Kabbalah and Astrology

Z’ev ben Shimon Halevi

By the same author:

Adam and the Kabbalistic Trees

A Kabbalistic Universe
The Way of Kabbalah
Introduction to the World of Kabbalah
The Kabbalist at Work
Kabbalah and Exodus
Kabbalah: School of the Soul
Psychology and Kabbalah
The Kabbalistic Tree of Life
The Anointed—a Kabbalistic Novel
The Anatomy of Fate
The Path of a Kabbalist
A Kabbalistic View of History
By OtherPublishers:

Kabbalah—The Divine Plan (HarperCollins )

Kabbalah, Tradition of Hidden Knowledge (Thames & Hudson )
Astrology The Celestial Mirror (Thames & Hudson )
As Above So Below (Stuart & Watkins )
 Publication Information

Bet El Trust
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E-mail: [email protected]
First published in 2000 by Urania Trust
Revised Edition in 2009 by Kabbalah Society
Kindle Edition in 2017 by Kabbalah Society
Copyright © Z’ev ben Shimon Halevi 1977, 2007
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For Solomon Ibn Gabirol
Maggid and Friend
 Contents
Front Matter
Figures
Preface
Introduction
1. Knowledge
2. Esoterics
3. Kabbalah
4. Microcosm
5. Influences
6. Entity
7. Fate
8. Psychology
9. Birth Chart
10. Incarnation
11. Lower Face
12. Unconscious
13. Circumstance
14. Resonance
15. Triads
16. Transits
17. Progressions
18. Disease
19. Choice
20. Crisis
21. Schools
22. Problems
23. Free Will
24. Development
25. Transformation
26. Nemesis
27. Providence
28. Destiny
29. History
30. Completion
Glossary
About the Author
Kabbalah Society Publications
Figures
1. Kabbalistic Astrology
2. System
3. Kabbalah
4. Mystic and Philosopher
5. Menorah
6. Tree of Life
7. Adam Kadmon
8. Four Worlds
9. Jacob’s Ladder
10. Zodiacal Man
11. Fate and Destiny
12. Solar System
13. Cosmic Influences
14. Astrological Tree
15. Birth Chart
16. American Civil War
17. Levels of Fate
18. General Fate
19. Psyche in Detail
20. Archetypes
21. Birth
22. Horoscope
23. Gestation
24. Chart on the Tree
25. Signs and Houses
26. Animal and Vegetable Levels
27. Human Level
28. Spiritual Level
29. Generation
30. Paths
31. Triads
32. Death
33. Karma
34. Progressions
35. Disease
36. Medicine
37. Life
38. Choice
39. Possibilities
40. Crisis
41. School of the Soul
42. Teacher
43. Relationships
44. Sin
45. Decisions
46. Work
47. Transformation
48. Grace
49. Ascent
50. Nemesis
51. Providence
52. Adolf Hitler
53. Rudolf Steiner
54. England
55. British Empire
56. Situation
57. Astrological Adam Kadmon
Figure 1—Kabbalistic Astrology

Information is one thing but real knowledge is quite another. One may have
all the data for a birth chart and yet not perceive its essence. Astrology is
an art, not a science. This means that the horoscope is seen as an image
that contains the person’s being. This comes only from great experience or
a metaphysical and symbolic foundation of an esoteric tradition, such as
Kabbalah. In this picture, an astrologer with spiritual knowledge perceives
the principals behind the physical universe. (Woodcut, 16th century.)
Preface
Every life has an individual pattern. Some lives are full of incident and
some are quiet, while others seem graced by good fortune or cursed by ill
luck. Why is this? And what, many ask, is it that pre-determines the flow of
events and precipitates the crises that occur in our path through life?
Astrologers often describe in great detail the effects of this or that celestial
configuration but rarely define the causes or the mechanism of how these
actually influence us. The answers are to be found in the ancient teachings
behind astrology which add a spiritual dimension and indicate the Divine
purpose of the anatomy of fate.
Figure 2—System

Astrology is the result of millennia of study. It is a composite of thousands

of celestial observations that seemed to relate to patterns of human
behaviour and character. What is shown here are the various systems and
symbols that interact. On the edge are the twelve psychological types of the
zodiac. Inside this are the mundane Houses, through which those types
manifest in the everyday world. Within this circle come the triads of the four
elements of temperament and the celestial rulers of each sign in their
negative and positive modes. At the centre are the classical gods, metals,
ages and sefirot associated with the Solar system. (Cosmic Clock, Halevi.)
Introduction
A birth chart is more than the positions and angles of the celestial bodies in
the heavens. It is a progress report on the result of karma. This universal
law, known in Kabbalah as ‘measure for measure’, was recognised by Sir
Isaac Newton, the 17th century physicist. He showed that no action was
without a reaction. This is not just a cosmic rule within the physical world
but a real factor in the psychological and spiritual realms. No life, good or
bad, is without its consequences. This is set out in the horoscope.
According to many spiritual traditions including Kabbalah, the Jewish
esoteric teaching, reincarnation is the norm. An individual soul passes
through many lives. In each, the sum of its successes and failures will
manifest at the moment of birth to set out the course of the next fate. The
horoscope also indicates all the lessons designed to aid and educate that
soul’s development on the path of self-realisation, if one knows how to
discern them.
This book brings together two ancient disciplines, astrology and
Kabbalah, in the light of modern psychology so that a greater insight may
be achieved when considering the anatomy of fate.
Figure 3—Kabbalah

Although known by this name only since medieval times, the Tradition dates
back to ancient Mesopotamia where the image of a sacred tree was used to
symbolise Existence and its laws. Here within the zodiac is the kabbalistic
Tree of Life. It is a metaphysical version of what had been transmitted in
myth, fable and symbol for centuries. With the advent of philosophy in the
Middle Ages, it was decided to present esoteric ideas in diagrammatic form.
This was applied later to astrology, so as to deepen the understanding of the
way fate and destiny worked. (Cordovero’s Tree of Life, 16th century.)
1. Knowledge
The first premise to be accepted is that the universe is not a chaos but
governed by a set of laws. While everything appears to be in motion and, at
times, seems disordered and disjointed, in fact Existence is a very precisely
organised entity. If it were not so, then chaos would rule and there would be
no process of birth, growth and death, evolution or resolution. An
understanding of the regulation and aim of Existence is the purpose of the
pursuit of knowledge.
This began when the first human beings on Earth started to examine
their environment. Initially they were bound by instinct, that inherent body
of experience gained by the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms which
was passed on in the chemistry, cells and organic intelligence of their
bodies. As such, the earliest human reactions to terrestrial conditions were
little more than natural reflexes, just like those of their ape cousins. But a
human being is more than a highly evolved physical organism. Men and
women have a mind that considers more than the immediate environment. It
can speculate about the past, present and future and come to conclusions.
This capacity to ponder, experiment and create is unique to humanity. It
is not an accident but the result of a Divine plan that also created the atoms,
the elements, the stars, the planets and the complex interacting ecology of
life on Earth. Humanity might have been born into a fleshly body, or put on
a ‘coat of skin’ as the Bible says, but it is clear that its ability to be
reflective and creative is of quite a different order to that of the most
advanced of apes.
Because of this unique capacity, mankind has accumulated a body of
knowledge over tens of thousands of years. This has been applied to such a
degree that humanity has greatly altered the face of the planet. The mastery
of fire, air, water and earth led to the agricultural and early technical
revolution that was to encroach on the wilderness. This gave rise to
permanent villages, towns and urban culture. With cities came specialists
who could consider matters beyond basic needs. Building upon the work of
tribal shamans, the priesthood added methodical study to a visionary
understanding of Existence. Here began two lines of knowledge.
Out of the observation of natural phenomena came the exact plotting of
the rhythms of the Sun, Moon and stars. While this data was useful for
religious and economic reasons, it initiated an enquiry into the meaning
behind the symbols of intuition, inspiration and revelation about the
universe that had been handed down. There seemed to be some kind of
coincidence between events on Earth and what occurred in the heavens.
Besides bad or good harvests, there were periods of peace and war that
appeared to be synchronised with certain celestial configurations.
As civilisation developed, a detailed record was kept of the various
motions in the sky and their apparent influence on terrestrial events. It was
noted, for example, that when the blood-red planet Mars was in particular
parts of the sky, conflicts arose not only between individuals but also
between city states. Moreover Saturn, a dull and slow-moving ‘wanderer’,
seemed to put a restraining but steadying hand on mundane affairs when it
was in certain celestial positions. Indeed, all the visible planets and the two
luminaries, Sun and Moon, apparently had effects of varying strength when
related to particular sections of the zodiacal belt that encompassed the
heavens.
Between the first empires of Mesopotamia and the peak of Roman
power, a whole body of information about celestial influences had been
gathered. This was co-ordinated into a domelike map of the heavens with a
grid system that could plot the exact positions of the celestial bodies. By
this time the band of the Zodiac had been resolved into twelve symbols that
defined the characteristics of each section. They were not, as many believe,
modelled on the twelve constellations which would eventually shift their
position and patterns. The symbols were based upon the twelve stages of
the seasons and the temperament of people born in the period when the Sun
was in each sign. Thus, for example, Leo described in its radiant mane the
thirty hot, dry days of high Summer and the Fiery, expansive disposition of
people incarnated at this time; while the sign of the Goat defined the cold,
dry nadir of Winter and the stolid ambition of a Capricorn’s nature as the
Sun began to climb after the solstice.
Figure 4—Mystic and Philosopher

In any genuine esoteric tradition, mysticism and philosophy are one and the
same. A question about the universe, the human condition and the origin of
all are considered by the heart and head, as well as from a practical view
point. Conclusions are reached after much pondering and deep insights
during meditation. Unless they square with experience and esoteric
knowledge acquired though revelation, they are not taken seriously. Today
most science lacks a philosophic base and abhors any mystical dimension.
The so-called Age of Reason lost the faculty of imagination. (The
Philosophical Mystic, 17th century print.)
 Symbolism was the language of knowledge during this seminal period.
While scientific, technological information was vital to plot an astrological
situation, it was the mode of art that was used to explain and demonstrate
universal and archetypal principles. For example, the twelve basic
psychological types were set out in the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve
disciples of Jesus. These archetypes were sub-divided into Solar, Lunar,
Mercurial, Venusian, Martial, Jovian and Saturnine personalities which
related to the mythical gods. Such symbolic images were common to
ancient humanity which believed that the heavens and the Earth were ruled
by various deities.
The celestial gods were perceived to occupy an invisible zone, also
inhabited by the dead and the unborn. Here the idea of other realities has to
be taken into account, as this is a basic esoteric premise. The physical
universe is but the lowest level of the several realms that compose
Existence. The primitive and ancient cultures accepted this notion, not as a
theological or philosophical concept but as an experiential fact. This is
borne out, for example, by the world-wide belief in ghosts, spirits, Heaven
and Hell.
Astrology was a combination of carefully tabulated observation and
imagination. Unfortunately, by Roman times it had become, at street level, a
superstitious cult. This was also true of many degenerated esoteric
practices, such as reducing the idea of the soul’s immortality to a ritual of
mummifying the body. Nevertheless, serious astrologers continued to
practise the art until it was revitalised by the Arabs and Jews of the early
medieval epoch. They enriched it further with their discoveries so that, by
the time that Western European interest was aroused, it became part of a
crucial debate between religion and philosophy on the issue of free will
versus predetermination.
Philosophy is the way of reason and, during the Middle Ages, it became
the testing and proving tool of religious faith. Astrology came somewhere
between the two ‘truths’ in that it used both observation and intuition.
While astrology could not be logically explained, it appeared to work to
such a degree that one Pope chose to be crowned on a day recommended by
his astrologer. Indeed, no general would start a battle and no sea captain set
sail without considering the celestial situation. The Middle Ages and
Renaissance were a great high point for astrology. No monarch, merchant or
physician would make a decision before considering the positions of the
Sun, Moon and planets.
All this came to an abrupt end when Galileo turned his telescope up into
the sky. He and other scientists so undermined accepted ancient concepts by
their experiments and discoveries that the old world picture of the universe,
supported by religious theology, virtually evaporated in Europe. The rise of
pure science and the breakdown of the medieval order led educated people
to discard astrology as a collection of superstitions. Within a generation the
subject, once taught in many European universities, was dropped as
celestial mechanics became the fashion. Centuries of study about the
influence of the heavens upon the Earth were all but forgotten. Astrology
was regarded as only of interest to charlatans and eccentrics.
Among the ‘eccentrics’ was Sir Isaac Newton, sometimes called the last
of the magicians and the first of the modern scientists. He was not only well
acquainted with astrology but was interested in alchemy and Kabbalah. He
belonged to a circle of eminent people that included Sir Christopher Wren,
Robert Boyle and Elias Ashmole. They were fascinated by the esoteric
teachings that had almost been obliterated by the new epoch of so-called
‘Reason’ in which the realms of soul, spirit and the Divine were set aside in
the pursuit of physics.
Science, as the study of the purely material aspect of reality, advanced
with such leaps and bounds from the 17th century on, that by the 19th
century it had become, for many, a form of religion that could answer any
question, given time. Geology and Darwin’s theory of evolution destroyed
Biblical chronology and the belief that humanity had descended from
Paradise. However, while science seemed to offer an explanation of the
origin of the universe, it could not identify its purpose. Providentially, in the
20th century a series of discoveries about the nature of matter and time
shook the mechanistic viewpoint and reopened the door to metaphysics and
mysticism.
Beyond the atom there appeared to be—nothing. Moreover, energy and
matter were continually disappearing and reappearing after the universe had
emerged out of nothingness, as a point of light, just as many creation myths
described. For this science had no explanation. In addition, radio telescopes
and other sensitive instruments revealed that the universe was filled with
previously unknown emissions, field forces and interactions. It was
discovered that the Sun, Moon and Jupiter indeed had an effect upon the
cycles of Nature, the stock market and electronic communications. Even
time could no longer be seen as a simple, moving moment. It had other
dimensions, such as repetition, retention of the past and precognition of the
future.
Such discoveries re-aroused interest in astrology, then part of a revival
of the occult and spiritual movement in the 1970s. With the aid of
computers, astrology underwent a transformation. The technical evolution
was added to by the work of contemporary psychologists whose
understanding of mythical archetypes and modern clinical observation
keyed into the symbolism of astrology. Out of this emerged a new phase of
celestial studies. This examined the dynamic and structure of the psyche,
the function of fate and the meaning of destiny. Here is where Kabbalah,
then also being re-examined, provided a deeper and wider picture of
Existence, humanity’s place and its purpose. Esoteric knowledge was
reinstated as a relevant study.
2. Esoterics
The word esoteric means to be ‘hidden’. The implication is not of ‘secret’
but ‘unnoticed’, because the more subtle laws and processes of Existence
cannot be recognised by those who only perceive the universe through the
senses. An individual may be well educated, devout in religion and even a
renowned philosopher but yet be totally blind to what an observant peasant
might know about Nature spirits or the dead. For example, many people
sensitive to atmosphere can tell whether a house is a happy home or
otherwise. This is because any long-term routine or dramatic event saturates
the fabric of a building with a subtle field force that takes time to discharge,
sometimes centuries. This principle is accepted in science in that heat can
be contained; but not indefinitely, for it will disperse since an equilibrium of
temperature must eventually be restored. The same law applies to the
psychological and spiritual domains which are beyond any current scientific
instrument’s capacity to detect. The study of these occult dimensions is the
science of esoterica.
From very early times it was clear that some people, men or women,
were more aware of these hidden dimensions. Besides being able to dowse
for water, follow energy lines across a landscape or communicate with the
‘Ancestors’, such individuals could identify the emanations given off by
celestial bodies. This was possible because cosmic frequencies resonate
with the psyche, which is based upon the same universal model. Structures
like Stonehenge and the Pyramids were designed to focus and concentrate
incoming celestial influxes, like the giant horns used in wartime to hear
distant aircraft. The priests would describe such phenomena in mythological
images or as the ‘Music of the Spheres’. Modern astronomers call such
frequencies the electro-magnetic signature of celestial bodies or
astronomical zones. They define them in contemporary scientific terms.
Ancient astronomers were especially interested in the exact effect of
these influxes on the Earth. The only difference between them and their
modern counterparts was that they used their minds as telescopic tools.
Human consciousness is still the finest instrument on the planet. Einstein,
the 20th century cosmologist, was well in line with the tradition of blending
observation and intuition when he conceived the Theory of Relativity.
Figure 5—Menorah

This seven-branched candlestick was to be found in Moses’ Tabernacle and

Solomon’s Temple. It sets out, in symbolic form, the metaphysics of
Existence. It has right and left wings that signify the active and passive
aspects of the Universe and a central column that represents an axis of
balance. This corresponds to the Chinese Yang, Yin and Tao. There are ten
nodal points and twenty-two decorations. These represent the Ten Numbers,
or Divine Attributes, and the paths that connect them. Between the arms are
the spaces that define the four distinct but interconnected universes. The
Menorah was made of pure gold, indicating unity and Divinity. (Drawing
by Halevi.)
 The classical Greek philosopher and mystic, Plato, recognised that
behind whatever existed on Earth there was an archetype. Everything, from
a stone to the Moon, was based upon a non-physical form which, in turn,
related to an abstract idea. Thus there was the substance of a stone, its flint
or granite form, and the idea of stoniness which never changed. Such an
archetypal concept was, in its way, more permanent than any rock or
mountain. This indicated to Plato that there were three basic universes: of
matter, form and ideas. A fourth level was a higher World where these lower
realities originated. This is called the Divine realm in Kabbalah.
The actuality of these ‘hidden Worlds’ was corroborated by mystics of
every culture who, in an awakened state of meditation, contemplation or
ritual, experienced three distinct upper universes. These levels were defined
by various names; but all agreed that the topmost was concerned with the
Eternal while the three lower Worlds related to various degrees of
actualising the potentiality of Divinity. The bottommost universe was the
full manifestation in physicality of all the realms above.
Most early communities believed that when the physical body died, the
soul survived and even hovered about its home for a while before it
departed into the higher Worlds. It was also commonly believed that the
soul would eventually descend and reincarnate as a child in the same home
or clan. This view was to have a profound impact on esoteric astrology, in
that karma was carried over and depicted in the birth chart that set out a
person’s fate.
The concept of four Worlds and four corresponding levels within a
human being is found in Kabbalah. This knowledge, it is said, goes back to
the initiation of Abraham by Melchizedek, mentioned in the Bible.
Melchizedek—who, it was said, had neither father nor mother, indicating
that he was from the invisible zone—revealed to Abraham an esoteric
teaching about the nature of Existence and its aim. This knowledge was
transmitted over the generations of patriarchs but was nearly lost when the
Israelites were enslaved in Egypt.
It was restated in the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai and passed on
to the priesthood. Later, it was passed on to the rabbis after the Second
Temple was destroyed. In the Middle Ages, in response to the needs of the
time, this knowledge was combined with Hellenic and Arabic metaphysics
to create a system known as Kabbalah. Let us set out an outline of the
kabbalistic view of Existence and relate it to astrology and psychology.
Figure 6—Tree of Life

This diagram is composed of ten sefirot, or numbers, with the paths

between. It is the basic model used in this book to illustrate various
principles at work. The Hebrew names are traditional and taken from the
Bible. Their translation is only a clue to their complex functions. The
metaphysical definitions give some idea as to their qualities and
capabilities. All have positive and negative aspects, like the planets. The
arrows define the Lightning Flash that governs every process, be it
descending or ascending. The triads are just as important as combinations
of influences and flows within the circulation of the Tree. (Halevi.)
 The first principle is that everything came from—Nothing. This ‘No-
thing-ness’ is seen in Kabbalah as a term for God—the Absolute. According
to tradition, ‘God wished to behold God’ and so out of No-thing-ness
emerged a Primal Light, symbolising Divine Will. This radiance generated
the eternal realm of all that was to come into being. From this source
emanated two complementary opposites, one active and the other passive.
They emerged out of and below the principle of the radiant point or Crown,
as it was called. In China this trinity was known as Tao, Yang and Yin; in
India they were called Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. This triangle of primordial
principles is to be found in many other cultures. All agreed that these were
the three basic pillars of Existence. In modern scientific terms they could be
seen as the principles of equilibrium, dynamic and structure. Out of their
interaction comes an ordered diversity ranging from simplicity to
multiplicity. This phenomenon is set out in the Tree of Life and Jacob’s
Ladder diagrams.
The ten principles or sefirot unfold out into a primordial pattern. This is
generated by the Lightning Flash movement from pillar to pillar on its way
down to the bottommost sefirah, called the Kingdom, which corresponds to
Earth or physical manifestation. The positions of the planets, Sun and Moon
give some idea of the character and quality of each sefirah with Pluto
posited in the space known as the Place of Knowledge. This location, like
the planet, marks the frontier to the beyond of space and the next World.
The twenty-two paths that link the sefirot form a series of triads which
complete the archetypal model of all that is to come into Existence. The
origin of this diagram is seen in the seven-branched candlestick in the
Sanctuary of the Israelite Tabernacle mentioned in the Book of Exodus.
This has twenty-two decorations (paths) and defines, in its form, not only
the three pillars, in its right and left branches and central trunk, but the four
Worlds of Divinity, Creation, Formation and Action in the spaces between
the arms and base.
This metaphysical diagram is the figure we will use to integrate the
disciplines of astrology and psychology with Kabbalah. At this point we are
looking at the archetype of archetypes. Here is, for example, the pattern of
the Solar system. While the ‘Tree’ appears to be rigid it is, in fact,
extremely flexible as the sefirot, paths and triads interact like the celestial
bodies, the Earth, Nature and humanity.
Figure 7—Adam Kadmon

In ancient times, symbolism was the language of knowledge. Much could be

summed up in an archetypal image. In this case the Holy Name, YHVH,
here written in a vertical form, defines the Divine Realm of Emanation. This
was called the Kavod, a vast radiant figure of fire seated upon the Throne of
Ezekiel’s vision. It is the place where all human beings come from as sparks
of pure consciousness. It is also the model for the Zodiacal man of
Astrology. Here the Hebrew letters Yod, Heh, Vav and Heh define the three
pillars of the Tree of Life and the four Worlds. (Graphic by Halevi.)
Figure 8—Four Worlds

According to Kabbalah, the highest universe is that of the Divine, called

Emanation. Out of this emerged Creation, described in the Bible as the
Seven Days which set out the levels within its Tree. The third World is
Formation which corresponds to that of Paradise and the Treasure House
of Souls. This is the dimension of the psyche and astrology. At the bottom is
the physical and natural realm into which human beings are incarnated in
order to fulfil their mission. This is to aid God in beholding God, by
reflecting upon Existence. (Halevi.)
3. Kabbalah
The primordial World of Emanation, as it was called, contained all that
would come into Existence. It was the first reflection of the Absolute in its
intention to behold ITSELF. The Biblical name ‘I AM THAT I AM’ sets out
the plan, in that the Absolute utters a sound that will extend Existence out
and then echo it back from the furthest point of physical reality. The Hindu
tradition calls the Word of God ‘OM’ while modern astronomers hear it as
the faint background resonance of the Big Bang that generated the universe.
This primal realm is not God but a manifestation of the Deity. It is a
cloak of Emanation that both reveals and conceals the Godhead. As such it
is the place of illumination that is perceived by mystics. In Kabbalah it is
defined as the sketch outline of a Divine SELF-portrait, called Adam
Kadmon. This is yet to be filled in by detail, that is, the variety of Creation.
The process is symbolised by the first Seven Days or cosmic phases
described in the Bible. The First Day produces Light or Fire, the Second the
divisions of the firmament or Air, and the Third, Water and Earth with the
first appearance of plants or Life, the principle of consciousness.
With the Fourth Day of Creation comes the ordering of the universe;
that is, all the cycles and patterns that will govern Existence. Here it must
be seen that the elements spoken of are at the level of Plato’s realm of
Ideas, not physical states of matter. The same is true of the creation of the
Fowls of the Air and the Fish of the Sea on the Fifth Day. They represent
archangelic and angelic principles that would maintain the dynamic and
form of the universe as agents of cosmic law. The ancient civilisations saw
them as the greater and lesser gods and goddesses.
Still in the realm of ideas or spirit, the Sixth Day brings forth the Beasts
of the Field or the creatures that will eventually be born at the physical
level. Adam, the symbol of humanity, emerges at this point as the spiritual
manifestation of the Divine image of Adam Kadmon, the first reflection of
the Absolute in the primordial World. On the Seventh and last Day of this
cosmic octave, the creative process comes to rest.
Out of these two higher realms of Emanation and Creation emerges a
third World of pure Form. Here consciousness and spiritual ideas manifest
in the symbol of the Garden of Eden. Thus the essence of every mineral,
plant and animal is to be seen in its pristine perfection, while the Spiritual
Adam, ‘male and female created He them’, is divided into the form of a pair
of soul mates. Adam and Eve represent the astral or psychological human
entities that inhabit Paradise prior to their descent to the Earth.
Paradise is said to be particularly beautiful because it is filled with the
perfect forms of all that will be manifest below in the physical realm. While
this notion may seem like a fantasy to the modern sceptical mind, it should
be noted that such ideals as Utopia or the noble man or graceful woman
have had an enormous influence on human history and personal
relationships. The belief in Paradise is more permanent than any new
technology that soon becomes obsolete or empires that eventually pass
away. That marvellous place over the rainbow, or beyond the sky, is as real
to the modern imagination in its science fiction as it was in ancient times.
The lowest World is that of the four elements. It began, according to
modern science, with a ‘singularity’ or point of light in the middle of some
kind of space which has yet to be defined; although this ‘Void’ is described
in many mystical teachings. Out of this first physical emanation emerged
energy and matter in the form of the simplest atom—hydrogen. Here were
radiance and gaseousness. Later, due to the cosmic processes set in motion,
the principles of fluidity and solidity appeared to create galaxies, stars and
planets. In the case of the Solar system, the Sun represented radiation and
the planets various states of solid, liquid and gaseous matter. In time, the
Earth coalesced into a sphere that contained all the elements. The
electromagnetic field that surrounded it was the equivalent to the ‘fiery’
aura of a living being while the emergence of plant life indicated the
appearance of consciousness on the planet.
Miracles occur when a higher realm intervenes in a lower one. This is
seen every Spring when the seemingly dead earth produces a whole new
generation of plants and animals, as if from nowhere. People take this
phenomenon totally for granted, as they do a newborn infant with all its
organs, chemistry and electronics in perfect order. Few, moreover, ever
consider where the soul was before it was incarnated or why it has a
particular character. This is because most people never see beyond the
physical.
Jacob’s Ladder sets out the scheme of four interlocked realms of
Emanation, Creation, Formation and Action. In this kabbalistic
arrangement, the lower part of a higher World underlies the upper section of
the one below it. This allows, in the case of human beings, for the psyche to
inhabit the body while having access to the universe of the spirit and the
bottommost point of the Divine Tree. Unlike animals, angels and
archangels, who are confined to their respective realities, humans can enter
any of the four realms or be conscious of their influences. Astrology is the
study of such higher influxes and their effect on the collective and
individual mind.
While the four earthly elements, plants and animals are directly affected
by the Sun and Moon, humanity appears also to be subject to the planets.
The combination of their subtle field forces, as they move in their orbits,
seems to generate a psychological climate which, though equally subtle, is
just as powerful as physical weather patterns. Just as music can create
moods, so the emissions of each planetary principle appear to stimulate in
humanity a response that is sometimes quite dramatic. This is seen, for
example, when Mars is in Aries, which can trigger conflict, sudden
decisions and initiatives at both the personal and collective levels. Such a
phenomenon is not unusual. The responses to radio and TV transmissions
that stimulate machines to move or produce sound and images is accepted
as normal. A human being is just a much more subtle receiver. People react
to the frequencies emitted by the cosmic orchestra like dancers, to put it in
poetic terms.
Using this ancient analogy, each of the planets has its own distinct
melody. Saturn’s is somewhat sober while Jupiter’s is rather grand. Venus
plays a seductive tune, Mercury a quickstep and Mars a sharp call. The
classical gods were graphic ciphers for these celestial characteristics. The
Moon, for example, was symbolised by a slender, girlish goddess or a
many-breasted matron representing the New and Full Lunar stages while
the Sun was depicted as a beautiful young man in his prime. As these deities
moved through the musical score of the zodiacal concert, there were distinct
passages in which each celestial body had its solo. Sometimes they were
harmonious and occasionally they clashed as various combinations of
aspects manifested, such as trines, conjunctions and oppositions, the
geometric angles formed by the movements of the planets in relation to one
another.
The esoteric understanding of why people respond to events in the
heavens is defined by the ‘as above, so below’ principle. This is based upon
the notion that a human being is a microcosm of the macrocosm. The
concept is illustrated in Figure 9 in which the corresponding interior levels
of an individual match the four universes that compose Existence. In order
to gain some insight into the realms beyond the physical, we will draw on
kabbalistic myth and legend to describe the nature of the higher Worlds and
mankind’s origin and purpose. These indicate, symbolically, the substance,
structure and dynamic of other realities.
Figure 9—Jacob’s Ladder

Here all the Trees are integrated into what is called the Fifth and Great
Tree. At the lower levels are the Trees of the body and psyche. Above are the
transpersonal Worlds of the archangels and the Holy Names of God. As can
be seen, the bottom part of a higher World corresponds to the upper part of
the World below so that they can interact. Astrology is based upon this
principle, in that the World of Formation has a direct influence upon the
collective and individual psyche. (Halevi.)
Figure 10—Zodiacal Man

