Capricorn 08°: In a sun-lit home domesticated birds sing joyously.

10:50, 12/30/2014, Capricorn 08°

p. 234     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 278 (CAPRICORN 08°): IN A SUN-LIT HOME DOMESTICATED BIRDS SING JOYOUSLY.

KEYNOTE: The wholesome happiness which subservience to the ideals and patterns of a well-established culture brings to those who accept them unreservedly.

In various ways this section of the cyclic process brings to us images glorifying the power and benefits which a steady and well-integrated society brings to its members. Saturn rules Capricorn; Saturn was the ruler of the Golden Age before he became a symbol of binding limitations. He who accepts willingly or—even better—takes for granted the value of these limitations can lead a serene and happy existence, whatever his social status.

The third stage of this five-fold sequence suggests to us how we can enjoy our life condition by allowing the spiritual values it embodies to fill our consciousness. In every condition provided by a healthy culture—which hardly refers to our present chaotic world!—human beings can find ENJOYMENT in the roles they are born to play.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Möglichkeit, meaning "possibility"

I had a moment of resistance at the concept of willing subservience. Isn't that strange? I realized almost in the same moment that the Utopia I so ferociously am pulling toward myself with all my heart's confusion would require exactly this of me: willing subservience, or acknowledgement of the often debilitating limits of my comprehension and understanding.

One thing I am becoming persuaded of,  is the importance of trusting my own judgment, and especially increasing awareness within myself of what is really coming through me. I can feel such terror when I perceive the world through the lens of evolutionary cosmology. We are a failed species and we're taking down a lot of really beautifully evolved others in our terrifying descent.

Then I feel some deeper wondering come up within myself that causes me to feel that in a world where the capacity of conscious embodiment has extended itself to me in this homosapien-sapien/human body form, I feel I can trust that wisdom to catch up with me in appropriate measures, or that some aspect of me (as I am relatively related to you and yours,) will be able to retract back a bit—back to some other experience of being.

What I am persuaded of, in any case, is that with each act and in each moment that we find to add our prayers into the wish-list mix, we can draw towards our collective self the kind of world that will blow our minds with all its creative ways of saving our collective ass and growing us into something more attuned and refined in purpose. This will look differently for each of us as the wisdom of our respective emergent lineage will rise up through us. The generations to come will draw it out, and with a snap`crackling-pop we will find the world still holding us and asking us to add in the learning of our own experience by living into it.

Capricorn 07°: A veiled prophet speaks, seized by the power of a god.

16:40, 12/29/2014, Capricorn 07°

pp. 233-234     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar

PHASE 277 (CAPRICORN 07°): A VEILED PROPHET SPEAKS, SEIZED BY THE POWER OF A GOD.

KEYNOTE: The ability to act as a mouthpiece for the revelation of a transcendent will and truth determining future action.

Here we witness the deepest manifestation of that Power which operates within all relatively permanent social units, especially at the level of tribal organization. A tribe is a bio-psychic whole (or organism) integrated by a collective superphysical Power, the god of the tribe. In the Hebrew tradition this god is YHWH (Yahweh-Jehovah); in earlier tribes it may have been a deified more or less mythical "Great Ancestor." All of these tribal gods are local manifestations of the very power of "Life" within the earth's biosphere. It is this deified Power which psychically "seized" especially sensitive or religiously trained men or women, who became Its mouthpiece—prophets, seers, oracles. That Power operates in our days as well, but in different ways because of the individualization and intellectualization of modern man's consciousness. It binds together and helps to maintain the integration of organized social collectivities. It guides their development by releasing and focusing through especially open persons the visionary expectations of developments about to occur.

At this second stage of the fifty-sixth subcycle the future interacts with the present to release it from the inertial power of the past. Thus this symbol stands in contrast to the preceding one. At the threshold of tomorrow man is allowed to have a vision or revelation of the essential elements of the as-yet-unknown next step in evolution. The key word is MEDIATORSHIP.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Oh, lovely! Another connection: the "Great Ancestor" as an original recipient of deification.

Also, this connects to a previous post (2 days ago: Capricorn 05°) and the image that emerged into the conversation from Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces—sending a thread forward to this moment:

I was still marking the page with The Yellow Bird card from one of my fun Tarot decks—inspirationally enhanced at some random previous point by stickers.

Capricorn 06°: Ten logs lie under an archway leading to darker woods.

21:02, 12/28/2014, Capricorn 06°

p. 233     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA

SECOND LEVEL: EMOTIONAL-CULTURAL

PHASE 276 ( CAPRICORN 06°): TEN LOGS LIE UNDER AN ARCHWAY LEADING TO DARKER WOODS.

KEYNOTE: The need to complete any undertaking before seeking entrance to whatever is to be found beyond.

Number 10 is a symbol of completion; it symbolizes even more the revelation of a new series is brought to some degree of fulfillment, nothing truly significant is likely to be accomplished by a restless reaching out toward the as-yet-unknown. Number 10 is a symbol of germination, but the seed (Number 9) must have a matured well. No natural process can be accelerated safely beyond certain limits.

