Traditional Bhavacakra Wall Mural
The bhavacakra is a symbolic representation of saṃsāra (or the wheel of cyclic existence). The bhavacakra consits of the following elements:
- The pig, rooster and snake in the hub of the wheel represent the three poisons of ignorance, attachment and aversion.
- The second layer represents karma.
- The third layer represents the six realms of samsara.
- The fourth layer represents the twelve links of dependent origination.
- The fierce figure holding the wheel represents impermanence.
- The moon above the wheel represents liberation from samsara or cyclic existence.
- The Buddha pointing to the white circle indicates that liberation is possible.
Symbolically, the three inner circles, moving from the center outward, show that the three poisons of ignorance, attachment, and aversion give rise to positive and negative actions; these actions and their results are called karma. Karma in turn gives rise to the six realms, which represent the different types of suffering within samsara.
The fourth and outer layer of the wheel symbolizes the twelve links of dependent origination; these links indicate how the sources of suffering—the three poisons and karma—produce lives within cyclic existence.
The fierce being (Yama, Lord of Death) holding the wheel represents impermanence; this symbolizes that the entire process of samsara or cyclic existence is impermanent, transient, constantly changing.
|
|
Soul Astrology As A Spiritual Path
Soul Astrology provides a language that can be helpful in understanding your experience and your path. To follow your Soul path in everyday life you also need to be able to 'listen' to the energy of your Soul, and to know where it is guiding you, so that you can follow. This insight comes through self-observation, awareness, and your own experience. In the book, Soul Astrology, we introduced the idea of karma as "everything we have ever learned in this and past lives".
In those spiritual traditions with a concept of karma, there is also the concept of dharma which goes hand in hand with karma. Dharma in a sense is our life purpose. It is what we have come to do in the world.
The word dharma is a sanskrit word that originates in the Indian spiritual traditions such as Hinduism and Bhuddism. There is no single English word that correlates to dharma but it has been translated variously as “right living” and “cosmic law and order”. So we might think of dharma as living in accord with the natural rhythms and laws of the Universe.
Not everyone is born the be a great warrior, president or celebrity, but every single living being has a unique purpose according to the rhythms and laws of the Universe. You have your place in the grand scheme of things just as much as a president or an ant, a great soprano or a butterfly. In a bee hive, each bee has it’s own purpose: some are worker bees, some are warrior bees, and then there is a queen.
Every living thing in existence is exactly where it is supposed to be, serving it’s purpose, and that includes you. So how do you know if are you a worker bee, a warrior or a queen? Well we can look at your horoscope (your birth chart) for clues! Your horoscope is a symbol of your energy field and if we know where to look it can tell us a lot about the energy you were born with. While there isn’t exactly anything in your chart that says precisely ‘you are a plumber’, we can look at some of your predispositions, tools, and talents, and kind of figure it out from there!
Your Rising Sign
One of the first things we can look at is your Rising Sign because that is telling us about your Soul’s energy and, more importantly how it wants to flow into the world.For example, if you have Leo Rising you are here to express Divine Will and purpose in the form of heart-centered leadership. But that’s pretty esoteric, how do we then take that statement and translate it into everyday life?
Your Sun and Moon
Look next to your Sun and Moon signs because they will tell you much about how your Soul energy is being channeled into the world. Maybe your Sun is in Gemini so you could be a heart centered leader (Leo Rising) who uses your words and communication (Gemini) to convey your message. Maybe your Moon is in Libra, so in addition to having a primary ‘MO’ (modus operandi or ‘way of being’) of ‘using words and communication’, you also respond to others emotionally (the Moon) with tact, charm, diplomacy and a sense of fairness and justice (Libra).
Your Midheaven
You can also look to your midheaven (MC) to tell you something about your public, or outer image: how others see you and how you like to be seen (or not) out in the world. With Leo Rising you may have Aries on the midheaven, which means you may be an innovative, bold, courageous leader who takes inspired action in the world. Equally you could have Taurus on the MC which means you would take a more considered approach and may want to be seen as more conventional yet patient, and hard-working.