Man as the microcosm is an image of the universe. Here he is cast in

zodiacal terms with each Sign related to different parts of the body. Thus the
head is ruled by Aries, the feet by Pisces. While Virgo relates to the
intestines, Cancer is associated with the breasts, Leo with the heart and
Scorpio with the genitals. The reason for these and other Zodiacal
correspondences is that they appear to match a particular temperament and
physical principle. (17th century engraving.)
4. Microcosm
According to kabbalistic legend, humanity has its origin in Adam Kadmon,
the image of the Absolute. Each one of us is a cell of consciousness within
this Divine being. As such, every human being has a specific position in the
anatomy of this reflection of the Godhead, as part of the Divine brain, heart
or other organs. That means all are involved in the process of SELF-
realisation, as God wishes to behold God in the mirror of Existence. This is
the purpose of our existence. At a certain point in cosmic evolution,
humanity descended to the lower Worlds in order to carry out the function
of being the agent of perception for the Absolute. What particular rôle each
of us plays in this operation is what individual destiny is about.
It is said that as we leave the Divine realm and enter the lower World of
Creation, every individual cries out ‘I AM’ as it becomes a spiritual entity.
Then as groups, relating to specific organs of Adam Kadmon, we pass down
through the seven levels of Heaven to enter Paradise or the Astral World,
called the ‘Treasure House of Souls’ in Kabbalah. Here each male-female
spirit separates out into a couple within their particular soul group. When
these soul mates incarnate, they will exercise their combined gifts, after
learning how to live on Earth. This may take many lives. Evidence of this is
seen in talented people who clearly bring into incarnation experience and
knowledge that could not be learnt in one lifetime. Every soul has a unique
function, no matter how humble. Thus each individual makes a contribution
to the Divine process in spite of, in some cases, one or even a series of
disastrous fates.
However, before a soul can find and fulfil its destiny, it has to develop
its potential. The Bible notes that Adam and Eve were in a state of
innocence, and therefore they had to be taught what and what not to do
before they could execute their personal, joint and group mission. The myth
of the Fall was to teach humanity that the gift of free will meant
responsibility, in that every action generated consequences. The resultant
expulsion from Eden was not designed to injure but demonstrate the law of
karma. The temptation of the apple was a test to illustrate that they had no
one else to blame for their new situation. However, although they were now
‘wearing coats of skin’ or in a primitive state of being, they still retained the
gift of free will and the added ability of being ‘conscious of being
conscious’, having eaten of the Tree of Knowledge. Their descendants were
to multiply and spread all over the Earth as each generation died and was
reborn, along with the increasing number of new souls descending to
incarnate on Earth.
Figure 11—Fate and Destiny

Socrates, one of the world’s first philosophers, although poor was a citizen
of Athens. This was his fate. He could have remained a humble artisan but
he chose to spend his time in intellectual enquiry, in that he asked
penetrating questions during the discussions he conducted in Athens’
market place. These were recorded by Plato, a thoughtful noble who used
him as the model for a major philosophical treatise still studied today. This
was Socrates’ destiny. However, his blunt love of Truth got him into trouble
and he was condemned to drink hemlock. (Socrates With His Disciples,
19th century print.)
 Initially the various soul groups remained together as clans and tribes
for many lifetimes in order to learn how to survive and work together. This
was an important part of the Divine plan to train them for their destiny. In
time, soul mates split up, in order to develop as individual men and women
before reuniting, many lives later, as mature people. This sense of loss of
the soul companion is very deep. It is one of the major preoccupations of
many as they search for their original partner. This memory is represented
by the animus and anima images in their psyches. However, before a
reunion can occur, much has to be gone through over many lives. During
these transmigrations each person acquires both good and bad karma.
Generally speaking, the more advanced individuals are old souls while less
experienced people have usually lived only a few lives. Eventually all the
members of a particular soul group meet up again, after they have reached
their optimum capacity. Together they will then develop their full potential
so as to carry out their preordained mission, to aid God to behold God.
Soul groups and partners can be identified by common interests and
harmonious elements in their birth charts. They will often belong to the
same social level and frequently follow similar professions. This can be
seen in the many great artists of the Renaissance or ingenious inventors of
the 20th century. The American ‘mountain men’ who blazed the trails
through the Wild West are a classic example of a soul group, as were the
philosophers of ancient Greece. The coming together of soul mates can be
seen in Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Clare, who were clearly a couple
although they never married. So, too, were the Curies, who discovered
radium, and Winston Churchill and his wife Clementine, who kept him
calm during the storm of War. This British Prime Minister indeed knew,
from his boyhood, that one day he would have to defend Western
civilisation. Upon becoming Britain’s warrior leader, he observed that he
had been well trained for his destiny, having been a front-line soldier and
cabinet minister.
Not everybody has such an obvious or spectacular role. Many people
fulfil themselves when they find their particular niche in life with the talent
they have worked with over many lives. Most people have yet to find their
position because they have not developed enough to be given the
responsibility of their destiny. Conversely, they may have missed their
opportunity or simply swum against evolution by behaving wilfully and
stupidly. Such a situation can occur in quite advanced souls who choose to
abuse their position. This can sometimes be seen in the birth chart of
remarkably gifted people whose fate is disastrous. A multiplicity of squares
or trines can indicate certain lessons have yet to be learnt. An example is the
brilliant, Scorpionic US General Patton, who was contemptuous of any
soldierly weakness. He had Mars square Pluto, which made him admired
and feared by his own men as well as the enemy. He did not die in battle but
was killed in a peacetime car ‘accident’, an end he would have abhorred
because he cherished dying a glorious death as a brave soldier in Roman
times.
Because life becomes increasingly complex as people evolve, so the
birth chart of an advanced individual often contains many more factors than
that of a younger soul. Fate is not always easy for those trying to develop.
This is because some problem or karmic debt has to be worked out, or a
particular lesson learned, which is only recognised many years later. An
example of this was the gifted man who used his charm to seduce many
women. He ended life alone and without an aim as he failed in his mission.
His moment had come and gone unnoticed.
Over the millennia the Treasure House of Souls has been gradually
emptying as more people are being born. Most begin incarnation in some
remote area where the clan or village provides for and protects them, until
they are ready to move on into a town or city where their horizons are
extended. There they will meet the three basic human evolutionary stages.
These are known as the vegetable, animal and human levels of mankind.
The first stratum is primarily concerned with survival, food and sex, the
second with power, wealth and fame, while the highest level consists of
individuals who are trying to live an ethical life, help others and serve the
Godhead.
These three types are to be found everywhere on Earth. The vegetable
level is the most common in that they are the youngest and most innocent of
souls. Highly competitive animal people can be seen in every dominant
position from rulers of empires to leaders of criminal gangs. They are also
to be observed in the sciences, arts and academia and even the priesthood.
Human humans are quite rare. They are the great saints and sages of
mankind, the best of creative and inventive people and finest of heroes and
heroines, many of whom are unknown as they often avoid being noticed in
order to execute their missions without interference.
 As can be seen in Figure 9, a human being is composed of several
levels. The bottommost World relates to the body’s anatomy while just
above is the structure of the psyche. The vegetable person lives primarily in
the body and is therefore largely subject to physical conditions. The animal
person’s centre of gravity is midway between the influence of body and
psyche while the individual trying to be fully human is in contact with the
levels of the soul and spirit. Which stage of evolution a man or woman is at
cannot be determined by a birth chart but what they have to develop and the
pattern of their fate can be. This is where astrology and Kabbalah can come
together to give a three dimensional picture, with the aid of psychology, of
that individual’s journey.
Figure 12—Solar System

The Solar System occupies a specific position on Jacob’s Ladder. This is not
the physical location but the essences of the celestial bodies. The Sun,
Moon and planets, in Kabbalah, are seen as angelic beings rather than
gods as the ancients defined them. This conclusion was based upon
observation of the character and various effects upon people and events.
Mars, for example, when in Aries, seemed to generate either aggression or
hard discipline in individuals or communities governed by this sign. Seen as
an astral organism, the Solar system generates a kind of cosmic weather
that influences history. (Halevi.)
5. Influences
Astrology is the study of celestial conditions and their effect on humanity. It
is generally accepted that cosmic forces have an enormous influence on the
terrestrial environment. The various Ice and Tropical Ages, it is believed,
are the result of Solar fluctuations or the tilt of the Earth changing in
relation to incoming cosmic winds of radiation. It has been noted that wine
quality can vary according to the Sun’s cycle and that blood will coagulate
quicker when the Moon is in a certain phase. Like the sea’s tides, these
phenomena are generally accepted.
As regards more subtle effects on the psyche and history, it is
observable that the insane are more prone to agitation when the Moon is
Full and that sunspot patterns relate to the world’s economic productivity.
Wars, moreover, often occur when Mars, Saturn and Uranus are in certain
combinations while periods of prosperity arise when Jupiter, in particular, is
well aspected. These facts, however, are not generally acknowledged.
What is being indicated is that the Solar system not only generates
physical events but ever-changing psychological conditions that cause
history to be a series of tidal patterns. There are, for example, periods of
mass migration, high civilisation and stagnation. This raises the question:
how does the cosmos influence humanity? The answer is, through the
principle of resonance. If the universe is made up of energy and matter in a
constant state of oscillation, then it follows that everything in it will respond
to any shift in frequency. The physical world is, in reality, only an
appearance of stability. Even the most dense substances are no more than
vibrating forms. Indeed, according to science, even the heavy metal lead is
largely composed of space. Further, if your body were to be compressed
into a true solid it would occupy but a minute dot. Matter, in fact, is quite
ephemeral and can be easily affected by a small fluctuation. Water, for
instance, only needs a change in energy level to transform it into a solid or a
gas. Similarly, a favourable Jupiter-Venus angle can make a person
optimistic and enthusiastic for as long as this harmonious transit lasts, be it
a day or a week. The same is so for a seemingly unaccountable depression
when Saturn afflicts a person.
Figure 13—Cosmic Influences

The esoteric maxim ‘As above, so below’ is set out here in scientific terms.
Each level resonates with its counterpart. This is seen, for example, in
sunspot activity and world trade cycles while storms on Jupiter appear to
disrupt telecommunications on Earth. At a more subtle level, celestial
influences likewise affect human beings, according to their configurations
and positions and a person’s birth chart. This premise is the basis of
astrology. (Halevi.)
 The Sun and planets emit a wide range of subtle frequencies which
stimulate distinct responses within organic life on Earth. Each plant and
animal is tuned to react to particular Solar emissions. For example, this can
be seen in the appearance of different flowers at certain times of the year
and in the migration of birds. In the case of humanity the response is more
complex, as mankind has a wider sensitivity and capability.
Figure 13 sets out the above-below principle that operates in the
universe. Organic life on Earth is influenced by the changing balance of
forces within the planet’s electromagnetic field. If this is too greatly
disturbed then freak weather, plagues and mass insanity occur. If the
perturbation is within certain limits, then a period of activity happens that
can be either creative or destructive or both, according to how humanity
decides to utilise such incoming energy. These influxes from the Solar
system are quite neutral.
A human being is made up of physical, psychological, spiritual and
Divine components. Thus while the material organism responds to local
mechanical, chemical and electronic stimuli, the psyche with its more subtle
anatomy reacts to a different set of frequencies. Every woman is all too
aware of premenstrual tension which usually occurs when the Moon is in a
particular position. Sensitive men are often conscious that they are not so
energetic when the Sun is opposite or squared to their Sun sign. Moreover,
many people notice that there are periods in life when nothing much
happens and others when they are highly active. These latter times are when
unexpected opportunities seem to open up due to cosmic conditions
coinciding with seemingly unrelated circumstance. Close observation
reveals that this is not the case as nothing in the universe happens by
chance, according to the esoteric viewpoint.
For example, an Aries will often seek action when Mars is in his sign
and when he is particularly bored with his job, while a Cancerian woman
might have a compulsive desire to start a family when Jupiter is in her sign
and she is approaching the end of her childbearing days. In contrast,
Sagittarians could become extremely depressed when Saturn is squared to
their Sun, just as they want to start a new project. These moods arise from
the unconscious which is the instrument that reverberates to the current
movement of the celestial concert.
The power of vibration, rhythm and tone has long been recognised and
used. For thousands of years, Martial bands have caused millions to join the
armed forces, Venusian love songs have been performed for centuries to
facilitate courtship and seduction, while sombre Saturnian compositions
have long been used to add gravitas to solemn occasions. As each member
of the Solar orchestra has its solo piece or theme played, so humanity and
individuals perform various ballets. Sometimes there is such a crescendo of
celestial music that whole masses are stirred to break with habit and
tradition and dance along with the mood of the time.
Figure 14—Astrological Tree

Here each celestial body and Sign is associated with a particular position
in the Tree. The rationale of the triads is that the ruler of each Sign has a
triad directly connected with it. For example, Mercury rules Virgo and
Gemini, the triads of Thinking and Intuition. The Sun and Moon occupy the
triads of lesser and greater consciousness in Cancer and Leo; while Mars
and Jupiter anchor the triad of the soul with the Sun. The great outer
planets of Saturn and Uranus form, with the Sun, the triad of the spirit; with
Pluto and Neptune giving access to the triad of the Divine. (Halevi.)
 An example of this is seen in the 19th century when millions of people
migrated from Europe to the New World even though they knew it would be
very difficult to start a different kind of life. This collective movement was
created by Neptune being in Aries squared to Uranus in Cancer. Neptune,
the planet of visions and delusions, was in the sign of new beginnings and
courage. It stimulated many to escape from the disruption of Uranus, the
planet of radical change, at home, represented by Cancer. Throughout
Europe, around this time, there was a major struggle for political reform
that was thwarted by the ruling caste as Saturn, the planet of government
repression, moved into Aries.
It is interesting to observe that the notes of the musical octave can be
placed on the Tree of Life diagram in the Lightning Flash descent from the
top. The octave is a universal pattern found in many things from the
chemical table of elements to the Solar system. Neptune can be seen as the
initial Do, with Re at the position of Uranus and Mi at Saturn. Pluto
represents the pause or interval, with Jupiter as Fa and Mars as So. The Sun
as the pivot of the Solar system is its essence and does not count as a note.
La is represented by Venus and Ti by Mercury. The Moon fills the lower
interval before the final Do of Earth. These musical notes are the various
frequencies that resonate within the sefirotic Tree structure of the
microcosm that is a human being.
If the music of the spheres influences what occurs on Earth, then it is
reasonable to suppose that any entity born at a particular moment will take
on the character of the time. A good example of this is the birth of a nation.
Let us take the United States of America. According to one account, this
came into being, at 3.04 am on the 4th July 1776 when the Sun was in
Cancer, the sign of the people, and the Moon was in Aquarius, the sign of
political ideals. Such a combination, together with the positions of the
planets in certain signs and mundane houses, should theoretically generate a
specific and unique nation. Let us examine the American birth chart to see
if this is borne out.
6. Entity
In 18th century Europe the Enlightenment movement was at its height.
Educated people were seeking new and radical solutions to an old and
decaying political and social situation. For about two thousand years, the
Neptunian-Jupiterian character of the Piscean Age had perceived the world
almost entirely in religious terms. This had begun around 500 years Before
the Common Era (BCE) with a remarkable group of advanced souls such as
Pythagoras, Confucius, Zoroaster, Buddha, and Isaiah. This religious trend
was continued by Jesus and Mohammed and maintained by later prophets,
sages and saints. However, the Piscean Age was coming to an end around
1600, as the Renaissance and the Reformation indicated the onset of the
Aquarian Age of social revolution.
These Ages are the ‘months’ of the great zodiacal ‘year’ which result
from a ‘wobble’ of the Earth’s axis which causes the point at which the
Vernal Equinox occurs to regress through the zodiac. The 25,800-year cycle
is not unlike an extended version of the annual Solar passage through the
signs, but in reverse.
Up to the late Middle Ages, people under the influence of the Piscean
Age had been preoccupied with religion. The founding of various faiths,
based upon the revelations of mystics, and the development of a powerful
priesthood held whole populations in awe. However, with the advent of
printed books, Humanism and social science in the 15th century,
ecclesiastical authority began to give way to ideas about secular matters and
political issues. In the mid-17th century the terrible wars between Catholics
and Protestants finally broke the by-now rigid hold of religion in Europe, as
its intelligentsia began to consider how a new kind of world order could be
brought into being. Here began the Aquarian Age.
In England and France radical ideals of freedom, equality and fraternity,
so characteristic of Aquarius, were developed and polished. The English
Civil War disposed of the Divine Right of Kings; but Oliver Cromwell, the
Parliamentary leader, was just another dictator while in France the
monarchy’s power was still absolute. If any great social change was to
occur, it would have to be in the British North American colonies which
enjoyed a freedom and prosperity unknown in the home country. This was
because the migrants could acquire land or fully exploit their talents. By the
late 18th century the Americans had reached a point where they could
support themselves economically and therefore be quite independent from
Britain. This occurred as the yet-undiscovered planet Uranus entered its
own sign, Aquarius, in 1745.
Figure 15—Birth Chart

The United States was born, according to some, at 3.04am on July 4th 1776
at the Philadelphia State House. This is shown as a silhouette on the skyline
as Mars rises above the Eastern horizon which is at 21° of Gemini. The
Midheaven is at 27° of Aquarius with the Moon nearby at 19°. The Sun and
most of the other planets are below the horizon, except for Pluto and
Uranus. The configuration gives the new nation a Cancerian sense of itself
but an Aquarian persona. This is borne out by America’s strong family
orientation and its revolutionary desire to make the world in its own image.
Unfortunately, Mars on the Ascendant indicates both internal and external
conflict, despite its good intentions. (Halevi.)
 When Uranus moved into Gemini in 1775, a revolt broke out in the
colonies over tax without representation in the Parliament in London. The
American revolution led to a Declaration of Independence and Bill of
Rights based upon the social ideals formulated in Europe where they could
not be implemented due to the entrenched mind-set of many centuries. So it
was that a new kind of nation was born, ruled by the will of its people and
not by an aristocratic establishment. This event triggered dozens of
revolutions in the following centuries all over the world. It is interesting to
note that Uranus was discovered in between the American and French
revolutions. They mark the period when the Age of Aquarius began to
supersede that of Pisces.
In the minute and hour the United States was created, the Ascendant
was 21 degrees of Gemini with Mars exactly on the same spot. This said
that the nation was born out of a fraternal struggle of Britons fighting
Britons, as one politician saw it. It also indicated there would be strife
within its community when the Ascendant and Mars were afflicted. This
manifested later in the Civil War between North and South, the long
campaign against the Indians and the highest crime rate in the Western
world. On the positive side, Sun in Cancer in the 2nd House foretold great
wealth and security for the masses. Indeed, this promise attracted millions
of migrants to the country. Mercury in the same sign and House was to
make America the world’s financial and media centre, although a sextile to
Neptune in Virgo, in the 4th House, would make it susceptible to excessive
business speculation and commercialised fantasy. This was to manifest in
Wall Street and Hollywood.
The Moon in Aquarius, the sign of social innovation, would make many
Americans believe that their form of democracy was the best in the world,
despite depriving the native Indian population and black slaves of their
rights. With the Moon in the 9th House of ideals, the United States would
send forth missionaries to spread the doctrine of enterprise, capitalism and
economic colonialism under the banner of freedom and self-determination
for all. Jupiter in the 1st House gave the American character its generosity,
openness and flamboyance, while Venus in the same House accounts for a
preoccupation with money, beauty and sexuality. Saturn in Libra in the 5th
House adds the fascination of glamour and power. This is seen in an
enormous reverence for any celebrities, be they politicians, media stars or
even infamous criminals.
 Uranus in Gemini in the 12th House gives a sinister dimension to the
American scene. Besides the huge number of people in prison (two million
at the time of writing), violence was to be accepted as part of the culture.
The ‘right to bear arms’, originally meant as a check on a tyrannical
government, was to become a painful issue, with more murders committed
in the country than in any other Western nation. The Cancer Sun’s tendency
to lunacy is both the ‘kooky’ and the shadow side of America. Fads and
fashions are constantly emerging from this remarkably vital, innovative and
open-minded society which invented the ultimate ‘pop’ culture.
Figure 16—American Civil War

In 1861, Uranus returned to its original position while Mars also transited
its own natal point. This triggered a brother-against-brother conflict over
whether the Federal government or State government should be dominant.
The issue of slavery sent the Northerners and Southerners to fight each
other over principles that split families as they fell under the negative
influence of the afflicted Geminian Ascendant. It was one of the bloodiest
civil wars fought in the name of freedom. (Union (Northern) and
Confederate (Southern) armoured battleships in the Battle of Hampton
Roads. 19th century print.)
 In spite of the popular trends, Pluto in Capricorn in the 8th House gives
Americans a deep spiritual hunger. They will permit anyone to practise
whatever religion they wish, within reason. While this has granted
tremendous tolerance, it has also allowed some very peculiar movements to
come into being. Most of these were benign but some were quite sinister. It
was in the USA that Spiritualism began, as did Theosophy and Christian
Science. Many new cults have been spawned in the country and ancient
ones adopted, such as Buddhism, Zen and even Kabbalah. The occult and
astrology have vast numbers of American followers and the New Age
movement of the late 20th century began in America. Pluto, the principle of
transformation, in the sign of tradition and the house of the esoteric, could
not but bring forth such fruit.
Like people, nations have crises. In April 1861 Uranus returned to
conjoin the natal Uranus of the American horoscope while Mars conjoined
both transiting Uranus and the natal Mars, before crossing America’s
Gemini Ascendant. During these transits the first shots were fired in the
American Civil War which cost around 186,000 lives and did much
damage. The issue was whether the United States would remain a unified
family (Sun Cancer) or break up. After a bitter conflict in which brothers
fought on different sides, the nation was forcibly held together. It was a
conflict over a political principle (Moon in Aquarius). Slavery was a
secondary consideration. First came the preservation of the Union.
From an astrological viewpoint, the transits of Uranus and Mars, the
planets of disruption and war, in Gemini were agitating and dividing the
collective American psyche. When the warlike nature of the 1st House was
activated, the tension between the Northern Puritan culture and the Cavalier
South was too much to contain. Some say the participants were
reincarnations of the Roundheads and Cavaliers of the English Civil War,
still working out their karma as to who should rule, the people or
government. Lincoln, the then US President, would not betray the ideals of
the Founding Fathers because he was a Sun and Ascendant Aquarian. No
one with this Fixed configuration could change his position. So the war had
to be won by the Union, whatever the cost.
The United States is at present the richest and most powerful country in
the world. No other nation can compete with its economic clout or the
might of its military machine. American culture is imitated everywhere as
the model of prosperity. It is the ‘promised land’ for millions at home and
abroad; but whether it is a great civilisation only time will tell as nations,
like individuals, can be at different levels. Here is where fate and what use
is made of it brings in other dimensions.
7. Fate
Not everyone is necessarily a young soul at birth. It is not, as noted,
uncommon for some children to be brighter than others or even brilliant
with a special talent. As a child, Mozart composed music far beyond his
years while others have been able to speak several languages before they
were three years old. This suggests that the incarnating psyche carries
within it knowledge gained in a previous existence. The implication is that
the psyche is an organism that survives physical death and retains what it
learned in the unconscious.
Most of humanity is either young and at the vegetable level of basic
survival or slightly more mature and at the animal stage. Those at the
human level are usually less concerned about security or ambition and more
interested in personal or collective development. The result is that vegetable
people are largely governed by the physical environment while the other
two are, to different degrees, subject to celestial influences. However, the
difference between the animal and human levels is that the latter can
consciously control their fate and not just react to astrological transits.
Young souls instinctively seek out a safe habitat where they can nourish
themselves and their offspring. They are usually dominated by their
Ascendant body type or the Moon, which means they share in the general
fate of their community. For instance, they will prosper when their clan or
nation has Jupiter in its astrological sign or be involved in war when Mars
or Pluto transits their collective Ascendant. An example of this was the
mass movements of the mounted Mongol warriors in the 13th century when
Pluto was passing through Sagittarius, which combines the bowman and the
galloping horse in its symbol.
The psychological mechanism of this phenomenon is seen in the power
of a peer group. If miners in a village go on strike, few will go against their
workmates. Their identity is based upon their occupation and community
and, therefore, they will not jeopardise their position for fear of losing their
job and being ostracised. Survival comes before any individuality. This
phenomenon subjugates the Lunar mind-set which will not break any habit
and cultural pattern unless it has to. It will therefore go along with the
crowd, even if it means disaster.
Figure 17—Levels of Fate

Not everyone lives out their birth chart to the full. Most are content to exist
at the levels of the Ascendant or their Moon. This means making no great
effort to develop out of any situation; while those who wish to individuate
seek to become masters of their fate and develop their full potential. They
eventually become conscious of their destiny and use the full capacity of
their birth chart. (Halevi.)
 At the leadership level, animal stage people are prompted to act if
astrological and social conditions coincide. Many dictators, like Mussolini,
can take over a whole country if the political situation is ripe and they are
ready, because ‘their Star’ is rising. This is a symbolic way of saying that an
astrological transit, favourable to them, is operating.
Mussolini, a Leo, had Uranus in his 10th House of ambition. This gave
him an obsession to turn Italy into a modern Roman Empire. He came to
power as the Node, Jupiter and Saturn trined his natal Moon, Mars and
Saturn in Gemini in his 7th House of Partnership. This stimulated his innate
eloquence to convince the Italian masses that he, Mussolini, was the
political messiah they were looking for to save their chaotic country. As a
nation ruled by Leo they loved the theatrical grand gesture, of which
Mussolini was master. So it was that the Italian people became his audience
and partners in a grand opera in which they would together recreate the
Roman Empire.
This fantasy manifested not only in martial uniforms, attitudes and
manners throughout the country but even in schools being turned into
military academies. It was as if the whole nation had become insane as
Neptune, the planet of delusion, moved through Leo. Italy invaded
Abyssinia and annexed Albania in the 1930s and, in 1940, declared war on
Britain and France as Pluto, the planet of nemesis and death, entered Leo.
Within five years Italy was devastated and defeated. Mussolini, now fallen
from his plinth, was humiliated and then executed by his own people.
Disillusioned with his and their own performance, the Italians changed
sides and supported their erstwhile enemies, the Allies, against the
Germans. The opera had been brought to a sudden end as Uranus exactly
conjoined Mussolini’s Moon in the House of Partners. The marriage
between them and him was over.
Many good and wise Italians left Italy or hid away as they were
persecuted by the Fascist regime. This is because they knew what was
really happening to their country and were a threat to Mussolini. To
perceive truly can affect an individual’s fate. They know what to avoid and
when to move and this sets them apart from the crowd. Such an approach
can only occur if a person is in touch with their inner self or Sun. Most
people are quite unaware of how they are governed by current social
attitudes and external circumstance and so they often do not perceive an
oncoming event until it is too late. To be able to have such foresight is the
result of much psychological work and some spiritual knowledge. This
enables an individual to view a situation objectively, especially if they
understand celestial conditions.
In Figure 17 the triad made up of Sun, Mars and Jupiter defines the soul
while the triad of destiny is made up of Sun, Saturn and Uranus. These
celestial principles are concerned with the pattern of many incarnations, that
is, the line of an individual’s development and their purpose in Existence.
This has its origin, as said, in the kabbalistic notion that each of us comes
from a particular part of Adam Kadmon, the Divine image of God. The
concept that everything has a place in the universe is reinforced by the
study of astrology which indicates, quite precisely, where we are in time
and space and what this particular life is about.
Figure 18—General Fate

