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Modality & Trines
Modality & Trines
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The Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable Designations of the Signs and Decans
The Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable Designations of the Signs and Decans
Modal
Modality ity is a veris a ver y y useful way of conceptualiuseful way of conceptualizing the 4 seasons of ouzing the 4 seasons of our yr y ear, each of which conear, each of which contain 3 distintain 3 distinct months giving us the 1ct months giving us the 1 22 delin
delineated eated SignSigns of the s of the ZodiaZodiac. Thrc. Three ee essential things to know right at essential things to know right at the the beginnbeginning are:ing are:
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Conststruructctining Chag Chartrts (/s (/conconststruructctining-g-chcharartsts.h.htmtml)l) PerPersonsonal Tal Timeimelinlines (/es (/perpersonsonalal-t-timeimelinlines.es.hhtmtml)l) TThhe I Che I Chining (/tg (/thhe-e-i-ci-chhining.g.hhtmtml)l) Movie
Our Y
Our Y ear beear begingins on the Winter Solstice, the first day s on the Winter Solstice, the first day of Capricof Capricorn which alorn which also happens to be the so happens to be the first day first day of Wiof Winter (in the nter (in the NorthermNortherm Hemi
Hemisphere). We sphere). We then movthen move counter e counter cloclockwise into Aquarius and Pisces before tckwise into Aquarius and Pisces before t he Spring Equinhe Spring Equinox, being the ox, being the first day first day of Aries.of Aries. The seasons themselves always begin at the Solstice or Equinox and they always end at the Solstice or Equinox.
The seasons themselves always begin at the Solstice or Equinox and they always end at the Solstice or Equinox. The
The first month of a Season after tfirst month of a Season after t he Solstice or Equihe Solstice or Equinox poinnox point is always t is always CardinCardinal, the second monal, the second month is always th is always Fixed, and the Fixed, and the third third isis always Mut
always Mutable. In other wable. In other w ords, Cardinords, Cardinal is the beginnial is the beginning of a process, Fixed is the ng of a process, Fixed is the middmiddle of a process, and Mutable is the end of ale of a process, and Mutable is the end of a process
process
These three most fundamental points of reference when studying Astrology are rarely dealt with. The problem is that for too These three most fundamental points of reference when studying Astrology are rarely dealt with. The problem is that for too lon
long g logers logers have taken fhave taken for or granted thigranted this s idea idea that the that the SignSigns s of of the Zodthe Zodiac iac relate direlate directly to crectly to constellaonstellations tions in in the belt the belt of of our our ecliptiecliptic,c, and that stars arranged arbitrarily are chiefly "where our signs and their symbols/meanings come from." Over time this has lead to a and that stars arranged arbitrarily are chiefly "where our signs and their symbols/meanings come from." Over time this has lead to a gradual misu
gradual misunderstandinnderstanding of the g of the seasonal process as it's relateseasonal process as it's related to Astd to Ast rologrology. y. The The origiorigin of the Signs likely stn of the Signs likely st emmed fremmed from understandinom understandingg our movement
our movement through the sethrough the seasons, fasons, first and foremost. Tirst and foremost. T he ancients then projected our seasonal cycles onto the starhe ancients then projected our seasonal cycles onto the star s for navigation ans for navigation andd
astro-astro-theologitheological purposes, drawincal purposes, drawing constellag constellations antions and namid naming them afteng them after tr t he seasonal times they he seasonal times they were were in. Over tin. Over t housanhousands of yeds of years,ars, though, the stars
though, the stars have have slowlslowly y shifshifted, and this has lead some astrologers to concluted, and this has lead some astrologers to conclude that de that "all our sign"all our signs are s are off.off." T" T his mohis moveve ment hasment has ev
evolved olved into into what's what's callcalled ed of of which which many many books books have have been been writtewritten n claiclaiminming g that, that, againagain, , "all "all our our signsigns s are are off" off" by by aboutabout 27
27 or or so so degrees. But degrees. But the critithe critical cal poipoint that's nt that's conconstantly missed stantly missed here is here is that our that our signsigns are s are not not off off at alat all; l; the the are ofare off. f. Our seasoOur seasons ns stillstill come and go l
come and go like clocike clockwork, and we kwork, and we still knostill know exw ex actly wactly w hen the Solstices and Equihen the Solstices and Equinoxes of each ynoxes of each year arear are bound to occue bound to occur. Many r. Many booksbooks and websites, ev
and websites, ev en those using tropicaen those using tropical (seasonall (seasonal) astrology, might talk about a ) astrology, might talk about a Sign oSign or what r what it's modalit's modality ity is, but they is, but they rarely rarely explainexplain the point being that anyone using tropical
the point being that anyone using tropical astrology needs tastrology needs t o get out of o get out of astro
astro centric icentric ideas andeas and mod more into re into seasonseason centric ucentric understandinnderstanding og of what f what theythey 're actuall're actually working wiy working with.th. Basic keynotes to remember about the Modalities are:
Basic keynotes to remember about the Modalities are:
Cardinal
Cardinal
: Beginni: Beginning of a Seng of a Season/process. Idealism. Freshness. Breason/process. Idealism. Freshness. Bre aking new ground. Grappling with new aking new ground. Grappling with new energyenergy . Kinetic action. Kinetic action.. Confidently bringing an element "out of hibernation." Optimistic.Confidently bringing an element "out of hibernation." Optimistic.
Fixed
Fixed
: Middle of a Season/process. Fixity. Centerdness. Stillness. Individuality. Perspective. "Stand alone." Archetype of "the process": Middle of a Season/process. Fixity. Centerdness. Stillness. Individuality. Perspective. "Stand alone." Archetype of "the process" itself, being neiitself, being neither ther at tat t he beginnihe beginning nor the eng nor the e nd.nd.
Mutable
Mutable
: End of a : End of a Season/process. GroundiSeason/process. Grounding. Preparng. Preparining for g for great great change. Chanchange. Changeable, malleable, mutable. Sensing the highly geable, malleable, mutable. Sensing the highly energetenergetic Cardinic Cardinal "twin" on the al "twin" on the other side of tother side of t he Solstice or Equinhe Solstice or Equinox. Worldlox. Worldly. y. Experienced. Wise. Natural. Deeply groundinExperienced. Wise. Natural. Deeply grounding ag a particular element for
particular element for "hibernation"hibernation" as " as it will noit will not be t be exprexpr essed during the essed during the follfollowinowing season.g season.
None of this is to say that Fixed individuals cannot have the energetic thrust of Cardinal individuals, that Cardinal individuals cannot None of this is to say that Fixed individuals cannot have the energetic thrust of Cardinal individuals, that Cardinal individuals cannot have
have the the groundgrounding oing of Mutable individuaf Mutable individuals, or that ls, or that Mutable indiMutable individuals cannviduals cannot havot have te t he balanced perspectivhe balanced perspectiv e of Fixe of Fixed indied individuals. It viduals. It isis just abou
just about ovt overall conerall consistency.sistency. Astro Astro sidereal astrology sidereal astrology stars stars
what modality actually means within the context of our Year, what modality actually means within the context of our Year,
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-- Forw
Within the Signs also exists a "microcosm" of these three Modalities. These are shown by the Decans as discussed on the Minor Arcana page. The Decans indicate certain harmonic "resonators" (T rines) between different modalities and elements. Trines are re presented by about 120 degrees of arch, landing one in the same element though expressed in a different modality within a season. As y ou can see in the image at the top of the page, the last 10 degree of Aquarius, an Air sign, is related also to the last 10 degrees of the other two Air signs, Libra and Gemini. In other words, the 7 of Swords, the 1 0 of Swords and the 4 of Swords are Resonators.
