Esoteric (Soul) Astrology What is the Soul? The Great Invocation About the Rays The Plan Initiation Wesak Festival of Illumination The Festival of Humanity Summer Solstice Ray 3: Builder of Intelligence History of the Sun and Earth Fire in the Heart Immaculate Conception Autumn Equinox The Path of Discipleship Chiron in Scorpio Sound from the Galactic Center The Earth The Lamp Saturn, Dweller on the Threshold Winter Solstice Defining the Terms of the New Age Light Evolution and the Zodiac Neptune in Aquarius Jupiter in Pisces The Science of Service Pondering Unity & Service DK's Disciples Study Group The Light of Pisces Pisces as Christ, or Soul, Principal The Mind of Aries The Lords of Aries Spring Equinox : A Resurrection The Fire and Light of Aries Mercury, The Messenger of the Gods The Resurrection of Christ DK's Disciples Study Group Meditation Lords of Taurus The Light Force from Shamballa Sacred Geometria and Symbols of Wesak Ray 4 and the Art of Living Desire Mercury, Venus & Earth in Relation to Gemini Polarity & Duality Music of the Cherubim The Light of Virgo & the Light of Initiation The United Nations The Rays & Capricorn The Three Crosses of Consciousness The Mystery of the Sphinx Venus: Sacred Ray 5 Planet Virgo's Planetary Rulers & Rays Libra Begins the Soul Year The Sixth Sense Inspiration What is Compassion? Right Human Relations The Brain, the Mind, the Soul, and Knowledge Constitution of Man The Esoteric Interpretation of Christmas The Christmas Tree George W. Bush Astrologically The Soul Invocation: Creating the Rainbow Bridge			What is Esoteric (Soul) Astrology? Esoteric Astrology is Soul-centered astrology. Different in its focus and purpose than personality (mundane) astrology, Esoteric Astrology was first introduced by the Tibetan Master Dhjwal Kuhl in the Alice Bailey books written in the first half of 1900. Sign rulership are different in Esoteric Astrology than the rulers used in mundane or personality astrology. Interpretations in Esoteric Astrology are based upon full knowledge of the Seven Creative Rays of Energy emanating from the Big Dipper. Since everything manifests in threes, Soul or Esoteric Astrology is the 2nd level of astrological interpretation given to humanity. The timing and availability of esoteric astrological information relates to humanity's developmental stage. In the last years prior to the millennium change and the beginning of our entrance into the Aquarian Age, the Soul of humanity and of Earth is to become a reality. Esoteric Astrology, as written in the Bailey texts, is a preparation and explanation for Soul infusion. There is yet a third level astrology called Spiritual Astrology, again, with different rulerships than either the mundane or Esoteric, and more information will be given to humanity at the appropriate developmental time. What is the Soul? The Soul is a five-pointed star six inches above the head of an individual. Acting as a bridge it hovers between form (our bodies) and essence (Spirit). The Soul is not Spirit. The Soul purifies the personality (body, mind, emotions) for the entrance of Spirit. When a strong personality is cleansed, the Soul departs and Spirit enters the body. For millions of years humanity has been preparing the personality for this event and we are now on the threshold. The electrical waves presently dropping to Earth from Aquarius, Jupiter and Uranus will accelerate a Soul Infusion. This is a global event. Great Invocation The following is The Great Invocation, a world prayer given after the second World War, calling humanity to join The New Group of World Servers, an esoteric group of men and woman working for world peace. It is said to be part two of The Lord's Prayer. All around the globe people link up spiritually through the use of this invocation and it will be the focus of prayer on January 23rd. I have included it here so you may link up also. Do not be deterred by the words "man" and "'Christ." "Man" is Sanskrit for mind and "Christ" is a job description of The One From The Sun Who is Light. The prayer works by understanding that sound creates reality through the use of the vowel sounds A-Ah-E-I-O-U-Y. By sounding The Great Invocation we each form one more light on the grid surrounding planet Earth and we also enter into the work of Service to Humanity. The Great Invocation From the point of Light within the mind of God Let light stream forth into the minds of men. Let Light descend to Earth. From the point of love within the Heart of God Let love stream forth into the hearts of men. May Christ return to Earth. From the center where the Will of God is known Let purpose guide the little wills of men. The purpose which the Masters know and serve. From the center which we call the race of men Let the Plan of Love and Light work out. And may it seal the door where evil dwells. Let Light, Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.   from the Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul as written in the Alice Bailey texts and published by Lucis Trust, New York City. The Seven Rays Stand outside in the darkness of night, look up into the sky and locate the Big Dipper. The seven stars in this configuration are called The Seven Rays and it is from here that all of life is impulsed. Each of the stars has a responsibility to aid humanity in its evolution. Each individual, country, nation, mineral, and plant works with one or two primary Rays both on the personality and Soul levels. Following is a chart of the Rays and their influence. Ray 1 is Will and Power Ray 2 is Love/Wisdom Ray 3 is Active Intelligence Ray 4 is Harmony Through Chaos Ray 5 is Concrete Science Ray 6 is Aspiration, Devotion, Faith and Religion Ray 7 is Synthesis and Ceremonial Ritual History is a result of one or more of these Rays being poured down onto humanity. For example the past 2,000 years has been influenced by Ray 6, (the Ray of devotion, religion and aspiration). Ray 6 began to withdraw at the time of the Renaissance. Ray 5 (concrete science) was in full force prior to World War II and resulted in the atomic bomb. Presently with the advent of the Aquarian Age Ray 7 (synthesis through the mind and use of ritual and ceremony) is being poured down onto Earth and is working with Ray 5 in order to include heart with science. This will lead to Ray 2 of Love and Wisdom.   The 5th Ray is also called The Revealer of Truth, The Door into the Mind of God, The Guardian of the Door, The Dispenser of Knowledge, the Keeper of the Secret and the Master of the Hierophants. The 5th Ray works with lasers, rockets, other solar systems, communications sciences, light and electricity. It has been said that science will reveal the existence of God, the originating Energy. The 7th Ray is the ray of Synthesis. Organized knowledge will require ritual and ceremony. These activities provide a chalice for the Soul to enter matter. Ceremonies and rituals will be reconstructed to reflect the cycles of the solstices and equinoxes, the new and full moons and the entrance of our Sun into a different constellation each month.   