Aquarius 08°: Beautifully gowned wax figures on display.

16:32, 01.31.2015, Aquarius 08° (a bit late...

pp. 253-254     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 308 (AQUARIUS 08°): BEAUTIFULLY GOWNED WAX FIGURES ON DISPLAY.

KEYNOTE: The inspiration one may derive from the appearance of Exemplars who present to us the archetypes of a new culture.

We are dealing here with the fixed symbols upon which a culture is based, with mental archetypes. They are kept and made available as patterns to imitate, or at least from which to draw new motives for inspiration. We are at the stage of vision: new forms are revealed to the consciousness, as well as new ways of meeting other people in social relationships.

This is the third stage in the sixty-second sequence of five symbols. In a sense the generic human past and the future are implied here. The wax figures are impersonal forms. The gowns constitute a static presentation of ideal patterns; yet they are the PREFORMATION of what will be experienced in the culture being born. They herald new collective developments.

#2¢—Girlcapsule's Response:

The relevance of today's symbol is having a strong psycho-somatic effect on my person. I am feeling astonishment as I take it in, mostly. I am fascinated to meditate on the transdimensional juiciness implied in this language: "...from the appearance of Exemplars who present to us..."

It reminds me of an account Grof shares in The Adventures of Self-Discovery where he so skillfully gives language to a similar thought—though in Grof's case it was a first person account of a mythic vision experienced in a mystic|shamanic flavor of an altered-state of consciousness. I will quote this out once my books are back on their shelves in my new place of residence—still a bit in the future to me now.

Aquarius 07°: A child is seen being born out of an egg.

Nowish: Friday, 13:25, 01.30.2015, Aquarius 07°

Creating Looping Sample: ¢ ][ a.&9808;.a. Chiron's Peeing?

p. 253     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 307 (AQUARIUS 07°): A CHILD IS SEEN BEING BORN OUT OF AN EGG.

KEYNOTE: The emergence of new mutations according to the great rhythms of the cosmos.

The ancient symbolism of the Cosmic Egg (Hiranyagharba  हिरण्यगर्भ in Sanskrit) out of which a new universe is born can be interpreted at several levels. Here we see the appearance of a of human being who is not born from "Ancestors" and who therefore is free from the inertia of mankind's past. He is a new product of evolution, a mutant . He constitutes a fresh projection of the creative Spirit that emanates from the cosmic or planetary Whole, and not from any local culture and racial tradition.


This second stage symbol is in contrast with the preceding one. It can be said to announce the EMERGENCE OF GLOBAL MAN for the New Age. The power of the whole is focused within him in perfect freedom from ancient standards of value based on local conditions.

Girlcapsule's 2¢:

These thoughts are coming a day late within the framework of this process. What is so inspiring to me about this process is that it has a kind of breathing in relationship to me and my participation in it. It has withdrawn from me a bit over the last several posts...I don't try to conceal this. I have written very little, and the photos are seemingly irrelevant—for the most part.

I have chosen to accept the current state of things need not suffer in accordance with my emotional state. With this self-reflective realization, in my opinion, I have been rewarded with a beautiful reemergence of the #BlueSnake theme. Please forgive the hash-tag and symbols (i.e. 2¢ instead of two-cents, and the number-sign # as a twitter-esque tracking strategy) I am exploring ways of technically linking themes in this work through Alt Code and Hash-Tag strategies.

Back to the Blue-Snake theme...here are some images:

The images above are across from each other, the blue snake observes the stroking of the devil's golden hair by some female ancestral figure...the archetypal mother of a grown man who is no longer innocent.

Here's something else that came up—further sign that this process is back in business, so to say:

The book on the left is by Taschen and is called The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images.  The information in this book is provided by The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism.

The other elements are a secret encoded message for just one person's witnessing. This is also a strategy I am exploring as I think about the moment when I must stand before my dissertation committee and defend myself to those appearing for this event while trying not to have an aneurysm. I guess it's good to get an early start in encoding the depth of my gratitude to those who will be sitting in support of me.

