...Sagittarius 01º: Retired Army veterans gather to reawaken old memories.

18:42, 11.23.2015, Monday, Sagittarius 01º

pp. 210-211     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

SCENE SEVENTEEN: ABSTRACTION

(Sagittarius 01º to Sagittarius 15º)

FIRST LEVEL: ACTIONAL

PHASE 241 (SAGITTARIUS 01º): RETIRED ARMY VETERANS GATHER TO REAWAKEN OLD MEMORIES.

KEYNOTE: The will to reaffirm the value of the struggle upon which civilization and group-achievements are founded.

Gemini 01º: A glass-bottomed boat reveals undersea wonders.

17:08, 05.24.2015, Sunday, Gemini 01º

p. 89     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

SCENE FIVE: DISCOVERY
(Gemini 01º to Gemini 15º)

FIRST LEVEL: ACTIONAL

PHASE 61 (GEMINI 01º): A GLASS-BOTTOMED BOAT REVEALS UNDERSEA WONDERS.

KEYNOTE: The revelation of unconscious energies and submerged psychic structures.

Within the relative security of a "boat," an individual person can learn to be aware of the as yet hidden contents of man's collective Unconscious––provided this boat (that is to say, his ego that separates him from the collective planetary psyche of mankind) has been given a glass bottom. The conscious mind must have become, in part at least, translucent. This translucency is not direct openness. The window of the mind remains closed, but through it the individual can become aware of the outside––here "outside" means the psychic depths below the normal level of consciousness.

At this first stage of the "discovery" process one can only speak of vision, not identification. The feeling is one of wonder. "I did not know this could exist! How beautiful!" or "How exciting!" A NEW DIMENSION OF REALITY is perceived by the earnest inquirer.

Taurus 30º: A peacock parading on the terrace of an old castle.

12:52, 05.22.2015, Friday, Gemini 00º

pp. 88-89     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 60 (TAURUS 30º): A PEACOCK PARADING ON THE TERRACE OF AN OLD CASTLE.

KEYNOTE: The personal display of inherited gifts.

A great person able to display a multitude of gifts is always, at one level or another, the consummation of a long past of efforts and victories. As a great occultist once wrote: "Adepts are the flowering of their races and cultures." The peacock is the bird consecrated to Venus; in occult tradition the Promethean Spirits who gave to animal mankind the divine gift of self-conscious intelligence had come from "Venus"––which may or may not refer to the physical planet we can observe in the sky.

This is the final symbol of the fourth scene, whose Keyword has been given as "Confirmation." This peacock symbol indeed confirms the social status of the owner of the ancestral estate. It indicates a CONSUMMATION of individual efforts; and it suggests that such a consummation is hardly possible except when a line of "ancestors"––biological or spiritual––forms its base.

Taurus 29º: Two cobblers working at a table.

12:40, 05.22.2015, Friday, Gemini 00º (late posting)

p. 88     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 59 (TAURUS 29º): TWO COOBBLERS WORKING AT A TABLE.

KEYNOTE: The two-fold character of man's mature understanding.

In symbolism the feet are the symbol of understanding. Understanding differs from mere knowledge because it implies at least some degree of identification in the depth with what is being understood. Moreover it is impossible fully to understand anything except when its opposite is taken into consideration. The mental process of understanding––and therefore of appreciation––implies confrontation between two points of view. These the mind gains a sense of perspective. The way to dispel a shadow is to have the object illuminated (on its own two-dimensional level) by two sources of light. True understanding dissipates any intellectual shadow. The "two cobblers" symbolize two contrasting ways of approaching the understanding of an experience––especially a new experience––and they provide concrete forms which may clothe and protect the understanding.

This is the fourth stage of this twelfth five-fold sequence. It reveals symbolically the way in which a mature individual mind works in an attempt to gain PERSPECTIVE; a true perspective becomes the foundation upon which to build a new approach to life.

Taurus 28º: A woman, past her "change of life," experiences a new love.

12:31, 05.22.2015, Friday, Gemini 00º (late posting)

p. 87     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 58 (TAURUS 28º): A WOMAN, PAST HER "CHANGE OF LIFE," EXPERIENCES A NEW LOVE.

KEYNOTE: Man's capacity to rise in consciousness and feelings above biological limitations.

After having stated the youthful and the aged approach of the human individual to the use of what his culture has brought to him, the symbolism stresses man's capacity to rise above the limitations which both biological nature and the "normal" social pattern of behavior have tried to impose on him. As in many of the preceding symbols, a "woman" is pictured, because at this early stage of the cyclic process the individual consciousness still has a receptive or "feminine" polarity––as was indicated in the very first symbol of the entire cycle (Aries 01º).

Whenever this third stage of the twelfth sequence is brought to a person's consciousness, the indication is that he or she should freely open his or her mind to the possibility of always new REBEGINNINGS. Ideally, the new beginning should imply a more mature response to the new possibility of experience.

Taurus 27º: An old Indian woman selling the artifacts of her tribe to passers-by.

