CAPRICORN SOLSTICE

In its yearly course, the Sun now crosses from the zodiac sign of Sagittarius into the sign of Capricorn. This marks the final quarter of the natural year which reaches its end and new beginning in March, a time when a new influx of energy is given to the world as the sun ingresses into the zodiac sign of the Ram.

The 4 points of the natural year ‘cross’ the circle of the heavens, marking out the beat of life on Earth. These 4 points marked by 4 zodiac signs correspond to the changing seasons. As we all know, these seasons are opposed on the opposite sides of the globe due to the angle of the earth sphere at any particular time.

There are several emblems or pictographs representing the sign of CAPRICORN. One is the goat and the design below comes from that ancient culture of Knossos in Crete. D.A. Mackenzie says on page 139 of his 1917 book called ‘Myths of Crete & Pre-Hellenic Europe’,

The faience relief of the wild goat and its young is one of the triumphs of Cretan art. It is of pale-green colour, with dark sepia markings…One of the kids is sucking…The nimble-footed mother ….. is the watchful protector and constant nourisher of her young – a symbol of maternity.

We could add that the figure just as well symbolises the nurturing and caring father figure, or symbol of paternity in the cosmic sense. There is always an element of sacrifice when the welfare of other people is a concern.

ELEMENTARY

PYTHAGOREAN FORM

Based on Pythagoras’ work with numbers, Plato very artfully constructed 5 geometrical forms to symbolise our 4 plus one most subtle elements: Fire, Air, Water, Earth and the Æther.

 The 12 astrological zodiac signs are grouped according to the 4 elements of Fire, Air, Water, and Earth; so there are 3 zodiac signs to each element. Each sign takes up the characteristics of that element to which it belongs.

The salamander of FIRE: Aries Leo Sagittarius

FIRE crackles and burns, it is impatient to eat everything up, it wants to endlessly consume, it wants to be somewhere ahead of itself.

FIRE warms in the winter and destroys in the summer.

FIRE lights our way and transforms our food through the alchemical processes;

it may do the same for us.

FIRE is quick moving, fast, ignoring surrounding pleas for consideration.

FIRElight glows softly and benignly in the candle and the touch and the light bulb,

to guide our actions by.

FIRE blazes in the full glory of our sun and wants to be a hero for the world.

But FIRE needs AIR to make it breath and function well.

The sylph of AIR:  Gemini Libra Aquarius

AIR is invisible until it moves.

AIR moves in the smile of a light summer breeze,

AIR moves in the rustle of the trees, it moves in the lashing of a storm, it moves in the devastation of a hurricane.

How can something so invisible have so much power?

AIR supports us all

with the magic that it contains and which we breath in and out every day.

AIR circulates and runs between all things, drawing invisible lines of communication, tying things and people together, provoking ideas.

But how dry and unproductive these would be without some WATER moisture to aid mixture and fermentation.

The Undine of WATER:  Cancer Scorpio Pisces

WATER, the universal solvent, it cleans and refreshes, moistens and oils.

WATER aids the process of reproduction, of generation, of seed forming and awakening.

The morning dew gently touches the petal and makes it sparkle, the summer showers refresh its roots, the thunder-storm weighs down everything and the furious cyclone washes all away.

WATER quenches the thirst and bathes the babe, then dashes all hopes when it reaches beyond saturation point and drowns that oh so necessary anchor and support bed of EARTH.

The Gnome of EARTH:  Taurus Virgo Capricorn

EARTH, rock solid, allowing us to put down roots like a healthy plant, somewhere to anchor, somewhere to call home, somewhere to give form to our airy thoughts, our wet emotions, our fiery activity and enthusiasm.

EARTH who produces from her bosom all that might be needed to keep physical existence viable.

EARTH is fine white sand that trickles pleasingly though the toes.

EARTH is fecund soil.

EARTH is the rock and mountain that resists all and blocks the way.

EARTH is the substratum of life.

But EARTH needs to be ignited by FIRE, moistened by WATER, and stirred by AIR.

All 4 elements need to cooperate to keep the wheel endlessly turning.