As a kind of QED—for the use of those who would seek such a thing. Here is my proposal of a SabianSymbol—2¢:AliceInWonderlandmeetsPlayboy?...a.k.a. #:2¢:#Resonance Testing
QED
#2¢

I found this book: #byRichardP—Feynman
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter

Aquarius 06°: A masked figure performs ritualistic acts in a mystery play.

14:26, 01.28.2015, Aquarius 06°

pp. 252-253     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

SECOND LEVEL: EMOTIONAL-CULTURAL

PHASE 306 (AQUARIUS 06°): A MASKED FIGURE PERFORMS RITUALISTIC ACTS IN A MYSTERY PLAY.

KEYNOTE: The individual's involvement in long-established patterns of activity aiming at the release of collective power.

The great Mysteries of the past were created by inspired Seers and Adepts for the purpose of transferring to a mentally conscious and humanly significant level of group operation what in the lower kingdoms of life we call instincts. Biological and cosmic energies can thus be used to ensure that social processes do not lose touch with the deeper realities of planetary and universal Life. Rituals are binding, and often the performers wear masks, for they do not act as human persons but as focal points for the release of transpersonal forces.

This first symbol of the sixty-second five-fold sequence presents to us social processes in their deepest occult aspect. The individual is seen having assumed a TRANSPERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Aquarius 05°: A council of ancestors is seen implementing the efforts of a young leader.

13:41, 01.27.2015, Aquarius 05°

p. 252     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 305 (AQUARIUS 05°): A COUNCIL OF ANCESTORS IS SEEN IMPLEMENTING THE EFFORTS OF A YOUNG LEADER.

KEYNOTE: The Root foundation of past performances which power and sustain whatever decision is made in a crisis by an individual.

The whole past of mankind stands behind any individual effort, especially in times of critical decisions. The endeavor of the priests who built the California missions had behind it the whole past of Catholic proselytizing, i.e. the attempt to bring the "Good News" to all people of the Earth. Every individual is far more dependent upon the strength of his ancestors' achievements—or oppressed by their failures and lack of vision—than he usually believes. This can mean a hidden foundation of individual strength, or the inertia of a tradition unable to transcend its limited origins.

This is the last symbol in the sixty-first five-fold sequence. It suggests that in many situations RELIANCE UPON PRECEDENTS will enable the aspirant to greatness to tap the power of his deepest roots.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Aquarius 04°: A Hindu yogi demonstrates his healing powers.

18:45, 01.26.2015, Aquarius 04°

p. 251     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 304 (AQUARIUS 04°): A HINDU YOGI DEMONSTRATES HIS HEALING POWERS.

KEYNOTE: The disciplined use of spiritual energies in restoring the natural harmony disturbed by man's inharmonic attempts to transcend nature through mind.

Civilization implies a process of transcending compulsive and rigid biological drives while making use, in a refined and mentalized way, of what it cannot control. The goal of a true civilization—Western civilization being to a large extent a caricature of it—is the development of a  humanity composed of self-motivated and responsible individuals freely associating according to harmonic patterns in order to produce a vast spiritual chord of consciousness fully actualizing the potentialities inherent in the archetype, MAN. The process of individualization and civilization is full of dangers, and for a very long time it is obsessed by karmic shadows, the results of individual and collective deviations and perversions. Such results most often lead to disease. It is the spiritual duty of individuals who have been able to tap the vast reservoir of spiritual forces pervading our planet to use these energies for healing their less-fortunate comrades.

This fourth stage symbol refers to a technique which not only can be used for the healing of physical illnesses but for the "making whole" of whatever has lost its natural root integration and has not yet reached the holistic state of perfect harmony and identification with the "divine" whole. Self-discipline, purity of motive, compassion, faith in the divine order are required—and the FOCUSING OF SPIRITUAL ENERGY.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Aquarius 03°: A deserter from the Navy.

17:41, 01.25.2015, Aquarius 03°

p. 250     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 303 (AQUARIUS 03°): A DESERTER FROM THE NAVY.

KEYNOTE: The individual's self-realization through a crucial repudiation of a collective status which has become unreliable.