16:05, 05.19.2015, Tuesday, Taurus 27º

pp. 86-87     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 57 (TAURUS 27º): AN OLD INDIAN WOMAN SELLING THE ARTIFACTS OF HER TRIBE TO PASSERS-BY.

KEYNOTE: Peaceful adaptation to collective needs.

In contrast to the impetuosity of the Spanish serenader, we now see the quiet and smiling face of an old Indian woman offering for sale the traditional products of her tribal culture.  She too is functioning within the culture which has been sustaining her activity through a long life, bringing to her personal peace and inner contentment. In old age, the power of the collectivity once more reasserts itself, overcoming the perhaps wearying effort man makes to assert his uniqueness and individual character.

At this second stage of the twelfth five-fold sequence the aging mind of the individual peacefully reintegrates itself into the psychic matrix of his group and culture, in serene ADJUSTMENT to the vital needs of the whole which he sees himself as a fleeting part.

Taurus 26º: A Spanish gallant serenades his beloved.

13:42, 05.18.2015, Monday, Taurus 26º

p. 86     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

THIRD LEVEL: INDIVIDUAL-MENTAL

PHASE 56 (TAURUS 26º): A SPANISH GALLANT SERENADES HIS BELOVED.

KEYNOTE: The ritualization of individual desires.

At this level we see the play of collective values as they affect the individual person and indeed confirm his individuality by giving it a solid basis in a tradition. The individual is still attached to these group-values; he "belongs." Nevertheless, this state is necessary for a safe and secure sense of differentiation within an enfolding whole. Music and the culturally acceptable rituals of love are cultural products, yet each person can use them for the spontaneous fulfillment of his very own desires.

This is the first symbol in the twelfth five-fold series. It reveals the individual human being making use of his personal status to find fulfillment and a sense of social identity. This is ROLE-PLAYING in its most enjoyable form.

Taurus 25º: A vast public park.

16:13, 05.17.2015, Sunday, Taurus 25º

pp. 85-86     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 55 (TAURUS 25º): A VAST PUBLIC PARK.

KEYNOTE: The cultivation of natural energies for collective use and recreation.

At this final stage of the sequence of symbols focusing on emotional-cultural values, we witness the positive and impressive results of man's collective endeavor to live in peace and to enjoy moments of relaxation. The public park is designed and kept for the enjoyment of all the people of the city.

This is a symbol of COLLECTIVE ENJOYMENT. The individual finds in the products of his culture an emotional enhancement born of the feeling of "belonging" to a large, organized, peaceful whole.

Girlcapsule's––02¢:

Note on reading from today––corresponding with today's date and mentioning Proteus. From Rudolf Steiner's Goethean Science, p. 19:

On May 17, 1787 (Italian Journey), Goethe communicates these thoughts to Herder in the following words: "It became clear to me, namely, that within that organ (of the plant) that we usually address as leaf, there lies hidden the true Proteus that can conceal and manifest itself in every shape. Any way you look at it, the plant is always only leaf, so inseparably joined with the future germ that one cannot think the one without the other."

Taurus 24º: An Indian warrior riding fiercely, human scalps hanging from his belt.

16:05, 05.17.2015, Sunday, Taurus 25º (late posting)

p. 85     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 54 (TAURUS 24º) AN INDIAN WARRIOR RIDING FIERCELY, HUMAN SCALPS HANGING FROM HIS BELT.

KEYNOTE: The aggressiveness of human instincts when fighting for their earthly base of operation.

 In the mythology of early America, the Indian represents the "savage," close to nature and led by primordial instincts. Alas, our present century has revealed that under far less imperative circumstances so-called civilized man is capable of far more cruel tortures and extermination. This symbol related to a fourth stage seems to imply that violence and aggressiveness are basic components of human nature at the level of the emotions and of a deep-seated identification with a particular culture which insists on regarding men of other cultures as potential enemies.

What is being confirmed here is the value of a group of men's differences from other groups. We are still in the period of "Differentiation" (Act One of the cyclic process) and the need for a differentiation of human behavior and collective values is still very strong. At the emotional level man apparently still has to believe in VIOLENCE FOR SURVIVAL.

Taurus 23º: A jewelry shop filled with valuable gems.

11:14, 05.15.2015, Friday, Taurus 23º

pp. 84-85     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 53 (TAURUS 23º): A JEWELRY SHOP FILLED WITH VALUABLE GEMS.

KEYNOTE: The social confirmation of natural excellence.

Two elements should be distinguished in this symbolic picture: the gems that result from natural processes, often induced by extreme volcanic heat and pressure, and the finished products of refined craftsmen. Both the gems themselves and the artistry are highly prized and bring prestige to the owner of the jewels. The symbol applies to any product in which culturally acquired skill has embellished or transformed the end results of a lengthy and demanding natural process.

This is the third stage of  the eleventh five-fold sequence of phases. At this stage we are concerned with the social process which brings about a CERTIFICATION OF PERSONAL WORTH.

