Post by WalksInSpirit on Nov 9, 2005 18:37:54 GMT -5
Astrology Chat: 11-07-05
LIBRA - "WE CHOOSE THE WAY WHICH LEADS BETWEEN THE TWO GREAT LINES OF FORCE"
THE RAZOR EDGED PATH
Libra is the point of balance in the zodiac, the place where neither spirit nor matter dominates. For the disciple on the Way, it is the point of perfect equilibrium. The path the disciple treads in Libra is known as the Razor Edged Path. In this sign can be demonstrated the art of spiritual compromise—willingness to yield on all non-essentials, all the while persuading and inspiring. Here we begin to understand the need for single steps along the path; serving wisely, offering just the correct amount of assistance. This develops a dynamic equilibrium in the life.
Libra forces everything into equilibrium. All the experience humanity has collected is laid in the scales of the balance and weighed. What’s valuable is kept; what’s worthless is thrown away. The effect of this balance is harmony, developing our powers of discrimination, and bringing into equilibrium the two-sided forces of duality. The Libran angel radiates the law of balance and justice into the three-dimensional world. Through Her wisdom is known the manifestation of law-giving knowledge.
Libra is the sign of justice. Libra governs law, sex and money, representing life in the lower three worlds, the playing field of the personality. These three areas represent humanity’s greatest battlefields. The first aspect of will or power expresses itself in this sign as law—as legislation, legality, and justice. The second aspect manifests as the relation between the pairs of opposites—sex, on the physical plane, of which the scales are the symbol. The physical plane shows itself as money; this is the third aspect and demonstrates as concretized energy. It is literally gold, this the externalized symbol of that which is created by the bringing together of spirit and matter upon the physical plane.
The 3 Personality Aspects - Mental = Law Astral = Sex Physical = Money
A blindfolded woman standing above scales represents Libra. She sees not the outer world; she relies on true inner intuitive sight where divine justice is to be found. The glyph of Libra is that of the setting sun.
In the stories of Hercules, the seventh labor in Libra is about learning balance and sound judgment. In this labor our hero sets off to capture the wild boar and salvage the country. Meanwhile he was told to take time to eat. Take time he did, so much that he failed to remember the object of his search. Forgetting their wine was not to be drunk by anyone but the Centaurs, and only then as a group, Hercules and his friend went ahead and drank from the sacred cask. Temporarily losing his way, Hercules and the Centaurs then engaged in a drunken orgy. A fierce battle ensued and he once again killed (the other time was in Aries, the first labor).
After regaining his senses, Hercules set off for the mountains and resumed his journey. Using cunning to capture the boar rather quickly, Hercules brought this boar into town walking on its front legs, laughing and singing as the boar led the way. What a sight to see Hercules driving the boar, representing his animal self, into town amidst the laughter of the townspeople. The test is passed; the lesson of true balance is learned, although Hercules is reminded that twice he has slain those whom he loved. He is to learn why.
Libra is the only Hercules labor in the zodiac where laughter is mentioned. By employing creative ways of dealing with our challenges, we can alter our perspectives, and transform situations with humor and an altered approach. To balance opposites and bring opposing forces into synthesis requires creative means, working with the energies that contribute to the general well being.
Like busy spiders, Libran energies perpetually spin the threads of relationships, creating a sensitive network of symbolism. This blending results in synthesis of the concrete with the abstract. There is always a discrepancy, a gap between the goal envisioned and the goal achieved. Yet in the spiritually creative process, the web created glows with light and assumes a pattern of intricate beauty.
Physiologically, Libra governs the kidneys and thus relates to the solar plexus.
The Tibetan tells us that the sign of Libra "is a sign of balancing, of careful weighing of values, and of achieving the right equilibrium between the pairs of opposites." (1) The balance spoken of does not mean we automatically sacrifice the physical for the spiritual; one is as meaningful as the other is. We begin to understand, just as it will be in the Age of Aquarius, that matter must be infused with spirit, leading to what the Tibetan calls the "new materialism." We neither exalt nor abuse matter for selfish ends; rather we wield the energies and utilize it for the realization of the divine Plan for our planet.