This represents the first stage in the fifty-sixth five-fold sequence. It establishes a foundation for what will follow. Here man reaches a THRESHOLD in which he may have to pause in order to safeguard his further advance.

Girlcapsule's Response:

The picture to the side gives an angle on my current location as I am writing this. There may have been about ten logs earlier this evening, but the "darker woods" may actually be the fire itself that is slowly consuming our log-stash.

The picture below shows some treasures I came across today as I was packing my things. Unfortunately, I am in the middle of a move. I will be house-sitting for a month, or so, and then will have to find a new spot to settle down into. I am hoping to remain in the East Bay until I finish my degree. May the universe bring forth a home-space that will nurture me, and allow me to continue my research and writing.

Rudhyar's words: "nothing truly significant is likely to be accomplished by a restless reaching out toward the as-yet-unknown", are speaking most to me today because I feel myself in a state of limbo. 

Capricorn 05°: Indians on the warpath. While some men row a well-filled canoe, others in it perform a war dance.

22:18, 12/27/2014, Capricorn 05°

p. 232     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 275 (CAPRICORN 05°): INDIANS ON THE WARPATH. WHILE SOME MEN ROW A WELL-FILLED CANOE, OTHERS IN IT PERFORM A WAR DANCE.

KEYNOTE: The mobilization of physical and emotional energies in a spirit of conquest.

War is often undertaken mainly to mobilize the common will and avoid individualistic disintegration. The "Indian chief" in the symbol for Capricorn 01° may find it convenient of necessary to arouse the war spirit—perhaps under a very slight provocation—in order to more firmly establish his authority. The scene presents an extremely dynamic situation. The group (or the nation) affirms its solidarity and unity of purpose by taking the offensive. The group-life demands constant activity and challenges in order to remain healthy.

This is the last symbol of the fifty-fifth sequence. It suggests that AGGRESSIVENESS may be a necessary ingredient in the activation of the potential of growth inherent in any social group.

Girlcapsule's Response:

I don't feel inspired by this symbol. Let's do a kind of cross-comparison for fun...based on the blue-snake image as connected to the number 154 (the page on which in The Red Book the blue snake is located). This might flop, but we must anyway add it to the record. Also, I find I benefit from working in a variety of ways in order to draw out synchronicity's resonance, and playing with numbers is one of them.

I will source two other books—the ones seen in the image here—Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces, and Arthur I. Miller's 137; Jung, Pauli, and the Pursuit of a Scientific Obsession.

Here's the blue-snake image from Jung's The Red Book.

Ok, from page 154 of Joseph Campbell's Hero there is the following image which is labeled "Androgynous Ancestor (Sudan)". Fascinating resonance with Jung's image—it's like seeing the image of the human figure from two different angles. The feet are standing on some rounded dome-like object in each, and the shape of the golden halo on the head of Jung's Philemon is echoed on the carving below. Where in Jung's image we see wings coming out across the back, there is more of a wing-like cross-section shown which seems also connected with the spine on the carving below. The position of the hands have shifted from about the solar plexus (Jung's) to the root chakra in the Sudanese figure.



From Miller's 137 on page 154  there is a discussion of  the next illustration. This image below is a symbol Wolfgang Pauli received once in a dream. Pauli called it the "world clock". Here's Miller's description:

The World Clock

Then Pauli has a dream that he calls "the great vision—the vision of the world clock." It is an impression of "the most sublime harmony," he tells Jung, and fills him with happiness and peace:

There is a vertical and a horizontal circle, having a common center. This is a world clock. It is supported by a black bird. The vertical circle is a blue disk with a white border divided into 4x8=32 partitions. A pointer rotates upon it. The horizontal circle consists of four colors. On it stand four little men with pendulums and around it laid the ring that was once dark and is now golden...The "clock" has three rhythms or pulses:

1. The small pulse: the pointer on the blue vertical disk advances by 1/32.
2. The middle pulse: one complete revolution of the pointer. At the same time the horizontal circle advances by 1/32.
3. The great pulse: 32 middle pulses are equal to one revolution of the golden ring.

Some things of note: this mandala of Pauli's is three-dimensional, also the blue circle represents time (important to our on-going conversation and the role that blue is playing). Also mentioned is the significant similarity of Pauli's vision to one had by the fourteenth-century Norman poet Guillaume de Digulleville. In the middle of page 154 set off in italic type is the following phrase: Guillaume's vision and Pauli's mandala—the quest for the fourth. 

Here's a quote from page 154 about Pauli's world-clock:

The clock on the blue circle sets the entire process in motion. This, says Jung, is because the Trinity is the pulse of the threefold rhythm of the system, which in turn is based on thirty-two, a multiple of four. The circle and the quaternity interpenetrate so that each is contained in the other: three is contained in the four.