Further reading can be found in Alan Oken's Soul Centered Astrology and Burmeister's Seven Rays Made Visible. The Plan The information in Night Light News often refers to something called The Plan. In the dictionary the word 'plan' means: Foundation (Taurus), arrangement of a structure, a piece of ground, a scheme or program for making, doing or arranging something. To plan is to design, schedule, outline, and is a method of proceeding. It also means to have in mind, a project or purpose, formulated beforehand. It implies the use of skill in executing and arranging a design. With the use of the imagination (Pisces), the plan precedes the outcome. Our focus this month is the Sun transmitting the rays of Taurus. Taurus, an earth sign, is responsible for the Plan of Evolution. Taurus is the home of the Pattern Makers or Archetype Lords, names which reflect Taurus' purpose. It is the responsibility of the Taurean hierarchy to create, hold and filter to Earth, through the planet Venus, bits and pieces of the Plan for evolution. Now Taurus receives its information from the star Ray 4 in the Big Dipper. Ray 4 is called the Art of Living Ray which works itself out on Earth by presenting us with raw materials (also called Chaos) in order that with our minds we may fashion order and beauty. There is a deeper level to the planet Venus than just the idea of love, sex and beauty. Venus also represents the mind which can forge order out of chaos and beauty out of raw materials. Remember the Venusian Lords gave humanity the seeds of the mind 18 million years ago. And it has taken us up to the present time to activate those mental seeds. The entire universe, with Earth acting a very small though important part, functions within a Plan fashioned long ago when night ruled the Earth. (Remember "night" is a code word as mentioned in our first issue.) Presently the Plan for humanity is the ending of time as we know it. The structure of time, a concept needed when working within dense matter, produces separation, polarities, and eventually, misunderstandings. It is through the cessation of time that synthesis takes place between all kingdoms, minds, races, religions and belief systems. Have you noticed time has speeded up, the electro-magnetic field has lowered and the frequency is shifting to the next dimension? Initiation Initiation means beginning. Spiritually it means passing into higher levels of wisdom. Esoterically, initiation means an ever increasing entrance into the mysteries of creation, an understanding of causation, and entails an understanding of unity and essential oneness. Initiations mark a point of spiritual attainment and ever increasing enlightenment. Initiation is not a secret but an experience open to all of humanity. The Masonic Lodges understand this information and use ceremony and sacred geometrical formations to mark passages of initiations. The Catholic Church has initiation information embedded in their daily Mass ritual. Both organizations have forgotten the inner mysteries while still enacting the outer form. While living in the Earth's sphere humanity must pass through five major physical initiations. These are reflected in the five aspects in the life of Jesus the Christ. The five initiations of Jesus (and of humanity) were: 1) birth, 2) baptism, 3) transfiguration (flooded with light), 4) crucifixion, and 5) resurrection. Each initiation is governed and influenced by one or more planets, by a note, a color, and a Ray from a star in the Big Dipper. After each initiation the aspirant moves up the ladder (Jacob's ladder in the Bible) of evolution and eventually off the wheel of rebirth. Further initiations offer the choice to either stay and work within the realms of Earth or inhabit other planets, stars or solar systems and different fields of evolutionary endeavor. Several advanced Souls, when selecting the place for their further initiations, chose Planet Earth, staying and helping until humanity's complete liberation is achieved. Jesus Christ, the Buddha and Sanat Kumara, the Regent from Venus, are a few of the more well-known Beings who made this compassionate choice. For this we are grateful. Wesak Festival of Illumination Ancient Wisdom teachings consider Wesak the most significant moment of the year when an actual heavenly event takes place and manifests upon the Earth. The Wesak Festival is considered to be a time when God Himself, transmitting through the Buddha and the Christ, releases a blessing upon Earth. It has been celebrated for centuries in India as a holy and public holiday and always occurs during the Buddha Full Moon. This year it occurs April 22 to May 18th. During this time, humanity can place itself completely in line with spiritual forces unavailable at any other time during the year. The force from this blessing spiritually stimulates and prepares us to more completely serve the Plan. Not far from Nepal and surrounded by the Himalayan mountains is a protected area of land. A path, winding its way through narrow passages, eventually opens up to a valley covered with green grass. Several days before the Full Moon, spiritual seekers enter the valley and set up colorful tents in the southern and middle sections. The north section of the valley is unoccupied except for a very large flat rock upon which is set a large crystal bowl filled with water. Just before Full Moon the Christ, Lords, Masters, Archangels and Illumined Ones who watch over planet Earth gather around the rock to pray and move in geometrical formations (circles, cross, triangle and six-pointed star). These sounds, tones and shapes create a unified atmosphere of spiritual demand, readiness, and expectancy. Eventually all eyes are turned skyward. A few minutes before the exact time of the Full Moon a tiny speck of light can be seen in the sky. As it comes closer and grows in clarity, the form of the Buddha, saffron-robed and in the cross-legged position, can be seen descending. At the very moment of the Full Moon the Buddha, hovering directly above the rock, extends His hand in a blessing toward the Christ who, representing humanity, receives it for distribution. The Great Invocation is then intoned, sending a thought current of gratitude from humanity to God Himself. As the Buddha pours forth His Blessing of Illumination and the Christ in turn pours forth His Blessing of Love, the atomic and molecular structure of the water changes, becoming infused with Wisdom. It is then distributed in small portions and taken out into the world to be shared. The Wesak Festival is a potent moment of intensive spiritual service made by humanity to God, and God to humanity, via the Buddha and the Christ. For the eight minutes of this celebration the entire universe links up uniting humanity with the Source of our creation. We call this source God. The spiritual effects remain until the next Wesak Festival. The Festival of Humanity   The third most important Full Moon of each solar year is the Gemini Full Moon, or Festival of Humanity, which occurs this year before dawn on June 16, 2000 at 3:27 (PDT). It is also called the Christ Full Moon, the Festival of Goodwill, or World Invocation Day. The two previous important Full Moons were Aries and Taurus, both of which gathered and held specific frequencies to be distributed to Earth at the third, and this month's, Full Moon of Gemini. Ancient Wisdom teaches that world peace will occur when every being demonstrates the capacities of Goodwill and Right Human Relations. These qualities are just now being brought to consciousness in the human family. