Studies in Astrology

by

Elman Bacher

Volume VII


Chapter VIII

Animal Experience

   This discourse is presented for the consideration of students who in their studies often make inquiries regarding the " horoscopes of animals." These inquiries are, of course, perfectly legitimate- -being germane to a familiar factor of life-experience, one which is of great interest and concern to many people.

   Because astrology is essentially a study of consciousness, as a vibratory science it is applicable to any form or plane of life and the consciousness which ensouls and informs that life. If our knowledge of astrology, per se, were greatly extended beyond its present scope we could--all other factors being equal--do the horoscope of individual animals as we do those of individual humans; we could do the horoscopes of planets, solar systems, and galaxies as well as those of minute forms of life which inhabit this planet. When astrology is apprehended as being the study of those principles or laws by which all consciousness evolves, then its useful application to life throughout the cosmos may be perceived by correspondence with the life we know as humans.

   However, and here is the rub, in order to comprehend the astrology of other life-forms and life-waves, we have to know the consciousness pertaining to those forms and waves. We can observe and study the evidences of other types of consciousness than our own but we, being "particularly and peculiarly Earthian Humans," cannot apprehend the planes of consciousness to which other forms, sub-human and super-human, are aligned. In fact, many humans have but a dim and distorted comprehension of the consciousness of fellow-humans! Animal-life is informed, from a different center than we are--we humans being much more autonomous and the animals being much more completely under specialized guidance.

   It has been told us that of the sub-human evolutionary lines, those that are now mammalian will make their higher evolution through the human pattern. Thus, it is not only of interest but of great importance that we learn to spiritualize our awareness of, and relationship with, the members of the animal kingdom; they are fraternal to us as inhabitants of this planet and we, as the higher evolutionary expression have a decided responsibility to them, as older brothers and sisters have to younger ones in a family--the correspondence in relationship is almost exact.

   Therefore, though we cannot "do the charts"of animals, we can study our own charts in reference to our experiences with, and feelings about, sub-human life and thereby expand our consciousness of evolution on this planet. Using the astrological factors that we do use, a chart calculated for the birth time of, for example, a pet kitten or pup would picture the significance of the animal to our experience; the same would apply to the timing of our decision to bring a new pet into the home, or any animal into our personal experience. In the latter case, motivation and purpose would represent the keynotes of the astrological reading; that chart being correlated with our natal chart would picture the inter-related factors of the experience we might have with the animal. A chart calculated for the time when we select the animal could indicate basic points concerning the suitability of the animal to our purpose. Many people find that their relationship with an animal opens up a remarkably significant experience, and these experience-possibilities are what we will study.

   Individual human relationship-consciousness is no respecter of persons or things. A man may love his wife and children with tender, solicitous devotion, but if his relationship-consciousness contains an area of hatred, fear, or prejudice toward another man--or other persons--who happens to be of another race or nationality, his relationship-consciousness is not clear or pure. A woman may fulfill the requirements of her professional work with unwavering conscientiousness, but if her attitude toward her colleagues--or a colleague--is tainted with envy or false superiority, then her relationship-consciousness toward her profession is correspondingly tainted.

   Many such hypothetical illustrations may be considered; the point to keep in mind is this: our relationship with another person is primarily qualified qualified by our feeling about him or her; that area of feeling is ignited by vibratory contact with the person. In other words, other people symbolize qualities of consciousness to us because by the action of vibratory sympathy, any person can serve to stimulate any point of feeling in our relationship-consciousness. We, until we gain true understanding, tend to identify the person with the quality stimulated in our relationship-consciousness; when we have gained relationship-wisdom, we know that our reactions of an unpleasant nature are to be transmuted into the spiritual potency of good-will (Love). Therefore, all points in relationship-consciousness which we identify as hatred, envy, jealousy, fear, false superiority, tyranny, etc., may be apprehended as being "materials" to use for transmutative exercise. The fact that many, many people have proven the law of good-will through their transmutative efforts may be ascertained by a few moments of considered thought.