The achieved equilibrium, at the point of rest, provides the mental impetus for soul control. Passion is transmuted into love and the initial desire of Aries [Libra’s polar opposite] becomes the full expression of love-wisdom. Desire to manifest becomes the aspiration to be. (2) A period of interlude, Libra exists between Virgo and Scorpio, two signs of conflict. In Virgo there is the bringing of spirit into matter and the inevitable friction this produces; in Scorpio the challenge is to transform and raise matter into spirit. Between the two lies Libra, balancing the two, creating an interlude. The sun’s movement into Libra marks the autumn equinox—a time in the zodiacal cycle that provides an opportunity to rest, balance and recharge our energies in preparation for the service ahead.
Libra governs all interludes, including the present period of transition between the Piscean and Aquarian ages. Those coming under the influence of Libra wait halfway between Heaven and earth: looking above, they see the vision, the golden dawn gilding a snow-capped mountaintop; gazing downwards, they behold the mire through which humanity passes. On the one hand, we recognize high ideals; on the other, we perceive ideals compromised in the affairs of humans. At this midway point we stand and work.
The feminine element is found in Libra by way of its exoteric ruler, Venus, and this allows for the balancing of the masculine assertiveness. When the Libran harmonizes Venusian energies, these can the respond to the androgynous Aquarian vibration of Uranus, the esoteric ruler. Saturn is the ruler of the Libran creative hierarchy.
The three constellations primarily associated with Libra are Crux, the Southern Cross; Lupus, the Wolf; and Corona, the Crown.
As the air sign of the Cardinal Cross, Libra is related to the mind and represents active intelligence, the third aspect of deity. This third ray is the creator aspect and the energy which produces the outer tangible plane of manifestation—the form side of life.
The air signs represent the Mind of God as it expresses itself through humanity:
Gemini, the Twins Mutable Cross Mind Cause of duality
Libra, the Balance Cardinal Cross Supermind Cause of synthesis
Aquarius, the Water-Carrier Fixed Cross Universal Mind Soul
For the human being, lower mind dominates at first and causes the recognition of the Self and the Not-Self, of the essential dualism underlying all manifestation. The higher mind steadily increases its power and control, producing the balancing of the pairs of opposites through the illumination it brings to the lower mind. The Soul, the eternal Son of Mind, becomes the ultimate synthesis, relating Universal Mind to the two lower aspects of the Mind of God.
BALANCE OF THE OPPOSITES IN LIBRA
Fickleness and variability - A secure and settled position.
Imbalance - Balance.
Bias, Prejudice - Justice, Judgment.
Dull, stupidity - Enthusiastic, wisdom.
Untrue, showy outer form life - True correct expression.
Intrigue - Straightforward conduct.
Materialistic attitudes - Spiritual attitudes.
In the midst of dissonance, Libra cherishes the dream of harmony; in the far country is remembered our Father’s house.
-----------
ARCTURUS [24 Libra 04]
BOOTES, "the one who is coming," the Savior in Pisces who frees humanity from subservience to the form.
An Avatar can be defined as one who is the physical embodiment of a quality of consciousness which permeates a space over time, leaving its essence to change that region forever. Hinduism and other religions have defined Avatars as God taking human physical forms on this earth.
If we look to the heavens and study the evolution of the universe over millions of years, we see that galaxies, solar systems and stars interact with each other for varied periods of time. When in close proximity these large systems share magnetic currents, attractive and repulsive, containing physical matter and influencing the evolution of that planet, star or galaxy. Though they are "passing in the night," a star can impregnate a planet with an element which could be the seed needed to catalyze a new life form in which sentient consciousness will exist.
The constellation Bootes contains the fourth brightest star in our entire sky, Arcturus, a red giant about 24 times larger than the Sun with a luminosity 115 times our sun, lying 36 light years away from the earth. Astronomers have found that Arcturus entered our system approximately 500,000 years ago and will remain here for approximately another 500,000 years, only to continue its journey towards the Virgo Cluster, but at a different angle than our local group of galaxies is moving. And if we trace the path of the Great Bear over the next 100,000 years we see that the star, Al Kaid in the tail of the Great Bear begins to turn inward, also pointing toward the Virgo cluster.