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the Gemini/Sagittarius Full Moon to stimulate and orient humanity toward such attributes. All seven branches of human endeavor &emdash; the political, educational, philosophical, artistic, scientific, religious, and financial fields &emdash; are influenced and stirred to adjust themselves toward Goodwill and Right Human Relations. When one's intentions are focused on the energy of Goodwill, the unifying core of self and others is released, which, in turn, creates understanding and global unity. The intention and, therefore, activation of Goodwill releases the freedom, wisdom, and love that resides in the Heart of the Sun. This is an esoteric mystery. But if you take the words literally, and ponder on them, you will understand. Gemini is responsible for humanity's evolution through the use of the mind principle. Sagittarius is responsible for making the mind principle available. The Lords of Sagittarius presently activate the very seeds of the mind originally given to young humanity by Venus over eighteen million years ago. During this month's Full Moon, the star Ray 2 in the Big Dipper and Sirius, to the left of Orion's Belt and the brightest in our night sky, infuse pure Love frequencies into the Gemini/Sagittarius constellations. These then descend to the Sun and into Mercury and Venus. From these two planets, and through the ministration of the Christ and the Hierarchy, Love is distributed to Earth. It's quite a journey. The colors, if we could see them, are midnight blue, pink, and green. The particular combination of the two stars, two constellations, the Sun, the three planets (Earth is the receiver) and the three colors (there are also tones) produce the fiery energy of Goodwill released all over the world during the Full Moon days. And the result is the activity we call Love. But it's not the love of romance or feeling or sex. It is the Love of knowledge, or Intelligent Love, which, in turn, creates the willingness to serve as a link of Goodwill, or point of Light, for peace on Earth. When this particular light energy touches Earth, it is penetrated slowly by our mental, emotional, and etheric fields. The energy of Goodwill released during the Festival of Humanity thus conditions our thoughts, words, emotional reactions and responses, activities, and relationships. It affects everyone. But it works more effectively when we are aware of the timing, activities, and design taking place. Summer Solstice   June 21st is the Summer Solstice, the high point of our solar year, when nature is at perfection. The magical transformation of hard brown seeds into flower and color has culminated. The solstices and equinoxes tell us a story about light four times a year. Light pierced the heart of matter (the core of the Earth) during Winter Solstice, when Earth was in darkness. At Spring Equinox, the light rose from the core of the Earth and touched the roots with a globe of fire. Now, at Summer Solstice, there is a powerful radiation of released light in plants and trees. Their waving about is actually a movement of ecstasy. Earth is in a state of joy and well-being. Angelic beings, fairies, and devas can be contacted more easily and intimately at this time. Summer Solstice marks the time when their great work of mixing and manipulating color, light, and sound to produce chlorophyll in plants is complete. In the etheric realms, fairy dancing and feasting takes place in fields and meadows everywhere in northern latitudes. Shakespeare's Midsummer's Night Dream describes accurately the inner workings of nature during Summer Solstice. Filled with drama concerning occult truths and the Mysteries of Initiation, the play lasts for four days, the same amount of time the Sun in Cancer is poised at its northernmost position perpendicular to the Earth. A marriage feast performed by the fairies at this time acknowledges the uniting of the feminine (receptive Earth) and masculine (radiating Light) poles. This is also the significance of Cancer's glyph. The Hierarchy of Cancer, also called the Cherubim, are responsible for the appearance of all forms on Earth. It is through Cancer that birth is made possible. Summer Solstice is under the guardianship of the Archangel Uriel, the constellation Cancer, and Sirius, the star that stimulates the power of beauty. Ray 3: Builder of Intelligence   Everything is Mind (manas in Sanskrit) and everything is the Mind of God. Mind permeates all of life. It was through the thought of God, translated into sound, that life one day burst forth into all the infinite forms of Earth and the Heavens. All matter, being made from Mind, has intelligence, even what we see as inert stones and minerals. And everything is attracted to light, which marks the path of evolution. Ray 3 (active intelligence) from the Big Dipper transmits intelligence into matter. Streaming down from the Big Dipper, Ray 3 pours itself into Cancer, the sign of creation, then into the Sun to pick up the energies of Love-Wisdom, passing into the Moon and Neptune before reaching all the kingdoms of Earth. Intelligence in the mineral kingdom is manifested in minerals' magnetism and radioactivity, by the geometry of crystals and gemstones, and the fact that they are the chemicals and minerals needed by other forms of life (plant, animal, and human) to live. Intelligence is manifested in the plant kingdom by the plant's ability to root in the soil to find nutrients, their attraction to the life-giving rays of the Sun, and by their ability to produce color and perfume. Animals manifest their intelligence through their instincts to survive, their devotion to humanity, and their attempt to form a beginning understanding or consciousness about life. The next step of animal intelligence will be to individualize into human form. Humanity manifests intelligence by the ability to not only perform all of the above, but also through the use of the thinking process, one step beyond instincts. Humans are able to analyze, use logic, gain knowledge through choice, and apply creative solutions. The quality of intelligence still to emerge in the human kingdom is intuition. Most of what we call intuition, or the psychic, today is actually an advanced state of instinctual knowing. Ray 3 expresses itself through the mind like a constant, steady heartbeat, impulsing humanity to take action, use the faculty of choice leading to discrimination, and make mistakes in order to gain knowledge. Working through Cancer, Ray 3 is responsible for the consciousness of the masses of humanity to express itself, which is also an activity of the intelligent mind. In the world of form we can either create or destroy through our use of words. Creative ideas, abstract thinking, inventions, study, analysis, math, and the communicative arts are the results of Ray 3 influence. The game of chess comes under this Ray, as do astrologers, time-keepers, and thinkers. Ultimately, Ray 3 is responsible for humanity's identification as creative beings working within the Mind of God. This being within the Mind of God is not something that will occur sometime in the future. We are the mind of God. It's our identification that Ray 3 keeps working on, constantly. During this month, as the Sun transmits the power of creativity from the Cancer Hierarchy, perhaps we will get a glimmer of this identification. The fairies know it. That's why they celebrate during this month of Cancer. History of the Sun and Earth   As the Sun distributes to Earth the influences from different constellations each month, and this particular month the energies are from Leo and Rays 1, 2, and 5, it is important to our greater picture of reality to note that our Sun's fiery luminosity was not always available to humanity. A long time ago, before the globe of the Earth was formed, several molten, fiery. and gaseous areas on the Sun began to solidify and form mineral crusts or islands. The Sun, with its high vibration of fire, began to throw off the encrusted mineral parts, which, in time, became the planets. The first to be thrown off were Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars. Later the Earth, with its Moon, was sent forth, followed by Venus and Mercury. The Sun's magnetism set the circular motions of the planets, with the closeness or distance of each planet to the Sun signifying the different stages of the planetary inhabitant's spiritual development. After disengaging from the Sun, Earth's