Girlcapsule's––02¢:

The magic of the greenbelt, that perfect distance from the Sun

Round and roiling jewel sweeping a path for living beings 

Now minus 200,000 years into it's interesting development: humans

The birth plus 13.7 billion, give or take: humans?

From tool-maker to re-arranger of furniture in 300 years flat

May the exuberant joy of it fill me with inspiration

May my cosmology learn to allow

May this life contribute all its wisdom gathered to the collective field

Taurus 22º: White dove flying over troubled waters.

12:30, 05.13.2015, Wednesday, Taurus 22º

p. 84     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 52 (TAURUS 22º): WHITE DOVE FLYING OVER TROUBLED WATERS.

KEYNOTE: The spiritual inspiration that comes to the individual in the overcoming of crisis.

Here also we are confronted with a symbol of guidance, and the dove flying over troubled waters reminds one of the story of Noah and the Ark. Noah met his and mankind's crisis courageously and in complete obedience to God's promptings. The test completed, he received the dove's message. It is a message from the Holy Spirit announcing a new Dispensation. This symbolic scene can be applied to personal crises resulting from emotional upheavals or from the irruption of unconscious forces and impulses into the consciousness––if the crisis had been faced in the right spirit.

This second stage symbol is in contrast to the preceding one because here it is not the product of a culture, a "book," but instead the rhythm of cosmic, God-ordained cycles that reveals its conclusive beat through a living and concretely significant sign––a REWARD TO THE FAITHFUL.

Girlcapsule's––02¢:

This astrological mandala is so strange at times. Noah's Ark is such an odd complexity to introduce, yet it is so culturally available: this association of a white dove to this story. What if we change the story just a bit and consider also a slight update.

My hero is Joseph Campbell of The Power of Myth his writings helped me recognize the commonality of the spiritual to religious impulses humanity's multiplicity celebrates. There are so many, perhaps even a few that have disentangled the question of morality or of the ways that corruption shows the way back to a clear conscious, so to speak. Who went looking for trouble in the first place? All those considered rebels against the cause, perhaps? The shifting edges of perspective are always shifting, but there are some growing patterns of moral ethos that would suggest humankind is attempting towards the good, the true, and the beautiful. Consider all the affirmative actions to bring equality and voice to the unrequited. Will the unrequited experience on the whole a lessening of suffering? Or will others simply file in to fill the ranks as necessary––and no consideration of such topics engage.

I don't know what to suggest. But I find resistance within myself and I would make a change if I am so lucky. Such as addressing the problematic nature of evangelistic creeds and influences.

Taurus 21º: A finger pointing to a line in an open book.

12:10, 05.12.2015, Tuesday, Taurus 21º

pp. 83-84     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 51 (TAURUS 21º): A FINGER POINTING TO A LINE IN AN OPEN BOOK.

KEYNOTE: Learning to discern what in your culture and religion is meaningful to you personally.

This symbol evokes the traditional practice, when one is in need of guidance, of opening at random  Sacred Book (for Christians, the Bible) and spontaneously placing one's finger on a paragraph. We are parts of a cultural-religious whole, and every whole has a message for its many parts, if these are willing to submit their little wills to the great meaning and destiny of the whole. In an even broader sense, the open mind can learn to detect "signatures" in many events which he has allowed to occur. The too great reliance on repeated symbolizations can lead to a schizoid state of over-subjective dependence upon signs and omens.

This is the first stage of the eleventh five-fold sequence of symbolic phases in the general process of "Differentiation" (Act One). By relying on cultural guidance a person identifies himself with a differentiated type of collective response to a particular environment. It is a state of SUBSERVIENCE TO COLLECTIVE VALUES.

Girlcapsule's––02¢:

Taurus 20º: Wisps of winglike clouds streaming across the sky.

14:12, 05.11.2015, Monday, Taurus 20º

p. 83     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 50 (TAURUS 20º): WISPS OF WINGLIKE CLOUDS STREAMING ACROSS THE SKY.

KEYNOTE: The awareness of spiritual forces at work.

Any emergence of life potentialities from the depth of the vast Unconscious is answered by the spiritual activity of superconscious forces in a cosmic kind of antiphony. The individual who has taken a new step in his evolution should look for the "Signature" of divine Powers confirming his progress. It may reveal the meaning of what is to come next. The "winglike clouds" may also symbolize the presence of celestial beings (devas, angels) blessing and subtly revealing the direction to take, the direction of "the wind" of destiny.

This is the fifth stage of the tenth five-fold sequence. It concludes a process, having experienced which the individual should find himself more securely established in his own original nature, receiving the BLESSINGS of super-natural forces.

Girlcapsule's––02¢:

I have to admit I feel the inspired nature of the last few entries. It seems to surface here and there, gradually building up my curiosity about the numinous nature of Rudhyar's project.

Today's take:

Taurus 19º: A new continent rising out of the ocean.

13:57, 05.11.2015, Monday, Taurus 20º (late posting)

Henry Darger, detail

p. 82     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHAES 49 (TAURUS 19º): A NEW CONTINENT RISING OUT OF THE OCEAN.

