Esoteric astrology

Zodíaco

The astrological signs and their symbols.

The Affiliated Planets in Yemeni (Canaan) Astrology.

Esoteric astrology is based on Alice Bailey's "Ageless Wisdom" teachings, which she said were relayed by her Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul. The esoteric astrologers who follow the teachings of Bailey typically base their work on her five-volume Treatise on the Seven Rays, particularly volume three which focuses on astrology.

Esoteric Astrology is said to give a larger perspective of life; that humanity is not just inhabiting a little planet on its own in the Solar system, but participating as an energy center within a greater life.

General concepts

Esoteric Astrology brings about a return to an ancient knowledge which related the constellations and our solar system, drew attention to the nature of the zodiac and informed humanity as to the basic interrelations which govern and control the phenomenal and subjective worlds, personified for example by the symbol of the sphinx representing the union of spirit and matter and their relation to each other, a fact that made ancient astrologers merge Virgo-Leo into one sign.

Sphinx of Giza: symbolic of the union of Leo (spirit) and Virgo (matter) as one sign in ancient times.

Esoteric astrology works from the universal to the particular and from the general to the specific as opposed to modern astrology which has reversed the true and right procedure and has laid the emphasis upon the specific and particular, upon the personal horoscope and the individual destiny, and has not laid the emphasis upon the great energies and their Sources. These Sources are ultimately responsible for the manifestation of the specific. Thus, constellations, solar systems, planets, kingdoms in nature and microscopic man are all of them the result of the activity and the manifestation of energy of certain Lives Which play through the ether of space. Space is thus considered an entity, and it is with the life of this entity and with the forces and energies, the impulses and the rhythms, the cycles and the times and seasons that esoteric astrology deals.

Cosmic influences

The following are the major influences which find their way from far distant Sources into our planetary life and produce definite effects upon individual man and humanity as a whole.

Sirius A e B, Hubble photo.

• The constellation of Great Bear.

• The Seven Sisters of the Pleiades.

• Sirius, the Dog Star.

• The seven Solar systems of which ours is one.

• The seven sacred planets (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Vulcan).
• The five non-sacred planets (the Sun (veiling a hidden planet), the Moon (veiling a hidden planet), Earth, Mars and Pluto).
• The seven planetary centers.
• The seven centers of forces in the human etheric body.
• The twelve zodiacal constellations.

To these would be added other streams of energy which definitely play upon and affect our planetary life, such as those coming from that great star, Betelgeuse, or from Antares and other stupendous suns and Solar systems which are related to the constellations of the zodiac, besides the radiatory influence which comes direct to us from our planet.

The seven rays

Origin

There are two major groups of stars, the Seven Pleiades, and the Seven Stars of the Great Bear, which are the two constellations, in the north, around which our universe seems to revolve. They represent God, the macrocosm. The seven Rishis are the Regents of the seven stars of the Great Bear. They are as mysterious as their supposed wives, the Pleiades. Vibrations (energies) come to our Solar system from the Seven Rishis. These energies or rays are the seven emanations from these "Seven Spirits before the throne of God".

Ursa Major and the "Seven Rishis"

Pleiades, NASA

Classification

The Seven Rays are divided into two groups:

• Rays of Aspect, the three major rays:

Ray I - The Ray of Power, Will or Purpose

Ray II - The Ray of Love-Wisdom

Ray III - The Ray of Active Creative Intelligence

• Rays of Attribute, the four minor rays:

Ray IV - The Ray of Harmony through Conflict

Ray V - The Ray of Concrete Science or Knowledge

Ray VI - The Ray of Idealism or Devotion

Ray VII - The Ray of Order or Ceremonial Magic

Transmission

The united energies of the three constellations Great Bear, Pleiades and Sirius which control and energize our Solar system work through the medium of the seven rays and these in turn express themselves through the twelve constellations which form the great zodiacal wheel. They are then embodied in the seven sacred planets and are represented on our Earth by the seven Spirits before the throne of God (the symbol of synthesis). When these energies reach our planet, a combination of three groups of energetic patterns from rays, planets and zodiacal signs is formed. They find their way through the major vortexes or chakras of Earth (major cities, but also certain groupings) and are thence distributed to the human race.

This entire relation is the basis of what is called the "Science of Triangles" and therefore, of esoteric astrology itself. It is related to the rays, the constellations, their ruling planets and our Earth in a great synthesis of energies; it relates our Solar system to the larger whole and our tiny non-sacred planet to the Solar system.