It is a story of alchemy really, as seen through the principles of astrology, and all can use their charts to understand themselves and change the pattern of their being. We all have lessons to learn as indicated in our astrological natal chart. It is well to remember the wise words from an old text, ‘The 12 Keys‘, that ‘if the fruit of a tree be plucked before it is ripe, it is unfit for use; and if the potter fails to harden his vessels in the fire, they cannot be employed for any good purpose. In the same way you must exercise considerable patience in preparing your own self.’

STRANGER THAN FICTION

Astrology is a strange subject. Why does it work people ask. And Astrology answers; with the first breath a new living thing takes into itself the essence of the Universe. This essence carries the seed pattern of experience for that existence.

 This pattern is recorded in the Astrological Natal Chart of that thing or person. However, the outcome is not dogmatic or set in concrete because humans are endowed with will-power and with this will-power they can adjust their living and thereby their circumstances can change. Another ‘however’: it takes quite some effort and self-knowledge to achieve such a thing but it certainly is not impossible. One should rule the stars not allow the stars to rule the Self.

The ancients understood this Universal essence, taken in at birth, to be made up of 4 subtle elements that pervade the universe. Even now we do not really understand the subtle essence of Universal forces, so until science can oblige we might as well stick with the ancient view, which is still used in Astrology to explain the principles of the discipline of Astrology.

 The elements from J. D. Mylius, 'Philosophia Reformata'.

Theses 4 subtle essences or elements are called Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, the reason being that in the material world these are the nearest analogies to be found to the more subtle and invisible qualities of the Cosmos.

So we have a good starting point for a very general classification of the 12 tribes of the human species and this is according to the 12 zodiac signs, each of which is given to one of these above mentioned elements.

It must be remembered that this classification is very general and very basic. Each individual expression of one of these signs and qualities can manifest in a myriad of possibilities or shades of the one prime element.

Life will not respond to a dogmatic statement that leaves no room for movement. As the ancient wisdom advises, if there is one thing we can be sure of, it is that change and transformation is ever present and no two things are ever exactly the same.

Each of the 3 signs in one elemental group is therefore divided once again into 3.

3 x 3 = 9.

9 is the number symbolic of a circle or a cycle of growth. A woman is pregnant for 9 months; the nodes of the Moon return to their starting point every 18 years [9 + 9] and of course the important half nodal cycle is 9.

The 12 signs of the zodiac fall into 4 groups of 3 when classified according to our metaphysical elements of Fire, Earth, Air and Water.

FIRE: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius.

EARTH: Capricorn, Virgo, Taurus.

AIR: Libra, Gemini, Aquarius.

WATER: Cancer, Pisces, Scorpio.

There is a 5^th element but that is hidden and secret. The Chinese call it ‘Chi’ or ‘Qi’.

FULCRUM

On 22^nd September is the Equinox. Once more we have reached the fulcrum of the year, that point in the solar cycle where the sun either increases or decreases in Light hours. For the Southern Hemisphere the great orb starts to increase in heat as it rises in the sky and we head towards summer. For the Northern Hemisphere Ra starts to lose his power as he descends in the sky and preparations are made for the coming winter.

The Barque of RA

Such is the symbolism of the sign of Libra, keeping a balance between the polarities of life – summer and winter, heat and cold, up and down, in and out, good and bad, black and white, day and night, you and me, boy and girl.

Sol ingresses into the Tropical sign of Libra, the sign of ‘The Balance’ or the weighing scales, on the 22^nd – 23^rd of September, close to the fixed star of Markeb in the constellation Argus.

Leaving Virgo, the sun passes by Markeb at 28º Virgo. The Sabean symbol being of ‘An arrogant domineering military man of power.’  Who is this dominating us all? Can we see the fall of many tyrant leaders in this symbolism. The star Markeb denotes ‘piety and knowledge’ [or maybe the lack of it!]. The Sabean symbol for the first degree of Libra, the place of the Equinox is, ‘A butterfly is killed with wisdom’s pain’, [the killing of beauty to gain wisdom?]