Everything in the universe has a place. The humblest peasant has a cosmic
purpose. Even a drunk in the street has a function, if only to be a warning to
others. Most people are subject to natural and social situations that sweep
them along in good and bad times. At this level they do not count as
individuals but general cells that perform ordinary functions. It is only
when a person begins to develop that they can become specialist and their
fate a more advanced element in human evolution. (Medieval woodcut.)
 Those who learn to manage their fate gradually realise what their
specific task is. Moreover, more evolved people who already know this are
around to guide them. The most advanced individuals are very rare but they
are present to lead the human race along the road of evolution. Such
individuals may appear as spiritual or philosophical figures, artists and
scientists or indeed in any profession. However, not everyone can be or
needs to be a master poet, soldier or statesman. Only a few of these are
required to carry out certain missions. There are, however, many vacant
rôles to be filled at every other level. As one famous teacher said: ‘The
harvest is great, but the labourers are few’. Everyone can contribute
something to evolution. The housewife has the vital task of nurturing a
family, the gardener his job producing the best fruit and flowers, and
undertakers their very necessary task. Destiny is not about fame or fortune
but identifying what task one is meant to execute. With this comes a deep
satisfaction. Power, fame and wealth are quite transient when seen on the
scale of the Divine Plan, in which even the most humble and unknown are
personally acknowledged by God if they communicate in their own way
with the Absolute.
An example of fate becoming destiny can be seen in the lives of the two
seminal psychologists, Freud and Jung. The former was born into a Jewish
family and the latter to a Christian minister’s home. Both lived at a time
when science was beginning to look at the workings of the mind. While
ancient and medieval scholars knew much about the psyche, their terms
were, by the 19th century, quite outdated. Moreover, the Piscean religious
understanding of the subject was quite alien to the new Aquarian approach
of science which believed the mind was a product of social conditioning
and the brain.
Freud discovered, in his clinical work as a physician, that dreams gave
access to the instinctive subconscious while Jung, in his investigations,
uncovered the more purely psychological unconscious. These were two
quite different levels. However, both established that the psyche was a well-
ordered entity. Together they had reopened the door into the mind that had
been shut by the materialistic and mechanistic trend of their period.
It was their destiny to make this rediscovery, although they were not
fated to remain friends. Freud’s Taurus Sun squared Jung’s Leo Sun and
they quarrelled. This reveals something about temperament and
development. People of destiny are not always saints. There are degrees of
fate as there are levels of humanity. Let us look at the structure of the mind
in relation to astrology and the kabbalistic Tree of Life diagram in order to
utilise Freud’s and Jung’s contribution to evolution.
8. Psychology
The reason why some esoteric traditions call the psyche the astral body is
because it was believed to relate to the stars. This meant they were both
composed of the same subtle substance, known as the Ether. This, the fifth
and finest of elements, was said to pervade the universe and the physical
body. The Hindu system of the chakras and the Chinese map of the etheric
flows permeating the anatomy are the microcosmic versions of the
macrocosmic field of the heavens. It is the interaction of the celestial
frequencies within the Ether between the heavenly bodies and the human
astral vehicle that affects the psyche.
In the Kabbalah, the psyche belongs to the ethereal realm of Formation.
As such this fluidic level takes on a configuration of whatever is imposed
upon it by the higher World of the spirit. In turn, the form that is brought
into being moulds the character of the mind and the body, giving it a
distinct personality. This is the basis of astrology. Figure 19 lays out the
anatomy of the psyche in ancient, medieval and modern terms. This is an
image of the mind in absolute equilibrium. In reality the upper and lower
levels may not be so balanced, nor the pillars so straight. Moreover, the
shape of the triads in an individual can be quite out of proportion while
individual sefirot may be weak or strong, depending upon the configuration
of the horoscope.
In a birth chart the Sun, Moon and planets, which parallel the sefirot,
are loaded according to their zodiacal positions. Some are well placed,
others afflicted and yet others in active or passive states. All this adds up to
a very individual pattern which gives the psyche a unique character. More
on this later.
First one must grasp the general principles set out by the Tree. As can be
seen, at the bottom are all the instinctive, psycho-biological processes of the
body, ego and ordinary mind. These correspond to the Ascendant, Moon,
Mercury and Venus. The triads, made up from their connecting paths, are
the functions of action, thinking and feeling. Mercury is the passive mental
principle that responds to situations while Venus is the active instinctive
function. The Moon reflects, in its various phases, the different ‘personas’
of the ego, such as wearing quite different psychological faces at home,
work or leisure. The libido and mortido principles represent Nature’s
creative and destructive drives or id, as Freud calls it. In Kabbalah this vital
principle is known as the Nefesh .
Figure 19—Psyche in Detail

The mind is a system; like the body it is based upon Divine Laws. It has a
lower automatic aspect, in which everything operates from instinct or habit.
At its focus is the ego, or screen of ordinary consciousness. It is also the
place where the imagination produces impressions of the inner, as well as
the outer, world. Above in the unconscious are the emotional and
intellectual complexes that surround the triad of the soul. Beyond this is the
triad of the spirit or transpersonal aspect of the mind and the triad of the
Divine present in everyone. The so-called astral body of the psyche is
subject to astrological influences. (Halevi.)
 As the Moon is the ordinary ego mind that has been conditioned by the
person’s culture, so the Sun represents the essential self of the individual.
This sits at the centre of the psychological Tree and acts as the co-ordinator
within the unconscious. As the pivot of this psychological Solar system, the
self is crucial as it has access to all parts except the highest sefirah
(Neptune) and lowest sefirah (Ascendant). The triads that focus upon the
Sun contain all the emotional memories and ideas imbibed not only from
this life but also from others. Such experiences can be either active or
passive factors within the mind.
The soul is defined by the Sun, Mars and Jupiter triad. This is where
conscience and free will reside between the planets of emotional
contraction and expansion. Here the super ego and its complement and
opposite, the ego ideal created by one’s education, exercise an unconscious
punishment and reward system until the development of individuation
begins. Until that time the ego-Moon, with all its preset reflexes and views,
dominates life.
The next level of the psyche is represented by Saturn and Uranus. These
two intellectual planets form the top angles of the large transpersonal triad
that has the Sun at the bottom and Pluto at its centre. Psychologically,
Saturn is the principle of long and deep thought or the philosopher in the
mind while Uranus is the principle of revelation and inspiration or the inner
prophet. Pluto, the non-sefirah or ‘dark’ window, represents the mystical
aspect of the mind that can acquire direct knowledge of the spiritual World
beyond its veil while Neptune is the access point to the Divine realm.
Neptune on the Jacob’s Ladder of Figure 12 connects the psychological
Crown with the lowest sefirah, or Kingdom, of the highest Tree of
Emanation. As such this Neptunian position contains the psychological,
spiritual and Divine aspects of the SELF of the Solar self in an individual.
Figure 20—Archetypes

The psyche is part of the World of Formation and images. These are seen in
the archetypes of the mind. In this scheme, Biblical and Jungian archetypes
are set on the Tree according to their psychological and sefirotic
counterparts. For example, Joseph the dreamer became the prime minister
of Egypt. In the psyche, this is the equivalent to the ego with the Pharaoh as
the Self. Adam and Eve are clearly Animus and Anima while Jacob, the Self,
was transformed into Israel when he shifted his consciousness from the
psychological to the spiritual. (Halevi.)
 Figure 20 sets out the archetypal qualities of the psychological universe
of Formation. Besides the astrological principles, there are many mythical
symbols from every culture that fit precisely into this realm of images.
Figure 20, for example, illustrates some of Jung’s findings which often
occur in dreams. In Kabbalah, certain Biblical characters relate to particular
sefirot. At the Neptunian Crown is the Shekhinah, with Adam and Eve at
the Uranian and Saturnian tops of the two side columns. Beneath them
come Abraham at the Jupiter position, because he loved God, Isaac where
Mars is, because he feared God, and Jacob at the place of the Sun, because
he experienced God. Moses and Aaron correspond to Venus and Mercury
with Joseph, the Dreamer, in the place of the Moon. David, the earthy King,
is at the Ascendant.
King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and the key knights of the Round Table
can be set upon this archetypal Tree, as can many other legendary
personalities. This is because all these symbols belong to the collective
unconscious of humanity. The universal images of Mother, Father, Warrior
and all the other figures common to mankind form the psychological
background in the memory of nations and that of personal dreams. The
individual unconscious might refer to everyday situations in a dream but
they are often cast in an archetypal format that reveals what is going on
deep in that individual’s mind. An example is the man who dreams about
being a brave soldier when he is faced with some difficult problem in his
life.
Here it must be recognised that we are greatly influenced by our
unconscious. Most people daydream but few realise they are being
pressured or even dominated by a forgotten incident that might date back to
childhood. Moreover, even more people are oblivious of any current
celestial situation that might influence their mood. For instance, when
Jupiter squares Mars and Mercury, people can become quite irritable or
even irrational.
These planetary transits are not random but part of a programme, set up
at the beginning of Time, which slowly unfolds the drama of Creation in the
evolutionary path towards SELF-realisation. Each human destiny has its
particular part to play in this vast cosmic process of God beholding God in
the Mirror of Existence. Such a concept has given rise to a long debate
about whether fate is predetermined or subject to free will. The answer is a
combination of the two. While it is true that general conditions in the
heavens and on Earth are fixed by universal laws, humanity can choose to
go with or against evolution. However, there is a certain limitation as to
what a community or individual can do within the overall scheme. The
beautiful young woman can make life hell for her suitors but she will
eventually grow old and lose her youthful looks and admirers.
Those who respond wisely to circumstance usually find themselves
passing through life without undue stress, because they save energy wasted
in a futile struggle to be different from what they are. Of course they have
problems and difficult periods but these are not insurmountable, whereas
those who try to live out their fantasies never find fulfilment. Intelligent and
honest individuals are usually aware of the patterns of their fate. They seize
every opportunity presented to them to learn more. This gives them the
option to develop and exploit the potential of their birth chart. Here is
where understanding one’s horoscope is not just useful but vital in personal
evolution.
9. Birth Chart
It is said that the incarnating psyche is connected to the body at the moment
of conception. While this may be true, there is not much more, initially,
than a fertilised cell at that point. As the embryodevelops so the discarnate
psyche of the individual to be born becomes increasingly drawn into
physicality. Meanwhile, another process is also going on. According to
Kabbalah, the person is shown, during the pregnancy, the general plan of
their life to come, whom they will meet and relate to as friend, foe, relative
or colleague. They will also have some idea of the major events that will
happen and, most importantly, what has to be learnt or the mission to be
carried out.
It is also said that as the person becomes increasingly aware of their
parents to be, so they perceive the karmic connection with the family they
will enter who may, for example, have been their children in a previous life.
These connections are often seen in the horoscopes of families which have
strong astrological aspects that interlock their fates. Those members of a
family who have weak or no astrological sympathy are usually outsiders
who often leave the home circle and live a very different life. Strong mutual
astrological connections without doubt indicate a common karma that binds
the family together until it is worked out. This may take more than one
lifetime.
As the moment of birth approaches, so the embryo is increasingly
invested by the incarnating psyche. This reaches a crucial point when the
infant begins to move about the womb. If, for some reason, the individual
being born is, for example, unwanted by a parent, this can so upset the
incarnating psyche that it will impair the gestation process and a disabled
child can emerge. However, while its body may be damaged, the soul is still
an operational entity. Such a person then has the choice to participate in life
or not. Free will can still make or mar a fate that karma has dictated. An
example of this was the man born with a withered hand who was obsessed
with Spain but avoided visiting the country. He may have been an
inquisitorial torturer there in a previous life and not have wanted to return to
the scene of his crime.
Figure 21—Birth

At the moment when the infant takes its first breath, the psyche changes
from a fluidic state into a distinct mind set, according to the celestial
conditions. This configuration is here being noted down by the astrologers.
A birth chart is a symbolic map of fate of the person who has come back
into physical circulation. The timing of incarnation is most important. For
someone who tried to abort their scheduled arrival, fate was out of joint.
The result was that many opportunities were missed due to a distorted
sequence. (Woodcut, 16th century.)
 As the moment of birth approaches, the fluidic state of the psyche
begins to integrate with the infantile body. At the first breath outside the
womb the psyche solidifies, like a glue does on contact with the
atmosphere. It is this moment of crystallisation that sets the birth chart to
respond to certain celestial frequencies. The timing of an incarnation is
extremely precise because the individual has to fit into a particular niche in
the scheme of history. Anyone who has witnessed a birth will know that it
rarely happens according to the medically predicted time. Everything in the
universe has to be in exact alignment before it can occur. This includes any
caesarean operation. Such an event is part of that person’s fate.
When the birth takes place, the body is immediately subject to gravity
and the four elements. This moment of impact on the senses grounds the
psyche as it becomes an independent organism when the umbilicus is cut.
Nevertheless it is still strongly in contact with the astral realm. Infants sleep
a great deal for weeks and months because the psyche finds physicality hard
compared with the higher World it just came from. The first few days of life
are called in Kabbalah ‘the days of wisdom’. Indeed, the eyes of the
newborn baby usually have the look of an adult before the demands of the
body overwhelm any memory of life before birth.
From an astrological viewpoint, the sign on the Ascendant of a
horoscope imprints itself on the physique of the person. Over time, this
form modifies any family or racial character. Thus a person who is
physically inclined to be fat, because of family genes, can be slimmer than a
brother or sister, because they have a Fiery Aries Ascendant which burns off
excessive fat. Likewise, someone from an athletic clan might put on weight
with a Cancer Ascendant as the body slowly fills out a Watery elemental
physique upon becoming an adult.
While the Ascendant is an important factor, there are other influences
that can affect the body, such as Solar, Lunar and planetary aspects. These
can alter, for example, the figure of a genetically thin girl with a strong
Venus aspect. While she may be very skinny, a Libra Ascendant would
make her extremely sexy, as some current fashion models are. Conversely a
well-built lady with the same Ascendant might be very attractive to men
who adore statuesque women. The Ascendant would also affect a person’s
facial features and body language as well as the way they react to the world
physically. A Capricorn Ascendant does not like heat whereas a Leo one
feels quite at home in high summer.
Figure 22—Horoscope

This is the pattern of an incarnation. The ascendant indicates a Saturnine

physique that will mature and age very slowly. The Sun in Capricorn in the
12th House suggests an introvert disposition while the Moon in Gemini in
the 5th House means, however, they will have a public persona. The life to
be lived will be much influenced by Mars, Jupiter, Neptune and the Moon’s
descending Node in the 7th House of Partners, indicating complex
relationships. This was borne out over a long life. Indeed, the chart painted
a picture of what came to pass. Such knowledge is given to us by
Providence. (Halevi.)
 The Tree of Life diagram gives an overall picture of the character of an
individual. For instance, if all the planets on the right-hand, Yang pillar are
in passive signs, such as Venus in Virgo, Jupiter in Capricorn and Uranus in
Taurus, then the dynamic side of the psyche will be restrained or even
frustrated. Similarly, if the planets of the left-hand, Yin column are all in
active signs, one would expect such a person to be innovative but controlled
in their enthusiasm.
Further, the aspects between the celestial bodies reveal the eases and
tensions within the Tree. For example, Venus opposed or square to Mars
would manifest in a continuous battle between passion and discipline while
Saturn trine Uranus might produce an original thinker. However, Jupiter in
Pisces, afflicting this configuration, could make the person’s ideas
somewhat confused or excessive in their suppositions. Here we see how the
structure of the psyche can be emphasised, neutralised or even distorted by
the configuration of the horoscope.
If the positions of the houses are logged in, alongside the placing of the
planets or luminaries, then the particular way the psyche operates in relation
to the outside world can be seen very clearly. For example, a chart with
Saturn in Gemini in the 12th House could incline the individual to become a
solitary bookworm exploring every kind of philosophy. However, if Saturn
in Gemini were in the 5th House, then the person might be a popular
lecturer or writer on such subjects. Again, if Saturn was in the 2nd House,
then the subject might have the finest collection of antique philosophical
books which would be regarded as possessions never to be read but bought
and sold for profit.
When looking at the chart from a kabbalistic viewpoint, the triads, for
instance, become very important. Take that of the soul. It is possible to
ascertain its strengths, weaknesses and peculiarities by examining the
positions and aspects of Mars, Jupiter and the Sun. This would give an
insight into how an individual makes significant choices in his life, as the
soul is the agent of free will. Mars in Capricorn in the 11th House would
make the person somewhat socially conservative and be very selective
about whom they might work with and marry. Such decisions would indeed
be fatal and determine a particular quality of life.
The relationship between the Sun and Moon is crucial as they are at
either end of the path on the Tree that stretches between the ego and the
self. If, for example, there is a disharmonious angle, then one would expect
a certain sense of confusion between the person’s ego consciousness and
unconscious. Sun in Libra, trine to Moon in Gemini, however, would give
an individual a fluency of mind that could be a little too glib. If the Moon
was in the 7th House, then the person could become a very successful
lawyer and if in the 12th, a prolific daydreamer. This particular path
between the Sun and Moon is known as that of ‘Honesty’. It is one of the
most important connections in the Tree-chart.
From these few examples it can be seen that much can be gained by
putting the horoscope on the Tree. Every position and aspect affects the
balance of the psyche and this leads to a deeper understanding of why
temperament is the key to fate. A heavily loaded left pillar cannot but be
restrained while an opposite emphasis will create an enthusiastic optimist.
Whether they are good or intelligent is another matter.
10. Incarnation
Conception does not occur at random. Many couples try to conceive but
nothing happens. On the other hand, sometimes those who have taken every
precaution to avoid pregnancy do conceive. This indicates that incarnation
is not just an organic process. Indeed it requires the higher Worlds of the
psyche and spirit to co-ordinate with physicality before a pregnancy can be
obtained. While being born may seem a random event it is, as noted, a very
precise operation.
Animals are not subject to karma as they do not have free will. They are
governed by instinct and general evolution. They do not incur any reward or
punishment for they have no idea of morality, being entirely subject to
natural law. However, every human being, having an individual soul and
free will, does have a degree of choice, within limits. This means their
actions, feelings and thoughts can lead them to be, as the Bible says, ‘higher
than the angels or lower than the beasts’. A study of human history reveals
that this is the case. Adam and Eve learned, in their first lesson, that
consequence follows every intention, decision and deed. This is the esoteric
meaning of ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’. In other words,
karma. Out of every event involving human activity comes a physical,
psychological and spiritual result that determines the kind of fate to be
lived, not only in the next life but even further on.
At death, according to most esoteric traditions, there is a form of
assessment by the soul of its performance in the light of objective reality.
This judgement the soul cannot deny, for death is the moment of Truth.
Thus each individual experiences a playback of their life without any
softening of the facts. This is perceived as a mixture of ecstasy or agony as
the individual views every detail of his performance. It is not the aim of this
book to examine what happens in the postmortem period but to consider the
prenatal epoch when the psyche begins its descent again into matter.
Figure 23—Gestation

Conception occurs at the meeting place of the Worlds of Creation,

Formation and Action, if it is willed by the Divine. It happens if it is vital
for a soul to enter the stream of evolution at a specific moment, so as to
gain the most experience possible and learn the next karmic lesson. This
requires careful timing so as to key in with others of their soul group, be it
in a particular family, occupation or community. Once gestation begins, the
psyche is loosely attached to the embryo until they fuse together at the
moment of birth. (Halevi.)
 If the individual still has lessons to learn, then they inevitably return to
Earth, pulled down by the gravity of unfinished business. Only those rare
individuals who are entirely free from karma can choose whether to
incarnate or not. Most people are drawn back into the flesh by an attraction
or affinity with a particular place and certain circles of people, because of
familiarity or unresolved issues. For example, many will inevitably wish to
return to their families, their professions, friends and even enemies. Indeed,
whole soul groups will gather together into the same timeframe so as to deal
with specific problems, develop further or carry out some collective
mission.
The organisation of such a vast operation is largely regulated by general
law, like the migration patterns of animals, but within this scheme there are
fine adjustments. One instance is that a particular individual needs to be
born into a special circumstance, such as a musical family, while another
might want to grow up in an obscure location until they are ready for their
destiny. In most cases great souls have to be positioned very carefully in
time and place so as to be physically mature and present at an expected
historic moment. President Abraham Lincoln was at just the right age and
level of experience to prevent the United States from splitting apart. History
might have been quite different had he not been.
It is not uncommon for the couple seeking to conceive to be aware of a
third presence with them while making love. Sensitive people are
sometimes aware of a face or form of a human being hovering over them. In
Kabbalah this is called the Zelem or the etheric image of the individual
about to be incarnated. Gestation proceeds according to the Lightning Flash
coming down from where spirit, psyche and Nature meet at the Crown of
the physical Tree (see Figure 23) and the psyche slowly invests the
embryonic body.
After birth this process continues in a growth pattern that follows an
ascending Lightning Flash sequence. This is described in Shakespeare’s
seven ages of man. In Kabbalah there are ten phases. The Earth at the
bottom of the Tree equals the elemental body while the Moon represents
infancy, Mercury childhood and Venus adolescence. The Sun is seen as
physical maturity, Mars early middle age, Jupiter late middle age with
Saturn and Uranus as early and late old age. Neptune is viewed, at the
Crown, as death or completion of that life. Pluto, the non-sefirah, relates to
any age in which a knowledge of other realities comes to the person.
 This Plutonian principle is also associated with recalling life before
birth and knowing something about the future. According to kabbalistic
tradition, the state of higher consciousness experienced in the earliest years
of life is often forgotten until the prophetic faculty is reawakened,
sometimes as the result of a Pluto transit.
As people mature so the body takes on not only the form of a full-grown
person but also the character of their psychological composition. This
corresponds to the configuration of the birth chart. Figure 24, for example,
with all signs, houses and some aspects filled in, will generate a distinct
individual whose fate cannot be blamed on anyone else. In this case, it is
the Tree-chart of an imaginary person we shall call Alex. This will
demonstrate the interaction of the three disciplines of astrology, Kabbalah
and psychology. The horoscope is set, for convenience, for noon on January
1st 1950 in London. From this we can discern something about how Alex
may look, the kind of temperament he might have and what sort of fate he
will possess.
Figure 24—Chart on the Tree

Here the signs and Houses have been placed in the appropriate sefirot.
These relate to the various functions of the psyche and give an insight into
its loading. The dotted lines of the aspects supply information about various
emphases within the mind. The Ascendant, Sun and Moon are key factors
while the planets beyond Mercury and Venus are mainly concerned with the
unconscious. Mars, in this case, in Libra in the 6th House could trigger a
psychosomatic illness rooted in distress over being chronically indecisive.
(Halevi.)
 With Aries on the Ascendant and Moon in Gemini in the 1st House, one
would expect to see a physically small but alert man with a sharp mind.
However Sun in Capricorn, on the cusp between the 9th and 10th Houses,
would make Alex ambitious but cautious in his approach to life. The
Capricorn, Gemini and Aries combination of the thinking triad would make
him very articulate while Venus, which governs the action triad sign, could
make him a little erratic in his performance by being in Aquarius. The same
could be true of the feeling triad with its Gemini Moon. Fortunately,
Mercury is in Capricorn which would slow the love of excitement down.
In contrast, the favourable trine between Mars and Jupiter of the soul
triad would grant a certain emotional balance which, however, would
occasionally be offset by Mars square the Sun of the self. This might be
mitigated by the Moon trining Mars and Jupiter, which are concerned with
emotional control and expression. Such a combination would give Alex a
certain confidence despite a tendency to misjudge situations because of
Mars in Libra. With Saturn in Virgo in the 6th House, Alex would think that
being a workaholic was the norm. However, this might also be due to
Uranus in Cancer in the 2nd House, making him reluctant to go home. He
would feel uncomfortable there, either because he does not like being on his
own or because whoever lives with him makes him feel insecure. Here we
can see the contradictions that can occur in the psyche.
Alex’s unconscious ambition, based upon Neptune in Libra in the 6th
House, would to be the great deal-fixer. He might pursue this in business,
government or as a professional counsellor. With Pluto in Leo in the 5th
House, he would seek to make a reputation as a harmoniser. Unfortunately
he would only gain recognition after many years. This is due to his being a
Capricorn: they tend to mature very slowly. As a young man he would not
be taken seriously until he gained the Saturnian gravitas of early old age.
Such an achievement is not, however, automatic, as Alex may choose to
remain a vegetable-level man.
Another factor to consider is that of class and culture. Alex, if he had
been born in Soviet Russia, could have become a party official or, if
incarnated in rural Africa, a respected tribal elder. If the chart were for a
woman, say, called Alexandra, she might become the administrator of a big
London teaching hospital or, if born in America, an executive in a large
pharmaceutical company. If she were not at the animal level, we might find
her as a village chemist in Poland or a street cleaner in China. If she had
reached the fully human psychological stage, she might be a writer or
philosopher concerned with the present and past attitudes and techniques of
therapeutics.
The outer manifestations of a birth chart are significant, for they
indicate the field in which the individual has to play out their karma. The
only difference between a peasant and a president is whether their crucial
decisions will affect their family or the nation. Alex may be born into a poor
home and Alexandra a rich one but both, with the same birth chart, will face
similar situations despite their different social or economic positions. Alex
might succeed and Alexandra fail to meet the challenge of their fates, or
vice versa . This cannot be seen in a horoscope as it belongs to the critical
area of free will.
A horoscope defines what sort of life a person lives. How an individual
uses their circumstance is up to them. If they choose to develop, whatever
their situation, then all the levels of the chart come into operation to help
them evolve whatever potential they have. This is summed up by the
proverb ‘Fortune favours the brave’. To ignore the possibilities inherent in
the birth chart and only live off the Ascendant or Moon means that a person
is subject to the fate of their family and community. For example, many
people in Nazi Germany accepted this evil regime by going along with
Hitler’s policy. Most cheered the German victories at the beginning of the
war but then had to face the result of defeat as they were inevitably caught
up in their nation’s fate. Few families escaped death and destruction. The
same occurred in Napoleon’s France where nearly all the tall men were
killed in action as soldiers in his crack regiments.
Those individuals who seek to live off their Sun can escape such
collective disasters, because Providence creates opportunities which only
those who are psychologically awake will notice. Many people left
Germany when Hitler came to power because they saw what was coming.
At the personal level, close observation of the natal horoscope and current
astrological conditions indicate, often quite clearly, a storm or calm coming
up. The key is to be prepared for this or any event. That is how one
becomes master of one’s fate.
Figure 25—Signs and Houses

In this diagram we have simply used the sequence of the zodiac to

demonstrate principles. Thus the Moon is in Taurus in the 2nd House and
so on up the Tree. This shows how the celestial bodies are assigned a
particular section of the sky, according to the Mundane House system. This
emphasises the various combinations that make up the chart, making the
ego, for example, sensuous, material and Fixed. The Sun, here in Leo in the
5th House of the Self, would make such a person charismatic, generous,
arrogant, noble or self important. How the individual would choose which
qualities to cultivate would be where free will came into play. (Halevi.)
11. Lower Face
The Tree-chart of Figure 25 is a demonstration model. It could not exist in
reality as it is set out according to the zodiacal sign sequence and house
system, for convenience, not a specific time or place. Starting with Aries on
the Ascendant, representing the 1st House, the Moon is in Taurus in the 2nd
House with Mercury in Gemini in the 3rd House and so on up through the
Lightning Flash of the sefirot, to finish with Neptune in the 11th House at
the Crown. Pisces and the 12th House are not included as their transcendent
qualities relate to the next higher realm. Nevertheless the Tree-chart will
illustrate the principles to be outlined.
As can be seen, there are many cross-connections. The Sun, for
example, is square to the Moon (we are not concerned with degrees in this
exercise), indicating a conflict between a Fixed and Fiery self and an
Earthy, Fixed Moon. This would manifest, because of their positions in the
5th and 2nd Houses, as struggle between wanting to be a charismatic leader
and desiring comfort without too much effort. In this case it is the main
lesson of the life. The other angles within the chart define the general
disposition of the psyche. Here there are three Cardinal signs on the right
active pillar, three Mutables on the left passive pillar and a full complement
of the four elements in the central column. All this adds up to a very lively,
contradictory temperament.
In Figure 26 the upper part of the Tree is blacked out, as for most people
this is the unconscious region of the mind. Only the lower ‘face’, as it is
called, is meaningful for many. This is the area of the ego-Moon and the
ordinary mind as it interacts with the body and external world. The lowest
sefirah or Ascendant corresponds with the body which is obviously partly
influenced by the physical constitution. Here the Cardinal Fire sign of Aries
would manifest in a dry skinned, active body, no matter which ethnic group
the person belonged to.
While the Ascendant gives this subject a certain vitality, there are other
modifying factors. An individual can be a muscular mesomorph, a plumpish
endomorph or even a slender, nervous ectomorph. These physical
characteristics relate to the action, feeling and thinking triads or body types
on the Tree. The Aries mesomorph would be hyperactive, the Aries
endomorph somewhat moody while the Aries ectomorph would endlessly
come up with new ideas. In another person, a Cancer Ascendant would
always seek to protect itself physically, feel emotionally safe only with its
own kind or endlessly think up security schemes and systems. With each
sign on the Ascendant an appropriate active, feeling or thoughtful
manifestation would be generated according to its zodiacal character. These
astrological-instinctive patterns should be taken into account.
Figure 26—Animal and Vegetable Levels