To recap from the Minor Arcana page:
0 to 10 Degrees of a Sign = First Card/Decan of that Sign 10 to 20 Degrees of a Sign = Second Card/Decan of that Sign 20 to 30 Degrees of a Sign = Third Card/Decan of that Sign
If we take a Sun placement that is in 15 Degrees Scorpio, that means that this individual is attuned to the Second Card of that sign, the 6 of Cups. Just as there are the 3 Modalities of Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable Signs (the beginning, middle and end of the seasons giving us three expressions (modalities) for each of the four elements - 3 modalities x 4 elements = 12 signs) there are also Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable areas those Signs which are the Decanates, symbolized by the Minor Arcana.
Cardinal Signs = Aries - Cancer - Libra - Capricorn Rule Decans 2, 3, 4 Fixed Signs = Leo - Scorpio - Aquarius - Taurus Rule Decans 5, 6, 7 Mutable Signs = Sagittarius - Pisces - Gemini - Virgo Rule Decans 8, 9 10
As you can see, each season begins with 2 and ends with 10; 2- 3-4- 5- 6-7- 8-9- 10, before starting all over again in the next season. This maps to the Kabbalistic Tree of Life schemata as discussed elsewhere on this site where the 1st sephiroth of the Tree, Kether the Crown, is not factored in to the Zodiac. Kether is composed of the Aces of Tarot, the "puritanical representatives" of the elements themselves as discussed on the Cross of Elements page. The 2 through 10 cycle shows the linear processes of Modality as we move through the
seasons, but the Decanate "Modalities within the Modalties" hav e a specific resonances with one another as well: First Card (0 to 10 degrees) = Cardinal area of the sign - 2, 5, 8
Second Card (10 to 20 degrees) = Fixed area of the sign - 3, 6, 9 Third Card (20 to 30 degrees) = Mutable area of the sign - 4, 7, 10
So if we take a sun placement in Scorpio, the Fixed Water sign, also in 15 degrees of that Sign, indicating the 6 of Cups decan, this means the individual is a Double Scorpio or Double Fixed Scorpio, which itself also has a resonance to the two other Fixed areas of t he two other Water signs of Cancer and Pisces, the 3 of Cups and the 9 of Cups decans. The 3, 6 and 9 of Cups are approximately 120 degrees apart
from one another. 120 x 3 = 360 degrees of the entire Zodiac. These three "resonanator" decans are called Trines in traditional astrology and they bring a kind of harmony to planetary configurations within them, or rather bring a greater perspective in seeing up and down the fractal of a particular element. If a person were born, for example, between 20 and 30 degrees of Scorpio, represented by the 7 of Cups decan, we would call this a Mutable Scorpio, or Pisces of Scorpio, which has resonance with the two other areas of the two other Water signs of Cancer and Pisces, the 4 of Cups and the 10 of Cups decans. If you take someone who was born in the last 10
degrees of Virgo, he or she would be a Double Virgo, or Double Mutable Virgo, resonating with the Mutable areas of the other two Earth signs Capricorn and Taurus, the 4 of Disks and the 7 of Disks decans. But, if they were born anywhere from 0 to 10 degrees of Virgo, they would be a Cardinal Virgo, or Capricorn of Virgo, resonating with the areas of the other two Earth signs, the 2 of Disks and the 5 of Disks. This may seem difficult if you are new t o this subject, but it is actually quite simple if you just stick with it. Below is a useful way of understanding the Decanate Numbers as arranged in three vertical "Resonator" columns indicating astrological Trines, and three horizontal rows showing the rulership of the signs themselve s.
within
Mutable
So, 2-5-8 is a resonating trine, and 3-6-9 and 4-7-10 have a resonating relationship as well. From looking at how these numbers relate to one another, we can get a good grasp on exactly how meanings and interpretations overlap in Tarot and in Astrology. There are numerical relations moving across from left t o right giving a signs full "reign" as it were. Then t here are the resonating numbers moving from top to bottom showing the modal relationships the signs; the Trines. These are refered to as
For ex ample, moving from left to right, the 2s, 3s and 4s in Tarot are all Cardinal Decans and possess Cardinal attributes. They begin the seasons. But, the Cardinal "prerogative" is mirrored 120 degrees away in the other
Modalities as well if we move from top to bottom in the 2-5-8 column. You will notice from the Tarot & The Tree of Life page
(http://astrotarot.weebly.com/tarot--the-tree-of-life.html) that the 4s, 7s and 10s, for example, have many of the same general meanings, only
expr essed in different (modalities). These are the Mutable areas (Decans) of the Signs. The Fixed areas, those of the 3s, 6s and 9s, also have many of the same general meanings, though expre ssed in different ways, and so it goes for t he 2s, 5s and 8s. So, if someone is born in a 5 Decan, whether it be t he 5 of Disks, 5 of Swords, 5 of Wands or 5 of Cups, he or she will be harmonically aligned with the 2s and 8s as well. We narrow t his down ev en further by looking at which element the Sun placement is actually in. This gives the individual his or her pe rsonal resonating trine. For example if an individual's Sun placement is in the 5 of Disks, then it follows t hey will have an harmonic resonance with the 2 of Disks and the 8 of Disks as well. It is highly useful to be aware of and contemplate the psychological import of the 3 interrelated cards of one's personal trine, to see how the specific Decan of their original Sun (or any other planet) placement is mirrored 120 degrees away in the other two modalities of the same element and how one might harness those other expr essions to bring greater harmony and awareness to one's life. T his especially is useful if an individual feels that the Minor Arcana card representing a Decan is too "negative " on the surface, like t he 5 of Disks for example which is entitled "Worry ." T his card and Decan has many positive interpretations, but if one doesn't like it on face value they may look to its resonating Trine for greater clarity, the 2 of Disks, Harmonious Change, or the 8 of Disks, Prudence.
The numerical relations of the Major Ar cana operate generally in the same way with a graph similar to this in the numerology section of the Major Arcana page (http://astrotarot.weebly.com/the-major-arcana.html).
Decan Keynotes
betw een Modality Columns or
Resonator Columns throughout this site.
These Decan keynotes are of course very general. There are all kinds of people, obviously, but overall the 7 words for each Decanate number above are accurate. Delineating exactly to what a 6 is a "harmonizer," or what a 9 might be "elitist," must be gathered from looking at the individual's Natal Chart itself to see what the other elements are up to, especially with things like t he Houses and one's Rising Sign. A 9 may be "elitist," but there are both positive and negative sides to this, just as t here ar e positive and negative sides t o the "intellect" and generalizations of the 6.
