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Astrologer's Notes: |
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PLANETARY CONSCIOUSNESS©
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by Alan Oken |
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In the future, instead of speaking of the traditional planets when dealing with the planetary influences, we will speak of the exoteric and esoteric planets, and so bring out vocabulary and definitive words more into line with the inner teachings.
--Alice A. Bailey
Esoteric Astrology
There is a common question that many of you have raised about the primary difference between exoteric and esoteric (traditional) astrology. I thought that this would be a great opportunity to answer this question and also present the soul-centered, esoteric ruling planets of the twelve signs.
One of the most wonderful things about astrology is that it is a living science. You can find its signs and symbols everywhere. I was once in Greece, at the airport on the island of Rhodes traveling to the beautiful island of Crete. When we arrived at the Rhodes airport, I was confronted by two doors with Greek lettering on them. I do not speak Greek but I am familiar with its special alphabet. On one door was written the word "esoteriki" and on the other it said, "exoteriki". Well although I don't speak the language, at least I was in the right place! The problem was which door to enter. I thought to myself, "The esoteric means that which is inside while exoteric means things that are outside. We are traveling within the borders of Greece, so 'Esoteriki' has to mean 'domestic flights', while the 'Exoteriki' door must mean 'international flights'. So I went through the esoteric door and got safely and happily to Crete.
Esoteric astrology is a way of looking at the horoscope that reveals the inner life, the real purpose of the soul in the present incarnation. Exoteric or traditional astrology reveals the psychological dynamics of our personality and their characteristics. The transits or movements of the planets as seen through the "esoteric door" tells us about the dynamics of our soul's life while using the lens of the "exoteric door" tells us about the events in our ordinary day-to-day existence. When you bring these two together, when you align the life of the personality with the purpose of the soul, you have Soul-Centered Astrology.
Many of us have reached a place in life in which we are exhausted by the constant ups and downs of our exoteric, outer life circumstances. We find ourselves trapped in our "biological karma", in a life rooted in our instinctual nature and ruled primarily by the Moon. It is a life in which we complain: "My problems are Mommy and Daddy's fault! It's society's fault, the environment's fault, or my husband's fault!" The more we try to deal with our emotional challenges emotionally or our mental challenges mentally, or our physical challenges physically, the more exhausted we become. An increasing number of us are discovering that in order to resolve our outer problems, we have to work from the inside (esoteric) out and not from the outside (exoteric) in. Soul-Centered Astrology presents a road map that connects the inner and the outer lives through the natal horoscope. It is the same birth chart; it is just viewed differently.
The esoteric purpose of astrology, an ancient science of initiation, is to stimulate the development of consciousness. Astrology is very definitely an instrument for the unfolding of your intuition. Real intuition is that faculty of your higher mind that allows you to see beyond the form into essence and beyond matter into energy. I have been an astrologer for over 30 years and astrology has shown me that I am a soul with a body and not a body with a soul. The more we can identify ourselves from that perspective, the easier it becomes to resolve our outer challenges and the more we open ourselves to the Light of Love.
When we are functioning esoterically as Soul-Centered individuals, our life is not centered in our navels! So much of the tragedy in the world comes from a disease called "me-my-mine-itis"! It is an illness that is rooted in the illusion of separateness. The Age of Aquarius insists that we become increasingly more collectivized and group-aware. The beauty of this mandate is that instead of losing our individuality in the process, we gain it! Uranus, the ruler of the Age, is the planet that unfolds our unique singularity. This is happening and will continue to happen through the sign of the Water Bearer, a sign that brings us more and more in touch with each other through computer technology, the Internet, and all the other forms of the media that are creating an ever more interconnected humanity. The magic of consciousness is that the more individualized we become, the more universalized is our perspective on life. In other words, the more I am my (true!) self, the more I can see myself as you. There is only One Self and we are all part of It.
At this point, I would like to share with you the Soul-Centered perspective of viewing the planets in their capacity as rulers of the twelve signs. Please keep in mind that the esoteric planetary rulers of the horoscope only function as such when the individual identifies him or herself with and as the Soul. For our purposes, you can apply what is said to the Sun or rising sign of the chart.
The ruler of Aries ceases to become Mars and becomes Mercury when the Ram is living esoterically. The soul-centered Aries is still initiating but the point of origin and the initial impulse to act comes from Divine Mind. It is then that Aries can infuse this higher, creative idea (Mercury) into the collective mind of humanity. The personality of the Aries individual will create the right profession so that such inspiration may be given out in the course of one's daily life.
When Taurus is working esoterically, the planet Vulcan becomes the ruler of this sign. Whether Vulcan is a physical or metaphysical planet doesn't matter. Vulcan represents an archetype in humanity's collective consciousness. Vulcan is the Blacksmith of the gods of Mount Olympus. These immortal ones would bring all their miracle tools (in the form of their weapons) to Vulcan so that they could be sharpened, refined and re-energized. The soul-centered Taurean does not accept the status quo of his or her physical life. This Bull is dealing with the alchemy of being able to impregnate matter with greater creative possibilities. The Bull's eye is then the Third Eye, which allows one to see the real truth hidden within its forms.
When we move into an esoterically led life in Gemini, we no longer have the duality and mutability of this sign and its traditional ruler, Mercury. The ruler of the Twins then becomes Venus, who is attracting opposites to create a greater harmony of unity. Venus through Gemini is bringing people and ideas together for transpersonal purposes. Venus is then externalizing what we call the Law of Right Human Relations. This Law is the underlying principle of the New Age.