This symbol recalls the one for Scorpio 21°, but the fact that actual "desertion" is emphasized and reference is made to "the Navy" suggests that the crisis symbolized here is one implying an irrevocable change of status. Man refuses to accept the type of cultural patterns derived from his society's specific approach to local circumstances and to the universe as a whole, and in another sense, from its particular relationship to the all-human collective Unconscious. (The Navy refers to the ocean of primordial and unconscious evolutionary forces.) He not only refuses to obey orders, he deliberately turns his back on his collective social status; he becomes an outcast, and through this decision he may definitely individualize his consciousness.

This is the third stage of the sixty-first five-fold sequence. Something with collective social value is being potentially  destroyed, but nature is not the destroyer (as in the preceding symbol). Man, the individual, steps out of his bondage to collective patterns and ideals. He may thus "find himself" by means of a sharp renunciation of his social birthright, i.e. by a crucial process of DESOCIALIZATION.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Note: the symbol that Rudhyar makes reference to (Scorpio 21°) is: OBEYING HIS CONSCIENCE, A SOLDIER RESISTS ORDERS, with a the KEYNOTE: A readiness to face the results of a refusal to follow the authoritarian patterns of an aggressive society.

Aquarius 02°: An unexpected thunderstorm.

09:03, 01.24.2015, Aquarius 02°

pp. 249-250     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 302 (AQUARIUS 02°): AN UNEXPECTED THUNDERSTORM.

KEYNOTE: The need to develop the inner security which will enable us to meet unexpected crises.

An interesting connection can be made between the symbols for Taurus 01° and 02°—"A clear mountain stream" and "An electrical storm"—and those for Aquarius 01° and 02°, two hundred and seventy degrees apart (a "waning" square, in terms of a cycle of relationship such as the lunation cycle). In the first case we deal with energies or activities that can be related to the natural development of the individual. But here we are primarily concerned with social, collective processes and the function of the individual within them. The symbol itself—"An unexpected thunderstorm"—could be given a very positive meaning in an arid environment, but the emphasis on "unexpected" tends to accent the sudden and dangerous character of the event. Such a thunderstorm in a region of dry hills can cause a devastating flood. At any rate, it refers to an event for which one is not prepared—a menace to men's works.

Seen as a second stage symbol—thus in contrast to the preceding one—this scene stresses the fact that nature may reduce to impermanence the seemingly most permanent endeavors and constructive activities of men. Under a downpour of rain, adobe brick can return to mud. All human institutions and their achievements can be washed away, even in their day of great glory. "Dust you were, dust you must become."  This is NATURE'S CHALLENGE.

Girlcapsule's Response:

The nature of the evolutionary process will always include cataclysm and metamorphosis. My question is: what more is possible that we have yet to entertain?

Also, I want to apologize for anyone following this series in chronological order...I realize lately the quality of my responses is suffering since I'm still between homes and traveling. I can only trust this process to hold true to itself while I work through this state of limbo.

Aquarius 01°: An old adobe mission in California.

18:48, 01.23.2015, Aquarius 01°

pp. 248-249     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

SCENE TWENTY-ONE: CONTRIBUTION
(Aquarius 01°—15°)

FIRST LEVEL: ACTIONAL

PHASE 301: (AQUARIUS 01°): AN OLD ADOBE MISSION IN CALIFORNIA.

KEYNOTE: The power inherent in all great human works to endure far beyond the workers' life spans.

The works and spirit of the Spanish priests who directed the building of the California missions have had a lasting influence on the development of this land; these remain as a monument to the men who were able to make their mark upon this alien environment. While the zodiacal sign Capricorn begins with a symbol of socio-political power, Aquarius at its start presents a more spiritualized and idealistic or creative picture of the social forces at work. Moreover, it stresses the enduring character of human achievements ensouled by a great vision. At least within the frame of reference of our Western civilization, the symbol speaks of the projection of a noble ideal into concrete forms of beauty and significance, thus of the radiation of a "civilizing" power into an institution offering to primitive men the opportunity to reach a higher, more organized and productive, level of activity.