evolution began in a fiery-foggy mist. The minerals continued to harden, the waters seethed and boiled, and volcanic eruptions eventually formed islands. At this time, humanity lived in cooler, giant fern areas. Language consisted of the sounds of nature, and the one eye (ancient third eye) could perceive only light or dark. The Gods who cared for early humanity were the Lords of Venus, who educated and promoted physical and imaginative development. Located in the Pacific Ocean from New Zealand to north of the Hawaiian Islands, this stage of humanity's development is referred to as Lemurian Period. The next phase of Earth's development, the Atlantean Period, was located in the Atlantic Ocean. The atmosphere in the southern region was still hot and volcanic, while the north had icy, polar areas. Due to the air containing great amounts of water, the atmosphere remained heavy and the Sun was never seen. Objects appeared dim and hazy. Perception was therefore internal rather than external. Unable to perceive objects outside the Self, the Atlantean could perceive subtle things like the Soul and spiritual essence of an object or person. In the latter third of the Atlantean Period a great event occurred. Through the mists and fog, which slowly over the centuries had begun to dissipate, a golden light began to be discerned in the sky. And one day, for the first time on Earth, the Sun burst forth from the heavens. Humanity bowed down to this luminous globe and called it God. Thus humanity awoke to the beauty of the physical world, and began to lose perception of Inner worlds. Fire in the Heart   Our hearts are connected by purpose, function, element, and tone to the Sun in the sky. Both are central to the body that surrounds it - the Sun to the planets and the heart to the physical body. These similarities set up resonating fields and are an example of the astrological axiom "As above, so below," and the scientific statement that the microcosm (small) reflects the macrocosm (large). As the Sun is a molten ball of fire, the core of our hearts contain a piece of that fire in the form of a seed atom. Seen with extended sight, this seed atom is a tiny flame. During the course of Creation, four seed atoms, or divine flames, were implanted in the physical body, and they reside within everyone today. These fire seeds or atoms regulate the four aspects of life. The fire seed atom in the heart maintains the physical body. The fire seed atom in the liver maintains desire. The fire seed atom in the solar plexus maintains the vital (etheric/electric) body. And the fire seed atom in the mind is our intelligence. These seed atoms are not visible at this point of development within the medical field. But in ancient medical texts, and known by Hippocrates, these seeds of spiritual fire were acknowledged. The fiery atom in the heart was created by the Lords of Leo (Lords of Flame). Projecting sound and light from their very substance, the Lords implanted this seed flame into the hearts of early humanity. (This explains the statement that our physical body is a temple of the indwelling Spirit.) Implanted at other developmental phases by different angelic Lords, the three other seed atoms (mental, vital and desire) resonate in rhythm to the tone of the heart's seed atom. Reflecting all colors, the heart atom hums the sound of the body. This tone is not only the keynote of the originating creative Spirit, but has the same tone as our Sun. This information helps us understand the words "And the Word (sound, humming) became flesh." All things began as sound, which, as it rises in frequency above our audible field, becomes visible light and color. This is why we "see" the rainbow but cannot hear it. Immaculate Conception   Virgo signifies the Immaculate Conception, one of the most important mysteries taught in the ancient wisdom schools. As we enter into the Aquarian Age many veils will be lifted and misinterpretations revealed as to the inner meaning of religious and historical events. The presently held interpretation of the Immaculate Conception is of a woman (Mary) conceiving a child (Jesus) without her husband's (Joseph) seed to fertilize her egg. The Immaculate Conception, from an inner, esoteric point of view, has nothing to do with conception of a child or sexual intercourse. Long ago, before we achieved individuality and when we still lived in the Garden of Eden (a real place in another dimension), the harmony that we experienced came from unconsciously living within certain cyclical laws. As we entered deeper into matter, became scientifically and materially oriented (part of The Plan of evolution), the ancient laws of harmony were gradually forgotten. With our recent entrance into the Aquarian Age and the influence of Uranus, the planet of revelation, the ancient secrets will once again become available, but this time to be used consciously. The Immaculate Conception has to do with humanity working with the energies from New and Full Moons each month. The Moon, having no light of its own, works directly with the Sun in order to transmit the Sun's energies. Each month the Sun transmits the energy from a certain place in the sky that holds specific evolutionary energies. These places are called the constellations. Each month the New and Full Moons transmit a particular evolutionary force from one constellation to humanity. If individuals are aware of and work intentionally with the energies available, a seed of illumination is formed in the body of the individual. After twelve months of intentional and focused work with the Full and New Moons, twelve seeds will have formed and coursed through the body. At Summer Solstice these seeds reach the pituitary and pineal glands in the head and blend together in the third ventricle (see the book, Gray's Anatomy). This blending is called a Sacred Marriage, and the outcome (child) of this union is a yearly increase in levels of individual illumination. The ancient alchemists spoke of this when they declared that the New Body of Man (the Aquarian mind/body) would be formed from the union of the Sun and Moon. At the time of the New and Full Moons a Sun seed, or germ of Light, forms in the pineal gland and a Moon seed, or germ of Light, forms in the pituitary. These seeds circuit through the body, moving like the paths of the Sun and Moon in the heavens, and create new currents of life within the body-temple. The seeds have the ability to electrify the body with new life, radiance, and youthfulness. This process is an evolutionary rite of preparation for the New Aquarian Mind of humanity and is the actual Immaculate Conception. Autumn Equinox   Astronomers refer to the seasons &emdash; spring, summer, autumn and winter &emdash; in terms of the movement, direction and path of sunlight as it falls to Earth. Farmers are aware of the seasons in relation to the growth of crops and plants. Astrologers mark the seasons by the two solstices and two equinoxes. What is not generally known is that these four seasons correspond to the Soul growth of humanity. At each point in the year when the Sun's path changes, there is a special release of spiritual power, a change in the Earth's rhythm. New forces are at play, and one of the four elements (fire, earth, air, water) is predominant. Elements are the basis of all life on Earth. The autumnal season, begun at the Autumn Equinox, September 22nd at 4:56 pm (PDT), is a time when the element of air predominates, taking over from the previous summer's element of fire (hot sun in summer). Libra, an air sign, is the turning point between spirit (air) and matter (Virgo, the previous month holds the element of earth). It is a time of rest &emdash; not of