A Cancerian incarnation that is esoterically focused no longer cries out for "my mommy, my house and my food." The influence of the Moon is replaced by the light of Neptune. Neptune is the universal source of supply. He is the Lord of the Oceans and as such you can find all and everything and in huge quantities. The Neptune-ruled Cancer is working to create supply for the entire human family. He or she is becoming more impersonal to the personal life and more personal to the impersonal life.
The Sun still rules Leo on the level of the soul. This is not the physical body of the Sun, but the Heart of our great star. The physical Sun casts a shadow, so that the personality-centered Leo can be a real drain on other people's energies. His or her personality shines so brightly that it obscures other people's creative light. The Heart of the Sun casts no shadow. It is a light that does not shine, but radiates. This radiation inspires, energizes, and helps the creative process in all of its forms.
Mercury is no longer the ruler of the soul-centered Virgo. Esoteric Virgo never complains about what should be done with his or her life energy. The job search is over and the real mission in life has begun. It is now the Moon, the Eternal Mother, who rules this sign. If you count nine signs (nine months) from Virgo along the precession of the equinoxes, you come to Capricorn. Capricorn represents the Christ, the Initiate. Virgo holds within her the promise of the birth of the Coming One within each of us. This Coming One is the Soul.
Once we find ourselves in the realm of esoteric Libra, we are no longer in a perpetual game of "you verses me." Competition ceases, as do Libra's projected ideals about what relationship should be about. Venus no longer rules and Uranus takes her place. Relationship is now geared for collective, impersonal purposes. In the personality life, soul-centered Libra still uses the magnetic power of Venus but this is not to attract people to her for personal aims and needs. It is a magnetic power under the dominance of Uranus and as such, all interpersonal contacts have transpersonal goals. Libra is now free of the relationship game.
Mars is also the soul-centered ruler of Scorpio just as he is the personality ruler of this sign. But there is a significant difference in terms of how Mars now functions. It is here that Mars becomes the instrument of death to the life of the personality's desires. The purpose is not just to "finish off" the lower self but to transform its powers for the use of the Higher Self. Quite a job and as any Scorpio on the Path will tell you-it isn't so easy! Once accomplished, the soul-centered Scorpio is ready to be an instrument for the healing and regeneration of others.
When we come to Sagittarius, we find that the esoteric ruler of this sign is the Earth. Sagittarius is no longer ruled by Jupiter's idealism and lack of responsibility. The purpose of a soul-centered Sagittarian is to become the one-pointed disciple on the Path and to keep the Centaur's arrow steadily pointed at the goal of the soul. The Path for all of us is an earthly one. We give ourselves to the earth and serve her humanity through one field of service or another.
In Capricorn, Saturn is also the ruler on both the personality and soul levels. Again there is a major difference in Saturn's expression. Instead of the lower Saturnian nature proclaiming: "My life is so limited!" or "I am going to control everything and everyone in sight so that I make sure I get what I want," Saturn's influence is raised up. The soul-centered Capricorn has passed through the boundaries of Saturn's rings (by first respecting them!). We no longer have a restrictive Saturn but a highly structured one. This planet then is able to give Capricorn an understanding of right responsibility and correct boundaries for the expression of the soul's life.
Once we enter the energies of Aquarius, something wonderful takes place on the esoteric level. Standing behind the Water Bearer is its esoteric ruler, Jupiter, Lord of the Second Ray of Love/Wisdom. Jupiter is the governing force behind the New Age operating through Uranus on the personality level. Uranus inspires the invention of all of our modern tools of technology. But what is the purpose of all of these methods of communication? It is to bring about a united humanity so that the soul energy of Love and Wisdom can come through into our individual and collective consciousness. So it is that the soul-centered Aquarian is at work networking humanity for its own good and benefit.
Finally, we come to Pisces. What we find here is that instead of the self-destructive, self-annihilating, self-denying powers of the lower Neptune and Jupiter influence, a new vision of the Higher Self emerges. This is Pluto, the esoteric ruler at work through its sign. Pluto on the soul-centered level indicates that the redemption of the lower self has been completed. Resurrection as the healing and potent Phoenix has taken place. No longer does the Fish have to sacrifice itself through martyrdom. But the Pluto-ruled Pisces is indeed sacrificed in the true sense of the word. "Sacrifice" comes from two Latin roots meaning "to make sacred, to be holy". It is through the esoteric death process of Pluto that esoteric Pisces is made whole.
Alan Oken is founding director of The Wisdom School, a non-profit educational organization whose focus is education and training in astrology and the Ageless Wisdom. Alan provides private consultations by telephone or mail. He may be reached at P.O. Box 5574, Santa Fe, NM 87502 or via e-mail: alanoken@alanoken.com.
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Alan Oken,
Astrologer
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Alan Oken is the founder and director of The Wisdom School. He is the author of hundreds of articles for various astrological and metaphysical magazines and journals.
He is also the author of over a dozen books, including: Alan Oken's Complete Astrology, Soul?Centered Astrology ? A Key to Your Expanding Self, Houses of the Horoscope, and Rulers of the Horoscope. Alan has been a student and teacher of astrology and The Ancient Wisdom Teachings since 1967.
An internationally known lecturer and teacher, Alan speaks and writes six languages and has taught in more than 30 countries.
Alan has an active astrological consulting practice and provides private consultations by telephone or mail. He may be reached at P.O. Box 5574, Santa Fe, NM 87502
Phone: 505 •466•2258
Fax: 505 •466•0510
Email:
alanoken
@alanoken.com
alanoken
@worldnet.att.net
The Wisdom School: thewisdomschool.org
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