The darkened part of the Tree, for animal and vegetable people, is largely
unconscious and therefore has little direct influence. For them the ego is
almost automatic, due to conditioning and instinct. However, animal people
are proactive because they are relatively awake to their surroundings. As
regards aspects, in this case Venus in the 4th House squared to the
Ascendant would make the ego very resistant to change, even if the subject
were a wanderer, as indicated by Mercury in the 3rd House sextile to the
Aries Ascendant. He could be an entrepreneur who always travelled first
class, for example. (Halevi.)
 The Moon with its changing face or persona is greatly influenced by
what sign it is in. If in Gemini the features will have a sharp, Mercurial cast,
while a Capricorn Moon would give a Saturnian, heavy look. In the case of
Pisces, the face will have a Neptunian, fluidic quality, while a Leo Moon
would be of a Sunny countenance. These are the astrological masks people
wear that will process every experience according to its zodiacal nature.
Thus, for example, someone with an Aquarius Moon often likes to be
different, those with a Virgo ego are interested in precision. In contrast, a
Libra Moon relies on charm while a Scorpio ego prefers to penetrate
everyone and everything. In the case of this exercise Tree-chart, the Moon
in Taurus will make the person a pleasant but relentless operator. Having
the Moon in 2nd House they might well spend a lifetime collecting
beautiful and expensive objects. However, if they had a 3rd House Moon,
such a person might consider business or scientific data as valuable
possessions. If the Taurus Moon were in the 10th House, then acquiring
position in the world would be very important. The crucial point here is that
the ego is largely governed by the sign and House the Moon is in.
The dark side of the Moon also has to be considered. This is the shadow
aspect of the ego where the negative face of a sign and House manifest.
With a Capricorn Moon one can expect vengefulness masked by a righteous
sense of justice, whereas a Sagittarius Moon’s hidden side might be seen in
idealistic fantasies. Most people are quite unaware of this sinister aspect of
their ego, although anyone with any insight will recognise the subconscious
calculation of the Cancer Moon, the Leo delusion of grandeur and the
double-dealing of the Gemini persona.
The ego is also greatly influenced by Venus and Mercury which
represent a psycho-biological combination that affects the ordinary mind. In
this chart Mercury is in its own sign and House and would, therefore,
motivate the person to think out every possible angle of a situation and how
to exploit it. Fortunately, this tendency would be steadied by the Taurus
Moon which would slow down and check any risky or dubious scheme.
Venus in Cancer in the 4th House of this Tree-chart would, with Mercury,
enhance the feeling triad with its Wateriness. This would also make the
person extremely sensitive, with a strong intuitive and psychic capacity.
Such abilities would stimulate the triad of Awakening just above in the
Tree, headed by the Sun. An example of this would be a gifted but neurotic
poet who drank too much and yet could fix a piece of broken china and
work a computer when he was sober.
The Leo Sun, at the centre of the Tree and on the edge of the
unconscious because it is in the 5th House governed by Leo, would give the
individual a strong sense of self-importance and confidence. This could be
real, if a solid upbringing as well as a sound education had been absorbed
by the Moon. If not, the person might be led into believing that they are a
very special someone who could become whatever they wished, like the girl
who believes she will be a Hollywood film star or the boy who is convinced
he will, one day, be a leading statesman. Neither in fact may have the talent,
stamina or the opportunity to achieve these aims. The true nature of the Sun
can easily be eclipsed by such Lucific aspirations, if ambitions are more
than youthful daydreams. Around the age of thirty, when Saturn returns to
its natal position, most people realise what is and is not possible and accept
it. Those who do not remain ‘fixated’ in an internal fantasy while they live
everyday life. The fictional characters of Walter Mitty or Billy Liar
demonstrate a quite common psychological phenomenon of secretly living
their illusions.
Vast numbers of people prefer this acceptable form of lunacy because it
saves them from any practical or psychological effort. The escapism of TV,
cinema and sport are an outlet for the frustrated energy that is not used up.
This craving for excitement, sex and violence is the result of the Ascendant,
Moon, Mercury and Venus not being able to function in an evolutionary
progression. As a result, a cycle of repetitive actions and lives goes on until
the pattern is broken.
In the case of those who have lived a number of lives and learned to
move on, there is a shift in consciousness from the lower face to its peak at
the Sun at the centre of the Tree-chart. This can be activated by a Solar or
planetary transit which will precipitate an opportunity or crisis. Such
moments or periods of intense activity open the door to development but
not everyone takes up the option and many miss the chance to develop. One
instance was the teacher who endlessly complained about the way his
college was run. However, when offered the job of becoming its head, while
a particularly heavy transit was shaking his chart, he turned the job down.
In doing so he rejected a unique possibility and missed his moment of
destiny. He soon went into decline and eventually became insane because
he realised he had failed what his fate had prepared him for in all his years
at the college.
Assuming our artificial example is a man, whom we shall call Peter, let
us examine his soul triad, made up of Sun in Leo, Mars in Virgo and Jupiter
in Libra. This psychological organ is vital as regards every fatal decision.
With Mars in Virgo, his judgement would be inclined to be very exacting
and self-critical, in contrast to his Jupiter which would be somewhat lax.
This would generate great emotional conflict as Mars in an Earth sign does
not relate to the Jupiter in an Air sign or the Fiery Leo Sun. As there is no
Water in the soul triad, Peter would have to rely on his Venus in Cancer or
instincts for any feelings about anything serious. This could cause
problems, especially as regards women, for he might not be able to tell the
difference between emotion and passion. This could wreck his love life.
Any potential partner would not know what was going on, as his actions
and attitudes would be quite confused as regards a serious or casual sexual
relationship.
When the structure and dynamics of a horoscope are put on the Tree,
much can be seen about how the various psychological functions interact.
Certain patterns can be identified very clearly. However, whether Peter acts
as a vegetable person, an animal individual or a mature human being is of
critical significance. All these levels are present in everyone. For most
people the unconscious is far beyond the ordinary mind and so they act
largely out of the lower face of habit. Nevertheless, what lies outside ego
and even a degree of Solar self-consciousness does have an unseen
influence, like the planets and stars in daytime.
12. Unconscious
The unconscious lies beyond the liminal threshold made by the path
between Mercury and Venus. For much of the time people are only aware of
what is going on immediately around them. If, as sometimes occurs, an
event wakes people up psychologically, they see a different kind of world.
Things are much sharper to the senses and there is a curious awareness of
being a watcher. By this is meant observing from the Sun of the self rather
than the ego or Moon. Those at the animal stage of development cultivate
this experience, as it gives them an edge in any competition. While it
enables them to outwit rivals, it also opens an insight into the unconscious
and access to the soul. Most animal people ignore this opportunity because
they are still driven by their compulsion to compete but some, in time,
begin to be reflective, like the pop star perceiving that his fame is
ephemeral or the business woman who realises success does not bring
happiness.
Everyone, to a greater or lesser degree, is influenced by their
unconscious. This contains all the experience of this life and other
incarnations. The hidden part of the mind also holds all the attitudes of a
person’s culture in the form of the super ego and the ego ideal. These are
the negative and positive models of how not to, and how to behave.
Nevertheless, despite such conditioning, ancient memories persist in many
people. Some, for example, fear water or heights because they were
drowned or fell to their death in a previous life. Then there are those who
are fascinated or repelled by a certain country or period in history. While
such phobias and preoccupations can be explained as psychological
fixations, they are more often than not connected with overlaid memories,
which have left an indelible imprint. Ordinarily people are unaware of this
phenomenon but they are still influenced by it. Astrologically such factors
can be found in the 8th and 12th Houses of a horoscope where perhaps
Neptune, Saturn or Mars are placed under pressure by aspect. Neptune
conjunct Saturn in Pisces in the 12th House might be the result of a long
time in a mental asylum or having been a nun for many centuries.
The super-ego-ideal can be greatly influenced by what astrological
configuration a person has. Someone with Mars in Aquarius might seek to
break every rule while another with Jupiter square to Saturn may be quite
intolerant. An example of Saturn conjunct Venus in Taurus is the puritanical
man who sees sex everywhere, while a Venus trine Jupiter in Libra in the
5th House might stimulate such delight in sensuality that a girl becomes a
libertine despite being brought up in a Puritan clan. Here one would suspect
that there was some family karma being worked out.
The super-ego-ideal, which is made up of the planets on the two side
pillars of the Tree-chart, dominates both the animal and vegetable levels of
people, be they desert nomads or sophisticated city dwellers. Even the
hardened criminal will not break the ego ideal rules of the Mafia which tell
him what he can and can’t do. The same is true for the university professor
who must abide by academic etiquette or he will not be considered for
promotion. Indeed, society has to be based upon a set of do’s and don’ts or
it would fall apart. As it happens, this concurs with the laws of Nature
which are primarily concerned with managing large numbers. In the case of
those who wish to individuate, a conscious effort is required to free the
psyche from the dominance of cultural habit and employ Nature to aid
personal development.
Let us take our example of Peter and his Tree-chart. He has Mars in
Virgo, which would make his super ego somewhat fussy, while his Jupiter
in Libra in the 7th House would long for the ideal of having a beautiful wife
and home. This could create problems as few women would be perfect
enough for his anima image, generated by Saturn in Sagittarius in the 9th
House. He would expect her not only to be lovely but also lively and clever
to match his Mercury in Gemini in the 3rd House. All this would be an
unconscious set of criteria in seeking out a socially acceptable partner.
With Sun in Leo in the 5th House, Peter might assume that his dream
was the norm, until the women in his life and male competitors showed him
otherwise. At the age of about thirty, during his Saturn return, he would
have the choice of facing reality or preferring fantasy. If he took the latter
he could finish up, with his Moon in Taurus, as a mangy Lion and bar-room
braggart who hated the woman he bedded.
Figure 27—Human Level

Here the individual is aware of his interior processes which requires a

degree of Sun-Self consciousness. Such a person would know, for example,
that with Mars in Virgo in the 6th House he would be excessively critical.
This would affect the passive emotional triad with a crippling fear of falling
short of perfection, especially with Sun in Leo in the 5th where only the best
will do. This could stimulate a depressive inclination that would have to be
worked on to keep a balance. Jupiter in the 7th in Libra could alleviate the
problem through a loving companion but it would be hard labour for the
partner. Here we see how a particular fate is generated. (Halevi.)
 If he decided to relate to the real world, he would then have to deal with
all the habits and attitudes he had acquired and rework them, together with
the balances and imbalances set out by his Tree chart. This would require
taking into account his active and passive emotions and concepts as tuned
by the side pillar planets. For example, he must restrain his Martial
tendency to be too critical and check his Uranus in Capricorn tendency to
be contradictory in his chosen profession. This would probably be some
large political or commercial organisation in which he wanted to become, as
a Leo, a leading light with noble Sagittarian aims. All this would be
possible, if he were psychologically awake and living off his Sun. If not, as
is usually the case, Peter, governed by his upbringing and the mood of the
times, would fantasise about his ambition until he realised it was never
going to happen. He would then go into decline as a Lion who had lost his
pride and ambition.
However, should he succeed in becoming the head of a department, he
would express himself in compulsive and erratic actions, emotions and
thoughts. Indeed he might turn into a little Napoleon, asserting his power
with ruthless charm. If he were allowed to get away with it, he would
become totally identified and obsessed with his rôle, until some other
animal person with bigger teeth defeated and ousted him from a job only
one individual could hold. This event, probably precipitated by a Uranus-
Mars transit, might wake Peter up and make him consider his mistakes
instead of plummeting down.
Such a moment of self-consciousness, no doubt stimulated by a transit
of the Sun, perhaps also by Uranus, opens up the option of choice. Here the
other components of the soul triad, Mars and Jupiter, would come into play
even if they were not directly involved in the incident. It is an awareness at
the soul level, the human dimension of an individual, that can make a fatal
decision. Often years later we remember such turning points with
satisfaction or bitter regret as we realise that the soul foresaw exactly what
was at issue. Those who choose to listen to their conscience usually fare
better in their fate than those who ignore its advice.
The spiritual dimension of Peter’s life, according to his chart, is
concerned with ordered inspiration due to Uranus being in Capricorn,
Saturn in Sagittarius and Pluto in Scorpio. The Sun in Leo in the 5th House
could take all these combinations and indeed transform Peter into a
remarkable leader, if he chose to develop himself. As his Uranus is in the
10th House, his Saturn in the 9th and his Pluto in the 8th, he might be a
public figure who was known to many people as an unconventional
philosopher or radical religious minister. Meister Eckhart, the medieval
priest who was also a mystic, is an example. He filled the church every
Sunday because of his inspired sermons and writings, much to the
annoyance of his politically ambitious, animal level archbishop.
The zodiacal positions of Saturn, Uranus and Pluto mark out a particular
generation. Many who fought in the first Great War had Pluto in Gemini,
being born in the 1890s. This association of the planet of death with the
sign of youth was borne out by the destruction of the flower of that
generation on all sides. In contrast, the ‘Flower Children’ of the 1960s had
Pluto in Leo. Here the positive regenerative aspect of the planet expressed
itself in an exotic popular culture. With Uranus in Gemini, for those born
just after the Second World War in the ‘Baby Boom’ generation,
experimenting with sex and drugs upon becoming young adults was quite
the fashion. Saturn entered Virgo in 1949 and this generated a great interest
among young people in the 1960s and 70s in ancient medicine and personal
health and development. All these factors were in the character of that era.
Neptune in the Tree-chart represents what a person worships. In this
case of Peter, with the planet in Aquarius in the 11th House, he would
devote his life to social change. This belief would unconsciously filter
through to draw him into protest politics, alternative religion or ‘Green and
organic’ industry. If he were at the vegetable level in Soviet Russia, he
would have become a devout Communist; if at the animal stage, a
committed dissident against a failed Marxism. If he lived in the United
States he might, as a ‘common person’, as the ancient Greeks called them,
be just an ordinary ‘guy’, and if an ‘uncommon man’, a smart entrepreneur
making big money. However, if he were at the human level of a ‘hero’, he
could be an eminent social commentator for the media or Black leader like
Martin Luther King. As can be seen, destiny is a combination of the birth
chart, level of development and external circumstance.
13. Circumstance
Human evolution within the Divine Plan takes many forms. This is partly
determined by the outer planets of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto,
which influence the character of succeeding epochs. Most people, in each
generation, are in fact their own ancestors carrying over their personal and
collective experience and karma. The rest are young or new soul groups just
beginning their journey of self-realisation. All these individuals are born at
precise times in order to be part of a coherent pattern of Evolution. Saturn,
whose cycle is about twenty-nine years, marks out the limits of each
generation. This is seen in that most families have usually a twenty- to
thirty-year gap between parents and children.
Saturn is the principle of understanding in Kabbalah. By the time of the
Saturn Return, at about twenty-nine years of age, many people have
established the basis of their life. Any youthful illusions have usually been
tempered by experiencing success, failure and the responsibility of a family.
Also by this time parents have begun to age and the grandparent generation
has started to die off. This stimulates reflection about life, death and what
understanding there is of them, according to one’s level of development.
This is the hallmark of the Saturn cycle.
The Uranus cycle is about eighty-four years or a full lifetime. This
planetary principle, in Kabbalah, is concerned with wisdom or flashes of
revelation about the significance of life. Old people often do not die until
such an insight occurs and then they discarnate soon after. About mid-way
through the Uranus cycle, at around forty, comes what is commonly known
as the ‘mid-life crisis’. This is due to Uranus coming into opposition to its
original natal position in an individual’s birth chart. It is a period of
disruption and confusion, out of which can come a new direction or a
correction of a negative lifestyle. If the opportunity of a Uranian
reorientation is not taken up, individuals often begin to slow down as their
physical vitality, which peaks at this point, starts to weaken. The effect on
the mind that does not seek to develop is that it becomes increasingly rigid,
staid and arid. In most people this results in a crystallisation that can lead to
psychological death long before the body ceases to function.
Figure 28—Spiritual Level

The four outer planets of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto make up what
is called the Upper Face of the Tree. They represent the deep intellectual
and spiritual aspects of the psyche. Saturn and Uranus can be seen as
Reason and Revelation while Neptune represents the psyche’s contact with
the Divine where the three upper Worlds meet. Pluto, which is half in and
half out of the Solar system, is the mystical component of the mind. These
planets are only directly active in those who have developed to a high
degree. Most people, during their transits, might think about the meaning of
life but not do anything about it. (Halevi.)
 For those who open up to a wider field during their Uranus opposition,
the perception of life alters greatly. They begin to see how their years of
experience indicate the direction of their destiny. Here is where Pluto, the
principle of transformation, begins to have a direct influence, in that the
individual begins to recognise that fate is a culmination of karma. For those
who are well advanced in this viewpoint, death is but a junction in a long
sequence of lives in which this incarnation expresses the state of their
situation. This perception enables a person to live on with the knowledge
that they are part of a vast process and, if ready, a member of a particular
soul group with a specific purpose.
Neptune defines, as said, the Divine dimension of each generation. As
the planet passes through the Zodiac, so that soul group worships what the
sign represents. This remote planet has a 164-year cycle, which can be seen
in the epochs of history. Many Egyptian dynasties lasted about this length
of time, as did the Golden Age of Greece and medieval scholasticism. Pluto
has an orbit of 248 years, which marks the cycle of destruction and
regeneration in history. The Reformation, which broke the absolute power
of the Catholic Church, and the Renaissance, which brought the modern
world into being, are examples. Pluto was in its own sign, Scorpio, when
the degenerate Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI and Columbus
discovered the New World in 1492. These two events marked the end and
beginning of eras.
The outer planets have a distinct influence on world affairs. This can be
seen very precisely in the early 19th century when Saturn was moving
though Leo triggering the imperialistic adventures of Napoleon. He had Sun
in Leo with Moon in Capricorn. Having transformed the French Revolution
into a personal domain, Napoleon extended his rule over much of Europe.
This was possible because Uranus was passing through Libra at the time
which tends to upset the balance of power. Taking advantage of such a
situation, Napoleon assaulted his enemies with the idea of popular freedom
as well as his armies. This undermined the old feudal order that had held
Christendom together for centuries. Neptune in Scorpio turned many people
at that time against religion, in a violent anti-cleric movement while Pluto
was in Pisces and square to Sagittarius, the traditional signs of religion. This
combination undermined papal authority. Napoleon annexed the Vatican’s
territories and called his son King of Rome.
 Between 1810 and 1820, as Uranus and Neptune moved through
Sagittarius, an epoch of hope emerged after the defeat of Napoleon. This
manifested in the Romantic movement that moved away from the precise
forms of the 18th century arts into a more amorphous and radical mode. The
flamboyant poetry of people like Byron was distinctly Sagittarian in its
style while Pluto in Pisces expressed itself in Mary Shelley’s disturbing
novel Frankenstein . In contrast to the now outmoded discipline of Mozart,
musicians such as Chopin and Beethoven composed a wide span of mood
music while painters such as Turner and Daumier produced dramatic
images of Nature and ordinary people. Meanwhile, writers like Dickens and
Zola rejected the heroic novel and wrote realistic books about everyday life.
In 1848, when Neptune entered Pisces (vision), Uranus and Pluto were
in Aries (war), square to Jupiter (power) and Mercury (students) in Cancer
(community). This precipitated a series of revolutions in France, Austria,
Germany, Italy, Hungary and Poland when the middle classes, led by
students, challenged their governments. However, such idealistic reforms
were thwarted by the violent reaction of every Establishment. All the
rebellions were quickly put down by Mars in Leo, the military under royal
authority. Saturn in Pisces gave rise to disillusion, defeatism and
depression, causing many Europeans to migrate to the Americas. However,
in the 1860s Uranus was in Gemini, causing a crisis as it conjoined the
United States’ natal Mars and Ascendant which resulted in the Civil War. At
the same time another civil war went on in Italy. German-speaking troops of
Prussia and Austria fought each other and there was a revolt in China.
Figure 29—Generation

Between 1891 and 1898, Uranus was in Scorpio while Neptune and Pluto
were transiting Gemini. Those born around this time were to be part of a
generation that was to fight in the Great European civil war of 1914 to
1918. Some ten million were to die in the competition between various
Western empires. Uranus in Scorpio indicated a deadly reckoning while
Neptune and Pluto created confusion and fraternal killing. All marched off
to war believing that God was on their side. The reason for such a nemesis
was both collective and individual negative karma for the West’s
exploitation of the rest of the world. (Troops on the Western Front, etching
of World War I.)
 Of course such events are not just due to the movements of the planets
but the loading of a country’s karma. This is not unlike an avalanche which
only needs a sharp sound or change in temperature to start a slide. This can
be seen in the build up to the First World War in which the major powers of
Europe, struggling over who would dominate the world, met their nemesis
in the biggest conflict since the Napoleonic epoch. For five centuries
Europe had exploited less advanced peoples of the world and abused its
privileged position. The first Great War destroyed the West’s claim to be the
most civilised of cultures by its sheer savagery. When it began in August
1914, Pluto had just entered the sign of Cancer, indicating mass death in
this continental family.
Needless to say, the millions who had been killed in that terrible conflict
were resentful at having had their lives cut short. Many were reborn
immediately after 1918 in the baby boom that generally follows mass
disasters as Nature seeks to re-establish a population. Not a few of these
souls regarded the First World War as unfinished business and so by the
1930s, as the new generation reached military age, they were eager for
action, along with those who had survived the trenches. This was especially
true in Germany, a Scorpionic country, where many wanted revenge
because of their defeat and to reinstate the nation as a great power.
All that was needed was a leader. He came in the form of Adolf Hitler.
We shall examine his chart in detail later. As Saturn entered Aries in 1937, a
rearmed Nazi Germany openly prepared for war. Conflict broke out as Pluto
entered Leo in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. This forced France
and Britain to fight as both recognised the German threat to dominate
Europe. In 1940 these Allies suffered several military setbacks as Pluto
ploughed through Leo, France’s Sun sign, while Mars afflicted England’s
Pisces Moon. Germany, however, had its brief hour of military glory but at
a terrible cost in life as Pluto squared Scorpio. Hitler had said ‘If there has
to be blood spilt, let it be now’. And so it was, as his megalomania became
the mad bull of his Taurean nature and the shadow side of Germany’s
Scorpionic temperament. The result was the destruction of a once great
nation and the suicide of Hitler.
How, one may ask, is it possible for the Sun, Moon and planets to
influence whole populations? The answer is, as said, that every human
being is modelled on the same set of principles. Let us look at our example,
Peter, to see how one individual, like millions of others, can resonate to the
celestial input because of the subtle complexity of the instrument of the
mind.
14. Resonance
The psyche is a delicate instrument with many strings. These may be seen
in the twenty-two paths between the sefirot or celestial principles. As such
they resonate from either end or in triads generating a wide variety of
psychological activity. These paths are tuned by the particular signs which
the Sun, Moon and planets occupy. Moreover, the tension of each string or
path is affected by the flows of a celestial impulse from one end or the other
during a transit. These are the subtle antennae of the psyche.
Thus if Mars, in a Tree-chart, is activated by a conjunction or trine, for
instance, the flow of frequency going out from the sefirah of Judgement
will move down the four paths connected with it to influence whatever is at
the other end, in this case Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and the Sun. With a
Lunar transit, the resonance would be out to the inferior planets, the
Ascendant and Sun. This in turn would affect the triads of thought, feeling
and action as well as the triangle of Awakening.
The implication of this is that the whole of the psyche is vibrating and
flowing like an Aeolian harp. These ancient instruments were hung up in
the wind and made melodious sounds according to how they were tuned.
The same principle applies here, since the psyche is set at the moment of
birth to respond to a particular combination of celestial notes. The same
arrangement is to be found, as noted, in radio and TV receivers which are
designed to pick up certain frequencies and turn them into intelligible sound
and images sent from afar. There is, in fact, no mystery as to how the
celestial bodies influence us. As modern science has discovered, the
heavens are full of emanating sources of radiation that are part of the known
and unknown electromagnetic spectrum.
Of particular interest to the kabbalistic astrologer is how, exactly, they
affect a particular psyche. The most obvious phenomenon is the power of
the Sun and Moon over the mind and body. They clearly influence mental
moods and physical vitality from day to day. Less observable is the fact that
when Mars conjoins Mercury, people tend to become fastidious as the path
between them in the Tree of the psyche is activated. The same is true of any
transit that stimulates the other twenty-one paths, either in the collective
psyche or in an individual horoscope. In the former case it might manifest
in a dull day in the stock market and in the latter a very particular state that
can range from mania, through being alert, to a quiet peace or even as far as
deep depression.
Figure 30—Paths

Here the influences along the paths between the sefirot have to be taken into
account. For example, the soul triad has a sextile between the Sun in Leo
and Jupiter in Libra in the 5th and 7th Houses while there is no strong
connection between the two emotional planets, Mars and Jupiter. This
suggests that the expansive factor of the Self and charity embodied in
Jupiter would offset the excessive critical element of Mars. This would give
the soul a more balanced conscience. This is possible with a person who is
aware of the workings of their psyche and is prepared to change an inherent
pattern. (Halevi.)
 Because of free will, an individual can decide to go with such trends or
oppose the impulse, reverse the flow along a path and so alter the character
of the moment or their psychological activity. An example would be to
counteract a mood of despondency coming down from an afflicted Saturn
by applying Martial discipline up that path which joins them. This would
contain a black mood and hold the mind steady until the negative transit has
passed.
In the case of Peter, his Mercury in Gemini and his Venus in Cancer
together with his Aries Ascendant would make him have a stop-go gut
reaction in certain situations as the Moon circled the Zodiac each month.
These responses would affect his thinking, feeling and action triads, as well
as the ego, to produce a confused comprehension of what was going on
from time to time. For instance, at work he might find that on some days he
is very sharp and on others fuzzy in thought, feeling and action. At the same
time, with a Sun transit, his awakening triad of Mercury-Sun-Venus might
make him suddenly see the way he was behaving. This could alter the
perception of his behaviour as all the paths of the lower mind were
illuminated by an important Solar insight. Whether this observation was
acted upon would depend on a decision to develop or not. If he were just
living off his Moon, nothing would happen as the incident would soon be
forgotten. In contrast, should he be working from the self of the Sun, then
he could break the pattern of an ego habit.
As music can make one relax or want to dance, so the celestial melodies
have a similar effect on the mind. In some cases a particular astrological
transit will stimulate old memories. For example, when Jupiter traverses the
7th House of a birth chart every twelve years or so, the active emotional
complexes that reside in that Sun-Jupiter-Venus triad will be aroused.
Memories of relationships will arise, especially those of around twelve
years and twenty-four years before. Of course, these might generate regret
as well as comfort as nothing in the psyche is isolated, even in the
unconscious.
This is because everything else is connected via all the paths of the
Tree, so a transit would reverberate throughout the mind like a shivering
spider’s web. Because Venus is directly connected to Jupiter, Peter might
recall an incident in his youth of making love on a summer’s night in a
field. But then he would also remember how the girl eventually rejected
him because he was not ready, if ever, for a permanent commitment. This
would stimulate the left-hand emotional triad of Mars, Mercury and the Sun
into action, to bring pain, disappointment and perhaps anger into
consciousness.
Here the soul triad of the Sun, Mars and Jupiter could be alerted to
consider his contribution to the end of the affair. He might see that his
behaviour did not inspire any deep confidence in the girl. Often such a
conclusion is triggered by another transit going on. Perhaps Venus is
squared both to the current and natal position of Jupiter, adding to the
painful memory, while a Mars transit causes Peter to criticise his conduct.
All these inner events and memories would set up a reverberating flow
through the paths and triads of his Tree-chart, beginning a psychological
process that, if he went with it, could bring about an important
transformation in his attitude to women.
By observing and examining the astrological impact of various transits
and their effect on the Tree of the psyche, it is possible to get to know how
the unconscious of a particular person operates. This is very useful when
dealing with both external and internal problems which are often
interrelated. To know what is going on deep in the mind, and to see what
fate is pointing out, can help to avoid much unnecessary suffering and
indicate when and what to do in an important situation.
If Peter was interested in self-development, he might go to an astrologer
to get a reading of his chart. This could be a detailed technical description,
which he did not understand, or a vague psycho-babble outline of his
problem which leaves him more confused than before. The art of explaining
a birth chart is to perceive what the client wants, not to give a lecture based
upon the astrologer’s psychological projection. A good consultant is well
aware that their personal opinion can colour an objective conclusion.
In order to learn how to be impartial, an astrologer needs to know their
own horoscope well and take into account their own bias and problems. It is
not easy, for instance, for an intellectual practitioner to grasp how an action
person experiences life. Likewise a ‘feeler’ astrologer has to learn what it is
like to think through a situation so that they can see what it is like for
someone with, say, a strong Gemini. All these skills have to be cultivated.
This is done by getting to know the kabbalistic Tree-chart really well
and applying it to one’s own horoscope. The triads, for example, give great
detail into the usually inaccessible areas of the psyche. Let us examine them
in the light of their astrological and psychological significance.
Figure 31—Triads

In this scheme, each triad is ruled by a specific sign because it is directly

connected to the planet of a particular sefirah, such as Hod which governs
Gemini and Virgo. Now if, for example, we have Mars in Gemini, that triad
will be affected to make the person’s intuition very sharp. This Mercury, Sun
and Mars triad in the psyche is the one that can pick up the subtle
reverberations given off by, say, envy. The Sun then perceives the source
while Mars assesses the situation. The result may be evasive action or
confrontation, according to the active or passive loading of the chart.
(Halevi.)
15. Triads
Most of the triads on the Tree have a zodiacal sign (Figure 31). This relates
to the nearest planet or luminary. Those triads without such a designation
are the soul, spirit and Divine triangles as well as the large one composed of
Mercury, Venus and the Ascendant. This is seen as the triad of vital soul.
Especially to be noted are the horizontal triads of Leo and Cancer which are
concerned with the Solar and Lunar levels of consciousness.
In our example, Peter has Mars in Virgo. This would affect the thinking
triad, making it very exacting, while his Moon in Taurus would make the
triad of action oscillate according to mood. Venus in the feeling triad, ruled
by Cancer, would increase its already high level of volatility. In contrast, the
Sun in its own sign, in the awakening triad, would heighten Peter’s sense of
his own importance.
The right-hand side triad of Libra, or desires and drives, has Jupiter in
it. This expansive planet could cause the active introvert function to project
its impulses outward. An example of this might be a compulsive movement
such as twitching. Mercury in Gemini, in the side triad opposite and in its
own sign, would intensify the introvert function of intuition. This could turn
its normal receptivity into an active instrument to be directed consciously.
For instance, Peter might use it to probe people’s minds telepathically, if he
knew he had this talent.
Pluto in the passive emotional triad might arouse some previous life
fears as well as current ones while its opposite, the active emotional triad
where the North Node is posited, could give Peter a certain emotional
arrogance. Conversely the South Node in Virgo, with Mars there, might
make him even more critical of himself as well as others. By taking such
note of what is in each triad, a detailed picture can be built up of the
qualities and quirks of the psyche’s make up as well as its general
disposition.
For example, in this chart Saturn is in the active intellectual triad of
Sagittarius. This would have the effect of making Peter extremely firm in
his belief system. If he had lived in the 11th century, he might have been a
zealous Crusader or, during the French Revolution, an ardent republican.
Being born in the 20th century and in the West, he could be politically
radical or conservative but convinced that his view was the correct one.
 Looking at the highest level of the Tree, Uranus in the Capricorn triad
of transpersonal experience would precipitate, deep within Peter’s
unconscious, moments of profound understanding. In contrast, Neptune in
his active transpersonal triad might open up an intellectual aspiration to
enter the Divine dimension. This of course could only happen if he had
done a great deal of interior work to bring the unconscious into
consciousness. If he were still at the vegetable or animal level, he would be
only dimly aware of what might be going on in the hidden depths of his
mind.
The triads of the central column, that is the vital, soul, spiritual and
Divine levels, represent different degrees of consciousness. While the lower
part of the Tree-chart is governed by physical factors and psychological
habits, the soul is not. This soul triad in particular is a very important
component of the psyche, for it is not directly subject to the Worlds below
or above it. Although influenced by the adjacent emotional and intellectual
triads, it is not bound by them. Here is where free will is exercised when a
person begins to live off their Sun and individuate. This is possible because
the Sun-self is the pivot of the psychological system and can call upon
Jupiter and Mars to expand or contract emotionally, to open or close the
intellect or to make an important decision. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar,
Cassius says, ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves,
that we are underlings’. Shakespeare understood the soul’s relation to the
rest of the psyche, which is why he was a great playwright.
Figure 32—Death

