to those on the healing journey, because it can to bring the much needed relief that tears always bring.

As the Cancerian energies are focused on the past, home, hearth, family and especially mother, souls born into this sign tend to look backwards; on the whole they prefer dwelling on the past and ancestry to going forwards in life. And this too can be used to our advantage, as it makes this time of the year an excellent one for delving into our own past and retreating into our inner home, to allow old hurts and pains to rise to the surface of our consciousness. If we ask God and the Angels to help us deal with our most painful ones, especially those connected with our earthly mother, they are sure to bring us the healing and comfort we yearn for. Whenever someone willingly goes into their pain and allows their tears to flow freely, they draw particularly close to ensure that no soul gets stuck in the past and the pain it brought.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Healing Corner for Parents and Children’

As briefly touched upon, the Sun in Cancer is an excellent time for getting our inner house in order. This is because the blessings of the Divine Mother and her Angels can now be more strongly felt than at any other time of the year. If some of our troublesome excess soul luggage in the form of unresolved issues keeps on pestering us, there is no better time than this one for working our way through them and hopefully resolving them at last.

So, when some of the most ancient skeletons that are still hanging around in your emotional/spiritual cupboard come knocking at the door of your consciousness – as they will, whether we like it or not – it is unwise to suppress them push them away. It is better by far to work with them and go with them. If you sense that some of your feel too difficult and frightening to cope with on your own, call upon God and the Angels and ask for their help. No matter how deep any human soul may have fallen, they never leave us, let us down or forget us. Whenever one of us calls out to them, they are there. Our prayers draw them closer and they stand by us in total and unconditional love in any ordeal we may have to face on the Earth plane. The more one practises this the more one’s faith in them grows.

CHARACTERISTICS

Now, let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Cancer. The following is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into perfection or rather wholeness. The circle of the zodiac with all its signs and houses is a symbol of this process. The law of life is evolution and round and round the zodiac every human soul has to go. Lifetime after lifetime we slowly absorb ever more of the lessons that are needed to integrate the qualities of our Divine parents. Every new lifetime brings us that bit closer to our final goal, the perfection, i.e. the wholeness, of the Great Father/Mother of all life, our true ancestors. This task will not be fulfilled until they are all functioning together in the same perfect harmony that is in God.

Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are the Water signs of the zodiac. Cancer, ruled by the Moon, is one of the cardinal signs. It is the fourth one in the zodiac and the fourth house is its natural abode. The cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn. With the help of the link provided at the end of this paragraph, you might like to read up about the astrological meaning of cardinality in ‘The Qualities of the Signs’. Should this be the only Sun sign you are interested in and you are as yet unfamiliar with these concepts, you need to know that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, and that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. The energies of our Sun sign are reflected in our approach to life and our attitude to and perception of it.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Qualities of the Signs’

Being the quintessence of femininity, the Great Mother of all life is merciful and forgiving. She is the caring, nurturing principle of Creation and the ideal mother every soul yearns for. Yet, she cannot be found in mere Earthly mothers, no matter how hard any woman may strive. Unbeknown to many to this day the Great Mother of all life is our true mother. Cancer is her sign and she herself is the human soul’s teacher, especially during the lifetimes we spend in this sign, which offers many opportunities to absorb some more of her finest qualities. All the best character traces imaginable in a human being, like tolerance, kindness, compassion, gentleness and tenderness are this Mother’s gifts and she is willing to bestow them upon all her children in reach measure. The only thing we have to do is to claim them, take possession of them by bringing them forth in our daily lives. It’s that simple!

Irrespective of what may still be showing in anyone’s surface behaviour, every human soul has these inner feminine qualities. In some of they are awake; in others they are still slumbering. And in all of us they are intended to be used to make our world a better place for all its creatures by unselfishly caring for and nurturing them. Children of God and young Gods in the making that each one of us in their own right, through constant practise women and men alike are in this life to develop both their feminine and masculine attributes of Divinity to the heights of the perfection that is in our true parent(s). The Great Mother/Father of all life dwells within each one of us and is coming ever more alive. Through conscious attunement to Her/Him in our daily prayers, reflections and meditations each can do their share of facilitating the inner homecoming that is the fulfilment of the purpose of humankind’s being on the Earth plane.

Fully experiencing the Cancerian energies traditionally seems to have been the privilege of women only in previous lifetimes. But, thanks be to God and the Angels, times are a-changing and we with them! As the great awakening and homecoming of humankind in its true nature marches full steam ahead, ever more are becoming aware that everybody contains everything, namely both feminine and masculine energies. This, to my mind, is one of the most important evolutionary steps forward for our race, because it leads us all back into the way we once were: androgynous, whole and holy, just like the Angels.

SOULFUL AND DEEPLY FEELING

The Water signs are feminine and rule the emotions. Cancerians are soulful and deeply feeling folks whose keyword is: ‘I feel’. The cardinality of their sign is an indication that they are highly creative and restless, especially in the home. Souls during their sojourn through this sign are so much concerned with home, mother, family, ancestry and the past in general that they try to cling to them with all their might. Caring and protective of their loved ones, they can be more than somewhat over-indulgent towards themselves and those around them. They cling to the past with all their might. Cancer loves to roam but no matter how far they travel, they will always feel as if some kind of a giant magnet was drawing them back home. Home is more important to them than anything else in the whole wide world. They are good homemakers and although they may not spend a great deal of time in it, for them there always has to be a safe haven and a warm nest to return to.

Cancerians are very much at the mercy of their moods, up one day and down the next, like the ever surging tides of the sea. While they are emotionally disturbed it is unwise to try to reason with them. Best leave them alone, until they come round again of their own accord. In any case, because of their restless nature, peace is hard to come by for Cancerians and it may take them a long time until they realise that nothing on the earthly plane, including the homes we make for ourselves, lasts forever.

Peace can only come to any of us and especially Cancerians, when we eventually realise that our true home is not on the Earth but in the world of spirit. And the only place where peace can be found is in the inner centre. We are all in need of rediscovering and taking possession of this home, but during a lifetime spent in Cancer this is a more urgent issue still. When Cancerians have found it at last and they learn to function from there, instead of through their emotions, their soul finds rest and their earthly self is no longer subject to the otherwise constant up and down mood swings. Meditation, Yoga and the power of positive thinking are beneficial and helpful tools for Cancerians.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Positive Thinking’

WATER SAYS: ‘I FEEL!’

Cancer is the sign of instinctual consciousness and the most unconscious one of the zodiac. Cancerians display this by mostly acting and reacting to life instinctively and through their emotions. They are deeply caring people, passive by nature and completely subject to the world of their feelings. This sign is; for them everything takes place on a subconscious level, latent and hidden from view and no issue is ever clear or direct with them. Cancerians work their way through life with the help of their feelings, unlike for example the Air signs who do it by thinking. The keyword for each of the four elements is a different one. Water says: ‘I feel’; Earth: ‘I serve’; Fire: ‘I create’; and Air: ‘I think’.

The life of the French philosopher René Descartes, born 31 March 1596 provides us with one of the finest examples of this. His quote: ‘Cogito, ergo sum’ ‘I think, therefore I am’ to me, sounds typical of someone in whose birthchart the Air signs are strongly represented, but Descartes during that lifetime was a Sun Aries. As he has a whole stellium of six planets in this sign, it does not come as a surprise that he was a pioneer and a forward thinking man. His time of birth is unknown, so there is no way of telling where his Ascendant was. Not to worry; looking at his date of birth numerologically reveals a great deal about the man, his approach to life and his predestined pathway through it. The first vital clue is that he was born on the 31st March; the same applies to the 31st day of any month, which is always an indication of being under the influence of Aquarius, an Air sign, and its ruler Uranus, i.e. 3 Jupiter + 1 the Sun = 4 Uranus.

When one adds up all the numbers of his date of birth, 3+1+3+1+5+9+6, the result is 28, which consists of 2 = the Moon and Cancer and 8 = Saturn and Capricorn; 2+8 = 1, the Sun and that is his destiny number. As you can see, the components of the total are as important as the resulting sum itself. Small wonder that Descartes grew up to become a forward looking thinker and a philosopher, a leader of people with a big ego and also a teacher with a strong desire to let his light shine and who had much to say and give to us and our world!

To return to Cancer though, to gain a better understanding of the Cancerian nature, to my mind there is no better way than observing the restlessly moving tides of the sea. Cancer’s emotions are constantly surging and ebbing in just the same way. They are a reflection of the powerful inner connection with the ocean of life that souls born into this sign have; the oceans of our world are outer manifestation of this. Cancerians are highly adaptable souls who feel deeply and are very dependent on their moods, which swing up and down like the motions of the sea. As they are emotionally extremely sensitive, they get hurt all too easily.

THE CRAB – CANCER’S SYMBOL

The crab with its tough outer shell is the symbol of this sign. It is amazing how the behaviour of Cancerians, when they feel in the slightest bit threatened or wounded by someone, resembles that of this creature. Like it, Cancerians are timid and shy folks, who easily feel threatened. Even though with some of them this may not show on the surface, you can be sure that this is sitting somewhere in their nature. This maybe because the soul over time, like the crab, of necessity had to build itself some kind of protection and defence mechanism in the form of a hard outer protective shell.

It is also possible that the person who is hiding this character trait so well, has one of the outgoing Fire or Air signs is on the Ascendant of its birthchart. But, watch any Cancerian when they feel hurt and see how they are capable of snapping at you suddenly and unexpectedly, and nipping you just like the crab. And when hurt, the Cancerian just like its animal symbol has the habit of retreating into their shell and that so deeply that it is almost impossible for anyone to reach them. The wise ones amongst them bear all these things in mind and take care to resist the temptation of feeling offended at every slight because they are aware that many of them may merely exist in their own rich and vivid imagination.

As you can see for yourself by now, because of their high sensitivity Cancerians don’t have much choice but to acquire some kind of a shell as a self-protective measure that guards their soft and delicate centre. With most of them this happens unconsciously and quite early on, during their present lifetime. Watch the crab and see how it physically carries its house on its back and retreats into it, when exterior forces threaten it. Cancer does the same psychically. Both also have the habit of side-stepping any obstacles that come into their path; they are equally reluctant to confront anything head-on.

Like the crab, Cancerians are equally at home on land, the physical plane, as they are in the water, the emotional plane. Cancerians live entirely in and for the world of their feelings and affections. Not wishing to drive their loved ones away by all too frequently seeking sympathy from them, the wise ones among them realise that this is very self-centred and selfish behaviour that can soon drive their loved ones away. Accepting that it is impossible to always come first with anyone saves them a great deal of unhappiness and disappointment.

CANCER – ANOTHER MYSTERY SIGN

It is a commonly held belief that Scorpio is the mystery sign of zodiac. When I first started to study astrology, I did share that view. However, the closer I try to get to the essence of Cancer and penetrate it, the further I seem to get away from it – and yes, the more interesting and fascinating it becomes. For me, this sign is unquestionably the most intriguing one of the zodiac worthy of joining the ranks of the mystery signs and so is another one, Pisces. Because Water rules the emotions, the subconscious world of our feelings, the nature of all the Water signs is elusive and hard to grasp; with great ease they slide through one’s fingers when one tries to analyse them too much.

Whenever I try to find a better understanding of a new Cancerian friend, in spite of being aware of all the characteristics mentioned in this file, at first I always get a strangely empty or vacant inner feeling, as if I was working to fathom out some kind of a vacuum. Only by looking at their Moon sign do things begin to fall into place. Next to the Sun, this is the most decisive factor in getting to know oneself in any chart, but this is particularly so with Cancerians. As soon as the Moon by sign and house position is known, everything clicks and starts to make sense. Baffling, to put it mildly!

In my view the reason for this is that for all other Sun signs the Moon in our birthchart reveals the Sun sign in which we spent our previous lifetime. But because Cancer is ruled by the Moon itself, this planet is involved twice in every Cancerian birthchart. The Sun’s light, the spirit of the Sun, shines through and expresses itself in different ways in each sign. In every birthchart the Moon is also a planet in its own right, a symbol of the past and where the soul comes from, the personality it has built itself up to now. That Moon from the past continues to reflect itself from its position into the Sun sign, where it is making its presence strongly felt. Phew! This is complicated and hard to grasp, like everything about Cancer, but I do hope you have followed me thus far.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Be your own Astrologer’

THE NATURE OF THE MOON

A reflection on the nature of the Moon in the sky above us sheds light onto this mystery. The Moon has no light of its own; it merely reflects that of the Sun onto the Earth. In astonishingly similar manner Cancer’s character and behaviour is that of its Moon sign. With them too everything is hidden from view – even their Moon sign can only be recognised with the help of an astrologer. And like the Moon, when clouds move over it, hides its kindly face and refuses to light us the way down here on the Earth, the true self of the Cancerian, its spirit, slips out of sight at the slightest sign of trouble. It withdraws its love by going within and taking refuge inside the protective shell it has built for its delicate inner self.

Alas, the world can then no longer enjoy the emotional warmth and the light of the Cancerian spirit, which in truth is a reflection of the wonderfully comforting presence of the Great Mother and her Angels who nurture and care for all her children wherever they may find themselves. We are on the Earth plane to strive to be like her, holding all those who are in need of it in our warm and loving embrace, literally and metaphorically speaking, doing our best to keep them save and lighten their way, especially during someone’s darkest nights.

The influence of the Great Mother’s feminine energy in human souls is subtle and elusive. Nonetheless it is a powerful presence that makes itself felt in the character of those strongly influenced by it. This is the case when Sun, Moon, some of the other planets and/or the Ascendant are in Cancer or the fourth house. This energy can be a highly beneficial one, especially in men. The most striking example of this that comes to mind here is one of my friends. He is a Sun Aries, Moon in the fourth house and Cancer on the Ascendant. Having been born on the 22nd March reveals that there is yet another double dose of Moon energies in his character make-up and also that he is on the Master vibration of the 22. By no means an effeminate man or a bit of a Casanova, he is such a kind, caring and also shy soul that there is no evidence in his behaviour of the typical push, drive and male aggression that can be the unpleasant hallmark of Aries in both genders who as yet fail to keep a close reign on their Mars energies. As a result, women are drawn to him and take easily to his kind and caring ways.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Moon’
• ‘Two Studies In Mastership’
• ‘Master Number 22’

PSYCHIC ABILITIES

Cancerians are subtle and highly psychic souls and in common with Scorpio, they are among the master manipulators of the zodiac. It is hard for souls born into both signs to overcome this because this kind of behaviour has its roots in the subconscious. Awareness is the only the key for helping us to unlock and resolve this problem, the same as so many others. While the soul remains ignorant of what is at stake here and what kind of Karma it is constantly creating for itself, the unconscious urge to push those around them into doing as the Cancerian wishes can be so strong that without this knowledge it may be impossible to resist.

Wise ones appreciate that although wallowing in self-pity and bursting into overwhelming floods of tears every once in a while is essential for the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of their soul, but that this is best done in the privacy of one’s own space. Life itself with the help of their own experiences has taught them that even if the world around them at first is sympathetic to them and their needs, people soon get tired when someone tries to constantly lean on them in this manner.

We are all endowed with psychic gifts and each new lifetime spent in one of the Water signs brings us many openings for developing these gifts to their highest potential. This can only be done through using them unselfishly for the relief of human suffering and shedding light into the darkest corners of our earthly existence. The psychic abilities of some of us are still dormant, while others are already using theirs. The need for developing them is accentuated in the three Water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, because people born into one of them are emotionally and psychically highly sensitive souls. Out of these Cancerians are the most prone to absorbing any negative vibrations that are floating around in the environment. In positive atmospheres they thrive but where negativity and bad feelings are in the air they are in danger of wilting.

PSYCHIC PROTECTION

One of the Water signs on the ascendant is often linked with at least a degree of clairvoyance and the ability to ‘see’ into our other world, and souls born into one of the Water signs can usually sense what is going on around them. Yet, Cancer is the most psychic sign of the zodiac. Unbeknown to themselves, Cancerians are capable of absorbing the vibrations of depressed people. Unless they take precautions and learn to protect themselves psychically, in due course they too may become seriously depressed. Although great sensitivity at times feels more like a curse, in truth it is a precious gift. Like any gift, it is in need of further development and taking great care of. Wise ones make it their business to find out all about psychic protection to help them close off, so that they are no longer in danger of acting as psychic sponges of others.

The more our spiritual awareness increases the higher our sensitivity becomes to the detrimental psychic influences that emanate from others. Whenever we have to go through hurtful or negative experiences or sense that we are otherwise in danger of absorbing the negativity of those around us, we are in need of protecting our psychic space. If someone around us gives out negative vibrations, intentionally or otherwise, whether they originate from this level of life or any other, the best advice I have ever come across was from White Eagle, who recommends that in such situations we should quickly fold our aura around us, similar to an Angel closing its wings.

This works best for me when I say in my mind: ‘Like an Angel folding its wings and like a flower closing its petals when the Sun goes down, I now close my aura around me; I am safe.’ I find it helpful to accompany these words by making the corresponding movements with my hands and taking several deep breaths, breathing in the Great White Light of God and breathing out love. We all are spirit and soul, in this existence to develop our psychic abilities. That’s why in my view everybody is constantly in need of this kind of protection. I suggest practising it especially first thing in the morning and last thing at night, as well as any time in between, as and when one feels the need for it.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Psychic Protection’

CHARACTER IS DESTINY

Every soul is in this life to develop as an individual being; each must do so in their own right. By consciously working on and bringing forth from within our highest and noblest character traces we can quite literally take our destiny into our own hands and influence it greatly. During their lifetimes in Cancer human souls are highly impressionable and easily swayed by the views and opinions of those around them and quite capable of unquestioningly absorbing them. Developing their discriminatory faculties to the full helps wise ones to overcome this. Instead of allowing themselves to be absorbed into the identity of others, they insist on maintaining one of their own and get to work on the development of their character and forming their very own vision of our world and all life.

Allowing ourselves to be easily influenced and totally absorbed by someone else is what happens on the highest level of life in the perfect loving union of God and Goddess, spirit and matter, when they come together in the silent act of creation. Being two different aspects of the One, they trust each other implicitly and respond to each other’s needs and wishes unquestioningly. Because we have been created in God’s image, the same qualities are also in us: ‘as above, so below’. The total submission of the feminine principle – represented by Cancer and the Moon – to the masculine – Leo and the Sun, during the times of the patriarchy was presented by the teachings of some of the churches of our world as a necessity for human relationships. This was because our world was as yet unready to grasp the meaning of the teaching of total submission that had at some stage reached our world and had been integrated into the spiritual repertoire of various religions, where it has remained to this day. To me, the present state of our world is sufficient evidence that this kind of behaviour between the sexes has never been desirable on the Earth plane.

As sparks of the Divine, the same qualities and dualities that are in God are also in us and as we know by now, no human being exists who is purely either woman or man. Yet, total submission of one gender to the other is necessary only on the highest levels of life and also on the inner plane. On the outer side of life, in my view, it is downright undesirable and unhealthy. The only thing it could ever hope to achieve was to seriously interfere with the healthy spiritual progress that is otherwise possible in human relationships for all those involved.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Inner Man and Woman’

THE MASS OF PEOPLE – RULED BY CANCER

Bearing this in mind, if you get the chance of watching the behaviour of a crowd, you will able to recognise how easily it can be reached through the emotions and how – like individual human souls who are spending their present lifetime in Cancer – it is all too easily swayed by just about any impression. For good and for evil, this has always has been exploited by humankind. Orators and dictators down the ages have used it to manipulate, rule and control the mob. It worked and all we can do is speculate whether or not they were consciously or unconsciously aware of what they were doing. One cannot help wondering how aware they were that the masses can be influenced because on the inner level and in the vast ocean of life we are all one.

The emotions are a body of water and water must be allowed to find its own way by flowing wherever it will, which is where it encounters least resistance. At its weakest point any dam will break and bring the whole structure down. In the same way, one person in a crowd going into hysterics, especially the one at the front, can set the whole multitude on fire and carry it with it, if need be into destruction. Emotionally and psychically we are all part of the great ocean of life and also of each other. Each one of us is a unique stream of consciousness in its own right that is nurtured by the ocean and in turn constantly feeds its learning back into the ocean.

Within this ocean, our whole world is one group soul with a common karmic past, present, future and destination. Contained in that, each nation is one group with its own karma; and within that again, each one of us is an individual soul that has its special karmic pathway to walk. Everything that feeds into the great ocean has an influence on it and everything it contains. This shows the importance of learning to control our thought processes and of feeding nothing but positive and loving thoughts into the collective consciousness, because spiritually nothing is ever wasted. Whenever one of us insists on looking for the good in every experience, situation and person, we are making a small contribution to our role as saviour and redeemer of ourselves and our world.

Under the guidance and protection of God and the Angels, we are all in this life to learn how to consciously influence the mass of people in positive ways that serve the highest good of our whole world. Consciously attuning ourselves in prayers and meditations to the outpourings of the energies of the Universal Christ, not only at this special time of the year but always, has never been a privilege for the selected few. The time has come in the evolution of our race that each one of us is required to make their contribution towards increasing the power of the blessing and healing energies of the Christ that are now pouring ever more strongly into us and our world.

By the way, the oneness in the great ocean also sheds some light onto occurrences like outbreaks of mass hysteria. To my mind, the most recent example of this was the reaction of the British public to the death of Diana Princess of Wales, a Sun Cancerian. This connected her, the same as all other souls born into this sign, deeply with the mass of people. As touched upon earlier, the Moon in the Cancerian birthchart is of equal importance to the Sun. Bearing in mind that Cancer’s ruling planet is the Moon and that they are as strongly under its influence as that of their Sun sign, Diana’s Moon in Aquarius tells the story of a very different soul, underneath it all.

In keeping with her name Diana, the Goddess of the hunt, the Princess’ ascendant was in Sagittarius. This reflects her love of pomp and circumstance, as well as for being on display and noticed. Undoubtedly, she was a child of the Aquarian Age with a great thirst for freedom and an inner need to break away from the patterns of the past – in spite of the fact that her Cancerian Sun will have insisted on pointing her in that direction. The resulting conflict is sure to have led to a great deal of soul growth for the Princess, now enjoying her freedom in the world of light. God bless her and keep her safe, always.

Other famous Cancerians: Bill Cosby, Dan Ackroyd, Daniel Radcliffe, Deborah Harry, Donald Sutherland, Geoffrey Rush, George Michael, Harrison Ford, Jeff Beck, Marianne Williamson, Meryl Streep, Nelson Mandela, Pamela Anderson, Prince William, Ringo Starr, Robin Williams, Rufus Wainwright, Selma Blair, The Dalai Lama, Tobey McGuire, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks.

THE PERFECTED HUMAN BEING

Up to the point the soul reaches the sign of Cancer – maybe for the first time on its journey round the zodiac – it is busy with building itself a personality, while so far it has remained unconscious of itself, its actions and reactions. This changes dramatically when it reaches the next sign, Leo, the Sun’s own sign. Starting with its first lifetime and increasingly so during each subsequent one in this sign, the soul begins to become conscious of itself and starts to integrate and develop the energies and the qualities of the Father. It discovers its God-like qualities and creative drives and urges, and awakens to its role as a co-creator with God. As the Creator’s ideas flow through it directly from the spiritual fire of the Sun, the highest levels of life, while the soul is still young and inexperienced it may grow ever more bigheaded and arrogant over its artistic achievements. It takes the soul many times round the zodiac before it acquires sufficient humility to realise that all it can do in its earthly existence is to act as a channel and an instrument, through which the Divine pours its inspiration to make the Earth a better and more beautiful place for all. This theme will be continued soon in my forthcoming release of the Sun in Leo.

The legend of the Master Jesus shows us through the example of his life what a glorious and powerful presence and influence a man, who is in full command of his feminine faculties, can be in our world. To this day, most of all he gives us a shining example of the perfected and whole human being, the Christed one. He showed us how much can be achieved when our masculine and feminine energies, as well as our earthly and its Heavenly counterpart are working harmoniously together for the highest good of all, under the guidance and protection of God and the Angels. He came into our world to demonstrate to us the way every soul must eventually walk, of its own free will.

We are here to follow in the Master’s footsteps and it makes no difference which denomination anyone may follow at present or whether one chooses to remain a free spirit, like me, who refuses to be hindered in their spiritual progress by anyone’s dogma and creed. There have been Christed ones in our world before the Master Jesus and the evidence is all around us that a great many will follow in the foreseeable future, as the awakening of the masses is speeding up before our very eyes. Alleluia and thanks be to God and the Angels for helping us all to get there, at last.

Last but not least, my interpretation of the Sun in Cancer is dedicated to my dear friend, Vicky, the lionhearted one, who has had more than her fair share of life’s trials and tribulations to endure. With her Moon in Leo she is an indomitable spirit and a fine example of how, in spite of everything, in the end the warmth and love of her own personal Sun comes breaking through the clouds, to envelop all she meets. Bless you, Vicky, many happy returns of the day and my special thanks to God and the Angels for the gift of our friendship.

THE SUMMER SOLSTICE

Ever since human life on the Earth began spiritual wisdom and knowledge have constantly flown into the collective consciousness of our world from the highest level of life. If you have read ‘The Random Jottings of a Stargazer’ you will be aware that each one of us a spark of the Great Light, the Universal Christ, and that we are as much part of God as God is part of us. The Divine energies have always been with us; they have never forsaken us or gone from us. The deeper we move forward into the Aquarian Age the more powerful the influence of these energies are felt on the Earth plane.

Around the period of the full Moon in Taurus and in Gemini – see the Sun in Gemini – and also the period leading up to and beyond the summer solstice, when the Sun moves into Cancer, particularly powerful outpourings of the blessing and healing energies of the Universal Christ are flowing into us and our world and everything that shares it with us. This also happens at the time of the winter solstice, when the Sun enters Capricorn, Cancer’s opposite sign. In the build-up to both solstices, from day to day, the beneficial influence of the Christ energies can be felt more strongly and it continues for quite some time after. Great cosmic events of this nature create wonderful opportunities for all on the healer’s pathway to consciously act as channels of light and playing their part in the healing of our world by dispersing ever more of the clouds of darkness that surround us to this day.

By the way, the same especially powerful outpourings of the Christ energies are flowing into our whole world at various occasions, not only around the Wesak Moon and the Christ Moon but also during the times of the Summer and Winter Solstice or the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes. No matter whether we live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, they simultaneously reach and influence all life on our planet equally strongly – the reversal of the seasons in the hemispheres does not make any difference.

© Aquarius 2010

SUN IN LEO
SIGN OF THE GREAT FATHER OF ALL LIFE

In the year 2010, the Sun enters Leo on 22nd July; it will move on into next sign, Virgo, 23rd August. Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only when your Sun is in Leo, but also when:

• Your Sun is in the fifth house, the natural house of Leo;
• Your Moon is in Leo or the fifth house;
• Your Ascendant is in Leo;
• You were born on the 1st, 10th of 28th day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Leo.