The points of this graph are shown diagonally in the 2-6- 10 Decans, which are also illustrated in the colored Zodiac chart at the top of the page. T hese Decans are Double Cardinal, Double Fixed and Double Mutable respectively and represent the very beginning, the very middle and very end of the seasons. They may be considered quintessential expressions of the Modality they find themselves in where t he "lesser mirrors the greater ." These 2- 6-1 0 "double points" are shown in the Zodiac wheel at the top of the page as having the
same color as t heir parent sign, in case anyone were still wondering why some decans are connected to t heir parent sign like that through having the same color. The reasoning behind this becomes apparent the more you look at the design. 2 is the v ery beginning (very Cardinal), 6 is the v ery middle (ver y Fixed), and 10 is the ve ry end (very Mutable).
"Pure Trines" are indicated by decans of the exact same color though in different modalities, for ex ample the 4 of Wands, 7 of Wands and 10 of Wands, or the 3 of Cups, 6 of Cups and 9 of Cups. If one has planets occupying these decans, there is a harmonizing influence or resonance traditionally seen as auspicious. "Loose Trines" are indicated by decans close to the same color but not ex actly, for example if you have a planet in the 5 of Disks and also a planet in the 3 of Disks. The harmony is still there since it is of the same element, but it is
not coming through the same Trine or Resonator Column. (Trines may also be much more narrowed down and precise when using the Human Design Syst em as I discuss here (http://youtu.be/RiQf7NgQZPs)).
The relationship between these Decanate numbers as situated within the T rine/Resonator/Modality columns, and on the wheel of the Zodiac itself, is found not only in Astrology and Kabbalah but also within vort ex based mathematics and the discoveries of Mark o Rodin and what he calls the "mathematical fingerprint of god." This is a truly fascinating correlation in that just as the Decans 2-5 -8, 3- 6-9, and 4-7-10(1) have a very special relationship to one another astrologically, they also serve an important function in the mathematical flow
degree degree
of energy within this template/symbol that Marko discovered:
This is a very large subject but the math is actually quite easy to understand once you see Marko demonstrate it a few times. There are many v ideos of Marko discussing how this works on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/results?
search_query=marko+rodin&oq=marko+rodin&gs_l=youtube.3...944.2522.0.2931.11.8.0.0.0.0.561.561.5-1.1.0...0.0...1ac.1.D6Rc5Kg7-dM). You may watch the short documentary which draws upon
some of Marko's work at one point, or check out t he work of Randy Powell (http://www.theabhakingdom.com/The_Gateway.html) who is continuing Marko's resear ch in vortex based mathematics.
There are many ways one can symbolically or mathematically explore this symbol. One way is to see the number 9 at the top of the image as the head of a bird, whereas 6 and 3 are it's two wings. In Crowley's the poem entitled encapsulates the dy namic of 3-6- 9 both in the Decanate Trines and also in Marko's "fingerprint of God" sy mbol:
The Cosmic 432 (http://www .youtube.com/w atch?v=jVATlX4XKMk)
The Book of Lies, The Swan
There is a Swan whose name is Ecstasy: it wingeth from the Deserts of the North; it wingeth through the blue; it wingeth over the fields of rice; at its coming they push forth the green.
The Pyramids & the 3/4 dynamic of the Signs and the Signs within the Signs
The Great Pyramids of Giza in Cairo, Egypt probably looked as pristine as depicted in this picture above at some point in history. The evidence shows t hat as man began to ev olve (or devolve ) away from the original inception of this civilization's seemingly immaculate and perfect beginnings, different armies, r ulers, and other factors slowly changed the topical landscape. Much of the flat stone that originally encased the pyramids, giving them this very smooth look, were removed in order to build other temples. It seems that the original manner in which the py ramids were built was lost which lead to progressiv ely lower and lower quality temples being built, obviously to the point of removing stones from the great pyramids themselves to build them.
Ancient civilizations seem t o have had a v ery keen understanding of the connection between the processes of time, the se asons, the properties of phy sical matter and of consciousness itself. The ancient monuments built the world over seem t o represent a k ind of betwe en matter and consciousness, or science and spirituality. Within modern physics, mathematics, geology, astronomy and sacred geometry there are fundamental principles, and these principles are being found to have been already "hammered down" as it were within these structures and even within the myths of the people living around them. Many stone slabs at the worlds pyramids also show definite signs of machining, or at least some adv anced way of cutting stone. When we think of t he word " machine" we usually associate it with gas, oil, wires, outlets, met al and/or plastic accompanied by some sort of buzzing or putt ering. The point here is that just as ther e is ev idence of some highly adv anced machining technique, it follows t here must hav e been a highly advanced consciousness operating it. For evidence of this once global High Civilization one may consult the following sources:
The Code (http://youtu.be/s7Te08rDvis) by Carl Munck
Joseph P. Farrell on the Grid of the Gods (http://youtu.be/l1EEn2y2UKE) In all the Universe this Sw an alone is motionless; it
seems to move, as the Sun seems to move; such is the we akness of our sight.
O fool! criest thou?
Amen. Motion is relative: there is Nothing that is still.
Against this Sw an I shot an arrow; the white breast poured forth blood. Men smot e me; t hen,
per-ceiving that I was but a Pure Fool, they let me pass.
Thus and not otherwise I came to t he T emple of the Graal.
The Giza Power Plant (http://www.amazon.com/Giza-Power-Plant-Technologies-Ancient/dp/1879181509/ref=cm_rdp_product) by Christopher Dunn
The Revelation of the Pyramids (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW0ApDr032I) documentary
I do not agree with all of these theories, but as Dr. Farrell has said, it is the points of agreement that matter. Everyone thinks differently and conceives differently. Different people hav e different skills, and when properly recognized and cultivat ed none are bet ter or worse than the others. Some writers will look at this subject from the lens of science, and some may speculate more than others, but the bottom line remains that "officialdom" has constantly been charged with ignoring and even hiding crucial points of study. Deep down
academia seems to hold a kind of envious and vindictive att itude toward independent resear chers and their work . Independent researcher Michael Tsarion explains this problem very well here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iakyRAUjwh4).
What we want to do here is look at the psychological or "metaphysical" interpre tations of the Py ramid structure having to do with astrology, number, geometry, and their relationship to consciousness. When we take t he py ramid object of 3 dimensions and flatten it into a 2 dimensional shape we get what is called a Maltese Cross.
Different cultures have different names for this octagonal shape. To the left here we see a Chinese rendition called the BaGua which is based on the I -Ching. The 64 Hexagrams of the I-Ching are themselves based on the 8 "trigrams" pictured in the BaGua. As y ou can see, the four directions of the central maltese cross have within them seasonal correspondences. The bottom arm of the cross corresponds to winter, the r ight arm to autumn, the
top arm to summer and the left arm to winter. All the other
correspondences also match up quite well with western Astrological concepts, and anyone familiar with western Astrology should be able to notice cert ain correlations. The BaGua is also used in Feng Shui to give ideas on how to structure and decorate one's home or work space.
The merging between the I-Ching and western Astrology is explored in more depth on the I-Ching page. When looking at the I-Ching itself there are tell tale signs of it having had some connection with Astrological understanding in the past, and we are just now beginning to uncover t he many fascinating and real connections between t hem.