Julius Caesar had clear indications of his imminent death. The night before
he was assassinated he was asked how he would like to die. His reply was,
‘Suddenly’. His wife had a warning dream and suggested he should stay at
home that day and a note was sent to him, telling of danger. He ignored all
the omens and was murdered. This incident indicates that the moment of
death is not absolutely preordained. Caesar could have avoided it. An
astrologer of a later period saw certain death in his own chart but it turned
out that it was a way of living that came to an end, not his life. Pluto, the
planet of death, is also that of rebirth. It all depends upon the level
involved. Evolved individuals are not subject to general laws. (Caesar’s
Death, 17th century engraving).
 While choice is possible at the level of the soul, it is not in the great
triad of the spirit composed of the Sun, Saturn and Uranus. This zone of the
mind is beyond most people because it is cosmic in dimension. Only well-
advanced individuals have access to this transpersonal realm. This is the
place of mystical vision and the Heavenly Chambers spoken of by great
sages, saints and prophets. It is at this psycho-spiritual frontier that an
evolving individual gives up personal ambition and surrenders themself to
their destiny. If our Peter attained this level, he would know, by the
positions of his planets, Moon and Sun, what his purpose in existence was.
In his case, his full potential would indeed be to become a leader, because
of his Sun in Leo in the 5th House. As such, he would radiate a certain
charisma by his very being. This is indicated by Saturn in Sagittarius in the
9th House and Uranus in Capricorn in the 10th House. Pluto in its own sign
in the 8th House would suggest that he might have been an advanced
individual over many lives—if he had attained enlightenment at some point
in the past. Needless to say, he would be a rare kind of person. The present
Dalai Lama has this quality.
Illumination is the concern of the Divine triad of Saturn, Uranus and
Neptune. Their positions and relationship reveal what Divinity would mean
to Peter if he had, or were to, attain such a state. If he did, his Sun in Leo
would attract many people to him. If he were not in a high official position,
then he might be an influential advisor to those in power. Plotinus, the great
Neo-Platonic teacher, was on personal terms with a Roman emperor
although he held no formal court position.
Such remarkable individuals change the course of history. Some may
well be Pisceans whose presence in government is not conspicuous. Others
might be captains of industry, great merchants or even in the military. There
have been many evolved souls who have been close to the seat of
government, much to the annoyance of ambitious, animal level people.
There is a legend of how a jealous minister took the king’s wise
astrologer up a tower with the intention of pushing him off. The courtier,
out of sadistic pleasure, asked the sage if he knew the day of his death. The
astrologer, well aware of the situation, replied that it was interesting to note
astrologically that the minister would be killed the day after he died. From
that time on the astrologer came under the courtier’s personal protection.
There can be little doubt that the astrologer periodically consulted his
own chart and knew that a critical transit was coming up. But being
conscious of such celestial events is not enough. He had to be acutely alert
to what was going on in the world around him, unlike the strolling
astrologer who fell down a hole one night while looking up at the sky.
16. Transits
Now while the Solar, Lunar and planetary principles are crystallised in a
birth chart, the actual celestial bodies move on. Moreover, they do not
progress in a random pattern. While the Earth turns in a day and takes
around 365 days to circle the Sun, the Moon has, besides its 28-day orbit,
an 18-year sub-cycle. Mercury and Venus go round the Sun in less than a
year while Mars takes two years, Jupiter twelve, Saturn twenty-nine,
Uranus about eighty-four, Neptune one hundred and sixty-four and Pluto
two hundred and forty-eight. This means that each takes a certain time to
move through one zodiacal sign. In the case of the inferior planets, between
Earth and the Sun, it is a matter of weeks while Mars takes about two
months, Jupiter a year, Saturn about two-and-a-half years and Uranus,
Neptune and Pluto taking around seven, thirteen and twenty years
respectively.
None of these zodiacal transits is of exact duration and some vary
greatly. However, what has been observed is that they have a distinct effect
on a horoscope, be it a personal or collective chart. Let us take, for
example, that of the United States in 1973 when Saturn, the principle of
constriction, entered Cancer, the Sun sign of the USA. At this point, as
could be expected, the Vietnam War in which it was engaged took a
downturn. Despite its overwhelming military power, America was losing
the battle against a small people who had been trying to free themselves of
French colonial rule and now American domination. While thousands of
Vietnamese were being killed, so too were many Americans under the most
horrible jungle conditions. This went on until Saturn left Cancer, the sign of
the mass of people.
Meanwhile, Americans at home were depressed, not only about their
first impending military defeat but also about the scandal going on in
Washington. The then President, Richard Nixon, a Capricorn, had Saturn
opposing his Sun. This brought out his shadow side, the manipulative
aspect of Cancer, which manifested in the exposure of secret recordings and
the burglary of his political opponents’ offices. America, then in economic
recession as Saturn conjoined Mercury, Venus and Jupiter, as well as the
Sun, in America’s 2nd House of wealth, went into shock. Mars passing
through Cancer added outrage at the revelations which caused many people
to demonstrate against the government and the President in particular.
 For Nixon it was an extremely personal matter, as his Sun in the 5th
House of leadership was battered by the opposition of Saturn and the other
planets in Cancer. His sinking reputation was made worse as his Aquarius
Moon was opposed by Saturn moving on into Leo in the summer of 1974.
In the June of that year, his body started to react to all this pressure. He
became ill with phlebitis, an inflammation of a vein in the lower leg. This
limb is ruled by Aquarius while Leo (ruler of the heart) governs circulation.
Besides his deteriorating health, Nixon was forced to consider his political
position, as he was likely to be impeached for abusing power. This was a
bitter decision for a very ambitious Capricorn at the crest of worldly
achievement. The breaking point occurred just when the Sun came into full
opposition to his natal Moon on the eighth of August 1974 and the Moon in
Aries squared his and America’s natal Suns. On that day Nixon became the
first American President to resign.
This example illustrates how two entities, a nation and a person, can be
involved in the same event because there are correspondences that link their
fates. It is interesting to note, in another example, that Captain Smith of the
Titanic had Neptune (delusion and water) in his 8th House, denoting death
by drowning due to the mistaken belief that his ship was unsinkable. When
the Titanic was launched on May 31st 1911, Mars was in the Watery sign of
Pisces and squared to Pluto, the principle of Nemesis, in Gemini, the Airy
sign of speedy travel. Had the liner not been sailing so swiftly, the iceberg
might have been seen in time and the ship, the epitome of the latest
technology, would not have sunk with the loss of some 1,500 lives. Another
view is that, perhaps, all who were drowned were destined, because of
karma, to die in that way. This is a factor to consider in any collective event.
The converse evidence is that some people do not get killed in even worse
accidents.
Figure 33—Karma

This picture is in a series about a good and a bad apprentice. They begin as
equals but, over time, their lives unfold in different ways according to their
conduct. The good one becomes a master of his profession, while the other
turns into a criminal. In this scene, one—the good, now a magistrate—has
to send his old colleague to the gallows. The series depicts stages of choice
and their result. The same is true of a birth chart. One can exploit or abuse
it. Every horoscope has its easy and difficult aspects. What we do with them
is our responsibility. (Hogarth’s The Industrious Prentice Alderman of
London, 18th century.)
 Are such events inevitable? This is an important question. As noted
earlier, while the overall plan of existence is fixed, the fates of individuals
and nations can vary within their context. This means that a conscious or
wise decision can avert a crisis and extend the life of an individual. The day
of death is not absolutely fixed in a chart but can occur with certain transits.
Most people, being creatures of habit, will die at a predictable point, for
example if they drink or smoke heavily or live a stressful life. On the
collective level, nations will also inevitably court disaster, like the Japanese
militaristic government of the 1930s and 40s. To attack the American naval
base of Pearl Harbor was to go to war with the most powerful country in the
world. Moreover, their brutal bombing and massacres of the Chinese were
bound to generate a terrible karma which manifested in the near total
destruction of their homeland. This need not have happened if the Japanese
people had not agreed to serve the emperor without thought.
At the individual level, transits can stimulate certain frames of mind.
This is seen in psychopaths who can swing between mania and depression
as their Tree-chart is rocked, perhaps by a powerful opposition or square
from Uranus or Saturn. A severely afflicted natal Mars can produce a
psychological tension which will produce a certain chemical reaction in the
body. Most physicians believe that a metabolic imbalance is the cause of
such psychotic episodes and not that they are the result of something more
subtle. The 17th century book The Anatomy of Melancholy is full of
astrological data about what configurations unbalance the mind but few
modern psychiatrists take this into account.
When the mind is under great stress due to outer circumstance and
pressing celestial conditions, latent psychopathic tendencies can manifest.
For instance, President Nixon had his natal Mars in Sagittarius which made
him unusually impulsive for a Capricorn. He also had Mercury conjunct
Mars in his chart which made him potentially paranoid. His deteriorating
personal and political position brought out this fatal flaw, enhanced by
Saturn in Cancer opposing his Sun. An evolved individual could have
transformed this tension and become the great captain guiding the nation
through an historic storm.
Unfortunately Nixon, nicknamed ‘Tricky Dicky’, was not of this
calibre. He was a corrupted animal man who had made his name by being a
member of the inquisitorial Committee of Un-American Activities in the
1950s. This was a witch-hunting team seeking out Communists, headed by
the tyrannical Senator McCarthy who was a nasty Scorpio. The
Committee’s methods induced fear into American culture. People’s careers
and reputations were ruined by McCarthy’s ruthless interrogation, backed
by Nixon. Any evidence or hint of association with Communism was
exploited, even if just hearsay. Nixon paid for this early period in his life as
karma caught up with him. The result was that he became so paranoid that
he was prepared to send members of his presidential team to burgle his
political rival’s office.
The lesson here is to be aware of what transits are going on or are
imminent so that one may be prepared to weather a storm, accept a calm or
exploit a dynamic celestial and terrestrial situation. This brings us to
progressions, yet another dimension to the Divine plan.
17. Progressions
The laws of Existence work at many levels. In the body there are a number
of rhythms, some short, some long and some in-between. These are
carefully co-ordinated by an overall plan which adjusts to different
circumstances such as time of day, season and physical age. It is very clear
to anyone suffering from jet-lag that these cycles are carefully rematched.
In astrology there are planetary rhythms that relate to the birth chart such as
the Jupiterian cycle and Saturn return. However, there are other, more
subtle, astrological processes called progressions.
One of these is the motion of the Sun from its original natal position,
symbolised by one degree for each year of a life. The effect is not unlike a
deep current that indirectly influences the surface of the sea of fate. During
a lifetime the progressed Sun may traverse several zodiacal signs and
houses. Thus if someone is born with Sun in Cancer in the 12th House, but
near the Ascendant, they may experience a period of being drawn out and
exposed as their progressed Sun passes into Leo and the 1st House. This
could manifest in a quiet, shy and insecure child becoming the much
admired bright boy or gifted girl at school. As the Sun progression moves
on, they may not live up to their golden image and indeed revert to being a
Cancerian introvert again. Such a process could have a fatal impact.
In the example depicted in Figure 34, the subject has a Capricorn Sun in
the 12th House. This would make Carol, as we will call her, a reflective,
hard working introvert. The Moon in Aquarius in the 2nd House would
incline her to be more interested in possessing power than wealth or
comfort. She would be a manipulative innovator operating quietly within
any organisation, whatever her status. Her ascending Lunar Node is in
Taurus in the 4th House of security, along with Uranus. They would
reinforce her political skill in achieving her long-term aim. Such an
objective would be enhanced by Saturn in Gemini in the 6th House. Thus it
would not be surprising that, after some years, she might be the personal
assistant to the boss and be, in effect, the power behind the throne.
Her personal life would not be quite so well handled with Mars in Leo
in the 7th House. This indicates that she would seek a successful and
glamorous man for a marriage or business partner; indeed, she might also
be the boss’s mistress. However, with Pluto in Cancer in the same house
there could be, despite any strong connection between them, many quarrels.
This would rise in a crescendo as her progressed Sun conjoined her natal
Moon. The issue would be over who was really the dominant partner. In this
case, unless she lived off her more diplomatic Sun, her Fixed and obstinate
Moon might destroy years of preparation, for example to take over a
business. A disharmonious transit of her Uranus and Moon, not wisely
handled, might push her abruptly out of the company onto the street in her
forties. This would be a hard lesson.
As such a situation comes about partly because of her progressed Sun,
so a similar effect would occur with the Lunar and planetary progressions
that act as other deep currents of her fate. Let us look at Carol’s early life in
greater detail to get a sense of how these undertows function.
The first five years of her life, while the Sun was still in the 12th House,
would suggest a very protected infancy. However, when the Sun crossed the
Ascendant and entered the 1st House, Carol would come out of the
confinement of her parental home and begin to play a part in the politics of
her school playground. She would not be an academically bright pupil,
because Capricorns are slow learners. However, in her early twenties she
would begin to be quite astute, on account of the progressed Sun
approaching her natal Mercury in Aquarius. She would become known for
her unusual wit and her ability to spot problems and suggest solutions in
any organisation with which she was involved. This would create a
reputation she would build on.
As a 12th House Capricorn, she would observe the dynamics of her
workplace and target useful people. She might, because of her Venus in
Sagittarius in the 12th House, have a few discreet affairs to further her
professional prospects. However, when her progressed Sun opposed her
Mars in Leo, in the House of Partners, she might decide to exert pressure on
an important lover to marry her, even though he already had a wife. Carol
would be a kind of modern Lady Macbeth with ultimately the same
disastrous result.
However, if she were living off her Sun rather than her Moon, her innate
Capricornian sense of justice would begin to arouse her conscience. As
usually happens, there would be a set of planetary transits that would
coincide with the progressed situation so as to bring about a decisive crisis.
Carol would have to choose between her animal level compulsion and
becoming a real human being. It would be a very soul-searching period, in
which she would have to make up her mind before the opportunity, created
by circumstance and celestial conditions, disappeared and the opportunity
to further her ambition or inner development passed.
Figure 34—Progressions

In a progression such as this, in which the Sun is moved a degree each year
away from its original position, a sub-plot can be observed. Around the fifth
year, in our example, when the Sun moves from the 12th House across the
Ascendant and into the 1st House, the child might find its outer
circumstance radically changed. Likewise, about the age of forty-four,
another upheaval could occur. This, however, would be influenced by the
then positions of the celestial bodies at the time. The significance of the
progressions is that there are more levels in a life than current transits.
(Halevi.)
 The painter, Gauguin, faced this problem and gave up solid, middle-
class security to become a wandering bohemian when he was confronted by
his Uranus opposition. However, the preparation for such a transition had
been made by his progressed Sun which conjoined his natal Jupiter in
Cancer in the 11th House. This could have made him very successful in
business but when, in his forties, the progressed Sun conjoined his Mars in
Leo and entered the 12th House, he decided he wanted to be an artist. He
left his wife and five children and devoted himself to free love and painting.
When he eventually migrated to the tropical isle of Tahiti, he set up a harem
of native women and produced his finest work before dying far from home
and any European culture. At the time of his death his progressed Sun was
in his 12th house, the place of isolation.
The function of such progressions appears to be like an unconscious
background to an individual’s fate. A parallel is seen in the construction of a
novel that has an overall story in which each character lives out a subplot.
An example of this is Tolstoy’s great work, War and Peace . In this, the vast
panorama of the Napoleonic period is the setting for the hero’s search for
himself and the heroine’s lesson about love. Both are caught up in an
historic process to which even Napoleon is subject. Despite his military
genius he could not defeat the Russian winter and so, inevitably, had to
retreat. Even this man of destiny had to conform to a larger scheme.
To take the parallel further, Napoleon’s brief period of power occurred
because Europe had reached a particular stage of development. He filled a
gap between the old feudal world and the modern state. This was part of the
transition from the Piscean Age to that of Aquarius. He was the last of the
absolute monarchs before political reform came in during the 19th century.
Seen on a yet more vast scale, prior to that of Pisces came the Age of Aries.
This epoch of the pioneer and warrior saw a period of exploration,
invention and organised warfare. Before this came the Age of Taurus, the
Earthy sign of the Bull, between roughly 5,000 and 3,000BCE when, as one
might expect, humanity began by settling and farming to take over the
possession of land from Nature.
According to this view, all and everything are part of cycles inside
cycles and within cycles. This means there are limits to what is possible as
nothing can operate outside its time and space, except human beings. Only
they can descend to the depths and heights of Existence by conscious effort.
While this gives individuals the power to explore the material realm and go
beyond the angelics, it also means that, if they abuse their capability, then
disease will occur.
18. Disease
Disease, as the word implies, means ‘un-ease’. It applies when the body or
the mind is unbalanced in any way to a degree where malfunction occurs.
This is different from the normal processes of ageing and decay. In Nature
there are times of excess, such as flood and drought, that cause death on a
large scale but these events are usually corrected as the universe always
seeks to balance and compensate a situation. However, in the case of
humanity, free will, stupidity, thoughtlessness and many vices can generate
illnesses that relate to a particular individual or community. Let us begin by
examining the body, where disease is most easily recognised.
The human body is greatly influenced by what goes on in the mind.
Culture, for example, can determine diet which, if deficient, can cause
disease. Likewise unhealthy habits, such as drugs, can lead to a shortening
of life. Whatever the reason, a birth chart can indicate where illness is likely
to arise.
There are three basic kinds of disease. The transient inconvenience,
such as influenza, the chronic malady, like a bad back, and the fatal illness.
The flu is due to seasonal circumstance but it can be an expression of a
general syndrome, like the great flu epidemic after the First World War
when Saturn in Leo was opposed to Uranus in Aquarius, thus lowering the
vitality level of millions already exhausted by conflicts and deprivation. A
permanent backache may have its origin, like not be able to ‘stomach’
something, in a psychological problem; but here resulting from an afflicted
Saturn, which rules the bones, or Moon which governs the stomach. Grave
diseases are of a deeper order related to karma. These can have their source
in a negative Sun configuration with Mars and Jupiter indicating a sickness
of the soul.
In a birth chart, the potential site of illness in the body may be seen in
certain astrological aspects. A Uranus square to the Ascendant might make
someone accident prone while an affliction of Saturn or Capricorn could
reveal a tendency towards skin maladies. This suggests that celestial
transits, which stress the psyche, can resonate in the body Tree to produce
anything from not feeling well for a while to a deadly illness. An over-
confident attitude, created by Mars in Aries which rules the head, can
manifest as injuries to or pains in the skull, while a heavily afflicted Sun in
Leo might lead to heart trouble. This could be due to long-term frustration
or lack of recognition leading to coronary problems.
Figure 35—Disease

The physical and psychological Trees interconnect. They also resonate with
the organs in the body. Thus, a broken heart can manifest as literal
heartache. Likewise, a soul triad that is overloaded with fear will affect the
metabolic triad below, causing adrenaline constantly to suffuse the body.
These conditions can be created by the astrological set up of a birth chart
or a strong or weak transit. Thus Saturn afflicting Venus could result in a
chronic lack of energy for as long as the transit was in operation. (Halevi.)
 Take for example a man with Sun, Mercury and Venus in Virgo in the
6th House. Such a person would be preoccupied, if not obsessed with their
health, giving rise to some nervous disorder that would erupt in a fever
when an afflicted Mars squared the Sun or either of these inferior planets.
The mechanism of the disorder is that the body may resonate violently to
the Martial input that is agitating the mind. If the person denies what is
going on in the psyche, then the pain will be referred to the body level in
order to obtain release or draw attention to some psychological issue
triggered by the Mars transit.
Another source of illness can come from an excessive loss of emotional
and vital energy due to a trine between Jupiter and Venus. This natal
configuration might cause a woman to take too many lovers or overeat. The
result would be, in the body, for its activity to be overloaded on the right
pillar, thus bringing about physical exhaustion. Harmonious aspects are not
always favourable, as many believe. Indeed, any excess of trines or sextiles
in a horoscope indicates a tendency towards a fatal psychological or
physical weakness. The classic case of this is the person born into great
wealth or privilege who has no ‘spine’ when under pressure.
Chronic anxiety, which is centred in the negative emotional complexes
of the Tree, may be due to a heavy Saturn or Mars aspect. This can resonate
with the metabolic triad of the physical Tree to such an extent that the body
slowly becomes increasingly rigid. Such a stress could cause arthritis. The
astrological loading of the Tree-chart is crucial as it indicates where illness
might be latent. Being integrated systems, the physical and psychological
Trees operate as one in life. This concept is accepted by some
psychoanalysts and physicians but it is perceived as the norm in most
esoteric traditions.
Diseases are the result of a deep and long discrepancy in the mind.
Those who are not true to themselves, or live a life quite contrary to their
fate, often develop a disorder of the soul that will result in some serious
illness. An unacknowledged bad marriage, bitter resentment or hate can,
over a long time, generate a referred sickness in the finer levels of the body.
Such diseases are sometimes the legacy of an unresolved soul condition in a
previous life. This may be the case in some of those who, ill from birth,
develop certain degenerative diseases or die young from some fatal malady.
An afflicted Pluto in the signs of Virgo and Scorpio, or the 6th and 8th
Houses, can indicate a karmic carryover that needs attention if a disease-
troubled life is to be avoided. Sometimes this is part of an individual’s fate
and a hard lesson has to be endured.
Figure 36—Medicine

In ancient and medieval times many physicians were also astrologers. They
recognised that the body, as with the seasons, was affected by what was
going on in the heavens. So accordingly they chose the best time to
administer a remedy. These were also based upon cosmic resonance, in that
certain plants and minerals appeared to relate to a particular astrological
principle. Some modern surgeons have discovered that it is best to operate
when the Moon is in a certain phase, as it appears to be a factor in the
body’s ability to cope. (Woodcut, 16th century.)
 Purely mental illness is often due to an imbalance of planets on the
psychological Tree. A manic-depressive might have a chart that is heavily
afflicted on the left pillar, or vice versa with Uranus, Jupiter and Venus
exerting excessive pressure. This can cause the Tree to swing to and fro to
compensate. In some cases, a lack of connection between the Sun-self and
the ego-Moon can engender a psychological conflict of reality versus
fantasy as the mind tries to find a centre of gravity. While most people
experience periodic anxiety, when celestial transits disturb their lives, those
with an unbalanced chart can develop neurotic or even psychotic symptoms.
Mussolini, the Italian dictator, had Moon conjunct Saturn, Mars and Pluto
in Gemini, sextile the Sun in Leo in the 9th House. He could not have been
anything else but a megalomaniac, especially with Uranus in the 10th
House. Signs of his psychosis made themselves apparent quite early on
when he stabbed his sweetheart and a friend. While his schizoid behaviour
might be put down to having a devout Catholic mother and a fervent
Communist father, the Gemini Moon, Mars, Saturn and Pluto were the
cause of the fatal split in his mind.
Sickness of the soul can be, as noted, the result of good or bad aspects
between Mars, Jupiter and the Sun that make up the triad. A person with
such a planetary and Solar affliction may believe that fate has given them
too hard a deal. Conversely with a grand trine, another individual may be
unable to understand that life owes them nothing. Both might well see
themselves as incapable of coping with life if they choose not to exploit
their karmic situation. Someone perhaps experiencing a Uranus or Pluto
transit might decide to commit suicide either suddenly or gradually by the
whisky bottle. Sometimes the attempt is a ploy to get attention but this may
not succeed and they die sooner or later when a death transit hits their chart.
A case of this was a very beautiful, rich and aristocratic young woman who
pushed her life into an area of destruction. She was killed with her lover in
a car crash when Pluto squared her natal Pluto in the 8th House of Death.
They need not have died if she had realised in time the foolish risk she was
taking.
Criminals are often psychotics. Take Al Capone, the American gangster
boss. He had Sun in Capricorn and Mars in Cancer, square to Moon in
Aries. Square to his Pisces Ascendant were Venus, Saturn and Pluto. Such a
combination made him ambitious, aggressive and shrewd. By the age of
thirty his cunning and cruelty made him master of the city of Chicago’s
gangsters and many others, including some congressional lawyers. He had
the potential for high achievement, like his hero Napoleon, but his Tree-
chart was distorted. With Neptune in Gemini deception, delusion and crime
were his gods. Ironically, it was tax evasion that brought about his arrest.
He died in jail from a syphiloid form of insanity, the Libra shadow side of
his Aries Moon.
19. Choice
We have seen how life is a sequence of various ages. Each is a period of
learning and choice that will affect those that follow. What happens can be
the result of a series of seemingly insignificant moments or a single major
turning point. Such events usually coincide with some transit peculiar to a
specific birth chart or a general astrological situation. For example, the
1962 conjunction of Sun, Moon and five planets in Aquarius created a
world crisis as India and China, the two most populous nations, confronted
each other over a common border and Russia and America, the two most
powerful, nearly went to war over rocket sites in Cuba. This massive
conjunction of celestial bodies caused people to react in different ways,
according to their culture and individual temperament. For example, many
Hindus were zealous to fight for their homeland while others retreated into
meditation. In Russia at least one general was quite ready to press the
nuclear war button, while in England a young man who fancied a certain
girl suggested they make love before the atomic missiles fell on London.
Each individual has choice even in an international crisis.
Choice begins in the womb. As noted, a soul in the process of being
born can perceive what its prospective parents are like. If a pregnancy is not
wanted, the gestating infant body can be retarded by the soul’s reluctance to
enter into that couple’s world. Out of such a decision can come a difficult
fate. However, this may possibly be part of that individual’s karma for they
may have been a rejecting parent themselves in a previous existence. Such a
possibility could be indicated in a Uranian configuration on the Ascendant
or in the 8th House which might foreshadow chronic bad health or an early
death. Even so, the faculty of free will could turn misfortune into an
advantage as many disabled people have accomplished much. Stephen
Hawking, the Capricornian astronomer who did important work on black
holes in space and wrote the best-selling A Brief History of Time , suffers
severely from motor neurone disease. He wanted to be a modern Isaac
Newton and indeed was given his Chair at Cambridge University.
Figure 37—Life

These are the stages of incarnation. However, while a person may live all
these out in the body, they may not mature beyond infancy or childhood
psychologically. There are many middle-aged people who believe they are
still eighteen. This can be due to a strong Venusian, Libran or Taurean
factor in their birth chart or that they have ‘fixated’ at that youthful point of
development. Many such men have this ‘Casanova’ syndrome and some
women still play the ‘femme fatale’. Those who seek to evolve move beyond
the Sun. (Halevi.)
 The next phase, that of the Moon when an infant orbits its mother, also
contains moments of choice. The soul may choose to accept life as it is or
be angry about its lot. One mother noted that in the forty years she had
known her son, his fury at being born was still strongly with him. He fought
everything and everybody until his old age and so, no doubt, he will repeat
the same pattern over again in future fates, until he chooses to learn to
change.
As is well known, the emotional investment of expectation of parents in
a child is quite common. This leads to them projecting a whole set of hopes
as the child begins to develop an ego. As the Moon mind is trained into
family customs, so it develops a particular approach. This is partly
determined by what sign the Moon is in. Thus the Watery quality of a Pisces
Moon will combine with the acquired cultural attitudes. How this persona is
used is up to the individual, who may be dominated by their situation or use
it, like an actor does, as a conscious mask to cover what is really going on
in the mind. This choice is quite crucial in the way one relates to others and
the world.
The Mercurial phase of life, between the ages of seven and fourteen,
develops the thinking triad of the psychological Tree. If Mercury is afflicted
in a child’s chart, then they have to choose to work hard at school or remain
mentally untrained. In contrast, a child with a well aspected Mercury will
be an excellent scholar but such cleverness can lead to a kind of laziness,
because of over-confidence. Here again is choice. The same is true of the
Venusian phase of adolescence. When puberty sets in, there will be the
strong desire to explore sexuality. While a well-placed Venus will offer one
kind of choice, an afflicted Venus will present another. In both cases a
decision will have to be taken as regards how to handle passion; the nature
of which will also depend upon Venus’ astrological position. In some cases,
a lack of aspects or many could be critical. The former might create a
heartless femme fatale and the latter a Don Juan. The libertine, Casanova,
had Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter in Pisces with Sun in Aries. This
Watery and Fiery combination generated an endless need to seduce women,
all of whom he declared he loved, until he became bored or too involved. At
some point Casanova must have chosen his lifestyle. In old age he ended up
alone and unloved. Such is karma.
Taking on responsibility for one’s life is one of the signs of Solar
maturity. Upon becoming physically fully grown, people have to choose
whether to be adult or not. Some take on the challenge but others are not
prepared to accept that whatever happens is their own fault or to their
credit. Such people choose to remain at the Mercurial and Venusian stages,
playing games or acting like adolescents far beyond their youth. Not a few
prefer to fantasise about what they want to be while living a life in which
they have no great pleasure or prospects. This is perhaps one of the most
important choices. It turns millions into followers of others who may be
popular celebrities they admire, like elder brothers and sisters, or parental
figures such as politicians who promise to look after them if they vote for
their party.
Figure 38—Choice