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Leo, I recommend that you pay particular attention to the negative expressions of this sign. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can be causing considerable problems, as they are then far more difficult to detect by ourselves – in spite of the fact that our behaviour may be a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can potentially be achieved by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology is one of the best tools for finding them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Cancer/Leo but also Leo/Virgo, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Leo – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for souls born into them. The planetary ruler of Leo is the Sun. The Sun in our birthcharts represents a symbolism for the spiritual Sun behind the Sun in the sky above us. This is the Source of all life, the Creator Father, the God, whose ideas for new worlds and beings are constantly flowing into the Mother Creator, the Goddess. She is the whole of the created world, his counterpart, who nurtures and sustains everything.

Because of its life-giving powers, the Sun has always been of the greatest importance to the Earth and all its creatures and it is hardly surprising that in almost every culture throughout the ages solar motifs have been prominent. Yet, only the Egyptian, Indo-European and Meso-American ones developed religions that honoured and celebrated the idea as the Sun of the centre of the whole of Creation. Each one of them had a well-developed urban civilisation with a strong ideology of sacred kingship that worshipped the Sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds, which he majestically visits on his daily round. These early civilisations were aware that the Sun is the giver of light and life to the whole of Creation. Yet, it has taken until recently that we are at last finding a deeper understanding of its true nature.

Universally, the idea of the light of the Sun has always been connected with enlightenment or illumination. Thus, it is not surprising that in the days of yore its unblinking and all-seeing eye was thought to be the stern guarantor of justice and the source of all wisdom. These aspects, as well as the qualities of sovereignty, power and beneficence were central to many of the religious elite groups of our world of past ages, in which the solar ideology thus developed to a high degree. Solar deities, Gods personifying the Sun, were seen as sovereign and all seeing. The Sun was often a prime attribute of the Supreme Deity or even identified with it. The kings in these societies were usually declared to be descendants of the Sun, who ruled by its power.

Let me give you a few examples of this. The Egyptian Sun God Re was the dominant figure among the high Gods and retained this position from early in that civilisation’s history. The Sun God also occupied a central position in the Sumerian and Akkadian religions, though neither the Sumerian Utu nor the Semitic Shamash was included among the three highest Gods of the Pantheon. The Sun was one of the most popular deities among the Indo-European peoples; it was a symbol of Divine power to them. Sūrya is glorified in the Vedic hymns of ancient India as an all-seeing God, who observes both good and evil actions. He expels not only darkness but also evil dreams and diseases. In medieval Iran, Sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times. The Indo-European character of Sun worship can also be seen in the symbolism of a solar deity who moves across the sky in a carriage that is generally depicted as drawn by four white horses. This image was common to many Indo-European peoples; it was also known in Indo-Iranian, Greco-Roman, and Scandinavian mythology.

During the later periods of Roman history, Sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what is known as ‘solar monotheism.’ Nearly all the Gods of that time possessed solar qualities, and – almost certainly through these beliefs the idea arose that both Christ and Mithra had traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus, of the unconquered Sun, on 25th December, was celebrated by the Romans in those days with great joy. This festival was eventually taken over by the Christian Church; they called it Christmas and declared that this was the day the Christ child had been born.

Probably the most famous solar cult of all is the Sun Dance of the Plains Indians of North America. The Sun occupied an important place in the Pre-Columbian civilisations of Mexico and Peru; Sun worship was a prominent feature of their belief systems. In the myths and rituals of the Aztecs, the Sun Gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca demanded large amounts of human sacrifice. Peru’s ruler was believed to be an incarnation of the Sun God Inti. In the ancient mythology of Japan the Sun Goddess Amaterasu was considered to be the supreme ruler of the world and the Divine teacher of the imperial clan. To this day, the Sun is the symbol of Japan. Last but by no means least, the Native American tradition has long recognised and worshipped as the giver and maintainer of life the spiritual Sun above and behind the warmth, the love and the light of the golden disk in the sky, which is one of its physical manifestations.

From all this is clear that over the ages the great importance of the Sun as the Creator of all life was explained to humankind, time and time again and in many different ways. The birthchart of the human soul is a reflection of what was happening in the Heavens at the moment it drew its first breath on the Earth plane. The chart is a snapshot in time and the Sun is its central planet around which all others revolve. It represents the symbol of the love and the passion of the sacred creative fire that flows without disruption from the heart of the Divine Father into all life; the Moon is a symbolism for the loving care and protection of the Divine Mother.

Recommended Viewing:
‘Zeitgeist’ videos about the connections between Religions and Astrology

1) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BNf-P_5u_Hw
2) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qc-mrJf45Hg
3) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IjAegPhQOUg

CHARACTERISTICS

Now, let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Leo. Here is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into perfection or rather wholeness. The circle of the zodiac with all its signs and houses is a symbol of this process. The law of life is evolution and round and round the zodiac every human soul has to go. Lifetime after lifetime we slowly absorb ever more of the lessons that are needed to integrate the qualities of our Divine parents. Every new lifetime brings us that bit closer to our final goal, the perfection, i.e. the wholeness, of the Great Father/Mother of all life, our true ancestors. This task will not be fulfilled until they are all functioning together in the same perfect harmony that is in God.

Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are the Fire signs of the zodiac. The fixed sign Leo is ruled by the Sun itself. This means that here the Sun is in its own sign. A planet is said to be strong or in the old terms ‘dignified’ when it is either in the sign it rules or in the one in which it is exalted. Here the essential and most positive qualities of the energies of the planet involved can unfold to its best and developed to its highest potential. Leo is the fifth sign in the zodiac and the fifth house represents its natural abode. This is the house of creativity, risks, pleasures, love and children of body and mind.

With the help of the link provided at the end of this paragraph, you might like to read up about the astrological meaning of fixed in ‘The Qualities of the Signs’. Should this be the only Sun sign you are interested in and you are as yet unfamiliar with these concepts, you need to know that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, and that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. The energies of our Sun sign are reflected in our approach to life and our attitude to and perception of it.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Qualities of the Signs’

KEYWORDS: ‘I WILL!’ AND ‘I RULE!’

The Sun in the sky above us is a metaphor for the all-powerful spiritual Sun behind it. This is an extremely dignified being and during the time of the Sun’s transit through its own sign, its energies are felt more powerfully on the Earth plane than at any other time of the year and its warmth and light have extra strength. This influence endows those born during this period with some of its great dignity, as well as its vitality and the pure enjoyment of life. The fixed nature of their sign reveals that Leos are extremely strong willed and stubborn. As their minds may be surprisingly closed to new ideas and concepts, the wise ones among them take care not to become too dogmatic, rigid and crystallised in their outlook and approach to life.

No matter how advanced and right for us the opinions we formed earlier in life may have been at the time, they are unlikely to remain the same throughout a whole lifetime. That’s why the wise ones make a regular habit of taking stock of their lives and reassessing and updating the conclusions they come to. Consciously discarding on a regular basis any beliefs that have been superseded by fresh insights and learning is an excellent habit that needs to be developed by all of us, as we move through life.

Leo has two keywords: ‘I will!’ and ‘I rule!’ They are by no means particularly speedy thinkers, but their thought processes are constructive and they are good at steadily arriving at firm conclusions. That is why, until they have made up their minds, they may be reluctant to commit themselves to anything. This is a reflection of the characteristics of the Great Father of life, who thinks matters through thoroughly, before he brings any new creations into being. Having made up his mind, he goes ahead with planning and organising all in his mind; only then does he go forth to ground his ideas in co-operation with and through the Great Mother, the feminine wisdom aspect of the Divine Trinity.

Leo represents the fire of the heart as well as that of the hearth of the whole of Creation. If this kind of potent fire is left unguarded in human souls, it can turn into an extremely destructive force that is capable of burning whatever comes its way with the heat of the passion of the Sun. Because of this, wise ones take care to guard their inner fire and keep it under their control, so that it may act on those around them with a warming glow. The Sun’s warmth and love is an expression of the Divine sexual/creative/spiritual energy of the purest kind, which brings all life into being and every human heart contains a spark of this Great Light. When the Sun moves through its own sign, its love flows more abundantly than at any other time directly into all life on our planet. Having been born at the time when this wondrous creative energy is at its greatest strength, for the whole of their present lifetime Leos have the benefit of more than their fair share of it. Their link with the highest Sun is stronger and more direct than in any of the other signs.

Just like the element that rules them, souls born into each one of the Fire signs have a tendency of rushing headfirst and without due forethought into things. Leos are no exception to this; they seem to be courageous, just like their animal counterpart, but often this amounts to nothing more than foolhardiness, which should not be mistaken for real courage. Truly having guts means knowing that there is danger, but in spite of being afraid of what might happen, one is willing to take a calculated risk and still goes ahead and does whatever is necessary. Read more about this in ‘The Sun in Capricorn’. Leos, like the other Fire signs, are greatly in need of developing at least a degree of self-control and self-discipline. This alone can help them to avoid constantly creating unnecessary difficulties for themselves.

THE TRUE NATURE OF LOVE

The Sun rules the heart in the physical body. Ah yes, the Leonine heart! It’s a highly inflammable object that at the same time can also be exceedingly fickle and foolish. That’s why Leos are constantly falling in and out of love. It seems that as soon as their eyes fall upon someone who appeals to them, the fire in their heart goes ‘whoosh!’ and Leo once more is in love. Alas, they fall out of it again, just as quickly. Whether they are wise ones already or not, when the lion loves it does do so passionately with all its heart. Yet, the human heart is notoriously an unreliable customer, not just for Leos but for everyone.

To keep any flame of love going for a long time, human souls need to develop such essential ingredients as common sense and human kindness of the heart. Most helpful of all is a degree of spiritual awareness of the true nature of love and the reason why we are in this life together. To enable us to love steadfastly, truthfully and wisely and that in all our relationships, takes the wisdom and the light of the Highest Self to illumine our consciousness. It is always waiting to teach us how to love all our companions on their way through life, no matter what flaws and shortcomings in their character they may still have to overcome. When we have finally learnt to love people in spite of what they may say or do, then we discover what love truly is.

It stands to reason that a gift as precious as that of loving the way our Creator loves us is not going to be handed to anyone on a silver platter. Like all good things in this life, this one has to be worked at with serious intent and that over the course of the whole of at least one lifetime. Do not be discouraged by this. Bringing forth the highest and best character traits of any sign is every soul’s birthright, but this takes much hard work and dedication. Behaving in the desired manner needs to become second nature to us, a living reality that gradually fills every cell and every atom of our being.

I believe it takes a lifetime of tests and trials – as likely as not a great many of them – before any human heart has learnt to love with God’s steadfastness and strength. Our earthly education continues until the love of the Sun in our heart radiates from within through our whole being with such strength that no clouds can hide it and nothing can ever extinguish or destroy it. Like God, we shall then be able to love anyone who comes our way unconditionally and without judgment.

One of Leo’s greatest obstacles on the way to this goal can be their inner need to put their loved ones on a pedestal. As we all know, it is in the nature of pedestals that they reveal the feet of clay of those upon them all too easily. Each time this happens, poor Leo is so devastated that they promptly fall out of love again. In their disappointment, they seem to be incapable of remembering that the object of their admiration is as fragile and human as everybody else, including Leo. To my mind, what they can benefit from most is a renewed understanding of the purpose and meaning of this life, and that we are here together so that we may grow and learn together. One of Leo’s most urgent lessons for this lifetime is learning to control and master the passions of their earthly desire nature.

Recognising its drives and urges for what they truly are enables the human soul to rise above them and it starts to radiate the warming steady glow of the well-controlled fire of their heart into everything that comes their way. Like the Sun in the sky and the great spiritual Sun behind it, they can then pour – indiscriminately and generously – the warmth and the strength of their love and attention into everything that requires it. Their love is then no longer in danger of burning them and their loved ones to a cinder through misunderstood and over-heated passions. In this way, they are capable of slowly growing into the most wonderful channels through which the blessing and healing powers of the Highest flow increasingly into our world. During its lifetime in Leo the soul’s greatest potential is that it should slowly become ever more like a true Sun in its own right that acts as a go-between for the earthly plane and the Divine, to bring renewed life and hope to all.

Yet, this can only happen when the soul has become fully aware that nobody on the Earth plane has any real power. Only when it has finally grasped that the true reason for its being here is not for the seeking of power or dominion over others, but over its own – often highly bloated – ego of the earthly self, can it become an ever-purer channel for the Highest. What a sad sight Leos are when they are still full of their own importance and magnificence, even if they would not dream of proving through their actions on the Earth plane that such a high opinion of themselves is in any way justified. The spectacle of Toad of Toad Hall in the ‘Wind in the Willows’ by Kenneth Grahame comes to mind.

LOVE
Life has taught me this:
Everyday is new
And if anything is true,
All that matters when we’re through
Is how we love.

Faced with what we lack
Some things fall apart.
From the ashes new dreams start, but
All that matters to the heart is how we love

How we love, how we love –
From the smallest act of kindness
In a world of smart and hurt,
In spite of our mistakes chances come again.
If we lose or if we win,
All that matter in the end is how we love

How we love, how we love.
I will not forget your kindness when I needed it so much.
Sometimes we forget trying to be so strong
In this world of right and wrong.
All that matters when we’ve gone,
All that mattered all along,
All we have that does live on –
Is how we’ve loved.

Beth Nielsen Chapman
Edited by Aquarius

LEO’S SYMBOL – THE LION

The lion in its role as the king of the animal kingdom is Leo’s symbol. Astonishingly enough a study of the big cat’s behaviour can provide us with surprisingly good insights into Leo’s behaviour patterns. Like the big cat, they are self-confident and self-assured creatures. This may change considerably if their ascendant is in one of the shyer signs of the zodiac, for example Cancer. Should this applies to you, seek to develop the Sun’s highest and most positive aspects, all will then be well and your confidence will increase and develop, as your life progresses. Wise ones take care to avoid using the sexual/creative/spiritual energy, which the Universe so freely puts at their disposal for selfish purposes. Focussing their efforts on operating only on the highest frequency of the Sun’s creative energy helps them to tap into the Sun’s strength, so that it can be shared with everybody around them, especially timid and shy souls.

The Lion is the epitome of regal dignity, and Leos certainly have a touch of stateliness and a flair for decorum about them. Like the lion of the animal world those born into this sign anger easily. When they do, they leave you in no doubt about the state of affairs and that something is amiss. Leos are show-offs who love swishing their tails – metaphorically speaking – and doing their share of blustering and roaring, whenever the chance for doing so arises. Fortunately, they soon calm down again. Young and inexperienced Leo souls seem to believe that their natural and rightful place is at the top and that everybody is somehow below them. After putting offenders into the place where they belong, namely somewhere down there, they happily and graciously forgive.

In the physical body, Leo rules the inner centre, the heart and the spine. It is particularly important for Leos to exercise regularly and to pay special attention to keeping their spines as supple as possible. Flexible inner attitudes reflect themselves on the outer level in the spine’s suppleness. Leo is the royal sign of the zodiac and Aquarius is its opposite sign. The further we proceed into the New Age, the clearer we shall see that earthly kings and queens are anachronisms and leftovers from the past. The true royalty and the spiritual aristocrats of the New Age are the wise ones, who serve the highest good of the whole and who function without the need for pomp and circumstance in the outer world and instead with great simplicity give from their loving hearts and souls wherever the need arises.

Two of Leo’s greatest gifts are simplicity and the ability to penetrate into the inner heart of things in order to make them whole. Keeping things as simple as possible, Leos have a wonderful knack for getting to the heart of any matter, subject or enterprise by stripping away the non-essentials. This is also how the Father works. Whenever a human soul’s life is in danger of becoming over-complicated, too full of people and things that detract its attention from the true purpose of its present existence, the Father in Heaven helps the child of Earth to re-focus and re-orientate is life. For this purpose he strips away, time and again, that which has outlived its usefulness; relationships and things alike are thus taken from the soul, to create time to think and take stock and to remind it of its own mortality.

In times of great suffering inner doors of understanding open up, to encourage the soul to make its own enquiries and start asking questions about its existence and where the loved one may have gone. All of that should eventually lead every soul to the discovery that there is a great deal more to Earth life than that which can be seen on its surface. During each lifetime in Leo, the soul finds many opportunities for integrating more of the Father’s qualities, until they have become a permanent part of its character make-up. All characteristics that have been honestly acquired and truly worked for by us are our soul’s property; no-one will ever take them from us again.

LEO BACK IN THE WORLD OF SPIRIT

Can you imagine what kind of a shock we, as young and inexperienced Leo souls, must have suffered at the end of every lifetime when we returned into our true home, the world spirit, and found out that the learning for the human soul continues on this level of life? We soon made some very sobering discoveries, for example: there is a great deal more to life than that which we used to observe on its surface. Understanding what we just left behind us was merely the experience of one lifetime, it came clear to us that our splendour was not going to be of the lasting kind. There would be many more still ahead of us, which would teach us lessons of a very different kind. After death had stripped away the illusions of the outer world and with it the one of the great splendour and glory of our being, as some kind of king or queen in our own little Universe, we discovered that because before God every soul is of equal value, in truth we were not all that special, after all. How disappointing!

What of our nobility? None of that remains either, unless we already have developed some genuine nobility of spirit and soul, which reflects itself in all our thoughts, words and actions; and that takes many lifetimes. Such things are great blows to our big earthly Leo ego; yet, they teach our soul some exceedingly healthy lessons. Our disenchantment will spur us on to do better next time another lifetime in Leo comes round. On all levels of life, the most painful experiences always teach us our best lessons, because our soul never forgets them. That is why during our next lifetime in Leo we shall work much more seriously on behaving like a truly wise one.

When the outer shell of the physical body has been taken from the soul, all that is left are the qualities it has thus far developed, throughout all its lifetimes. No-one suddenly turns into an Angel. However meagre or rich, positive or negative, destructive or helpful its character qualities may be, they are all there. Naked it stands before itself and takes stock. Later it decides, together with the wise ones in charge of it, which future soul lessons it should seek in its next lifetime. Yet, while it is on the earthly plane the soul has no option than getting on with the lessons of its present lifetime. And this is your chance, dear Leo friends, for practising and integrating the best ones of the Father’s qualities and for learning to love the way the Father does, namely wisely.

This means loving with open heart and hands, without expecting anything in return; loving for love’s sake and giving for the sheer joy of giving and the blessing of having something to give and share with others. Every soul is specially gifted in some way and giving of our talents, however small and insignificant they may seem to us, freely and willingly wherever there is a need for them, we learn to love ever more wisely and divinely. Part of this is forgiving magnanimously and magnificently, even the most miserable sinner who comes our way, and loyally sticking to our loved ones through thick and thin, no matter what may befall them. These things must eventually come to the human soul as naturally as breathing in and out. Whenever the going gets rough – as it must for every soul at times – do not forget that nobody ever pretended the spiritual pathway was an easy one!

LEO – THE SIGN OF THE CONSCIOUS SELF

The sign before Leo is Cancer, the sign of instinctual consciousness where the soul still behaves and reacts to life mostly from its instincts and through its emotions. Up to this point of its journey round the zodiac, the soul is busy with building itself a personality. Yet, so far it remains unconscious of itself, its actions and reactions. This changes dramatically when it reaches the next sign, Leo, the Sun’s own sign. Starting with its first lifetime and increasingly so during each subsequent one in this sign, the soul begins to become conscious of itself and starts to integrate and develop the energies and the qualities of the Father. It discovers its God-like qualities and creative drives and urges, and awakens to its role as a co-creator with God. As the Creator’s ideas flow through it directly from the spiritual fire of the Sun, the highest levels of life, while the soul is still young and inexperienced it may grow ever more bigheaded and arrogant over its artistic achievements. It takes the soul many times round the zodiac before it acquires sufficient humility to realise that all it can do in its earthly existence is to act as a channel and an instrument, through which the Divine pours its inspiration to make the Earth a better and more beautiful place for all.

Leo’s opposite sign in the zodiac is Aquarius, one of the Air signs. They are the thinking and communicating signs of the zodiac. All types of technology and especially computers, in particular as a means of communication in the New Age, come under the rulership of Aquarius. Leo’s polar opposition with this sign explains why many Leos have quite a natural aptitude for computer work. Whenever Leo aims to work lovingly and for the good of all, they are consciously or unconsciously tapping into and making use of the energies of their polar opposition. In Leo, the same as in all other signs, through integrating the best qualities of our own sign and its sleeping partner, every soul can speed up its own process of wholeness and healing, and that of our whole world. To grow into the truly great and splendid being, which up to the time this comes about Leos only think they are, they have to master the following aspects:

• Learn to serve the highest good of the whole and work hand in hand with God and the Angels.
• Stop using their considerable gifts for selfish purposes and self-aggrandisement and start singing the praises of the Highest instead.
• Serve all life with true humility in their heart and that, to a Leo, may well turn out to be the tallest order of all.

SEEKING DOMINION

The human soul is a microcosm of the macrocosm, and each one of us is a miniature Universe in its own right. The giver of all life, the spiritual Sun and Great Light of the whole of Creation, dominates everything it contains and that in life on all its levels. And just like the Father, each one of his human children is also required to take possession of and rule over all parts of its being and in particular its lower earthly self. We are all here to seek domination over this aspect of ourselves, never over the people around us. The Father is the masculine aspect of God; his elements are Fire, creative ideas, and Air, the power of thought to express them. He sustains and nurtures all life through his feminine counterpart, the Goddess and Mother of all life, who is also the soul of the whole of Creation. Her elements are Water, the soul and the world of feelings and emotions, and Earth, matter. When Water and Earth come together, they are the clay from which the outer form of all living beings and whatever else is in our world are moulded into shape. They are held there, for as long as it is required, by the willpower behind the thoughts of the Father.

This brings us to Leo’s second keyword: ‘I rule!’ or to put it a different way: ‘I seek dominion’. To help us understand the true meaning of this it is necessary to reach into the spiritual background of life. The human soul on its pathway round and round the zodiac, each time it reaches Leo becomes that bit more aware of itself and its inherent Divine powers of the great Father of all life, who creates, nurtures and sustains it everything that exists. To enable him to do this, he must have control over the whole of Creation and dominate it.

As a spark of the Divine, every soul – not merely those born into Leo – contains the same powers and forces that are in God. When less experienced souls sense this inside them and misinterpret what they find as something of a God-given right to dominate and rule over those around them and their lives, it spells trouble and disasters. And because we all have everything inside, the question of dominion arises for each one of us. Yet, it may take a long time in evolutionary terms until we are spiritually mature enough to recognise that the only thing we are in this life to learn to control and dominate are the drives and urges of our own lower earthly nature and personality.

The only one for whom it is essential to have dominion over others, including you and me, is the Great Father himself. He is the one who keeps planets in their orbit and brings whole worlds and everything that is in them into being, maintains and nurtures them, and destroys them again at his will, when they have outlived their usefulness. He rules over and dominates all life and everything is under his loving control. What an amazing feat! It is not hard to see the necessity for keeping a firm grip on it all and for organising the whole enterprise exceedingly well, because otherwise chaos would reign and nothing would ever work. How good that it is not someone human who is in charge! One shudders to think what that would be like, at our present evolutionary state.

All of this makes all too understandable how it comes about that the urge to dominate and control others in Leos is so strong and hard to resist by young and inexperienced souls. The wise ones, however, who are aware of this have the advantage of making every effort to let go of their desire to meddle and interfere with the lives of others. Appreciating that they themselves are the only person in the whole wide world they can change, they get off other people’s backs, focus on taking charge of their lower nature and work on improving their own character. Great progress becomes possible for Leos when they place their Highest Self on the throne of their lives and submit themselves to it, instead of their small earthly ego. In inexperienced Leo souls, the most highly inflated part and therefore most of all in need of conquering is their massive ego.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Let them have Dominion’

GENEROUS, CREATIVE, MAGNANIMOUS

Leos are good and broad-minded organisers and altogether impressive personalities. Deep down at heart they will always remain big pussycats, generous, creative, magnanimous, enthusiastic as well as romantic and highly sentimental souls. Their abilities and character traces reflect the Father’s energies and attributes, which in every one of His miniature versions, the human soul, in the course of a great many lifetimes have to be brought forth by us, until they have been developed to their highest potential.

The Sun in our birthchart is a symbol of what the Christian tradition calls ‘our Father in Heaven’. At the beginning of the Aquarian Age, it is coming ever clearer that in truth this means the triune Godhead on the highest level of life, the Great Father/Mother of all life and their only born Son, the Universal Christ Spirit. The Christ Spirit is the Sun, the spiritual Sun behind the Sun in the sky above us, the source of all wisdom, knowledge and truth. The masculine Father aspect of the godhead is the Great planner and architect of the Grand design for all worlds and beings, who organises the whole lot and keeps everything in its predestined place.

All aspects of the Godhead are part of us and we are part of it. However, for simplicity’s sake let us stay with the term ‘the Father in Heaven’ who is directly and actively involved in every life. We are his creations and he loves us so much that he refuses to interfere with us unnecessarily and allows each one of us to learn from our own mistakes. When our soul has been round and round the zodiac a great many times, we no longer feel the need for acting like some kind of a meddlesome busybody and interferer. We then prefer to do as the Father does and let others learn from their blunders, staying in the background and helping only when those in our charge invite us.

As Leos have a highly developed sense of showmanship and drama, and are naturally at home on any stage, it comes as no surprise that show business people frequently have this sign strongly configured in their charts. Always happy to take centre-stage, no matter how small or large it may be, Leos are the natural drama queens and kings of our world. You may rest assured that one way or another, they are sure to find themselves a stage on which they can perform. Should there be none, they simply create one. ‘Look at me, how I suffer! See, how I love!’ This does by no means always happen consciously. Leos just cannot help themselves; to be true to their nature – remember they are Suns – they must shine. Shakespeare’s Duke in ‘As you like it’ says: ‘All the world is a stage, and all women and men merely players.’ Maybe this was written especially with Leos and Sagittarians in mind, because for them any stage is the place where they feel truly at home.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Sun in Sagittarius’

BIG DOWNSIDE AS WELL AS UPSIDE

Before the soul can bring forth the positive and highest qualities of any of the Sun signs, it first has to experience and become thoroughly familiar with their lower and negative aspects. Only when this lesson has been imbibed satisfactorily can any soul begin to reach for and aim to bring forth the higher and highest qualities, which the Universe wishes to bestow upon all souls. To fulfil the highest potential that can be reached in any of the signs, it is essential to pay attention to both its negative and positive aspects.

The trouble with Leo is that everything about them is big, the downside as well as the upside, but undoubtedly their greatest obstacle in the way of progress and success in the life is their massive ego. Awakened souls no longer put it on the throne of their being, but ask their Highest Self to guide them into action and to help them with changing the negative characteristics of their sign into positive ones. Less experienced souls, however, can be a real pain in the neck with their bombastic, pompous, snobbish, dogmatic, bullying, patronisingly meddling and interfering, power mad, selfish and conceited, as well as intolerant and opinionated behaviour. Oh dear! Take heart, dear Leo friend, at whatever evolutionary level you may presently be and let us now consider what happens to Leos when they become more highly evolved. Their natural dignity, self-respect, courage, warmth and integrity then come ever more to the fore. They then turn into very lovable creates who are honest, direct and dependable in all their dealings.