Maltese Cross w ith the 4 Evangelicals, the 4 Elements and the 4 Seasons
Aztec Maltese Cross
The Maltese Cross and the pyramid symbolizes how we have four elements, but also three expressions of each of the four elements, Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable; the Modalities. This of course gives us the 12 signs of the Zodiac, but there are many other ways one may
conceptualize this basic 3/4 structure. From Alvin Boyd Kuhn's on page 99 we read:
(sic), The Ultimate Canon of Knowledge
As number is one of the natural categories, the role it plays in ancient semanticism is profoundly significant. One of c ourse represents the primal and ete rnal unity, and two the duality and polarity. The triad has its basic reference t o the first productivity of the primal parenthood, the tw o parents and their child. But four is the first number that expresse s the c ompleteness of a manifestation. This
would seem to say that the stability of organic life is not assured until it rests upon a fourfold base, as a table standing on its four legs. In Biblical symbolism the structure representing this truth is the Altar. It w as the base on which man could burn his sacrificial
offering to deity. And man's life does rest on a fourfold base eve n in consciousness and organization. For of the seve n principles postulated by the Egyptians as the full complement of t he compound of forces constituting the human organism, only the low er four
are in function. The evolution and exploitation of the upper three powers lie in the future. Through the implementation of the lower four man's conscious life functions at the four levels of sensations, emotion, thought and spirituality. It is truly enough seen that the fires of man's physical and psychic life burn on these four lowe r levels. His range of c onsciousness exte nds only over the area of t hese four distinct strata.
The four is seen in its relevance to the actuality of man's situation in the cosmos if we trace the origin and evolution of manifest life by the simplest symbolic forms. At the beginning of an epoch of manifestation, life emerges from the void, which must be represented by the circle zero, the most apt symbol of empty space. Then the fist appearance of organic existence must be represented by a dot in the center of a circle. Then as God first "moves on the face of the waters," the dot would move across the circle, dividing it into its upper and lowe r "firmaments." Plato describes this as the divine unity bifurcating in space, and it gives the first idea of the c ross. The establishment of the polarity pits the two forces at right angles to each other, giving the four-armed cross. God then squares the circle and life rests on its foursided base. But the trinity of spirit-matter-child operates in each of the four levels of consciousness, so that the ideal structure of human life is w ondrously symbolized by four triangles, giving basic value and significance to the two most prominent numerical symbols in all of the sacred S criptures of the w orld: seven as four plus three, and twelve , as four times three. Here we have the basis of two such amazing symbolic structures as the great pyramid of Gizeh with its four-sides base and its four triangular faces, and the zodiac, with its four eleme nts of earth, water, air and fire in three active phases. The zodiac in
particular is a mathematical structure o f the mo st amazing semantic significations, almost fathomless in its intimations. And the pyramid (meaning etymologically "a measure of fire") is no less suggestive of t he play of the fiery energies of o ur life in a marvelous
cosmic pattern. Of utmost importance for semantic understanding is the fact that the seven resulting from the addition of the four and the three is the number of the basic physical structure of the universe, while twelve, the number resulting from the multiplication of three and four, is the spiritual foundations of the w orld.
Can we account for the 36 Decans in the pyramidal structure? The answer is yes, by building three pyramids as was done at Giza. One pyr amid would be Cardinal, one Fixed, and the other Mutable. Each side of the py ramid would be of a part icular element, and the 3 corners of each triangle would symbolize t he three Decans of that sign.
In looking at the Zodiac itself, if one were to extend the markers between the Signs as shown above, it would form a Maltese Cross stretching beyond the original wheel. Ther e are 4 seasons composed of 3 months each, with each month signifying the beginning, middle and end. Moreover, as we've seen, each month can be further subdivided into 3 separate expressions or "resonance frequencies" called Decans, the Modalities within the Modalities. The above illustration is also very useful in understanding one's own numerological timeline as discussed on the Personal Timeline page. Each space of the Matlese Cross extending bey ond the wheel is filled with information pertinent to the individual's movement through space/time, i.e., the year.
Each of the elements (fire, water , air, earth) of course has it's "opportunity" to be one of modalities; Cardinal, Fixed or Mutable. When an element is in it's Cardinal expression, it is v ery energet ic in the terms of that element. For fire, i.e., Aries, this is especially energetic. For water, Cancer, this is highly energetic as well but in a very different "watery" way. The "highest" expression of water is total absorption of the environment and inclusion, adaptation and taking shape of whatever v essel one finds him or herself in. Whatever the element, if it is Cardinal there is an air of really taking up the baton and "marching forward" with the new element. This is
due to the fact that Cardinal elements have gone through an entire season with expr ession prior to their own, i.e., no sign of that element. For example if we look at Aries, the cardinal Fire sign, we see that it represents the first month of Spring (at least in the
northern hemisphere). When we look at the Winter months just prior Spring, we see no expression of Fire. Therefore Aries takes up the
four three
"baton of fire" and firmly est ablishes itself, ushering in a new season with it's own elemental ex pression. The same applies to the other Cardinal signs of Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.
When an element is in it's Fixed expression, one will notice that t he element is ex pressed both in the season prior (Cardinal) and the season following (Mutable). This lends perspective to the Fixed sign of what that element really means to the whole. The element is neither shooting forth with fresh energy (Cardinal) nor is it spiraling to a close and grounding itself for the following season of dormancy (Mutable). In essence t he Fixed position is the "spearhead" of the astr ological Trine, showing why Fixed signs can be such good
harmonizers and synthesizers of many different perspectives and possibilities. Balance between the "highest and lowest" is key for the Fixed position. The central Fixe d Decan of the F ixed signs is the 6, mapping to the 6t h Sephiroth of the T ree of Life and also the 6th line of the Lord's Pray er; The 6 is like a social "go betwe en" between higher more archety pal energies and lower more mate rial ones.
When an element is in it's Mutable ex pression, it is very down to Earth and attached to the realm of the "mundane." When most people think of mundane they think "boring," "unexciting," "unev entful," etc., etc. This is not the case at all. It is visceral, intense, and highly active, only Fixed and Cardinal individuals might not notice it as much as Mutable individuals do. The world is ver y much alive and surging with activity. The Mutable expression establishes itself in the , and it has much to do with the senses. They represent the "deepest" expression of the element. For example, Pisces, a Mutable Water sign, represents the "deepest" expressions of the element of Water. It is a sign of the Deep Waters of the Soul, the deep psy che, the subconscious, and deep intuition and sensitivity . It is also a sign of
poetry , art and dreams. Pisces the water element for it's "hibernation" during the following season before the next Cardinal expr ession in Cancer.
Apart from the Maltese Cross and the Pyramid, the above graphic is another useful way of understanding the 3/4 dy namic of Astrology, it's modalities and also the 3/4 structure of Kabbalah and Tarot. We see the reality of the 120 degree angle Trines indicated by the 6 pointed star. Here we can sort of bridge the meanings of the 90 degree angle Crosses and the 120 degree angle Trines and find a relationship between them.
For example, say someone gave you an actual shape and said "try to find one 120 degree angle imbedded within these perfect 90 degree right-angles." The way you would do this is to take the square and look at it from a particular angle, an angle which suggests a
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
world
grounds
hexagon (the center of the 6 pointed star) and also a cube. This is the to get a 120 degree angle to rev eal itself out of 90 degree angles. Within these 4 cornered right- angles or " hard aspects" as they 're sometimes called in astrology is a harmony of trinities or Tr ines which brings great balance to the element s as they expr ess themselves in different modalities (for more on the significance of the
structure of the cube see the Saturn section of the Planets page).