KEYNOTE: The surge of new potentiality after the crisis.

The symbol need hardly be commented upon. When the mind has been emptied and light has been called upon to purify the consciousness freed from its attachment and contaminations, a new release of life can emerge out of the infinite Ocean of potentiality, the Virgin SPACE. What will it be used for?

Because this is a fourth stage symbol we find in it a suggestion of how to approach whatever new phase of life has been not only hoped for, but actually confirmed. The "technique" is simply to allow  the infinite Potential to operate in unconstrained SPONTANEITY. This means to have reached a state in which the conscious, rational ego is no longer a controlling factor.

Taurus 18º: A woman airing an old bag through the open window of her room.

13:37, 05.11.2015, Monday, Taurus 20º (late posting)

p. 82     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 48 (TAURUS 18º): A WOMAN AIRING AN OLD BAG THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW OF HER ROOM.

KEYNOTE: The cleansing of the ego-consciousness.

In this third stage of the present sequence the first two stages should be considered background. The traditional teachings concerning man's nature are some how reconciled with the youthful enthusiasm that sees in every problem of growth an issue between the "good" and the "bad." The symbol suggests that the real enemy is within the mind; it is the ego and its attachment to possessions. The mind is shown in the likeness of a "bag," now empty and needing to be aired in the sunlight. But the "window" must first be opened and the bag emptied.

The phrase "cleansing the doors of perception" has become well known of late. But even more to be cleansed is the container of perceptual images––i.e. the ego mind. The Keyword is PURIFICATION.

Taurus 17º: A symbolical battle between "swords" and "torches."

17:51, 05.08.2015, Taurus 17º

p. 81     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 47 (TAURUS 17º): A SYMBOLICAL BATTLE BETWEEN "SWORDS" AND "TORCHES."

KEYNOTE: Refusing to depend upon the past, the seeker turns warrior, fighting anew the eternal "Great War."

When Gautama, having sought in vain for the answers to his questions among the teachers of tradition, sat under the Bodhi Tree, he had to fight his own battle in his own way, even though it is an eternal fight. The spiritual light within the greater Soul must struggle against the ego-will that only knows how to use the powers of this material and intellectual world. There is no possibility of escape; it is the energy that arises out of the present moment––the inescapable NOW––that the daring individual has to use in the struggle.

This second stage symbol suggests that salvation is attained through the emergent individual's readiness to face all issues as if there were only two opposed sides. So teaches the Bhagavad-Gita. This is the dharma of this stage of human evolution: a stage of POLARIZATION OF VALUES.

Taurus 16º: An old teacher fails to interest his pupils in traditional knowledge.

12:33, 06.07.2015, Taurus 16º

pp. 80-81     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

SCENE FOUR: CONFIRMATION
(Taurus 16º to Taurus 30º)

FIRST LEVEL: ACTIONAL

PHASE 46 (TAURUS 16º): AN OLD TEACHER FAILS TO INTERST HIS PUPILS IN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE.

KEYNOTE: The inadequacy of past knowledge in time of crisis.

During this Act One of the cyclic process the emergence of new developments is emphasized. In time of crisis––as, for example, the "storm" being braved by the man of the last symbol (Phase 45)––the type of wisdom learned from this past remains in the background to be revived later on in new forms; what is emphasized is change. Traditional concepts are not adequate to confirm the new conditions of existence. Thus whenever this symbol comes to a seeker's attention it indicates that even the most consecrated tradition does not have the real answer to the problem.

At this first stage of the tenth five-fold sequence of phases of the cyclic process a seemingly negative picture is shown. From the Zen point of view the mind facing trouble should not depend on past concepts but should repeat: "Not this! Not that!"––until the pure Void is reached. We might speak here of the principle of CREATIVE FRUSTRATION.

Girlcapsule's––.02¢:

Ok, today I thought of something as I was typing up Rudhyar's commentary. What I want to share is from Stephen Buhner's Ensouling Language:

Perception and cognition––and the creative act that writing is––depend on orientation of consciousness. And that reorientation of consciousness necessarily moves us from a mechanical frame of reference not one where everything is alive. That alone allows us to access the imaginal, and through it touch the mythic itself.

Rudyhar's "pure Void" could substitute for "mythic", or?

Taurus 15º: Head covered with a rakish silk hat, muffled against the cold, a man braves a storm.

11:27, 05.06.2015, Taurus 15º

p. 80     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 45 (TAURUS 15º): HEAD COVERED WITH A RAKISH SILK HAT, MUFFLED AGAINST THE COLD, A MAN BRAVES A STORM.

KEYNOTE: The courage needed to meet the crisis precipitated by social ambition.

The man with the silk hat has see some of his ambitious efforts bring hime social success; but he learns that often "nothing fails like success." The storm may be within him, or it may attack his social status. He is ready to face it daringly. This shows a willingness to accept crises and to go through them––and therefore great character, the soil upon which a higher kind of consciousness may develop.