If you are not a Sun Leo yourself but want to get along better with your Leo relatives and friends, you and they are likely to benefit greatly from reading this. Leos are surprisingly easy to gel with when one understands and knows how to handle them. Two of the most precious gifts this sign can bestow on human souls are great simplicity and the ability to get straight to the heart of things. When you get to know them better, you will find that everything to do with Leos is simple. Once you can see through their blustering and forgive them their occasional bombastic outbursts, you will recognise easily that at heart they are very simple creatures. When you think about it, all truly great ideas are always simple. Can you see why simplicity is thought to be such an excellent trait? Incidentally, the simplest way of ensuring that Leos are happy and in their element is to accept them as Kings or Queens of the castle, as bosses and leaders. Difficulties can and will arise when this is denied. There is trouble when people stand up and refuse to bow to Leo’s wishes, providing the glorious lesson that not everyone is willing to accept their leadership.

Although it is true that they are natural leaders, who will and can take the lead in just about anything with considerable ease, being born into this sign does not automatically bequeath on anyone the God-given right to leading anyone – except themselves. The same as everything in this earthly school of life, leadership is something that can only be earned through sheer hard work. To help Leos do so, as they move through their lives, they will frequently find themselves in situations where leadership possibilities arise. Each one is a test to establish how far the leadership abilities have been developed thus far. Such tests can be quite subtle and wise ones seize each one that comes their way. By showing their willingness and working very hard on growing ever more into the role of good leaders, they have excellent potential for developing into first class leaders before their present lifetime is over.

Like the Great architect and designer, Leos are fine organisers. Unfortunately, many of them have great difficulties applying their talents to themselves and their own lives. Organising other people is much more fun than getting one’s own life in order and attending to one’s own problems. For as long as those around them are willing to be organised, all is well and Leo is happy. Trouble however is sure to brew, as soon as they come up against the resistance of anyone who resents their efforts and recognises that behind Leo’s façade of self-assumed splendour there is nothing but an annoying, meddling and interfering busybody. That is why wise ones leave those around them in peace and focus on getting their own inner house and their lives in order.

LEO’S BRIGHT AND SUNNY SIDE

This undoubtedly is Leos’ greatest gift and their most valuable asset is their natural, spontaneous and warm-hearted enthusiasm and charm. When they have learnt to develop and then use these gifts fully, they are cable of drawing others towards themselves like magnets. To play the role of one those affectionate, enthusiastic, cheerful and optimistic people, who are the life and soul of any gathering is something that comes natural to Leos. With charm and ease, they can bring sunshine and warmth into the life of everybody they meet.

Take care though! When it comes to their pride, Leos are astonishingly touchy, prickly and sensitive. Wise ones who do not wish to be hurt constantly, avoid false pride and do not stand on too much dignity. But, even when less experienced souls have been hurt, they still have their magnanimity to fall back upon. To them openly displaying their pain is beneath their dignity. Yet, wise ones or fools, it is difficult for them to resist the temptation of acting out their regal side by putting those who wronged them in some way into their – in Leo’s opinion – proper, i.e. lower place. And whichever background they come from, one way or another, they will always ensure to have some sort of a kingdom where they can rule supreme. However small it may be, they will spend a great deal of time, effort and money on making their home into as luxurious a nest as they possibly can; make no mistake about it, the big cat is fond of its creature comforts.

As already mentioned, Leos have a wonderful flair for drama, which they never hesitate to act out on any stage that presents itself. If there is no stage to be found, they create one by making a scene that others will not forget in a hurry, just to draw attention to themselves. Yet, their theatrical bent can also display itself in positive and enjoyable ways, for example in the way they love to dress splendidly, flamboyantly and imaginatively. They usually are sociable and lovable creatures, who adore being entertained and entertaining. When they do, it is always a bit as if they were holding court, and only the finest and the best they can afford will on such occasions be allowed to grace their home and table.

As they enjoy doing things in a big way and are good organisers into the bargain, they are also excellent when put in charge of other people’s social gatherings and outings. There too they will ensure that not only they themselves have the very best of everything, but also that everybody else has the same. This no doubt is one of the reasons for their popularity, which can be considerable. Appreciating their flair for extravagance and over-fondness of luxurious things and environments, wise ones take care to household with their resources, so that money no longer slips through their fingers like water.

Leos also have breadth of vision and a knack for immediately recognising the general shape of a scheme or project, but they sometimes lack an eye for detail. This is alleviated when their Mercury is placed in Virgo. Leos are hard working creatures who are always willing to set a good example to others. They like being in charge so much that they may find it hard to delegate authority, when the time for doing so has come. That is why quite a few of them die of a heart attack at a young age. Work can and should by rights be a highly creative process. When Leo’s work is creative enough, so that their heart is in it, they are excellent workers and perfectionists, who take great pride in their work, i.e. their creations.

WORKING LIFE

When working together with others, they may come to the conclusion that nobody can do the job in hand as well as they can – they may even be right. Because of this, many Leos develop the habit of handing out responsibility with one hand, only to take it away again with the other. Wise ones, however, who prefer living to enjoy the fruits of their labours to an early departure from this plane, when in charge of people, as early as possible take care to delegate what can be done by others, instead of doing everything themselves. Leos are good teachers and to avoid wearing themselves out prematurely, they need to share their expertise with those around them, so they can learn the ropes from their own mistakes, the same as everybody has to do, including Leo.

Acting, dancing, teaching, youth worker, managing director, professional sportsperson, creative writer or any other occupation that offers sufficient opportunities and scope for using and showing off their many talents are suitable careers for Leos. They are ambitious but, unlike the soul in Aries can be, they are not ruthless. They are willing to toil and slave unstintingly for a good master, who treats them kindly and with respect, and to whom they can look up. It is vital for their wellbeing that they find work that is congenial and creative, because they are capable of a great deal of suffering in jobs that are too dull or boring for them. The one thing they can tolerate least of all is a small-minded or stupid superior; when Leo has to encounter one of those, it will not take long until one of them leaves the scene.

To find their work enjoyable, Leos have to be allowed the freedom to express their natural exuberance and enthusiasm through it. When this is the case, their professional lives can become so absorbing that they feel no longing for leisure pursuits. If what they do is sufficiently creative and interesting, they are willing and capable of moving mountains, should this be necessary. Perfectionists at heart they loathe amateurism in any form, and whatever they get involved with, they will always work to their own, exceedingly high standards. They can be good teachers, though probably better with older children and young adults rather than with the very young. Theirs is a happy and creative knack, which no-one can quite emulate, of goading the unwilling in playful ways into action, gently guiding them into doing what has to be done. This kind of creativity and leadership can provide Leos with much happiness and satisfaction.

They are capable of planning on a large scale, sometimes too large, but then largesse is a vital part of their personality. They are not the worrying kind by nature and in spite of not being intellectually inclined, they can be fond of intellectual discussions. They are not such good actors for nothing. What they lack in knowledge, their great acting talent helps them to hide. It is rare for them to get deeply depressed, but when a low does hit them, it may take them so low that they are in need of learning to take good care of themselves. The good news is that due to their built-in resilience, their lows usually never last all that long. Their own personal Sun usually always comes shining through quite quickly, helping them to lift themselves out of the doldrums.

CREATIVITY

As a chip of the old block – if I dare use this expression in this context – we are all highly creative beings. Like God, we are constantly in the process of creating something. Not surprisingly, this moves especially into the foreground during the lifetimes our souls spend in Leo. The creative urge in us is then every bit as strong as it is in the Father. This reflects itself in Leo’s strong urge to express themselves in their own unique ways, be it through children of the mind or of the body. Most Leos love children and have a good way with them, because at heart they always remain a bit of a child themselves. They have a wonderful knack for communicating with children on their own wavelength, and children love them for that. There is a childlike and somewhat naïve quality about Leos, which can be endearing to those around them, but this may at times also come across as more than somewhat childish. Leos love to play with anything, the way cats do, especially when young.

Creative inspiration from the Source is constantly flowing through them and they have a special aptitude for giving shape to the ideas that come to them with the greatest of ease. However, to make the spiritual progress that is potentially possible for every soul in this sign, living purely for itself, going after what its heart desires on the earthly plane, and fulfilling its own selfish wishes is no longer good enough. The gifts that have been bestowed upon Leo with such generosity by the Universe are meant to be shared with everybody, to make our world a better and more beautiful place for all.

Wise ones appreciate that giving in to their urge to dominate other creates nothing but problems for them in partnerships and marriages. Life itself has taught them that unless they find some suckers who are willing to be led by them and bossed about, things are highly unlikely to work out in any of their relationships. Proud and romantic by nature, Leos have visions of the ideal partner who is waiting for them somewhere, and of being successful with that person. They want people to look up to them and notice them in all their splendour. But they also need someone to look up to themselves, someone to admire and adore, to be proud of at all times. Leo souls are saved many disappointments in their affairs of the heart when they have learnt that such high expectations of any other human soul are unrealistic and impossible to live up to.

Having reached such a degree of spiritual maturity, they no longer put anyone – including themselves – onto any pedestals. Instead, they accept that the object of their love is a mere mortal, with shortcomings, the same as everybody – oh yes, even Leo. As you can see, awareness is the key that can – and is meant to – help us unlock all our problems, especially those we all encounter in our human relationships. Before making a final commitment, wise souls pay attention to the pitfalls of their sign and look deep within themselves to see whether they are spiritually mature enough to handle a long term relationship to the satisfaction of both partners. Knowing that the answers to all our problems lie within ourselves, when something does go wrong, they no longer look towards the other one for the why and how, but check their own behaviour and sweep in front of their own door.

LEO’S LOVE FOR CHILDREN

When they have children of their own, wise ones take care not to expect too much from them. They save themselves and their children many disappointments by accepting that their children are not extensions of themselves. They get great comfort from knowing that human children merely come through their parents and that they are not of them. Aware that each one is a complete and unique human being, in its own right, such wise ones refuse to dominate their children and they do not swamp them with their exuberance. In general though, Leos either launch themselves into parenthood with gusto or leave the matter well alone. If they decide to have a go, they are likely to become good parents. Wise souls, who already see their loved ones in a realistic way and bring up their children without spoiling them too much, are sure to get lots of fun out of the whole process.

As you will be able to see for yourself by now and as mentioned before, in truth Leos are no more than big pussycats. It’s just that one just needs to learn how to handle them. Like all cats, they are lazy by nature and would rather lie in the Sun than chase after and catch mice and goldfish. However, they are also highly ambitious creatures. And then one fine day someone comes along to show them a tasty mouse that can be caught somewhere, or someone shows them a pond that abounds with those delicious golden morsels which any self-respecting cat relishes and cannot resist. Yet, should that person ask: ‘Shall I catch them for you?’ pussy’s hunting instincts and ambition come alive and it thinks haughtily: ‘Ha, whatever anyone else can do, I can do too! I’ll have no-one catch my mouse or my goldfish for me!’ As our pussycat is also a perfectionist, it gets far more satisfaction out of catching things for itself, if only to ensure that they are at the peak of their tastiness and perfection.

Leos are extremely self-centred and listening to them, one sometimes gets the impression that they and their loved ones are the only ones that matter in this life. Proud souls that they are, they adore having something and someone to be proud of – other than themselves, because that goes without saying. They love children and if they have any of their own, it is likely that they will sing their praises loudly, whenever someone cares to listen. Wise ones, who are aware of these traps, watch out carefully not to fall into them. When someone asks them how they are, they resist the temptation of hurling themselves into long descriptions of their own and their offspring’s wonderful achievements, and singing their praises. They stay with the important points and then enquire about the other’s wellbeing, because they know that not boring the pants off people goes a long way towards keeping one’s friends; being very sociable creatures, Leos need them like the air they breathe.

If there is nothing else to be proud of in their lives, having the most expensive and sophisticated heart-pacemaker in the world will do instead, or having undergone the most complicated operation ever or having recovered from the most dangerous illness anyone ever suffered from. With amazement and slowly increasing sadness one listens to such tales by inexperienced souls in Leo. To them such things seem to count as achievements. This is particularly pronounced if there is a strong Virgo somewhere in their character make-up, which may be reflected in their birthchart, their date of birth or their name, sometimes in all of them. And if one adds to this a touch of Scorpio, they will then tell you in great detail and depth all the gory details – regardless of whether the other one has got a stomach for such things or not.

Understanding why people behave in certain ways helps me to rise above just about any situation and saves me from sitting in judgement over people. Human beings tend to jump to conclusions about each other far too easily. Souls who are revealing through their behaviour that so far they have no idea of their own true nature and what this life is truly about, to my mind, deserve nothing but compassion and love. This applies particularly in the case of illness. The suffering such souls experience in their physical bodies reveals that for a very long time, their soul on a deep inner level has been suffering and struggling to get the attention of its earthly counterpart – in vain. Souls who have not yet consciously taken charge of their character cannot help many of their behaviour patterns, because they still are what is commonly known as ‘ruled by their stars’.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Mysterious Illnesses’
• ‘Ruled by the Stars’

Should you ever decide to study astrology yourself, I promise you firmly that as time goes by you are sure to find human beings increasingly delightful and much more lovable creatures. Knowing people’s motivations much better makes all the difference in the world. Viewing our world through the eyes of an astrologer it grows into a much more enjoyable and interesting place. To me, understanding changes everything. The more it develops, the more one gets the feeling that one is watching our world through the eyes of God. From this there slowly grows kindness and compassion for the suffering we all have created for ourselves and each other, and one understands why it has been said: ‘Love understands all and love forgives all.’ Because one loves, one understands and because one understands, one loves. Having reached that level, forgiving is a reaction that follows quite naturally. More than that! Because one understands, suddenly there no longer is anything to forgive. That does not mean that love has to blind itself; there is no need for that when one understands.

None of these realisations takes long; with time it becomes a spontaneous response from the inner self that says: ‘Ah yes, Virgo, Leo, Scorpio – whatever!’ It is at such moments that you feel your oneness with the great and loving heart of God and the Universe, and that is an experience I warmly recommend to anyone.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Be your own Astrologer’

OUR CHARACTER IS OUR DESTINY

There are two sides to every coin and good qualities are no exception. Unless we learn to use them with caution and discrimination, they can sometimes turn out to be a mixed blessing and in some cases they may even works against us. This is especially true for Leos’ noble and magnanimous character. If Leos are not careful and unless they set firm boundaries for themselves and others, the world around them will unashamedly take advantage of the lion’s good nature. Because they appreciate that no brownie points can be gained from martyrdom and there is no point in suffering in silence for too long, wise souls either withdraw from such situations or they speak up for themselves. The toughest bit about all experiences of Earth life is that nobody can learn our lessons for us. Each soul must do this for itself because that alone develops its character and brings forth its inner strength.

The above is a demonstration of how, when not handled correctly, a potential strength can all too easily turn into a weakness, which the world very happily exploits – if we allow it. Saying: ‘No’ in the right place and at the right moment is the most difficult word to learn in any language. To protect ourselves, our space and time, we must learn to discriminate what is important for us and our spiritual progress in life, and what is not. It is important to become aware that only on the surface of life is anyone ever the victim of circumstances. In truth, the only thing that determines the outcome of our destiny is our own character. Whenever we suffer – although it may often seem to us unduly – it is usually because of some hidden character flaw of ours. Our soul is constantly trying to help us move forward on our evolutionary pathway and if we ignore its early signals, the discomfort that comes later is then the only way it can attract our attention.

The Universe lays a great deal of power into everybody’s own hands. By consciously working on integrating ever more positive qualities into our character, we not only take charge and learn to control our earthly self, we can also positively influence the flow our destiny. Each lifetime is given to us so that we can turn any of the weaknesses we discover within us into truly well handled strengths that support us and make our life easier and more enjoyable. We ourselves create our world and our circumstances through our thinking and behaviour patterns. By taking charge of them, it is possible to turn our lives completely round, and our role changes from that of a victim into a victor. And that surely is something worth battling for!

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Transforming Weaknesses into Strengths’

© Aquarius 2010

SUN IN VIRGO
THE TEACHING AND HEALING SIGN

In the year 2010 the Sun enters Virgo on 23rd August and moves on into Libra, the next sign, on 23rd September. The Sun’s transit through Virgo signals harvest time on the Earth plane when, to this day, celebrations of successfully bringing in the harvest take place. The Harvest Festival creates opportunities for those who are willing to listen and pay attention to these things to pause in their endless rush after ever more material goodies. For them the time has come for giving thanks and praise not only to God in the highest but also to Mother Earth for the goodness and love she constantly pours into all her children, not merely the human ones. The truly wise ones amongst us do not wait till Harvest Festival but do this each time they partake in something, because they are aware that everything is in truth a gift from Mother Earth and all her kingdoms. More about the harvest festival later.

Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only when your Sun is in Virgo, but also when:

• Your Sun is in the sixth house, the natural house of Virgo;
• Your Moon is in Virgo or the sixth house;
• Your Ascendant is in Virgo;
• You were born on the 5th, 14th or 23rd day of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Virgo.

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Virgo, I recommend that you pay particular attention to the negative expressions of this sign. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can be causing considerable problems, as they are then far more difficult to detect by ourselves – in spite of the fact that our behaviour may be a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can potentially be achieved by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology is one of the best tools for finding them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Leo/Virgo but also Virgo/Libra, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Virgoi – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for souls born into them. In Roman mythology Mercury represented the fleet-footed messenger of the Gods. Many artworks depict Mercury as a young man who is wearing winged sandals or a winged cap. He holds a staff, known as a caduceus, around which two snakes are winding themselves upwards and facing each other.

Amongst many other things, since ancient times it has been Mercury’s task to steal the fire of the Gods. This symbolism reveals that, through the channel of the earthly human mind, Mercury in his capacity as God of communications carries the creative ideas, wisdom and knowledge from the highest levels of life, onto the Earth plane. By helping us to make some kind of sense of this temporary existence, Mercury’s gifts lessen our struggle with it. The highest levels of life are constantly trying to help us find a better understanding of ourselves and our environment, so that the wounds that were of necessity inflicted upon ourselves and each other would heal again. That’s what the messenger of the Gods is doing, to this day! Who do you think is writing this, through me?

Mercury’s counterpart in Greek mythology was Hermes; he too carried a caduceus but it was now seen as a symbol of peace. Originally, the staff he carried had been a rod or an olive branch that ended in two shoots and was decorated with garlands or ribbons. They were lager interpreted as two snakes entwined in opposite directions with their heads facing. A pair of wings, as a symbol of Hermes’ speed, was attached to the staff above the snakes. Its similarity to the staff of Asclepius, the healer who carries a staff that is branched at the top and entwined by a single serpent, resulted in modern times in the adoption of the caduceus as a symbol of the physician. These processes have been taking place long before we – by that I mean that you and I in other lifetimes could have been among them – ever thought of giving the names of Hermes and Mercury to the earthly counterpart of the super-conscious mind of our Highest Self. To understand itself and the life it is in the small self has been equipped with a mind that can receive and understand the gifts that Mercury brings from the superconscious realms. Even the very ideas for the names of all those concepts have their origin in the Source, where ultimately all ideas come from and return to.

To this day, the legends that were given to us in the days of yore can provide us with clues about the functioning of the dual nature of humankind. The two snakes represent the streams of consciousness of the earthly, conscious and logical mind, and the super-conscious mind of the Highest mind, the Divine within us. I see the caduceus as our spine. The intention is that through our spiritual practices, meditations, prayers and contemplations, the two snakes should start to work together, so that they gradually wind themselves evenly around each other and their energies rise through the staff of our spine. As the snakes, the two energies, begin to face each other, come into harmony and slowly become one, they are bringing healing and peace to us and our world.

Mercury is the planetary ruler of Gemini and Virgo. The mind of our Highest Self dwells in every human heart and we all need to learn how to unite the only seemingly opposing forces within us. Their struggling ends when we acquire the skill of tuning not only into the energies of our own sign but also that of its polar opposite, in the case of Gemini with Sagittarius, and Virgo with Pisces. To re-establishes our inner connection with the great loving heart of the Universe, where all truth is known, the energies of all two opposing signs in the zodiac need to be united and healed together into one harmoniously functioning unit.

The small still voice of consciousness forever has been the voice of our Highest or God Self. The more the earthly mind devotes itself to serving the purposes of the Highest mind, the more this part takes over, until eventually the two minds have become completely one. As every individual earthly mind is part of the great mind of our world and also of the whole of Creation, the prayers of the Highest are meant to eventually flow through each and every one of us, to bring healing and peace to all life. The voice in every soul’s heart is part of the great loving voice of the soul of all of Creation. This is the place where the wisdom and knowledge of all ages and all worlds are stored, and that is the reason why it knows the answers to all our questions. As soon as one of us has become sufficiently evolved, this soul also speaks through us, in just the same way as it once did through the Master Jesus.

CHARACTERISTICS

Now, let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Virgo. Here is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into perfection or rather wholeness. The circle of the zodiac with all its signs and houses is a symbol of this process. The law of life is evolution and round and round the zodiac every human soul has to go. Lifetime after lifetime we slowly absorb ever more of the lessons that are needed to integrate the qualities of our Divine parents. Every new lifetime brings us that bit closer to our final goal, the perfection, i.e. the wholeness, of the Great Father/Mother of all life, our true ancestors. This task will not be fulfilled until they are all functioning together in the same perfect harmony that is in God.

Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are the Earth signs of the zodiac. The energies of these signs are: Taurus fixed, Virgo mutable and Capricorn cardinal. Virgo is the sixth sign of the zodiac and the sixth house is its natural abode. Both sign and house are concerned with service, daily work and our physical wellbeing. Its polar opposite, the twelfth, is the house of the soul, Karma and of mental health.

With the help of the link provided at the end of this paragraph, you might like to read up about the astrological meaning of mutability in ‘The Qualities of the Signs’. Should this be the only Sun sign you are interested in and you are as yet unfamiliar with these concepts, you need to know that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, and that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. The energies of our Sun sign are reflected in our approach to life and our attitude to and perception of it.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Qualities of the Signs’

VIRGO’S SLEEPING PARTNER

As mentioned earlier, the planetary ruler of Virgo, Mercury is in charge of Gemini and Virgo. In Virgo, the teaching and healing sign of the zodiac, the human mind benefits greatly from the stabilising and strengthening effect of the planet’s energies, as here they can express themselves through the gentle wisdom of the Earth. Because in the Air sign Gemini there is a definite lack of this, souls who are still involved in learning to overcome the negative aspects of their sign can be more than somewhat unstable, fickle, and restless. In Virgo the earthly mind becomes much steadier.

All signs opposing each other in the zodiac are known as the sleeping partners. Virgo’s is Pisces, co-ruled by the mighty planets Jupiter and Neptune. Their energies, the same as all others, are constantly flowing from the Universal Source on the highest level of live into all lower ones. During their lifetimes in Pisces and Virgo respectively it is easier for human souls to gain direct access to them. Jupiter stands for the Divine aspect that brings the elements of joy, hope, faith and trust into our world. Neptune has always inspired humankind with the ideas for the most exquisite works of art in all fields of endeavour; the creative artist’s Virgo part brings them to perfection. Music, more than anything else, brings us into alignment with Neptune, while all spiritual/religious/philosophical activities take us closer to Jupiter’s heart.

To this day, there is a definite shortage of the highest and most positive aspects of the attributes of these two planets in particular in our world. That is why, at this very special time in the evolution of our race, the planetary Angels urge us all to share any understanding that is found with those around us, so they too can find new joy, hope, faith and trust in the Universe’s great wisdom and the goodness of the life it is providing for us all. Jupiter is a symbolism for the great teacher from the superconscious realms who, through Sagittarius and the ninth house, and Pisces and the twelfth house of the soul and Karma, teaches all human souls to repay their own Karmic debts and those of our whole world. By the end of this evolutionary phase each one of us, through this process, needs to grow into a saviour and redeemer in their own right.

Alas, Virgos are known to be the worriers of the zodiac. Being highly practical and earthbound people, their perception of life can initially be more than somewhat limited. For souls born into this sign the attunement to the vast and expansive energies of Jupiter and Neptune is most beneficial. They counteract better than anything else Virgo’s tendencies to excessive worrying about everything and nothing. Too narrow a vision of life causes a lack of faith and trust in the goodness of life and its Creator. This, in my view, is the very source of all anxieties, not merely Virgos.

VIRGO – THE PERFECTIONIST

Virgo is the harvest sign of the zodiac. Teaching human souls how to bring in not only the fruits of the Earth but also those of the spirit is its special assignment. The symbol of this sign is a young maiden who holds a sheaf of wheat in her arms. The wheat is a symbolism for the wisdom that is gained by human souls through toiling in the fields of earthly and spiritual human endeavours. And the Virgin stands for one of the aspects of the Great Mother of all life, who in this sign willingly shares her wisdom and understanding with her children of the Earth. As and when the need arises, she guides us into searching for and finding healing in mind, body and soul for ourselves and those around us for the wounds our earthly lessons have of necessity inflicted upon us. That is why, each time human souls spend one of their lifetimes in this sign, they become increasingly interested in the gathering and appreciation of the material and spiritual goods that serve the physical as well as the spiritual needs and concerns of their present plane of life.

Virgo being the teaching and healing sign of the zodiac, the more highly evolved a soul becomes, the more urgently its Highest Self does its best to draw it towards bringing forth these abilities, so they can be developed to their highest potential. Unassumingly and lovingly, frequently in the most humble circumstances and difficult conditions, the Virgin attends to humankind’s greatest needs. One of the finest examples of this is Mother Theresa of Calcutta; born 26th August 1810 she is a Sun Virgo. Her date of birth on its own reveals that she and her life were strongly under the influence of Saturn, i.e. 2+6=8; her destiny number too is 26 = 8.

The Virgin stands for purity and perfection. Qualities that are otherwise exceedingly hard to find on the Earth plane are meant to be developed in her sign. That is why a wonderful sense of cleanliness, wholesomeness and fastidiousness is usually quite noticeable in those who have their Sun, Moon or Ascendant in Virgo or the sixth house. Aware that the perfect can all too easily become the enemy of the good, in their never-ending search for excellence, wise ones take care not to set their sights too high. Having learnt from their own first hand experiences, either during this lifetime or another, that a constant striving and craving for perfection in an imperfect world breeds nothing but dissatisfaction, they stop in their efforts when they realise that something is ‘good enough’, even though they themselves may by no means be satisfied.

Virgo’s aim in life is to achieve the highest possible degree of perfection. Those born into this sign have an inner vision of a perfect world and it takes them a long time to realise that this cannot be matched by anything on the Earth plane. They are highly critical, insecure and by no means self-assuming souls. Having completed one of their creative efforts, they find it exceedingly hard to pluck up the courage to present their gift to the world. In their own eyes, their work may always remain a long way from perfect, in spite of the fact that it is to everybody else. Wise ones, who have learnt from their own experiences what an impossible task seeking perfection can be, take the plunge and let go, when they feel the right moment for doing so has come.