There are many things to notice now, first is a drawing forth of our previous discussion regarding time as being multi-layered as well as mysteriously interrelated in a timeless manner. A revisiting of our suppositions about the function of time seems key to the overall theme of this blog-series. Another thing I have been noticing is a trend in the images I've shared to represent beings in wonky proportion to each other. Also, the idea of holons (whole beings, whole worlds,) dynamically interpenetrating.

Notice again in Jung's image the size of man, wing-span, snake, tree, and building in size relative to each other. The wing-span in Jung's image draws my attention back to the size of the black-bird in Pauli's dream-vision.

What wants to be noticed? I will keep asking this question and include some of my own insight, however unsupportable, to follow the thread that is unfolding through me. I can admit here that when I first saw the spine of the Sudanese androgynous ancestor it struck me that the negative space could represent multiple worlds or portholes-of-passage contained within the figure. Also, to have the term androgynous come up is interesting...suggestive of a slipping away from, or transcending the distinction of opposites, arguably.

To supplement our discussion of all things protean, I believe it is relevant to share the following video of a 3-dimensional holographic projection. Mind-blowing.

Capricorn 04°: A group of people outfitting a large canoe at the start of a journey by water.

22:17, 12/27/2014, Capricorn 04° (Late posting)

pp. 231-232     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 274 (CAPRICORN 04°): A GROUP OF PEOPLE OUTFITTING A LARGE CANOE AT THE START OF A JOURNEY BY WATER.

KEYNOTE: The ability to use natural resources and basic skills in order to achieve a group-purpose.

As this scene was recorded in the original version only in imprecise terms, it seems merely to indicate the start of a journey undertaken by a cohesive group of people, who perhaps together have built this large canoe. Thus we see here a common enterprise which may be an answer to the need for a change of locality. A social group more strongly than ever reveals its homogeneity and common will when it decides to move away from its familiar habitat. The zodiacal sign Capricorn brings this common will to a focus in concrete actions. It does so in terms of socio-political expediency and under a definite type of executive direction, even though the decisions are arrived at by common consent.

As this is the fourth symbol in the fifty-fifth five-fold sequence, we find in it a hint of how to do something concrete. The "canoe" may also have a special technical meaning, as it uses water in order to move. A common feeling-response to a specific situation may be implied. The main emphasis is nevertheless on GROUP-ACTIVITY in circumstances implying a need for change.

Girlcapsule's Response:

I missed posting this symbol on the day when it was applicable, but wanted to provide some continuity for the readers following the chronological presentation as Rudhyar puts it forth.

Capricorn 03°: A human soul, in its eagerness for new experiences, seeks embodiment.

16:12, 12/25/2014, Capricorn 03°

p. 231     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 273 (CAPRICORN 03°): A HUMAN SOUL, IN ITS EAGERNESS FOR NEW EXPERIENCES, SEEKS EMBODIMENT.

KEYNOTE: A powerful yearning for whatever will increase the scope and depth of one's contacts with other living beings.

One wonders what the clairvoyant "saw" and said to the recorder of this symbol. How did she visualize a "human soul" or, as Marc Edmund Jones recorded it, its being "receptive to growth and understanding"? What is implied in the position of this symbol seems to be the strong drive in every human consciousness or will toward new experiences, whether they are constructive or destructive. Man may grow and gain understanding and wisdom through both types. Yet the yearning needs to be tempered by an instinctive evaluation of the end results of the experience.

This is the third phase of the fifty-fifth five-fold process. It shows us what is behind all uses of power, anabolic or catabolic: a strong DESIRE TO PROVE ONESELF.

Girlcapsule's Response:

I like that Rudhyar asks these questions about the clairvoyant and her process of visualizing the meaning of a symbol. I'm very curious about this process as well. My feeling is that rather than an impulse to be cryptic or confusing, these images are formulated to act as a prism through which one may find echo in their own experience. They are archetypal, which means they can manifest the same resonance or expression of meaning in a multi-valance of forms.

Capricorn 02°: Three rose windows in a Gothic church, one damaged by war.

20:35, 12/24/2014, Capricorn 02°

p. 230     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar

PHASE 272 (CAPRICORN 02°): THREE ROSE WINDOWS IN A GOTHIC CHURCH, ONE DAMAGED BY WAR.

KEYNOTE: The necessary realization by any individual making a violent use of collective power that  it will lead to the inevitable destruction of some of the values ensuring group-integration.

It seems obvious that the interpretation of this symbol should refer to the disruptive consequences of war. The "chief" who claimed power from his tribe in order to lead or save it must reckon with the consequences of a too-impulsive use of this power in terms of violence. The integration he seeks to maintain or enhance may be partially destroyed if in his ambition he yearns to be the victorious war leader glorified by his people. A "rose window" is not absolutely essential to a cathedral, yet it symbolizes that through which the "light of the Spirit" enters into the edifice. Man's soul is said to be three-fold. Which part of man's inner trinity of principles tends to be destroyed by the use of violence? Evidently the principle of love and compassion.

