The Emerging Self " Leo is the constellation through which the will-to-fulfilment or to achievement pours into humanity and on to the planet. It is essentially the spirit of self-determination. It is at first the determination of the little self, the personality, the self-conscious individual. It is next the determination of the Self, the soul, the group conscious individual, aware of the greater Whole and of itself as the part, integrated and basically at-one." - The Tibetan, Esoteric Astrology As we continue our Soul's journey through the twelve zodiac signs, the sentient 'spark' of light that ignited in Aries, became a conscious beam of light in Taurus, and multiple rays of intelligent light in Gemini, eventually incarnated into form in Cancer. In the Leo stage of our Soul journey, consciousness identifies with form and develops a sense of self. Our newly-formed body of conscious, intelligent, light emerges as an individual Self. In earlier newsletters we explored how, according to the Tibetan tradition, everything manifests from source, through the light realm into the physical realm. On our Soul's journey through the stages of Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, our Soul was in the light realm. In Cancer the Soul incarnated into the physical realm and now in Leo becomes an individual. This is the point where our Soul starts to experience a unique sense of Self. So what does this mean for us personally? Let's explore! The Process of Individuation Our Soul's journey is one of individual experience, yet this is not the same as separation. As we 'individuate' to have our own unique experience, we are still 'indivisible' from the whole. It's important to remember this. In our interconnectedness it is never possible to be separate. To understand this we can think of our hand. Each finger has the capacity to move independently of the others, but at no time is it ever separate from our hand. The Necessity of Ego Very closely associated with the individuation process is the formation of ego. As you read this, take note of whether you are carrying any judgement around ego. Ego is sometimes thought to be a negative thing in some spiritual circles with practitioners trying to get rid of their ego as fast as possible, but without fully understanding what it really is. The formation and eventual dissolution of ego is a vital stage within the process of spiritual awakening without which we would never fully awaken or be able to discern what we are from what we are not. Through our experiences of ego formation in Leo, we develop the essential skill of discernment, which we then carry forward into the Virgo stage of our journey. Ego does not exist as an actual 'thing'. We can't hold it, and look a it, and say "There is is! I found my ego. Now off to the trash with it!". So if it is not an actual 'thing' what is it? Ego is the name we give to an illusory sense of having a separate self. By convention we refer to ourselves as 'me' or 'I'. Life would get pretty confusing if we didn't! But in reality, if we go deep in meditation, we cannot find any trace of this 'I'. "Ego, the limiting sense of 'I', results from the individual intellect attributing the power of consciousness to itself" - Patanjali The Actor The sign of Leo is closely associated with acting, and here we can see why. Ego is the name we give to a mental process where, almost instantaneously and mostly imperceptibly, we overlay the concept of a 'doer' or an 'actor' on to every action we take. Even the simple act of washing hands becomes overlaid with an idea of "I" am washing "my" hands. Hand washing is indeed happening, but the "I" that we assume is performing the action, is actually an illusion created by mind. “ the assumption or preconceived idea that our mind is ‘us’ on the inside, versus an objective ‘real’ physical world on the outside, enduring through time, is actually a thought construction” -Lama Shenpen Hookham, “Trusting The Heart of Buddhism” This is mind-blowing for most of us and arriving at the full realization of this spiritual truth is a long and winding journey. Until we are fully spiritually awake we won't get it completely. In the meantime we need to have a sense of 'me' in order to operate in the world. We wouldn't get anywhere without it. Imagine getting pulled over for speeding and saying to the police officer, I didn't do it officer because actually I am an illusion! Our Soul's journey through Leo is vital, and we should embrace it fully, including it's challenges. The journey through Leo is all about Selfhood - from self-consciousness, through self-awareness and eventually to Self-realization. The Path of Leo Is Important for Us All The Soul's journey through the stage of Leo is vitally important to us all at this time. In addition to those individuals who may have personal planets in Leo, or Leo Rising (Leo Souls), as we enter the Age of Aquarius the whole of humanity at this time is experiencing the important lessons of the Leo-Aquarius polarity, which call upon each of us to honor and acknowledge the sacredness of individuals within the collective. In an earlier article I explained in more depth why the role of Leo is so important to us now, during these times. It is through the actions we take, and the worlds we create by those actions, and the roles we play in those worlds, that we contribute to the creation of entire universes of experience. This is worthy of deep contemplation. Spiritual Path of Leo The spiritual path of Leo is not about trying to get rid of ego (that would be ego trying to get rid of itself!) but rather it is about understanding the process of ego formation. Through deep meditation and self-observation we can begin to see how this illusory self gets created, and what it's purpose may be. Esoterically the sign of Leo is associated with Divine Will. Our Soul's journey is about Divinity having an individual experience as us. We are here to carry out Divine Will in the world through our actions, and to do that we need to understand more deeply how to get our 'little Will' out of the way so we can become a clear expression of Divinity. It is about allowing action to flow through us, without superimposing an illusory 'actor' onto the action. “There is a reality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.” - Martha Graham The path of Leo calls for us to become self-aware, and in that awareness to recognize the role we are playing in the whole of creation. With the self-awareness that comes from diligent self-observation we may finally come to understand more deeply the meaning of the Tibetan's keynote for Leo: "I am that and that am I"
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Wednesday, 7 August 2024
Leo - The Emerging Self
Wednesday, 21 June 2023
What Is Esoteric Astrology and How Is It Different from Reading My Horoscope?