There are some traditional houses to look at too. Conventionally the 10th house is the house of ‘career’ but this isn’t always the case. It is more accurate to call the 10th house the house of vocation or, since that’s what we’re talking about today, let’s call it the house of dharma!
The 10th and 6th Houses
Esoterically the 10th house is associated with our masters and guides, and our spiritual lineage. So it is saying a lot about where you are in terms of your spiritual development and what you are bringing to the planet in this existence.
If you are really living in alignment with your soul, and doing work that you truly love, knowing it is what you are here to bring to the world, then yes, the 10th house will reflect your ‘career’.
However if you are in a ‘career’ because your parents thought it was a good idea, or you’re just working to pay the bills but you really feel that you were here to bring something else to the planet, then your ‘work’ will show up in the 6th house, while your true vocation, your dharma, will be reflected in the 10th.
For example if you have Cancer on the 6th house cusp, you could be working to pay your bills in a retail store. You may excel at sales because you really understand people’s needs (Cancer), but you may be working your way through college to graduate as a psychologist because with Scorpio on the 10th house cusp you know deep inside that your real ‘life’s work’ is to support people’s inner transformation and healing in a much deeper way than retail allows you to do.
Your Lunar North Node
You could also take a look at the lunar Nodal Axis, which tells you something about your role in the society into which you were born. In particular the lunar North Node is pointing to a path which may be unfamiliar to you, but if you follow it, it can support you in your Soul’s growth, and fulfil your role in society.
If you are uncertain about your life purpose, here are the basic starting points:
- Your Rising Sign is telling you what energy your Soul has come to embody and express into the world in this lifetime
- Look at the condition of your Sun and Moon, which signs they are in, which houses they are in, and which planets they have aspects to.
- Look at the condition of your 10th and 6th houses: which signs are on the cusp, and if any planets are there.
- Look at the condition of your Midheaven: which sign is there, and any planets that are there.
- Look at the lunar Nodal Axis: in particular your lunar North Node.
- Put it all together and (while it won't say 'you're a plumber') it will give you a very good sense of what you came here to do, and how you will do it!
Esoterically it is in Sagittarius that the true goal is identified, so the spiritual journey can begin in Capricorn. Sagittarius season is the ideal time to release all conditioning and man-made beliefs that would otherwise mislead you and distract you from your spiritual path. You don't want to add any more layers (opinions, beliefs, philosophies etc) that will cloud your view of who you really are. Instead, once the goal is clearly seen (your own true nature) your path becomes clear. Your spiritual path then becomes a practice of simply letting go of what you are not, all that is false, so that your true inner nature can shine forth.The Soul is a vehicle for spiritual energy, and so your Soul Sign indicates your innate core essence. It is the essence of who you really are, and your true nature as a spiritual being, but this all remains latent while you are identified with, and driven by, the needs of the ego-personality. Your spiritual awakening involves realising this core energy and expressing it into the world, while releasing all that is NOT you (your karma or conditioned behaviour), thereby becoming a fully Soul-Centered individual. Over the next few newsletters it is my intention to cover the foundations of Soul Astrology in more depth and weave it all together so that you can see how it works as a powerful tool for you in your spiritual journey. You might find it helpful to keep a copy of Soul Astrology and your Natal (Birth) Chart to hand. I will also offer suggested fieldwork to support those of you who wish to go deeper in your studies of this fascinating topic. Suggested Fieldwork:
- Download and read Your Essential Guide to Soul Astrology (if you haven't read it for a while, read it again to refresh your memory).
- Get two notebooks. Use one for your study notes (what you are learning about astrology); and use the other as a reflective journal where you write your deeper insights, self-observations and realisations about YOU that arise from your study and meditation.
- Self-observation is essential. If you don't already do so, start a regular meditation practice. It can be a sitting or an active meditation, whichever works best for you, to support you in practising self-observation and cultivating self-awareness.
|
|