This is the fifth and final stage of this ninth five-fold sequence of symbols. It implies a transition to a new level at which the individual who has learned from experience demonstrates a truly mature mind. What is revealed here is CHARACTER under adverse circumstances.


Girlcapsule's––.02¢:

Oh, Rudhyar, what's this all about? I would have given up on this if I hadn't started things out of order. I am so intrigued to discover the next depthy layer cooked up in this manuscript archetypal, astrologically speaking. That is to say, the position of the planetary bodies as relative to each other from the perspective of Earth's 3rd-rock-out position from our Solar System's star. I'm so confused by you, Rudhyar.

Taurus 14º: On the beach, children play while shellfish grope at the edge of the water.

12:10, 05.05.2015, Taurus 14º

p. 79     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 44 (TAURUS 14º): ON THE BEACH, CHILDREN PLAY WHILE SHELLFISH GROPE AT THE EDGE OF THE WATER.

KEYNOTE: Returning to simpler joys for revitalization.

This somewhat ambiguous picture suggests the way in which simultaneous activities of different natures can fill the individualizing mind. The consciousness of socialized man operates at two levels, in close parallelism with what goes on in the unconscious parts of the mind (i.e. the sea). Natural urges are half conscious, half unconscious. They exist in a borderland––the wet sands still partly covered by small waves. The children play a little further away, learning imaginative yet sociocultural games. The hardworking porter loaded with baggage should remain a little child at times and allow himself to be close to subconscious but natural urges. At least he should do so for a while until he feels surer of himself.

This symbol suggests that it is better not to attempt at once more than one can achieve through conscious and ego-driven ambition. It refers to the value, at this stage, of close contact with natural energies and simple pleasures, of a LIVE AND LET LIVE attitude.

Taurus 13º: A porter carrying heavy baggage.

12:01, 05.05.2015, Taurus 14º (late posting)

pp. 78-79     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 43 (TAURUS 13º): A PORTER CARRYING HEAVY BAGGAGE.

KEYNOTE: Self-mobilization for social advantage.

The "man" spoken of in the preceding symbol is now integrated in a social pattern. He has to carry a load––perhaps a load of debts following an ambitious buying spree, or some other social burden. He is the strong man, the man of ambition who has to take care of the inward-turned "woman" aspect of his consciousness, the aspect that seeks to grow a beautiful "garden" of individual selfhood.

At this third stage of the ninth five-fold sequence we see the outcome of the first two. The relationship of ego-man and society has taken the aspect of COMPULSION FOR GAIN.

Taurus 12º: A young couple window-shopping.

11:50, 05.05.2015, Taurus 14º (late posting)

p. 78     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 42 (TAURUS 12º): A YOUNG COUPLE WINDOW-SHOPPING.

KEYNOTE: The fascination of the youthful ego with the products of its culture.

The woman waters flowers in her garden: this is the inward-turned attention for he mind reveling in its own flowering. But now we have a scene symbolizing the outward longing of the ego, which has polarized itself and become "man-woman." The "man" aspect is that part of the ego which craves direct participation with society and the world of other egos. Fully to participate requires a special kind of substantiation––and we are still in this third scene, the Keyword of which is "Substantiation." Clothes, goods of various types, adornment, and working tools are needed. The consciousness surveys possibilities; they are defined by organic nature (personal abilities) and by the ambition to succeed in society.

This second stage is defined in contrast to the first. The ego becomes aware of what society has to offer. Its attention is turned outward. An interplay takes place between the individual and his culture. He is being molded by what he sees and by prospects for growth in social prestige. It is a phase of SOCIALIZATION OF DESIRES.

Taurus 11º: A woman watering flowers in her garden.

11:42, 05.05.2015, Taurus 14º (late posting)

pp. 77-78     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

THIRD LEVEL: INDIVIDUAL-MENTAL

PHASE 41: (TAURUS 11º): A WOMAN WATERING FLOWERS IN HER GARDEN.

KEYNOTE: Development of the powers of the mind on which ego-consciousness is based.

The psycho-mental nature of a human being takes form out of the fulfillment and transcendence of biological functions and drives, much as the bud appears as the sap rises, and bursts forth into bloom. "As the roots, so the flowers" is an old axiom. The consciousness attaches itself to this wondrous efflorescence; it lavishes its attention upon it, its love––alas, usually a possessive kind of love ("This is my garden!). Thus the ego develops. It may develop in a negative, resentful way if a belated frost destroys the buds.

This is the first stage of the ninth sequence of phases, a sequence that basically refers to the overall situation related to the development of the ego. The Keyword here is CULTIVATION.

Taurus 10º: A Red-Cross nurse.

20:05, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 77     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 40 (TAURUS 10º): A RED-CROSS NURSE.

KEYNOTE: The compassionate linking of all men.