By Jaime Wright
Source: https://www.purewow.com/wellness/what-is-esoteric-astrology
The thing about astrology is that once you know a little bit about it, you quickly realize how much you don’t know. It’s a language with an almost infinite amount of dialects. It’s not a one-size-fits-all thing! One of astrology’s least practiced and most mysterious forms is esoteric astrology, which first surfaced in the early 20th century and—for better or for worse—might be the O.G. manifestation trend! Here’s everything we know about it.
So, what is esoteric astrology?
Esoteric Astrology is a soul-centered astrology. Less concerned with our singular outward personality or what’s going to happen to us in this lifetime, esoteric astrology is about defining our soul’s contribution to the evolution of humanity. It’s taught as a way of healing the relationship between soul and personality. According to esoteric astrologers, in order to reach our highest self and live with soul consciousness, we must transcend our material nature, using our personality as an instrument of soul expression, not the other way around. If this is already sounding a bit woo-woo, that’s because it is. Esoteric astrology originated with Theosophy—or, the “New Age” movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
History of esoteric astrology
The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 in New York City as a home for upper class intellectuals who had developed skills in mediumship and were hungry to explore esotericism. Think: Séances and the paintings of Hilma af Klint. Rudolf Steiner and Helena Blavatsky were two major contributors to the movement, along with Alice Bailey, the founder of esoteric astrology.
Alice Bailey codified esoteric astrology through her five volume A Treatise on the Seven Rays, which she claimed to have channeled through her disembodied spiritual teacher, DK (read: a ghost). In the introduction she writes, “Certain things I may say will probably be regarded by the academic and uninspired astrologer as revolutionary, or as erroneous, as improbable or unprovable.” She knows these teachings are controversial and the source is unreliable—kinda like Instagram-famous-crystal-healer vibes. Her teachings were carried into the modern day through the work of Alan Leo (the original sun sign horoscope writer), as well as modern psychological astrologer Dane Rudhyar.
How is esoteric astrology different from the astrology I know?
The biggest difference between esoteric astrology and the modern psychological astrology of sun sign horoscopes (and all those memes) is planetary rulers. In modern astrology, the rulers of the signs shake down like so:
Aries - Mars
Taurus - Venus
Gemini - Mercury
Cancer - Moon
Leo - Sun
Virgo - Mercury
Libra - Venus
Scorpio - Mars, Pluto
Sagittarius - Jupiter
Capricorn - Saturn
Aquarius - Saturn, Uranus
Pisces - Jupiter, Neptune
But because esoteric astrology is all about transcending our nature and finding our higher purpose within the collective (aka manifesting our best life, as well as the world’s best outcomes), the planetary rulers reflect each sign’s higher octave, or greater calling. In esoteric astrology, each sign has an exoteric planetary ruler, which reveals the pure outer expression of the sign’s characteristics, as well as an esoteric planetary ruler, which reveals the sign’s spiritual side. The exoteric rulers are the same as in modern psychological astrology, but the esoteric planetary rulers break from tradition as follows:
Aries - Mercury
Taurus - Vulcan*
Gemini - Venus
Cancer - Neptune
Leo - Sun**
Virgo - Moon
Libra - Uranus
Scorpio - Mars**
Sagittarius - Earth
Capricorn - Saturn**
Aquarius - Jupiter
Pisces - Pluto
*You might be wondering, what is Vulcan? Well, it’s...imaginary. Vulcan was presented by 19th-century astronomers as a hypothetical planet orbiting between Mercury and the sun, to explain some peculiarities in Mercury’s orbit. No evidence was found of its existence after several searches and Vulcan was scientifically abandoned after 1919. Despite this, “the planet” also shows up in some astrological texts from the 1970s.