VIRGO – THE NAGGER OF THE ZODIAC

Young and inexperienced souls during their lifetimes in Virgo are in constantly in danger of creating problems in their relationships by trying to impose their inner vision of and craving for perfection on the people and the world around them. For as long as they remain unaware that we can only change ourselves, never other people, Virgos all too easily drive others away with their steady barrages of corrections and criticisms. Not many folks are willing to hang around for too long, to patiently endure their never ending stream of fussing and nagging. Sooner or later, even the most loving people take to their heels, leaving poor Virgo once again lonely and stranded.

The quicker they come to understand that love withers and soon flies out of the window in disapproving atmospheres where it is impossible to get anything right, the happier they will be. When too much criticism enters into any relationships, the most ardent lovers take to their heels, sooner rather than later. Taking charge of their critical faculties and learning to control them will do more than anything else to improve anyone’s love life. Virgo’s most urgent lesson is learning to relate to those around them also through their hearts, instead of purely their heads. Loving and accepting other people just the way they are opens human hearts and souls and teaches them to love totally and unconditionally, the way God loves each one of us.

Virgos benefit greatly when they wake up to the fact that although all who are presently dwelling on this planet are still imperfect, notwithstanding the fact that we all carry the seed of perfection within. Ours is a flawed world and that for good and wise reason. If it and we were already perfect, there would be nothing left for us to learn, and there would be no need for us to be here. Much evolutionary progress is possible when Virgo realises that the only person that we can ever change is ourselves. It is impossible to change others and when we change our inner attitudes and outer behaviour patterns, our world changes with us. This is the only each one of us can do their share of influencing, changing and transforming not only our own world, but the whole of Creation. When we change, it miraculously does the same.

Realising these things, instead of wasting their precious time and energy on missions of fault-finding, nagging and disapproval, becoming ever more frustrated and irritable in the process, the wise ones in their midst look for constructive outlets for their critical and analytical faculties. Appreciating that we all have everything inside, the very best and also the worst, enables them to make a conscious effort to search for the good in all people and situations. Most helpful is becoming aware of the power of thought and the importance of positive thinking.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Positive Thinking’
• ‘The Power of Thought’

ANALYTICAL VIRGO

One of Virgo’s keyword is ‘I analyse’. This reflects their soul’s inner need for constantly collecting, analysing, digesting and assessing for its mental values everything that comes their way. To be sure, this is a wonderful quality, as only through analysing and relating events, people and things to each other can the hidden meaning of our life’s lessons reveal themselves. The trouble is that when these analytical faculties are overworked and applied to excess they turn into a nuisance to all and sundry, which presents a serious obstacle on the soul’s spiritual progress. But then, the hidden danger in any virtue is that it can all too easily deteriorate into a vice and something that works against us, instead of for us.

Let me give you an example of this. Virgos have the wonderful uncanny natural ability of sensing even the tiniest flaws in everything. This potential gift has its origin in their inner teacher = intuition, and when used in the right way it is an extremely valuable tool. But, when it is employed for constantly criticising everything that comes our way, it turns into something detrimental and destructive, especially in human relationships. No matter how hard we may try to attract people into our lives and wish to keep them there, this kind of behaviour can only push them away from us. The saying: ‘The things that are not said in a partnership are more important than the ones that are said!’ is likely to have been coined either by one of these wise ones or someone who suffered at the hands of one who was as yet unwise.

The way Virgos know intuitively when something is amiss reflects the skill of the Universe and the way it works through Mother Earth, when something goes wrong with any of its beloved creations. This is the eye that never sleeps; always watching it hurries to the rescue and tries to put things right again, for example when we cut our finger. Our body’s defence system kicks in – almost – automatically and the healing process begins. I say almost because whether healing takes place or not, the same as everything else, depends on the will of the Father of all life and on the kind of lesson a soul needs to be taught. God can and does work miracles, but only when they make sense and are justified. The main decisive factor is the Karma the soul has created for itself in previous lifetimes and this one. Souls who have worked hard on changing their thinking and behaviour patterns into positive ones may deserve a miracle and, Karma permitting, it will happen. Some illnesses may not find healing on this level of life, because they represent invaluable soul lessons for all involved, not merely the sufferer.

It needs bearing in mind that every soul’s healing abilities can only develop by working our way through our own painful experiences and suffering; nobody can do it for us. Healing ourselves is an exciting journey of discovery, and as soon as we have found a degree of wisdom we need to share it with anyone who needs it. They are meant to test and try our findings out on themselves; then they need to add their personal insights and learning to ours. In this way the body of knowledge about overcoming all aspects of human suffering slowly increases; this will continue until there is no more suffering on the Earth plane.

The awareness that we are all in this great school of life together, so we can act as teachers and pupils to each other is a great aid for rising above the negative expressions of any of the negative aspects of every sign. This kind of knowledge is a must for Virgos who wish to overcome their persistent unsettling and disturbing feelings of dissatisfaction with themselves and the world they live in, which can otherwise be the bane of their lives. Being aware how extremely touchy and sensitive towards criticism from others they are and how hard they find it to accept it from others, they develop the good habit of practising ‘do as you would like to be done to’; undoubtedly a reference to the law of Karma, if ever there was one. In spite of still feeling an inner urge to dish out disapproval to all and sundry from time to time, they refuse to give in to this. These days they reserve their criticisms for situations and people of whom they know that the constructive kind is valued.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘How to become a Miracle Co-worker’.

DISCRIMINATION

Virgo’s qualities are as valuable as those of any of the others signs, but they too initially merely exist as potentials. As we know by now, the finest and most positive characteristics of each sign are never going to fall into any soul’s lap; they have to be worked for very hard and Virgo is no exception to this rule. But then, Virgos love toiling. Only through constant practice of the virtues and applying them in the right way and in the appropriate situations, can they be integrated and become our soul’s permanent property.

Possibly the most precious and also most urgently required gift that Virgo wants to teach the human soul is discrimination. The ability to differentiate between the things that are important in one’s own affairs and all life, and the ones that are not worth bothering with and are best left alone are waiting to be developed to its highest potential in this sign. When they have mastered this and no longer get tied down unnecessarily by unimportant details, Virgos are capable of becoming great scientists, constructive critics in all fields of endeavour and excellent publishers. No matter into which walk of life they daily work may take them, maintaining the highest degree of perfection achievable will invariably be the main focus of their attention.

As research work offers endless opportunities for doing just this, Virgos feel drawn to it. This is where they really come into their own. Patiently sifting through endless data and facts, sorting the wheat from the chaff, is one of Virgo’s greatest strengths and one of its most positive expressions. Their finest expression and their greatest fulfilment Virgos find in service to others. Wise ones realise that any work on the Earth plane invariably amounts to a form of loving service to the One, who is present in everything that is and who serves all life and us; no-one works harder than S/He does. Bearing this in mind, even the most humble and arduous task becomes a joy.

As the soul lesson of the Earth signs is service, the need to serve humankind in some capacity is felt strongly by those born into them, none more so than Virgo. Through serving others, they can constantly find ways of transforming, renewing and regenerating themselves and their lives. Virgos are industrious and intuitive people; during this lifetime they have the instinctive wisdom of the Earth at their disposal in rich measure. That is why they are particularly suited to the helping and healing professions. Should you ever look for a therapist, here is a secret tip from me. Try to find one in whose birthchart Virgo is strongly configured, i.e. Ascendant, Sun and/or Moon in this sign and also in the sixth house. Such people are likely to do a wonderful job for you, because Virgos are at their best when left to their own devices and given the freedom to go about their business in their own quiet, methodical and thorough way. Given the right conditions, they are willing to take care of endless details and are capable of doing an excellent job, even when the most mundane routine tasks have to be carried out.

Wise ones, not just Virgos, know that the only true freedom anyone can have in this earthly existence is of the spiritual kind. It is the freedom to think and believe what our inner self tells us is true – no matter what anyone else may say. Freedom is being aware once again what we all truly are and then choosing to act on this knowledge. That alone can set us free from the chains and shackles of the karmic ties which we ourselves once created and brought with us into this lifetime! It may not happen this time round, but it will eventually. True freedom on the Earth plane can only be found in loving service to the One; that is the only way we can pay off our Karmic debts and redeem ourselves. Life alone can teach any soul the lessons of humble service and of patience.

Virgos are flexible and adaptable in their approach to life and their response to people and their needs; this is a reflection of the mutability of their sign. Solitary creatures by nature, they love their own space and are not afraid of keeping their own company, the way many people are. In spite of the fact that this may not show overmuch on the surface, they are very independent people too, who do not like it one bit when someone tells them what to do. They very much prefer to do their own thing and go their own sweet way. Extremely reluctant to ask for help, they can sometimes be in danger of depriving themselves of the reward and support they need and have earned, the same as everybody else. Wise ones are aware of this and make sure to ask for help whenever they need it. When trying this for the first few times, they may well find to their surprise that most people are happy enough to oblige, when asked.

SOME OF OUR FINEST WRITERS ARE VIRGOS

Virgos are avid readers who like nothing better than long chains of words, skilfully strung together like pearls on a precious necklace. In many cases this is a preparation for turning into fine writers in their own right. Virgos are not very good at expressing and communicating their innermost thoughts and feelings to those around them, to put it mildly. When it comes to sharing their considerable natural wisdom and the insights that are coming to them through their own learning, they find it much easier to do so in written rather than spoken words. Writing is one of the fields in which Virgos truly feel at home, where they can give of their best and really come into their own.

To name but a few famous Virgo writers, Leo Tolstoy’s was born 9.9.1828; his main work and gift to our world was ‘War and Peace’. It presents us with probably one of the finest examples of Virgo’s gifts. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German polymath and poet, was born 28.8.1749. The importance of his literary output in the German speaking parts of the world is comparable to that of William Shakespeare in the English-speaking world. Shakespeare himself is believed to have been born 23.4.1564. If this is correct, he was a Sun Taurus with his Moon in Gemini. Who knows, his ascendant may have been in Virgo or his Sun in the sixth house. But even if this was not the case, numerologically the day of his birth breaks down into 2+3 = 5. And the five is ruled by Mercury, the planetary ruler of Gemini and Virgo.

How about D.H. Lawrence, who drew his first breath 11.9.1885? Born on the 11th, he also was strongly under the influence of Pluto and Scorpio; his writing reflects this. For my taste of reading, a combination of Virgo and Scorpio energies seems to provide our world with its most interesting literature. They bring together Virgo’s eye for detail and Scorpio’s need for searching into the depth of the psyche and beyond the experiences of self, others and this world. Yet another Virgo is John Betjeman, born 28.8.1906, he grew up to become the British poet laureate.

The literary output of authors like these richly illustrate Virgo’s potential for fulfilling its highest potential by gathering the spiritual harvest, on behalf of humankind and sharing it with as many as possible. All creative writing efforts connect us with the Source of all being and all creativity. As pointed out earlier, Neptune represents the inspirational aspect of the Divine; in the fullness of time, every soul learns to act as a channel for realising Its ideas and inspirations on the Earth. Virgo’s opposite sign is watery Pisces, co-ruled by Jupiter and Neptune. Through gaining access to the energies of both signs and using them for the highest good of all, souls born into Virgo – more than in any other sign – can bring the ideas and inspirations that are necessary for the healing of ourselves and our whole world.

This is the sign in which the fire of the Gods flows most strongly into the Earth environment, so that all who feel inclined to partake in it are sure to benefit from it. Every soul has the birthright to find healing and become more whole in the process. Virgo is undoubtedly a high and holy sign; and for souls who are interested in genuinely serving the spiritual and physical needs of humankind, it will increasingly unfold ever more of its blessings. Virgo’s and Pisces’ potential for working as channels for the Divine is particularly strong. Souls who willingly respond to this call of their spirit have an excellent chance of growing into true servers, not only of humankind but also of Mother Earth and all her kingdoms.

The writings of all authors I have investigated with the help of their birthcharts clearly demonstrated how everybody’s perception of life is strongly coloured by their Sun sign. I always suspected that the only way anyone can write about and explain life to others is through their own perception; the author’s charts and writings confirmed this. Bearing that in mind, sets me wondering whether the scribe through whom the following Bible quote flowed into our world was a Sun Virgo. ‘Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and upon Thy books all these things were written, even before day was and humankind was brought into existence.’ Psalm 139:16. Seeing myself as imperfect, for in the eyes of God none of us is, if that isn’t Virgo speaking, what is?

BEFORE GOD EVERY SOUL STANDS ALONE

Guided and protected by our Highest Self and the Angels, each one of us has to climb the spiritual mountain on their own. The way some of the great spiritual teachers our world has known, for example the Master Jesus and the Lord Buddha, showed us how to go about it in the way they conducted their lives. We are all walking in their footsteps. God and the Angels are waiting to show us the way home into our true nature and to teach one of us how to walk hand in hand with them again, the way we once did. But before any human soul can be reunited with God its consciousness has to be cleansed of all remainders of the feelings that have their origin in its lower earthly nature.

If my own life is anything to go by, the worst of them by far is fear. We ourselves are responsible for what we fill our minds with. Only the best, the highest and holiest, that which furthers our spiritual growth and wellbeing is now allowed to remain part of our consciousness. All beliefs and long held prejudices need to be shed, if in the light of the knowledge we are now finding, they turn out to be outdated and false. People and situations that do not serve our highest good have to be dealt with in like manner. In fact, everything that tries to hold us back in the past and therefore stops the natural progress of our spiritual development must go. With the help of the link provided at the end of this chapter you can read more about this in ‘Learning to Control our Minds’..

The time of the Sun’s transit through Virgo is a wonderful one for attending to this. Early in September 2007 Saturn also moved into this sign. It took until July 2010 until it finally stopped hovering to and from on the Virgo/Libra cusp. The presence of Saturn in any of the signs always signals a time of many tests and trials, of hardships and possibly suffering. Ultimately, this planet’s role is to lead the human soul into spiritual growth, to spiritualise it to such a degree that it becomes aware again of its true nature. Through the suffering our souls have to endure on the Earth plane, our earthly selves grow in understanding and compassion and we develop into better and more compassionate beings.

To find healing the soul energies of those wishing to serve as channels for the Divine, as I believe we are all meant to do, have to be purified in this way. As we know by now, everything begins and ends with us. That is why initially every soul has to attend to its own needs: ‘First healer heal thyself!’ To my mind, the most important and also most daunting task ahead of each one of us is working on overcoming our deepest innermost fears. Saturn’s presence in any of the signs adds to this and is always an indication of difficult times ahead. Many delays and frustrations have to be coped with and much hard work, on all levels of their being, is likely to be required. On top of all that, any kind of contact with Saturn always raises all manner of fears into our conscious awareness. Scary though this is, God and the Angels are waiting to be called upon to help us recognise them for what they truly are: shadows of the past and remnants of experiences long gone. With this new understanding we can release them and let them go, once and for all.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Mystery of Saturn’
• ‘Learning to Control our Minds’

CREATION – ONE GIGANTIC WORK OF ART

I see the whole of Creation as one gigantic work of art that is ever evolving and moving forwards and upwards; each one of us is a participant and an integral part of it. Consciously or unconsciously, we are all channels through which the inspiration of the Divine is constantly flowing, to create ever more beauty. The Bible’s wisdom tells us in Ecclesiastes: ‘To everything, there is a season and a time for every purpose under the Sun.’ The Aquarian Age is bringing us a renewed understanding of ourselves and our world; through this the long awaited and much needed healing is taking place.

The planets Jupiter and Neptune play an important part in this; their influence is strongly felt in Virgo through the sign’s inner connection with its polar opposite, Pisces. A fresh grasp of some of the most ancient truths of our world are bringing a renewal of hope, faith, trust and joy into the heart and soul of humankind and that of our whole world. This is Jupiter’s field of action; it rules the optimistic and forward looking sign Sagittarius; together with Neptune it also rules Pisces. Neptune is a symbolism for the highest love vibration of the Universe. The most inspired creative ideas flow from there to be grounded on the Earth plane. Alas, as the Neptunian energies are of the soul, they do not feel at all on this level of life. In our imagination we can tune into them and with the help of prayers and meditations, they can re-connect us with our soul’s yearning and longing for the realms of our true reality and our true inner home.

As pointed out earlier, the main soul lesson of the Earth sign is loving service to all life. Souls born into the Air signs are meant to create goodwill towards all life in action. During lifetimes in one of these signs, the soul develops its intellectual capacities some more. As Virgo combines both these aspects, let no-one be fooled by the quiet and unassuming ways of souls born into this sign. Although it is an Earth sign, its ruler Mercury indicates that it is an intelligent one. Remember, he was the messenger of the Gods of the Ancients, who stole the fire from the Gods – the creative ideas of the Highest; it was he who brought them down to the Earth. Mercury stands for the human capacity to think logically and rationally, for analysing and discriminating. A lifetime in Virgo offers endless opportunities for getting in touch with and developing the intelligence and instinctive wisdom of the Earth to its highest potential.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘How Great Thou Art!’

HEALTHY LIVING AND EATING

Virgos are refined creatures in conduct and demeanour, but they are also extremely cautious ones who, without being aware of it themselves, can be quite selfish. They have a natural inclination towards all aspects of physical wellbeing, healthy living and eating, and show a lively interest in them. Wise ones appreciate that this is undoubtedly a great virtue and an asset. But, like all of them, this only applies when they are practised in moderation. That is why they take care not to get too wrapped up in themselves and matters of health. No longer focusing on their own health sets them free to serve those around them and pursue careers where their gifts can be put to good use. Working as nutritionists and/or practitioners of one of the many alternative therapies helps them to avoid falling into the trap of becoming the health-nutters and hypochondriacs of the zodiac.

The feminine energy of the Earth is kind, loving, caring and not belligerent, and that is very pleasantly reflected in Virgo’s approach to life. They are seldom aggressive, though the Moon or the Ascendant in one of the Fire signs may also push this aspect into the foreground of their behaviour. Home is important to Virgos; here they feel more secure than anywhere else. Their nervous system is highly geared and needs to be taken good care of. The human mind is a powerful tool and Virgo teaches us that its state has a direct bearing on the health and well-being of our physical bodies. Through positive thinking, everybody has the power of influencing their body to heal itself, whenever something is amiss.

In Virgo is the sign the intimate knowledge of the intelligence and wisdom of the Earth can be accessed much more easily than in any of the other signs. Its knowledge comes to everybody through the constant feedback our physical body is constantly giving us. Learning to pay attention to what it has to say, one learns to appreciate the wonderful abilities of the human body, how it can think and take care of itself. If we support it the right way, by thinking the right thoughts, giving it the right food, exercising it regularly, and treating it generally in good, kind and loving ways, it can mend and heal itself from almost anything. As pointed out earlier, provided that our Karma allows it, with the help and the will of God and the Angels all conditions can be healed.

HOW TO BECOME A TEACHER?

First one has to be taught and the same applies to healers and healing, hence: ‘First healers heal thyself!’ How does one go about it? Healing is a skill and an art form that can only be taught by life itself, i.e. through everybody’s own experiences. It needs bearing in mind that our physical bodies are not our property; they are on loan to us from Mother Earth and are expected to be returned to her in as good condition as possible, at the end of this lifetime. Through the very cells of this body our soul and spirit are always trying to tell us when something is amiss; learning to listen to it and interpret these messages are our task. That is how, as our life progresses and the store of our wisdom increases, each one of us can acquire the gift of knowing instinctively what to do whenever something is ailing us; this is particularly pronounced in Virgo. It is a fact of life that because we live in our bodies we all are potentially our own best doctor who, in case of illness, has a much better idea than anyone else of how to react and what our true needs are.

Many Virgos suffer from a crushing and deep-seated inferiority complex and sense of unworthiness. This is shared by their opposite sign, Pisces, under the influence of the mysterious and unfathomable planet Neptune. Such feelings rise from the inner level of life where, all too aware of its own shortcomings and the errors of all its past lifetimes, the soul kneels in deep submission before God and prays for forgiveness. On the conscious level of the earthly self such feelings are misinterpreted and understood as signs of its own unworthiness. Recognising and accepting them for what they truly are lifts them into the earthly self’s consciousness. From here they can be released by the realisation that in the eyes of God all souls are loved and all are equally precious and worthy.

ABOUT TEACHING AND LEARNING
Then a teacher said: ‘Speak to us of teaching!’
And the Prophet said: ‘In truth, no-one can reveal anything to you,
Except that which already lies half asleep
In the depths of your own inner knowledge.
Even a teacher who walks among his pupils
In the shadow of the temple, does not give of his own wisdom.
All he can share with you is his faith and lovingness,
And if he is truly wise, he will not ask anyone to enter into
The house of his wisdom. Instead, he will guide each one who
Comes to him to the threshold of their own understanding.

‘An astronomer may speak to you of his understanding of space,
But he cannot give you this understanding.
A musician may sing to you and even explain about the rhythm
That is in all space, but he is not the one who can give you the ear
To hear the rhythm or the voice to echo it.
And those who are fluent in the science of numbers,
Can tell you all about their fascinating world,
But again, they can only guide you to it.
One person’s vision cannot lend its wings to another.
In just the same way, each one of stands alone in their knowledge of God,
And their understanding of the purpose and meaning
Of life on the Earth and all life.’

From ‘The Prophet’ by Kahlil Gibran 1883-1931
Lebanese/American poet
Edited by Aquarius

From ‘A Celebration of Kahlil Gibran’

SERVING HUMANKIND’S EARTHLY NEEDS

Virgo reflects the aspect of the Divine that attends to and lovingly serves the earthly needs of humankind, no matter what the circumstances may be. Their approach to life is practical, methodical and down to Earth. They are the hardest working people of the zodiac; reliable, conscientious, meticulous and hard working souls, they have a wonderful knack for bringing order into chaotic conditions. Working is the very salt of their existence that makes it worthwhile being alive. Forever in pursuit of perfection, Virgos eye for even the minutest flaws in things, people and concepts, is meant to be turned into one of the most valuable assets of souls born into this sign.

Under the influence of the restless Mercurian energies of their planetary ruler, they are forever in search of something interesting to do and the only true satisfaction they are ever likely to find lies in the realm of work and service. Sitting down and doing nothing for very long is not Virgos. Even when it comes to choosing a hobby, it is frequently something that others would regard as work.

Their gift for patiently attending to even the minutest details makes them into excellent accountants and book-keepers; fine proof-readers and editors; wonderfully devoted nurses; and inspired counsellors, teachers and healers. If, as an employer you are fortunate enough to have one or two Virgos on your staff, do not forget to count your blessings. However, to make the most of them, you are well advised if you provide them with the right working conditions. This includes occasional praise and assurances that all is well. Ideally they need to be given plenty of time, not because they are slow; far from it! It is simply that to do any kind of work to their satisfaction – which is sure to be yours too, as soon as you see the result – they have to be allowed to take their time over doing things. No-one, I guarantee you, can do jobs, especially long and tedious ones, better than Virgo. In their modest and unassuming way, they are – all too often unbeknown to themselves – truly great people.

They dislike anything that is crude or coarse; and there is an attractive sweetness and a lack of aggression in them that endears them to others. Due to their quiet and gentle manner, they usually have few enemies and many friends. Alas, until they have released the earlier mentioned deep inner feelings of inadequacy, they can be over-demanding of their loved ones. Wise ones are aware that everybody has an insecure and frightened inner child that is constantly in need of signs of love and reassurance, but that it is up to us and not to others, to provide the required support. Knowing that constantly seeking it from those around them is extremely wearing on their relationships, the wise ones take their child self by hand and show it through affirmations that all is well and safely in the hands of the Universe.

Such wise ones appreciate that true and lasting self-worth cannot be given by others, because it is a slow and gradual process that grows from within through work that has be done well, whatever its nature may be. That is why, each time they have finished a job, they take a moment to stand back and look with satisfaction upon their accomplishment. This way, they get to know the joy of feeling the buzz, the contentment and happiness that cannot be given by other people because it is a reaction of our inner self, who in this way teaches us the only self-esteem that is truly worth having. The feelings that rise from there into our conscious awareness at such moments show us that we are worthy and loved for what and who we are.

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

The physical body’s digestive system is ruled by Virgo. The digestive process consists of three phases: the intake of food, the assimilation of that which is of value and the elimination of that which is of no use. In the daily rush and tumble of Earth life it is all too easy to overlook that our experiences are the mental, emotional and spiritual the food of our soul and spirit, on its evolutionary path way through life, and that the same digestive process has to be applied to them. Our life’s impressions need to be looked at and dealt with by us on a regular basis. It is essential for the wellbeing of our psyche that we analyse them for their nutritional value, because in that way alone can we assess what is still of benefit to us and our life, and what by now has become detrimental and useless ballast in need of discarding. This practice helps us to develop our ability to discriminate and assimilate to the full, and that is particularly important for Virgos.

The purpose and meaning of our earthly experiences is frequently hidden from our own view. Until our inner eyes open and we learn to first and foremost consider the spiritual background of life, our chances for making a great deal of progress a minute. Grasping concepts like the above mentioned change this dramatically. It is the most empowering occurrence imaginable when some of our newly found understanding enables us to let go more easily of situations that have been festering away in our lives and people who could have been bothering us for a long time. If any events of the past have left us suspicious and resentful, this is usually because we did not digest their meaning properly. As a result, the unwanted parts of these experiences could not be eliminated as waste products from our consciousness. If they are allowed to stay there for too long, they may in later life manifest themselves as ill health and sickness in our physical bodies. In Virgo every soul can discover for itself that physical health has far more to do with one’s inner attitudes and feelings towards life than anyone ever thought possible.

CHANGE OF ENERGIES BETWEEN SIGNS

The change of energies, as the Sun moves from one sign into the next on its annual round through the zodiac, is always very marked. For starters, the masculine, active and outgoing signs alternate with the feminine, passive and receptive ones; each has a different approach to life. Furthermore, the Sun moves from Fire signs into Earth ones, from Earth into Air, from Air into Water, and from there back again into Fire. Earth after Fire is like piling a load of soil on top the enthusiastic rush of the fire element. Water after Fire is similar to pouring a bucket full of it on the fire element’s joyous outbursts; in each case its flames are extinguished most successfully. In the case of Water and Fire the result is steam, which may express itself in steaming resentment. As you can see, the energies of each set are not at all compatible, making even harder every soul’s struggles at coming to terms with its earthly existence. Yet, all such things are grist to the mill of our spiritual growth, because they add to the wealth of the experiences we gather. With every new cycle that takes us through the whole zodiac our consciousness becomes more rounded and whole.

All these things contribute to the difficulties souls born into adjoining signs encounter with each other. Leo and Virgo are possibly the most outstanding example of this; another one that comes to mind is the changeover from Pisces to Aries. Let’s have a look at Leo and Virgo first. After the soul’s exploits – some of them rather extravagant – in flamboyant, pompous and outgoing, larger than life Leo, full of itself and the glory of its own being in one lifetime, in the next one the soul comes down to Earth with a bump in Virgo. This time it is going to gather its experiences in the modest, shy, retiring and self-effacing harvest sign of the zodiac, Virgo, where two different types of crops are waiting to be brought in. After Leo’s fun, games, socialising and showing-off, in the next sign the soul discovers the benefits of a more solitary existence. And so it willingly buckles down to getting some serious work done on the Earth plane and also learns to enjoy it.