The Seven Rays pour through, are expressed by and are transmitted through the following constellations / planets:

• Ray I - Aries, Leo and Capricorn / Vulcan and Pluto

Aries is the most potent and active point and the source of the initial energy, producing the New Age.

• Ray II - Gemini, Virgo and Pisces / Jupiter and the Sun

Virgo produces the increased activity of the Christ principle in the heart of humanity.

Gemini is the inactive point of the triangle, though still potent from the esoteric angle of the individual disciple or initiate.

• Ray III - Cancer, Libra and Capricorn / Saturn and Earth

Cancer causes mass movement towards liberty, release and light.

• Ray IV - Taurus, Scorpio and Sagittarius / Mercury and the Moon (veiling a hidden planet)

Ray IV is relatively inactive.

Scorpio brings about the testing of humanity, the world disciple.

• Ray V - Leo, Sagittarius and Aquarius / Venus

Leo produces the growth of the individualism and of self-consciousness.

Aquarius will be brought into a controlling position by the time the Sun passes more fully into the sign Aquarius.

• Ray VI - Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces / Neptune and Mars

Sagittarius produces the focussed one-pointed effort of the world disciple.

• Ray VII - Aries, Cancer and Capricorn / Uranus

Aries is the most potent and active point.

Capricorn produces initiation and the overcoming of materialism.

The three planetary centers

Shamballa

At the heart of this vast sea of energies is to be found that cosmic Consciousness to Whom we give the name of Sanat Kumara, the Lord of the World, the Ancient of Days. This great Center of Existence works through a triangle of energies or through lesser centers, each of which is brought into active expression by one of the three major Rays or Energies. The Center which is created by the Ray of Will or Power is called Shamballa and its major activity is bequeathing, distributing and circulating the basic principle of life itself to every form which is held within the planetary ring-pass-not of the planetary Life or Logos. The second Center is created by the Ray of Love-Wisdom; this is the basic energy which brought into being the entire manifested universe, for it is the energy of the Builder Aspect. To it we give—as far as humanity is concerned—the name of Hierarchy. The prime activity of this Center is related to the unfolding consciousness of the planet, and therefore of all forms of life within or upon the planet. The third Center is that of the Human Kingdom, which is brought into being by means of the energy of the third Ray of Active Intelligence. Its major function is intelligent creation; but it has nevertheless a secondary activity which is to relate the second and the third Centers to each other and to assume progressive control of the subhuman kingdoms and relate them to each other. The Hierarchy is existent upon the buddhic plane, which is the first of the cosmic ethers, and it works from there, impressing mental matter. Shamballa works on the levels of the three highest ethers whilst Humanity works primarily in the three worlds of the dense cosmic physical plane. The New Group of World Servers has in it "units of energy" who can work both with matter and with substance.

There are four other centers, and these, with the above three, constitute the seven centers, or the seven planetary focal points of energy, which condition the bodily manifestation of our planetary Logos. Through them the Lord of the World, working from His Own level on a cosmic plane and through His divine Personality, Sanat Kumara, carries out His purposes upon our planet.

Response of Man

Similarly, within the microcosm, man, the correspondences to these seven centers are to be found in his etheric body. Therein likewise are seven major centers, and they are the recipients of the energy emanating from the seven planetary centers, the custodians of the seven aspects of ray force; these seven energies — at various stages of potency — condition the man's expression in the three worlds, make him what he is at any given moment whilst in incarnation, and indicate (by their effect or lack of effect upon the centers) his point in evolution.

The human major seven centers of force or chakras.

The individual etheric body is not an isolated and separated human vehicle but is, in a peculiar sense, an integral part of the etheric body of that entity which we have called the human family; this kingdom in nature, through its etheric body, is an integral part of the planetary etheric body; the planetary etheric body is not separated off from the etheric bodies of other planets but all of them in their totality, along with the etheric body of the sun constitute the etheric body of the Solar system. This is related to the etheric bodies of the six Solar systems which, with ours, form a cosmic unity and into these pour energies and forces from certain great constellations.