   Any magnetic focus of relationship-attraction can be utilized to intensify existing negatives in consciousness or to nurture the already-evolved regenerate qualities. And "relationship" is your viewpoint of yourself in vibratory alignment with arty other person, any creature, thing, activity, event, endeavor, or environment. Your natal horoscope performs its greatest service to you in picturing to you your basic tendencies of viewpoint in relationship-consciousness. Truthfully to apprehend these tendencies and the ways of rightfully using them is to obtain the master-key to all other phases of studying your chart. The evolution of the Consciousness of Humanity is furthered in direct proportion as each human learns rightfully to align himself in relationship tofellow-humans and fellow-creatures.

   Note carefully the last fifteen words of the previous sentence. That which is now was determined by that which was; that which is to be will be determined by that which is now. Each human of the present period of Earth-manifestation was at one time in the "animal status;" each creature now is potentially a human. In no absolute sense is a human "superior" to an animal; the difference is simply one of evolutionary timing. The truth of this statement will be instantly perceived from considering the fact that all initiates, masters, and adepts--the spiritual vanguard of present Humanity--serve by inspiring and encouraging our spiritual unfoldment and progress. If they, using an absurd hypothesis, were related to us by "absolute superiority," why would we be encouraged in any way at all to "walk the path they have trod"? If we were related to creatures by an "absolute superiority, " there would be no impulse in the human heart to improve the conditions of creatures, there would be no inspirational impetus to love them. Yet, many humans love creatures with unselfish and sympathetic deviation. Is that not in itself proof that we inwardly know that creatures will walk the path we are now treading? The realization, by a human, of his con-fraternity with creatures is a high peak in the course of his evolutionary sojourn; it is a tremendous expansion of his consciousness of Love and such a point in experience is inevitably attended by an increased apperception of the nature of divine love.

   Every position and aspect in your natal chart can be studied as representing a phase of, or tendency in, your relationship- consciousness. Therefore, your attitudes toward, and feelings about, sub- human life are also pictured by these horoscope-factors. Since relationship with sub-human life is inextricably inter-woven into the fabric of human evolutionary experience, we will consider this subject as it is abstractly portrayed by the Great Astrological Mandala. For cross-reference, create a copy: The twelve-housed circle centered by the traditional symbol for the Sun; Aries as Ascendant-sign with thirty degrees of each sign to each house; the planetary rulers of the signs appropriately planed in the houses which they "rule." This is the abstract horoscope of humanity, of with your natal horoscope is an individualized variation.

   To enter into a deeper sensing of the con- fraternity of humans and creatures, we will first consider the diameter Sagittarius-Gemini, the signs on the ninth and third houses of the Great Mandala which are ruled respectively by Jupiter and Mercury. Jupiter, in the cosmic sense, is the Principle of Organic Function and the Principle of Hierarchy. It is that power of Divine Mind by which every factor of an archetype is conceived in perfect relationship with every other factor, for function, expression and use. (It is the considered opinion of the author that Venus, as ruler of Libras is exalted in Sagittarius; its exaltation in Pisces derives from its rulership of Taurus.) As the Principle of Organic Function, Jupiter represents the growth of parts of a thing in terms of their purpose and in terms of inter- relationship with the other parts of the same thing. As the Principle of Hierarchy, Jupiter represents the inter-related function of things in terms of relative intelligence or relative susceptibility to the forces of intelligence.

   In these terms is seen the placement of parts of a thing in relation to other parts corresponding to affinity with directive intelligence. Sagittarius is polarized by Gemini, the third sign of the Great Mandala in counter-clockwise sequence from Aries, the zodiacal significator of the root of fraternal consciousness; fraternal consciousness being that apperception of "parallelity" or "correspondent similarity" in relationship. All the cells of your body are fraternal to each other, being cell-parts of the same body; but the cells of both your eyes are fraternal by specialization. All inhabitants of this planet are fraternal to each other, but all mammals are fraternal by specialization, humans are "specially fraternal" to each other, quadrupeds are "specially fraternal" to each other, birds are "specially fraternal," etc. Each specialization has further specialization but all specializations are grouped in the unity: Earthian Inhabitant. The planets of our system are "fraternal to each other" and our system is specially fraternal to the six other systems which comprise our immediate galaxy. On whatever plane of dimension you care to consider, organic function in terms of hierarchy and fraternity is illustrated. That means that the human's consciousness of fraternity is not complete until he has perceived the value of this inter-related togetherness on this planet with all other creatures, sub-human and super-human. A question naturally arises from this point: what can we humans do, and what must we do, concerning our feelings about the inhabitants of other planets? This question can be solved by each human for himself, in date time.