In the case of cusp born souls, the above described things are part of their wrestling with coming to terms with and reconciling the sometimes very contradictory nature and opposing aims of their two Sun signs. For example Pisces is all about endings and Aries about new beginnings. To my mind, such conflicts can only be resolved through a better understanding of the processes of life. Astrology helps me to recognise life as one huge cycle of deaths and rebirth. Without interruption every new season of gathering experiences flows and grows from the previous one, and all life is eternally moving forwards and upwards onto ever higher and more beautiful levels of existence.

Although on the outer levels of life one often gets the impression of utter chaos, spiritually that is most definitely not the case. The Universe – and we and our lives within it – is unfolding with the precision of one gigantic Swiss clockwork, where nothing is left to chance. Becoming aware of this, which human soul would still have difficulties to humbly kneel in awe and wonder before the splendour and magnificence of the Great Architect’s design of life?

THE SOUL’S YEARNING
So long as this you fail to see:
That death precedes re-birth!
A gloomy guest you’ll always be,
Upon this darkling Earth.

From: ‘Seliges Verlangen’
Goethe

THE HARVEST FESTIVAL

One of the oldest known festivals to humankind is that of the harvest. The word itself has its origin in the Anglo-Saxon word hærfest, which means autumn. This word later came to refer to the whole season of reaping and gathering grain and other grown products. The full Moon nearest the autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon; in the year 2008 it takes place on the 15th September. Ancient traditions held their Harvest Festivals on the day of the full Moon or the Sunday nearest to it.

Celebrating the harvest in Britain dates back to pre-Christian times when people’s survival depended on the success of their crops. To ensure a good harvest for the following year Saxon farmers offered the first cut sheaf of corn to one of their Gods of fertility. The last one was thought to contain the spirit of the corn, and its cutting was usually accompanied by the ritual sacrifice of an animal – often a hare that had been caught hiding in the corn. Later, a model hare made from straw was used to represent the continuity of the spirit. This practice eventually led to the making of plaited ‘corn dollies’, as symbols of the Goddess of the grain. Hung from the rafters in farmhouses, they were kept until next year’s harvest festival. When the harvest was in, a celebratory supper was held to which the whole community was invited.

Some of these traditions were taken over by Christianity, as it gradually replaced the Pagan ones. For example, there were ceremonies and rituals at the beginning as well as the end of the harvest, with church bells ringing on every day of the harvest. A corn dolly was made from the last sheaf of corn harvested. This was a figure made of plaited straw, which was held aloft and carried with great ceremony to the celebrations. It was often given a place of honour at the banquet table, and kept until the following spring. The horse bringing in the last cartload of the harvest was decorated with garlands of flowers and colourful ribbons. A magnificent harvest feast was held at farmer’s houses and games were played to celebrate a successful harvest.

The first celebration of the harvest festival in churches is said to have taken place in 1843, when the Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service at his church at Morwenstow in Cornwall. This led to the custom of decorating churches with home-grown produce for the harvest festival service. The traditional ways of celebrating the harvest still survive today in rural communities. Nowadays, children also take gifts of fruit and vegetables to church and present them during the harvest service whilst the harvest hymn ‘We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land, but it is fed and watered by God’s almighty hand’ is sung. After the service, these gifts are distributed to the elderly and needy of the community. Many schools also have a harvest festival assembly and the gifts of fruit and vegetables are distributed in the local community.

© Aquarius 2010

SUN IN LIBRA
SIGN OF RELATIONSHIPS, PARTNERSHIPS AND MARRIAGE

In the year 2010, the Sun enters Libra on 23rd September and on 23rd October, it moves on into the next sign, Scorpio. Please, note that everything mentioned in this file applies not only when your Sun is in Libra, but also when:

• Your Sun is in the seventh house, the natural house of Libra;
• Your Moon is in Libra or the seventh house;
• Your Ascendant is in Libra;
• You were born on the 6th, 15th and 24th of any month, not merely while the Sun is in Libra.

For all who are interested in self-awareness, getting to know themselves by studying their Sun sign is essential, because its negative aspects are just as important as the negative ones. How can we change our weaknesses into strengths, unless we first become aware that there are indeed certain flaws in our character? Should your Moon and/or Ascendant be in Libra, I recommend that you pay particular attention to the negative expressions of this sign. My experience has shown that when any Sun sign’s energies are working from that level, they are tucked away somewhere in our subconscious. From there they can be causing considerable problems, as they are then far more difficult to detect by ourselves – in spite of the fact that our behaviour may be a constant thorn in the flesh to those around us.

Any quality we recognise in others, good, bad or indifferent, is also in us. Whenever you catch yourself thinking: ‘Ah, but I am not that way, thanks be to God!’ Stop kidding yourself and become aware that you are involved in projection. You can read more about this in ‘The Dynamics of Human Relationships’ and ‘Karma in Families’. If that sounds interesting, please use the links below. To make the progress that can potentially be achieved by each one of us in the course of our present lifetime, all our unpleasant character traces are waiting to be overcome and eradicated by us. As this is impossible without first becoming consciously aware that they are there, astrology is one of the best tools for finding them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Dynamics of Human Relationships’
• ‘Karma in Families’

Should you have been born on the cusp between any two signs, not just Virgo/Libra but also Libra/Scorpio, my notes about born on the cusp are of special interest to you. Please, follow the link below. It needs bearing in mind that much of what is said in the interpretation of any sign also applies when our Moon and the Ascendant is in it. So, if you happen to know that yours is in Libra – even though your Sun is in another sign – you are sure to find reading on worth your while. Besides, this interpretation, the same as all the others, contains many things that are of general interest to every evolving soul.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Born on the Cusp between Two Signs’

MYTHOLOGY

We shall first consider this aspect, because the mythological background of the planetary ruler of each sign can reveal a great deal about the evolutionary pathway of the human soul in general terms, as well as some of the character traces that are typical for souls born into them. The planet Venus has been known to humankind for a very long time, because references to it can be found in surviving records from Babylon from about 1600 BC. Others came to us from the Mayans – their famous religious calendar is based on the motions of Venus. As this planet is the third brightest object in the sky after the Sun and Moon, it is likely that our race was aware of its presence and its influence on us and our world much earlier than that, possibly even in prehistoric times.

When Venus is visible in the sky at night, it is by far the brightest star-like object. Through Venus in earthy Taurus, feminine, and airy Libra, masculine, the Universe demonstrates to us the feminine and masculine energies and characteristics of the qualities of this planet. Each sign teaches us the expressions of the Venusian energies in its unique way. When the Sun is in Taurus Venus shows itself to our world as the ‘Morning Star’; by the time the Sun has reached Libra it has become the ‘Evening Star’. This fact carries a message of its own that is charged with symbolisms for the human soul on its return into its true nature and home. First each one of has to descend into matter and Earth, where Venus at certain times represents the morning star.

The nature of the Universe is love and love is the essence of our own true nature. Venus is the planet of love and beauty, balance and harmony. In Taurus this still expresses itself through a great love of all the good things the Earth has to offer. By the time the soul reaches Libra the focus changes and concentrates on creating peaceful, balanced and harmonious relationships with all life and especially human ones. The lessons every soul learns under the guardianship of Venus and the wisdom we gain from it is intended to light up the way through our earthly existence. Venus teaches us how the load of the earthly cross can be relieved with the help of loving relationships that are in harmony with the laws of the Cosmos and allow us to express our higher nature.

There comes the point on every soul’s evolutionary pathway when it is finally ready to begin its ascent back into the higher realms of air and understanding, represented in the zodiac by Libra. Here Venus lights us the way as the evening star and many opportunities are presented for experiencing and expressing the many different types of human love. This requires the development of all our faculties, especially the inborn intelligence that is a natural part of the equipment of every one of God’s children of the Earth. The Universe offers all souls born into the Air signs ever more possibilities for taking charge of their earthly minds and its thought patterns. For the fine art of creating better relationships, Libra adds to the soul’s natural equipment qualities like the ability of expressing ourselves with kindness, tact and diplomacy, and finding words of love and forgiveness at the right moment.

The glyph for Venus is a circle with a small cross either underneath or on top. The circle represents the human spirit and soul, and the cross the Earth, its existence in matter. I prefer to visualise the cross as being below the circle, because it shows the ability of the human spirit and soul who, through the power of love – in the fullness of time and in the long course of its evolution – can and indeed is required to rise above the cross of matter, i.e. the purely physical aspects of Earth life. Although in biology, the Venus symbol represents the female sex and femininity, astrology clearly shows that it would be a mistake to describe the planet’s energy as a purely feminine one. The planet’s dual placing in feminine Taurus and masculine Libra clearly demonstrates that the ability of giving and receiving love, living in harmony with others and peace-making, from the beginnings of time on the Earth were never meant to be a monopoly of the feminine.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Sun in Taurus’
• ‘The Legend of Uranus and Gaia – A Tale for the Aquarian Age’

GENERAL NOTES

Libra marks the Earth’s entry into the second half of the zodiac and the autumnal equinox with its first day of autumn has crept up on us once again. In the outer world Libra is the turning point of the year. On the inner levels of life, the same happens to human souls on the evolutionary spiral, when they reach this sign. That is why, as this lifetime progresses, for many of them their pathway ideally needs to become an ever more delicate balancing act between our two worlds, the material and the spiritual one. When waking up to its true reality again, the earthly self discovers that there really is such a thing as a world of spirit, its soul is delighted. Aware that together they are now on their way back home, they stop pulling each other apart. Much can be achieved when both are finally moving in the same direction, forwards and upwards, yet at the same time back into the awareness of their true self and home.

Especially powerful outpourings of the Christ energies are flowing into our whole world at various occasions, for example around the time of the Wesak Moon and the Christ Moon, as well as the summer and winter solstices and the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. No matter whether we live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, they simultaneously reach and influence all life on our planet equally strongly; the reversal of the seasons in the hemispheres does not make any difference.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Equinoxes’

CHARACTERISTICS

Now, let’s take a closer look at the characteristics of the Sun in Libra . Here is my interpretation of what this means to the human soul on its evolutionary pathway back into perfection or rather wholeness. The circle of the zodiac with all its signs and houses is a symbol of this process. The law of life is evolution and round and round the zodiac every human soul has to go. Lifetime after lifetime we slowly absorb ever more of the lessons that are needed to integrate the qualities of our Divine parents. Every new lifetime brings us that bit closer to our final goal, the perfection, i.e. the wholeness, of the Great Father/Mother of all life, our true ancestors. This task will not be fulfilled until they are all functioning together in the same perfect harmony that is in God.

Libra is a cardinal Air sign. It is the seventh sign of the zodiac and the seventh house is its natural domain. This is the house of relationships, marriages and partnerships of all kinds, whose polar opposite is the first house of the ‘I’. In the seventh sign and house the soul discovers and develops the concept of ‘we’. Instead of focussing purely on the ‘I’, the way the soul does in Aries and the first house, during a lifetime spent in Libra and the seventh house the ‘we’ and relationships of all kinds are of the utmost importance – more of this later.

With the help of the link provided at the end of this paragraph, you might like to read up about the astrological meaning of cardinality in ‘The Qualities of the Signs’. Should this be the only Sun sign you are interested in and you are as yet unfamiliar with these concepts, you need to know that the basic approach to life of the Fire and Air signs is masculine, active, positive and outgoing, and that of the Water and Earth signs is feminine, passive, receptive and reflective. The energies of our Sun sign are reflected in our approach to life and our attitude to and perception of it.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Qualities of the Signs’

The human intellect is an integral part of the great Universal intelligence. Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are the Air signs. They are the thinking and communication signs of the zodiac that serve the individual and collective development of this aspect of our nature, which slowly but surely leads us and our world into ever higher levels of comprehension of that which is known to us as God’s Divine truth. Each lifetime spent in one of the Air signs presents the human soul with many opportunities for the further advancement of their earthly intellectual faculties of logic and rational thinking. Bearing this in mind, it is hardly surprising that during the time of our entry into the Aquarian Age, there comes to us the realisation that thinking is the most powerful force in the whole of Creation and that our thoughts create, colour and influence the perception of our reality on the Earth plane.

If you watch out, you may notice that during the Sun’s transit through Libra periods of high winds are frequently followed by a great calm. As ever, the world around us reflects what is happening within and the weather at that time of the year is no exception. It is an outer expression of the constant up and down swings that take place in the world of Libra’s feelings. Working on finding inner poise and balance goes a long way towards finding the badly needed peace and equilibrium that can only be found within.

In its meditations, prayers and contemplations the earthly mind of the soul needs to attune itself to its counterpart, the Highest mind. Only through constant practise can we hope to return into the oneness with and become part of our Highest or God Self, the way we once were. When our spiritual wings slowly begin to grow, we move towards fulfilling the highest potential that is our soul’s yearning, namely to act as channel through which Divine inspiration and insights can flow into our world, to help it evolved in to a better place for all. These wings enable us to rise above the purely emotional level in all our relationships and we can then lift them onto ever higher levels of consciousness and experience.

FROM ‘I AND ME FIRST’ TO ‘WE AND US’

Each time the soul reaches Libra there stirs within a great unconscious longing and it begins to search for the ideal love relationship with the one great love of all lifetimes. Yet, for as long as it fails to understand its own true nature, it will continue to hope finding fulfilment and wholeness in the other one, when in truth this is impossible. However, the feelings that rise from their inner self may lead younger, i.e. less experienced Libran souls down the path of imbibing the lessons of promiscuity. Wise ones, who attended to this in previous lifetimes, know that if the bitter harvest of this kind of conduct does not return during this lifetime, it will surely do so in coming ones. To those who believe, as I do, that the Moon in the birthchart is an indication in which sign we spent our previous lifetime, it does not come as a surprise that people with their Moon in Libra are known to draw some fateful, i.e. Karmic encounters into their lives.

In the first six signs of the zodiac, from Aries to Virgo, the soul remains very self-centred. It may be so occupied with building itself a personality that this happens sometimes to the exclusion of all others. However, from Libra onward the soul’s interest turns away from purely ‘I and me first’; its consciousness opening up to the concepts of ‘we and us’, partners and relationships are valued greatly. One of Libra’s main soul lessons is the search for the point of balance that lies half-way between the two extremes of utter selfishness, as for example expressed by young souls in Aries, and that of total surrender of the self to the wishes and needs of the partner in Libra, which can be highly detrimental to the soul’s own spiritual development.

Truly wise souls, not just Taureans and Librans, take care not to live in the extreme characteristics of any of the signs that are in polar opposition to each other in the zodiac. The point of balance always lies in the middle; the position halfway between each set of signs of the dot in the small circle in the middle of the birthchart reflects this. The zodiac is the wheel of fortune around which the soul in its search for growth and enlightenment is required to whiz, until eventually it reaches the point when it must learn to become still and conduct its life from the centre in the hub of the wheel. Before it can do this, the soul has to move countless numbers of times round and round the spinning wheel of life, for that’s the only way it can grow and learn from its experiences. Enriched by each one it moves through lifetime after lifetime of ever new and challenging situations that lead to more and more growth.

After developing its earthly personality in fiery Aries with all its selfishness, push and drive, the soul moves on into much steadier and earthbound Taurus. This means it is descending deeper into matter and therefore needs to learn how to deal with and appreciate the value of material possessions, including its physical body and life on the Earth plane. When the Sun moves through this sign, it is springtime for the soul and also for everything on the Earth plane; in the sky above us Venus appears as the morning star. It is a time for enjoying and appreciating the goods things of the Earth, especially nature and the more earthy aspects of love-making. Metaphorically speaking this applies to the lessons of the soul throughout its lifetime through Taurus. Spiritually, Venus in Taurus is the morning star in the evolution of the human soul; by the time it reaches Libra, Venus acts as the evening star.

CREATED IN GOD’S IMAGE

Wise ones have always recommended: ‘Wo/man know thyself and thou shalt know God and the Universe!’ But, how shall we do this? In my view, there is no better way than astrology for getting to know ourselves, our inner motivations and our predestined pathway through life. At the threshold of the Aquarian Age ever more of us are becoming aware that we are sparks of the Divine and young Gods in the making, no more and no less! Each is an individual spirit in its own right, who in the course of many lifetimes had to grow itself a soul. Having been created in God’s image, all aspects and qualities of God are also in us. Each one of us, without exception, is part of the soul of our world; this in turn is an integral component of the soul of the whole of Creation and of the Great Mother of all life. God is part of us and we are part of God; on the inner level of life all is one and there is no separation between anything.

The memories of all our experiences and all the learning and the wisdom that was ever gathered by any soul anywhere, in all worlds, are available in the Great soul and it is every soul’s birthright to eventually gain access to this knowledge. However, this is only possible with the help and under the guidance and protection of our inner teacher, our Highest or God Self. The Great soul remembers times and ages long past when life on the Earth was peaceful and harmonious. It knows of and speaks to our souls of highly evolved worlds where all live together in perfect companionships and harmony in a state of pure love that has long risen above physical passions. The feminine and masculine aspects of the Divine are an integral part of all life and therefore also of every human soul. In the peaceful worlds the Great Soul tells us about in our dreams they are freely and willingly merged into one and functioning as one harmonious unit. Every soul contains these two aspects within its own being.

In the physical body kidneys are ruled by Libra. As the kidneys are the purifiers of our outer vehicle, relationships are the spiritual cleansers of human consciousness. The more we think of others instead of ourselves, the more we love them and want to take care of them, instead of merely attending to our own needs and wishes, the more our inherent human selfishness dissolves, until finally this characteristic has been eradicated from our consciousness altogether. As this takes a great many lifetimes, we are all very much in need of our relationships. No matter how difficult they often turn out to be, they do help us to grow and evolve more than anything else, because it is a natural human reaction to put one’s own needs behind those we love and care for. That is why children can be particularly good teachers.

How about relationships to make us whole? We do not need them for that purpose because on the inner level we have always remained whole. Once all parts of our being, the earthly and the Divine part, the masculine and feminine, have come together in a loving union, we shall once again be whole and never to be parted from our truly beloved inner and Highest Self. This is the state of perfection; to achieve it is the final aim of all life throughout God’s Creation, including on the Earth. Each soul in its own right will in due course have fully taken possession of and integrated all its aspects. This process of growth and fulfilment cannot be completed by anyone on our behalves; hand in hand with God and the Angels we all have to do this work on our own.

SEEKING LOVE AND PERFECTION

In the Great Soul all life is linked together by fine threads of light that can be likened to the most delicate filaments of silk. Here, from the highest to the lowest life forms, all is one and every individual soul is responsible for its own spiritual wellbeing, as well as that of the others and the whole. From the Highest life forms this river of life feeds down to the lowliest ones; supporting, maintaining and nurturing all that is. None is ever forgotten or will be left behind. And because love is the law of the Universe, no soul ever struggles on its own – although it often feels like that to us on the Earth plane in our struggles of trying to find our way back home. Help is always at hand; all we have to do is call for it.

Memories of the perfect and beautiful world from which it once descended into physicality and to which one day we shall return flow from the Great Soul into all human ones. They remind us of a world that knows nothing of sickness, pain, violence, crime and wars, and all life exists together in perfect harmony. They come to encourage us on our way back into perfection. For this purpose the Great Spirit has bestowed upon all Its children an innate urge to grow and reach upward, to expand our consciousness through learning from new experiences.

To ensure that no soul ever gets lost, like a giant magnet the Source draws all life back towards Itself to a fuller and more perfect existence. From the Great Soul to the soul of humankind also come feelings of loneliness, of being lost on the Earth plane and a great yearning to one day find a love that lifts itself above the earthly plane and ascends into ever higher and more idealistic, namely spiritual realms of love. The Great Soul knows past, present and future. It dreams through us and whispers into each one that the time will come on the Earth when humankind has reached a sufficiently high evolutionary level to be able to live peacefully and harmoniously together. There will come ages when the same balance and harmony that exists on other planets have been developed on ours, too; they may be closer than we now dare to think.

However, for as long as it is still required to learn its lessons on the Earth, the poor human soul searches and dreams of finding the one great and ideal love, one that will last forever and will never leave it. But when it has moved through the whole zodiac a great many times and been sufficiently recycled, there comes to every soul the realisation that its vision of love is not meant to be fulfilled through earthly companions. What every soul in truth has always been seeking from the moment it emerged from its state of utter oneness with God is to return it. There is a hunger and a craving for the infinite love of God that cannot be satisfied by anything the Earth has to offer. As it stretches ever more heavenwards to reach this love, its spiritual wings grow and slowly it becomes more peaceful and loving itself towards all life forms. Thus each one of us needs to make its own contribution towards bringing our peaceful new world into being, hand in hand with God and the Angels,

The chaos, discord and disharmony, the selfishness and greed that surround the soul on the Earth plane is in stark contrast to the world it once came from. Existing and being trapped in such a world can be very painful and the cause of much suffering for sensitive and delicate human souls. Yet, these conditions too are not in our lives for nothing. They are meant to teach our soul some invaluable lessons through which it grows and finds the expansion of consciousness we all have come to seek in this life, no matter what. As time goes by it progresses on the evolutionary scale, one small step after another. But the soul’s yearnings for a better and more beautiful world where all live together in harmonious relationships with each other will not go away. They become ever more powerful because they are guidance from the soul of the Great Mother/Father, who in this way eventually draws every one of Its children back home into its true nature and into the harmony and oneness with all life.

LEARNING TO PRAY

Every soul at some stage reaches the point when it feels that living on the earthly plane has become intolerable and that it can take no more. For a very long time its longing and yearning for a peaceful world without suffering, lying and cheating, violence and crime have been increasing. In its dreams it is reaching ever more strongly out to these worlds, because intuitively it knows full well that they exist somewhere. Having exhausted the learning possibilities the material world has to offer, it begins to ask itself: ‘Why is all this happening to me? Why can nobody help me; there’s got to be someone out there who can!’ When the earthly self finally goes down on its knees in the hope that relief may come from somewhere, its soul can pray through it. Everybody has to go through this kind experience at some stage. When at long last we are reaching out for the blessing and healing hands of God and the Angels, they begin to draw ever closer to us. To make this possible, behind the scenes of Earth life on the higher and highest levels of life, they are guiding and protecting us and always waiting for some kind of a signal from us.

Through suffering the soul grows in understanding and we, its earthly self, become ever more open and sensitive to the traumas of those around us. More and more we dream, even in our waking states, of escape and release into the peaceful that exists in our imagination. It takes a long time until one finds out to one’s amazement that such a world cannot come about on its own; that it has to be created by us with the help of God and the Angels and that each must make their own contribution towards it. The realisation that we are responsible for ourselves and our world and everything that is in it is a great turning point for human souls. Although it is one of the most difficult discoveries to make, it is at the same time the most empowering one of all. It enables us to consciously get to work on ourselves. As soon as we start changing ourselves, our world does the same. When we conduct our lives more peacefully and endeavour to create harmonious relationships with everything and everyone we come into contact with, with every small effort our world grows into a more peaceful place for all.

The more the earthly self gets back in touch with its inner teacher, listens to its guidance and starts giving of itself and sharing its gifts, it becomes aware of the truth that giving is much more satisfactory than just taking, taking, taking from life without ever planning to present anything in return – as so many are doing to this day. Never mind, that’s their lesson. They too will reach the phase in their development when they will know that there can be no greater joy on the Earth plane than giving of one’s gifts freely to all. Such souls are then ready be used as channels through which Divine inspiration and healing flow ever more strongly, bringing relief to the suffering of the Earth and light into its spiritual darkness.

Many have by now reached the evolutionary point for the re-union of their earthly and the heavenly twins, a symbolism of the earthly mind and the mind of the Highest of God Self. Read about this in more detail in the Sun in Gemini and its opposite sign, Sagittarius. Teaching the lower and upper aspects of our nature to work together, until they grown into one harmoniously functioning unit is an important part of every soul’s responsibilities. As the earthly mind becomes the faithful and loyal servant of the Highest, its role of past ages changes from that of the slayer and destroyer of truth into the one of the interpreter and communicator of Divine truths to humankind.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Sun in Gemini’
• ‘The Sun in Sagittarius’

THE WALLS OF JERICHO ARE COMING DOWN

Great is the soul’s joy when its earthly self at long last is ready to accept the wisdom that it is an eternal being of light and that life is not a one-off thing. And the earthly self finds comfort and healing in the knowledge that there is a world of spirit to which it will go after physical death to recover and be restored in preparation for other lifetimes to come, until it will no longer require further ones in physicality. The Walls of Jericho are a symbolism for the walls of fear, which the earthly self in the course of many lifetimes has erected around itself, against God and life and everything it contains.

The fears were good enough and even necessary and wanted for as long as the soul failed to understand its own true nature and that of God. These fears have kept us away from experiences for which we were as yet unready. Now, however, we all have to face the formidable task of dissolving these walls of fear. To make a re-union possible, bit by bit down to its last little brick it has to be dismantled and the fragments taken away. God and the Angels are ready and waiting to be called upon to help us with this.

There is always great rejoicing in the Heavens over the homecoming of another one of its children. In this process the earthly mind and its Heavenly counterpart, the mind of the Highest, slowly come together and begin to function as one. Every soul eventually reaches the point when it is ready to go willingly wherever the living God within tells it to and to obey its orders. To make this possible, the conscious mind of the earthly self must first surrender all its desires, fears and anxieties to God and the Angels. We are required to rise above them, but this is probably the most difficult task we shall ever have to face; to fulfil it we need their help more urgently than we ever did before. By listening to and following intrepidly the call of our spirit and soul, we nail this part onto the cross of matter and the Earth, leaving them behind once and for all.

THE SCALES – LIBRA’S SYMBOL

Libra’s keyword is: ‘I balance!’ The symbol of this sign is a pair of scales that is held in perfect balance by an invisible hand. Because of this many seem to be under the impression that Librans are automatically well balanced. Don’t you believe it! Quite the opposite is true for many of them, but there’s nothing wrong with that. If you are one of those who still frequently find themselves wildly out of balance, every lifetime spent in Libra presents our soul with many chances for practising the art of finding balance, within and without. As you are sure to know better than anyone else, that is by no means an easy task. Libra’s delicate inner balance is easily upset by all manner of things, especially when there is a lack of understanding among those around them.

The symbol reflects the keen sense of justice and fair play of souls born into this sign. It is for good reason that the statue of Justice is usually shown as a blind-folded woman who holds a pair of scales – the scales of justice – in her hand. Do not allow appearances to fool you though; true justice is anything but blind! To me, the figure represents the Divine Wisdom of our Mother/Father Creator, the feminine aspect of God, explained earlier. The blind-folded woman shows the need for giving up seeking justice in the outer world and the necessity for looking within – to our inner world and the Highest levels of life. An understanding of the Universal law of Karma helps us to recognise that true and absolute justice rules life throughout the whole of Creation and therefore also our human relationships.