There are critical points in life when we have to make an important

decision. These usually occur when there is a powerful transit affecting our
chart. The issue is generally a lesser or greater option. The latter requires
more effort and risk, but has a better payoff, while in the former there is no
commitment, it is safer and not so exhausting. This, however, has no real
reward. Such a choice can be about a relationship, a job or some
enterprise. Most choose the easier option so as to be secure while the
others, realising security is an illusion, take on the gamble and choose the
‘High Road’. (Tarot.)
 One does not have to follow the crowd which is subject to the Lunar
tidal law that governs mass movements. If one chooses to live off one’s
Sun, then wider possibilities open up. A man who runs a small shop in a
village can at least be his own master, while a well paid executive in a large
company may be no more than an easily replaceable servant. There are
many well-heeled slaves to be found high in government, big business and
grand homes, while men and women in control of their own lives are quite
rare. Such people may be employees but they are not to be bought. They
have a certain integrity because they have chosen not to be ruled by their
Moon or Ascendant. They often stand out as the only adult around, to whom
everyone else goes with their personal problems. Bosses and heads of
departments hate them.
An excellent example of this kind of real individual were the American
explorers, hunters and pioneers who opened up the Wild West. They were
self-reliant, brave and ingenious. Joseph Walker, a 19th century trailblazer,
for instance, was recognised both by whites and Indians as a natural
aristocrat, even though he lived rough like them. He was the epitome of a
leader who had attained not only a practical authority but an inner maturity.
Seen on Jacob’s Ladder, Walker had reached the top of the physical Tree
and the central Solar pivot of the psychological Tree. Here also is to be
found the bottom sefirah of the spiritual Tree which makes the third,
transpersonal component of the self.
When these three Solar levels fuse, an individuated person becomes a
man or woman of destiny. This leads to a decision as to whether to take on
one’s mission or not. Free will allows the choice to refuse. Some advanced
people prefer a quiet life. Lao Tsu, the Chinese sage, chose this option when
he took to the mountains to get away from an incurably corrupt imperial
court. This illustrates how fate can be modified if one has conscious control.
The Martial period of life of one’s thirties and forties is particularly
concerned with choice. In the struggle to establish a position in life,
constant decisions have to be made. Some are fatal. The wrong conclusion
by a man can ruin a career while a bad action of a woman can destroy a
child’s trust. Such events are not uncommon and can leave a scar on
someone’s life. Conversely, a wise choice can alter a whole family’s
possibilities. Many who risked migrating to the Americas did not regret that
fatal decision. It changed their situation from poverty to prosperity with yet
other opportunities.
 The Jupiterian epoch of middle age has fewer obvious choices but they
are there. The issues may no longer be about worldly matters as they, by
now, would usually have been settled one way or another. The question
would be, what to do after retirement. When both occupation and children
are gone, a new kind of life has to be lived. The choice is either to sink into
decline or to develop further. Many die soon after retirement as they were
too dependent on their work routine to support them. The world now no
longer needs their skills which can soon become obsolete as progress passes
them by, leaving them bereft of purpose, unless they choose to reflect on
their life’s lessons.
The Saturnian period is about such preoccupations. Looking back over
life reveals how certain events fit into a distinct pattern. Mistakes made,
obstinate attitudes or even evil inclinations might be unpleasant insights
but, with the combination of the Solar and Saturnian aspects of the mind,
much good may also be perceived. While it may be too late to correct what
was not right, consideration and decisions as regards the hereafter or next
life have to be taken into account, especially in the light of sudden Uranian
revelations about one’s fate, beginning to come in late old age.
The Plutonian principle of mystical knowledge, which can be
experienced at any point of life, will now certainly come to the forefront of
a dying person’s consciousness. There may be flashes of the remote past
and the distant future that relate to the present. When all these come
together, the choice comes whether to die with ease or cling on to the
decaying body. This is perhaps the most crucial of choices as it could
determine what will happen after death and in the next life. At the moment
of departure, people encounter the power of Neptune, the realm of the
Divine. Here is where the final choice is made.
20. Crisis
One of the chief precipitators of choice is crisis. A crisis is when various
factors come into apparent collision or when a contradiction has to be
resolved. This can occur at any time or level. Whatever the issue, it involves
a decision. As noted, the state of the cosmos usually has some influence on
such a situation, be it a national crisis or a turning point of a person’s fate.
During the mid-1930s a certain female soul was first conceived about
the time Saturn was in Pisces, Uranus in Taurus, Neptune in Virgo and Pluto
in Cancer. As the last three were retrograde, so a pause occurred in the
cosmic process which allowed her to decide not to be incarnated at that
point. A parallel in worldly affairs was the Western democracies’ hesitancy
to check Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy in their territorial expansions. By
1938 the clouds of war were gathering as Jupiter squared Neptune and
Saturn, generating a vast psychic thunderhead.
The female soul due to be born in 1937 was particularly sensitive and
abhorred violence, perhaps because she had been killed in the First World
War. This may have been the reason she decided to abort her descent and so
the embryo was stillborn. However, a year later, no doubt under the
pressure of karma, she was again reincarnated as a baby girl. Both descents
were clearly remembered by her in later life. As if to confirm the fact, her
parents gave her the name of the first stillborn child, together with the one
she was christened.
In spite of her delayed descent, she was still part of that generation
which would spend its childhood under wartime conditions. However, it did
mean that her life was not exactly in line with the fate she might have had if
she had been born at the first time round. The result was that nothing quite
fitted into place for her. Her expectations were always out of joint with her
situation. This, of course, might have been the lesson planned for her. Even
so, several crucial opportunities to get back into sequence were lost because
she chose to ignore a series of crises that confronted her and which would
have put her on line again. The consequence was a life of ill health, broken
relationships and great unhappiness. This is why crises should be regarded
as opportunities and not impediments.
Figure 39—Possibilities

Life, it is said, is what you make it. For the kabbalistic astrologer this is a
vital maxim. By contemplating one’s birth chart and considering the stage
one is at, it is possible to see what opportunities are open to exploit and
what are not worth the effort. Many people cling on to their youthful
illusions but never put them to the test because of the fear of failure, instead
of finding out what is really their place in the universe. Those who use their
horoscope as a guide come to see it as a map of their destiny. (Halevi.)
 The fact that a person is intelligent does not guarantee that they will
make correct choices. Some clever people believe that they know better
than the Providence that places them in the best possible position to
develop. After they go against the flow of evolution, they often complain
that fate is cruel. This is because they refuse to acknowledge that they are
directly responsible for what is happening. Sometimes a serious crisis is the
only way to get such people to change direction.
If an individual is living off their Sun they can, as said, alter their fate
and mitigate negative karma. Tolstoy’s great novel Resurrection is about
such an event. In this story, an aristocrat goes into moral crisis when he
finds himself on the jury in a trial of a prostitute accused of murder. He
recognises her as the young girl he seduced and abandoned long ago. Now
she is in the gutter of society. Filled with guilt and remorse he decides to
resurrect her, and himself, by going with her to Siberia where she is to serve
her sentence. To his surprise, she rejects his offer to help. Out of this
confrontation comes a repulsion for the idle life he has been living and a
perception of the corruption in his society. The book is in fact Tolstoy’s
recognition of what was really going on in Tsarist Russia and how he
wanted to change it, and himself, before it suffered a disastrous fate. He
managed to transform his life, to a degree, by working with his peasants on
his estate but the Russian empire did not change and subsequently suffered
the expected revolt. This turned out to be horrific because of centuries of
negative karma.
Free will allows a wide range of choices from the trivial to the fatal. It
can also be perverse. Some people deliberately choose to go against the
norm, swim in the other direction to evolution and even decide to be evil.
Such actions inevitably generate major crises sooner or later as no one can
turn the tides of the universe.
A male soul is not always born to be a man or a female soul to be a
woman. Some fates are designed to correct an over-emphasis of sexuality.
Thus an excessively female soul is sometimes incarnated into a masculine
body, while an aggressive male soul might well be born as a girl. This can
precipitate a crisis in that the individual concerned may not accept the
lesson they have been given, to balance themselves and so evolve further. A
similar situation sometimes comes at pubescence when both sexes are, for a
time, not sure of their orientation. They are suddenly and passionately
attracted to friends of the same sex as they enter the Venusian phase. For
most, such crushes soon pass but some, enjoying the buzz and excitement
of adolescence, remain fixated in this sexual mode for the rest of their lives.
Needless to say they, like those fated to learn what it is like to be in the
opposite sex’s body, will encounter much resistance from a heterosexual
society. This will supply many opportunities for crisis and transformation.
Figure 40—Crisis

Choice to expand or contract in life can also occur in a civilisation,

because it is made up of people who have some degree of free will. The
Renaissance in Europe gave the opportunity to develop. One factor was the
printed book which many could read. With the rise of literacy, new ideas
and free thought began to challenge the Church. A crisis ensued that
brought on a religious and political revolution that destroyed the atrophied
medieval world view. Out of this the modern epoch was born. (Medieval
woodcut.)
 Personal partnership is one of the most important areas in human
relations. Here harmony and conflict are at their most intense. This is due
not so much to physical factors, as most people can choose a mate sexually
or, in many cultures, be matched by their families according to class, but to
differences in psychological make-up. In India, the astrological
compatibility is taken into account with many marriages. This is not so in
the West where mutual sexual attraction, fashion, money and profession are
decisive in courtship. The trouble comes after the wedding when the two
psyches have to share the same space.
A husband and wife may connect physically well, through their
Ascendants or Moons, but not at the soul level. One may have a Saturn
square to the other’s Sun causing their partner to feel hemmed in while
another relationship could be blown apart by a Uranus transit that hits the
Mars in both charts, leading to a serious quarrel. All these crises are useful
lessons if they are handled with intelligence and knowledge.
Collective crises play an important part in history. In 1989 Saturn,
Uranus and Neptune were in Capricorn, square to Mars in Libra. This
combination in the sign of political order indicated that repression would be
challenged by revolution and idealism. This process began with riots in
Tibet and a student revolt in China’s capital. Rallies in Communist Hungary
were then followed by uprisings throughout the Eastern Block, culminating
in the collapse of the Russian Communist regime and the break-up of the
Soviet Union. During these events, people had to choose which side they
supported. The vegetable masses went with the revolutionary mood of the
moment while many animal level individuals, who had supported the
Communist authorities, exploited the chaos to become the leaders of the
emerging democratic parties by calling themselves socialists and even
nationalists.
Clearly karma was being acted out, as some individuals were shot and
others were discovered to be government spies, when police records were
opened to the public. These events at the national and personal level
stimulated crises throughout the affected countries that forced them to
consider what had been happening and what they were going to do about it.
Each citizen had to face the truth, sometimes about themselves and those
who informed on them and about what kind of regime they wanted in the
future.
 A similar crisis occurred on July 14th 1789 when Venus, Jupiter and
Uranus were in Leo, coming into opposition with Pluto in Aquarius. This
combination was enough to set off a long-impending revolution in a
Leonine France which had been on the edge of revolt against a decadent
government. The ensuing chaos after the King’s execution created a
vacuum which Napoleon, a Leo, filled by ‘picking up the crown from the
gutter’. He became the nation’s First Consul and then its Emperor, as
France needed a royal figurehead. As the archetype of the nation, he created
an expanding French empire by ‘liberating’ the rest of Europe in the name
of the Revolution’s ideals of equality and fraternity. Many people thought
Napoleon was a hero, until it became obvious that he was setting up a
family dynasty to govern Europe like any other conqueror.
The choice that faced the continent was whether to fight or tolerate an
insane and inflated France, led by a brilliant megalomaniac. The
Napoleonic wars were a major turning point for Europe. After Napoleon’s
defeat, the Aquarian Age was clearly seen in the rising of nationalism and
the birth of Communism, which were to lead to yet more crises as the
spiritual dimension of the Piscean Age had gone. This stratum of humanity
was now carried on not by the state religions but various esoteric schools of
the soul.
21. Schools
Not everyone is destined to be a great historic figure but anyone can
develop their full potential and so find their place in the universe. To do this
requires a school of the soul to teach them how. In ordinary life there are
colleges and universities that train people to become cooks, architects and
lawyers. However, to become a fully evolved human being requires a
special kind of approach. Esoteric schools have existed throughout history
in various forms from the shamans to the Masons’ lodge. Many included
astrology in their curriculum, alongside the particular spiritual tradition they
were following. The ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Hindus had their
cosmology as did the Chinese, Persians and Jews. All took into account the
influences of the celestial bodies.
The Arabs, who combined Hellenic concepts with the Islamic view,
developed astrology to a very high degree, in conjunction with the Jews
who related it to Kabbalah. The schools of medieval Spain, especially
Toledo, applied the celestial art to aid inner development. This is the
tradition followed by this book. The line has been carried on into the
modern era despite science all but obliterating esoteric knowledge.
However, with the advent of contemporary psychology and, in particular,
the work of Carl Jung, astrology has undergone a revival. With the general
interest aroused during the 1960s and 70s in various spiritual disciplines,
schools of the soul have made themselves known once more. This was
because many people seeking higher knowledge could not find the
‘Teaching’ in organised religion, which had become less spiritual and
increasingly social and political in outlook and content.
As regards astrology, psychology and Kabbalah, research made possible
by computers revealed that, statistically, certain professions were related to
particular signs while thousands of collated birth charts confirmed that the
study by the ancient and medieval practitioners was quite valid. These
findings attracted the attention of open-minded individuals who were also
looking at alternative and oriental medicine. This led to some interesting,
providential encounters. An example of this phenomenon was the
psychoanalyst who had her birth chart drawn up out of curiosity. As a
detailed account of her mind and fate was read out, she went into shock.
She then said that it had taken many years of analysis and a great deal of
expense to reveal what the chart had identified within an hour.
Figure 41—School of the Soul

In every culture there has always been an esoteric school that is there to aid
those who wish to develop. All schools are modelled on the Tree. At the base
is the place where they meet, be it a stone circle or a cathedral. The regime
might be the Way of Action, Devotion or Contemplation, which relates to
the thinker, feeler or doer types of people. An astrological school belongs to
the Contemplative approach, as astrologers usually have a strong Mercury
or Saturn in their charts. Study and practice are vital, so too are discipline
and love of the subject. The inspiration or revelation of the teacher is
needed if a spiritual connection with the Teaching is to be made. (Halevi.)
 The reason such an event could occur was not only due to the
astrologer’s skill but that the lady was at the point in her life at which she
realised she could go no further without esoteric knowledge. She recognised
that there was a limit to psychology and that now a spiritual dimension was
required. Fortunately for her, a planetary transit had brought about the
meeting with the astrologer who became her kabbalistic connection.
There are many organisations that say they are a school of the soul.
However, they often have only a portion of the Teaching or a distorted
version of it. Therefore the spiritual seeker must test any claims to esoteric
knowledge against certain criteria, so as to see if what is said is genuine.
For instance, some offer enlightenment on a plate when, in reality, they are
out to make money or con the innocent into believing they are holders of
great secrets. Some so-called schools are psychopathic ménages led by
someone playing a power game, even believing themselves to be a spiritual
master. It may take some time to find a true school but it is a sound training
in how to discern a false line. Nothing should be believed until it is proven
by practice. The hallmark of a real school is that it offers a solid, basic
training and that its members are mature, sane and have a sense of humour.
The first stage of esoteric training is life experience. Then comes a solid
grounding in the discipline to be followed, in this case astrology,
psychology and Kabbalah. There is no need to learn Hebrew as kabbalistic
principles are essentially universal. All that is required is to be thoroughly
familiar with the basic sefirotic Tree and how the four Worlds of Jacob’s
Ladder integrate. As regards astrology and psychology, the same applies in
that they are both systems whose language has to be learned; and this takes
time.
Besides the theory of the traditions, there is practical work within a
group. The introductory classes are usually led by a senior student, much to
the disappointment of some people who want to go straight to the head of
the school for instruction. However, much of the Teaching at this level of
tuition would be lost because a beginner would not comprehend what was
going on in a master class. Everyone has to start at the beginning, not only
to learn the language of the tradition but to unlearn what they have learnt
elsewhere, or there will be confusion. Each school has its own vocabulary
and ways of doing things according to its birth chart.
Figure 42—Teacher

One must seek out an instructor who is not only knowledgeable but worldly-
wise. Many know the theory of astrology but do not understand human
nature. A good teacher should be a real professional and have a sense of
humour and proportion. They should not be tempted by wealth, power or
sex which are the tests of leadership. A great teacher will be kind and
encouraging but strict when needed and always truthful but tactful. One
must not be taken in by those who claim to have secret knowledge which
they never impart. (16th century woodcut.)
 Study (Mercury) and practice (Venus) are the two pillars any school
stands upon. These activities manifest in learning the system and then
testing it out. In the Toledo tradition, it is vital to understand the
characteristics of the signs, celestial bodies and houses, their combinations,
aspects and effects. With various exercises that integrate astrology,
Kabbalah and psychology comes the cultivation of observation and
intuition, leading to insight and prognostication. This shifts consciousness
up from the conditioned reflex of the Moon mind to that of the Sun which,
like its patron god Apollo, sees truth.
In Figure 41 the structure of a school of the soul is set out on the Tree.
The lower part is concerned with different kinds of classes. Such meetings
are not just talk and workshops but are also about creating a social and
psychological vessel that no one person on their own could generate. This
kind of activity widens the individuals’ receptivity as they examine each
others’ charts, the horoscopes of well-known people and the current
celestial and political climate. Running parallel to these studies are seminars
on psychology and Kabbalah and inner meditations to synthesise all these
traditions. Here theory and practice become discipline and love which lead
to the higher levels of reason and revelation. In the esoteric application of
astrological principles, the Sun of the teacher and the Moon of the students
of the school give rise to a collective identity which, in turn, connects with
the spiritual line of the source of the Teaching. This opens up the aim of
contributing to evolution and the Divine plan.
At the everyday level, it is interesting to note that a school led by a
Capricorn teacher will operate in a different way to a Pisces- or Aries-led
one. This is why some people will be drawn to or put off by a particular
institution. Moreover, one student will be attracted by an emotional
approach, another by a practical method and yet another by an intellectual
way of working. Each seeker must find the school most suited to their
temperament. In addition to this, there is the formal character of any
institution which is often taken into account. Some schools are
philosophical, others religious and yet others occult. Some with a distinct
character are usually based upon the work of some historic figure such as
Solomon Ibn Gabirol, whose spirit still resides in the Pluto position of the
Toledo school Tree.
Ibn Gabirol was an 11th century Jewish poet and philosopher who lived
in Moorish Spain. His work was carried on in the next century by Abraham
Ibn Ezra, who wrote about Neo-Platonism, astrology and the Bible, besides
being a poet and traveller. This line was continued throughout the Middle
Ages up to Moses Cordovero, a 16th century kabbalist in Israel. He was the
last teacher of traditional Kabbalah before the Lurianic line took over and
the so-called Age of Reason eclipsed the psychological scheme of astrology
and the mystical world-picture of Kabbalah. Fortunately, the sefirotic Tree
and Jacob’s Ladder were preserved and are now being updated for the
present situation.
While these long-term operations of schools and lines go on, there is
always the immediate circumstance to be dealt with. The most common is
of social interaction or group dynamics and personal relationships. People
are people and, from time to time, some very human problem that needs
resolving will occur even in the most disciplined school. Here kabbalistic
astrology comes into direct play. Let us examine one of the periodic
episodes that happens whenever men and women come together.
22. Problems
The first lesson to be learned in any school of the soul is to be reliable. To
turn up on time, attend every meeting and do all the exercises set is vital.
The basis of this is that the more effort that is put in, the greater the gain.
People who come late or are irregular in attendance rarely become masters
of their discipline. In every session there is not only what is formally being
taught but the psychological interaction between those present. As the years
go by, all the moments of insight coalesce into a comprehensive
understanding that someone who attends irregularly misses. This is why an
esoteric school only wants candidates who are seriously committed to what
is sometimes called ‘The Great Work’.
One of the prerequisites for a candidate is a degree of life experience.
Without knowledge of success, failure and being able to discern the true
from the false, nothing new can be learned. A naïve or ignorant person
cannot begin to grasp the subtleties of psychology and spirituality if they
have never faced themselves. How can they discern the difference between
Mercurial and Saturnian thought or Venusian passion and Jupiterian
emotion? Without such discrimination they cannot comprehend astrological
principles. A wide personal knowledge of the human situation is vital to
comprehending the vast, divine drama in which we all play a part.
In order to accomplish this a student has to learn how to learn, which is
done by absorbing lessons directly into the mind rather than by taking
notes. This is because writing things down often means missing nuances
that are not observed as the brain, not the psyche, records data. Kabbalistic
astrology is about human nature and therefore requires an acute awareness
of internal psychological dynamics as well as what goes on between people.
A typical practical exercise is that in which twelve people act out the
signs of the Zodiac at an imaginary dinner party. Another is to perform a
ritual dance of the Solar system and yet another a dramatised situation, such
as a political negotiation where each student plays a particular Sun-Moon
combination. People then switch rôles and sides so as to see the situation
from a different astrological viewpoint. For interior work an imaginary
house can be visualised, based on the triads of the Tree, in which each room
represents a psychological function. This is decorated and furnished
according to the celestial body in that triad-sign. So for example, the
thinking triad ruled by Virgo, with Mars in it, would be symbolised by a
very strict and neat office while Jupiter in Virgo might produce a congenial
but disorganised mess.
Figure 43—Relationships

When put on the Tree, relationships can be seen more clearly. In this case
the two Suns are compatible but it might be more of a brother-sister
connection. However, the Moon-egos are potentially antagonistic while the
Taurean ascendant makes them physically attracted to each other. The two
Mercurys can converse well but the two Venuses might mean that passion is
frustrated. Fierce quarrels due to different Martial emotional settings are
likely but their common Neptune means they are of the same generation
group of values. John would try to dominate Jane with his Sun but her
Moon would reject this approach. A lively love affair but marriage is
unlikely. (Halevi.)
 Besides the study of famous people’s horoscopes and their biographies,
there is the exercise of a group examining each member’s chart in exchange
for a meal in their own home. A very convivial evening can be had by all, to
the benefit of the group as well as the subject, as he or she confirms or
denies the accuracy of their interpretation. A senior member or tutor can
then sum up and point out what has been missed and so deepen the
perception of all present. Much fun can be had and a great deal learned
from such exercises.
Once the art of interpreting a chart has been mastered, then the more
esoteric elements can be introduced. When the chart is put on the Tree, it
can reveal the unconscious part of the psyche by examining the soul,
spiritual and divine triads in relation to the positions of the outer planets.
This will give an insight into the special lesson of that person’s fate and the
purpose of their particular generation. Out of this may emerge the greater
pattern into which they all fit.
In the light of this, historical periods can be examined to see how the
cosmic weather has influenced certain soul groups. Turning points in the
development of humanity can be identified in different cultures. With the
aid of astrological computer software, charts for any period in history will
reveal in the fate of nations and empires why they rose and fell or
succeeded or failed in their mission. The birth charts of great heroes and
villains are very informative. It is possible to see what made them
outstanding and how they were partly products of their epoch. All these
activities add much to an understanding of the Tree-chart as the archetypal
model.
The way a school operates is also contingent upon its birth chart. If the
date of its founding is known, something of its nature and fate can be
discovered. There will be times when the atmosphere of the classes and
groups will be tense or lax and periods when it is very lively and creative or
the reverse. A wise leader or tutor will take the astrological weather into
consideration and design the lessons to meet the needs of the moment.
Unfortunately, not every event is predictable or controllable, especially as
regards romance, passion and love.
People are attracted to each other for all sorts of reasons, ranging from
pure lust to the meeting of soul mates. When such situations occur problems
can arise, especially when potential lovers have partners who are not in the
school. This can lead not only to the break up of marriages but to a
disruption of a group as people take up positions. Such a situation has to be
handled with great skill and delicacy. It is a test of a tutor’s capability and
an initiation for the couple and the class on how to behave according to
principle and not at the personal level.
Let us take the case of John and Jane, as set out in Figure 43. John is
married but his wife is not interested in self-development. She is content
with her home and children. Jane, however, has been looking for her soul
mate and believes John is her ideal partner because his Cancer Sun
resonates with her Scorpio Moon and they both have Taurus Ascendants.
This combination sparks off a very strong mutual attraction, especially in
John who feels neglected at home because his wife puts their children’s
needs before his. Jane, who also has a Cancer Sun, feels both maternal and
sexually drawn towards John. It only needed a Jupiter transit trining their
Suns to trigger a romantic situation over a drink, after every class, before
they went to their respective homes. One night they decided to have their
tête-à-tête in Jane’s apartment.
While John may not believe that he and Jane are soul mates, it is
obvious that they get on exceptionally well at the physical and
psychological levels. At last he feels his Cancer Sun is appreciated, his Leo
Moon loved and his Taurus Ascendant adored. Jane, for her part, is
convinced for the first time in her life that she is deeply in love as her
Watery Sun and Moon respond in a release of long-pent-up passion and
emotion. However, not everything is perfect. His Leo Moon is square to her
Scorpio Moon and there are moments of friction when these two Fixed
signs clash over him going home to his wife. Conversely, Jane reminds
John of his possessive mother, also a Sun Cancer, and this arouses some
traumatic memories.
During the honeymoon period of the affair, such irritations as their
squared Mars’ are ignored but, sooner or later, the battle as to who will
dominate will have to be fought out. At this point friends in the group
become concerned about the couple, who appear to be living in a
psychological bubble and quite unaware of the effect their relationship is
having on others. People take sides, some with painful experiences of their
own, objecting to the lie being lived as regards John’s wife. Others see the
wider picture of the impact on the group’s integrity and honesty.
When knowledge of the situation reaches the group’s leader or the head
of the school, John and Jane are summoned for an interview. While the tutor
will not interfere with the couple’s affair, he or she will point out the
possible karmic result of the event. It is often at this point that one or both
lovers will ask for a comment on their birth charts to see the situation and
make a decision.
A readout might be done together or separately. The tutor will then
examine their two charts to see the connections and what transits are going
on. From this he will be able to determine what crises and tests are going on
and what might come after the Jupiter trine has passed. Taking all these
factors into account, the tutor may conclude that, while there are certain
strong links between the two, the natal Mars square Mars in their soul triads
indicates that they would eventually begin to quarrel. As for Jane’s delusion
of John being her soul mate, the tutor might point out to her, in private, that
John was closer to being a younger brother as he was not yet a mature man.
She would have to grow, to overcome her Cancerian tendency to mother
and control men. No soul mate would appear until then.
What John and Jane did after such interviews would be crucial. They
were no longer unaware of the karmic implications or the prognosis on their
relationship if it continued to be intimate. John had a Uranus opposition
coming up and this would be decisive as regards his marriage. Jane must
have no part in any split if she still felt John was still the best possible
partner she had met. If they were meant to be together it would happen and
if not, nothing she could do would bring it about.
With this blend of astrological, psychological and kabbalistic advice, the
couple might see sense and discontinue what could turn into a fatal error
that would affect their future karma. Whatever the couple’s decision, the
situation as regards the group would be clear. This might cause John or Jane
or even some members to leave the school because they put personal
opinion before the universal principle.
Figure 44—Sin

In the original Hebrew this word meant ‘to miss the mark’. Adam and Eve
could eat anything in the Garden of Eden except from the Tree of
Knowledge. The Serpent, alias Lucifer, said they could but it was they
themselves who chose to eat the apple. This was their first lesson about free
will and karma. The result was their descent into the physical World, to put
on coats of skin; that is, to incarnate in order to begin the Great Journey of
Self-realisation at the bottom of Jacob’s Ladder. (Medieval woodcut.)
23. Free Will
The issue of free will has been argued about over many centuries. Some
have said it does not exist as the universe is so precisely planned that there
is no room for any variation. The opposite argument is that while fixed laws
exist, there is a necessary degree of flexibility which allows evolution to
occur. As regards the affairs of humanity, there is the choice to go with or
against development. This makes mankind unique. The reason for such a
position is that humanity is at the pivotal point between the highest and
lowest extremes of Existence. We are the hairsprings of the cosmic
mechanism that plays a crucial part in the process of SELF-realisation by
being conscious of the Divine intention.
The philosophical argument for free will is that it would be pointless for
humanity to be locked into a totally mechanical situation. What would be
the Divine rationale for choice, if God meted out punishment and reward
regardless of performance. If there were no justice, the Ten
Commandments, Buddha’s eightfold path and Confucius’ code of conduct
would make no sense. The reality appears to be that there is choice but
within the limits of the human situation. Individuals and communities can
make decisions which either advance or retard evolution. Karma is the
check and balance of progress so that the general scheme of Evolution is
affected but not put off course.
The Ten Commandments given to Moses made it very clear that free
will is an important factor in history. The Israelites, who symbolised all the
levels of mankind, had the option to follow the advice given, for the
Commandments are not demands but recommendations. In a modern
interpretation ‘not to covet, lie, steal and adulterate, or there will be dire
consequences’ is closer to the spirit of the instructions. They are a friendly
warning. The point that the evil which results will be experienced to the
third and fourth generation is another issue. The word dor or ‘generation’
does not actually exist in the original Hebrew text. It was either added or
replaced another word, which might have been ‘lives’. It is interesting to
note that many rabbis refer to the ‘world to come’ after death, in which
reward and punishment would be given out. One kabbalistic view is that
they are actually talking about reincarnation. This makes sense of many
rabbinical commentaries about good and evil people getting their respective
deserts. Indeed, there is more than one hint about difficulties being the
result of an earlier life. In the New Testament, Jesus asked whether a man
was born blind because of his own sin, implying that this affliction was the
result of an action in a previous incarnation.
Figure 45—Decisions