This same Equinox, 10 years ago, brought questions of the wisdom of USA President Bush’s actions in relation to the global tensions, that is the decision to go to war. Now there is a tug of war between the two great nations of China and America, as well as tension in the Middle East.

Our very personal and self-centred wants of the previous Aries equinox March, now need to be balanced by considering other people’s welfare, which means having confidence in the portrayal of ourselves as individuals, whilst combining the effort with a striving for harmony in companionship. Nothing could be more necessary in the current times of social and economic upheaval.

A great ship such as the Argo [carrying the star Markeb] reminds us that we are all on a great journey, a journey of discovery, like ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ and before him, ‘Osiris and Isis in the barque of RA’. All are searching for that spirit of renewal symbolised in either the ‘Golden Fleece’, or in the ‘Phoenix’. Maybe like these travellers we need to seek out a new message of wisdom and spirit from the cosmos.

 The Sun God RA in his boat with the Phoenix

An interesting book is ‘Hamlet’s Mill’, by Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend; heavy reading but worth the persistence. 

*NB due to an astronomical (not astrological) phenomena known as the ‘Precession of the Equinoxes’, there has occurred a shift in the alignment of the Ecliptic or Tropical Zodiac and the Zodiac of the Constellations. The Constellations near the ecliptic belt continue to share the same names as the Ecliptic Zodiac even though they are now out of alignment.  As a result of this situation a fixed star may be located in a constellation zodiac sign but have a differing co-ordinate according to the Topical Zodiac.

RETREATING

We have circled the zodiac in 12 cosmic fragments, from Cancer round to Gemini.

Tethy will now go into retreat and will return for the September Equinox.

TALKING HERMES

The planet Mercury is closely associated with the sign Gemini. We met Mercury once before in association with the sign of Virgo. When Mercury is ruling Virgo, his more practical qualities are emphasised. When Mercury is ruling Gemini, he energies work more on the plane of pure ideas and more effort is needed to bring that thought down to the practical world of everyday living. Both Virgo and Gemini share in common the need to put their minds to work, to invent new ways of tackling old tasks, but in Virgo it is easier to see in what way the idea can be applied, whilst Gemini may remain in the realm of theory, plans and discussion only.

Mercury is a very important planet, one whose qualities indicate how we perceive and intellectually respond to the world around us. Mercury also rules our nerve energy and so influences the way we move and communicate. In Ancient Egypt the god Thoth represented these qualities. Thoth is the god of writing and recording and of spell making.

Thoth Ancient Egyptian god of writing and communication. [Budge]

By the time of the Greeks and Romans the role of Thoth was taken over by the Greek god Hermes.

Hermes/Mercury [Larousse]

In Egypt, Thoth as master of writing transcribed the word of the gods so that humans could understand what was being communicated to them. The gods being represented by the other planets and acting as symbols for the different human traits such as loving [Venus] giving [Jupiter] conserving [Saturn] feeling [Moon] nobility [Sun].

In Greece, as a descendent of Thoth, Hermes too communicated between the gods and humans; he wears wings on his heels for speedy transport between the two worlds, that of man and that of gods. This hints at another Egyptian god, that of Anubis who also commutes between the two worlds and is known as a psychopomp or one who leads and guides the dead or the soul, into the world of the spirit or gods.

Reading mythology is a good introduction to the gods/goddesses but you have to look beyond the surface recording to see and feel what drives that myth. Try Robert Graves, ‘Greek Myths’. The Greek Myths: Complete Edition

JUMPING GEMINI

On the 21^st May the sun will move into the zodiac sign of Gemini. This is the sign of the twins or the dual aspects of life personified. Those of the sign of the ‘Twins’ are quick, some very quick, in both physical movement and mental computation. This very talent however, can cause Gemini to never follow through on any one thing, with the end result being that the flower of youth fizzles and their real talent never realised. ‘Two many irons in the fire’, means that one’s energies are spread too far and thinly for achievement of the highest in any one area or discipline.

The dual nature of a Geminis means that they can look forward and backward at the same time and give what is perceived a contact point in the third point of the present. This may account for their quick insight and ability to gather information of immediate use to a present situation.