Presently Arcturus points or "spikes" to the star Spica (located at 23 degrees of the sign Libra) in the knee of the constellation Virgo. Arcturus, the guardian of the Bear, appears to be "herding" the star Al Kaid, pointing the way over centuries towards the arms of the Virgin, Virgo. Esoterically we know the Great Bear embodies and emanates the quality of Will to our solar system. Could it be that Arcturus is an Avatar blending its consciousness with the Will and herding it, causing great evolutionary changes to all in its path? The ancient records and myths of Bootes (Arcturus), known by the ancients as "The Guardian of the Bear," seem to give clues of this celestial event in earthly terms.
The constellation Bootes is closely linked with the Great Bear because of its position behind the Bear's tail. The origin of the constellation's name is not certain—the Greeks knew this constellation as Arctophylax or Bear Watcher, Bear Keeper or Guard. It probably comes from a Greek word meaning "noisy" or "clamorous," referring to the herdsman’s shouts to his animals: the Hunter in pursuit of the Bear. Another explanation is that the name comes from ancient Greece and means "ox driver," from the fact that Ursa Major was sometimes visualized as a cart pulled by oxen, "The Wagoneer or Driver of the Wain—Bootes with the Wain the North unfolds."
According to a story that goes back to Eratosthenes, the constellation represents Arcas, son of the god Zeus and Callisto, daughter of King Lycaon of Arcadia. One day Zeus came to dine with his father-in-law Lycaon, an unusual thing for a god to do. To test whether his guest really was the great Zeus, Lycaon cut up Arcas and served him as part of a mixed grill. Zeus easily recognized the flesh of his son. In a burning rage he tipped over the table, scattering the feast and killing the sons of Lycaon with a thunderbolt, as he turned Lycaon into a wolf. Then Zeus collected the parts of Arcas, made them whole again and gave his son to Maia the Pleiad to bring up.
Meanwhile Callisto had been turned into a bear, some say by Zeus’s wife Hera out of jealousy, or some by Zeus himself to disguise his paramour from Hera‘s revenge, or even by Artemis to punish Callisto for losing her virginity. When Arcas had grown into a strapping teenager he came across this bear while hunting in the woods. Callisto recognized her son, but though she tried to greet him warmly she could only growl. Not surprisingly, Arcas failed to interpret this expression of motherly love and began to chase the bear. With Arcas in hot pursuit, Callisto fled into the temple of Zeus, a forbidden place where trespassers where punished by death. Zeus snatched up Arcas and his mother and placed them in the sky as the constellations of the Bear and the Bear Keeper.
The Greek poet Aratus visualized Bootes as a man driving the bear around the pole. Later astronomers have given Bootes two dogs, in the form of the neighboring constellation Canes Venatici.
A second legend identifies Bootes with Icarius (not to be confused with Icarus, son of Daedalus). According to this tale, the god Dionysus taught Icarius how to cultivate vines and make wine. When he offered some of his new vintage to the shepherds, they became so intoxicated that their friends thought they had been poisoned, and in revenge they killed Icarius.
His dog Maera fled home howling and led Icarius‘s daughter Erigone to where his body lay beneath a tree. In despair, Erigone hanged herself from the tree; even the dog died, either of grief or by drowning itself. Zeus put Icarius into the sky as Bootes, his daughter Erigone became the constellation Virgo, and the dog became Canis Minor or Canis Major, according to different authorities.
THE BIG DIPPER NOW, THEN AND IN THE FUTURE
All year round you can see Arcturus by following the curving line of the handle in the Great Bear, extended 30 degrees. An old tradition has it that one can "Arc to Arcturus" from the Great Bear to locate the star.