sleep &emdash; but a resting of the material (Virgo) things in our lives and the ascendancy of the spiritual (Libra). What this means is that humanity begins to feel the call of Spirit and our minds and hearts are focused not on the things of the Earth, but the things of the Soul. The ripeness of summer is past, the light is darkening, and we prepare, during autumn, for a long hibernation. For those on the Path, the Autumn Equinox represents the beginning of the Soul Year. A new spiritual impulse descends upon the Earth globe. Spiritual forces are released, and under their impact the Earth undergoes a subtle change. The atomic structure is modified so that the physical substances can become more sensitive to spiritual growth. This cosmic downpouring of spiritual impulsing touches each of us deep within and prepares us for the birth of the new light at Winter Solstice. The angel who directs and guides humanity during the autumn season is Archangel Michael, who oversees our purification process. After the richness of summer, we now desire to cleanse and prepare our bodies to withstand the cold, dark winter. St. Michael is chief of the Archangels, and it was Michael who bent over the Christ and protected Him as He knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane to receive the centuries of ignorance, hate, and despair in order to transmute them into currents of love and healing. The Archangel Michael also guards the birthplace of King Arthur, and is known as the dragon slayer of ancient times. At present, Michael slays the cloud of ignorance that lie over humanity's collective consciousness. Michael, as the spokesman for God the Creator, was the being who gave humanity its earthly name &emdash; that of ADAM, a name composed of four holy letters brought back from four remote stars. Michael is from the Sun, and his work is to guide the entire human race toward eventual liberation. It is good for us to be aware of this information during the Autumn Equinox and for the three months of the autumn season. Often we live unconsciously throughout the seasons, yet feel a growing sense of aspiration to participate in something beyond ourselves, yet part of the Earth and the changing seasons. With the information that autumn is a time for the Soul to be invoked, and with the awareness of the Being (Archangel Michael) who can help in this process, our Soul work should proceed more smoothly and with growing intelligence. Providing this information is the purpose, and partial content of, the re-emergence of Mystery Schools whose presence will be felt more and more as we enter the Aquarian Age. The Path of Discipleship   Disciple comes from the Latin word meaning "learner, pupil, to comprehend, to hold." Discipleship is a state of being accepted into the study of the mysteries of the Universe, and entrance into Soul and Spiritual realms. There are many steps leading to discipleship. These include life experience, aspiration, devotion, faith, belief, knowledge, and intuition. During Christ's three years of teaching he accepted and taught apostles, another word for disciples. There were twelve primary disciples/apostles, like the twelve constellations, and the twelve months in the year. Each human being can become a disciple. One does not need to be a Christian to be a disciple. Humanity has three levels of consciousness: the personality, the Soul, and the Spiritual. The personality level is where we gather experience and are not consciously aware of any other levels. The Soul level completely reorients our personal life and introduces us to the transpersonal, or spiritual, life. The Spiritual level is engaged when we have completely offered our life in service to humanity. The latter is a state of discipleship. Humanity lives primarily within the confines of the personality. This is an important realm because it is only when an individual has, through life experience, built a very strong ego identity, or personality, that the Soul can take up residence. The personality has to be very solid, and the lower mind must have a firm grasp of intelligent thought to withstand the presence of the Soul. The Soul is a fiery being with the ability to destroy whatever it touches. Therefore the personality must be able to withstand great pressures. The experiences each individual gathers, life after life, are the tests and trials the personality encounters in preparation for eventual Soul infusion. After many experiences of the physical life, the individual begins to aspire to a life less oriented to the gratification of the physical body (through desire for sex, food, passion, and money) and more oriented to something yet unknown. Often this step feels confusing because life as it has been lived no longer suffices and yet there is no clear path for the future. These are the first urgings of the Soul &emdash; and the first step on the Path of Discipleship. From this point on, it is up to the individual. There is an ancient saying: "Seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be given, knock and the door shall be opened." This refers to the next steps to be taken on the Path of Discipleship. Heaven is not given easily. Scorpio is the sign of discipleship. It is in Scorpio that we are asked to make a decision about our lives. Will we stay within the confines of personality gratification, or do we have the courage and willingness to be of greater service and withstand the tests for qualification? Eventually, we all make the choice. Chiron in Scorpio Chiron, the asteroid between Saturn (personal life) and Uranus (spiritual life), which produces the intense feelings of wounding in order to heal, will be in Scorpio until mid-1999. Working with Scorpio and the Big Dipper's 4th Ray star of "Harmony Through Chaos," all of humanity will experience a deepening process in order to evolve to the next level of spiritual awareness. We can expect multidimensional realities, deep memories, and an unceasing evolutionary movement to occur. We will be impelled to change, either from our own personal choices or from changes in the weather, government, economics, and the world of business. Personal and global wounds will be experienced. Ancient diseases will reoccur. This is the work of Chiron, discovered in 1977, the same year the AIDS virus was first seen under the microscope. Chiron in Scorpio brings into focus the emotional issues of birth, death, transformation, and transmutation. Humanity's greatest wound is about separation &emdash; between spirit and matter, self and other, and within families, whether personal or global. This wound is the source of infantile, instinctual acting out as exhibited by individuals as well as countries. We will be confronted with power drives and controlling behaviors in order to experience the use and abuse of power. But there will be a healing of these wounds, too. Chiron will create events that bridge the separations. We will be reborn through reliving buried preverbal experiences. We will reorient and then reconcile. But first the struggle within us (personally and globally) may be volcanic. We will seek power and pleasure, there will be a death of the old, and the energy of the kundalini will rise. Eventually, we will learn how to choose the spiritual life and no longer be materially encased. This experience is a global Initiation. Step by step we will integrate the personality (physical, emotional, lower mental) with the Soul. The personality and Soul are polarities. Chiron shows us the conflict between these polarities. All conflict leads to harmony (Ray 4). In the two-and-a-half years prior to the new millennium, Spirit and matter will link, fuse, and harmonize. On an energy level, the pain of