Gemini loves to collect facts and information so that they can enjoy sharing it with their friends; there is no point having knowledge if it cannot be shared and enjoyed. Gemini also likes to play games, especially if their agile body can be put to work as well as their flexible thinking; playing tennis, fighting a mock dual, riding a bicycle, doing the cross word. Life is fun and should be lived with light-hearted joy. Those with a need and ability to ponder the imponderables do well as writers and philosophers. Was Plato a Gemini, standing on the steps of the Academy and spreading his words of wisdom to those willing to listen? For those who like books try Umberto Ecco ‘The Name of the Rose’. The Name of the Rose 

Is this Plato?

Lesser mortals of the Gemini variety must be very careful in their persistent searching not to have too many projects on the go at once or they may end up chasing their own tails. There is also danger of spending too much time having cups of tea and chatting about the weather!

Castor and Pollux are the two famous stars of the constellation Gemini. They are the celestial twins, the dark and light forces of mythology. Leonardo painted a picture of them in his portrayal of the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan.

 Leonardo’s original is lost. This is a copy made by Cesare Sesto.

MOON DRAGON #7

Earthly Queen

The Taurean Bull of course can be tracked back to the ancient Egyptian Apis Bull and his partner. The Apis Bull was the sacred symbol of Osiris and through him of his partner Isis/Hathor who sometimes sports the cow head. It is quite debatable which had the most authority, but it is highly suspicious that it was Isis, the goddess who had given birth to the child Horos or Hour, that is a segment of time-space, and symbol of her creative qualities as the Great Mother Goddess. However, make no mistake that Isis would remain barren without the stimulation and support of Osiris.

Venus is the planet most associated with Taurus and Venus is symbolised in the ancient Goddess Hathor. Hathor wears the cow head symbolised in the horns of potency and the disk of creation.

The other image of Venus is the classical Greek goddess Aphrodite, an image that over emphasises the feminine yet one can still sense some yang energies to keep the balance going; she has absolute ‘feminine’ appeal, yet with a hidden stress of being her own person.

In fact Aphrodite can be quite harsh in her search for equality, balance, harmony, and justice. When these desires are harnessed to the Bullish qualities of Taurus, there is not likely to be a middle path towards achieving that peace according to the Taurean will; a will-power that is strong and determined yet ready to play ball with the opponent if good practical reason is given.

Equally, as seen before in the Libran Venus, if Venus cannot be bothered with all the inconvenience of war then she is likely to sit down and refuse to move or to be concerned about the state of things.

Isis and Osiris are the cosmic polarities of the ‘All’; the male and female principles of life, and their story is retold by Plutarch. Plutarch had learnt a lot from the priestess Clea.  Plutarch: Concerning The Mysteries Of Isis And Osiris

TAURUS EYES

The sun has now moved into the sign of Taurus, symbolised by the bull. What a lovable little creature the young calf is, but watch out as they grow big. Some still maintain that seductive doe eyed gentleness, whilst others snort in rage when you get in their way.

Now this boisterous bull is ruled by the gentle and beautiful planet Venus and that should give us some clue to the other side of our Taurean. You have meet Venus before in the sign of Libra, now we again make her acquaintance as ruler of Taurus. When associated with the zodiac sign of Taurus, the qualities of Venus acquire a more practical and earthly expression of herself. You will see the Taurean Venus in the policeman maintaining harmony by applying man’s version of law and order. You will see the practical side of Venus in the ecstatic expressions of the artist and the dancer giving practical expression to the Taurean love of beauty.

Like most signs, Taurus can sometimes be hard to pin down, yet each sign shares an undeniable likeness of basic qualities and principles of that shared sign by those born with the sun in the same sign. What most of us forget is that an individual has a whole birth chart of 10 planets and is not only the sun.

So why do we need a bull in the zodiac? Because someone has to shovel the opposition out of the way or we would never advance as a group. Some bulls will literally go at the opposition with a full head on butt, whilst other bulls take the subtle gentle approach of silent stubbornness, in pursuit of their aims. Each one needs to harness these admirable qualities with an eye to the bigger picture so that they do not get caught on a one-track path that cannot see the beauty of other ways. For Beauty is essential to the soul of the Taurean – beauty of nature, of artifice, and of money for the beauty that it can procure.