**Also interesting to note that Leo, Scorpio and Capricorn keep the same ruler on the inner (esoteric) and outer (exoteric) levels.
What does my esoteric planetary ruler say about me?
Esoteric astrology is an exploration of our soul’s consciousness. The esoteric planetary ruler clues us into a more “evolved” version of ourselves.
Aries - Higher self is reached through inspiring others through thought and speech (Mercury).
Taurus - Higher self is reached through loyalty and an iron will (Vulcan).
Gemini - Higher self is reached through the love (Venus) of ideas.
Cancer - Higher self is reached through imagination (Neptune) as soul nourishment.
Leo - Higher self is reached through illuminating (Sun) others.
Virgo - Higher self is reached through acts of service and purity of instinct (Moon).
Libra - Higher self is reached when keeping progress (Uranus) in mind.
Scorpio - Higher self is reached through fighting (Mars) for a divine cause.
Sagittarius - Higher self is reached through a grounding (Earth) spirituality.
Capricorn - Higher self is reached through establishing rules (Saturn) for the collective.
Aquarius - Higher self is reached through wisdom (Jupiter) as humanitarianism.
Pisces - Higher self is reached through letting go of limitations via spiritual rebirth (Pluto).
The Seven Rays
Another key component to esoteric astrology is the Seven Rays (remember the title of Bailey’s book is A Treatise on the Seven Rays). Life coach and astrologer Marie O’Neill describes them as, “energy streams that enter our solar system from cosmic sources.” The seven rays pre-date esotericaAstrology and Theosophy, with possible origins in Hindu scripture, and are also a part of Catholic iconography. In Bailey’s writings these seven rays are thought of as the fundamental energies behind all existence. The seven rays are a primal creative force and an expression of divinity. In esoteric astrology, all planets express their power through different rays in the different signs.
The rays are defined as such:
1st Ray: Will or power
2nd Ray: Love wisdom
3rd Ray: Adaptability
4th Ray: Beauty or Harmony
5th Ray: Knowledge or Science
6th Ray: Devotion
7th Ray: Ritual
What can I learn from an esoteric reading of my chart?
We understand now that esoteric astrology is very different from modern psychological astrology. It’s a complex system with somewhat murky origins, and unlike traditional forms of astrology, practicing requires one to buy into the somewhat jargony language of “esoteric” and “exoteric” rulers, the seven rays and soul consciousness. Focused more on the collective than individual purpose, this type of astrology doesn’t predict life events or give hot takes on personality. An esoteric chart reading is focused on transformation and how we can better express our soul, which is lifelong work.
Bottom line
Esoteric astrology is less about who we are and more about who we could possibly become.
Wednesday, 10 August 2022
Esoteric meanings of the Rising Signs
Source: https://astrologyharvest.tripod.com/
© 1998-2007 Adele Wilson
Updated June 9, 2007
The following sign meanings are based on the principles set forth by Djwhal Khul
through Alice Bailey in Chapter II of Esoteric Astrology and simplified in
An Esoteric Journey Through the Zodiac: The Inner Meanings of the Signs
PLEASE NOTE: By no means do the paragraphs on this page represent firm or final textbook delineations. Please consider them as constituting an initial attempt to verbalize possible soul's-purpose implications of the ascending sign in the horoscope. I offer them to you as a starting point, an initial frame of reference, in our collective quest to discern and recognize the various arenas of growth, types of consciousness expansion, and fields of service that can be intended by the human soul. Of course, the esoteric significance of the rising sign must be modified by many factors, most significantly, by planets in the first house, aspects to the ascending degree, and the house position, sign, and aspects of the esoteric ruler of the ascendant. Degree, decanate, duad, and fixed star symbolisms are among the many other possible colorations that can contribute to the synthesis that would begin to describe the soul's purpose.