Five of the seven stars in the Big Dipper are moving through the sky in the same direction; the stars Dubhe and Al Kaid are moving in the opposite direction. The contrary motion of these stars will eventually cause the Big Dipper to change shape.
=================
THE RAZOR EDGED PATH
Libra is the point of balance in the zodiac, the place where neither spirit nor matter dominates. For the disciple on the Way, it is the point of perfect equilibrium. The path the disciple treads in Libra is known as the Razor Edged Path. In this sign can be demonstrated the art of spiritual compromise—willingness to yield on all non-essentials, all the while persuading and inspiring. Here we begin to understand the need for single steps along the path; serving wisely, offering just the correct amount of assistance. This develops a dynamic equilibrium in the life.
Libra forces everything into equilibrium. All the experience humanity has collected is laid in the scales of the balance and weighed. What’s valuable is kept; what’s worthless is thrown away. The effect of this balance is harmony, developing our powers of discrimination, and bringing into equilibrium the two-sided forces of duality. The Libran angel radiates the law of balance and justice into the three-dimensional world. Through Her wisdom is known the manifestation of law-giving knowledge.
Libra is the sign of justice. Libra governs law, sex and money, representing life in the lower three worlds, the playing field of the personality. These three areas represent humanity’s greatest battlefields. The first aspect of will or power expresses itself in this sign as law—as legislation, legality, and justice. The second aspect manifests as the relation between the pairs of opposites—sex, on the physical plane, of which the scales are the symbol. The physical plane shows itself as money; this is the third aspect and demonstrates as concretized energy. It is literally gold, this the externalized symbol of that which is created by the bringing together of spirit and matter upon the physical plane.
The 3 Personality Aspects - Mental = Law Astral = Sex Physical = Money
A blindfolded woman standing above scales represents Libra. She sees not the outer world; she relies on true inner intuitive sight where divine justice is to be found. The glyph of Libra is that of the setting sun.
In the stories of Hercules, the seventh labor in Libra is about learning balance and sound judgment. In this labor our hero sets off to capture the wild boar and salvage the country. Meanwhile he was told to take time to eat. Take time he did, so much that he failed to remember the object of his search. Forgetting their wine was not to be drunk by anyone but the Centaurs, and only then as a group, Hercules and his friend went ahead and drank from the sacred cask. Temporarily losing his way, Hercules and the Centaurs then engaged in a drunken orgy. A fierce battle ensued and he once again killed (the other time was in Aries, the first labor).
After regaining his senses, Hercules set off for the mountains and resumed his journey. Using cunning to capture the boar rather quickly, Hercules brought this boar into town walking on its front legs, laughing and singing as the boar led the way. What a sight to see Hercules driving the boar, representing his animal self, into town amidst the laughter of the townspeople. The test is passed; the lesson of true balance is learned, although Hercules is reminded that twice he has slain those whom he loved. He is to learn why.
Libra is the only Hercules labor in the zodiac where laughter is mentioned. By employing creative ways of dealing with our challenges, we can alter our perspectives, and transform situations with humor and an altered approach. To balance opposites and bring opposing forces into synthesis requires creative means, working with the energies that contribute to the general well being.
Like busy spiders, Libran energies perpetually spin the threads of relationships, creating a sensitive network of symbolism. This blending results in synthesis of the concrete with the abstract. There is always a discrepancy, a gap between the goal envisioned and the goal achieved. Yet in the spiritually creative process, the web created glows with light and assumes a pattern of intricate beauty.
Physiologically, Libra governs the kidneys and thus relates to the solar plexus.
The Tibetan tells us that the sign of Libra "is a sign of balancing, of careful weighing of values, and of achieving the right equilibrium between the pairs of opposites." (1) The balance spoken of does not mean we automatically sacrifice the physical for the spiritual; one is as meaningful as the other is. We begin to understand, just as it will be in the Age of Aquarius, that matter must be infused with spirit, leading to what the Tibetan calls the "new materialism." We neither exalt nor abuse matter for selfish ends; rather we wield the energies and utilize it for the realization of the divine Plan for our planet.