It must not be forgotten that the great star Aldebaran of the constellation Taurus is the ‘All Seeing Eye’ and font of great wisdom. Vera Stanley Alder writes on this wisdom in ‘Finding the Third Eye’. The Finding of the Third Eye.  Wisdom in Practice

Spring Time in Ancient Crete where the Bull of Minos was venerated.

RAM FEVER

ARIES is the first sign of the zodiac circle because it is the sign of the northern spring equinox, which in turn is the point marking the beginning of the natural year. Ancient calendars used this point to start their solar year in contrast to our western artificial calendar, which starts its calendar year in the month of January.

So, with the rushing in of new energies for the start of a new solar year, the Ram was chosen as the symbol of the zodiacal sign of Aries. And Aries has great affinity with the planet Mars, or in astrological speak, Mars is the ruler of Aries.

An image of Mars from Albumasar’s ‘De Magnus Conjunctionibus’ [9^th Century]

Mars is hot and fiery, it is the life driving force that gives initiative to take action, drawing, as all the planets do, its own life from our sun, the hub of our universe. Mars was the planet particularly favoured by the Romans. This accords well with their pagan religion of Mithraism, the religion of fire, fire that makes so much possible in the lives of human beings.

We have met Mars previously in his association with the sign Scorpio, but here in Aries, the Martian energy is less complicated and therefore freer to have a more direct expression. Without Mars energy, little or nothing can be accomplished; no one would get out of bed in the morning, or strive for achievement in the world. Mars is the fighting energy that enables us to push our way through life. Of course too much push can make one very unpopular and too much fire makes an enemy of an otherwise very useful commodity.

The secret side of the Ram is seen in the Ancient Egyptian god Khnum who guards one of the 21 portals of the House of Osiris. As an ancient creator god, Khnum moulds man on his potter’s wheel or as Vulcan, hammers out man on his anvil with the aid of fire.

Khnum guarding a portal. From the Ancient Egyptian ‘Book of the Dead’. 

It takes persistence and courage to get through life, sadly when these ‘thrusting’ qualities are devoid of the human virtues and chivalry, one can descend into pointless war and aggression, instead of fighting for good like King Arthur or Parsifal.

Go on your own adventure with Parsifal/Parsival; Parsival or a Knight's Tale by Richard Monaco.

SPRINGING ARIES RAM

The sun entering Aries reminds us of the first energies of spring in the northern hemisphere and that powerful force propelling the bud out of the winter frozen earth. Aries people are driven by a similar first explosion of unstoppable, joyful and expectant energy.

This joyful fiery energy is the case whether an Aries person is born in the northern or the southern hemisphere, for we are referring here to deep space constellation influence rather than only planetary energies of the solar system. Thus the sun and the Ecliptic sign of Aries might be said to be focusing towards earth, the greater energies of the constellation Aries, whilst at the same time being over-laid by the energies of the constellation Aquarius, as the Vernal Point moves into that constellation. Complicated? Confused? Look back at the Equinox blogg and do some research on ‘Precession’ for a clearer understanding.

Whatever; Aries people are full of ‘spring’, energy and enthusiasm, wanting to get things done even before the rest of us have worked out just what has to be done! But watch out for their fire, it can be used like a Promethean gift to progress onwards and blaze a trail for others to follow, OR the fire will singe your toes and elbows so that the burns sting and make you uncomfortable.

 Salamander being transformed by fire, from the ‘Book of Lambspring’

 On a planetary level, another ‘springing’ time is early morning, when a daily sunrise quickens life energies for the coming 24-hour cycle. As the Vedic hymn to the dawn says:-

Listen to the exhortation of the Dawn!

Look to this Day, for it is life, the very life of life.

In its brief course, lie all the verities and realities of your existence;

The glory of action, the bliss of growth, the splendour of beauty.

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision.

But today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness,

And every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this Day.