The second stage symbol is in contrast to the preceding one because it opposes the power to destroy to the power to build. The "capital" of group-energies is partially squandered in armaments and death. WASTE is the opposite of group-integration.

Girlcapsule's Response:

These images feature an Amanita muscaria (a.k.a. fly agaric, or fly amanita) that I discovered fruiting in a local graveyard. I found the patch of fly agarics on the day of winter solstice (December 21). Isn't it beautiful?

This is the third time I've come across fly agaric fruiting in the wild. The first time was on the order of a life-changing synchronicity. I had just been reading a book on Shamanic practices that talked about the Shamanic belief that entities that choose us as human allies will show themselves four consecutive times in order to demonstrate a request for our attention.

Winter solstice fly agaric—as seen through a lens of a fly agaric wooden prism-toy

I happened to be walking in a favorite park of mine, a well-kept secret and hidden jewel in the Kensington hills, here in the East Bay facing the breath-taking views of the city and the Golden Gate. There are three routes I can take from this garden back to the house that is currently my home. I took a moment to ask myself which way should I go? Adopting a Jungian-style symbolic attitude I began to look around. My attention was drawn to a fallen leaf on the path in front of me, which immediately suggested the middle-path with arrow-like precision. I acknowledged this and took the path. Along this way I was shocked to discover four fly agaric mushrooms growing at the roadside junction of a church, a Montessori school, a library, and another public park. I thought immediately of the Shamanic ally's means of self-introduction, and consciously accepted the symbol of this form as one of my planetary siblings, close and very meaningful to me. It felt like an affirmation and a blessing in fruiting form.

I chose to respond to today's Sabian Symbol with a kind of cross-comparison, so I opened the Taschen book Alchemy & Mysticism to page 230 (the same page as today's symbol in its own book). The image above shows what were popularly called "Laterna Magica"—a kind of early slide and film projector. I felt a jolt of joy at seeing this, because it allows me to bring up something similar that has been haunting me—the "camera obscura". I've linked the term to a 2-1/2 minute video that explains the term/phenomenon and shows how to create one of your own.

The magic of a projected image can also be experienced from the light of a stained glass window. There are many examples of this if you google search "stained glass projections". With a camera obscura the image is inverted (upside-down). The human eye works in the same way as a camera obscura—in fact, our vision is inverted when we are first born. Eventually our brain kicks in to turn the image right-side up to correspond with the body's experience of what feels up versus down. If you are very brave you can experience your original vision here's a 4-1/2 minute video by BBC: BBC about upside down goggles.

Capricorn 01°: An Indian chief claims power from the assembled tribe.

13:25, 12/24/2014, Capricorn 01°

pp. 229-230     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

SCENE NINETEEN: CRYSTALIZATION
(Capricorn 01° to Capricorn 15°)

FIRST LEVEL: ACTIONAL

PHASE 271 (CAPRICORN 01°): AN INDIAN CHIEF CLAIMS POWER FROM THE ASSEMBLED TRIBE.

KEYNOTE: The power and responsibility implied in any claim for leadership.

The religious ideal implied in the preceding symbol has now materialized or crystallized into sheer power—the power to lead the community and to ensure its welfare or even its physical survival. The energies released through group cooperation (Libra), deepened and emotionally experienced as forces of great potency (Scorpio), and given meaning and conscious purpose (Sagittarius) are now stabilized and hierarchized. The power of the group is turned into a measurable and carefully managed "capital." The words "chief" and "capital" come from the same Latin word, caput, meaning "head." A time comes in many lives when the individual finds himself placed in a situation that allows him to assume power over his comrades, however limited this power may be. Is he ready to do this effectively and responsibly? This is the supreme test of man in society. It complements its polar opposite (summer solstice degree), which refers to the acceptance by the individual of a new kind of allegiance as a foundation for the integration of his mature personality. Such a foundation may, but need not, refer to establishing a home.

This represents the first stage in a five-fold process—the fifty-fifth sequence of five symbols. It refers to the capacity latent in every individual to claim and assume AUTHORITY in a vital group-situation.

Girlcapsule's Response:

I feel myself mostly in a state of waiting around today's Sabian Symbol in terms of understanding how it will demonstrate its resonance in my own life.

The picture to the side is one I took today. The leather case is one that my father carried when he was a student. The painting on the side at the back is an original of John Ringhofer (of Half-handed Cloud) from his senior show. He gifted it to me many years ago.

The lion allows me to pull a thread from yesterday's post in which I described my own knee-jerk reaction to criticism (if I'm not able to perceive my guilt in the moment,) as lion-like. This kind of linking strategy can be thought of as the energetic equivalent to keeping a feather afloat with just a breath. Richard, who gave me the beautiful necklace that the lion is wearing, has a truly negative reaction to the frowning kid in the painting. He seems worried about what kind of energy the painting imparts to my living space.