ARIES - Replacing instinctual desire with will; the increasing assertion of the Higher Self; discerning Divine Will by birthing new ideas to aid the evolution of the planet; embodying Divine Will by personifying and enacting these ideas
TAURUS - Being a wise steward of the Earth's resources, utilizing them for the fulfillment of the Divine Plan; seeing, becoming, and using Light as a tool to dissipate astral glamour and to transmute material attachment into spiritual aspiration
GEMINI - Giving Love wisely and applying Wisdom lovingly; spreading Light and bridging gaps between people; being a channel of Love-Wisdom to help connect people and promote planetwide unity of all Humanity
CANCER - Realizing the Oneness of all manifested life, human, animal, vegetable, and mineral; using innate attunement to mass consciousness to build forms that will uplift and inspire Humanity toward the universal Love of the heart chakra
LEO - Becoming centered in God-consciousness by perfecting the personality and infusing it with soul energy in order to radiate Love to others; leading a humanitarian service group and cooperating with other group leaders in a unified effort to usher in a higher planetary consciousness
VIRGO - Refining the personality so that it can receive the energies of the soul and thus birth the Christ Consciousness in the self; helping to rearrange the physical plane in preparation for receiving the higher energies necessary for planetary initiation
LIBRA - Seeing the other as part of oneself; incorporating insights from others in order to realize the balance between, and unity of, the personality and the Higher Self; becoming Whole through cooperation with the Higher Self and the Divine Plan
SCORPIO - Transmuting lower desires into Higher Will through the testing and purging of the personality; being a spiritual warrior and catalyst of healing through the embodiment and transmission of Divine Power
SAGITTARIUS - Experiencing all facets of human life in order to develop a complete acceptance, understanding, and love of others of different cultures, creeds, races, and religions; bearing the torch of Light and Love to inspire others toward greater understanding of life and of each other
CAPRICORN - Developing patience, persistence, and perseverance by working productively within the limitations of matter, time, and space in order to progress spiritually, become increasingly involved with the Forces of Light, and assume greater responsibilities in helping to manifest the Divine Plan on Earth
AQUARIUS - Waking up to the universality of Spirit and the Divine essence and unity of all beings, interplanetary and extraplanetary; serving uniquely and lovingly in a cooperative effort with other servers, under the direction of the Planetary Hierarchy, to help the whole of Humanity awaken and take its next step forward in consciousness
PISCES - Becoming aware of ingrained personal attitudes, cultural thoughtforms, and societal institutions which hinder planetary progress, then wielding Power to transmute these into higher forms of energy, thus clearing the way for the new thought forms which will serve the the Divine Plan of evolution for the planet and the solar system
The Soul's Purpose Formula
THE SOUL'S PURPOSE FORMULA
copyright 1983-1999 by Adele E. Barger [Wilson]
updated August 24, 2003
Book by Adele Barger Wilson:
AN ESOTERIC JOURNEY THROUGH THE ZODIAC
THE INNER MEANINGS OF THE SIGNS
NOTE: This article has been slightly revised from its original 1983 version.
The following Soul's Purpose Formula technique has been slightly modified from that first developed by Dr. Douglas Baker and taught to me by Judi Laws and Lynn Koiner of the Amethyst group in Washington, D.C., in the early 1980s. This Formula is based on the principle set forth on page 17 of Alice Bailey's Esoteric Astrology that the ascendant of a horoscope is the key to "the spiritual goal and purpose of the immediate incarnation and of the immediate succeeding incarnations." The second two elements of the Formula are based on the astrological principle of house cusp rulership. In constructing the Soul's Purpose Formula, only the esoteric rulerships, as given in Esoteric Astrology, are used:
| Sign | Ruler | Sign | Ruler | |
| Aries | Mercury | Libra | Uranus | |
| Taurus | Vulcan | Scorpio | Mars | |
| Gemini | Venus | Sagittarius | Earth | |
| Cancer | Neptune | Capricorn | Saturn | |
| Leo | Sun | Aquarius | Jupiter | |
| Virgo | Moon | Pisces | Pluto |
The Formula is to be used only on charts calculated for exact birth times. Solar or noon charts are meaningless when working with soul-level astrology.