separation, experienced in the solar plexus, will move up to the heart, where unification occurs. This is the love/wisdom of the Buddha and Christ, and the message given to humanity more than 2,000 years ago. We're a little off on our timing, but we'll make it this time around. Sound from the Galactic Center   Deep silence emanates from the Galactic Center of our universe, located at 26 degrees Sagittarius. From this silence came forth the root tone of all creation. "And the Word was made flesh" means sound was clothed in physical matter in the form of earth, air, fire, water, humans, birds, beasts, flowers, trees, and all things that creep. We experience sound all around us -- in the organized tones of music, raindrops, a dog's bark, and our own heartbeat. All sound has tone. Tone creates vibration (movement) and vibration has a rhythm (beat). At the core of esoteric philosophy lies the premise that one root sound permeates the entire universe. This root sound or tone, too low for the human ear to hear, is in a state of continual transformation. The result is a universe that thrives in a constant state of variation and motion and there is never a depletion of energy. Sound creates light, color, form and matter, all of which have tones. Every atom, neuron, electron, and cell has its own individual tone. This includes animate and inanimate objects. Our physical, emotional and mental bodies are comprised of millions of combined tones. Tone, or sound, has a mathematical interval system that creates harmonics (higher or lower notes) to the originating tone. The systems within our bodies are always in a state of balancing the different tones. Dis-ease means that our tonal (harmonic) system is out of balance. To heal, we must bring our harmonic system back into balance. Sound creates and heals, but it can also destroy. Harsh jarring sounds, loud music, the constant barking of a dog, an angry voice are some of the sounds that can make a person ill and out of balance. Sound and music have been effective healing tools since ancient times. Although sound/vibrational healing is still practiced in many indigenous cultures, it has only recently begun to reemerge in today's healing modalities. Constellations and planets have their own tones. The tone for Sagittarius is F major, and its opposite, Gemini, is F sharp major. The ruling planetary tones are Jupiter-F sharp major, Earth-C sharp major, and Mars-D major. The planetary tones for Gemini are Mercury-D major, and Venus-A major. Listening to music written in any of these keys will be very balancing for Sagittarius, especially classical strings and flute. Another suggestion for Sagittarius would be Mozart's Symphony No. 42, also known as "Jupiter". The Earth   The significance of Earth's part in the evolutionary plan of our solar system is hardly discussed. The reasons for this is that either Earth's importance is unknown to most practical astrologers or it is simply overlooked. A study of esoteric astrology (Alice Bailey, Alan Oken, Errol Weiner) reveals that Earth stands between two lines of spiritual force from Gemini and Sagittarius, and that Earth is the Soul ruler of Sagittarius and the Spiritual ruler of Gemini. What this means esoterically is that Earth is the primary place of unfoldment for humanity. Earth is the planet whereby a link is able to be made between spiritual forces and matter, and the only place where Soul development can occur. Earth is the planetary link between humanity's two developmental stages &emdash; that of involution (where our spirit enters matter) and evolution (matter going back to spirit). Earth is the place where, through our creative activities and free will, we are able to forge the Path back home to spirit and leave in our wake the light we brought with us from our spiritual home. The Lamp   As the Sun travels through and transmits the qualities of Sagittarius, humanity has the opportunity to enter into a direct relationship with the Soul, and thus the higher intuitive mind. A fusion occurs between spirit and matter, and the world of humanity and that of the Soul become blended. The instrument that activates this blending is the higher mind, the aspect of each individual for which Sagittarius is responsible. The higher mind consists of two parts: the abstract, pondering mind, and the intuitive, all-knowing mind. In Sagittarius we have the possibility of expanding our consciousness into these higher mental realms, and eventually into the Mind of God. The Mind of God, in esoteric studies, is also called the world of the Soul, the intuition, and the Buddhic/Christ mind. This process is activated by thinking, studying, and pondering the purpose and laws of life. We are not referring to philosophical questions, thoughts or opinions. It is important therefore to understand the specific levels of the mind and their functions. The lower brain/mind gathers facts and arranges them logically, the abstract mind symbolizes facts and finds patterns. Eventually the intuitive mind is penetrated. This is where "straight talk" (Agni Yoga phrase) or pure knowledge is available. This movement into greater mind capacity occurs because the mind, when in active thought, always spirals upward, creating and building a path as it ascends. When the mind penetrates into the intuitive, we have entered into the realm where the thoughts of God are available. The mind has actually "thought itself" into the world of God's Mind. In ancient and contemporary esoteric texts this upward spiraling mind-path is called The Rainbow Bridge, or antakarana in Sanskrit. It is a bridge between the lower mind and the intuitive, Buddhic/Christ mind. When the intuitive realm is reached, a stream of knowledge flows into the personality, creating what is called the soul-infused personality and representing a marked spiritual change in the life of the individual. One of the symbols for Sagittarius is a lighted lamp. This represents the Soul and its function of providing light to the individual on the Path. The light is an actual glowing phosphorescence created in the physical brain and is what is seen as a halo around the heads of saints. Last month we spoke of the kundalini fire in the spine rising from the base chakra to the head. The metaphor of the lighted lamp in Sagittarius is actually the fire lit in the mind as the risen kundalini touches the pineal and pituitary glands. This is the physical aspect of the illuminated mind. When the individual has reached this realm, there is greater creativity, wisdom, guidance, and, most importantly, cooperation with the Plan of Hierarchy. We each have the capability to enter the intuitive realm and become Soul-infused personalities. It is our heritage to come to know and participate in the Mind of God. The process begins with a focused study of any subject to which we are attracted, though I have found that the study of astrology and esotericism more quickly accelerates the mind's upward spiral. Saturn, Dweller on the Threshold   The constellation Capricorn is called the sign of initiation. It is also one of two "gates" provided for the advancement of the human spirit. The first gate is through Cancer (mother's womb), where humanity enters Earth. The second gate is through Capricorn, where the experienced, strong-personalitied human re-enters the realms of Spirit. Capricorn and the planet Saturn work together on both the personality and Soul level. Saturn's work with Capricorn is to provide a structure or series of lessons for humanity. Later, Saturn, still in the form of a teacher, becomes what is called the "Dweller on the Threshold", masking the presence of an Archangel. In the tarot, Saturn represents the devil ("lived" spelled