This is the first stage in the sixty-first five-fold sequence. It speaks to us of the CONCRETIZATION OF AN IDEAL. This also implies the "immortalization" of an individual within a great collective and cultural enterprise.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Today I encountered these guys interacting peaceably.

Capricorn 30°: A secret meeting of men responsible for executive decisions in world affairs.

07:55, 01.22.2015, Capricorn 30°

p. 248     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 300 (CAPRICORN 30°): A SECRET MEETING OF MEN RESPONSIBLE FOR EXECUTIVE DECISIONS IN WORLD AFFAIRS.

KEYNOTE: The power to assume responsibility for crucial choices arrived at after mature discussions with those who share this power.

We are all aware now of the work of secret committees in the White House and at all levels of the government. The student of esoteric philosophy believes in the existence of what has been called an "inner Government" which has the power to direct or guide the evolution of our planet and of mankind. Some people speak of "occult Hierarchy," or of the "White Lodge." Here again what is at stake is a "seeing through" the facts of telluric processes and human history—assuming that these facts are at least in part the outcome of the decisions of a supreme Council of quasi-divine Beings. Obviously the symbol can also refer to what occurs at the more ordinary level of business and politics. At any level, it refers to the highest form of social interaction.

This is the last symbol belonging to Scene Twenty and related to the zodiacal sign Capricorn. We see in it the culmination of social responsibility and a reference to EXECUTIVE POWER.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Today I visited the Kennedy Space Center.

Capricorn 29°: A woman reading tea leaves.

09:51, 01.21.2015, Capricorn 29°

p. 247     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 299 (CAPRICORN 29°): A WOMAN READING TEA LEAVES.

KEYNOTE: The ability to see the Signature of hidden meaning in every occurrence drawing one's attention.

Man has always sought to interpret the meaning of events or situations which baffle him in terms of specific omens or "Signatures." The reading of tea leaves is only a commonplace modern version of a certain type of procedure used by priests of all ancient religions. The practice is based on a realization of "the relation of everything to everything else"—a definition of astrology given by Marc Jones. Dream interpretation in depth psychology belongs to the same category, as it is based upon the establishment of a close connection between the unconscious and the conscious. But in dream analysis the individual unconscious, at least at first, is mainly referred to, while in omens (or modern fortunetelling at its best) one relies upon the power of occult forces or entities to convey the information that will clarify confusing situations.

This fourth stage symbol can be referred to a specific "technique" of understanding or evaluation. What is implied is the ability not only to perceive the facts of everyday existence, but to see through these facts and discover how they are related to the realm of basic meanings or archetypal processes. This is essentially what is meant by true CLAIRVOYANCE, the capacity to see in everything the Signature of deeper realities.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Capricorn 28°: A large aviary.

09:39, 01.21.2015, Capricorn 29° (posting one day late from current Sabian symbol)

pp. 246-247     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 298 (CAPRICORN 28°): A LARGE AVIARY.

KEYNOTE: The enjoyment of spiritual values by the soul able to familiarize itself with their implications.

Birds symbolize spiritual forces, and the aviary presents us with a picture of these forces or desires contained within a mind open to the light of psychic or Soul realities, and bringing joy and harmony to the consciousness. The strenuous ascent represented by the preceding scene changes into a picture of familiarity with inspiring experiences. Yet this familiarity may also suggest a lack of spontaneity and of the thrill of discovery. To use modern terms, the peak experiences have become those of a high plateau, at which level one may lose one's sense of direction at times.

This is the third stage in the sixtieth sequence of phases which lead to group mastery of cosmic energies. The youthful effort to reach the summits of cultural and spiritual attainment has settled down into a complex state of inspiration—a state which at times may bring confusion because of the multiplicity of the voices to which one has become open. One may speak here of CLAIRAUDIENCE, meaning a capacity for being responsive to many inner voices.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Capricorn 27°: Pilgrims climbing the steep steps leading to a mountain shrine.

19:07, 01.18.2015, Capricorn 27°

p. 246     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA,  by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 297 (CAPRICORN 27°): PILGRIMS CLIMBING THE STEEP STEPS LEADING TO A MOUNTAIN SHRINE.

