...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.