Astrological Considerations
[part of the "diary"]
These astrological considerations consist of two parts. The first part contains the personal astrological indications following the Old Egyptian methods as laid out in Comte C. de Saint-Germain's remarkable book: Practical Astrology (a note on the provenence of this text follows) . The second part consists of references to certain heliocentric conceptions and facts, following after the Astrosophy - a new Star Wisdom - pioneered by Willi Sucher (a second explanatory note on this work preceeds that section of these considerations). Thus, we have here the most ancient, and the most modern practices, of this remarkable Art.
Concerning the provenence of Practical Astrology: It is stated that a certain Edgar de Valcourt-Vermont wrote this, and certain other books, at the turn of the century, under the pseudonym of St. Germain. Our concern here is not with the actual name of the author, but rather with the over-inspiration - the spiritual source. This really only becomes a matter of concern when one actually looks at the details of the text itself. In the history of astrology there is no other text remotely similar in nature.
Among a number of remarkable features, there are two that stand out: 1) the book presents a clearly integrated systematic structure of three disciplines that in our modern age are generally considered as separate: numerology, astrology and tarot; and, 2) it has no need for astronomical facts - no emphemeris is necessary.
The text claims to be the actual method the ancients used in calculating horoscopes, and in the use of certain terms it presents material never before seen (e.g. fatidic number, genethliac figure, fatidic circles etc.). It contains a number of tables also never before seen or used in astrology (e.g. the cyclic table of years for planetary rulership).
I would like now to present certain ideas concerning this book's place in the history of esotericism.
It is, as it claims, the actual method used by the ancient astrologers of the Egyptian Mysteries. It was written in a certain way, because it was known to the author's source of inspiration that its methods would not easily be understood by most readers. For this reason it elaborates the method, but gives little explanation of the details or the other matters. In fact, a careful reading will show that the text contains many hints, spread throughout, which if paid attention to can lead the devoted reader on a remarkable journey.
The author's inspiration was confronted with a certain fact, namely that modern scientific consciousness did not recognize the existence of the World of Ideas. Modern man is oriented toward the sense world, and in particular has a form of consciousness dominated by the sense of sight. Reality, however, lies beyond the world of the senses, and its apprehension requires the cultivation of subtle characteristics in the soul, characteristics capable of perceiving in ways not always oriented or analogous to vision. For example, even among occultists, there is today a tendency to focus on imagery and visualization, at the expense of those species of inner perception connected to hearing (the heart) and intention (the will).
When it comes to ideas about astrology, even the astrosophy of Willi Sucher (discussed below), tends to stop quite short of the Reality of the Ideal World. Kepler, on the other hand, tried to keep this in mind, when he discovered that the five platonic solids could be inscribed inside the primary planetary spheres.
Consider the following:
We know that the movements of the stars and planets, as these appear to the senses and the science of astronomy, follow somewhat rhythmical patterns, yet are nevertheless often contrary to various astrological traditions. The signs, for example, usually ordered at thirty degrees (twelve in a full circle), don't match up with the real constellations (which occupy very irregular arcs of the sky). Further, the tradition of Aries beginning on a certain date in March, is inconsistent with the actual situation of the stars with respect to the vernal equinox. Everyone is aware of these problems and various adjustments to the practice of astrology have been made to compensate for these anomalies.
Yet, it seems not to be thought about that behind the world of the senses, lies the World of Divine Ideas, which are certain to be ordered according to rules of harmony and justice, not merely laws of physics as these can be understood through observation and calculation. If we think about this we will realize that the Ideal World is organized according to regular patterns of divine proportion, not unlike music and number, which seem to be the most earthly reflection of this Cosmic Existence.
By this idea, I mean to suggest that while there is an astrology of the physical appearence of stars and planets, there originally was an astrology of the invisible Ideal Relationships. This latter astrology would be dominated by laws of number and sound, as well as the harmony of various qualites of being. One will come to know this astrology (which includes the rules of numerology and the teachings of the tarot) not through the study of texts and various methods of calculation, but solely through the inward meditative contemplation seeking after these Ideal Relationships.
It is with this goal in mind that I study this book - its secrets (the Ideas behind its cycles and tables and methods) become the object of meditation and contemplation.
Next below are some notes based on doing a Horoscope of Revolution, which is used in this text to examine particular years in the life of any individual. As I have not yet solved the technical problem of placing an appropriate diagram on this page, the reader will have to be content with notes, which are intended only to be hints, for the ultimate explanation of terms would require first an acquaintence with the book, followed by a contemplation of the relevant Ideas.
J 1 x 4 = 4 W 6 x 5 = 30
O 7 x 3 = 21 E 5 x 4 = 20
E 5 x 2 = 10 N 5 x 3 = 15
L 3 x 1 = 1 D 4 x 2= 8
total = 38 T 4 x 1 = 4
total = 77
birthday 12-23 40 means that the Nativity occured in the 2nd degree of the 10th sign
this results in the term: 38 - 77 - 10 - 2 - Jupiter, with Jupiter being the ruler of the year 2000 according to the Cyclic Table of Years.from this is derived the fatidic number 3 + 8 + 7 + 7 + 1 + 2 = 28
To gain the summit of a horoscope of revolution the fatidic number is added to the year in question, or 2000 + 28 = 2028. This number is also reduced, 2 + 2 + 8 = 12
28 and 12 are converted to the roman numerals XXVIII and XII, as these are related to the arcanes (the tarot symbols I through LXXXVIII) The above two arcanes XXVIII (The Two Scepters) and XII (The Sacrifice) portend general conditions in the horoscope.