KEYNOTE: The ascent of the individualized consciousness to the highest realizations reached by the spiritual leaders of its culture.

We hear a great deal now about "peak experiences," but this symbol tells us that they depend to a very great extent upon following a path which many have trod before, under the inspiration of the great Teachers and Sages of our race. The shrine is built by the unceasing dedication of perhaps generations of men. The pilgrimage is hallowed by the devotion of many, even though each person finds on his own mountaintop what to him seems a unique and transcendent revelation.

In this second stage symbol we witness the rise of the human consciousness; the preceding symbol spoke of what one may picture as the "descent" of the energies of nature which, like  water, flow down toward a lower level of intensity. It is man's supreme task to rise like fire, impelled by a vision he shares with his companions. The Keyword: UPREACHING.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Ok, this turned up by the artist-activist Dallas_Clayton

I am also happy to report that the theme of my evening with friends turned to a discussion of transdimensionality and the possibility of "contact" (à la Carl Sagan...or Interstellar, or Conception). Something like this is on the archetypal horizon, so it seems.

Capricorn 26°: A nature spirit dancing in the iridescent mist of a waterfall.

16:01, 01.17.2015, Capricorn 26°

p. 245     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

THIRD LEVEL: INDIVIDUAL—MENTAL

PHASE 296 (CAPRICORN 26°): A NATURE SPIRIT DANCING IN THE IRIDESCENT MIST OF A WATERFALL.

KEYNOTE: The ability to perceive the hidden and creative spirit of natural phenomenon.

The Sabian symbols make several references to nature spirits. Here we are dealing with the revelation of the spiritual or psychic forces related to the element of water. Water binds all living cells in a wholesome interplay. It symbolizes the constant flow of energies, the fluidity of a consciousness which finds itself stimulated by change. The great cycle of water within the earth's biosphere (oceans, clouds, rain, river) symbolizes the constant flow of vital energies and of love. We can personify these phases and speak of "the soul of nature," and at a cosmic level of "the World-Soul," anima mundi. Water is the substance of the telluric manifestations of this soul. It is a magical substance, and modern chemists are rediscovering in their study of its unusual behavior in certain situations what old Alchemists in their own way no doubt understood.

This is the first stage of the sixtieth subcycle, and it presents us with a deep intuition of superphysical energies which at the end of this five-fold sequence we will see fully mastered (Phase 300). The consciousness here becomes sensitized to the downward flow of OCCULT ENERGY in its bountiful natural aspect.

Girlcapsule's Response:

In image form:

and:

The drawn images in the book shown above are from a book of Oliver Sacks An Anthropologist on Mars. These drawings were created by a person with a kind of brain anomaly that catalyzes a compulsion to recreate by drawing the buildings he discovers about him. Sacks writes that although this guy had an incredible memory for details and was content to create the same drawing again and again. Fascinating brain-glitch.

The first image shows a close-up of an image on a paperback copy of Dante's The Divine Comedy: Vol. I: Inferno. On this page of my notebook, my notes read: "The asymmetry of loving fiercely".

This image of the colorful demon pulls the energy of the dragon in a human/demonic direction. A cosmology like this shows a way of orienting to righteousness that lacks the nuance of integrating the shadow material and places it instead to a dualistic outside position in the form of a demon to represent a pole of human psychology.

Capricorn 25°: A store filled with precious Oriental rugs.

17:37, 01.16.2015, Capricorn 25°

pp. 244-245     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)
PHASE 295 (CAPRICORN 25°): A STORE FILLED WITH PRECIOUS ORIENTAL RUGS.

KEYNOTE: The use of cultural and artistic processes as a means to enhance personal comfort and appreciation.