I have to admit it is difficult to look that kid in the face.

Also, here's an order of business regarding the technicalities/logistics of this blog series. The next photo shows a shot from my ephemeris (Tropical Zodiac). I was asking myself recently to double-check from day to day to make sure all is accurate considering that the Zodiac has 360°, and a year has 364/5 days. It reminds me of how my friend Vikram, who is an electrical engineer, would talk about how engineers leave a little wiggle-room, or an anticipated mini-margin of error in mathematical calculations. He said things seemed to work better if there was this small small space allowed for wonkiness.

For the reader who would be paying attention to these details, there is yet another slight variation to be addressed. Rudhyar's symbols start at one and go to 30°. This ephemeris counts from zero to 29° 59 59 and back to zero through each of the signs. Here's where I'll apply Vikram's wiggle room. I promise I will do my best to report the Sabian Symbols as close in time to the ephemeris as I can make out to be reasonably accurate. Therefore, on some days (like today) I will need to create a second post. So I will keep this one short!

Sagittarius 30°: The Pope, blessing the faithful.

10:47, 12/23/2014, Sagittarius 30°

pp. 227-228     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA

by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 270 (SAGITTARIUS 30°): THE POPE, BLESSING THE FAITHFUL.

KEYNOTE: The need to pay homage to traditional values upon which the Invisible Community of the spirit is built.

The concrete integration of myriads of human individuals within a great religious institution with a long tradition that reflects, as well as having produced century after century, an invisible spiritual Community. The "flag bearer" has now become the "Pope," who assumes the role of God's representative on Earth. It is a role, but culture is based on embodying great Images and deeply moving symbols in physical reality. The symbol asks of the individual: "Are you willing to live a transpersonal life as a symbol?" This is the final and supreme statement of that section of the year represented by Sagittarius.

This concludes Scene Eighteen. A collectivity of human beings is seen having "transferred" their sense of spiritual value to a man who has become an incarnation of their common ideal. Keywords: PERSONALIZED WORSHIP. It can be a blessing or in some cases, a curse.

Girlcapsule's Response:

What an interesting question: Are you willing to live a transpersonal life as a symbol? Or will you opt to transfer your sense of spiritual value to another being?

My personal answer is: bring it on. I have no idea what it is we're talking about when we say live a transpersonal life as a symbol, but I am very curious. I'm also curious to discover what PERSONALIZED WORSHIP looks like for me.

Today I changed the title of the blog series from "Girlcapsule's Astro-Ponderings" to "Girlcapsule's Protean-Ponderings". It seems more descriptively appropriate.

Here's something random from my protean ponder-stash of happenings:

Today as I was making my winding way towards my computer I experienced a strong thought impression, which came in the form of this phrase: danger is afoot.

This led me to discover this image:

I would call this a "direct hit", in terms of being tapped magically into the same kind of thought-field Rudhyar was indicating. It is, perhaps, the astrological equivalent of an archetypally informed best-guess: Start here!

And today's Sabian Symbol I depict here sideways in order to remind myself to explain also the backstory, which begins with a kind of carrying-over from yesterday's materials: Jung's The Red Book and the book by Plum Blossoms entitled Zhu Wei's Album of Ink Paintings as put together in the image below:

Yesterday's blog includes a video that establishes a spooky resonance between these two books. If you can suspend judgment—this is the stuff of protean pondering that leads to the prismatic unfolding of synchronicity's way of speaking. Let me tell it as a story that started with the thought impression: danger is afoot.

Comparative study of The Red Book by C.G. Jung and Zhu Wei's Album of Ink Paintings, 1988-2008

Danger is afoot. It came yesterday in the form of my friend who was momentarily deeply annoyed with me, or deeply disturbed by the seeming depth of my ignorance or height of my pride and arrogance, or the stubborn density of my skull. The energetic-reactional blow-back of my immediate resistance at being criticized came like a lioness lashing out as it sprang forward, propelled by the power of its self-righteous logic and desire to be found blameless at the end of the day.

The danger in this case involved getting a very long lecture about what behavior and ideals were more acceptable and less perpetuating of divisiveness. And I have greatly benefited in coming to a new kind of understanding.

Here's a picture story version of how I came to find the pope image. Look at the previous image—in the picture far right: the female figure turning to say something and giving the next guy a complex look. My sense was she was saying something of importance is still missing. So I went looking around for what it might be.

Here is the new connection. From Taschen's The Hermetic Museum: Alchemy & Mysticism compiled by Alexander Roob. It says inside:

A fantastic journey through
the history of esoteric lore
The Hermetic Museum takes its readers on a magical mystery tour spanning an arc from the mediaeval cosmogram and images of Christian mysticism, through the fascinating world of alchemy to the art of the Romantic era. The enigmatic hieroglyphs of cabbalists, Rosicrucians and freemasons are shown to be closely linked with the early scientific illustrations in the fields of medicine, chemistry, optics and colour theory. 