Note also that a cube has twelv e edges and six sides, numbers harmonious with 3.
The Swastika, Modality & the Torque Nature of Astrology
The Swastika is a very sacred symbol that has been used in many cultures (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika) throughout history. From the wikipedia entry, the Sanskrit word swastika.:
...
It is ver y ironic what this most sacred of symbols has come to be identified with. Most people associate it with Nazism, fascism and racism which, though understandable, is a shame for the symbol itself. I feel utter ly compelled to save it from it's association with terrible historical events and remove the negative associations of the word itself which literally has only the most positive of meanings. There is a documentary currently in the works delving into the history, world wide use, sacredness and also the current stigma surrounding this symbol called My Swastika (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm5Kjr2AyfY ).
It is truly a most fascinating symbol. From an astrological perspect ive t he Swastika shows how the Cross, as discussed on the Cross of Elements page, and turns in on itself Pictured above is a personal swastika I made utilizing both the I Ching and the Astrological wheel. Here is how it works basically.
We have t wo basic dualities or "charges," which are positive and negative, or masculine and feminine. If you have two positives, they repel, just like when trying to push the north poles of two magnets together. But, when you have positive and negative poles, they are drawn together and stick. This reminds me of the saying "what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object." It's a rhetorical type of riddle like Zen korans, but the answer may be that the universe is literally created. Within symbolism, astrology, the tarot, and other divination syste ms like the I Ching, we are finding analogues of advanced principles in physics, geometry, and
even .
In Astrology, positives are alway s opposite of positives (fire and air signs - masculine) and negatives are always opposite of negatives (water and earth signs - feminine). They "repel" each other. So, the "significant other" of these charges are not found in the opposite sign, but in the of the of the same modality, in a turning motion, which also gives us the Cross. For example, Taurus (earth) is opposite of Scorpio (water) and are both feminine or negative receptive charges; they "repel" each other. But, the "great cosmic war" of dynamic creation, which is simply at it's core and a "great cosmic copulation," occurs in the arching motion and the "t orque" bet ween these opposing signs, symbolizing spin. There is an unstoppable att raction between t he one positive arm of the Cross to the other negative arm of the Cross. They are pulling themselves toward one another in a very dynamic "spiraling" fashion, showing how no sign exists in total isolation from the others. They impact and create one another
only way
is composed of su- (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su-) meaning "good, well" and asti "to be" suasti thus means "well-being." The suffix -ka e ither forms a diminutive or intensifies t he verbal meaning, and suastika might thus be translated literally as "that which is associated with well-being,.."
spins .
genetics
opposite charge next sequential sign love
The video above e xplains this dynamic from a scientific perspect ive. Y ou may see the one line of balls as one arm of the cross, and the other line of balls as the other arm of the cross with an opposite charge. The measurable flow of energy these charges is what the arch of the swastika sy mbolically displays and without t his fundamental attraction every thing would fly to pieces in less than a microsecond.
Using the four F ixed signs as an example, y ou may follow along in this patter n with the Swastika pictured above. This is how the signs in essence "create" one another, showing that no sign is an island unto itself but is rather an amalgamation, balance point, or expre ssion of the space between the other signs surrounding it. As the saying goes, Nature abhors a vacuum. Picture energy or a ball of light moving around the Swastika in this 8 step process (or just use your cursor):
From Scorpio to T aurus opposite of it From Taurus arching to Leo
From Leo to Aquarius opposite of it From Aquarius arching to Taurus From T aurus to Scorpio opposite of it From Scorpio arching to Aquarius From Aquarius to Leo opposite of it
then from Leo arching back to Scorpio completing the cy cle
This is just one way of understanding the swastika in an astrological context. Y ou will notice that this 8 step process creates a kind of "double figure eight" pattern. The fact t hat it is an 8 step process is interest ing as well since the symbol of the number 8 is the "sy mbol of infinity." Oddly, though not too surprisingly after understanding the importance of t his symbol, the Nazis used t his schemata and other things they found in ancient texts to help with their physics experiments with anti gravity and locally engineering space/time. As Dr. Joseph Farrell outlines in his talk Nazi International (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd_sUOvR2vY), he fee ls Nazi scientists may
have discovered free energy with the help of this schemata and immediately weaponized it, which is of course insane. They then used their advanced technological discoveries as bar ter for freedom after WWII and continued the re search elsewhere, according to Farr ell. Regardless of this, it is a very important symbol to be aware of, especially in terms of ones astrological cross and the world soul as discussed on the Cross of Elements page and elsewhere on this site. The reason for this is found in the dynamic between the conscious and subconscious.
It may be helpful to understand the sy mbol of the Cross as this "world soul" which then becomes married, in a sense, to ones own soul that progressively sees itself mirrored "in the world." This is the crux of the Alvin Boyd Kuhn quotes at the top of the Cross of the
Elements page. T hrough studying the dynamics of nature and conceptualizing it within the mind, one comes to furt her underst and his or her own soul very deeply. These two "souls" are rather like the Twins, or Lovers, of Gemini, represented by the Lovers card in Tarot. These Lover s may also be seen as the conscious and subconscious pillars of ones being, the t wo arms of t he Cross. One ar m is conscious (mind, ego, spirit, identity, pe rsonality), and the other is subconscious (the body, the phy sical, the soul, the world, the DNA). There are many ways one could look at this and describe it, this is not the only way, but through seeing the dynamic "torque" pattern of the Swastika as symbolic of astrological modality, the conscious and subconscious aspects of being undergo what may be considered a "wedding," where harmony between the inner and outer can be struck through this marriage of seeming opposites.
between
The two arms of the Cross are like a magnet, and one might also consider the two pillars of the symbol of Gemini,♊, the Lovers, as being a tuning fork. One is dependent on the other. As depicted in the Lover s card, the male figure is holding a spear and the female figure is holding a cup. This symbology of the spear and cup, or the "I" and the "O" is discussed further below. The "I" may be likened to the suits of Swords and Wands, the masculine polarity (Will), whereas the "O" may be likened to the suits of Cups and Disks, the feminine polarity (Love). The balance of polarities is further symbolized, among other things, by the snake and the egg in the Lovers card, and also by the mobius strip with a single edge that is both and .
The cross pulls and attracts the same kinds of things to an individual over and over again that r equire alchemical refinement and distillation. Here we find the endless repetition of the Thanatos complex as discussed on the Cross of Elements page, but t here is a positive Eros side to the pr ocess as well. Even though the same kinds of things may get pulled to an individual over and over again, by understanding their process more deeply they may transmute the seeming friction of those very same "oppressive" archetypal
movements into cathartic, healing and ultimately highly creat ive expressions.
The experience of one's Cross may be summed up generally by the three characters pictured on the Fortune card in Tarot, being the card of Jupiter and whose number is 10. These three characters, Hermanubis, Ty phon and the Sphinx, r epresent Knowing, Doubting and Fate. One is comprised of all these elements t hat "spin" around one another, and one cannot st op the spinning by choosing favorites. Deep acceptance is w hat leads to "fortune," which then further aligns one with "destiny."
The conscious arm of the cross is indicated by an individuals Sun placement and Earth placement. For example, if the Sun was in Scorpio at the time of your birth, then that means through drawing a straight line directly opposite of it we come to the Earth Sign of Taurus. The unconscious arm of the cross is represented by the other two signs of the same modality but which are at a 90 degree angle from the first two signs. This arm of the cross governs
unconscious "body consciousness" indicated by the ar m of the cross 3 months before actual birth during the 3rd trimester. I n the case of conscious Sun sign Scorpio and conscious Earth
sign Taurus being the conscious arm, t hen Leo and Aquarius would represe nt the unconscious Sun and unconscious Earth signs of the unconscious arm. Trusting the Leo/Aquarius
unconscious arm is on par with trusting ones own physical body and physical reality, that materiality has its own kind of intelligence of incredible depth, but which is "unseen." Through contemplation of the torque nature of astrology one may enter into a deeper
The Lovers ~ Gemini - 6
inside outside
awareness and t rust with their unconscious arm by bringing it into greater harmony with the conscious arm. T he unconscious arm represents the "Doubt" of Typhon, whereas the conscious arm represents the "Knowing" of Hermanubis. The Sphinx is the entire cross itself, being Fate, representing the combined force of the four elements. Remember the pattern of the Swastika. The first, conscious arm of the cross may be considered a " surface road" on which you can actually see t he activity moving on it. Y ou have conscious access to your ex periences on this level. The unconscious arm, on the other hand, may be considered a tunnel. After one moves from Scorpio to
Taurus, we then move over the arch from Taurus to Leo. Leo represents the beginning of the unconscious tunnel, and whatever comes out the other side of t his unconscious tunnel in the opposite sign of Aquarius will then move over the arch and be fed back into Taurus, that is, back into consciousness. As the say ing goes, whatev er you "feed" the unconscious is what it will reflect back, only with an opposite "charge" or polarity . This then feeds back into ones conscious awareness. If t he process is passed through cleanly, then gre at gifts and wholeness of being is experienced mentally and lived out physically. And so on the patte rn continues, with both the positively and negatively charged arms of the cross feeding into one another in this "double figure eight" swastika pat tern.
This Cross and Swastika symbol of duality and opposition working together in harmonious turning and churning is found in the sign of Gemini itself in that Gemini is the sign opposite of Sagittarius. Sagittarius is in the direction of Galactic Center, and the symbol of Sagittarius is an arrow. This is the "arrow" pointing to the heart of our galaxy, the pleroma, the hub. This is why a large part of
Sagittarius in the Ge ne Key s knowledge is actually called the "Ring of Light." But, opposite of the cente r, Sagittarius, is Gemini, which is much further out and "away" from the G alactic Center, with Earth of course hanging in the middle of this duality . Gemini, among other things, represents finding ones reflection in the aby ss, or y ou could think of it as the br ight, self aware consciousness accepting the "dark" or hidden subconsciousness, finding its own "face" in it. T hese are t he Twins or Lovers becoming wed t hrough existence, and one cannot exist without the other. It is the pivot between these dualities that makes them inseparable, and this unity makes the duality itself a trinity, or rather a kind of triune unity. This trinity is again symbolized by the three characters of the Fortune card. In terms of the duality of the signs of Sagittarius and Gemini, repre senting the inner and outer galaxy (and even inner and outer galaxy), the trinity would then be made complete by the Earth itself, our reference point in the middle.
The Swastika & Modality
A great way to visualize and understand Modality is with this design I created that has a swastika symbol with a scythe shape to the arching that starts at the cross of the Solstices and Equinoxes (beginning of the Cardinal signs), and diminishing completely at the tip whilst approaching the next Solstice or Equinox (the ending of the Mutable signs). We can see here how the Cardinal and Mutable signs share a common ground, that is that t hey both touch the Solstices and Equinoxes. Right at the
change of the seasons, like from Fall to Winter for example at the Winter solstice on December 21st, we move from Mutable Sagittarius to Cardinal Capricorn. Remember always that Mutable basically
means The Mutable signs are where there is a of the time before and an anticipation, or ushering in, of the time ahead. This happens every year with the beginning and end of Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
But, each of the four seasons has it's definite . This "day" is symbolized by the Fixed signs, which are situated perfectly within the center of each season and is why they are actually called Fixed signs to not touch the beginning or the end of
seasonal cycles as indicated by the Solstices and Equinoxes, but are rather between them. This is also why the Fixed signs are
sometimes conceptualized as turrets or "watchtowers," or as the four Cherubim of the Lion (Leo), the Man (Aquarius), the Bull (Taurus), your
thick
changeable. dissolving
day in the Sun
and the Eagle (Scorpio). These four Cherubim, and the four Fixed signs from which they are derived, are seen as of the seasons and are used in much religious iconography. They are indeed , and by looking at the scythe shape of the swastika pattern above we see that the Fixed signs represent a kind of steady stream; a steady arching or influence that is neither "explosive" or charging ahead like t he Cardinal signs, nor "spread thin" and open to change like t he Mutable signs. One may t hink of this particular scy the shape as water shooting out of a hose in an arch. This is basically how the Modalities work. T he 'high energy' pressure right at the nozzle of the hose is represented by the Cardinal signs, the beginning of the seasons, where the line is . The 'steady stream' of the flowing water is represented by the Fixed signs. The 'dissipating droplets' of the water at the end of the arch, where the stream is losing it's shape, breaking apart and then hitting the ground, are represented by the Mutable signs. This is a useful analogy in many way s, for example
how Mutable signs are closely tied to t he Earth and possess a quite v isceral relationship to physical reality. T his is especially true of the sign Virgo and it's Double Mutable decan the 1 0 of Disks, the last card of the Minor Arcana.
As discussed here and on the Minor Arcana page, the Minor Arcana and the sephiroth on the Tr ee of Life show how the 12 divisions of the se asons further divide into 36 zones called the Decanates. Each sign of the Zodiac has within itself 3 ex pressions, and the 3
expr essions of each sign may be thought of as "Modalities within Modality." The first zone of a sign is Cardinal, the second is Fixed, and the t hird is Mutable. Hence, a Mutable sign like Virgo has within itself a Cardinal expression within the first 1 0 degrees, a Fixed
expr ession in the second 10 degrees, and of course it's Double Mutable e xpression in the t hird and last 1 0 degrees.
The dead center of each season is found within the "Double Fixed" areas of Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius and Taurus, the fixe d areas of the fixed signs. The second card of these signs are comprised of the four 6s in T arot, which directly corresponds to the 6t h sphere on the Tree of Life, Tipareth. As stated before, each season has it's "day in the sun." The four Double Fixed areas are exactly that day in the Sun. The 6th sphere on the Tree of Life is indeed attributed to the Sun/Son. It is the "central hub," the radiant center where "heaven and earth" meet and is often called the "Seat of the Soul." In the Lords Prayer, the line "on Earth as it is in Heaven" is attributed to the Double Fixed area of the Seasons in Tipareth. In fact, all ten lines of the prayer describe the ten Sephiroth of the Tree of Life from Kether to Malkuth.