Coming after the preceding symbol this one brings us back to the material, yet esthetic, aspect of the benefits a society can bring its members. A "rug" always implied to some extent that something on which a person stands or sits. It is a foundation for cultural "under-standing," and as such it can have a magical or sacred meaning, as in the case of prayer rugs. The "woman in a convent" probably knows only the bare floor, because her goal is one of transcendence, of surrendering comfort as well as cultural patterns. But to the social elite, or even to the oriental devotee praying to his god, society offers the relative comfort of beautiful rugs so he may meet the universe, not merely in terms of the support the natural soil gives, but protected by and securely established on the mental-spiritual as well as manual achievements of those who keep the cultural symbols alive.

This is the last symbol in the fifty-ninth five-fold sequence. It shows the beautiful products of dedicated and inspired group performance at the level of tradition. It emphasizes the value of RELIANCE ON TRADITION.

Girlcapsule's Response:

I have decided to contain my response, as an experiment, to include an additional dimension of a song. Meaning, I will give a sound-track to today's meditation. Why am I taking this strategy? I want the reader to be able to engage more deeply with me as I seek to find response within myself to a symbol such as today's.

If the reader can also have the experience of meditating on a symbol while listening to the identical song, then we might start discovering the ways in which our experiences overlap on deeper psychological levels.

Here's the song: #10_Hills—Master_Sleeps

Response in Image:

Explanation:
I allowed a very intuitive process to unfold as I went through the song twice and worked with my library and immediate resources. I thought of responding by choosing a color scheme by opening the Earthsong book on the left. The reds, oranges, and golds pop out. Also I had noticed a switch in the music that catalyzed a thought (~ 444 on the digital count-down.) I chose next to look up page #444 in my Taschen book Alchemy & Mysticism. Here's a clip:

The "Mysterium Magnum" is the fundamental duality in one God, the "ground' and the "unground", "from which time and the visible world have flown"

Also:

In his title engraving, Georg Gichtel interpreted the one duality of microcosm/macrocosm and Moses/Messiah: just as Moses was the representative of the authoritarian aspect of God for the small world of the children of Isreal, Christ is the incarnation of divine love for humanity as a whole
The trumpet-blowing angel of the end of time unveils the transfigured face of Moses, and Christ reveals himself in the perfect clock of the zodiac as ruler of the spiritual age of the lily.

Jakob Böhme's Theosophische Wercke of 1682 is mentioned as a resource for this information. Here's the image closer up; notice the golden and earth tones of the image:

Again the image of a dragon appears in our series:

And the echo of this dragon's white facial hair in the rhythms of the Earthsong landscape (p. 176):

Noam Chomsky's Rebel Without a Pause and The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying also got drawn into the mix.

Capricorn 24°: A woman entering a convent.

14:17, 01.15.2015, Capricorn 24°

pp. 243-244     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 294 (CAPRICORN 24°): A WOMAN ENTERING A CONVENT.

KEYNOTE: Total commitment to a transcendent goal.

A convent is a place made available by a community which believes in the possibility of reaching a world-transcending state of consciousness. It is made available to individuals who may be variously motivated. To some it is an escape from the intolerable pressures of family and society; to others it represents the possibility of pursuing in peace a spiritual idea to which the whole being aspires and is totally dedicated. The important point, in this phase of the cyclic process, is that the existence of a convent expresses another aspect of the relationship between the society (its religion and culture) and the individual. In the preceding symbol society rewarded the individual for a noble performance in its service; here society accepts the fact that beyond its daily normal patterns of behavior and commitments, another way of life exists which, in a higher sense, also has social value. In the old Hindu society dominated by a rigid caste system, the ideal embodied in the sannyasi—the wandering holy man or yogi meditating in a forest or a cave, who had entirely given up all that caste implied—was seen to be the very culmination of the social process.

In this fourth stage symbol we see the paradoxical nature of the social process operating more strongly than ever. This derives from the fact that man's nature contains in seed the possibility of overcoming and transcending itself in acts of complete denials and of surrender to a "higher" Law or quality of being. All spiritual techniques are indeed paradoxical. Rigid discipline conditions pure inner freedom. The final goal is the attainment of TRANSCENDENT SECURITY.

Capricorn 23°: A soldier receiving two awards for bravery in combat.