This symbol reveals the feeling of human cooperation at the stage of pure altruism and service to the social Whole. On that foundation of Christ love (agape, or true companionship), man can reach a still higher level of experience made possible by the refinement of the substance of his being, his consciousness and his will. This goes beyond imagination and faith in the future––beyond Christmas tree celebrations––for it implies going into the dark to bring life and love to the tormented and the deprived.

At this final stage of the five-fold sequence we see what is finally open as a new potentiality to the "widow before an open grave"––the closing symbol of the preceding sequence. Personal attachment in love to a husband or wife has changed level becoming a CONSECRATION TO HUMANITY.

Taurus 09º: A fully decorated Christmas tree.

19:51, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 76     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 39 (TAURUS 09º): A FULLY DECORATED CHRISTMAS TREE.

KEYNOTE:  The ability to create inner happiness in dark hours.

In northern or mountainous countries where the Christmas tree symbol took form, we find a contrast between the tree outside––bare and normally covered with snow––and the tree inside the home––loaded with decorations and gifts for the family. If we follow up the meaning of the preceding symbol, we see that snow has come outside; but the prepared and closely united group has created abundance, beauty and happiness within, overcoming the cold barrenness of the outside world––just as man had overcome, in a previous symbol (Phase 35), the natural obstacle to his progress. The Christ symbol is also included in the background––that is, the vivid faith in a transformed future.

This fourth stage symbol suggests the ever-present possibility open to man to transfigure the darkness and deprivation of the low point of a life cycle by incarnating in it an antiphonic response celebrating the ever remembered and always expected high moments of life. It evokes man's undying FAITH IN CYCLIC RENEWAL.

Taurus 08º: A sleigh on land uncovered by snow.

19:45, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

pp. 75-75     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 38 (TAURUS 08º): A SLEIGH ON LAND UNCOVERED BY SNOW.

KEYNOTE: The value of anticipating and preparing for expectable conditions.

Here we have a combination of two factors: "the sleigh," which is a product of traditional skill (df. Taurus 06º symbol) and the ability man has to foresee and thus to prepare for a future situation. This ability relates this symbol to the one for Taurus 07º, because the woman from Samaria had the capacity to receive a revelation of the future state of human evolution though in a different and subconscious sense. Man should be ready to use past knowledge and skill to meet the demands of a stage yet to come.

At this third stage of the eighth five-fold sequence we should realize the value of FUTURE-ORIENTED IMAGINATION but also of relying upon the natural order of unfoldment of all life processes.

Taurus 07º: The woman of Samaria at the ancestral well.

19:31, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

pp.74-75     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 37 (TAURUS 07º): THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA AT THE ANCESTRAL WELL.

KEYNOTE: The meeting of the traditional past and of the creative spirit pointing to the future.

The symbol refers to a most important, but usually narrowly interpreted (or interpreted away!) episode of the Christ mythos.* Early in his ministry, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at an ancestral well. This woman belongs to a tribe despised by the Jews; moreover, she is unmarried and therefore on the fringe of even her own society. It is to just that kind of woman that Jesus reveals that he is the Messiah: "I am He," a revelation that he apparently will not bestow even upon his disciples, at least not in words. (Words in occultism are the creative factor.)

What does this mean? Jesus, as the Avatar incorporating the Christ-Impulse, came to replace the old tribal order with a new order based on universal Love. It is not to representatives of, or even to men still attached to, the old order that Jesus could reveal his spiritual, evolutionary and society-transforming status; they had instead to reach a point where they could discover his avatar-ship––as did Peter just before the Transfiguration scene. But to the woman of Samaria––who in her openness to love's urgings, had already repudiated any narrow subservience to the old order––Jesus could reveal his function. The highest meets the lowest when this lowest is free from traditional bonds and open to love. The creative future descends first to that which has become chaos. An old order is never open to a new Revelation until it has accepted disorder in the name of that Power which subsumes all forms of order, i.e. Love.

In this second stage of the five-fold sequence, a contrasting element entered upon the scene. It is no longer a collective-cultural effort based on past knowledge––as in the preceding symbol––but a "meeting" that introduces into the collective situation a totally new factor which transcends it. A NEW QUALITY OF BEING is revealed which renders the old patterns obsolete.

*See discussion of mythos on p. 382.

Taurus 06º: Cantilever bridge across a deep gorge.

19:24, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 74     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

SECOND LEVEL: EMOTIONAL-CULTURAL

PHASE 36 (TAURUS 06º): CANTILEVER BRIDGE ACROSS A DEEP GORGE.

KEYNOTE: The conquest of separateness through group-cooperation.

The person who has suffered deprivation and loneliness can give new substance to his or her emotional life by participating in a collective project. All great evolutionary challenges imply the overcoming of basic difficulties. A step ahead must be taken yet an abyss confronts evolving man. It is no longer a personal Void––an "open grave"––but a chasm that is an integral part of the "land" upon which man's evolution must proceed. A link must be built through the power of the collective mind of the group or of the community at large, on the basis of the legacy of the past, to make a bridge over the canyon.