The message the statue of Justice conveys to our world is that, unlike its laws, the Universal ones are utterly just and fair; so much so that it may be hard for us Earthlings to grasp. Universal laws can never be bent – justice will always be done, no matter what. If in the outer world of appearances justice sometimes does appear to be blind, spiritually it never is and that is why the woman’s gaze is firmly fixed within. She looks into the highest levels of human existence, where the Akashic Records of every single one of everybody’s lifetimes are kept. If in your life earthly justice has ever seemed to be blind, take heart and know that justice will be done, for the Divine never errs.

Libra teaches human souls the glorious lesson that the love and cohesiveness of true and lasting unions can only be achieved through a willingness to compromise and in co-operation with others. Having reached the highest point of selfishness in previous lives, the soul may choose to be born into Libra, the sign of partnerships and relationships, also of unions and marriage. Here it wakes up to the great importance of relationships and that we are all in one of those with all life, including its Creator. To enable us to have relationships we need to attract others into our lives. Venus is a symbolism for the aspect of God that bestows upon us the gift of the power of attraction.

In Libra the Universe uses this as the tool for teaching us to attend to the most important part of our work for this lifetime, namely the development of ever more of harmonious relationships. The Venusian energies constantly draw the necessary people and circumstances into our orbit, to ensure a steady flow of opportunities for practising our relationship skills and building the Venusian qualities ever more strongly into our character. Souls who patiently attend to this will have found by the end of this lifetime the inner equilibrium their soul was yearning for earlier.

OVER-FOCUSSING ON THE NEEDS OF OTHER

Having reached Libra our soul’s consciousness becomes more aware of and open to the joys of ‘we and us’. During lifetimes spend in this sign all kinds of relationships are of the greatest importance. Yet, this ‘we’ consciousness has it own pitfalls; the greatest one of them is losing one’s identity because of over-focussing on the needs of others and over this overlooking one’s own. Because the point of balance between these two extremes lies in the middle, wise ones also make time available for themselves. They create a space, where no disturbances are allowed from anyone and where they can balance the world of appearances with the rich inner realities of their soul.

Venus in Libra endows the soul with high principles and a yearning for living in peace and harmony with everybody. However, when applied to the harsh realities of Earth life such ideals are extremely difficult to live by. Unless they are diligently held up and staunchly defended, Librans can be in constant danger of accepting peace at any price. Libra’s most negative trait is trying to be all things to all people, in the hope of being loved and liked by everybody; it is one of the most deadly traps of this sign. Having woken up to the fact that this is impossible, wise ones refuse to bend over backwards to accommodate everyone. They no longer give in and agree with those around them too easily either. Whenever the need arises, they stand up to defend their ideals and to be counted. Following their inner guidance, they learn to speak up on behalf of themselves and on the issues that concern them, in spite of finding this difficult.

Should a Libra child ever be entrusted into your care, encourage it to face up to difficulties and confrontations, in spite of the fact it is likely to be extremely reluctant to do so. Coaxing it into practising Venus’ finest gifts, its natural intelligence and sense for diplomacy and tact, integrates them into their character for good. Whenever the child is over-attentive and obliging to the desires of others, ensure that it knows that it must not neglect its own needs over those of others. Remind it that any virtue carried out to excess soon becomes a vice.

Maybe you’ll explain that everything that is in this life has purpose and meaning and that everybody’s inner needs, wishes and interests are no exception to this. They should not be ignored because they were given to us for a specific reason, which is that we should seek to find some kind of fulfilment for them. Our desires are intended to guide us into this lifetime’s lessons and finding what is rightfully ours. They can be important pointers to our hidden gifts and talents that can help us fulfil our highest potential. They could have taken many lifetimes to develop and are now waiting to be nurtured and perfected some more. Neglecting them may deny us the spiritual growth and progress that would otherwise potentially be possible for us, during this lifetime.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘You Are Special’

LEARNING TO LOVE GOD’S WAY

The final evolutionary goal of each one of us to become ever more God-like by learning to love the way our Divine Father/Mother loves us, i.e. totally, unconditionally and impersonally. The Bible tells us: ‘Love your neighbour, as you love yourself!’ To my mind, this does imply the need for loving and respecting ourselves as the precious and unique creatures we all truly are. We are magnetic beings who attract into their orbit that which we ourselves are; everything begins and ends with us. That is why, before we can attract some love into our lives, we first have to become loving ourselves. If we wish to be respected by those around us, we must first learn to respect and appreciate ourselves.

As pointed out, our own innermost needs and wishes are there for a purpose; it does not do to neglect them. The same applies to our space and time; they are as important as anyone else’s. With a generous dose of Venus’ gifts attending to one’s own desires without being selfish can be developed into an art form in its own right. Probably the finest one of these gifts is the ability to achieve one’s aims through intelligent compromises that do justice to all parties involved, with the tact, diplomacy, charm that is typical of most Librans. Add to this their heart-warming smile and some real progress is possible in human relationships.

Librans have a wonderful natural ability to see both sides of any coin; this helps them to adapt themselves to those around them with great ease. Wise ones take care not to do so too easily lose, so they do not lose their own identity, self-worth and self-respect in the process. Having learnt the bitter lesson – either during this lifetime or a previous one – that this kind of peace is too expensive, they no longer settle for peace at any cost. But when their standing up for themselves and their high ideals with integrity ruins one of their relationships, they still find it hard to come to terms with – no matter how wise they have become by now.

Saturn, the planet of Karma, is exalted in Libra. Relationships are all important to every soul’s development – without them no progress is possible. But acquiring the skill of nurturing them, so that they can grow into loving and stable ones, may take many lifetimes. Good relationships do not grow on trees and will not appear in our lives out of thin air. Because of our own selfishness and that of those around us, they have to be created by us and to ensure that they continue to work they have to be worked on very hard. This process can be speeded up considerably as soon the soul has become sufficiently evolved to accept Saturn as its teacher. If, over the course of a whole lifetime, it willingly submits itself to old Father Time’s stern and undeviating demands, it learns to build stability into its own character make-up, as well as its relationships. This is how the planet eventually turns from the teacher into the rewarder by providing us with a fine sense of responsibility and self-discipline, as well as the ability of telling right behaviour from wrong, in ourselves and those around us. Resolving the many issues that were created between any given set of two souls along the way and developing their relationship into a satisfying one may take many lifetimes, but is well worth the effort.

Saturn’s presence in Libra can also be observed when, from time to time, gentle and charming Libran souls suddenly reveal that they are quite capable of wielding an iron fist in a velvet glove. That is why a word of warning does not come amiss: beware how you treat your Libra friends and loved ones born into this sign. Never push them too far! If you do, it may take time to show, but you may live to regret what you did to them.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Saturn as the Teacher and Rewarder’
• ‘Karma in Families’

LAZY LIBRA?

The cardinal quality of their sign reflects that theirs is an executive type of mind. Thus, they are capable of holding down positions of responsibility and of being happy when put in charge of people and projects. Should there also be an element of elegance and beauty involved, you can trust that your Libran is going to be in their element. Occasionally, there is also talk about lazy Libra and this may well apply to unevolved souls. It is true that most Librans shy away from working with their hands and getting them dirty, but give them something to do where they can apply and practise their intellectual skills, they are sure to be in their element. Just watch them and see how they love their tasks and thrive on them.

In common with the other cardinal signs, Libra is capable of bringing forth a great wealth of creative ideas. Their inner connection with the source of all creativity ensures that through them they can constantly be poured into our world. To avoid frustrating this flow, it is essential that they should at all times find sufficient outlets for their creative urges. When this is the case, you can watch them at work effortlessly and sheer tirelessly, if need by until they drop. As far as anyone’s daily work is concerned, it is important to locate something that really suits the soul’s predestined pathway through this lifetime. For example, if housework is in need of attention and you get a Virgo, you are sure to be delighted with the results. If you leave the mental/intellectual tasks to Libra, I promise you, you will be thrilled with their efforts.

On the whole, Librans do not like the limelight; they are reluctant to go up front and prefer staying in the back seat. But there are many exceptions and as always, they confirm the rule. In any case, Librans are not usually the stay at home types. They love to explore new horizons, both mentally and physically. Most of all, they enjoy being out and about among people. When travelling, the people they meet can be of more interest to them than their destination – a reflection of life itself. In their relationships, inexperienced souls are quite capable of working up a storm, now and then. Although on the surface of things, one can always sense Venus’ gifts of diplomacy and sweetness, but let no-one be fooled by that. When dealing with Librans, try to bear in mind their ability to use the already mentioned iron fist in the velvet glove most efficiently.

BOSSY AND DOMINEERING LIBRA

The cardinal energy of their sign reflects their ability of taking charge in all their relationships. Not wishing to come across as dominating and self-willed, wise ones show their good manners by treating those around them with the kindness, respect and consideration every soul on the Earth plane by rights deserves. Even though with some people this takes a special effort, they will try to establish a good relationship, if at all possible. Some Librans undoubtedly are bossy and domineering, in spite of the fact that most of them would hate to admit to it, even to themselves. Mrs. Thatcher and her career are the finest example of this that comes to mind. But then, her ascendant is in Scorpio.

Other famous Librans of past and present, to name but a few, are: sex symbol of days gone by, Brigitte Bardot; singer-songwriter, guitarist and gifted wordsmith, Paul Simon; peace-loving John Lennon – his visionary song ‘Imagine’ with its ‘Imagine there’s no Heaven; and no religion, too!’ have been providing us with glimpses of the ideals of the Aquarian Age for quite some time; the late Luciano Pavarotti, a big man in all things and visibly extremely fond of all the good aspects of life; singer Olivia Newton-John; actor Michael Douglas.

Last but by no means least, there is the writer Oscar Wilde, maybe the most famous and notorious Libran of them all. His life’s work deserves a closer examination though, because it presents us with a unique study of the soul’s pathway through Libra. First, his plays were given through him to our world; they display the fluffy, playful, superficial and frivolous side of this sign. In spite of their great popularity, I have never liked them; for my taste they lack in substance and depth. However, there is another side to the man and his work. Reserve your judgment until you have read ‘De Profundis’; it came into being towards the end of his life, during a time of deepest suffering when he was in prison. Here his soul speaks to us and one realises the great depths of profound thinking he was capable of; hence the title.

This part of his life’s work is as fine a demonstration as anyone could wish for of the amount of soul growth that is possible in Libra, through life’s most bitter lessons in matters of the heart and a lack of understanding of the true meaning of love. His quote ‘To become the spectator of one’s own life is to escape the suffering of Life!’ is so poignant that, as you may have noticed, I have chosen it as the motto and main theme for all my work. It was done because it so beautifully demonstrates the detachment and rising above the pain and the circumstances of our earthly existence, which we are all meant to find eventually. Alas, it can only ever be found through one’s own suffering, and that for Libra begins early in life. Because of their strong sense of duty and responsibility in relationships, it can be very difficult for them to brake free from the past and to leave those behind who no longer support their highest good.

As a result many tend to stay over-long in their parental nest, and for better or for worse, too strongly identify with their mothers. Playing the role of the over-dutiful and obliging daughter/son – or later in life of wife/husband – for too long is a dangerous and slippery slope. If we insist on doing this for too long, we are in danger of losing contact with the world of our feelings and get out of touch with our own desires and needs. This not only severely stunts our own spiritual development and growth; it is much further reaching than anyone could suspect. Our inner self is constantly giving us some kind of feedback about the state of our life through the way we feel inside our physical bodies. If we repress the feelings of regret and resentment that rise from within that are trying to tell us when something is amiss in our lives, we are creating stress and unnecessary suffering for ourselves. Should we insist on ignoring this, we leave our soul no choice but eventually having to speak to us through painful conditions in our physical bodies.

MOTHER ISSUES

My experience has shown that everybody, at least to some extent, has some unresolved issues with their mother. That’s why we can all benefit from becoming aware that when we are longing for the ideal mother, in truth we are seeking to be re-united with the all-embracing and all-forgiving love of our true mother, the Great Mother of all life. Becoming aware of this facilitates the letting go of our earthly mother, when her role in our life has been fulfilled. and also of the past in general. Although this may take a very long time, releasing both becomes a natural process, when one finally realises where one’s feelings of wanting to remain close to mother have their origin. This sets us free to fully turn towards and embrace the concept of our all-loving and wise Mother, who is always there for us. We may then wish to dedicate the rest of our present lifetime to serve Her as a channel through which She can pour Her great love and wisdom, to be shared with our earthly siblings so that they too can come ever closer into Her loving embrace and protection.

Her presence clearly defines the temporary role of our earthly mother and finding forgiveness for her seeming shortcomings becomes a spontaneous reaction. Thus a great cycle of experiences of giving and taking, hurting and being hurt by each other, finds its conclusion between the two souls involved closes, and the vicious circle of Karma that is likely to have occupied many lifetimes is over for good. The Karmic shackles between them dissolve, and as love remains their only link, they are setting each other free to each pursue once more their own unique destiny. This is of particular importance for the Libran soul, but equally valid for all others.

Librans are usually refined and well behaved people – again exceptions confirm the rule, as always – to whom the rough and uncouth behaviour of others can be deeply offensive. Being the diplomats and the peacemakers of the zodiac, they frequently find themselves thrown into these roles. They are friendly, charming, clever, witty and playful creatures. Outgoing and interested in living life to the full, they usually relish the good things of life. Probably more than anything else, their artistic and creative soul is nurtured by beautiful and well written words in poetry, prose and song. In spite of their reluctance to go up front, their desire for recognition is strong. They may shine in group activities because they are tactful, conscientious, and full of idealism and equipped with a strong sense of justice. Always willing to lend a helping hand, able to find a kind word for everyone and of pouring oil on troubled waters, especially when people are struggling with their relationships, makes them very popular and in much demand, sometimes with too many.

As associations of all kinds are of the greatest importance to soul’s development in Libra, they love meeting new people and situations. Sociable creatures that they are they have no difficulties adapting themselves wherever they may be. Most of them are fond of the arts and well mannered; they also have been equipped with much public spirit and are therefore a welcome addition to any gathering. Libra’s negative aspects may show themselves in a lack of firmness, constancy and consistency, as well as too big a craving for recognition and being someone of importance, in some way or another. Bear in mind that we all first have to experience the negative side of our Sun sign, before we can aim towards integrating its highest and finest qualities. We are all in this life so we can learn to overcome our less desirable qualities by counter-acting them. This is the only way any soul can achieve the success it is dreaming of for its present lifetime.

The lesson of the Air signs is siblinghood – my preferred word for brotherhood – in action. The old word reminds me too much of the patriarchy and all the miseries and suffering it brought into our world. I realise that this too was once necessary for our evolution; what a good thing it is that it has run its course. Be that as it may, fulfilling the purpose and learning the lesson of the Air signs, wise Librans sublimate their desire for significance through knowing that everybody’s work – each in their own small way – towards creating a more harmonious and beautiful world is of the greatest importance, not just to Earth life but to the whole of Creation. Now, there’s importance for you! Being aware that peacemaker is their natural role, they willingly share their relationship skills with those around them; and that more than anything helps to create a peaceful world.

INDECISION – THY NAME IS LIBRA!

This sign bestows upon human souls the ability of considering all different aspects of any given situation, and of viewing them from everybody’s angle. Weighing up all pros and cons against each other, is an ongoing process for those born into this sign and they can be excellent in the legal profession and also in Public Relations. This gift however, like any other, has its downside and that is dithering. ‘I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure!’ seems to be the motto of some of them. Well yes, that’s tongue in cheek; but it is a fine description of less experienced Libran souls. Until this aspect of their nature has been mastered at least to a certain degree, their inability to make up their minds can be a veritable trial, and a times downright infuriating, to those who have dealings with them.

However, if you wish to reach them, maybe to discuss this, bear in mind that the best way of doing this with the air signs, including Libra, is not through appealing to them on the emotion level. They are far more likely to respond favourably when one approaches them through their intelligence. They need to learn that their way will ease considerable if, after careful consideration, they come to a decision and then stick to it. Like anybody else, they need to watch the result and then draw the learning from what can be seen as the consequences of their actions. If our choice was a wrong one, we need to comfort ourselves that everybody makes mistakes and that there is no harm in doing so. After all, we are all here together in this school of Earth, so that each should learn from their own first hand experiences. Viewed from that angle making mistakes is a thoroughly good thing. It teaches our soul humility, and each time we learn something we grow and make progress on our evolutionary path.

Librans usually have a wonderful aptitude for dealing with people and situations, and as their life progresses, this may develop ever more into a knack and a skill. A great understanding of human relationships and behaviour is theirs and many love to exercise it by helping others to come to terms with theirs. Venus being the planet of beauty, harmony and peace, fighting goes against the grain of those born into the two signs ruled by it. Librans as well as Taureans will fight only when they have to and if it cannot be avoided. And when someone forces them to do so, in love and war Librans are likely to proceed with fairness and justice. Under-handed methods are not usually part of the armoury of the peacemakers of the zodiac.

Yet as always, there are exceptions that confirm the rule. Here is one for you: a Sun Libra friend of mine voluntarily joined the armed forces, at the beginning of his working life. It is not hard to see why he felt drawn into this line of work: his Sun is in the first house, the natural house of Aries, ruled by the planet Mars, the God of war of antiquity. After a few years he had to leave the forces, as he became seriously ill. I feel intuitively that this may have been because he was going against the flow of the energies in his life and the lack of being able to fulfil the purpose of his present lifetime as a peacemaker. It took an illness to nudge him back into employment more suited to Libra.

LEARNING TO SAY: ‘NO!’

Libra’s highest soul potential is finding the much needed and longed for inner balance and harmony. Only when that has been achieved, can the world around us responds in like manner. The simple reason for this is that the environment is an outer manifestation of our inner world; it constantly reflects its state back to us. Souls who resolve their conflicts with the help of God and the Angels, whilst apply their God-given gifts to the best of their ability to this task, are well on their way of learning to love Divinely, i.e. totally, unconditionally and impersonally.

Libra teaches us and our world that there is only one way in which all conflicts, inner and outer, will ever be resolved, and that is through the intelligent use of love and respect for ourselves and each other. And as all together we walk up the spiritual mountain that takes us back to our true nature and home, I do not mind repeating here that, to my mind, the most important awareness we need is that before we can love and respect others, we must first find the same for ourselves.

Most of all that means learning when and where to firmly say: ‘No!’ This sets boundaries which others are not allowed to step over. Samuel J. Ellis once wrote: ‘When people take more and more advantage of you, they begin to dislike you more and more. It is not because of anything you do or say; it is because of what they are saying and doing to you. So, in your next situation do not let others take unfair advantage of you. Say something to them early on. Everyone seems to act this way, though some more than others.’ In other words, if we do not respect ourselves, others cannot do so either. This is because for wise purpose there is always a special dynamics is at work in human relationships, so that two people reflect back to each other – like two mirrors – what is within them.

Clearly, learning to stand up to others and asserting themselves can never be an easy task for kind, obliging and in their relationships far too patient and therefore long-suffering Librans. As pointed out before, anyone who tries to take advantage of their good nature once too often and pushes them too far may in the end find themselves confronted not only with the iron fist but also with Libra’s unconscious inner partner, Aries – the God of war, remember. Because of their peace-loving nature, it does take time before Libran will speak up. But, when they feel that an injustice has been done to them or someone else, or when someone has repeatedly gone too far and overstepped their boundaries too many times, their strong sense of fairness and justice at long last makes itself known.

Then at last they will then stand up to be counted, and when they do, you better watch out! Unlikely to enjoy a good fight, the way Aries does, if you push them too far, they eventually and reluctantly pick up the bone of contention and defend themselves, as the situation requires. They themselves and those involved could then be in for the shock of a lifetime, because for both the time has come to discover how very capably and intelligently Libra is capable of defence.

SETTING BOUNDARIES

Disharmonious relationships are poison to sensitive Libran souls. Their inner equilibrium is such a delicate one that it is all too easily disturbed and unbalanced by even the slightest discord. This adds to its difficulties, as it already constantly has to juggle with two options of some kind or another. The most important part of Libra’s delicate balancing act is the question: ‘When do I keep my peace and shut up, or is it better to stand up now and be counted?’ Libra is known as the sign of balance. As mentioned earlier, this seems to have created the general idea that those born into it are naturally well balanced people. Have you ever heard or read that somewhere? Take my word for it, nothing could be further from the truth.

What you have been listening to was one of those astrological myths, which are discussed in more detail in ‘Conclusions’, the final chapter in these Astro files. May it suffice to point out here that when the soul enters its present lifetime in Libra it is almost certainly a very long way from being a balanced personality. It is far more likely that you, for example, have opted for this particular sign so that through the choices your coming lifetime would constantly demand from you, opportunities would be created for learning how to make wise choices, so that after many trials and errors – hopefully – you may find the longed for inner and outer equilibrium.

Another one of the, to my mind, false astrological beliefs in connection with the peace and harmony loving planet Venus is that souls born into Taurus and Libra, the signs ruled by it, are naturally very patient. Let no-one try to convince you of this myth either. The opposition of the energetic fighting spirit of Mars, the Roman God of war, in both signs reflects that the truth is far from it! Because of the influence of the gentle Venusian energies on their nature, Taureans and Librans may come across to the onlooker as patient. As established, neither Librans nor Taureans are particularly good at standing up for and defending their own needs and rights. All too frequently, they are reluctant to set up firm boundaries for themselves, which those around them are not allowed to overstep. At least initially, they may fail completely to do so. Thus, it comes about that these usually kind, obliging and – only seemingly – far too patient souls eventually blow their tops. Sometimes this happens with a vehemence that can be reminiscent of the violent eruption of a long-smouldering volcano. When it does, the likelihood is that they and the world around them may well fail to understand what has hit them!

This finds itself a different way of expression in each sign, but the result is the same. Librans will try endlessly and go to great pains to mend their relationships, going back time and again trying to make peace, but frequently coming away with a bloody nose – if only metaphorically speaking. Yet, when they have finally had enough and decide to move on, they are likely to cut the offender from their lives completely. That’s why the wise ones around them take care not to disturb the peacemaker’s delicate inner equilibrium too much and for too long. Those who do may live to regret it, unless they want to lose Libra’s friendship for good in any case. In Taurus case, the home-builder of the zodiac, the transgressions of those around them disturb the harmonious and peaceful home-life, which they are so fond of and work hard to achieve for themselves and their loved ones. One Taurean friend of mine, although she is only small, smashed a hole into the door of her son’s room with her bare fist, when her anger erupted on one occasion about his rude behaviour towards her and she had finally had enough.

Yet another reason why souls born into both signs frequently endure the wrongdoings of others towards them for far too long, is that when the inevitable point of explosion has eventually been reached, no-one could be more surprised and upset than they themselves. They are usually far more disturbed by their outbreak than those at whom their wrath was directed, especially when this occurs for the first time. Having grown wise from their experiences though and having found a measure of self-knowledge through them, enables them to take precautionary measures by establishing firm boundaries for themselves, to which they make themselves stick – difficult though that is.

This gets us back to their hardest lesson: deciding when to say ‘No!’ – the most difficult word in any language, certainly to Librans. However, half of their battle is won when they begin to recognise and react to the early warning signs of intolerable behaviour towards them. Learning how to put one’s foot down lovingly, but firmly and giving the warning signal – so far and no further, is as important a part of the Venusian gifts as any. It is one of the greatest helps if we genuinely wish to lead better relationships with others and also for healing the one with ourselves, the most important relationship we shall ever have.

SUN IN ITS FALL IN LIBRA

In Libra the Sun is in its fall. This reflects itself in the fact that souls born into this sign throughout their present lifetime suffer from low energy levels. Did you know that Depressions are often born of tiredness and fatigue, physical, mental and spiritual? All those who tend to get depressed, hopefully only occasionally, are likely to be in need of learning to take good care that they do not tire themselves out too much. This applies especially to those who are by nature hard working people. As a Sun Libra, be careful when keeping the company of others and make sure they do not stress you out too much with their demands. It is very likely that you will attract souls born into Aries, your opposite sign in the zodiac and your sleeping partner, your unconscious inner self into your orbit, at some stage in your life.

If you ever watched Arians, you may have noticed how that they are always full of vim and vigour, and constantly in search of some kind of excitement. Wise ones do not try not to keep up with the pace of such people; at the right moment they step back and let them get on with doing their own thing. No-one can stop Arians from doing that in any case! Knowing their limitations, they ensure to set boundaries – very important in all human relationships and particularly so for Sun Libra with its tendencies of trying to be all things to all people. Failing do these things means inviting trouble and, in the fullness of time, possibly illness and break-downs from sheer exhaustion. Learning to household with our most precious resource, the energy the Universe makes available for us during this lifetime is an especially urgent task for Libra; for those who do all will be well.

LIBRA’S GIFTS AND QUALITIES

Venus is the planet of peace and harmony, as well as of beauty and the fine arts. With its help some invaluable qualities are meant to be built into the soul’s character in Libra. Conducting peaceful and harmonious relationships successfully and on an ongoing basis requires a full share of the Venusian gifts of tact and diplomacy; it is by all standards a craft and a skill that belongs into the fine arts category. In Libra the soul develops the ability to see and understand another’s viewpoint; the willingness to make compromises that do justice to all involved; the careful balancing act between when to say yes and no; when to give in – not merely as peace at any cost – or whether to intelligently stand one’s ground; deciding whether it’s wiser to speak up or remain quiet without loss of self-respect and confidence. Such things are skills and art forms designed to be practised with charm and intelligence. The presence of Venus in Libra is meant to teach human souls how to make their relationships more agreeable and peaceful. In this we can all do our share of making our world a more agreeable place for all. Mahatma Gandhi was such a soul; not surprisingly he was a Sun Libra.

No-one in their right senses would expect that the valuable abilities described above could ever drop into anyone’s lap perchance; they have be developed and worked for extremely hard and that, as likely as not, in the course of many lifetimes. Souls who do not succeed in their present one, like in any other school, can repeat the lesson however many times it may take, for the Universe’s patience is endless. Yet, once a quality has been built into a soul’s character make-up it can never be lost again. It will continue to smooth its pathway through life in all its relationships in all future lifetimes on the Earth and beyond. The soul is then free to move on to different lessons. As mentioned earlier, Saturn is exalted in Libra; its placement by sign and house is another important indicator as to which special lessons the soul has chosen to specially concentrate on during its present lifetime.

Please note that anything that has been said in ‘The Sun in Libra’ is valid for every soul interested in making evolutionary progress. Anyone who wishes to do justice to their true nature by meeting their loved ones in a more idealistic manner will always benefit from paying attention to Libra’s lessons. Learning to love wisely and finding the loving detachment that is in God, who allows us to go our own way so that each can gather its own experiences, is the very purpose of our being in this existence. If we wish to love each other the way God loves us, we need to be there for each other, guiding, protecting and helping no matter what circumstances may arise, but it is essential not get emotionally involved. That is a tall order indeed, but it is one that is eventually demanded from every soul.