12:54, 01.14.2015, Capricorn 23°

p. 243     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 293 (CAPRICORN 23°): A SOLDIER RECEIVING TWO AWARDS FOR BRAVERY IN COMBAT.

KEYNOTE: The reward offered by society for the fulfillment of individual responsibility.

The fact that "two" awards are emphasized makes us believe that this may refer subtly to the recognition by the community that, whether he succeeded or failed, an individual who discharged his duty so nobly under unusual circumstances is entitled to the respect and appreciation of the collectivity he served so well. What is implied here is a constant give-and-take between society and the individual person. Each one should be able to trust the other.

This third symbol of the fifty-ninth five-fold sequence extracts, as it were, a common element from the two preceding scenes. The Keyword here is RECOMPENSE, i.e. a compensation for a well-done performance—a balancing of accounts.

Capricorn 22°: By accepting defeat gracefully, a general reveals nobility of character.

18:23, 01.13.2015, Capricorn 22°

pp. 242-243     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 292 (CAPRICORN 22°): BY ACCEPTING DEFEAT GRACEFULLY, A GENERAL REVEALS NOBILITY OF CHARACTER.

KEYNOTE: The realization that one may grow through defeat as well as, and perhaps more than, through success.

While the preceding symbol referred to the drive toward success in culturally organized collective endeavors, this one presents us with the possibility of turning apparent external defeat into an inner spiritual achievement. We have recently seen how totally vanquished nations (Germany and Japan) have leaped forward and achieved great economic success. Much depends on the quality of the will and the inner integrity of the person.

At this second stage we find what seems to be a paradox, but the spiritual life is always paradoxical. The great sinner can become the most renowned saint, and a medieval Pope a criminal. What matters most always is INNER STRENGTH.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Graceful defeat, inner strength: a revelation of nobility the duly judged character. These words seem to turn their own meaning purposefully inside-out in order to demonstate something that goes beyond paradox, beyond polarities—on out into the infinite cosmos. Where in our primal-timeless form, we are safe as bunnies.

Capricorn 21°: A relay race.

23:45, 01.12.2015, Capricorn 21°

p. 242     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

SECOND LEVEL: EMOTIONAL_CULTURAL

PHASE 291 (CAPRICORN 21°): A RELAY RACE.

KEYNOTE: The value of competition in developing group consciousness.

Here we are no longer dealing with competition between individuals, but with competition between groups of individuals who take turns successively in order to maximize the group effort and the possibility of outstanding results. The whole of civilization is a vast kind of relay race in which groups of people and generations carry the torch of what we call "progress." Major achievements result from the sum total of human strivings.

This first symbol of the fifty-ninth sequence stresses one especially dynamic aspect of "group performance." Wherever this symbol appears, it emphasizes the value of group cooperation and of necessary give-and-take. One must seek to relate and adjust one's strength to the challenge presented by competitors in DYNAMIC INTERCHANGE.

Girlcapsule's Response:

Capricorn 20°: A hidden choir is singing during a religious service.

17:51, 01.11.2015, Capricorn 20°

p. 241     AN ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA, by Dane Rudhyar (1973)

PHASE 290 (CAPRICORN 20°): A HIDDEN CHOIR IS SINGING DURING A RELIGIOUS SERVICE.

KEYNOTE: The fulfillment of the individual's creative function through his participation in a group performance consecrated to a transcendent realization of unity.

In great cathedrals and other religious edifices the choir is normally hidden behind the altar or above the nave. It symbolizes thus more perfectly the supernal harmony of "heaven"—or the music of the spheres. The ideal of social participation is exalted to its highest manifestation, for the choir also represents the multifaceted and polyphonic unity of the community in its transcendent state of perfect harmony. Within this harmony the individual who has overcome his egocentric separativeness and developed his higher consciousness finds fulfillment in superpersonal togetherness.

This is the fifth and last symbol of this fifty-eighth sequence. It presents us with the purest form of group-harmony, the most basic yet most difficult fulfillment of the social state. At the level of the individual person this "hidden choir" would refer to the polyphonic integration of all faculties in their most spiritual manifestations: the ideal of PLENITUDE of being.