Few people find or marry their soul mate, as they are not yet mature
enough to handle such teamwork. Such a meeting can only come when both
are spiritually ready. Most marriages are made for different reasons. The
vegetable level is instinctive while the animal is the best available in their
social circle. These are rarely conscious choices. Those who wish to be fully
human seek someone who at least shares the same aim to develop. This is
usually corroborated by the compatibility of their charts. (16th century
woodcut.)
 The concepts of Hell, Paradise and Heaven are part of every human
culture, along with the belief in the transmigration of the soul from one
body to another. This view was common among the Celts, the Greeks, and
in the Middle East and the distant Orient. Reincarnation was part of the
early Church’s doctrine until it was declared a heresy in 553CE by the fifth
Ecumenical Council, for various political reasons.
Esoteric astrologers, that is, those who see a birth chart as one link in a
long line of fates, hold the view that the horoscope explains why people’s
fortunes are so different. It is clear that there is a law at work which gives
this person so much talent and that person such bad luck. Metaphysically,
there is no such thing as ‘luck’, as everything in the universe is
interconnected. Even seeming accidents have, on reflection, their purpose.
Some so-called mishaps are to prevent a more serious event, others to shock
the person into an alert state or are the end result of a karmic process. As
noted, astrological transits often occur in a fate when a decision is
indicated. Such choices can reduce or enhance the potentiality contained in
a birth chart. Indeed this is the main purpose of having a horoscope drawn
up.
Life is made up of major and minor decisions. In many cases people
choose to ignore opportunities that their fate offers them from time to time.
This is because they take the easier option, rather than make an effort or
take a risk. The result is that their lives are generally unexceptional. They
live much the same way as millions of others in a daily and yearly round
that, all too quickly for many, arrives at sad and unfulfilled old age. In
contrast, those who have exploited every opportunity tend to enjoy a
retirement in which they are often more active and effective than when they
were working. The proverb, ‘Those beloved by the gods die young’, does
not mean death in youth but to be still growing, exploring and expanding.
However, there are highly advanced individuals who misuse their
talents, knowledge and power because they abuse the gift of free will. They
are to be found, after they have fallen from Grace as a result of their
wilfulness, in situations where they are clearly isolated from the mainstream
of life. Classic examples are the banned doctor, the unloved femme fatale
and the disgraced politician. If these bitter lessons are not learnt, then the
chastisement is carried over into the next life, at a yet lower level.
Sometimes the possibility of a sudden curtailment of abuse can be seen
in a birth chart. James Dean, the Hollywood actor icon of youthful rebellion
and star of the movie Rebel Without a Cause , had all the signs of self-
destruction in his horoscope. He had Mars and Pluto in his 8th House of
Death. And yet, despite fame and fortune, he chose to live recklessly and
died in a car smash while speeding. With his great talent and appeal he
could have been an important rôle-model for a generation that was being
led in a trend towards disintegration by the hedonism of the drugs and free
love scene. He may well have been removed by Providence before he
became too potent as a negative influence on a young and naïve generation.
If an individual can recognise what is coming up in their fate by noting
critical transits, then they can decide the wisest thing to do. This can only be
done by those who have lifted their consciousness up from the body-
Ascendant and Moon-mind to the level of the Sun or self. If a person can
achieve this, then it is possible to alter fate. By this is meant that an
individual can transform a destructive situation, for instance, into a creative
one. Take a marital quarrel that is so nasty that it could wreck the marriage.
One who knows what to expect when Mars squares Mars can carefully
mitigate the tension by applying the Solar and Jupiterian principles of the
soul and so avoid a conflict that could destroy the relationship. This might
offset waiting for another life to heal the damage done.
Take the situation of a beautiful young woman who had two suitors.
One was a poor but lively writer whom she loved and the other a dull but
comfortably well-off academic. As a Cancerian, she wanted a secure home
and children and so she chose the safe life of a university city. She had her
children and nice house but still secretly yearned for the novelist, who later
became a well-known author. Had she chosen him, her life would have been
a struggle but very rich in experience. She missed marrying her soul mate
and a chance to accelerate her development.
Fate is not about marrying a particular person, as at least three potential
partners can provide the lesson to be learned. As regards relationships, most
people respond to a physical or psychological archetype related to their own
astrological make-up. Earth and Water individuals attract each other as do
Air and Fire signs. However, on what level the partnership will operate
depends upon whether the Ascendant, Moon or Sun is dominant. Some will
be drawn by a body type and others to a social persona, like the man who
said his second wife looked and acted like his first spouse but had a quite
different temperament. Relationships at the Solar or soul level are quite
rare. One has to be a full individual to recognise another of the same
calibre. Most memorable love affairs are either pure sex, a fantasy
projection or a mixture of both.
It does sometimes happen that a man and a woman who are at the same
point of development when they meet have a sense that they are very
familiar to each other. It is as if they already know each other. This may
well be the case. It does not necessarily mean they are soul mates, although
they might well marry. They can both belong to the same soul group or
have had a relationship in a previous life. Either way, such an encounter is
often fatal in the sense that they have a lifetime connection or have a
specific mission to carry out mutually. Such events can only occur when
people have reached a Solar level of development.
24. Development
The process of human development takes a very long time. Indeed, some
esoteric astrologers say that individuals have to incarnate under each sign in
order to experience all the zodiacal archetypes. One’s destiny may be to act
as a healer, soldier or trader in every life but it will be from twelve different
psychological angles. After several circuits of the Zodiac a person must
inevitably become increasingly familiar with human condition. This order
of experience marks out an old and wise soul. However, it is not necessary
to go through an endless zodiacal wheel to gain such knowledge if one
chooses to follow the path of conscious development which turns the cycle
into an ascending spiral. Schools of the soul, as said, provide a training that
can shorten the process of maturation and accelerate individual evolution.
In a school that follows the astrological-kabbalistic tradition, the
discipline is to use the birth chart to develop. In this approach the student
observes the tendencies of their horoscope, seeking to master, modify and
improve their performance as well as take maximum advantage of every
astrological transit.
Figure 46—Work

Development requires effort and a method. Using kabbalistic astrology as

the mode, one first considers the Ascendant as a clue to how to relate to
physicality; then the Moon-ego and its House. Mercury’s position will give
insight into mental processes and Venus the vitality available.
Understanding the sign and House of the Sun, or self, is crucial because
this is the centre of our psychological Solar system. Mars and Jupiter and
their configurations will reveal the soul loading while Saturn and Uranus
indicate how the transpersonal operates in the chart. Neptune and Pluto’s
positions point out the aim of that incarnation. (Halevi.)
 The first phase of development is to control the Ascendant. In this
exercise the characteristics of the sign and its element are closely observed
and refined. For example, someone with a Fiery Ascendant would have to
learn how not to follow an instant response to every situation. In contrast, a
Watery Ascendant would need to overcome a strong impulse to withdraw
while an Earthy Ascendant would have to be trained in how to be more
emotionally sensitive and an Airy Ascendant learn to be more practical. All
would have to be particularly aware whenever there was a strong trine,
square or opposition to the Ascendant that would stimulate instinctive
reactions.
The Moon, which symbolises the ever-changing lower mind,
continually acts out its conditioning. This has to be observed very closely in
order to perceive just how much thought, feeling and action is ruled by the
sign and House the Moon occupies. This requires very strict attention. Once
the best and worst characteristics of the Moon mind have been identified,
then the Lunar persona can be trained to be a good servant or actor who can
play a set of rôles. In everyday life, certain situations require particular
masks. These are usually reflexes. However, conscious control enables one
to deal with a circumstance in a new way which opens up wider
possibilities. This leads to development that can alter the mechanical pattern
of fate.
Figure 47—Transformation

Scorpio is the sign directly concerned with transformation. Its symbol is

also an eagle, indicating the possibility of shift from a lower dimension to a
higher one. Eagles are creatures of the Air, signifying spirit. A change can
only occur when the Sun-self activates Saturn, Uranus and Pluto of the
Great Triad of the spirit through awareness of the cosmos. The Sun is the
key because it is in the place where the three upper Worlds meet. The lowest
aspect of self is at the Crown of the body while its middle focus is at the
heart of the psychological Tree. The spiritual dimension of the self is at the
bottom of the Tree of Creation. The art is to fuse them into one by conscious
effort. (Graphic by Halevi.)
 Such a mastery of the Lunar ego reveals that the mind is made up of
many sub-personalities. Some of these are easily recognisable but others
will have been largely unconscious up to that point of development. A study
of the Tree-chart can help identify these habitual tendencies and attitudes by
noting what is in the various triads and their astrological aspects to each
other. Take, for example, an afflicted Mercury in Scorpio which would
place it in the passive emotional triad. This would make the person
extremely critical, resulting in the quite unconscious, barked comment that
would hurt not only others but themself in that people would steer clear of
them. This could be a crucial factor in their fate. Likewise Venus in the
same sign, well aspected, could mitigate any sharpness and generate a
sensuous but disciplined sub-personality. This too could greatly influence
that individual’s life.
As regards the Sun, continuous effort is made to perceive fate from the
level of the self. This means constantly supervising the ego-Moon and the
Mercury-Venus functions while being aware of what sub-personalities are
influencing one’s conduct and attitudes. By being well acquainted with
one’s Tree-chart it is possible to control compulsions and adjust to the ebb
and flow of circumstance, like a skilful sailor. If the conscious part of the
psyche is brought under control, then the more subtle principles of the mind
can be accessed, studied and eventually mastered. Thus the first four stages
of physical awareness, acuity, sensitivity and lucidity pave the way for a
clarity of the soul and beyond (see Figure 46).
The paths that compose the Sun, Mars and Jupiter triad of the soul are
shared with the emotional and conceptual triads of the Tree-chart. These
store the largely unconscious contents of the mind which are the result of
this life’s experience and karma. Deep inside every individual are myriad
memories and psychological associations. Some are easily identifiable, like
certain fixed views and emotional responses. Those that are not are either
experiences and complexes that have all but been forgotten or repressed for
some reason. Nevertheless, they have an influence on how one regards the
world. For example, someone may be quite unaware of a deep anger which
they emanate that puts people off. This could be seen in Mars in Capricorn
in the 8th House. Such a combination may be due to some injustice in this
life, deliberately forgotten, or in a previous incarnation. The power of such
a negative emotion could affect all the left-hand triads on the psychological
Tree to such a degree that it could become an unconscious obsession.
 Such a mental affliction could mar that person’s professional and private
life, until it was pointed out by a good and courageous friend, a competent
psychoanalyst or a wise astrologer. This event would probably occur during
a Mars or Saturn transit that brought the tendency to light and crisis. Then
would come the decision to deal with the problem or not. Here is where a
psychological or spiritual discipline can help.
Should the individual decide that their problem was not that important
because they could not be bothered or were too frightened to acknowledge
their anger, then little could be done. If they were at the vegetable level,
they would go on to repeat their pattern so that their fate would be quite
mechanical. The result would be a predictable form according to their
typology and external circumstance, like the person who follows in their
parents’ footsteps and is an archetypal model of whatever stage they are at
in their culture. The old peasant and the aristocrat are classical examples.
If the person with the anger problem is at the animal level, then the
Mars in Capricorn in the 8th House might manifest in a ruthless approach to
life. Such an individual could make a brilliant prosecuting lawyer, military
commander or butcher. All these and similar occupations concerned with
controlled and justified violence would allow a release for the unconscious
anger. However, in an intimate relationship, such a need might destroy any
possibility for a permanent partnership. Here again fate would be
determined by an unconscious compulsion.
In the case of an individual trying to be fully human, an honest
recognition of the problem that could dominate a life is vital. By
understanding the mechanism of the dynamics and structure of the psyche
as loaded by the birth chart, it would be possible consciously to compensate
and eventually eliminate the anger by directing it into more creative
activities. This would be done by the practice of various disciplines such as
fencing, Tai Chi or an artistic expression that would defuse and soften the
hidden rage until it could be used to transform the person’s being.
The Tree of Figure 46 sets out the programme of development. Here
each celestial principle is applied to raise the level of consciousness.
Knowing where each is placed in the Zodiac and the houses can help to
adjust and exploit the particular functions. This is what development and
transformation is about.
Figure 48—Grace

When one begins consciously to live out one’s birth chart, many new things
start to happen. What were once seen as misfortunes become tough but vital
lessons. The good things are no longer perceived as luck, or the result of a
harmonious transit, but gifts of Providence. Fate takes on a totally different
dimension when viewed as a well-designed plan. There are also moments of
Grace, in which a situation or teacher gives an insight into what this
particular life is about. (Robert Fludd, 17th century.)
25. Transformation
When people begin to walk the path of self-realisation, certain changes start
to occur. For those who follow the astrological-kabbalistic method, these
manifest in the increased awareness of their Tree-chart as an integral
element in their life. It becomes, in time, a major point of reference as they
perceive their progress as a part of human evolution. As each birthday
comes round, so the student takes into account the celestial situation at the
moment when the Sun returns to its zodiacal position at the time they were
born. By doing this they may perceive the extraordinary system of
coincidences that put them in exactly the right place and time for their
development. They will, moreover, become well aware of how all the
people they know are relevant to their fate because of their astrological
connections.
With this order of observation, every significant incident takes on a
coherent meaning. This is also seen in regard to contemporaries whose lives
run parallel to their own. While people born into the same generation share
many similar experiences, each individual will view events according to
their personal astrological make-up and level. As time goes on, this leads to
an insight as to why different kinds of fate unfold despite a common,
general, astrological and historical background. Here is where inner
transformation separates out, as the Bible puts it, ‘the sheep from the goats’.
Those at the vegetable stage of development, upon reaching their
physical peak, generally begin a gradual decline until they become ageing
bodies with childlike minds. This kind of transformation belongs to the
natural world where every organism will die having completed its species’
life cycle. And yet even vegetable people have the opportunity to shift level
if they take up the challenge of the Uranus opposition around the age of
forty. Unfortunately, some men take up with girls half their age in an
attempt to prove they are still young and vigorous while career women
suddenly want to settle down and have children for similar reasons. Alas,
for most these options are not a solution and they will have to face the
reality of mortality, unless there is a profound interior transformation of
attitude; which can happen. No human being is ever without this choice.
The animal level individual has a better chance to change his life into
something more than prolonging his prime. The Uranus opposition can
make him review his fate and decide to change its course. This requires a
degree of maturity that takes into account what is really of value. Many, to
their surprise upon reflection, realise that this is not necessarily fame or
fortune. One woman discovered a love of gardening while a man wanted
more time to paint as he had always wanted to be an artist. Both these
activities opened up the possibility of development and transformation.
Figure 49—Ascent

In this Jacob’s Ladder the degrees of development are shown in various

stages. The lower levels are about the experience of incarnation while the
middle section is concerned with psychological development. The upper
reaches of the Ladder are beyond most people but one can get an insight
into what the higher levels of humanity are seeking to accomplish. The
topmost area is about the ultimate return of the individual and mankind to
Adam Kadmon. (Halevi.)
 A classic example of this phenomenon was Heinrich Schliemann, a
Capricornian businessman. After making a fortune he retired at the age of
forty-six so that he could devote all his time and money to archaeology and
history, which Capricorn loves. In the face of much criticism from scholars,
he believed he knew where the site of Troy could be found. Much to the
annoyance of the professional archaeologists, he discovered the remains of
an ancient city. Whether or not it was Troy is a question of learnèd debate.
Much more important was that Schliemann had not only altered his fate,
which in a lesser man would have been to become an ever-weakening
competitor in the business market, but found his destiny. His discoveries
opened up a whole new facet of history. He proved that legends were not
just romantic fantasies. From his time on, archaeologists began to look at
classical texts and scriptures in a new way.
Those who work on their birth chart and exploit the latent talent
contained in it, based upon what has been learnt, often retain a youthful
sparkle that even shines through the wrinkles of old age. Such people are
still very much interested in life but not from a worldly point of view. Many
live full lives without leaving their homes because the internal and higher
realms interest them more. Such still young-at-heart souls continually
ponder the lessons of their lives and observe current affairs from a very
wide and long-term perspective. This is the Saturnian stage of development
when the pattern of personal and general events are seen very clearly in
retrospect.
These so-called ‘retired’ people, who are still physically active, often
devote much time and money to helping others and participating in all sorts
of projects. Here is where the wealth or experience they have acquired is
made full use of. As one sixty-year-old entrepreneur observed, ‘I now know
what my life is really about’. This man, with Sun in Leo and Moon in
Capricorn, organised a series of tours to the Holy Land, Spain and other
sacred places as well as setting up an international conference on Kabbalah
at Oxford. Indeed, he remarked that these projects had redeemed a
relentless business career. Such a reflection indicated that his soul had
awakened and he had been transformed from a ruthless animal man into a
considerate human being.
For those who have attained the human status, there is much work to be
done to spread the light of esoteric knowledge. For example, a seemingly
academic operation run by a woman of over ninety, with Sun in Gemini and
Moon in Sagittarius, published a journal on sacred subjects that was read
worldwide. Its contributors included princes, professors and others, who put
forward a spiritual perspective not found in other international learnèd
magazines. The aim was to maintain the light of civilisation in a world in
which the finer values of life were being eclipsed by a materialistic culture.
Such enterprises cannot be carried out by the conventional media which are
at the mercy of commerce. Only those with vision can execute these kind of
operations. They are usually advanced souls who have volunteered to
incarnate so as to carry out such missions.
This requires that they are born at just the right time so as to be at the
height of their powers when their particular talent is needed. An example of
this was the Russian writer and philosopher, Peter Ouspensky, who brought
the esoteric teaching of George Gurdjieff to the West after the Bolshevik
revolution which destroyed any possibility of his nation’s progress for
decades. Ouspensky was a Sun Pisces and Moon Virgo. This gave him a
feeling for the mystical and the precision to set a complex metaphysical
system down in an intelligible form. Ouspensky’s books were directly and
indirectly responsible for schools of the soul being set up all over the world.
They prepared the ground for the revival of interest in esoteric knowledge
after the two most destructive wars ever seen on the planet. These had been
foreseen and so a modern version of the Teaching had to be spread globally
in case Western Civilisation was destroyed. This brings us to how prophecy
is possible from an astrological and kabbalistic viewpoint.
26. Nemesis
The First World War began when the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz
Ferdinand, heir to the empire’s throne, was assassinated in 1914. At that
time there was great political tension between the major European powers
as to who would dominate the continent. This was being brought to a head
by Mars (war) in Leo (imperialism) opposing Jupiter (power) and Uranus in
Aquarius (radical political action) as Pluto (nemesis) was about to enter
Cancer (community). This configuration was to precipitate an arms race and
an inevitable clash. However, some local incident was needed to trigger a
confrontation that would release a massive landslide of European karma.
The Archduke had gone to the Balkans, the centre of much ethnic
tension, on a goodwill mission. As he and his wife were driven through the
crowded streets of Sarajevo, a Serb nationalist threw a bomb at their car but
they escaped without harm. This occurred as the Archduke’s natal Mars was
squared by Mars’ transiting position in his 8th House of Death while Saturn
conjoined his natal Uranus on his Descendent and opposed his Sun. This
configuration indicated a sudden fatal affliction of his health in a public
place.
Having avoided this assault, the Archduke took another route.
Unfortunately his driver, being unfamiliar with the town, slowed down to
make a turn, just where another Serbian nationalist, Gavrilo Princip,
happened to be standing. He grabbed the opportunity to shoot the Archduke
and his wife dead. This started the First World War. Austria set out to punish
Serbia which caused Russia, Serbia’s ally, to step in to protect their Slavic
brothers. Germany then joined Austria against Russia, who called upon
France and Britain for support as they were part of an alliance designed to
offset Germany’s growing military might. Within days, millions of men put
on uniforms in a wave of war hysteria to fight the image of an evil enemy
created by their government propaganda.
When there is such a collective mood, the individual is of little account.
The vegetable masses, on all sides, were told they would be defending their
homes and families, which aroused their blood, while animal level people
were excited by the possibility of being heroes or opportunity to make
money. Those of the human level either refused to be part of such madness
or joined the forces to act as a sane element in the rising chaos.
 The astrological situation in the summer of 1914 pivoted upon Pluto in
one degree of Cancer, the sign of the family and the masses of humanity.
This planet of death, rebirth and transformation was to remain in Cancer
until 1939, when the Second World War began. During this time, Europe
and the world underwent tremendous political and social changes that were
to destroy the Continent’s position as the world leader of civilisation.
Such a dreadful reckoning came about because of the bad karma that
had been accumulating since the Europeans first started to explore and
exploit the rest of the world from the 15th century onwards. The last time
Pluto had been in this sign was in the 17th century when there had been a
number of fierce wars over which European nation should control certain
areas of the globe. Germany, a latecomer to empire building, wanted its
portion of the world and set out to compete with its rivals on equal if not
superior military terms. Unfortunately, when a cosmic storm cloud is about
to burst, some individuals and nations believe that with the discharge of
tension they can ride on the release and accomplish anything. Germany had
a long prepared plan to invade France while the French were convinced
they could regain the provinces lost to Germany in 1871. Meanwhile
imperial Russia, on the edge of revolution, needed a foreign diversion to
redirect the attention of the masses. Britain, then just past its peak as the
world’s leading power, felt it a matter of honour to defend little Belgium,
which had been overrun by the German ‘Hun’.
Figure 50—Nemesis

This cartoon sums up the European situation prior to the Fist World War.
Each empire, fired up by nationalism, generated a fierce rivalry as Pluto
entered Cancer, indicating a destructive period in the Western family’s
unity. In August 1914, Mars entered Libra and squared Pluto, before
moving into Scorpio. Meanwhile, Saturn conjoined Pluto and squared
Mars. All this celestial configuration manifested in the Great War that
changed the continent. Such a devastating conflict tore off the persona of a
high culture that made Europeans believe they were the world’s leaders.
(Graphic by Frederick Rose, pre 1914.)
 Such ambitions, based upon delusions, had to come to a head as Saturn
conjoined Pluto in Cancer after being squared by Mars in Libra in August
1914. Mars then entered Scorpio, following Venus, and squared Jupiter and
Uranus in Aquarius. Such a thunderhead could only generate great
destruction or creation. In this case there was more of the former than the
latter.
At the personal level each individual contributes something to their
community’s karma by the way they live out their fate. Many British
people, for example, accepted the benefits of their empire without
considering the cost to their overseas subjects. African tribal lands had been
appropriated and cheap labour in India was taken for granted. In Tasmania
the native population had been wiped out like vermin. All these things had
been perpetrated by individual Britons and accepted by most people at
home as the norm. When one Englishwoman had protested at the British
invention of the concentration camp during the Boer War, she had been seen
as a traitor.
If a country has no spiritual core, it will inevitably drift into disaster.
The function of civilisation is to raise the quality of life and give guidance
to the nation. Unfortunately the religious, political and cultural
establishments of the European nations of the time were no more than
power-oriented organisations. This is because the esoteric aspect of life had
been all but forgotten. The Bible states, ‘without vision the people perish’
and so it was as Pluto passed through Cancer. As it entered Leo in 1939, it
was clear that a bitter lesson had not been learnt. The inter-war years had
seen the rise of dictatorship, Fascism and Communism. At that point the
Lunar Nodes were squared to Pluto as Saturn conjoined the Dragon’s Tail in
Taurus, exactly on Adolf Hitler’s Sun—and so he became the instrument of
Europe’s second devastation.
After the Second World War there was a revival of interest in esoterica.
This occurred when the ‘Baby Boom’ generation, born when Neptune, the
principle of the Divine, was moving through Libra, reached adulthood. No
doubt many in this generation had been killed in the war. While some set
out to enjoy their cut-off youth, others sought to find out what life was
really about. This was when the Ark of the Teaching was open again, having
survived the flood of global conflict.
Many spiritual traditions and schools of the soul that had been discreetly
hidden in wartime came out into the open. The revival of astrology and
interest in Kabbalah were among these movements. Such was the
enthusiasm for astrology that not a few commercial companies used it to
select staff and predict the patterns of the stock market, aided by the
computer’s ability to calculate charts quickly.
More significantly, astrology began to be applied to personal
psychology as counsellors dealing with the break-up of the family, caused
by Uranus passing through Libra, the sign of marriage, had to cope with an
increased influx of clients. At the next level, astrology became extremely
useful as part of many spiritual disciplines, including Kabbalah. As we have
seen, strengths and weaknesses can be identified and psychological fault
lines corrected. Moreover, latent potentialities could be brought out and
developed in conjunction with the ebb and flow of the cosmos. Here we
come to the subject of ‘Providence’ which anyone who is involved with
spiritual work knows is a vital element in what is sometimes seen as mere
coincidence.
27. Providence
The origin of the word ‘Providence’ means to foresee and to provide for the
present and future. It is generally recognised as an extraordinary event that
comes ‘out of the blue’. That last word, symbolising the sky or Heaven,
indicates the celestial factor at work. In fact it operates all the time. If the
Earth were a little too near or far from the Sun, organic life could not
survive. Moreover, the tilt of the planet is exactly right for the seasons to
unfold and various climatic zones to exist to support different species.
Within the ecological scheme, every creature has its niche, be it the smallest
microbe or the largest whale. This is general Providence that takes care of
the overall flow of Evolution.
Human beings are given bodies at birth that contain all the instinctive
knowledge gained over millions of years. This physical vehicle is the most
sophisticated organism on the Earth. It not only performs all manner of
mechanical, chemical and electronic processes but allows the person to
perceive the material world through the five senses. What better instrument
and vehicle could one be provided with. The brain alone is a masterpiece of
engineering. It permits individuals to develop a wide range of skills,
emotions and thoughts that gave rise to science, art, philosophy and religion
as well as the basic abilities to exist in almost any part of the planet. The
reason for this is that humanity has a special function in the Divine scheme.
This is, as said, to be the self-conscious agent of the Absolute in the midst
of Existence.
It was said, in the opening chapters, that Existence is a vast mirror in
which God can behold God. Mankind is the organ of perception of Adam
Kadmon, by which the Absolute explores every aspect of the universe. Each
individual is a microcosmic Adam and as such is the principle of
consciousness, by which the self reflects upon the SELF in the macrocosm
of Existence.
The process of self-realisation within a human being takes many lives
but gradually there is an ascent from the lowest instinctive vegetable level
up the scale of Jacob’s Ladder to the culmination or reunion with the
Divine, spoken of by many spiritual traditions. Through this process each
person, with their soul mate, returns to their place in Adam Kadmon.
Destiny is the particular function by which individuals find their way back
to their origin while carrying out their unique task.
 In order for anyone to fulfil their mission or destiny, it is necessary to
undergo a prolonged course of training. During this process, which takes
many incarnations, many lessons and skills have to be learned. Providence
provides the teachers and the classes. These may take the form of parental
figures and specially designed situations through the process of karma. The
horoscope reveals just how precisely things are organised so that people
will be in the best place to learn what they need to know for their current
stage and incarnation.
Having been born and given a certain fate that will grant the maximum
possibilities to develop, people are monitored by discarnate mentors,
besides those who are embodied at the same time. These invisible
instructors have been recognised in many ancient cultures. Some call them
the Ancestors and others guardian angels. Socrates referred to his unseen
helper as his daemon. Many individuals think of them as inner teachers
while others have regarded them as their guiding genius.
Figure 51—Providence