This information becomes part of the genethliac scale, which when constructed looks like this:
summit 2028 house X
surname 77 house XI
name 38 house XII
degree 2 house I
sign 10 house II
year of nativity 1940 house IIIThis scale is then applied to the fatidic circle of the rose-cross (this is for a horoscope of revolution only, for a nativity, other fatidic circles are used). As it is necessary to have a starting point on a circle (which is by itself continuous), the table of starting points is used, giving arcane L (The Ten Cups), for the first decan of Capricorn.
One then proceeds around the fatidic circle, using the numbers from the genethliac scale, and reading the indications listed on the circle to enter onto the horoscope. Before this however, the houses have to be properly aligned to the signs, according to the cycle of yearly horoscopes (the houses move one sign each year), so that the following chart will result, combing all of the above information and using the various tables, cycles and circles.
Virgo is in house X as is the summit, thus using the number 2028, we then have: 20 giving us Saturn, 20 again giving us Mars and 8 giving us the Moon in Aquarius looking to Virgo.
Libra is in house XI as is the surname, thus using 77, we then have: 70 giving us Jupiter in Capricorn looking to Libra, accompained by arcane XVI, and 7 gives us Jupiter in Gemini also looking to Libra.
Scorpio is in house XII as is the name, thus using 38, we then have: 30 giving us the Moon in Libra looking to Scorpio; and 8, the Moon in Cancer, again looking to Scorpio.
Sagittarius is in house I as is the degree of nativity, thus using 2, we then have: 2 giving us Jupiter in Libra looking to Sagittarius.
Capricorn is in house II as is the sign of nativity, thus using 10, we then have: 10 giving us Saturn.
Aquarius is in house III as is the year of nativity, thus using 1940, we then have: 10 giving us Mercury in Virgo looking at Aquarius; 9 giving us the Royal Star of Leo, and 40, which in the fatidic circle of the rose-cross has no planetary indication in this iteration.
The Sun, not appearing in any indication on the fatidic circle is then in its diurnal (morning birth) sign, which is Leo. The same is true of Venus (no indication) and it is therefore in its diurnal sign, which is Libra.
From this basic and complicated information (the music of the spheres regarding this particular individual in this particular year), the interpretation proceeds, much of it similar in nature to the traditional meanings associated with the aforementioned astrological relationships.
In the above I have placed a number of terms in italics, indicating that they would be highly suitable ideas for meditation and contemplation.
Wth the New Star Wisdom - Astrosophy, pioneered by Willi Sucher, we enter into an entirely different realm. Whereas St. Germain's Practical Astrology is rooted in the Ideal World, Astrosophy endeavors to reach deeper into the indications regarding human existence written in the appearences, i.e. that which appears to the physical eye rather then the spiritual eye.
In a number of books Sucher has elaborated his research, and various students have added their ideas to this growing new discipline. These books include, but are not limited to: Practical Approach to a New Astrosophy; The Changing Contenance of Cosmology; Isis-Sophia - an Outline of a New Star Wisdom; and, Cosmic Christianity.
It is not possible to go into all the details of this remarkable reinvention of the astrological arts, but I will give forth a few of the more exceptional details.
First it is basically heliocentric in nature. For horoscopes of individuals, it not only examines the nativity, but goes backward into the period just before birth, following certain rules in order to ascertain the planetary and stellar relationships for the embryonic period. These relationships are considered a mini-mirror of the later whole biography.
Besides the normal heliocentric planetary and stellar relationships, astrosophy is mindful of the general structural nature of the solar system, noting certain phenemena of which we do not usually take account. For example, each planetary orbit is recognized as enclosing a sphere, which sphere has certain features, including but not limited to: the perihelion - aphelion line, and the node line (where the orbit crosses the plane of the ecliptic). The sphere of a planet is seen as an organism in its own right and when another planet is aligned with (say Jupiter is aligned with the p-a line of Mars) one of these elements of a second planet, then this is a matter of which we must take account.
These organic structures of the solar system themselves move over time, e.g. the p-a line of Venus will not be in the same place today as it was 2000 years ago. This problem becomes relevant when consideration is taken of another of W. Sucher's remarkable discoveries.
It is Sucher's view that the Incarnation of the Cosmic Christ, from the Baptism at the Jordan, until the Death and Resurrection (a period of about 2 and one third years) represents a Cosmic Archetype, so that all the movements and relationships of the organism of the cosmos, that occured during this time, are of significance when their arrangement repeats later in the asterogram of someone else. So, for example, if my natal chart has a correspondence similar to one during Christ's Incarnation, this needs to be taken into account.
[due to matters connected with the eventual artistic presentation of the above various astrological considerations (drawings and the like), this section will remain under construction for some time.]
under construction
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