Look at the image on the jacket cover. Look at the intensity of emotion on the pair of faces. One of these is asking a question with an urgency of concern, the other seems to be up to something. What's going on? Let's check some pages of significance. How about 137 (for Pauli & Jung) and 42 (for Douglas Adams).

Here's a shot of page 137 (next/below):

Here we land in the middle of a mystical narrative involving a three-headed bird. The text reads:

Genesis in the retort
As the number of heads of the bird reveals, the matter has now been thrice sublimated, and is in a gaseous state. Bellicose Mars arrives. His attribute, the sword, and the warrior's lance are symbols of the fire that is now intensified so as to condense the material and "separate the pure from the impure and thus to renew the elixir."

S. Trismosin,
Splendor solis,
London,
16th century
The dissolved bodies have now been brought back to the true spirit.

Opus Magnum: Genesis in the retort 



The next image shows page 42. Notice the Pope image at the top, and next to it again the close-up shown on its side:

This story-like weaving that brought me to this point is so saturated with variables, that all I'm willing to say is it pays to be playful!

The payoff: this last image, below all the others is of my niece born this past November. This picture was taken when she was three weeks old. She's like: "Hey, dudes, I think I've got this figured out!"

Sagittarius 29°: A fat boy mowing the lawn of his house on an elegant suburban street.

17:22, 12/22/2014, Sagittarius 29°

From Zhu Wei's Album of Ink Paintings, 1988-2008

p. 227     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 269 (SAGITTARIUS 29°): A FAT BOY MOWING THE LAWN OF HIS HOUSE ON AN ELEGANT SUBURBAN STREET.

KEYNOTE: The need to attend to everyday tasks which both ensure social worth or respectability, and benefit one's constitution.

This rather trivial picture becomes quite significant if related to the preceding three symbols. It brings down to a very concrete and commonplace level what the "flag bearer" and the "sculptor" symbols have presented. A well-attended front lawn is a symbol of the homeowner's concern for his social position, and of his desire to give beautiful form to the growth of natural forces, thus revealing his appreciation of order and aesthetic values. The "fat boy" suggests that constructive working habits are needed to compensate for self-indulgence in the amenities of social living.

This fourth stage symbol speaks of one of the commonplace technical imperatives which face an individual belonging to a social elite. It reveals another phase in the cycle relationship between the individual and the community, and the need to maintain SOCIAL RESPECTABILITY.

Girlcapsule's Response:

From Zhu Wei's Album of Ink Paintings, 1988-2008

Social respectability. I'm not sure what to do with this topic. It's a bit shocking to take in Rudhyar's language that represents this—not at all politically correct or sensitive by today's standards. Also, I should go ahead and mention Rudhyar's use of "man" instead of "human", etc.³...I was worried about bringing it up too soon, in case it took too much space in the conversation. Rudhyar published this book in 1973, perhaps that explains enough.

I'm interested in starting a different conversation. This is not to diminish any work that has already been accomplished in the name of human rights by social justice freedom fighters. I am most influenced by Chomsky who is known to say that social justice should be an on-going experiment.

Here's an idea...I'm going to video myself performing a divination with various of my resources. I will put the camera on a tripod and stand next to it to reach into the frame and demonstrate some of what my research process includes...so that you as a reader can judge for yourself whether anything of significance comes forth towards you.

Let me set up my stuff...Ok, here:

Here I used a color-resonance strategy to discover some meaning across the images. At the end of the video I took some time looking to see what was within reach...but nothing presented itself. I realized only afterwards that the leaves I was pointing out are in shape and form an echo of the leaves of the tree in Jung's mandala. I'll post a close-up picture of the leaves in a moment.

Zhu Wei's Album, p. 385][Jung's Tree of Life mandala, p. 131

I consider this a strong case of synchronicity, in the sense that through color resonance and divination I was able to show the kind of spooky action I've been witnessing more and more. 

I opened to the blue-toned Tree of Life mandala in The Red Book by divination (I did not mark it previously for selection,) and identifying the color blue as the "key color", I then turned to Zhu Wei's Album and again by divination turned to the page showing blue tones in the plants pictured. It also strikes me that the bouquet of flowers seems to be a tribute and echo of the same energy that Jung portrayed as a floating pastel-labyrinth blossoming.

What this suggests is beyond mysterious, but my sense is it becomes easier to find this kind of result according to the degree to which an artist is engaging in the creative process on a regular basis.

Sagittarius 28°: An old bridge over a beautiful stream is still in constant use.

10:49, 12/21/2014, Sagittarius 28°

Jung's The Red Book, p. 107

pp. 226-227     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 268 (SAGITTARIUS 28°): AN OLD BRIDGE OVER A BEAUTIFUL STREAM IS STILL IN CONSTANT USE.

KEYNOTE: The enduring elements in a society which reveal its ability to significantly link the genius of its individuals to the everyday needs of the collectivity.