The Ancient Egyptian rebel Pharaoh Akhenaten [c.1380 BCE] took a different tack on sun worship and wrote his own poem, part of which goes like this:-

‘Splendid you rise in heaven’s lightland,

O living Aten, creator of life!

When you have dawned in eastern lightland,

You fill every land with your beauty.

You are beauteous, great, radiant,

High over every land;…

All beasts browse on herbs;

Trees, herbs are sprouting,

Birds fly from their nests….

And if that sounds familiar, it is. From the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 104 reads:-

Lord…thou are very great;

thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment;

Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters….

[that] give drink to every beast of the field…

the fowls of the heavens have their habitation…

….grass to grow for the cattle….

A good read on the rebel king of Egypt is Cyril Aldred ‘Akhenaten’. Akhenaten: King of Egypt 

Like the little lamb, young Arians frolic and gamble around the place, oblivious to the toes they step on. The older Ram has a different take on life and stands firm ready to ‘butt’ the opponent out of the way. Some will ‘butt’ even when there is no enemy, in their bid to be free to create something new.

MOON DRAGON #6

ARIES EQUINOX

We now reach another of the four cosmic angles of the year. This one is the Aries Equinox, a time of equal day and night, a time of yearly outpourings of a new pulse of energy at the beginning of a new cosmic year.

Spell 85 ‘I am the soul of Re who issued from the Abyss….’

Ram of Aries [Egyptian Book of the Dead]

In the northern hemisphere this important time of year in the natural earth cycle indicates the beginning of spring. In the southern hemisphere this same point in space and time indicates the beginning of autumn in the natural earth cycle of the seasons. But in the greater cosmic cycle we are looking at the inflow of a new impulse of fresh energies from the cosmic sea and which have a general influence on both sides of the globe.

The March Equinox is also called the Vernal Point or the First Point and is designated mathematically as 0 degrees of the Ecliptic circle [imaginary path of the sun]. It is the time of year when the day and night are of equal length, and marks the starting point of a new cosmic Earth year. The second point of equal day and night is at the September Equinox. Over the course of approximately 25,800 years [rounded out to 26,000] a period referred to as the ‘Great Year’, the Vernal Point referred to moves backwards across the constellations at the rate of approximately 2,000 years per grouping of stars, each grouping known as a constellation. There are 12 Ecliptic constellations as viewed from Earth and as this Vernal Point passes each constellation; a new era of human development is marked out. The groupings of stars or constellations have been named since ancient times and referred to as ‘Ages’. In order of precession, they are Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Libra, Virgo, Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus and Aries. Precession is caused by a slow rotation of the Earth’s axis over a long period of time. A correlating change of ‘Pole’ star, to which the axis is directed, also occurs. Research reveals that long ages of historical periods correlate with this movement of the Earth’s axis.

Astrologically this Vernal Point has inherited the initiatory force of the qualities of Aries. This initiatory force is now working at a cosmic level through the constellation Aquarius. Thus we have the new age term ‘Age of Aquarius’. The transition from constellation Pisces to Aquarius has been a long and gradual one as there are no rigidly defined boundaries. Many astrologers believe that we are now well and truly into the beginning of this new 2000 year ‘Age of Aquarius’. Evidence might be seen in the fact that as a human race we are fighting for human rights on a global scale. But we are also seeing the downside of individual freedoms being suppressed for the greater ‘good’ of the whole. It is believed that the Mayan Calendar’s reference to the end of 2012 is a reference to this coming new age, which of course goes hand in hand with the so called ‘destruction’ of the world or age that has gone before.

This Equinox of March 20^th to 22^nd  follows close on the Full Moon and continues the stressful conditions that we have been seeing over the past months. Many will be called to task over the coming months, about how they are dealing with greed versus justice. Many things will continue to need radical adjustments, including the economy and all relationships, whether personal or global. Life is likely to be full of surprises and strange unexpected things as the Sun moves past the planet Uranus on its way into the ecliptic sign of Aries.

Spell 81A ‘I am this pure lotus which went forth from the sunshine….’