backwards). Now, the devil isn't a bad anything. The devil is a metaphor for the personality, or realm of the senses, the part of us that needs to grow strong through participation in Earth experiences. The purpose of our sense nature is to build the personality or ego. But there comes a time when the sensuous aspects of matter no longer feed the personality. This is when we are tested in order to determine if it's time to move to the next level. Here we meet the Dweller on the Threshold, or Saturn (devil). To pass the test we must exhibit a build-up of mental, or mind, substance. If we pass the test, the face of the "devil" changes into the an Archangel. It takes a transfiguration of sight and the activation of the Third Eye in order to illuminate, intuit, discriminate, and discern what is real. Winter Solstice   Each season a specific type of light force, or cosmic currents, drop to Earth to revitalize life. All of nature responds to these currents. It is only the human family that has forgotten, because it can no longer see the inner side of reality. The light forces are moving either toward or outward from Earth. This is what creates our seasons. The path of the Sun is intricately involved in the movement of the light currents that fall to Earth. During Fall Equinox, light from the Sun penetrates the outer atmospheric layers of Earth. At Winter Solstice, the light penetrates into the core of our globe. From a distance outside our solar system, Earth looks like a fiery sphere spinning in the heavens. During the Spring Equinox, the light once again is on the periphery of Earth, and at Summer Solstice, the light is high in the heavens. Note that the light is deep within the core of Earth during winter and high in the heavens during summer. This is both a metaphor and a reality on inner levels. We can minister to our own personal psychology if we attune ourselves to the influences of the different radiances of light falling to Earth each month and during the solstices and equinoxes. Light waves descending to and ascending outward from Earth are an occult fact, meaning an inner reality not seen by most. Those of us desiring a more complete communion with spiritual forces must come to intelligent terms with this reality, for it is the movement of these ever-changing currents of light poured upon Earth that provide our evolutionary growth. These surges of power propel all kingdoms on Earth upward, lift the spinal spirit fire of the body into the heart and head centers, and have the effect of providing illumination for those of us who have prepared through intelligence and intention to participate. The Winter Solstice has historically been the time of birth for all of Earth's great teachers. Because it is the time of new light for the planet, World Teachers choose this particular time to incarnate because they always bring with them a new teaching. This teaching is a new state of illumination for the people of Earth. Winter Solstice occurs on December 21, the same time that the planetary keynote changes from Sagittarius to Capricorn. At the time of the Winter Solstice, the light currents submerged within the core of the Earth reverse and change course, just like the Sun, which is reversing its southward course and turning northward. A reverse movement of any planetary body creates a powerful force until the new motion or path stabilizes. Therefore, from December 21 to midnight on the morning of December 25th, there is a powerful force field of light and radiation enveloping the Earth. Defining the Terms of the New Age   In order to proceed with the new level of information in this newsletter, we must first create a firm foundation by defining the terms of our discourse. It is important that we no longer use language from the unconscious and emotional points of view. In much "New Age" literature, which reflects the prior Piscean Age, terms such as consciousness, light, evolution, millennium, dimensions, frequency, tone, and harmony are frequently used but little understood, though the use of such words has given us at least an awareness of them. The following definitions provide a basic understanding of the energies underlying life and reality as it is truly lived on inner, causative levels. A definition of consciousness is followed by definitions of light and evolution. Consciousness, Light & Evolution In A Treatise on White Magic, the Tibetan, through Alice Bailey, states that there are four fundamental truths that humanity needs at this stage of development in order to have a firm understanding of life and the consciousness (energy) within life. These four truths are: (1) all is duality, (2) the interplay of duality creates awareness (tension creates attention), (3) this is how everything unfolds, and (4) all life is a spiral of constant cyclic rebirth through time. Consciousness, therefore, is an ever-evolving set of polarized fields (spirit/matter, male/female, light/dark, up/down, radiating/receptive, inner/outer, exoteric/esoteric, the light within/the light without, etc.). Both polarities contain a germ or spark of original creative light. Light can be seen in the masculine polarized field. The inner light, in the feminine polarized field, is hidden. The two fields, or poles, create a sort of friction by constantly interacting with each other, and by the tensions created by their inherent opposition. This friction between the two polarized sparks, the one inner and the other outer, produces another spark of fire that flashes forth. It is this resulting third spark between the two poles that creates a new level or field of awareness. In other words, evolution is a gradually increasing state of consciousness demonstrated by a series of flashing light displays. Quite a spectacle I would assume. Now, the really interesting part is that within every aspect of matter, there is a hidden piece of originating fire. Matter, in fact, hides the fire, and this is why Ancient Wisdom teachings called form an illusion. Form isn't actually an illusion if one lives in form. So what is the illusion? The illusion is the idea that form is all there is, since we can't see the fire within, because all we can "see" at this point in our development is physical matter. In actuality, form veils the fire, while it also conducts the fire within. As our evolution in consciousness continues, as we become more and more aware of the hidden mysteries of life, as we build larger pathways in our mental substance and rise up to meet the higher frequencies, or dimensions, our physical bodies, made of matter, become better and better conductors of the light. In order to have the time to become those better conductors of light, all spirit/matter works continuously through the law of rebirth until the work has been completed. Christ, the Master from the Sun, who said to us more than 2,000 years ago, "I am the Light of the World," wasn't kidding. He was actually an Aquarian who, in compassion for humanity, came to Earth to prepare us for the present and forthcoming Aquarian time in which 3/7ths of humanity will seek the meaning of life. Later, in the Scriptures, He also said to us, "This you will do and more." Substitute the word "be" for "do" and we open the door to our ultimate reality. The religious axiom that there will be a reappearance of the Christ does not mean a being from on high will make another appearance. The "Christ" represents us, as soon as we unify our consciousness. The World Wide Web is part of the Plan for the unification of consciousness, on a global level, to occur. Light Evolution & the Zodiac   Light is directly connected to evolution and our states of consciousness. Light itself is evolving along with all of life