The four centers above the diaphragm — the heart, throat, ajna and head centers — are basically and primarily receiving centers. The centers below the diaphragm — the base of the spine (or root chakra, the sacral, the Solar plexus and spleen centers — are galvanized into activity by the four higher receiving centers. This, when accomplished, demonstrates as personality and physical magnetism and influence until the time comes when there is a reversal in the way of passing — as a soul — around the zodiac. This is symbolized as the revolution of the sun around the zodiac from Aries to Pisces instead of the reverse movement, from Aries to Taurus. This is repeated in the human frame and the four lower centers eventually return that which has come to them. They thus reverse the process normally followed and the centers above the diaphragm become radio-active, dynamic and magnetic. This is an intricate occult study and is concerned with the response of the etheric body to the incoming energies. It relates finally the lowest center at the base of the spine to the highest center, the head center. This is a correspondence to the relation of the Earth to the Sun.

Responsiveness and sensitivity to the impact of the cosmic energies is therefore dependent upon the nature of the response apparatus. It can be thus postulated that:

1. Undeveloped humanity is primarily conditioned in its life and circumstances by the influence of the lesser zodiac and thus by the position of the planets in the twelve houses.

2. Average intelligent humanity and those nearing the Path of Discipleship and upon the Probationary Path respond consciously to

a. The planets, affecting their personalities.

b. The Sun sign, as indicating life trends which are already established and which constitute the line of least resistance.

c. The rising sign in a small measure. This indicates the life goal for that particular life cycle or else over a period of seven lives. The last two constitute the Greater Zodiac.

3. Disciples and initiates can begin consciously to respond to all the above influences, handling them constructively, plus those potent yet infinitely subtle forces which pour into our Solar system from the Great Bear, Pleiades and Sirius. In the early stages, the response is in the subtler bodies and the brain fails to register them, but after the third initiation, there is a recognition of them upon the physical plane.

File:Crown Brow Throat Chakras, Rajasthan 18th Century.jpg

Head Center, the Thousand-petalled Lotus Chakra, Rajasthan, 18th Century

Since the three major planetary centers have their correspondences in the human etheric body and each of them relates to its higher correspondence and can thus be "impressed" or affected and awakened by the corresponding higher agent, it might be stated that:

1. Energy from the planetary center, Shamballa, utilises the head center, the thousand petalled lotus, when the man is adequately developed. This center is the agent of the divine will within the life of the spiritual man, working through the Spiritual Triad. It is only actively useful when the antahkarana is constructed or in process of construction.

2. Energy from the planetary center, the Hierarchy, utilises the heart center. This center is the agent of divine love (expressing basically the will-to-good) working through the soul of the individual aspirant or disciple; this becomes possible when contact with the soul has been attained in some measure and the aspirant is on the way to become a soul-infused personality.

3. Energy from the third planetary center, Humanity, utilises the throat center, working through the integrated personality, and therefore only when a relatively high degree of evolutionary unfoldment has been attained. The throat center only becomes creatively and spiritually active when the lower nature has been to some degree subordinated to idealistic aspiration: this aspiration need not be one that is usually regarded as spiritual and religious by the orthodox and therefore imprisoned thinker. It must, however, be one of which the whole integrated man is the instrument and which will be of such a large nature that it will call all his creative faculty into expression.

4. The Ajna center (the center between the eyebrows) works in connection with the three major centers but mainly, at this stage of human development, as the distributor of soul force and of spiritual energy as received from the heart and throat centers.

5. The Solar Plexus center works in connection with the sacral center and with the center at the base of the spine, the center of life; it works also with all subsidiary centers below the diaphragm, gathering and transmuting their energies and transmitting "that which has been purified" into the higher major center.

It might here be added that the will-to-be is, from one angle, the energy of immortality; it is the energy which pours into and works through the head center, whilst the will-to-live demonstrates as the fundamental instinct of self-preservation and is to be found positively focused in the center at the base of the spine. The latter is related to the personality and is closely allied to desire, and therefore to Solar plexus center; there is a direct line of hitherto unrecognized energy between the lowest center in the spine and the Solar plexus; the other is related to the divine-spiritual man and is closely allied to the soul, and therefore to the heart center.