   Service is also a "two-way thing;" he who desires to be well served must in his turn serve well. Animal life has been utilized for service by humans for countless ages of time and in the abuse of service- principles, Man has engendered much uncomfortable karma. The sixth house and the sign Virgo symbolize the human's consciousness of the principle of service; it is externalized by his experiences as a server and by his relationships with those who serve him, animal as well as human. Animal life has been and is sacrificed to serve as food for the human kingdom, but what of the human who abuses the (unconscious) service of animal-life by senseless, wanton destructiveness? The sixth house is polarized by the twelfth house and the sign Pisces; can you see the possibility that many humans, through an act of uncontrolled passion in this life, spend many years confined in prison as a karmic result of malicious destruction of, or hurt to, sub-human life in a previous incarnation? Malice and destructiveness are in consciousness and whether they are directed in action toward humans or toward sub-humans does not invalidate the karmic potency.

   Life, through some means or other, provides restraint for those who have, by action, proven themselves unqualified to enjoy freedom. Therefore, if you contemplate the purchase--or other means of admission into your experience--of animal-life for service, make it part of your project to give good service to those who are to serve you. If you are dependent on them for the fulfillment of work-programs, they are correspondingly dependent on you for care and protection. If your attitude toward your sub-human server is one of respect--which is Love you will not fail your responsibility and it will be enabled to perform its maximum of service for you. Also, by mutual experience in Love, you will further the creature's evolution in training and it will further your mundane requirements without your engendering retributive karma.

   Many people give devoted care to creature- companions who, at the same time, reveal very limited and constricted attitudes toward fellow-humans. It would appear that karma to the animal- world is being expiated by this type of life-program. These persons are being focalized in the present life on a specialization of the consciousness of life and love; it is possible that only through expressing love to, and giving service to, their "creature-companions" can these persons spiritually polarize their relationship-consciousness so as subsequently to unfold richer and higher apperceptions of respect and good- will toward humans. This facet of human experience would be illustrated by the diameter Leo-Aquarius being cross-polarized by the diameter Scorpio- Taurus. The regeneration of negative emotional residues, represented by Scorpio, being externalized by the stewardship of the creature-life, represented by Taurus, being the way by which the temporarily restrained Leo-Aquarius consciousness of Love is inwardly repolarized for subsequent better releasement.

   In conclusion, we will consider the significance of the air-trine to the relationships of humans to creatures. Libra, cardinal- air, ruled by Venus, is the apperception of relativity, the basic, essential core of relationship-consciousness; it is the apperception which makes it possible for any human to realize relationship with sub- human, human, and superhuman life. Aquarius, the fixed air-sign, ruled by Uranus, is the resource of impersonal, transcendental consciousness of love by which a human realizes an impulsion and a capacity to love life itself, through any of its external forms. Aquarius illustrates the love felt by Luther Burbank for plant-life, the love-bond which unites a blind human to his or her seeing-eye dog; it is the regenerated consciousness of love which unites humans in groups to serve the furthering of sub-human welfare. Gemini, the mutable air-sign, ruled by Mercury, and ninth sign from Libra, is the apperception of relationship as fraternity--that en-wisdomed consciousness of similarity by which humans perceive their togetherness with other humans and any or all other forms of life. St. Francis, the inspired and life-loving mystic, called all creatures by the terms "brother" or "sister;" he knew that he was "older brother" to those who crawl and fly and in loving them as he did he apprehended God 's love for him. May Light and Love permeate our consciousness of all of our fellows in life.

  



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