1 - Kether: Our Father
2 - Chokma: Who art in Heaven 3 - Binah: Hallowed be thy Name 4 - Chesed: Thy kingdom come 5 - Geburah: Thy will be done
6 - Tipareth: On earth as it is in heaven 7 - Netzach: Give us this day our daily bread
8 - Hod: And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us 9 - Yesod: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
10 - Malkuth: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever unto the ages, Amen. An excellent short book on this subject is Many P. Hall's
Notice that 1 and 10 are related her e. They repre sent both the beginning and the end, which might lead one to ask " is there such a thing as a beginning or an end?" Y es and no. Yes in that all ends are really beginnings and all beginnings are really ends, but no in that they cannot ex ist isolated
from each other as stand alone concepts. is ultimately . Ther e is no difference, and one
is not "higher" or "more exalted" than the other. This 10 step process does, in a way, show how the highest of spiritual concepts and aspirations (1) are perfectly mirrored within the many functions of the physical universe itself (10).
The Personal Swastika
There is an irony in using the swastika to better understand Jewish Mysticism. But once we remove the stigma these symbols begin to compliment one another in an amazing way showing the torque nature of astrology, a great way to conceptualize the seasons, and also a way to bett er understand one's Cross as it exists within the seasons themselv es.
Whichever Cross you have, there is a useful meditation, or contemplation, of the energy dispersion between all the 4 elements of that specific Cross. The Decans allow one to be much more precise in this, and on the I Ching page this process will get e ven more tailored to
guardians fixed
thick
Cabalistic Keys to the Lord's Prayer (http://www.amazon.com/Cabalistic- Keys- Lords-Prayer-Manly/dp/08931 43081/ ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321985409&sr=8-1 -fk mr0).
Our Father the kingdom, the powe r and the glory
the individual with great er pin-point accuracy. If an individual was born during the 7 of Disks decan, for ex ample, then this would be their 8 st ep "infinity " pr ocess, bringing greater harmony between the four elements:
From the 7 of Disks to the 7 of Cups opposite of it From the 7 of Cups arching to the 7 of Swords From the 7 of Swords the 7 of Wands opposite of it From the 7 of Wands arching to the 7 of Cups From the 7 of Cups to the 7 of Disks opposite of it From the 7 of Disks arching to the 7 of Wands
From the 7 of Wands to the 7 of Swords opposite of it
Then from the 7 of Swords arching back to t he beginning, the 7 of Disks
So just as the Swast ika helps us understand the fixed cross of the Seasons, so too it helps one understand their own birth Cross configuration the seasons. As seen on the Decanate Cross Meanings page, each of the M inor Arcana/Decanate Crosses are called the "Cross of 2s," "Cross of 6s," "Cross of 9s," etc. One might also call these crosses the "Swastika of 2s," "Swastika of 6s," "Swastika of 9s" etc.
The 4 specific arch stages that take place between the Conscious and Unconscious arms of the Cross are of vital importance. They represent "breakthroughs" since these are the areas that 'bind' or marry the two aspects of being together. They represent one's
personal IONic process, where I ON "horribly melts into the opposite of himself." This is dealt with more in depth on the I Ching page.
As Kuhn makes clear in 'The Ultimate Canon of Knowledge,' it is imperative to make conceptions of nature using the intellect. No matt er if the conceptions are subtle or grandiose, and no matter if it is done through astrology, poet ry or art, the act itself of plowing into nature and planting it deeply within one's being can only lead to a more enlightened and balanced state of awareness that's reflected both t hrough the heart and the intellect, both through the the conscious and the unconscious, and both through the Self and the Other . Kabbalah, Numerology, t he I Ching, Astrology and Tarot show this process of integration in great detail, where there is an intricate overlapping of meaning betwe en different
parts, marrying them together.
As stated in the Rose Cross section of the Cross of the Elements page, cells die and cells are created all the time, just as life and human beings themselves die and are cre ated at all times. The same dynamic applies to philosophy and spirituality. In short, if one is not willing
to be obliterated, he or she is losing out on the opportunity t o find themselv es in a realm of unity and unspeakable tr ust in the Universe. One does not have to wait for physical death to bring this awareness "down to earth." Remember the Sufi saying "die before you die," the Thelemic aphorism "die daily," and also the 6th line of the Lords Pray er; This has every thing to do with the balance of opposites and seeing the Unity inherent in all dualities, which in the Astrological contex t then becomes as
illustrated in the resonator T rine relationships at the top of this page (see also Venus on the Planets page).
Obtaining one's "heavenly wings" requires a process of deconstructing one's conditioning. The Swast ika is a perfect symbolic analogue of this process, that out of seeming destruction and entropy comes forth intense creation and syntropy . The only problem is when the mind or ego sabotages the process because it does not want to go to be annihilated through giving up it's seeming "power." T he sanctity of the process itself makes it impossible for the "impure" or fearful to undergo it. One might conceptualize it in the same way Zozimos
envisioned, as a place where people walk into a room and then "burst into flames," where they are "boiled alive," etc. Many, when confronted with the necessity of this act of obliteration, turn back immediately out of fear. Some of t he more fearless may obtain a taste of it and then return themselv es to a more conditioned state of being again. For others still this process may occur spontaneously and is what may be termed a "personal Apocalypse." Remember that in the vision of Zozimos, ION "pulls the skin off of his (Zozimos') head."
This is perfectly concordant with t he literal meaning of the apocalypse, which originally meant "r emoving a leather covering." In other words, apocalypse simply means to rev eal that which is beneath the "skin." "Skin," "covering," or "leather" is likely a metaphore for the
persona, the conscious arm of the Cross that may become afraid of letting go, of embracing it's own seeming obliteration and of losing it's I-dentity, thinking it "runs the whole show." Remember that the conscious arm of the Cross generally represents the ego, who we consciously perceive we ar e. T hrough this process the ego undergoes a kind of crucifixion and is subsequently redeeme d into wholeness with one's entire Being. If the conscious arm of the Cross is operating correctly through trust, t hen the unconscious (the body itself, DNA,
within
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
cells, certain areas of the brain; every thing you do not to be aware of) begins to light up and subsequently the conscious arm with deeper knowing.
Here in the Dendera Zodiac, discovered in the Hathor T emple at Dendera in Egypt, we find very interesting correlations between Egypt, Kabbalah, the Western My stery T radition and the Western Zodiac. Within this Zodiac there
are 36 Decans pictured on outer edge of the inner circle. The 1 2 signs of the Zodiac are also pictured as figures holding up the wheel. These figures show the dynamic interplay of the Modalities which is perfectly in line with our
understanding of the Swastika. Remember t hat the Mutable and Cardinal signs "share a common ground" at the pe riods of the Solstices and Equinoxes, and that the F ixed signs are what might be considered "stand alone" Modalities that represent each season's "day in the sun." The 12 figures holding up the wheel of 36 Decans illustrate this dynamic beautifully. At the points of the Solstice and Equinoxes we see two Horuses facing each other and sharing a common space with their arms interlocked. This illustrate s the "passing of the baton" as it were
from season to season, from Mutable t o Cardinal. In bet ween t hese changing times is seen a female figure standing alone, indicating a single arch of the Swastika between seasons. These four solitary and pillar-like female figures represent the four Fixed months of the year, being the central month of each season; Scorpio (the eagle), Taurus (the bull), Leo (the lion) and Aquarius (the man).