This moves very much in the foreground of the soul’s attention, during lifetimes in Libra. All is well as long as we do not overlook that although loving God’s way is highly desirable and that it is good and right to make every effort to learn this lesson. Yet, it would be foolish and unrealistic to expect loved ones to come towards us in the same manner. We do not know their karma and they may still be unready to love this way, but we can try to teach them by our good example. Understanding such things goes a long way towards protecting us against hurts, heart-aches and feelings that we have been disappointed by our loved ones. However, let us not forget that the very purpose of these experiences in human relationships is that we should grow in wisdom and understanding. They can bring us a good deal of the expansion of consciousness every soul is on the Earth plane to seek. It has not been said for nothing that in Libra we grow ourselves a soul. This does not mean that those born into it do not have soul, but that through the suffering they experience in matters of the heart, in the course of a whole lifetime spent, will lead to much soul growth.

OF MARRIAGE AND [PARTNERSHIPS]
And then Almitra spoke again and said:
‘And what of marriage, Master?’
And he replied:
‘You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God,
For in spirit all is one and together all once came forth from the heart of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness
So that the winds of the Heavens can dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love.
Rather let it be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

You do not need another to make you whole,
For each has the energy of the other dormant within;
It is merely waiting to be taken into possession by each one.
Let the other help you do this, but then let go of each other again.

As each soul has their own pathway to walk, let each do their own thing.
Share what nurtures you –
Fill each other’s cup but do not drink from the same cup
Or eat from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous,
But let each also sometimes be on their own;
Even as the strings of a lute are alone,
Although they vibrate with the same tune.

Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping;
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, but not too close,
In the same way as the pillars of a temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress do not grow in each other’s shade.

Each in their own way and time has to learn their lessons,
Their Karma to redeem and their Highest potential to fulfil.
Let each learn to take the lead in some things and to follow in others;
When each contributes in their own special and unique manner,
You add variety and interest to your relationship,
Helping it to last longer and ensuring that both partners
Grow at an even pace, individually and together.

From ‘The Prophet’ by Kahlil Gibran 1883-1931
Lebanese/American poet
Edited by Aquarius

IN LOVE WITH LOVE

The most vital part of bringing forth ever more of our God-like qualities is learning to love wisely, God’s way. For those born into the signs ruled by Venus it is the most natural thing to do. Librans are in love with love and the willingness to love for its own sake is a vital part of their journey through this lifetime. Romantic and idealistic in love, inexperienced souls may ceaselessly search for that elusive ideal love mentioned earlier to come into their lives. Quickly dropping each one that does not fulfil this requirement, off they go in search of another, which may soon provide them with the next disappointment.

Whatever the soul’s age may be, in Libra it dreams of a love that is capable of lifting itself above the earthly passions it is likely to have savoured to its heart’s content in earthy and sensual Taurus. Having reached Libra, the air sign, yearnings begin to stir in us for a higher more idealistic connection with a partner who knows and responds to our needs and wishes intuitively. It dreams in which the lovers use the power of thought to communicate and express their love for each other on a higher level. For a very long time in its development the soul has no idea what it truly is seeking, namely the elevated spiritual love that Earthlings can only find by attuning themselves to and reaching their final destiny of becoming one again with the Highest and Its mind.

All along the soul has been aware of the need for this reunion; that’s why it nudges its earthly counterpart to look for this kind of love on the Earth plane. The earthly self, failing to understand the messages of its soul, may have to wander for a very long time from one disappointment to another, until it learns from its own experiences that such a love cannot and is not meant to be found in its earthly companions. Realising this does not stop it from longing ever more strongly for it. On and on the soul wanders, dedicated to its odyssey of searching for its great love. Lifetime after lifetime, in some of them as a woman and others as a man, and as it gets older and more experienced also in other cultures and civilisations.

Having grown wiser through its own experiences the understanding eventually dawns in its consciousness that if it wishes to solve its love problems, it must become more loving itself and start giving of itself without expecting anything in return – a tall order for one who is as selfish as all human souls initially are. Throughout their meanderings every soul’s earthly self’s selfishness creates problems in many of its relationships. When the going gets too tough in some of them, while the soul is still young, it may try to leave its problems behind by abandoning them. If need be, such souls may go as far as taking things into their own hands and putting an end to their present lifetime. Little do they know that all unresolved issues in every one of their relationships must be tackled again and again in coming lifetimes. This has to continue until satisfactory solutions have been found by the parties involved they have made peace.

Recommended Reading:
• ‘The Power of Thought’
• ‘Overcoming Depression and Suicidal Tendencies Through Understanding’

SOUL MATES

For every soul there comes the moment when it knows intuitively that during its times on the Earth plane the love of its dreams can only be found through re-establishing its inner connection with God. The wise ones in charge of us know only too well the pitfalls of love; they look upon us with kindness and understanding, ever ready to forgive and spur us on to new learning. When two souls first meet and get involved with each other, they may well swear eternal love to each other and even mean what they are saying. The Angels and Masters forgive us whenever lovers fall out with each other and go off in search of a new love to come into their lives.

Better than anyone else they appreciate that loving God’s way requires human souls to find a different approach to life and is difficult indeed. Only in rare moments can our love approach anything like the greatness of Divine love. Total and unconditional, it is so pure that it can lift us and our whole world up and help them both, at the same time, to rise above the physical aspects of lovemaking – necessary though they are for the process of procreation. God’s love is steadfast and faithful; loyal and true in all Eternity; never wavering and fluctuating. No matter what may ever happen and try to come between It and the object of Its love, it keeps on sheltering, protecting, nurturing us and keeping us safe.

The more times a soul has been recycled and the more highly it has thus become evolved, the stronger the pull of the Highest Self grows. This eventually leads every soul back into fulfilling its birthright and final destination in the loving union and the sacred marriage with the One. Yet, even in their present lifetime this may only manifest itself as they get older and they have been through the mill of many kinds of suffering that have helped to cleanse their consciousness. This process continues until the soul’s energies have been sufficiently purified that the sacred merger between it and the Divine can take place. Not often found in human marriages, the one with the Divine brings healing and peace to the individual soul and – through it – to the soul of our world and by extension to that of the whole of Creation.

This takes us full circle back to where the Astro Files started with ‘The Pathway of the Soul’. Of particular significance to Libra is its last section:

We bear the wounds and scars of furious battle, my soul and I.
But now we walk in quiet peace, hand in hand with our Highest Self.
Having gathered together the scattered pieces of our being,
We are whole and healed, once more.
The evolutionary circle closes and the twin serpents of the dual forces
Of Creation, Highest and lowest, masculine and feminine,
Who once were opposed to each other are now working together harmoniously.
Winding round the Caduceus, they are the serpents of wisdom and healing.

Under the protection of the pyramid shaped rainbow
Of the long promised land of plenty my soul and I are coming home,
And humankind’s highest ideals, hopes and dreams
Are finding fulfilment at last.
Crowned by gentle Venus and the victory of a love that never left us,
We have survived the might of selfish seeking
And the downward pull of our earthly self.
Having found the gift of a renewed understanding of
God’s true nature and our own,
A new morning’s soft forgiveness is dawning for humankind and its world.

Anon.
Edited by Aquarius

Recommended Reading:
• ‘Soul Mates’

SOMEWHERE, MY LOVE …

It seems appropriate to me that my interpretations of the Sun in Libra should come last. That undoubtedly was why my inner teacher guided me to start the files with ‘The Sun in Scorpio’ and not with the Sun in Aries, the point of all astrological beginnings. How wise Thou art! And I hope that I shall be forgiven for waxing lyrical by finishing the Sun in Libra by paraphrasing some words from ‘Lara’s Theme’ from the film ‘Dr. Zhivago’: ‘Somewhere, my love, there will be love again, and somewhere true love is waiting for us all, so be still, dear heart.’ Only by becoming ever more loving and giving ourselves, while at the same time no longer expecting it from others on this level of life, can we ever be true to our real nature. To me, the best news by far is that such love does exist and is indeed waiting for each one of us to reach out for and take possession of it, because that is everybody’s birthright.

© Aquarius 2010

THE ASTRO FILES – CONCLUSIONS

Together we have now worked our way through the whole zodiac. If you have taken the time to study all my interpretations of the Sun signs, would you agree with me that there is no such thing as an easy one? As we have seen, each one has its own trials and tribulations to provide and its own rewards that can be reaped. Provided by the great wisdom of our Divine Father/Mother, they are evenly and fairly distributed throughout. This ensures sufficient soul growth and expansion of consciousness for each of Its children in the course of many lifetimes. When lived consciously and conscientiously or – to put it another way – to become a wise one, all signs are equally difficult and demand that we bring forth from within ourselves the very best. It is worth our while to do this, for if we succeed, the potential rewards of every sign can be great when measured by the amount of spiritual progress that can be made on our evolutionary pathway in every lifetime.

In various Astro Files we briefly touched on the subject of the many astrological myths that seem to abound in our world. Let us spin this thread a bit further. I have studied this issue over a very long time and the evidence I have been gathering to this day confirms that such tales are not based on facts and what astrology truly is about. To give you just two examples, Virgos are supposed to be neat and tidy people, whilst Librans – as already mentioned – are thought of as being well balanced. Yet, some of the most untidy people I have ever met were Virgos and some of the most wildly out of balance ones I know are Librans. Such myths always did puzzle me. The explanation for them clearly lies in the fact that it is true for these two signs, the same as for all the others, that the gifts each sign can bestow upon those born into them will never fall into their laps. Rather they have to be developed and worked with, so that in the course of a whole lifetime they may be built into our character.

Every human soul is guided and protected by wise ones who take care of all its needs. More than anything else we seem to require the shelter they provide against our own foolhardiness. Angels and guides help the soul to choose a lifetime in the sign whose qualities it is most in need of developing. Either it does not yet have brought forth these qualities at all or if it did so insufficiently, another opportunity will be offered this time round. For example, in Virgo the soul first becomes aware for the need of working tidily and meticulously. It gathers many experiences that help it to appreciate the idea of conducting one’s whole life in this manner. A soul who has not yet integrated this lesson may be advised to be born through someone who already is extremely neat and tidy. If you are the parent of a very untidy child, maybe even a Sun Virgo, be patient and do not allow your child’s behaviour to either drive you round the bend or the two of you apart. As the child’s life progresses and through watching those around it, it is likely that it will eventually recognise the benefits of more orderly ways, so that in the fullness of time it may wish to emulate them.

Another fine example was a Capricorn lady who told me that she had never thought of herself as a typical one. She says she hates hard work, has no ambitions at all, is not goal oriented and terrible with money. On top of all that she apparently is the biggest procrastinator imaginable. As she feels that those around her perceive her to be as serious and quite conservative, she admits that she is probably more of a Capricorn than she thought she was. The description she gives of herself confirm to me that my belief that the gifts of any of the Sun signs do not automatically drop into anyone’s lap is justified. They are available but they have to be worked on very seriously before they can be integrated into anyone’s character. As long as a soul still lacks certain qualities, next time round it will choose to be born into the sign that carries the promise that they can be acquired there.

But if that soul misses the opportunities that are sure to come its way then, if it steadfastly refuses to learn, it is in danger of wasting the potential progress that could be made in that lifetime. Life on Earth being a school, just like in any other place of learning, those who do not pay attention to their lessons, maybe because they are frittering their time away in pursuit of pleasure, have to repeat the class, if need be time and again, until its object has been achieved. Only then will the soul be allowed to move on. Nothing in God’s creation is ever wasted; even the missing of a class or classes presents human souls with a valuable experience. When they review their progress, upon their return into the world of spirit, they will discover to their chagrin that none to speak of was made. However, the memory of this will be stored in the souls, to accompany them into their next lifetime and to provide them with the driving force for doing better. Clearly, evolutionary progress can be speeded up considerably, as soon as the soul becomes aware of what is at stake. The Universe has endless patience and knows that every soul gets there in the end, no how much each one may dally on its way.

Looking back, none of the people I ever encountered behaved in accordance with what the textbooks say about their Sun sign. I recognise that I have never met one typical Virgo or Libra or all the other signs of the zodiac. Do you know why? There is no such thing as a typical Virgo, Libra or whatever! As mentioned many times throughout these files, each sign is a pathway designed by the infinite wisdom of our Creator to help the soul to integrate certain qualities into its character. The degree to which each individual soul succeeds varies greatly from person to person. That is hardly surprising because it depends on many factors. For starters, each soul is unique and in the course of many lifetimes has developed in a different way from every other one. Each has always had its own pathway to walk and its own experiences to gather, and therefore carries within the bowl of itself a different store of memories, on which it is constantly drawing. But then, isn’t that what makes our world and the people in it so endlessly fascinating?

As we are here now, each one of us is likely to have been recycled many times round the wheel of life, whose symbol is the zodiac. Therefore, we also have passed through our particular Sun sign many times before, each time coping with its lessons with greater or lesser success. This lifetime is yet another opportunity for doing better. It is an extra special one because for many of us it brings the chance of – maybe the first time in the whole of our development thus far – consciously working on the improvement of our character. Each one of us is many-faceted jewels, precious and loved by our Divine parents. And as pointed out in ‘The Random Jottings of a Stargazer’ Volume One, we are all here to become more whole – hence, being healed, at one with our Highest Self and therefore holy. The awareness of such things helps me to keep my perspective on my own life as part of the Great Plan of all things, my place and role in it, as well as everybody else’s.

A word of explanation might not come amiss, in case you ever wondered why my releases always came rather late, during the Sun’s transit through each sign. Whenever I try to revise one of the signs before or at the beginning of the inflow of the new energies, editing feels like trying to wade through treacle – it’s tough! Yet, when I finally get going when the Sun is about 10 degrees – for those unfamiliar with the technicalities of astrology, each sign has 30 of them – new insights and ideas start to pour into my consciousness like water; often too much so. This is the way each item has by now grown to its present length. My present offering of the Sun in Libra 2007 probably took longest of all. All my writings are of an intuitive nature; they do not have their origin in imbibing books, but are coming into being while I am working my way through my own healing process. Thus, nothing is ever from the top of my head but flows forth from my heart and soul, the only place where truth is known. And I make every effort to live my truth in my own life.

What is now before you is my present to you, brought about with the help of God and the Angels. After all, nothing in this world and all others ever comes into being without them. Thank you, Great Spirit, Mother/Father Creator, for the beauty and the wonder of Your Creation; for giving us the wondrous gift of astrology to help us gain a better understanding of ourselves and our world, and to become more aware of everybody’s uniqueness and preciousness, as well as our own. May the Astro files be a small contribution towards bringing our peaceful new world into being by helping those who read them to live more harmoniously and peacefully. May an increased appreciation of the difficulties and idiosyncrasies which each soul encounters on its pathway through its particular Sun sign help us all to become more tolerant and loving towards each other and also more appreciative of ourselves and our own inner struggles.

The most difficult task that faces everybody in the here and now is the creation of better relationships, with God and the Universe, with ourselves and our human companions, as well as our whole world. To my mind, it is worth every small effort we make towards this end. Not only does this bring us instant rewards, but more important still is that we shall bring our relationships with us into future lifetimes. And if my interpretations help you to heal any of yours, my efforts will not have been in vain. Now and forever, God be with you in all your endeavours, and especially this one.

PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP PRAYER
Let there be love and understanding among us;
May peace and friendship be our shelter from life’s storms.
Eternal God, help us to walk with good companions,
To live with hope in our hearts
And Eternity in our thoughts,
That we may lie down in peace and rise up every day,
To find our hearts waiting to do Thy will.

Amen
From the Jewish Tradition

THE SUN SIGN SERIES IS HEREWITH COMPLETE

BORN ON THE CUSP BETWEEN TWO SIGNS

The beginning and end of each sign fluctuates slightly from year to year. So, if you were born on the cusp between two signs, it depends on which year you were born which one of the Sun signs involved represents the main one for your present lifetime. It is always worthwhile to check this out properly and then read the following to help you find a better understanding of the difficulties you are likely to struggle with. People born on the cusp often feel like somewhat split personalities; they have what is known as ‘one foot each in two different camps’. The energies of neighbouring signs are always of a very different nature to each other; they are not usually compatible at all. Because of their totally unique approach to life, those born into each one of the signs often have great difficulties getting along with each other.

In your case the outgoing sign relates more to the learning and realities from the past, other lifetimes, whereas your chosen and therefore pre-destined main pathway for this lifetime is decidedly that of the incoming sign. Because you have not quite finished learning the lessons of the former, your soul has chosen to master the difficulties created by having to devote some time to attending to those of both signs. It is worth your while, however, not to spend too much time looking back, but to aim to always move forward on the energy of the incoming sign. Incidentally, the energy at the end of each sign is always at its strongest, whereas at the beginning of a new sign it is at its weakest and also still contains much of the energy of the previous sign. The energies of two neighbouring signs being such a profoundly different one, you alone can tell which one is affecting you and your life more strongly.

Let me explain what this means to me with the help of two examples. If you were born on the Aquarius/Pisces cusp, you would be struggling with the conflicting approaches to and perception of life of these two signs within yourself. You would constantly have to do justice to both Air and Water, and that is difficult. In the first place, you would then have come into this lifetime to repeat some of the lessons of airy and intellectual Aquarius. Having been born on the outgoing cusp of this sign, it is likely that you did not complete them, during your previous lifetime. This is your opportunity for repeating them, whilst at the same time aiming to move forward into the next sign, watery and emotional Pisces. In spite of frequently feeling more like an Aquarian, you would still mostly be walking the Piscean pathway. Should you have been born on the cusp of Pisces and Aries, the Fire sign, the pull of both these signs and their energies would be very strong within you. You would often feel as if the watery energy of laid back Pisces was pouring a bucket full of water over the enthusiasm, the push, drive, initiative and urge of the fiery nature of Aries. Having one foot in two camps of such a different nature is never easy to live with. And you alone know how well you have mastered their lessons thus far.

Having said all that, it needs bearing in mind that we do not always remain mostly under the influence of the sign we were born into! For example, had you started this lifetime in two degrees Aries and if you were already sufficiently aware of the energies operating in your life, you would feel at about age twenty-eight that they are changing from fiery Aries into earthy Taurus. You would notice how you and your whole outlook on life are becoming more grounded and stable. At age fifty-eight your energies would change into airy chatty and talkative Gemini, the communicator and the butterfly of the zodiac. And so on. These changes are due to the progressions of the Sun, which move forward by one degree per year. Or if by now you were in the Cancer consciousness, in spite of having been born into another sign, your whole life could by now be completely focused on the experiences of this sign and of home, hearth, mother, family, ancestry and so forth.

CHANGE OF ENERGIES BETWEEN SIGNS

The change of energies, as the Sun moves from one sign into the next on its annual round through the zodiac, is always very marked. For starters, the masculine, active and outgoing signs alternate with the feminine, passive and receptive ones; each has a different approach to life. Furthermore, the Sun moves from Fire signs into Earth ones, from Earth into Air, from Air into Water, and from there back again into Fire. Earth after Fire is like piling a load of soil on top the enthusiastic rush of the fire element. Water after Fire is similar to pouring a bucket full of it on the fire element’s joyous outbursts; in each case its flames are extinguished most successfully. In the case of Water and Fire the result is steam, which may express itself in steaming resentment. As you can see, the energies of each set are not at all compatible, making even harder every soul’s struggles at coming to terms with its earthly existence. Yet, all such things are grist to the mill of our spiritual growth, because they add to the wealth of the experiences we gather. With every new cycle that takes us through the whole zodiac our consciousness becomes more rounded and whole.

All these things contribute to the difficulties souls born into adjoining signs encounter with each other. Leo and Virgo are possibly the most outstanding example of this; another one that comes to mind is the changeover from Pisces to Aries. Let’s have a look at Leo and Virgo first. After the soul’s exploits – some of them rather extravagant – in flamboyant, pompous and outgoing, larger than life Leo, full of itself and the glory of its own being in one lifetime, in the next one the soul comes down to Earth with a bump in Virgo. This time it is going to gather its experiences in the modest, shy, retiring and self-effacing harvest sign of the zodiac, Virgo, where two different types of crops are waiting to be brought in. After Leo’s fun, games, socialising and showing-off, in the next sign the soul discovers the benefits of a more solitary existence. And so it willingly buckles down to getting some serious work done on the Earth plane and also learns to enjoy it.

In the case of cusp born souls, the above described things are part of their wrestling with coming to terms with and reconciling the sometimes very contradictory nature and opposing aims of their two Sun signs. For example Pisces is all about endings and Aries about new beginnings. To my mind, such conflicts can only be resolved through a better understanding of the processes of life. Astrology helps me to recognise life as one huge cycle of deaths and rebirth. Without interruption every new season of gathering experiences flows and grows from the previous one, and all life is eternally moving forwards and upwards onto ever higher and more beautiful levels of existence.

Although on the outer levels of life one often gets the impression of utter chaos, spiritually that is most definitely not the case. The Universe – and we and our lives within it – is unfolding with the precision of one gigantic Swiss clockwork, where nothing is left to chance. Becoming aware of this, which human soul would still have difficulties to humbly kneel in awe and wonder before the splendour and magnificence of the Great Architect’s design of life?

THE SOUL’S YEARNING
So long as this you fail to see:
That death precedes re-birth!
A gloomy guest you’ll always be,
Upon this darkling Earth.

From: ‘Seliges Verlangen’
Goethe

© Aquarius

TWO STUDIES IN MASTERSHIP
AN EXCURSION INTO NUMEROLOGY

In numerology, there are two master numbers, the 11 and the 22. Now, you may have noticed how throughout the Astro Files, references have been made to numerology, astrology’s sister subject. In case this has whetted your appetite for finding out more about it, I would herewith like to invite you to a small excursion into it, to give you a taster of what it can reveal about your pathway through life. Were you yourself or one of your loved ones born on the 11th or 22nd day of any month? If so, you would be spending this whole lifetime under the influence of one of these two Master vibrations.

Mastership in any field of human endeavour has to be worked for very hard and spiritually it is a great deal more difficult still to achieve. As we are all heading that way, this whole study is a must for every evolving soul, who is interested in self-awareness and personal evolution. We are all needy people; even the most advanced of us are nothing but small frightened children in front of God. The wise ones among us therefore welcome any help that may come their way. If you are one of those, then this part of the Astro Files has been written, especially with you in mind.

Now, I do realise that in the natural numbering sequence and in any textbook of numerology, the number 11 would come first. As my interpretations of the master numbers are unlikely to have a great deal in common with any of them, I am presenting the master numbers to you in this file in a different manner. So, here we go: If you were born on the cusp and on the 22nd of any month, the following applies to you:

THE MASTER NUMBER 22
Birth Dates – 22nd of any month
A Sign – Taurus
Ruling Planet – Venus
Keywords – Practical Idealism

The 22 is the second Master number and the hardest one in which true mastership can be achieved. Astrologically the 22 belongs to the fixed Earth sign Taurus, ruled by Venus. The 22 encounters great difficulties when it comes to rising above the Earth plane; more of this later, but first you might like to my interpretation of the ‘The Sun in Taurus’ in the ‘Astrological Writings’ section of this website. The most important lessons of this lifetime for those under the influence of this number is to always aim for inner poise, calm and balance. To enable them to tune into the Master vibration, as their life progresses, more than anything else they are in need of becoming one with their Highest or God Self and through it to return into the realisation of their oneness with all life.

The number 22 consists of 2 + 2 = 4, which vibrates to the frequency of Uranus, the ruler of the fixed Air sign Aquarius. Thus the 22 has the idealism for the Aquarian principles, but because of the influence of Venus in Taurus, the fixed Earth sign, souls under its vibration have great difficulties when it comes to learning to rise above the temptations and desires of their earthly self. This requires strict self-discipline, which the energies of this hedonistic sign and the Taurean’s love of the goods things of the Earth can make extremely difficult to find. However, help is at hand in the form of Saturn, the co-ruler of Aquarius, to which we shall return in a moment. Like those born when the Sun is in Taurus, once 22s have woken up to their true nature, their perception and understanding of spiritual matters is usually fifty years ahead of its time. That is why they find it difficult to commit themselves to traditional organisations. Their inner self urges them to go their own way and to march to the tune of their own inner drum. Having learnt to listen to their inner teacher and following Its guidance implicitly, they are capable of becoming wonderful pioneers of the Aquarian Age and intrepid wayfinders for those around them.

22s dreams are big, but grounding them is another matter entirely. The first Master number is the 11; 11s have the willpower and the vision to make their dreams come true, but they lack the stamina, perseverance, strength and patience to manifest them in the reality of the Earth. As the 22 contains a double dose of the potentialities of the 11, 22s possess all these qualities twice over. Yet, very few under the influence of the vibration of either number ever reach mastership. This is hardly surprising because no master ever yet fell from the Heavens. Everything the 11s and the 22s want to achieve on the Earth plane has to be worked for extremely hard. On top of that, not infrequently do they encounter stressful conditions, which test them to breaking point.

True success in life can only come to them through conquering and rising above their lower desire nature, and by totally surrendering their earthly self to their Highest Self. As they become one with It – and through this, with all life – they can in time become wonderful channels of the Divine, through which Its blessing and healing power can flow into our world. Those who are aware of what is required from them no longer go in selfish pursuit of earthly pleasures and seek the fulfilment of their desires. With the help of their Highest Self, they rise above the strong pull of Earth of their Taurean nature and learn to follow implicitly Its guidance from within. It alone can show them – and everybody else – how to ground our idealistic dreams for the future of our race and how to serve the One by bringing help and relief for the suffering of humankind.

The spiritual mastership each one of us is seeking is the one that was demonstrated to us and our world through the life of the Master Jesus. And as 22s aim to walk in his footprints and climb the spiritual mountain, they have the ability to tune into the Taurean energy, to help them ground their dreams. They will then no longer be governed by anything; they rule supreme and are in charge – not of others, but of their earthly desire nature. They take possession and orchestrate the combined energies of Aquarius and Taurus to help them in whatever task comes their way. And that is what we are all hoping to find one day, whenever we were born. Following our inner guidance, we shall know exactly how to behave towards anyone and in any situation, acting from our heart and giving unselfishly of ourselves, spontaneously and never flinching.

But then there is yet another obstacle to overcome by those born on 22nd of any month. They were born on the cusp between two signs, i.e. as the Sun moved from one sign into the next one. See my notes about this, at the end. As explained there, those born on the cusp – not only 22s – have what is known as one foot in each camp – in two signs. The result is that throughout their present lifetime, they are a likely to feel like a somewhat split personality.

Should you have a child in your charge that was born on the 22nd of any month, encourage them to rise above situations and to make an effort at staying calm and poised. Help them to feel safe and steer them gently from the background. If you aggressively meddle and interfere with their affairs, they will turn against you. Use gently persuasion instead; this too is no guarantee for success, but they may just listen. Also try to get them involved with people, for that is something they shy away from. If left to their own devices, they can all too easily develop tendencies of wanting to spend too much time on their own and in seclusion. Every effort you make on behalf of such children will always be worthwhile. Not only will you help them to grow into well rounded adults, you will be helping them to lay the foundations for mastering this very difficult vibration. Who knows, in the fullness of time they may grow up to become great visionaries.