This is the first stage of the eighth five-fold process of "Substantiation." The man-made bridge built with collective skill gives substance to and demonstrates man's capacity to CONQUER OBSTACLES and to achieve evolutionary continuity as well as expansion in space.

Taurus 05º: A widow at an open grave.

19:15, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

pp.73-74     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 35 (TAURUS 05º): A WIDOW AT AN OPEN GRAVE.

KEYNOTE: The impermanence of all material and social bonds.

"All natural compounds decay," said the Buddha. The most beautiful and most enjoyed substance loses its potential energy though continuous actualization and the principle of integration and form is withdrawn, leaving the Void––"the open grave" that ends all attachments. The Void is the great challenge: What next? One must begin anew, and if possible at a "higher," i.e. more inclusive and universal, less egocentric, level.

This fifth conclusive stage of the sequence which deals with root elements and basic actions and responses may seem negative, yet it opens the door to self-renewal. Beyond the personal attachment rises the possibility of participating in a larger sphere of existence. This possibility rarely manifests itself except as one is ready to DISCARD THE PAST.

Taurus 04º: The post of gold at the end of the rainbow.

19:01, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 73     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 34 (TAURUS 04º): THE POT OF GOLD AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW.

KEYNOTE: Riches that come from linking the celestial and the earthly nature.

In Genesis, the rainbow is the symbol of the Covenant of God with Noah. In all mythologies it expresses, in one way or another, a linking process––or the bridge used by divine beings to communicate with mortals. What the linking process brings to the individual consciousness is elusive, as the rainbow never ends where you are, yet it is the source of symbolic, universally valid wealth. All wealth, in a very real sense, comes from "commerce"; i.e. from the commingling of minds and from contracts, and thus is based on faith in the validity of a promise.

At this fourth stage of the five-fold process we are given a mode of operation which reminds us of the symbol for the second stage, "an electrical storm." Man need not be overawed by the celestial display of power, for it leads to a fruitful contact with beings of light. This is a natural kind of COMMUNION, involving a transubstantiation of matter.

Taurus 03º: Natural steps lead to a lawn of clover in bloom.

18:55, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 72     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 33 (TAURUS 03º): NATURAL STEPS LEAD TO A LAWN OF CLOVER IN BLOOM.

KEYNOTE: The gradual expansion of the individual consciousness after a fecundating experience.

Having been "activated" by electrical energy, the pure water of the mountain stream is able to fertilize the soil which covers itself with small blossoms. "Clover" however, is normally a symbol of the Triad ("Trinity"), and thus of the often-mentioned "three natures" in man. To reach to flowering garden of mind, the consciousness must proceed by steps. Effort is needed. What is reached is a flowering display of the simple, quite humble kink, yet bees are after it for honey. There is sweetness and energy latent in the blossoms.

This is the third stage of the seventh five-fold sequence of phases. It is a stage at which one should seek with diligence and determination, but in humility and faith, to reach NATURAL FULFILLMENT.

Taurus 02º: An electrical storm.

18:30, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 72     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 32 (TAURUS 02º): AN ELECTRICAL STORM.

KEYNOTE: The cosmic power able to transform all the implications of natural existence.

At this second stage of the five-fold sequence we see a picture which contrasts with the one for the first stage: thus, a celestial display of power versus a clear, lovely-sounding little stream. Back of every natural self-expression stands the tremendous power of the "Soul-field," itself but one of the myriad aspects of the Creative Word that is the origin of this universe. At certain times, this power compels the natural earth-conditioned personality to accept, perhaps in awe, the spiritual potentialities of its "higher" celestial destiny. This experience of power can both illumine and shatter. The next symbol reveals it positive possibilities.

This is a stage of existence in which "revelation" is implied, as least as a potentiality. The consciousness may be deeply disturbed by THE VISITATION, but the substance of the individual being can be fecundated by the experience.

Taurus 01º: A clear mountain stream.

18:23, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 71     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA,  by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

SCENE THREE: SUBSTANTIATION
(Taurus 01º to Taurus 15º)

FIRST LEVEL: ACTIONAL

PHASE 31 (TAURUS 01º): A CLEAR MOUNTAIN STREAM.

KEYNOTE: The pure, uncontaminated and spontaneous manifestation of one's own nature.

Here we see life substance in its original dynamic form and as it emerged from its spiritual source. This is true whatever the nature of the source may be. In a sense the mountain stream is conditioned by the nature of the soil and by all the forces which in the past have formed the mountain's rock state: that is to say, by past history. Yet out of this past a new, pure (i.e. unadulterated) release of potentiality has emerged. It is ready to perform whatever work its dharma is to accomplish.

This is the first stage of the seventh five-fold sequence of phases. Matter is still imbued with great potential energy, energy being matter at its source. It is flowing irresistibly toward its own destiny. It is simply ITS OWN NATURE.

Aries 30º: A duck pond and its brood.

18:14, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

pp. 70-71     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 30 (ARIES 30º): A DUCK POND AND ITS BROOD.

KEYNOTE: The realization of natural boundaries.