This symbol brings together, as it were, the essential values implied in the two preceding ones. The mastery over material factors of a few imaginative and trained individuals enables their community to remain well-integrated and able to function easily in the best possible environment. The work of these sculptor-engineers allows their people to develop a relatively permanent culture. A tradition is built which enables men to link their outer nature with the highest vision their leaders can conceive and objectively demonstrate.

This third symbol of the fifty-fourth sequence also suggests the way in which the works of man can blend harmoniously with natural environment in producing beautiful and enduring shapes of profound meaning. Reacting against the ugliness of our commercial and chaotic cities and highways, today we tend to long for "wilderness." But the combination of natural beauty and human skill and imagination is the true ideal to strive for. As Keywords we might use the title of an excellent book by the architect Claude Fayette Bragdon: THE BEAUTIFUL NECESSITY.

Girlcapsule's Response:

I was just expressing to the friend who inspired me to start a blog that I am finding this process to be so enriching. Check out the subtitle of the book Rudhyar mentions: Architecture as "Frozen Music". What a beautiful metaphor.

I felt theme rising within me as I read through today's symbol and explanation. It is a sort of thought experiment I sometimes work with. The term in the literature is likely the imaginal realm. The idea is surfacing to me that landscapes can arise as archetypal in their symbolism (i.e. a mountain top, an oasis, a volcano—or, as we now are discovering, all volcanoes emitting simultaneously).

This intra-global resonance—this viscerally felt clarity that each dweller of this planet comes to know or learn about through direct experience—is also how we come to recognize the interwoven nature of our psychology. For example, if you have ever experienced extreme weather conditions where your life was actually in danger—this is a shared experience among living beings whether they are human or otherwise. Maybe not everyone alive has experienced this, but it is in our collective psyche, as they say.

Sagittarius 27°: A sculptor at his work.

12:47, 12/20/2014, Sagittarius 27°

Clan Campbell, Asheville, North Carolina ~1980

p. 226     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 267 (SAGITTARIUS 27°): A SCULPTOR AT HIS WORK.

KEYNOTE: The ability to project one's vision upon and to give form to materials.

At this stage we see the individual creatively expressing his own particular individuality. He takes the materials available in his social-geographical environment and shapes them so they reveal to other people something of his inner life and purpose.

This second phase in the fifty-fourth sequence is, as usual, in contrast to the first. The "flag-bearer" symbolizes the selfless representative of a collective tradition or of national unity; the "sculptor," on the contrary, represents man as a creative individual intent on making his mark upon society. This is a symbol off man's capacity to transform raw materials according to his personal vision—thus a symbol of SELF-PROJECTION INTO A WORK.

Sagittarius 26°: A flag bearer in a battle.

10:56, 12/19/2014, Sagittarius 26°

p. 225     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

THIRD LEVEL: INDIVIDUAL-MENTAL

PHASE 266 (SAGITTARIUS 26°): A FLAG BEARER IN A BATTLE.

KEYNOTE: The nobly accepted subservience of the individual to collective values and goals.

A flag symbolizes an organized collectivity of human beings, a nation or even a social class. In the old-fashioned type of battle, whoever carries the flag has to feel himself the representative of the integrity and unity of his group. His personal life and his welfare should therefore be totally submerged in and identified with the welfare of the "greater Whole" of which he carries the standard. In certain circumstances, every person can act as a conscious and responsible agent for mankind. In substance, the symbol asks: Are you ready to assume this role?

This first stage of the fifty-fourth five-fold sequence presents a picture of what social consciousness can mean in its highest implications. The flag bearer is unarmed, defenseless; yet he can be the rallying point for the total effort of a large collectivity. This is a symbol of CONSECRATION TO AN IDEAL.

Girlcapsule's Response:

I decided to provide a visual of a peek into another topical branch of my personal library as a run-up to responding to today's symbol.

See Bill Ayers' book in the middle? Fugitive Days. Something fell out of it: a card in a tiny envelope. The card is one that came with a geomancy related tool called a pendulum, more specifically a Chakra Pendulum. Below is another cross-section stack of the authors and thinkers who inform my thought, and therefore this exploration of the daily Sabian Symbol.

Notice the symbol of the horse at the top of the pyramid. This I experienced as a linking point. One playful thought experiments that I find myself adventuring more and more back to is ask myself about my assumptions regarding certain moments of consequence. For example, Nietzsche and the horse suffering a beating that caused the unhinging of Nietzsche's mind, though his body remained alive for another 12 years.

Here is, perhaps, a grok-able synchronicity—though the depth of meaning to be assigned to this I am still quietly anticipating. Here is the image form:

Ok. Now, find patience to hear through this Jabber-wokian acausal logic that brings this image to you: This card made its way to me in order to demonstrate something about this system-based holistic meditation. Remember yesterday's symbol phrase: A CHUBBY BOY ON A HOBBY-HORSE.

Bhadda-boom, bhadda-bing: Magic. That's my soap-box.