The strong need of the 22 for seclusion has its origin in the influence of the energies of the Moon. Numerologically, the 2 represents the Moon. It is the symbol of the Great Mother of all Life, the feminine aspect of Divinity and also of the feminine side in both genders; apart from that the Moon represents our earthly personality and our soul. For a better understanding of this, please read ‘The Sun in Cancer’, the Moon’s own sign. Consisting of two twos, the 22 has the benefit of a double helping of lunar energy and is therefore strongly affected by it. For example, 22s have the benefit of a double dose of the caring and nurturing qualities of the feminine and they contain a great reservoir of compassion, wisdom and love of the Great Mother of all life they can tap.

Mother Earth is but one of her many her physical manifestations and through the Earth signs, Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn the infinite wisdom and love of the Mother Earth is most accessible to humankind. Not surprisingly, the road to Mastership is a thorny one because here we are required to shed all our selfishness and nail the drives and desires of our earthly nature to the cross of consciousness, so that we may become ever more at one with our Highest Self, until it can work the same miracles through us to bring relief to the suffering of humankind, as it once did through the Master Jesus. Loving Mother Earth and serving her, without getting stuck on the material plane, is an important part of the constant juggling and balancing act, which as prospective masters we have to cope with on an ongoing basis.

Naturally, this path is strewn with obstacles. This too is for good and wise purpose, which is to stop us from going too far too fast, during one lifetime. To teach us the required self-discipline, Saturn, the co-ruler of Aquarius and the stern schoolmaster of the zodiac, needs to be tapped into. Saturn teaches us through life’s experiences, and if we patiently and willingly pay attention to the lessons it brings to us, Saturn’s role eventually changes from that of the teacher to the rewarder. If we work hard enough, anything that our heart truly desires can be achieved, on the material plane. Now that the Aquarian Age is with us, there is an ever stronger need for all us to learn to control and rise above our emotions. Aquarius is one of the Air signs and they are responsible for the development of the human intellect. But, it is not good enough for anyone to now merely move forward onto are purely intellectual approach to life. The opposite sign of Aquarius is Leo; the former rules the intellect and the latter the heart. This clearly indicates everybody’s potential for learning how to freely serve all life, with a warm and loving heart. As we combine an intelligent approach to live with love that comes from the heart, the mind in the heart develops.

With their double dose of the Moon energies, which are watery and emotional, controlling their unruly emotions can be a particularly trying task for 22s. Another one of the main hurdles on their pathway through life, which also has its origin in the lunar energies, is that they like to hide away from the light of day and retreat to the security of their home. Moony souls are highly sensitive creatures who are frequently hurt and easily feel threatened by the world around them. If left to their own devices, they can be in serious danger of shying away from the contact with, all too easily. The three water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, are endowed with high emotional sensitivity and they possess a stronger dose of psychic gifts than those born into the other signs. We all have psychic abilities, but during a lifetime in one of the water signs they are particularly in need of further development. And that applies even more so those born on the 22nd of any month.

For as long as they still live on the negative aspect of this vibration, they can be capable of over-reacting suddenly and without warning, likely to create unpleasant disruptions for those around them. Like all Aquarians, 22s are rebellious and averse to any tutelage and interference from others in their life. For as long as they remain unaware of their true potential for this lifetime, they can easily turn into ‘rebels without a cause’. They could then be so busy trying to prove how wrong everybody else is that they fail see or understand their own actions. Because of this, they can have great difficulties recognising that anything could ever be their own fault, and that they themselves are the creators of their own difficulties – as we all are. Com¬munication skills are their forte; and they are particularly good with computers, television, radio and anything else electrical.

Pluto is one of the planets of Karma. In a similar way to Saturn it constantly tests our motives to the utmost and brings to light that which is hidden. You have high standards and high ideals, but the difficulty is to express these qualities in our materialistic world in a thoroughly practical manner. You will agree that idealism on its own is not enough; it has to be made concrete to become applicable to real life situations. This is even more so in business matters and for this reason a number eleven will always find this area of life difficult to contend with. Idealism is very hard to express in the materialistic world of commerce. For as long as you expect that your own very high standards of truth, honesty and helpfulness should be met by those around you, you will often reap disappointments. This is because they simply have not yet learnt to operate by the same set of standards, which has taken you many lifetimes to develop.

For you it is best not to be too trusting; never take anything at face value. It is worth your while to make an effort at looking behind the scenery of Earth life into the heart and soul of people. It is helpful to become aware that we all contain the very best and the very worst. Any major enterprises you undertake should ideally be carried out, as far as possible, on a proper legal footing. You could save yourself many disappointments, if you can refrain from gentleman’s agreements and accepting things simply by handshake. For as long as you continue to do this, you are likely to frequently encounter those who let you down. Become aware that his is so and change your life round by refusing to be a loser. Empower yourself by making an effort to glean something of value from every experience, because that alone can make you into one of life’s true winners.

The eleven is likely to encounter three main tests during this lifetime: loss of health and wealth, as well as others through following bad advice that was given to them by false friends. These tests serve the purpose of helping us to gradually grow into more practical creatures. Failures only result when we refuse to face up to our tests and insist on escaping into a dream world of our own creation. Learning to peer into the spiritual background of life, it can easily be recognised that Pluto’s task is to help all human souls to bring forth from deep within them, the noblest, highest and the best that is a potential part of their character.

Wise ones are aware that weaknesses have to rise to the surface of our consciousness before they can be overcome and changed into strengths. And when they do, such people seize the opportunities to get to work on themselves. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves because life can be so very tough and demanding at times, they take comfort from knowing that no soul takes on a lifetime too hard or difficult to master. They realise that it isn’t enough to have a vision, but that it has to be grounded on the Earth plane to become workable and of benefit to all. And that enables them to pass the main test for the eleven, which is bringing out the best within them, with flying colours.

Just like Sun in Scorpio, the eleven is highly sensitive, stubborn and fixed in their views and opinions and their emotions run deeply and strongly. Failure can be caused Refusing to face up to their personal issues, especially in relationships, and other difficulties in their lives, can lead to failure only. It’s unwise to cross an unevolved eleven, because they are likely to never forget and sooner or later insist on getting even, no matter how long this may take.

HOW TO BECOME A MASTER BUILDER

From White Eagle on Freemasonry Stella Polaris 1977 comes the following wisdom: ‘You will find the true Masonic teaching [as the basis] in all the ancient Mystery Schools. They all required the candidate to measure up to a certain moral and physical standard, before they were permitted to be initiated into the craft. You do not hear anything of this in modern Freemasonry, but you do hear of the Masons, the Brethren of the craft, being taught to act on the square, and to measure their work, which means their actions, very accurately. There can be no slipshod methods in the life of brothers/sisters; they must endeavour to measure up to a correct standard of behaviour. They are given the tools of life, of building, and White brothers/sisters [not recognised by the colour of their skin – which is irrelevant – but by calling upon and working with the light of the Highest Star] are all builders. We want you to think of yourselves as builders, you must be very accurate in everything you do and think and say. You must be exact [honest and on the square] in your dealings with your siblings.

‘If this Masonic law was really put into practice, perfect love and perfect justice would rule supreme in the worldly life [as it will do eventually]. There would be no more war, no more cruelty, no more pain or suffering inflicted by one upon another... The Masonry which was brought to the Earth thousands of years ago has never been lost; it has been kept alive throughout the ages.

‘The Grand Master of all Freemasonic Lodges is the Christ, whose rule – in whatever embodiment he has come among the peoples [of Earth] – has always been the same. Love and help all people; heal the sick; comfort the bereaved and sorrowful; love nature; love the elements; learn to understand and commune with the Angels and consciously co-operate with the myriad little workers [unseen helpers of Mother Earth], the spirits of the elements by whose service the world is made beautiful and productive for humankind.’ Words in square brackets have been added by me in the hope of further clarifying the meaning of this teaching.

Those who are familiar with ‘The Random Jottings of a Stargazer’, know that the Christ in this sense does not mean the Master Jesus, but the Universal Christ, the Great architect and Masterbuilder, in Its capacity as the Lord and Master of the whole of Creation, whose children we all are. With the help of the legend of the Master Jesus and the way he conducted his life, the Universe revealed to us the meaning of spiritual mastership. As the children of God, each one of us needs to follow his example and learn how to walk in the Master’s footsteps, until in the fullness of time we too shall have grown into a Master in our own right.

THIRTEEN – AN UNLUCKY NUMBER?

To this day, our world contains a great many myths and superstitions, which in the light of the spiritual knowledge we are now finding, are no longer sustainable. Yet, for as long as one of us still thinks that they are true, they will continue to pour their negative energies into our individual and collective consciousness. This article was written in the hope that it will be possible to disperse the negativity and darkness that surround the widely held false belief that the thirteen is an unlucky number. Take it from me, it is nothing of the kind; in truth, it is a warning number. To get a better understanding of why this is so, may I invite you into another brief excursion into numerology?

With its help, we shall now investigate the energies of which the thirteen consists. 1 = the Sun and Leo, as well as the 3 = Jupiter and Sagittarius. When one brings both figures together, i.e. 1 + 3 = 4, the energy of the new number also brings that of Uranus and Aquarius into play. Both Leo and Sagittarius are Fire signs. If you read my interpretations of these signs, you will see that Fire is courageous, frequently to the point of foolhardiness. The result is that when our energies contain too much Fire, we have great difficulties learning to control our tendency to act too impulsively. We then rush headfirst into things, without due forethought, attention to detail and totally lacking any regard for the wellbeing of self or others.

And then Aquarius, the Air sign, enters into the scenario of the fiery energy of the 1 and the 3 that is already on stage. Fire and Air get on well with each other. Just look at nature and see for yourself how Air loves the leaping response from Fire. Observe how Fire enjoys being fanned by Air, how that makes it rush and roar along, to its heart’s content and ever more strongly. Understanding the nature of these two energies, it takes no genius to work out what is likely to happen in case of the thirteen. Requiring only the slightest impulse, the constant presence of Air sees to it that the soul’s inner fire rises with great enthusiasm and is ready to take off and go whoosh any time.

The great and mighty planet Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, represents the will of God and is not known as the planet of change, of transformation and transmutation for nothing. Its potent energies require some extremely careful handling and unless we have reached a sufficiently high evolutionary level, we shall not be allowed to gain access to them. Uranian energies can and do bring big and sudden disruptions to everything they comes into contact with. The idea behind it is that they trying to move us forward into conditions that are more appropriate for our present evolutionary state. However, without at least a degree of understanding of the great need for caution, forethought and attention to detail, the souls affected by this are unlikely to be able to make the progress that potentially is their birthright.

Numerology deals with planetary energies, but by implication and in subtle ways the signs they rule are also brought into play. And whom do we find in the case of Uranus, as if sitting in the prompting box of the great theatre of life? Well hidden from public view, to give us clues as to where our next lesson can be found, there is Saturn, the co-ruler of Aquarius, our good friend! He represents old Father Time himself – the teacher who in later life becomes the rewarder to those who patiently pay attention to his lessons. If we are too hasty, we encounter delays and frustrations that will stop us from where we are trying to get too quickly. And if we are careless, there will be accidents to teach us to be more cautious next time. Is this how over time the thirteen acquired its poor reputation?

Lo! In all these things there reveals itself to our astonished eyes the great love and wisdom of our Creator, who has decreed that on our way back home into our true nature Saturn has to act as the gateway. There are no exceptions; everybody has to walk through this gate to reach the spiritual freedom that is the promise of the Aquarian Age. Saturn’s role is to teach each one of us the required self-mastery and self-discipline through the tests and trials of the Earth plane which we constantly encounter. That way we slowly become spiritualised, better people who are more in touch with their spirit and soul, altogether more focused on our true reality and our true nature.

Did you know that the Universe is constantly trying to guide us in some way and that it can give us valuable clues as to what is currently moving through our lives? Becoming aware that this is so can in the fullness of time grow into a valuable tool and a veritable life-help. All we need to do is to watch out for the signs, signals and symbolisms the Universe is giving us and then to make an effort at intuitively interpreting them. For example, if the number thirteen crops up in our life repeatedly and if we insist on living on the fast track of it, the Universe may be trying to tell us to slow down, because if we do not heed its warning there might be an accident.

If your life is affected by the thirteen, maybe permanently because you were born on that day of the month – any month – or just temporarily, this article is a gift that is coming your way from the Universe through me. It is bringing a note of caution but that does not need to frighten you or anyone else. It is merely trying to help all of us find a better understanding of the thirteen, so that we may shed yet another one of our false beliefs and overcome the fears so that we may shed yet another one of our false beliefs and overcome the fears that once accompanied it.

NUMEROLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
ON THE YEAR 2008

This article is not about fortune telling or making predictions of one kind or another; anyone who is familiar with me and my writings knows that I am no friend of such things. What is now before you is my interpretation of the numerological meaning of the year 2008. It is an analysis of the energies that are going to influence us and our world over the coming year. It is also a reflection of how, in my view, these energies are likely to affect us all and the way they could be used wisely, to help us achieve the best effect, individually and for our own highest good and also that of our world.

The numbers involved this year are, as we all know, first the two, ruled by the Moon; second the two zeroes, which I see as two circles of eternity that represent a double attunement to the Eternal; third, the eight, ruled by old Father Time himself, Saturn. To my mind, the presence of the eight in this year indicates that ahead of us all are likely to be many tests, trials and frustrations. However, souls who are willing to accept Saturn as their teacher and aim to work with its energies in constructive and positive ways, the outcome is sure to be increased self-mastery and self-discipline. After all, that is Saturn’s role! More of this in a moment.

First some more numerology though. When you add the 2 and the 8 together, you get a 10. To my mind, that is a fortunate omen, as the one is ruled by the Sun itself. This means that this year is going to be the beginning of a whole new cycle of experiences for each one of us and also for our world. If we use the energies the Universe puts at our disposal, guided and protected by the Sun, the Highest Star, and the Angels it will be possible for us all to make great strides forward in the spiritual homecoming, individually and collectively, which the Age of Aquarius is bringing. The coming together of the energies of the numbers two, eight, a double dose of zero, as well as the one, to me, mean:

• 2 = the great sensitivity and creativity of the Moon, the symbol of the human soul and the sensitive feminine feeling side of both genders. The Moon also represents the Goddess, the Great Mother of all Life. The feminine is passive, receptive and introverted; its polar opposite, the masculine, is active, outgoing and extroverted. Read more about this in ‘The Random Jottings of a Stargazer’ Volume One in the ‘Stargazer’s Writings’ section. Volume Two is at present in preparation.
• 00 – two circles of eternity, hence a double attunement to it.
• 8 = Saturn, the symbol of the aspect of God as the stern teacher and taskmaster, who demands from the human soul that it must learn the strictest self-discipline. Where Saturn is involved, everything has to be just right; ‘i’s have to be dotted and ‘t’s crossed; anything less will not do.
• Ah, but there is more to the eight than meets the eye! Lay it on its side and what do you get? The ∞, the symbol of infinity, of life and worlds without beginning and end, ever flowing into each other and renewing themselves. This brings us and our world yet another attunement to eternity.
• 10 = 1 = the Sun, the symbol of the Highest Star and the greatest light in the Universe, the Universal Christ.
• The Sun and the Moon are symbolisms for the first and second aspect of Divinity. This is not to be interpreted as some kind of a classification or preferential order. There is no division between the two parts; they are completely one and function harmoniously together to bring forth a third, the child. You can also read more about this in the jottings in the ‘Stargazer’s Writings’ section.
• Ah, wait! Lo and behold! The 10 contains yet another zero that almost got away at the time of writing this interpretation. Therefore, there is a third attunement to eternity that is reinforcing and strengthening the energy of the already mentioned other two zeroes.

To reiterate, the coming together of the Moon and Saturn is an indication that, throughout the whole of the year 2008, the Universe will present us all with a great many opportunities for achieving the self-mastery that is Saturn’s requirement. Those who willingly accept this will be given opportunities for learning to take charge of and control their emotional nature. It seems to me that this will be very necessary when the energies of the 2 Moon and 8 Saturn join forces to become those of the one, the Sun. Immense amounts of creative energies of great strength will thus be released, to flow directly from the Highest into us and everything that shares our world with us. As such energies are extremely precious, they require cautious handling and channelling. There is nothing for it but turning towards God and the Angels, so they can show us how to use and express the forces that will be released in truly positive ways and on projects that serve the highest good of all. That is the only way we shall be able to create something that is not only of great value for us and our world, but for the whole of Creation.

This requires unselfishness and self-mastery; the presence of the eight, symbolised by Saturn, is an indication that this is going to be available to us all during the coming year. Allow no-one to talk negatively of Saturn in your presence, for you know better. Saturn is merely a symbol of the bridge every soul must cross in its search for perfect re-alignment with infinity and its eternal or God Self. The co-rulership of Aquarius by Saturn and Uranus is the signpost showing us all the way into the New Age. The need for applying strictest self-discipline to our earthly nature and body, including our emotional body, is shown by the order in which the planets appear here – Saturn first and then Uranus, the liberator. Uranus is waiting to release each one of us into the freedom of the Aquarian Age by first helping us to burst and shake off the Karmic chains and shackles, as well as all false beliefs and prejudices. Even if they have been dear to us over many lifetimes, they must now go.

THE MYSTERY OF SATURN

One of the many treasured false beliefs that have been held in our world in the past was that Saturn is the planet of darkness; nothing could have been further from the truth. For some time now it has been coming ever clearer that Saturn’s role all along has been that of a bringer of light, and that by no means it has deserved its old-fashioned reputation as the dark and sombre malefic of the zodiac. Now that our race is approaching spiritual maturity, the planet is now revealing itself in its true colours as the great benefactor of humankind, who leads each one of us back into our true nature. This also sheds light onto the mystery of why Saturn, when it is visible in the sky above us, should be visually the most beautiful planet in our solar system of all. The willingness with which the human soul submits itself to Saturn’s tests and trials reveals the degree of spiritual maturity it has reached, at any given phase in its evolution, and shows its readiness or otherwise of being released into the freedom of the Aquarian Age.

Recommended Reading: ‘Saturn – A New Look at an Old Devil’ by Liz Greene and ‘Saturn as the Teacher and Rewarder’.

Back to Leo though; during the coming year, the Universe is going to make this sign’s positive and direct approach to life available to us all. An abundance of optimism and enthusiasm for bringing something new and beautiful into being will be there for all to participate in. It is going to be a year for loving from the heart and giving freely whatever flows from the heart of the Universe into ours, so that all may enjoy it. Like the Sun in the sky above us giving its warmth and love freely and joyously to all life, and the young Gods in the making that we truly are, we are here to share God’s rich abundance of creative ideas with all life. The reward of souls who make an effort to tap securely into what is, after all, the creative power of God, shall be increased joy, love and great strength of purpose and willpower.

Mind you, the Universe is not doing these things for nothing; it does expect something in return from us. We are on the Earth to find out that all energies that are ever made available to us are meant to be used as tools, so that each may more efficiently do their share of bringing our new and peaceful world into being. And each one of us contains the creative power of God that can either bless and heal or wantonly destroy. The Universe loves us; we are Its children and it therefore helps us to create whatever our heart truly desires. Over the course of many lifetimes, in this way we get to know and learn the wise use of their inherent powers. Everything that is in the whole of Creation is at our disposal and will in the fullness of time – when we are good and ready for it – be made available to us.

One of the main reasons for being here is learning to differentiate between good and evil, darkness and light. Whether something we do is good or evil depends on the intentions behind our action. From the results this draws towards us we learn whether that activity was good or bad. In some way, we are all pupils and teachers to each other; life itself and the experiences we gather are our teachers. If at the present stage of our evolution we want a peaceful world more than anything, then that is indeed what the Universe will give us – but each must do their share of bringing it into being. Everything has its origin in us; that is why if we want peace, we have to begin with ourselves, sweep in front of our own door and conduct our lives in more peaceful ways, making an effort to create a more loving relationship with ourselves, those around us and also our environment.

The Universe experiences itself through us; it prays and thinks through us. Potentially, we are all channels of the Divine, capable of simultaneously being receiver/transmitter and relay stations of Its wisdom. The super-abundance of creative ideas from the spiritual Sun, during this coming year, will be fully at everybody’s disposal to help us create our peaceful world. For all the new beginnings this requires the strength of the creative energies will initially flow slowly, but its strength will constantly increase, as we move through the year. There is a general sense of optimism already in the air – although I am writing this update very early in January.

I can feel it in my bones, dear friends, it’s going to be a good year for us all, on all levels of our being. And on that cheerful note, I wish you all good health and much happiness in the New Year. May all your personal new beginnings be joyous ones.

With Love and Light,
Aquarius

Upon publication of the first draft of this article, someone sent me such an interesting enquiry that I have decided to include it here, in the hope that you may also gain something from it. It is written in the form of a dialogue between my correspondent, J, and me, A.

J: Hmmm, for quite some time a lot of people here have been saying that we are entering a period of great energy and joy, and I tend to agree with them.

A: I would say that numerology confirms this – see my explanation about 2+8=10 = ruled by the Sun – that’s joy, vitality, energy – you name it and it will be there abundantly; it’s up to each one of us to tap into these energies. The Sun being the Source of all life and therefore the most generous of givers, they are certainly meant to be for all life.

J: Besides, I am a believer in thought creating reality: if you think positive thoughts, then positive things will happen. I don’t believe in a fate dictated by numbers.

A: I share that belief and I do not believe that fate is dictated by numbers. To me, the numbers are a reflection of the energies that are made available to us and our world; no more – they do not dictate anything to anyone.

J: Numbers are a man made innovation, so how can they reflect the future? How did it work before numbers were invented? Was the Universe waiting for man to think up some numbers before revealing the future to him?

A: I couldn’t agree more, but who do you think gives humankind all these wonderful ideas? Do you seriously believe that without a Higher Authority in charge of us we would ever have any of them? I would not wish to use either astrology or numerology for fortune telling, i.e. forecasting the future. Who would I be to attempt that?

The way I understand this life is that it was not humankind who suddenly dreamt up numbers – any of them. It happened the other way round; the idea of numbering things was given to us by the Universal Intelligence, to help us organise and get some order into the chaos that our world would otherwise be.

J: We are in the year 2008 only because we choose to call it that. There are other numbers to denote this year in the Jewish and Islamic systems, I think. I don’t know what year we’re in according to those systems, but the chances are that the numbers involved there might point to this year being wonderful. How do you square that with your own assessment, Aquarius?

A: There’s an interesting point. I wonder whether anyone could find those numbers out for us, so that one could compare them with each other. I believe that everything is predestined and that nothing is left to chance. That is why it would not surprise me one bit if all the figures in the end came to the same conclusion, merely getting there in a different way.

Besides, it is everybody’s right – nay, duty – to think positively of whatever comes our way. By thinking positively, we draw positive things into our lives; we help them to happen. Apart from everything else I believe that no matter what life presents us with, something good is always hidden behind every experience, if one just opens one’s eyes to perceive it.

J: Um, basically I’m saying I am very sceptical about numerology, lol! In my view you can make numbers mean whatever you want them to, as with statistics.

A: That’s your privilege, J. However, numerologically numbers present energies and with the help of numerology you most certainly cannot make numbers whatever you want them to be, although that indeed is possible with statistics. But then, that’s another story entirely!

At that stage, someone very kindly was trying to come to our help and shed some more light onto this question.

S: I know I may be completely off the mark here, but maybe I can provide an answer to the theory of the previous questioner. It is my understanding that we are affected by multiple types of energies while on this earthly plane. We are also, due to nurture, very much a product of the culture we are raised in, thus we’re affected by religion, race, socio-economic levels, interests we’re exposed to and so forth.

A: To my mind, there is no better way of explaining to us these multiple types of energies than with the help of astrology and numerology. Although the two are sister subjects, they show up different energies by which we are all influenced. In spite of that, they never contradict each other; if anything they complement each other.

S: So, is it possible that those of us who follow and believe it to be the year 2008 in the Gregorian calendar are influenced by the energies of that calendar? Meanwhile those who are devout Jews, let’s say, who simultaneously know the year by the Jewish calendar, are influenced – or maybe further influenced – by the energies revealed by its numbers? Or even, if someone decided that they wished to follow the date on the Mayan calendar, would that person then be influenced by the energies connecting with those numbers?

A: That’s an interesting theory, but it doesn’t really hold water, I feel. Underlying all these different ways of keeping track of time is the Universal intelligence and its energies, to which all life is subject and kept ‘on track’, if I may call it that. The various ways of interpreting these energies, like astrology, numerology, the Kabala, Chinese astrology and the different manners of keeping track of time by our present calendar system or the Gregorian, Jewish, Mayan or any other one, are mere interpretations, no more. In themselves none of them can influence the course of the Universe in any way; that is God’s task. We down here on the Earth, no matter how advanced our explanations and beliefs may be, cannot influence in any way, manner, shape or form the flow of the Universe and its energies.

That’s why I said it would be interesting to study all these different ways of counting time to see how they compare and whether any of them would come to the same conclusions as my article. A short while after publishing this an interesting item of information turned up perchance – nothing is chance, as you and I know. Someone drew my attention to the fact that the Chinese year of the rat has started. And guess what that means? New beginnings of many kinds for all! The same conclusion as I had come to in my article.

If you wish to benefit as much as possible from what is before you, I recommend that you download and print out whatever is to your liking – hopefully all of it. Later, when you have closed down your computer, you may enjoy re-reading what you have found and contemplating on it in the peace and quiet of your inner sanctuary. Seek the help of your inner guide and the Angels to show you whether any of it is meant to be for you. Should you be one of my personal contacts without access to the web, and would also like to read volume one of these jottings, please contact me and ask for your very own printout, signed and autographed if you so wish.

To facilitate reading any of my writings online I am currently in the process of adding an extra line after each paragraph. However, it seems to me that many have difficulties with reading large blocks of written material online. If that is the case with you, here are a few tips. Any internet items that to me are worthy of keeping, I copy and paste in Word documents. I then save them to file and print them. When my computer has been turned off, I go to my peaceful and quiet spot, my nurturing space, maybe with a nice cup of tea and start reading. In that way I invariably get a great deal more of out things than would otherwise be possible for me.

For those who are as yet inexperienced with computers, here are a few simple instructions that may come handy for:

EASY COPY AND PASTE TIPS

1. Open a new file in your word processing program
2. Go to text on the website that you wish to copy.
3. Now you can either highlight the whole file by using your keyboard and pressing Control key + A
4. Or you can copy parts of the file by placing the cursor on the beginning of the text you have in mind. Keeping your finger on the left hand click of the mouse, drag it diagonally across the text until you reach the end of the part you are interested in; this highlights it.
5. An easier way still – better for beginners: place the cursor on the first word you wish to copy. Press the shift key and keep your finger on it. Press the Page Down key as many times as necessary until you reach the last word of the text in question; this highlights the whole block. Still keeping your finger on the shift key, place cursor behind the full stop of the last sentence. Only then let go of the shift key.
6. Press Control key + C = copy command
7. Go to word processing: press Control key + V = paste command
8. By the way, Control key + N can also open a new file for you at that stage.
9. Control key + S = save command
10. Give file a location and name.
11. Print.

© Aquarius