After the preceding symbol this may seem anticlimactic. What is shown here is that every form of activity has its limits, and that even the consciousness that has been able to get a glimpse of universal order has to bring down to its own "karmic" field of operation the message of harmony it has heard inwardly. Peace and inner contentment with one's essential destiny (dharma) is required to meet the everyday world. The mystic may experience flights of imagination and transcendent vision, by he must return to the concrete earth and to his task in his social environment. Extensive as the latter may seem it is still very small compared to the galactic field; it is indeed a duck pond compared to the ocean. But it is there that the substance for concrete action has to be found, and every effective activity has to be focused; thus the boundaries imposed by the very nature of this activity have to be consciously accepted.

This is the last stage in the last five-fold sequence related to the second scene, characterized by "Potency." It leads to the third scene, whose Keyword is "Substantiation." Potency has to become substantiated––it has to mate with substance––in order to be effective power. Power must accept the principle of FOCALIZATION.

Aries 29º: The music of the spheres.

18:06, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 70     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA,  by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 29 (ARIES 29º): THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES.

KEYNOTE: Attunement to cosmic order.

At the fourth stage of a five-fold sequence a technique is often presented. It is based on the experiences implied in the preceding symbols. In this case, what the individual who has entered into a new realm of possibilities of action should learn is the harmonic principles operating in this realm. The music of the spheres is the celestial embodiment of principles of polyphonic interplay. The individual advancing "on the Path" should seek to understand and realize his place in the vast scheme of mankind's evolution, in the immense Chord of the harmony of the universe.

The message to the seeker for meaning which is implied in this symbol is TO LISTEN TO THE INNER VOICE; to listen without personalizing this Voice in a glamor-producing manner. It is the Voice of the Whole, of which one begins to realize that one is tiny little part––yet a significant part, for every note of the universal Chord has its place and its ineradicable meaning.

Aries 28º: A large audience confronts the performer who disappointed its expectations.

17:58, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 69     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 28 (ARIES 28º) A LARGE AUDIENCE CONFRONTS THE PERFORMER WHO DISAPPOINTED ITS EXPECTATIONS.

KEYNOTE: The necessity for mature preparation and self-criticism.

We see here the tangible results of the situation evoked by the two preceding symbols. Great hopes, excited expectations cannot be sustained. The last symbol reveals the performer's state of consciousness; in this one he is actually made fully aware of having promised––to the many elements of his own personality as well as perhaps to other human beings––more than he was able to deliver. This issue is how to handle this situation. In one form or another, it is an often recurring situation in the life of an individual person. The manner in which it is met determines the individual's future possibilities of development and achievement.

This is the third stage of this five-fold sequence. What is implied here is the need to be more than "obsessed by potentiality" and subjectively involved in the use of the new powers. The objective results have to be considered, i.e. what this use will do. The individual is not alone concerned, for in a sense mankind as a whole will be affected. What is required, therefore, is an objective inclusiveness of the whole environment; these a sense of RESPONSIBILITY for what one's actions will produce in people who have been made to expect significant results.

Aries 27º: Through imagination a lost opportunity is regained.

17:51, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

pp. 68-69     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 27 (ARIES 27º): THROUGH IMAGINATION A ALOST OPPORTUNITY IS REGAINED.

KEYNOTE: Revision of attitude and inner revaluation.

The second stage of a five-fold sequence of phases always reveals a contrast to the first, but not necessarily an opposition. This symbol makes it clear that the mind that has become overstimulated and obsessed by all it appears to be able to accomplish in some new realm of experience may easily fail.. The disciple fails in his test, or at least it seems to him that he has failed. Actually the "failure" may have been meant by his guru to be a challenge to the emergence of a new capacity; generally speaking, this capacity is what one calls "creative imagination." The mind must first "imagine" that which he will then be able sooner or later to actually experience.

At this stage it may be difficult to distinguish success from failure. Nothing may fail like success, people say. What counts is the development of UNDAUNTED FAITH in the pursuit of one's ideals.

Aries 26º: A man possessed of more gifts than he can hold.

17:45, 05.04.2015, Taurus 13º (late posting)

p. 68     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

THIRD LEVEL: INDIVIDUAL-MENTAL

PHASE 26 (ARIES 26º): A MAN POSSESSED OF MORE GIFTS THAN HE CAN HOLD.

KEYNOTE: Obsession by potentiality.

The mind which finds itself confronted with a totally unfamiliar and as yet unexperienced type of potency finds it difficult at first to adjust to its new world of perception and possibilities of action. He may rush ahead excitedly and lose his bearings. He should try to reach a state of calm watchfulness, and to lear that at this level too there are limits and restrictions, i.e. laws expressing this new type of "order."

This is the first stage of the sixth five-fold sequence of cyclic phases. This entire sequence of symbols shows us that man at this evolutionary station has to move carefully in his new realm, for his consciousness is not yet fully able to operate in it, except with closely defined limits. It is a symbol of WARNING––a warning against undertaking more than it is as yet safe and sound to attempt.