• Rays and Planetary Rulers of the Human Centres of Force (Chakras)

Center of Force	Ray	Common Man	Discíples and Initiates
Head	I	Pluto	Vulcan
Ajna	V	Venus	Venus
Throat	III	Earth	Saturn
Heart	II	the Sun	Jupiter
Solar Plexus	VI	Mars	Neptune
Sacral	VII	Uranus	Uranus
Base of the Spine	I	Pluto	Pluto

Planetary Rulership

Esoteric astrology considers two sets of rulers for two types of people:

1. The orthodox and generally accepted series of planetary rulers for the undeveloped and average man.

2. A new combination of rulers and constellations for those upon the Path.

• THE ORTHODOX AND ESOTERIC ASTROLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP

CONSTELLATIONS AND PLANETARY RULERS IN CONNECTION WITH ORDINARY MAN AND WITH DISCIPLES AND INITIATES

Zodiac, Temple of Shiva, Kanipakam, India

Constellation	Orthodox Ruler	Ray	Esoteric Ruler	Ray
Aries	Mars	VI	Mercury	IV
Taurus	Venus	V	Vulcan	I
Gemini	Mercury	IV	Venus	V
Cancer	the Moon	IV	Neptune	VI
Leo	the Sun	II	the Sun	II
Virgo	Mercury	IV	the Moon	IV
Libra	Venus	V	Urano	VII
Scorpio	Mars	VI	Mars	VI
Sagittarius	Jupiter	II	Earth	III
Capricorn	Saturn	III	Saturn	III
Aquarius	Uranus	VII	Jupiter	II
Pisces	Jupiter	II	Pluto	I

• THE ORTHODOX ASTROLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP

CONSTELLATIONS AND PLANETARY RULERS IN CONNECTION WITH ORDINARY MAN:

The Sign of Aries - Notre Dame de Chartres Cathedral, France

Constellation	Orthodox Ruler	Ray	Related to
Aries	Mars	VI	Scorpio	same ruler
Taurus	Venus	V	Libra	same ruler
Gemini	Mercury	IV	Virgo	same ruler
Cancer	the Moon	IV	-
Leo	the Sun	II	-
Virgo	Mercury	IV	Gemini	same ruler
Libra	Venus	V	Taurus	same ruler
Scorpio	Mars	VI	Aries	same ruler
Sagittarius	Jupiter	II	Pisces	same ruler
Capricorn	Saturn	III	-
Aquarius	Uranus	VII	-
Pisces	Jupiter	II	Sagittarius	same ruler

All the rays are represented except the first. This is interesting, as the mass of the people move within their horoscopes and the will aspect is latent but unexpressed.

• THE UNORTHODOX ASTROLOGICAL RELATIONSHIP

CONSTELLATIONS AND PLANETARY RULERS IN CONNECTION WITH DISCIPLES AND INITIATES:

Christ, the 12 apostles and the 12 Zodiacal signs, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Mtskheta, Georgia

Constellation	Esoteric Ruler	Ray	Related to
Aries	Mercury	IV	Virgo	same ray
Taurus	Vulcan	I	Pisces	same ray
Gemini	Venus	V	-
Cancer	Neptune	VI	Scorpio	same ray
Leo	the Sun	II	Aquarius	same ray
Virgo	the Moon	IV	Aries	same ray
Libra	Uranus	VII	-
Scorpio	Mars	VI	Cancer	same ray
Sagittarius	Earth	III	Capricorn	same ray
Capricorn	Saturn	III	Sagittarius	same ray
Aquarius	Jupiter	II	Leo	same ray
Pisces	Pluto	I	Taurus	same ray

NOTE: In connection with disciples and the zodiacal signs, Gemini and Libra are two constellations which—through their rulers—express 5th and 7th ray energy. For some occult reason, they remain unrelated to any other of the signs.

• PLANETARY RULERS - ORDINARY MAN, DISCIPLE, HIERARCHY
  

  Zodiac - mosaic in a synagogue in Beit Alpha, Israel, 6th Century.

Constellation	Common Man	Disciple	Hierarchy
Aries	Mars	Mercury	Uranus
Taurus	Venus	Vulcan	Vulcan
Gemini	Mercury	Venus	Earth
Cancer	the Moon	Neptune	Neptune
Leo	the Sun	the Sun	the Sun
Virgo	Mercury	the Moon	Jupiter
Libra	Venus	Uranus	Saturn
Scorpio	Mars	Mars	Mercury
Sagittarius	Jupiter	Earth	Mars
Capricorn	Saturn	Saturn	Venus
Aquarius	Uranus	Jupiter	the Moon
Pisces	Jupiter	Pluto	Pluto