The achieved equilibrium, at the point of rest, provides the mental impetus for soul control. Passion is transmuted into love and the initial desire of Aries [Libra’s polar opposite] becomes the full expression of love-wisdom. Desire to manifest becomes the aspiration to be. (2) A period of interlude, Libra exists between Virgo and Scorpio, two signs of conflict. In Virgo there is the bringing of spirit into matter and the inevitable friction this produces; in Scorpio the challenge is to transform and raise matter into spirit. Between the two lies Libra, balancing the two, creating an interlude. The sun’s movement into Libra marks the autumn equinox—a time in the zodiacal cycle that provides an opportunity to rest, balance and recharge our energies in preparation for the service ahead.
Libra governs all interludes, including the present period of transition between the Piscean and Aquarian ages. Those coming under the influence of Libra wait halfway between Heaven and earth: looking above, they see the vision, the golden dawn gilding a snow-capped mountaintop; gazing downwards, they behold the mire through which humanity passes. On the one hand, we recognize high ideals; on the other, we perceive ideals compromised in the affairs of humans. At this midway point we stand and work.
The feminine element is found in Libra by way of its exoteric ruler, Venus, and this allows for the balancing of the masculine assertiveness. When the Libran harmonizes Venusian energies, these can the respond to the androgynous Aquarian vibration of Uranus, the esoteric ruler. Saturn is the ruler of the Libran creative hierarchy.
The three constellations primarily associated with Libra are Crux, the Southern Cross; Lupus, the Wolf; and Corona, the Crown.
As the air sign of the Cardinal Cross, Libra is related to the mind and represents active intelligence, the third aspect of deity. This third ray is the creator aspect and the energy which produces the outer tangible plane of manifestation—the form side of life.
The air signs represent the Mind of God as it expresses itself through humanity:
Gemini, the Twins Mutable Cross Mind Cause of duality
Libra, the Balance Cardinal Cross Supermind Cause of synthesis
Aquarius, the Water-Carrier Fixed Cross Universal Mind Soul
For the human being, lower mind dominates at first and causes the recognition of the Self and the Not-Self, of the essential dualism underlying all manifestation. The higher mind steadily increases its power and control, producing the balancing of the pairs of opposites through the illumination it brings to the lower mind. The Soul, the eternal Son of Mind, becomes the ultimate synthesis, relating Universal Mind to the two lower aspects of the Mind of God.
BALANCE OF THE OPPOSITES IN LIBRA
Fickleness and variability - A secure and settled position.
Imbalance - Balance.
Bias, Prejudice - Justice, Judgment.
Dull, stupidity - Enthusiastic, wisdom.
Untrue, showy outer form life - True correct expression.
Intrigue - Straightforward conduct.
Materialistic attitudes - Spiritual attitudes.
In the midst of dissonance, Libra cherishes the dream of harmony; in the far country is remembered our Father’s house.
-----------
ARCTURUS [24 Libra 04]
BOOTES, "the one who is coming," the Savior in Pisces who frees humanity from subservience to the form.
An Avatar can be defined as one who is the physical embodiment of a quality of consciousness which permeates a space over time, leaving its essence to change that region forever. Hinduism and other religions have defined Avatars as God taking human physical forms on this earth.
If we look to the heavens and study the evolution of the universe over millions of years, we see that galaxies, solar systems and stars interact with each other for varied periods of time. When in close proximity these large systems share magnetic currents, attractive and repulsive, containing physical matter and influencing the evolution of that planet, star or galaxy. Though they are "passing in the night," a star can impregnate a planet with an element which could be the seed needed to catalyze a new life form in which sentient consciousness will exist.
The constellation Bootes contains the fourth brightest star in our entire sky, Arcturus, a red giant about 24 times larger than the Sun with a luminosity 115 times our sun, lying 36 light years away from the earth. Astronomers have found that Arcturus entered our system approximately 500,000 years ago and will remain here for approximately another 500,000 years, only to continue its journey towards the Virgo Cluster, but at a different angle than our local group of galaxies is moving. And if we trace the path of the Great Bear over the next 100,000 years we see that the star, Al Kaid in the tail of the Great Bear begins to turn inward, also pointing toward the Virgo cluster.