Sagittarius 25°: A chubby boy on a hobby-horse.

10:45, 12/18/2014, Sagittarius 25°

pp. 224-225     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 265 (SAGITTARIUS 25°): A CHUBBY BOY ON A HOBBY-HORSE.

KEYNOTE: The anticipatory enjoyment of powers one can only as yet dream of utilizing.

The horse has always been a symbol of power and, in many instances, of sexual energy. Until very recently the horse gave man a greater possibility of conquering more space and what that space contained. Mounted on his hobby-horse and experiencing the to-and-fro rhythm of its motion, the well-fed boy unconsciously, and perhaps nowadays half-consciously, may anticipate the rhythm of the sexual act. In a sense it is also a kind of make-believe and growth through the imagination, but here the imagination is active at the organic body level. There is something of an initiation in the play.

This is the last symbol of the fifty-third sequence of five. It ends in a mood of play, but it is a play filled with cultural and emotional expectations, unconscious though this expectation may be. We see here the FORESHADOWING of the mature experience of manhood.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Here are a couple of words that are showing up lately both linked to the word cathexis (meaning: an investment of libido, or to invest in an idea or an other...abstract or physical/trans-physical, or psycho-somatic, as they say...): cathect and decathect, both verbs and used with object.

Although the words are new to my ears I can recognize their meaning as an echo of Goethe's systole, diastole perception of the breathing together of things.

Sagittarius 24°: A bluebird perched on the gate of a cottage.

23:00, 12/17/2014, Sagittarius 24°

Blue snake contribution from Jung's The Red Book

p. 224     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 264 (SAGITTARIUS 24°): A BLUEBIRD PERCHED ON THE GATE OF A COTTAGE.

KEYNOTE: The reward which meets every effort at integration in to a social environment for those who remain true to their own selves.

The bluebird is a well-known symbol of happiness, but also it refers to what one might call a spiritually oriented mind—to which the color blue relates, especially when a "bird" is mentioned. A cottage is normally part of a community, and the implication is that its inhabitants are well-adapted, either to the life of the community, or to their more or less isolated togetherness.

This is a fourth stage symbol, and it suggests that the essential technique for successful living is the development of a consciousness in which peach and happiness dwell. There is also a hint that GOOD FORTUNE is going to bless your life.

Girlcapsule's Response:

As a refresher, this blog-series is intended to provide a model in which my anecdotal response to today's Sabian Symbol and Rudhyar's explanation of it can be seen as part of a systematized process for the reason that any one else could follow this same process, and thereby create a similar set of anecdotal accounts. This is important in phenomenological research because of the subjective nature of this sort of pursuit.

In my case, this blog-series is also intended to create a container within which synchronicity is allowed to display itself in all its variety of expression, and for those who have been reading the blog-series from the introduction through to this post in chronological order will hopefully be gaining a sense of this, though I may have clouded this intention by also using this series as a forum for speaking about the literature that informs my thinking.

In any case, although the initial posts until recently may seem scattered and full of random inclusions, I wanted to state more explicitly that I am modeling the process of adopting a symbolic attitude, in the Jungian sense, and as I have become familiar with its means of communicating meaning in my own explorations.

Rainbow on brick...cast from a crystal struck through with the Sun's light

I have received the reflection that the images I am using are confusing. I have to admit I would rather hear this response than to have the images dismissed as uninteresting, but I wanted to speak to this to create more clarity for those who are still bothering to read these accounts. Jung speaks of image and symbol as being the language of the unconscious. The images I am using are mostly (almost exclusively,) images that I have taken myself. In part I'm showing images of the resources I am using, such as Rudhyar's book, Jung's The Red Book, and others from among the canon of literature that informs my program of study: Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness (PCC, CIIS). Otherwise I have been using image in mostly playful ways. The image above shows a postcard designed by Hundertwasser as it appears in a journal I created several years ago. This is the center-piece of the image and creates the linking connection that will be woven into the blog-series in synchronistic fashion (previous posts already attest to this,) but everything that is included in the wider composition was done so in an intentional way. I'm giving the constellating field elements to play with—this seems to be one strategy for alluring synchronicities out into the open.

Random inclusion: depicting an aspect of my research process—working with image as a means
of drawing out content from the unconscious.

Rudhyar speaks in the introduction about organized fields of activity. He states: "...the basic idea is always that we are living in an ordered and structured universe which constitutes a "cyclocosmic" whose, which is finite, yet the existential events and the possibilities of interrelationships are indefinite—which does not mean infinite!...What counts, spiritually speaking, is the harvest of meanings a person is able to gather from these many and varied experiences" (1973, p.14).

Today's symbol in Rudhyar's explanation speaks of the color blue as being associated with a spiritually-oriented outlook. I will finish today's post by bringing this idea to the fore-front, especially as it is linked to the mystery of the symbol of the blue snake as it weaves its way into becoming entirely entangled with the beating heart of this series. What does a snake symbolize to you?