Like Nature, the fate of the masses is general. Individuals do not count.
According to esoteric tradition there are, however, the Watchers, discarnate
humans of advanced development, who look after special groups and
people who merit it. These guardians protect and provide but do not
interfere with general evolution. However, they help design the fate of
advanced individuals about to reincarnate. A birth chart is a progress
report and instruction on what to do when they reach maturity. This destiny
is part of the Divine Plan, guided by the Hand of God. (16th century print.)
 In childhood, most children are watched over by their parents. However,
occasionally a boy or girl is saved by some kind of outside intervention as
they blunder innocently into danger. Most of us can remember an incident,
while out on our own on some adventure, in which we missed death by
millimetres or seconds because something odd happened that made us stop
or jump. Most regard this as just luck but those who are wise or experienced
see such events as providential intervention. Such events are often triggered
by a transit like a Mars-Uranus conjunction. This indicates that an accident-
prone time is imminent. If a person is alert, they will recognise an odd
synchronistic incident that warns them to be extra-careful. These kind of
happenings can take many forms. Some are highly unusual and others
seemingly quite natural.
An example of the former was the woman on the edge of a nervous
breakdown who met her first lover, whom she had not seen for twenty
years, ‘by chance’ in a town neither had ever been into before. This
encounter saved her sanity as memories of good times were discussed. In
the latter case, during the war, a sailor caught a sudden chill which meant he
was left behind on shore. His warship, guarding convoys out in the Atlantic,
was sunk with only five survivors. Both these people were on the path of
inner development.
According to Kabbalah, such episodes are contrived by what are called
Maggidim or Watchers. These are discarnate people who are usually of a
similar type to those they watch over but a stage further in psychological or
spiritual evolution. They have the task of instructing as well as protecting
their charges by carefully stage-managing events, such as getting certain
people together or directing a person to a junk shop where they would find
the out-of-print book they need. This is not as difficult as it seems, if life is
seen as a theatrical production. For example two people, who would learn
much from each other, could find themselves sitting together on a long
flight. This is easily arranged by psychically nudging airline personnel to
give certain passengers particular seats. Many people can recall a seemingly
random decision that led to an important opportunity. At the time an odd
feeling of being guided is often experienced but only remembered after the
event. A negative parallel is when one is being unconsciously
psychologically manipulated by a lover or enemy. The only difference is
that you can see them.
 As said, astrological transits can create the conditions and mood that
bring about certain situations. One example is the first encounter with a
future personal or professional partner. Any transit relating to the 7th
House, or its ruler, will make an individual receptive to such a possibility.
Someone at work, or in the social scene, will suddenly catch the attention.
If they are affected by a similar transit, then an unexpected romance or
work relationship can begin. Whether it will last beyond the transit’s period
is another matter. Such events can be a long-planned fatal event, detectable
in a birth chart or what is called a ‘set up’. That is an incident specially
organised by the Maggidim to help the process of development.
Let us examine an example of both cases in one event. In October 1492
Pluto was in Scorpio, the sign of hidden things, and in conjunction with
Mercury, the planet of the explorer, while the Moon’s Node, also in
Scorpio, indicated a general transformation of the perception of the world.
This was the month in which Columbus discovered the Americas, starting a
global process of millions of Europeans and Africans flooding into the
newly discovered continent. Columbus was a man of destiny. He underwent
a thorough training as a sailor and sea captain before he began to seek a
patron to back his vision of a Western route to China and India. He had
many tests to pass that strengthened his resolve. However, after many years
of trailing around the courts of Europe to raise cash for ships, just when he
was about to give up the Queen of Spain suddenly offered him support.
What made her reverse her previous decision is unknown but something
prompted her to finance Columbus, even if it meant pawning her own
jewels. Here was a fatal commitment that allowed the New World to be
discovered. Some might say that the result was a disaster, since millions of
native Americans died of Old World diseases as well as war and being
overworked by the Spanish and Portuguese. But from a global perspective,
the civilisations of the Incas and Aztecs had become decadent and needed
an additional stimulus to move evolution on. The brutal sacrifice of tens of
thousands of prisoners of war on Mexican altars horrified even the toughest
Spanish soldiers. Something had to stop and start again anew.
Many of the native Americans who died were soon reborn, either as
pure Indians, as they were miscalled, or as half-white or half-black as the
three races mixed. This generated a new and vital gene-pool and a
combination of cultures that would blossom in the distant future. In the
British colonies the Africans were eventually freed from slavery and their
descendants were to lead the way towards a collective consciousness that
influenced Blacks world wide.
If one looks at history at this cosmic level, many seemingly senseless
events fall into place. The Roman Empire appeared initially to the Celts as a
deadly enemy. However, Rome raised their tribal culture to a level of
civilisation. Without this transformation, Christianity, Greek philosophy and
all that makes the Western world unique could not have occurred. Again, if
the West had never come into being, there would have been no progress in
many fields that have furthered human evolution.
Unfortunately, as noted, not all advanced souls are concerned with the
good of humanity. Some people of destiny can not only exploit the less
intelligent but distort the course of a nation’s evolution if it is in a state of
crisis, as Germany was in the 1930s. Adolf Hitler and Rudolph Steiner were
both people of destiny, one of darkness and one of light, who were to take
part in the endless fight between good and evil.
Figure 52—Adolf Hitler

This was a man obsessed by power. But, because of his evil nature, he led a
defeated and humiliated Germany into a second, more devastating war. This
was possible because Germany is ruled by Scorpio and Taurus and Hitler’s
chart with Sun, Venus and Mars in Taurus brought out the nation’s shadow
side of Scorpio. Saturn in Leo in the 10th House and the Moon in Capricorn
gave Hitler the ambition to lead a people seeking revenge resulting in
Scorpionic self destruction. In the face of defeat, Hitler committed suicide
after saying Germany should be destroyed because it had failed him.
(Halevi.)
28. Destiny
Germany is said to be a Scorpionic and Taurean nation. This is based upon
its northern and southern characters which tore Germany apart during the
Reformation, when the strict Prussian form of Protestantism opposed the
more Venusian, Taurean version of Catholicism. Bismarck, the 19th century
Chancellor, unified the nation with his policy of ‘Blood and Iron’.
Unfortunately, this imperial tendency, stemming from a mixture of the
Plutonian military and a Taurean desire to acquire more territory, resulted in
the defeat of Germany in the First World War. The humiliation of this
potentially great nation generated the enormous anger and desire for
revenge common to frustrated Taureans and Scorpios.
Adolf Hitler, the son of a customs official, believed that he and
Germany had a great destiny. However, he was not interested in the great
music, philosophy and science of the country but its rôle as the leading
power of the world. He based his view on the pre-Christian warrior culture
which had defeated the Romans. His ideal was a modern nation of Aryan
supermen and women, the Herrenvolk , who would dominate what he saw
as a decadent Judeo-Christian Europe.
Hitler had Saturn in Leo in the 10th House, which made him
excessively ambitious, with Jupiter conjunct Moon in Capricorn. This gave
him Napoleon’s aspirations. Neptune and Pluto in Gemini in the 8th House
may well have given him the notion that he was destined to achieve
greatness, despite his initial setback to become a famous artist. Mars
conjunct Venus in Taurus, together with the Sun in the 7th House, no doubt
contributed to the delusion that he and Germany had an historic partnership.
Hitler’s fantasy was confirmed in his own mind when he escaped being
killed by a shell during the Great War, in which he attained the rank of
corporal. When he found he could rabble-rouse the bitter and discontented
unemployed on the streets, he believed he had discovered his path of
destiny. In a Germany suffering from a punitive peace treaty it only needed
someone to voice the deep Scorpionic resentment most people felt. Hitler
soon rose to be a master orator of hate, especially against the Jews and
Communists whom he accused of betraying Germany. In a nation looking
for a scapegoat, the Jews were the perfect target as aliens. This trend was an
inherent part of Christian culture that each Easter portrayed Jews as Christ
killers.
 Hitler became the shadow side of both the Scorpionic and Taurean
aspects of Germany. He promised to restore the nation’s dignity through the
Nazi party’s propaganda machine. This ploy convinced many, discontented
with the weak government and sick of the ensuing chaos, that Hitler was the
strong leader they needed to fill the vacuum of the abdicated Kaiser. He was
voted in to become Chancellor in January 1933 as the Sun conjoined his
Jupiter and Moon.
The desire for a strong father figure to lead the nation out of its mire
caught the German imagination. From here on few argued with re-
armament, which got rid of unemployment, or the blatant murder of Hitler’s
political rivals, dissidents and Jews. So it was that, by 1939, Nazi Germany
was ready to begin the war Hitler had long planned. Its aim was to attack
Poland and eventually invade the Soviet Union, with the view of expanding
Germany’s living space. As Saturn conjoined Hitler’s Sun, Germany
became totally identified with its leader’s destiny. Its people cheered at its
easy victories over the Low Countries and France and the exclusion of
Britain from the Continent. However, in 1942 as Saturn conjoined Uranus
in Taurus, there was the first sign of limits being put on Hitler’s ambition.
That summer his previously successful military machine suffered two major
defeats at the hands of the British and Russians. From that time on the
Germans were in retreat until 1945 when, in the face of defeat, as Saturn
opposed Hitler’s Jupiter and Moon, he blew his brains out in a Berlin
bunker.
The lesson here is that the fate of the vegetable masses can be bound to
an evil person of destiny. Moreover, few animal level people can resist the
seductive glamour of power. Only those who have individuated to a degree
can perceive history objectively and act accordingly.
Figure 53—Rudolph Steiner

This was a man from the same culture as Hitler but he was keyed into the
spiritual dimension. As a Piscean, Steiner had a visionary insight into the
esoteric teaching of the Theosophical Society. He led a movement which
became an important influence in the early 20th century. This was the
positive aspect of Germany which had a tradition of mystics, such as
Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart and Jacob Böhme, as well as a strong
alchemical and Masonic heritage. If the Germans had heeded Steiner, then
war might have been avoided. Here is the factor of free will at the personal
and general level. (Halevi.)
 Steiner, like Hitler, was of humble origin. He rose to be a positive man
of destiny because of his clearly karmic accumulation of higher knowledge.
He was an authority on the poet-philosopher Goethe, of whom, some say,
he was a reincarnation, returned to finish his mission. Steiner, however, was
not only a leading scholar but a thinker and visionary in his own right. With
Sun in Pisces, Saturn in Virgo and a Scorpio Ascendant, he had an unusual
spiritual capability that could also be very practical. This was seen in his
scientific as well as mystical approach with a touch of genius given by
Uranus being in Gemini. Such a combination indicated that his work would
be an important influence on the esoteric community.
In 1912-13 when Mars opposed his Uranus, indicating a time of
decision, and Jupiter in Sagittarius squared his Mercury, he broke with the
Theosophical Society, of which he was an important member. He then
founded his own school of the soul, the Anthroposophical Society. This
organisation developed a wide programme that introduced esoteric ideas
and methods into science, art and education. Steiner put forward a
metaphysical view of Existence that took into account ancient concepts
about the universe and psychology. He maintained that the soul as well as
the brain of a child should be trained. Many, dissatisfied with organised
religion and mechanistic science, were attracted by his approach which
became part of Western culture.
It is said there are usually three candidates for a particular mission, in
case the first or second fail because of human weakness. King George VI of
Britain was the second option, as his brother Edward chose to wed an
American divorcée rather than be king. Edward had Mars in Aries which
made him somewhat impetuous and thoughtless. Here Providence may have
intervened, as Edward was not the kind of monarch Britain needed at this
point in history. When George was crowned on May 12th 1937, Mars was
conjoining his natal Mars in Sagittarius. This indicated that his reign would
include global conflict. Indeed the Second World War broke out in 1939.
As a quiet and disciplined naval officer who had experienced battle in
the First Great War, he was the perfect stoic figurehead, in contrast to the
Fiery Winston Churchill, his Prime Minister. Together they became the
poles of restraint and inspiration that Britain required to survive. Without
them the nation might have suffered defeat and invasion, which would have
put an end to European civilisation.
 Throughout history, people of destiny have been crucial to the
development of humanity. These individuals have not always been obvious
heroes and heroines, or even known for what they have done but, without
doubt, each at their level has contributed to the whole. The first nomad who
planted a seed and settled down to cultivate and harvest it transformed
mankind into farmers, while the inventor of the wheel was as great as
Leonardo da Vinci.
Nations, as noted, also have a mission to carry out. Let us examine the
destiny of one of the oldest Western nations, England, by consulting its
birth chart.
Figure 54—England

England came into being at Noon, 25th December 1066, when William the
Conqueror was crowned in Westminster Abbey. With a Capricorn Sun at
mid-heaven, it would be a slow but sure climb to be a world power. With
Aries on the Ascendant, it would be a war-like and adventurous nation but
Moon in Pisces in the 12th House would give a deceptively reserved
persona. This has led England’s enemies to misjudge its aggressive and
calculating side once the English are aroused to anger. Without those
qualities it could not, with Cancerian Scotland as partner, rule a quarter of
the world. (Halevi.)
29. History
Britain became an island when the Ice Age ended and melt waters flooded
the valley that separated France from what is now England. With the advent
of the Age of Aries, migrants crossed the Channel to drive the original
inhabitants into Wales and Scotland. Then came the Celts, who fought
endless tribal wars until the Romans arrived. According to Ptolemy, the
ancient Alexandrian astrologer, the island of Britain was ruled by Aries, the
god of war, adventure and innovation.
When Julius Caesar came on a reconnaissance expedition in 55BCE, he
found the Britons a formidable enemy. On the August day his ships beached
on the Kent coast, Mars was square to Aries while Saturn was in Leo, the
sign of imperial Rome. This celestial configuration manifested in a clash
between the wild British tribesmen and the disciplined Roman legions. With
Saturn as a block on imperial power, Caesar could not, despite beating the
Celts back, hold any ground. The time was not right for a full invasion and
he withdrew his forces to the Continent. The Celts, however, had seen their
island fortress breached.
The next Roman assault came in August 43CE when the Sun was in
Leo. This clearly favoured the Romans, while Uranus opposed Aries
indicating that the Britons would be afflicted. Indeed, they could not
contain the Roman assault this time and so what are now England and
Wales, but not Scotland, came under the invaders’ rule. Roman rule overlaid
the island’s zodiacal character in the form of continental culture that
connected Britain with the wider world. This situation lasted until 417CE
when the legions left the Romano-British on their own because Rome had
to defend the empire’s frontiers and fight several civil wars. This occurred
as Mars and Saturn conjoined and were afflicted in Leo, the zodiacal sign of
Italy.
The Roman withdrawal allowed the Anglo-Saxon tribes from Germany
to invade Britain and subdue the Celts, driving many from what is now
England. These new settlers in turn came under pressure from incoming
Vikings who came up the rivers and dominated the coastal areas. These
invasions were part of a general Dark Age in western Europe which
destroyed civilisation. However, the religious Age of Pisces was well under
way and Christian missionaries succeeded in converting much of Britain, so
bringing the island under an ecclesiastical form of Roman imperialism. This
introduced civilisation to the barbaric English, as they were all now called.
England came into being as a coherent nation when William of
Normandy had himself crowned in London at noon on Christmas Day 1066.
This gave the kingdom an Aries Ascendant with Sun in Capricorn on the
Midheaven and Moon in Pisces in the 12th House. Such a combination gave
the country a warlike, strategic mentality with a sentimental mystical streak.
The presence of Mercury and Venus in Capricorn added an ability to
organise and implement far-reaching plans, while Mars in Aquarius would
make the English somewhat eccentric. Jupiter and Saturn in Virgo granted a
particular practical thoroughness, especially where their reputation (6th
House) was concerned. Uranus in Sagittarius in the 9th House would
account for their imperial ambitions while Neptune in Taurus in the 1st
House would make them often misjudged as wimpish and deceptive, hence
the reputation of ‘Perfidious Albion’. The mystical aspect, symbolised by
Pluto and Moon in Pisces, would be seen in the distinct lines of witchcraft,
Freemasonry and occult orders as well as England’s sacred sites and
buildings, spiritual music and religious poets such as John Donne and
William Blake.
Figure 55—British Empire

The idea of empire was an invention of Dr John Dee, the occultist and
astrologer to Elizabeth I. It began with England’s development of American
colonies and settling of trade connections throughout the world. Gradually
this off-shore island became, with each acquisition, a global power. Britain
became the United Kingdom on the First of January 1801; it expanded its
territory until Pluto entered Cancer in 1914 and opposed Britain’s
Capricorn Sun. From then on, it began to decline. Its destiny of
industrialisation and modernising the world was done. (Halevi.)
 This astrological configuration, the epitome of the English character,
imposed its language and culture on Geminian Wales and Taurean Ireland.
However, the Welsh played a Mercurial game with the English, who were
too Saturnian to understand what was going on, while the Irish Bull
stubbornly bellowed in revolts over the centuries. The Scots were a
different matter. They were forced into a marriage with England by their
own King James VI becoming heir to the English crown and moving to
London. As the Cancerian, Watery wife to a domineering Earthy husband,
Scotland periodically balked at the Union. Nevertheless she enjoyed the
benefits of so rich and powerful a spouse who opened up the world to this
clannish community. Such a combination of peoples turned this small
collection of offshore islands into the centre of the largest empire ever seen.
This was no accident but the destiny of the British.
England, as the core of United Kingdom, is interesting as its rich history
records very precisely the effect of astrological transits on its Tree-chart.
Take for example the 29-year Saturn cycle. Every time this planet crosses
the nation’s Ascendant, there is a crisis. An outstanding instance was in
1349, the peak year of the Black Death that killed a quarter of the English
population. In the mid 17th century, when Saturn was again in Aries, the
great English Civil War between King and Parliament broke out, dividing
and ruining the country as bad harvest and famine stalked the land. When
the Second World War began in 1939, Saturn had recently conjoined
England’s Ascendant once more. This conflict exhausted the country and
put an end to Britain as a major world power.
The mission of the British Empire produced mixed karma. While it
spread the idea of liberal democratic government and a modern
infrastructure in its dominions, it exploited the native populations and local
resources. The slave trade was a particular blot on a culture that was proud
of the Magna Carta which guaranteed certain human rights. Millions had
died at British hands and had their land stolen by them and yet, without the
Capricornian-Piscean sense of justice and idealistic concern, many ex-
colonial countries would have remained at a primitive or barbaric stage of
development. Britain brought much of Africa and Asia into the mainstream
of modern life. Moreover, English became not only the common language
within the empire but the lingua franca of the world. It was Britain’s
destiny to bring together and foster many nations including the United
States, its first-born, whose culture is at root Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian
and Celt.
It has been said that the English are the collective reincarnation of a
particular soul group. This body of individuals has been moving though
history setting up empires that bring different peoples together under a
single culture. Such an operation was the ancient Persian empire that was
ruled according to just laws, another the regime of the Indian emperor
Asoka, who introduced a benign order of government based on Buddhism.
Both of these historic entities had a certain character that marked them out
as instruments of destiny. The size of a country or population seems to be
irrelevant. What is important is the power of the spirit that makes a nation
great.
Like people, countries can miss their moment of destiny. Japan, which
appears to be ruled by a Scorpio Sun and a Virgo Moon, is a highly
disciplined and obedient nation. After centuries of isolation its ruling caste,
the Samurai, decided to adapt to the Western methods. They became the
militant management class while the rest of the population served the new
industrial economy, learning to make, with Virgoan perfection, the finest of
designs and well-made products. This was possible because Japanese
society was still essentially feudal. Indeed, everything was done to serve the
emperor. To fail was a dishonour for which suicide, a very Scorpionic
action, was the correct option among the aristocracy.
When Japan reached an economic and military level equal to the West,
which it emulated, it began, like them, to seek to extend its empire. Having
gained a foothold on mainland Asia and defeated Russia, it then invaded
China in September 1931, just as Mars entered Scorpio. This began a
sequence of conquests into all the surrounding countries. The abuse of its
power ended abruptly as Mars moved from opposing Scorpio to squaring
Virgo on the day the atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima in August
1945. Japan, which could have led the Far East in peaceful development,
failed to carry out its destiny for the general benefit of humanity. Greatness
is not about military might.
Figure 56—Situation

This is the state of humanity at present. At the very bottom are those who
have abused their birth charts. Next comes the mass of mankind, composed
of young souls learning how to live on Earth. Above them are the leaders of
every class. Over these are those who are working on their souls. Beyond
them come those who have achieved a high degree of development. They
serve as the intermediaries between the higher and lower Worlds. The
Messiah is the man or woman who currently holds a crucial position
between the Divine and incarnate humanity. Finally there is the Great Holy
Council, presided over by Metatron/Enoch, the first fully realised human
being. (Halevi.)
30. Completion
In 1989 when Saturn (repression), Uranus (revolution) and Neptune
(idealism) were in Capricorn, the sign of controlling government, the Soviet
regimes in eastern Europe collapsed. Russia, ruled by Aquarius, had the
opportunity in the 1990s, as Uranus moved through its sign, to put the
revolution back on course. In 1917, when Uranus was last in Aquarius, the
Bolsheviks had taken over. Stalin, who some say was a reincarnation of
Ivan the Terrible, turned the Tsarist empire into the ultimate totalitarian
state based upon a ruthless Marxism. Its doctrine of converting the world to
Communism was challenged by Hitler’s Nazism. The result was that these
two monstrous political systems fought each other in a brutal war that
probably killed over twenty million people while none of the Western Allies
lost more than five hundred thousand dead. This indicates something about
the karma of Russia and Germany, both of which imprisoned and executed
millions. Japan’s war dead were two millions.
The 20th century manifested the negative side of the Aquarian Age with
its extreme political and social revolutions. It is clear that, as the third
millennium opens, humanity is far from its full potentiality. However, this
last century has produced such advances in technology that people can now
communicate electronically instantly and travel to the other side of the
Earth within twenty-four hours. Perhaps more significant is that any
important incident can be known about world-wide, creating the effect of a
global village. This is a truly Aquarian phenomenon.
One of the most remarkable events of the 20th century was the landing
on the Moon. Seeing men walking about on its dusty surface united the
whole of humanity for a moment as they watched them on television. Just
as potent was the image of our planet from space which looked like a living
cosmic jewel. For many this was a macrocosmic experience that awakened
an awesome sense of the scale of the universe. Never before had humanity
perceived their community as a single entity. For several days after the
event, which occurred as Mercury conjoined the Sun in Cancer, the masses
of mankind felt a distinct bond until local problems began to separate
individuals, classes and communities again and people reverted to living
under their Moons and no longer under their Suns.
Figure 57—Astrological Adam Kadmon

This is a medieval version of the celestial image of God. It contains, like

Adam Kadmon, every type of person who, over many lives, lives out the
whole zodiac. This cycle is part of the process of descent and ascent which
will be complete when all have experienced what each Sign can illuminate.
When this is done, then the End of Time will come as we all return to Adam
Kadmon who is a SELF portrait of the Absolute. Then God will behold God
and I AM will become One before disappearing into NO-THING-Ness
again.
 Fortunately the great wave of interest in spirituality, especially in the
West and due to Neptune being in Scorpio and Pluto in Virgo, was moving
hundreds of thousands of people to take up meditation or seek out higher
knowledge. More books were published on esoteric matters than there had
ever been and groups studying and practising various spiritual disciplines
flourished. This is the Neptune in Scorpio factor while Pluto in Virgo
stimulated many to take up yoga, enter some psychological therapy or study
alternative medicine.
This worldwide phenomenon was a sign that humanity is beginning to
mature and operate as a unit again, after hundreds of thousands of years of
separation since it first emerged from Africa. Such unifying organisations as
the United Nations, the European Union and many other collective cultural,
commercial and political associations indicated that the world was
becoming smaller and more safe. The problems of pollution, famine and
war were recognised; so too was the issue of overpopulation, although it
appeared that the planet had taken this into account by reducing the male
sperm count.
The implication of these events is that the plan of Evolution is
proceeding despite human aggression and greed. The only possibility of
stopping humanity’s development would be an atomic war which even an
insane tyrant would hardly contemplate for fear of retaliation. The Age of
Aquarius and its impulse of social change is moving nations away from
dictatorship towards democracy. While this may be an imperfect political
system, it does allow the individual to participate in government and the
development of millions as responsible citizens.
All this adds to the stimulation of individuation and the raising of the
general level of consciousness. This in turn accelerates the transformation
of animal people into a more humane mode and moves the young souls of
the vegetable masses on a grade. Meantime those who have attained a
degree of self-awareness will increase in number while those who have
reached the level where they have learnt their lessons can execute their
missions to help humanity onwards.
Figure 56 sets out the situation of the four journeys. At the first level are
those young souls who are learning about life and death on Earth. They
oscillate in the cycle of reincarnation between the two lower Worlds. The
second stage is of those gradually ascending through psychological
development by working on their karma and, if they happen to be
kabbalistic astrologers, their Tree-charts or fate. The third journey is for
those people of destiny who decide to descend to aid evolving individuals,
through schools of the soul or communities, by being either open or hidden
leaders and teachers.
The fourth and final journey is for those great individuals who have
completed all their missions and can return, karma-free, to the upper region
of the spiritual World after receiving enlightenment. They may come down
to Earth by choice, from time to time, to start a new religion or period in
history. The people who belong to this class are those who have been the
Messiah, Buddha or Axis of the Age.
At the end of this vast and long process, known as the Resurrection in
several esoteric traditions, humanity would have reached a point when all
but the most obstinate or perverse would have met and reunited with their
soul mate, rejoined their original spiritual group and begun to turn towards
the Divine from whence they came. This final journey for all will occur
when each person finds their own place in the being of Adam Kadmon.
Upon this happening, each human cell of the Divine body will be self-
realised to the full and the primordial image of God will say, so tradition
has it, I AM THAT I AM. Then God will behold God in this reflection of all
Existence.
If this book on kabbalistic astrology has helped to deepen your
understanding of the anatomy of fate, destiny and purpose in the universe,
then I shall have succeeded in part of my mission.

Z’ev ben Shimon Halevi

December 1999, London
Glossary

AFFLICTION
Tense geometrical angle between celestial bodies.
AIR SIGNS
Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.
ASCENDANT
Zodiacal degree on the Eastern horizon.
ASIYYAH
Elemental and Natural World.
ASPECT
Angular relationship between celestial bodies.
AYIN
No-thing-ness of the Absolute.

AZILUT
Divine World of Emanation.
BENEFICS
Friendly planets: Jupiter and Venus.

BERIAH
World of Creation, spirit, ideas, heaven and archangels.
BINAH
Sefirah of Understanding, reason and Saturn.
CARDINAL SIGNS
Dynamic signs: Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn.
CONJUNCTION
Celestial bodies in close proximity by zodiacal degree.
DAAT
Non-sefirah of mystical knowledge and Pluto.

DESCENDANT
Diametric opposite of Ascendant, symbolising the Western horizon.
DRAGON’S HEAD, DRAGON’S TAIL
Alternative names for North and South Lunar Nodes.
EARTH SIGNS
Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn.
ELEMENTS
Classification of signs as Air, Earth, Fire or Water.

EN SOF
Infinite Endless All of Absolute.
EQUINOX
Point in March and September at which the Sun crosses the Equator.

FIRE SIGNS
Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.
FIXED SIGNS
Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius.
GEVURAH
Sefirah of Judgement. Literal translation Strength or Might.
GREAT YEAR
A complete cycle of the twelve Ages of Aries, Pisces, Aquarius etc,
lasting around 2,000-2,500 years each.
HESED
Sefirah of Mercy. Sometimes called Gedulah.
HOD
Sefirah of Reverberation, Resounding Splendour.

HOKHMAH
Sefirah of Wisdom and Revelation.

HOUSES
Twelvefold division of the horoscope concerned with manifestation in the
world.
INDIVIDUATION
Development of selfhood.

INFERIOR PLANETS
Planets with orbits between Earth and the Sun: Mercury and Venus.
KETER
Sefirah of Crown, the Divine and Neptune.

MALEFICS
Unfriendly planets: Mars and Saturn.
MALKHUT
Sefirah of Kingdom, four elements and Earth. Ascendant.
MENORAH
Seven-branch candelabrum of Moses.
MUTABLE SIGNS
Changeable and volatile signs: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces.

NATAL CHART
Horoscope made of the celestial situation at birth.
NEZAH
Sefirah of Repetition, instinct and Venus.

(LUNAR) NODES
Areas of ease and difficulty in horoscope.
OPPOSITION
Strong aspect between celestial bodies diametrically opposed to each other.

PRECESSION
Apparent backward motion of the equinoxes around the zodiac over a Great
Year.

PROGRESSION
Method of advancing the horoscope into the future, eg. one degree
represents one year.
QUADRUPLICITIES
Classification of signs according to four elements in Cardinal, Fixed and
Mutable modes.

RETROGRADE
The apparent backward motion of celestial bodies, indicating a restraining
influence.
RULING PLANET
The celestial body that rules a particular sign, eg. Sun and Leo.

SEFIRAH, SEFIROT
Divine principle/principles of Tree of Life.
SEFIROTIC TREE
Diagram of Tree of Life.

SELF
The essence of an individual, the Solar and Tiferet position in the Tree of
Psyche.
SEXTILE
Mild, favourable aspect between celestial bodies.

SOLSTICE
Point in June/December where the Sun is furthest North/South of the
Equator.
SQUARE
A difficult aspect between celestial bodies.

SUPERIOR PLANETS
Planets with orbits further from the Sun than that of Earth: Mars, Jupiter,
Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

TIFERET
Sefirah of Beauty, central principle, self and Sun.
TIFERET
Sefirah of Beauty. Sometimes called Adornment.

TRANSIT
Actual movement of celestial bodies over or through crucial areas of
horoscope.
TREE OF LIFE
Sefirotic diagram.

TRINE
Easy and very favourable aspect between celestial bodies.
TRIPLICITIES
Classification of signs that share the same element.

WATER SIGNS
Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
YESOD
Sefirah of Foundation, ego and Moon.

YEZIRAH
World of Formation, angels, Paradise and psyche.
ZODIAC
A band of twelve divisions of the sky along which the celestial bodies
move, as seen from the Earth.
About the Author
Z’ev ben Shimon Halevi is the Hebrew name of Warren Kenton, who was
born in 1933 into a Sefardi Jewish Levite family in England. He has studied
the Teaching since he was twenty-five and visited kabbalistic centres in
Europe, North Africa and Israel, as well as teaching all over the world. He
has written fifteen books, now in fifteen languages including Hebrew,
Japanese and Lithuanian. He sees it as his task to update the tradition. He is
the Principal Tutor of the international Kabbalah Society
(www.kabbalahsociety.org ).
Kabbalah Society Publications
The Kabbalah Society began to publish the books of Z’ev ben Shimon
Halevi in 2006. Our online Bookshop is a continuation of that process.
These works are an update of ancient and medieval Kabbalah in terms of
contemporary science and psychology. The revised editions contain many
new illustrations and diagrams giving a deeper insight into the origins and
purpose of Existence, the four Worlds that compose it, and the
corresponding levels within a human being. Video recordings of recent
Kabbalistic Summer Schools are also available. Visit our web site for more
information