Presently Arcturus points or "spikes" to the star Spica (located at 23 degrees of the sign Libra) in the knee of the constellation Virgo. Arcturus, the guardian of the Bear, appears to be "herding" the star Al Kaid, pointing the way over centuries towards the arms of the Virgin, Virgo. Esoterically we know the Great Bear embodies and emanates the quality of Will to our solar system. Could it be that Arcturus is an Avatar blending its consciousness with the Will and herding it, causing great evolutionary changes to all in its path? The ancient records and myths of Bootes (Arcturus), known by the ancients as "The Guardian of the Bear," seem to give clues of this celestial event in earthly terms.
The constellation Bootes is closely linked with the Great Bear because of its position behind the Bear's tail. The origin of the constellation's name is not certain—the Greeks knew this constellation as Arctophylax or Bear Watcher, Bear Keeper or Guard. It probably comes from a Greek word meaning "noisy" or "clamorous," referring to the herdsman’s shouts to his animals: the Hunter in pursuit of the Bear. Another explanation is that the name comes from ancient Greece and means "ox driver," from the fact that Ursa Major was sometimes visualized as a cart pulled by oxen, "The Wagoneer or Driver of the Wain—Bootes with the Wain the North unfolds."
According to a story that goes back to Eratosthenes, the constellation represents Arcas, son of the god Zeus and Callisto, daughter of King Lycaon of Arcadia. One day Zeus came to dine with his father-in-law Lycaon, an unusual thing for a god to do. To test whether his guest really was the great Zeus, Lycaon cut up Arcas and served him as part of a mixed grill. Zeus easily recognized the flesh of his son. In a burning rage he tipped over the table, scattering the feast and killing the sons of Lycaon with a thunderbolt, as he turned Lycaon into a wolf. Then Zeus collected the parts of Arcas, made them whole again and gave his son to Maia the Pleiad to bring up.
Meanwhile Callisto had been turned into a bear, some say by Zeus’s wife Hera out of jealousy, or some by Zeus himself to disguise his paramour from Hera‘s revenge, or even by Artemis to punish Callisto for losing her virginity. When Arcas had grown into a strapping teenager he came across this bear while hunting in the woods. Callisto recognized her son, but though she tried to greet him warmly she could only growl. Not surprisingly, Arcas failed to interpret this expression of motherly love and began to chase the bear. With Arcas in hot pursuit, Callisto fled into the temple of Zeus, a forbidden place where trespassers where punished by death. Zeus snatched up Arcas and his mother and placed them in the sky as the constellations of the Bear and the Bear Keeper.
The Greek poet Aratus visualized Bootes as a man driving the bear around the pole. Later astronomers have given Bootes two dogs, in the form of the neighboring constellation Canes Venatici.
A second legend identifies Bootes with Icarius (not to be confused with Icarus, son of Daedalus). According to this tale, the god Dionysus taught Icarius how to cultivate vines and make wine. When he offered some of his new vintage to the shepherds, they became so intoxicated that their friends thought they had been poisoned, and in revenge they killed Icarius.
His dog Maera fled home howling and led Icarius‘s daughter Erigone to where his body lay beneath a tree. In despair, Erigone hanged herself from the tree; even the dog died, either of grief or by drowning itself. Zeus put Icarius into the sky as Bootes, his daughter Erigone became the constellation Virgo, and the dog became Canis Minor or Canis Major, according to different authorities.
THE BIG DIPPER NOW, THEN AND IN THE FUTURE
All year round you can see Arcturus by following the curving line of the handle in the Great Bear, extended 30 degrees. An old tradition has it that one can "Arc to Arcturus" from the Great Bear to locate the star.
Five of the seven stars in the Big Dipper are moving through the sky in the same direction; the stars Dubhe and Al Kaid are moving in the opposite direction. The contrary motion of these stars will eventually cause the Big Dipper to change shape.
=================