Ther e is a fascinating correlation between the four female figures of the Dendera Zodiac shown here and the four Cherubim as described in the Book of Ezekiel. From the wikipedia entry on the Cherubim we read:
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezekiel)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throne_of_God)
The four Fixed zones of the Zodiac do indeed "sustain the throne of God," and in looking at the Zodiac of Dendera, we might be looking at another representation as to why each of the four Cherubim have four wings each. On each side of the Fixed zones are two figures symbolized by the Hawk headed god Horus, indicating the Mutable and Cardinal signs, the "beginning and end" sharing a common ground. So, on each side of the F ixed zones may be considered "four wings." T wo of these wings "ex tend upward" and "sustain the throne of God" (Cardinal-beginning of season), and two stretch "downward" and "cover the creatures of themselves" (Mutable-end of season). What we have when connecting this astrological template to the Kabbalistic Tr ee of Life are Double Mutable Decans (the 1 0s) coming into contact with the Double Cardinal Decans (the 2s). The Double Cardinal Decans, the 2s, are at t he highest position on the Tree in comparison to the other Decans, within the sphere of Chokma, sometimes called the "Celestial Sphere." These four Decans, like in our hose analogy of ex plaining the Swastika above, "extend upward" and powerfully sustain the overall flow of the seasons.
The Double Mutable Decans, the 10s, are at the lowest position on the Tree, in the sphere of Malkuth, The Kingdom. This is the sphere of the Earth, the four Decans of which "extend downward" and cover the creatures of the Earth. What we have with the symbolism of two Horuses facing each and interlocking their arms at t hese points in the Zodiac are t he Alpha and Omega meeting each other, where the Ouroboros serpent swallows its own tale in a great circle, where we get sayings like "coming full circle," and which also contains the meaning of Zozimos' vision where ION "melts into the opposite of himself," i.e., Omega (the end) dissolving into Alpha (the beginning). All ends are also beginnings, and all beginnings are also ends.
Perfect ly situate d between these beginning and end points of t he Solstices and Equinoxes are the Fixed points, Kabbalistically mapping to the 6th sphere of Tipareth, the sphere of miracles and of christ consciousness, the "Seat of the Soul" where in the Lord's Prayer it is said "On Earth as it is in Heaven."
The Ego, I-King, Thinking & the I-Ching
need feeds
The prophet Ezekiel describes cherubim as a tetrad of living creatures, each having four faces: of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. They are said to have the stature and hands of a man, feet of a calf, and four wings each. Two of the wings extended upward, meeting above and sustaining the throne of God ; while the other two stretched downward and cove red the creatures themselves.
The symbolism of the 10th card of the Major Arcana, Fortune, the card of Jupiter, holds many more secrets for the empowerment of the individual. The word "individual" has within it "In - divide - dual" which basically means or and the word "secret" itself is very close to the word "secrete." What we are approaching here is the elixir of Selfhood, a veritable . As we hav e seen with the symbol of the swast ika, the identity has within it a fundamental duality, that of feminine and masculine
"charges," the conscious and the subconscious, self and other, etc. The reconciliation of these two aspects of being leads to alchemical transformations and an experience of greater wholeness within the individual. The process of ION is essentially a process of what Jung called "individuation." Through the polarization of positive and negative charges comes a torque dynamic, giving us the 'walking' motion of the swastika where these dual aspects of being are drawn inexorably t oward one another. T here is an intrinsic Unity within this formula which is "indivisible."
The spontaneous enlightenment of art ist and poet ManWoman (htt p://manwoman.net/ ) involved a conscious surrender to this
dynamic, leading to what I can only interpret as a Universal embodiment of all that is, where no lines or distinctions were made between Self and God, conscious or unconscious, etc. As stated on his website concerning this quite unex pected experience, there was gre at turbulence, like jets of energy, that grew stronger as he was drawn closer to this symbol, until at one point he had to surrender to it, to face a "holy obliteration" as it were. It is very interesting that he chose the name "ManWoman" after this experience since within this symbol we see how t he masculine and feminine polarities of Being are drawn t ogether in a sacred union; a dance of Universal Lov e and Creation.
The dynamic of turbulence or some kind of "sacrifice" or "surrender" pr eceding enlightenment is seen in all the world's most important stories where a character of one kind or other experiences union with what could be termed the "Divine Order." We have Jesus crucified upon the , Zozimos mutilated into and "burned upon the altar of the Art," the Norse god Odin hanging from the tree of Yggdrasil to achieve enlightenment, Siddhartha (Buddha) declaring that "life is suffering" and himself achieving enlightenment under a
tree, and the Egyptian story of the death, mutilation and eventual resurrection of Osiris. In the Tarot we have the 12th card of the Major Arcana, the , a card indicating "sacrifice" (a word closely connected to sacred, sacrament, and also the chakra of sexuality
and life-force, the ) whose legs form a Cross. All this imagery and all these stories have one thing in common, that of illuminating the dept hs of the phy sical elements with the light of consciousness. The themes of surrender, death and subsequent enlightenment are apparent t hroughout.
Here we enter the "problem" of the I - ego, or the "problem" of narcissism. These things are actually not problems at all in the right doses and utilized in the right way . The only issue is that of authenticity and legitimacy. Each individual his or her own Horus, their own Buddha, their own ION, their own Odin, and indeed their own Jesus. In short, each individual is responsible for his or her own redemption, for lack of a better term. The tools are found right inside the archetypal landscape, but throughout time the
syst emization of religion has cordoned off these important stories into a realm completely "outside" of one's Self, to be worshipped as Other, as separate , and as some nebulous template that is practically Organized religion therefore has put the cart before the horse, greatly distorting and dishonoring the soul development of individuals by projecting the most important t ropes av ailable to us into this realm of the unattainable, in essence divorcing the concept of Power from the concept of the Self right at t he root.
Spiritual perfection is not unattainable though. Something in the past must have happened that for Kings to rise, and for them to rule their throngs of "lowly subjects." In this world of power games, the only currency is consciousness. In many backwards systems of rulership, the dictator is often given the role of priest as well, as some god-like religious arbiter of ultimate truth. But the keys for personal sovereignty and redemption are purely within and cannot be given, dictated, or rationed out by an outside agency. The very idea that such might be the case has lead to great errors and deviations in the psycho-spiritual history of humanity, stunting freedom and giving rise to all manner of ty ranny. Secrets are kept, secre t orders abound, and important information is guarded like gold at fort knox where an impenetrably thick line is drawn between the "rulers" and the "ruled," the "initiated" and the "uninitiated," the "haves" and the "have nots," etc. There may have been a point in history where occult information was best kept hidden, where the approach of individuals to the inner sanctuaries was to be highly sy stematized, rigid, rigorous and kept thoroughly secret under penalty of death. This have serv ed some important function long ago, but in these times such a dynamic is causing infinitely more harm than good to
the human family. As Kuhn stat ed in his book on page 4:
undivided unable to be divided,
Fountain of Youth Cross 4parts Hanged Man Sacral is squarely unattainable. allowed may
The Esoteric S tructure of the Alphabet
While modern intelligence aims to disseminate its blessings ove r the w idest popular area, hoping that it may edify the mass body of people generally, the sages of old act ed upon a different est imate of the possibilities in the c ase. They appraised the cultural potential