Among the modifications that I have introduced to the Soul's Purpose Formula are the following: (1) Planets in the first house are considered as part of the Formula; and (2) a planet up to eight degrees behind a house cusp is considered conjunct that cusp and affecting its house rather than the house in which it is technically found. Modification number (2) can be applied with flexibility due to the inaccuracy of most birth times and the use of different house systems, and may thus be overridden by intuitive judgement.
Planets conjunct any of the "soul's purpose rulers" are included in the Formula and considered as important as the rulers themselves. The suggested orb for these conjunctions is about four degrees, but this orb may be decreased or increased depending upon intuitive judgement and possible complications due to the involvement of a planetary stellium.
There are three elements to the Soul's Purpose Formula, each being separated by a large dot, which can be translated as "ruled by." Instructions for determining each of these three elements are as follows:
First Element
Rising sign and "asc," followed by any planet in the first house, along with the sign of this planet and "1" in parentheses. Example:
Capricorn ascendant with Mars in Capricorn in the first house
Second Element
Esoteric ruler of the rising sign, the sign of this esoteric ruler, and the house of this esoteric ruler, followed by any planet(s) within orb of conjunction of this esoteric ruler, preceded by the symbol for "conjunct", enclosed in parentheses. If the sign on the cusp of this house is different from that of this second element esoteric ruler, place the cuspal sign within a large "C". Example:
Saturn conjunct Mercury in Virgo in the seventh house with Cancer on its cusp
Third Element
Esoteric ruler of the sign on the cusp of the house containing the rising sign ruler. This will be either the esoteric ruler of the sign within the "C" or, in absence of the "C", the esoteric ruler of the sign in which the ascendant ruler is found. As with the second element, any planets conjunct this third element ruler should then be placed in parentheses, preceded by the symbol for "conjunct," as explained previously. Also as with the second element, if the sign on the cusp of this house differs from that of the third element ruler, place it within a "C". Example:
Neptune in Pisces in the second house
For further clarity, these first-, second-, and third-element examples are repeated in the following illustration:
*Time adjusted for Time Zone 5 from original LMT of 3:58 p.m.
(birth data from Profiles of Women by Lois M. Rodden)
Grandma Moses' Soul's Purpose Formula:
Capricorn ascendant with Mars in Capricorn in the first house, ruled by
Saturn conjunct Mercury in Virgo in the seventh house with Cancer on its cusp,
ruled by Neptune in Pisces in the second house
The Soul's Purpose Formula is intended only as a guideline, or skeleton, for attempting to discern the soul-level purpose in a given incarnation. Its symbols should be interpreted in the context of the totality of the birth chart and within the realm of the intuitive perception of the astrologer. In the future, when the psychology of the Seven Rays becomes blended with the art/science of astrology, the interpretation of the Soul's Purpose Formula will also be qualified by the soul (and Monadic?) Rays of the native of the horoscope.
The Soul's Purpose Formula, consisting of astrological glyphs, represents an abstraction of energies characteristic of the planes/dimensions which transcend normal human consciousness. Because words tend to limit, or even distort, the abstract ideas which they attempt to convey, one verbal expression of a Formula is at best only a partial picture of the soul's purpose of the native. For a more wholistic perspective, it is recommended that at least two, and preferably three, verbalizations of the astrological formula be rendered. The combination of these two, three, or more interpretations will hopefully give a type of gestalt of the astrologer's viewpoint of the native's soul purpose.
This astrological formula for describing a soul's purpose is (as is all of astrology) a fusion of language and art. Differing from a mathematical formula in which there is a concrete, one-to-one correspondence between the symbols and what they signify, the Soul's Purpose Formula consists of symbols deriving from the plane of Buddhi, or intuition, where verbal concepts are left behind in favor of more refined, pervasive energies. The interpretation of the Soul's Purpose Formula, then, perhaps represents astrology at its finest: a bold attempt to bridge Buddhi with intellect by stepping down archetypal energies into verbal form.
For an example of the use and interpretation of the Soul's Purpose Formula, please see How the Soul of William Blake Spoke through his Art.