on our planet. In fact, we can say that the unfolding of consciousness is itself the evolution of light. This unfoldment occurs through the work of the constellations and the planets each month. As the different lights from the constellations, Sun, fixed stars, and planets fall to Earth, all kingdoms (mineral, planet, animal, human) participate in receiving their specific light. In receiving this light, we in turn evolve. Therefore, the entire workings of the zodiac (constellations) can be understood from the point of view of light as it unfolds in constantly increasing radiance. Each constellation (sign in the zodiac) contains an inner light (whose light source is from what is called the Central Spiritual Sun and is not seen by us as yet). This light externalizes each month as the Sun passes through that constellational area of the sky. Since each constellation provides humanity and all of Earth's kingdoms with the light that enables us to grow and evolve, in the following months we will begin to refer to the constellations in terms of phrases indicating the specific types of light available from them. This will provide us with information on the particular levels of unfoldment (due to the different types of light) available from the twelve constellations. The phrase for the type of light available in Aquarius, and thus the opportunity given to us for our unfoldment of consciousness, is "the Light that shines on Earth, across the sea." This is the healing light that always shines, heals, cleanses, and purifies until the dark is gone. The explanation of this is simple. Within each of us is an inner light that is with us forever. Its purpose is to cleanse and purify our "darkness" (spirit being in matter) until our mission here is over. What it really means is we are not alone. In reality, the work we will do in the next twelve months has much to do with the Soul, since the essential nature of the Soul is light. As the months unfold, the light from each constellation affects matter and form and proceeds, with or without our knowledge, in its work of bringing to us ever higher and higher experiences and, therefore knowledge. It's a revelation of growth. This is evolution. Neptune in Aquarius   On the 28th of January, Neptune, the planet that refines and dissolves things in order that they can transmute and unfold their essential spiritual nature, enters the constellation Aquarius. Esoterically, humanity is now entering the Age of Aquarius. In other words, "...the Moon is in the 7th house, and Jupiter's aligned with Mars," has occurred. But on a more mundane level, for the past thirteen years Neptune has been very business-like, shaking down and ultimately disintegrating the Capricorn structures of government in all its guises. Now as moody, confusing, watery, and unifying Neptune enters Aquarius, the sign of man-made-into-a-god, all of humanity will slowly begin to participate in one unified theme -- that of consolidating our differences in order to achieve world harmony. That's a big agenda. And it won't happen all at once. We have 2,150 years to work on it. But, embark on this journey we will and must, since it's been part of the big Plan for 21 million years and was initiated by the Angelic Beings who created us. First, though, we will begin with great dissonances (chaos), already occurring in terms of governmental conflicts, political struggles, the see-sawing of the international stock exchange, and the inability of weather forecasters to really predict atmospheric conditions. If we were to sound a tuning fork with a tone matching that sound of Neptune in Aquarius, the tone would create a distinctly dissonant ring. After all, we have a water planet settling down into an air sign for thirteen years. Ouch! The dissonance in the sound actually hurts the bones and cells within the body. But the purpose of all this dissonance is to break down, dissolve, and disintegrate (Neptune) anything that has outlived its usefulness. Which brings me to the discussion of our emotional fields. Neptune seeks not only to dissolve, but it unifies, too. What Neptune in Aquarius means is a whole lot of electricity (Aquarius) is going to flow through water (Neptune). It also means a whole lot of water (emotions) is going to flow through the air (Aquarius). This adds up to two things: our emotions can feel uncontrollable, and/or we'll blend our emotional (Neptune) fields with other emotional fields, and it will happen as easily as the air (Aquarius) flows. And this could be a potential emergency situation. In other words, if we're all going to begin to blend with one another, would you or I like to blend (become part of) with everyone with whom we come into contact? Maybe yes, maybe no. But the reality is that Neptune in Aquarius offers us the ability to begin the discrimination process of assessing who and what we want around us, because that's what we'll be conditioned by, and eventually, perhaps become. Scary? Yes. Which brings me to another issue &emdash; that of community. One of the themes of the Aquarian Age is that of creating communities of like-minded people in a field (land, town, city, state, country) where the electromagnetic energies of that area resonate. Many of us are experiencing the Noah's Ark syndrome. We hear a voice, or have a feeling, inside that says, "sell everything and get out of here." For those on the Pacific Rim, the call is often East. Yet most of us don't have a clear idea where, geographically, we should move, and consequently our emotional fields are filled with confusion, conflict, and chaos. This is not a symptom of indecision. It's what happens when something is in transition, which Earth is in right now, and so are we as a "life wave" on the brink of a millennium change. Neptune's passage into Aquarius, right in the middle of our confusion, will not only give us the increased impetus to eliminate, change, and move, but will eventually inform us of the appropriate people, places, and communities best suited to each of our individual purposes. Neptune does this by changing our frequency. What that means is that our physical, emotional, and mental fields (capacities) are changing in order to better interpret (Aquarius) the "signs" from heaven (Neptune) already taking place. Jupiter in Pisces   As the Soul ruler (according to Alice Bailey's Esoteric Astrology) of Aquarius, the passage of Jupiter into Pisces on February 5th provides humanity with a further impulse to unify, either through the exaggerated use of drugs and alcohol or through a strong impulse to religious and spiritual experiences. Both Pisces (Ray 2 & 6) and Jupiter (Ray 2) love to fuse, merge, and blend. In this case, Jupiter's wisdom factor unites with the Piscean love factor &emdash; and zap! consciousness happens. Jupiter helps us have a global vision of the great big Plan, and Pisces gives us the aspiration and love to be able to serve that Plan. We'll be given one year of Jupiter in Pisces to detach from desire for material gain, replacing it with seeking the face and fact of God. Actually, scientists are doing corresponding work. We'll also begin to realize that within all form there is a flame of fire, whose mysterious purpose ties us to the origins, and actual beginnings of, creation. Jupiter in Pisces is also the sign of the World Savior, a Being drenched in Love/Wisdom (Ray 2). No longer are we to wait for a being from other realms to once again visit the Earth to save humanity. We will realize that, unified through the intentions of Good Will, and behavior based upon Right Human Relations, we are that collective World Savior. The work of Jupiter in Pisces is to bring us to that right and conscious identification.