HYMN OF REBIRTH or of the Ogdoad to refresh the spirit and illumine the mind.

Be thou opened, O Earth, and ye trees, wave not your boughs;

I am about to sing the praise of Him who is both the ALL and the One.

Be ye opened, ye heavens, and ye winds, be still;

Let the immortal sphere of heaven receive my utterance.

For I am about to sing the praise of Him who created all things,

who fixed the earth, and hung heaven above;

who made the sweet water flow from Ocean into the lands wherein men dwell,

that it might serve for the sustenance of all mankind,

and gave command that fire should come forth,

to be used by gods and men in all their works.

Let us all with one accord give praise to Him,

who is seated high upon the heavens, creator of all that is.

It is He that is the eye of my mind;

may He accept the praise sung by my Powers.

Ye Powers that are within me, praise ye the One and ALL

sing ye in concord with my will, all ye Powers that are within me.

O holy Knowledge, by thee am I illumined,

and through thee do I sing praise to the incorporeal Light.

I rejoice in joy of mind;

rejoice with me, all ye Powers.

And do thou, O Continence, sing praise;

and thou, Endurance;

and thou, my Justice, praise the All through me;

O Truth, sing praise to Truth.

O Good that is in me, praise the Good;

O Life and Light, from you comes the song of praise, and to you does it go forth.

I give thanks to thee, O Father, who workest in my Powers;

I give thanks to thee ,O God.

Thus crying, the Powers that are in me accomplish thy will;

praising the All, they fulfil thy purpose.

It is thy Word that through me sings thy praise;

for by thee, O Mind, is my speech shepherded.

Through me accept from all an offering of speech;

for the All is from thee, and to thee returns the All.

O Light, illumine thou the mind that is in us;

O Life, keep my soul alive.

Thy man cries thus to thee by means of the things thou has made;

but he has got from thine eternity the praises which he utters.

I have seen that which I seek;

I have found rest according to thy purpose;

by thy will I am born again.

The Hymn of Rebirth is to be sung in an open place, facing south at the hour of sunset or facing east at the hour of sunrise. Let all nature receive the sound of my hymn. Hermes, Libellus XIII.

DREAMY NEPTUNE

The planet Neptune is closely associated with the sign Pisces who has a dual rulership like the previous two signs of Scorpio and Aquarius. Poseidon is the other name for Neptune and he is the brother of Jupiter the original ruler of Pisces.

Neptune rules the sea; the deep dark depths of silence that only the fishes understand, and those humans who are nearly fishes anyway. Because of the silence and hidden qualities of the god and his medium, it is very hard to know much about him or his world. We do know that his energy causes chaos on earth and work best in the spiritual work or in the intangible aura that surrounds us. The warning here is that one should get to know Jupiter first, and then the Neptune energies will follow in their own good time.

Zeus/Jupiter [Larousse]

The great god Zeus or Jupiter rules the world. The stars are his hair and the rocks of earth his feet; in between is the belly of the world that produces everything. So the Orphic Hymn tells us. This probably means that Pisceans, and Sagittarians too for that matter, need to expand their world, but in a controlled way. Thus they can know more than anyone else, but the hubris is an over full belly or a mental indigestion – depending on whether the concentration is on the world of senses and food or the world of the mind and knowledge.

Jupiter always brings a spirit of generosity and benevolence but must be willing to give way in the end to the dissolving powers of his brother Neptune so that the material world becomes less dominant and one is allowed to see beyond into the world of spirit. Those who let Neptune in too soon in the belief that dreaming and psychic powers are all that is, are bound to also let muddle and even chaos rule their lives if they are not sufficiently grounded in this world, the arena for our physical living. On the other hand, those who deny Neptune, deny the magic of the world. Neptune should be allowed to bring inspiration for art forms, for solving complications, not as a solution to life’s difficulties through escape.

Osiris the green god and Dionysus the god of wine are closely associated with Neptune energies.

The Nymph Leucothea feeds Dionysus beneath the ‘Tree of Life’ [Larousse]

For the romantic poets, dream a little with ‘Rumi Poems’; Rumi (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets)