Studies in Astrology

by

Elman Bacher

Volume V


Chapter IV

Involuntary Military Experience

   Since the beginning of our incarnated experience, strife on any level or involving any quantity of persons has never been anything but a dramatization of the individual's struggle to evolve. The destruction, pain, and sorrow which the entity, humanity, has inflicted on itself has never been anything but an expression-in-action of ignorance of life-principles. This ignorance has always basically been--how could it be otherwise?--an individual matter.

   Until certain self-directives have been established mankind functions primarily by response to stimuli to the collective thought, collective instinct or collective subconscious feeling. In this way, Nature provides that karmic return may be experienced collectively. A group of individuals--tribe, nation, or alliance of nations--are enabled to meet a pattern of karmic return all together, rather than in individual timing. All persons, in a given situation, who are at-tuned to a particular vibratory negative--such as the sadistic frenzy of the lynching party--sympathetically respond and express "en masse." Since we, as individuals, fall far short of ideal expression we are, to some degree or other, "tied in" to certain patterns of unfulfillment. This is due to our ignorance of principles and our having expressed in action according to ignorance in past incarnations. Expression--cause--implies its own effect. One of the most phenomenal effects in modern times has been the global scope of warfare such as we have seen since 1914. The opposition between Uranus in Capricorn and Neptune in Cancer, preceding the outbreak of World War I, was the vibratory condition by which human beings in national groups met collective karmic return through warfare experience. This opposition was the "Full Moon pattern" from the conjunction of Uranus and Neptune in Sagittarius-Capricorn during the last years of the eighteenth century and the early years of the nineteenth century. It was the timing for universal decrystallization in order that universal progress could be made. A few moments of reflection are all that are needed to realize that the entire entity, humanity, was affected in drastic ways by this conjunction and its resultant opposition. New octaves of Power and Wisdom were released through the incarnations of many people who, during the past century and a half, functioned as "trail-blazers" toward the transcendence of the no- longer-needed. The powers expressed by these great persons affected our experience on all planes--intellectual, religious-philosophical, scientific, and artistic.

   A "life-wave" of incarnations was made in the early years of this century when the opposition of Uranus to Neptune was not only itself "white-hot," but was squared by the opposition of Saturn in Aries and Jupiter in Libra. This life-wave--focalizing the square of Saturn to both Uranus and Neptune--came in at a most precarious timing. That vibratory pattern was, in the opinion of the author, the arch-challenge of crystallization to progress. Perhaps the most important single factor in the life-experience of those people was the choice, in consciousness, of clinging to the old or of moving on in progress through individualized unfoldment. A critical evolutionary point, indeed! The outbreak of the Boxer Rebellion and the establishment of republican government in China during this era pictured that planetary pattern applying to the evolutionary status of a great civilization--an interesting example of the tremendous significance of those years--and of that aspect.

   We have a recorded history of many centuries of experience from a study of which we may find--just as we may in our present day experiences--the principles underlying the relationship between individual and collective causes and their effects. In these days people are asking: "After two global wars in much less han a half-century, do we have to have another one?" The answer comes back: "If we do, it will be because we have not applied ourselves sufficiently to learn from previous experiences about the principles which concern mutual good between national groups." In short, the effect--as it always does--will describe and identify its own cause.

   Consider the foundation of the Great Astrological Mandala: a circle with a dot in the center; a horizontal line emanates from the center to the left, touching the circumference; the symbol for the sign Aries outside the circle at that point. This much of the Mandala is the essential picture of the potentials of each human being appearing in the infant body at the dawn of incarnation. In this radius are implied all other possible ways of expressing the individual I AM during the ensuing lifetime. Now add the following with light pencil line: the upper vertical--Capricorn; the horizontal to the right--Libra; the lower vertical--Cancer. From the center of the left radius--the Aries line--draw three-quarters of a circle clockwise (backward) through Capricorn and Libra, ending at the middle of the Cancer radius. This is a "motion picture" in reverse--from birth to conception--nine months of human gestation. All four generic points are included in this picture: moving forward from Cancer to Aries--through the three quadrants--we see a resume of the generic qualities distilled from the past to the present. This is the simplest way we have of "gathering" the karmic residues from past incarnations for redemption in the present because the incarnation structure-points--the Cardinal signs--are all represented in sequence, from most feminine to most masculine, and each Cardinal composites the Fixed and Mutable of its particular generic Element.

   Since our experience is dual: dynamically masculine, a projection from our generic consciousness; and, reflectively feminine, a perception by our generic consciousness, we have in this simple mandala the essential sum-total of "I AM-ness" of the individual when he came into this particular incarnation. That means his "I AM-ness" of unawareness, fear- hatred, and ignorance as well as his "I AM-ness" of power, love, wisdom--the residues and spiritual accomplishments, respectively, of his past incarnations as male and as female. His magnetic attraction to his parents outpictures very significant factors of his generic relationship consciousness; his at-tunement to his race-nationality outpictures much of his collective >karmic residues. In the latter is found the reason why he has been--or may be--called into military service during this time of universal mutation; it is, in short, a residue of unfulfilled service and unfulfilled understanding of principles.

   To the mandala now add the radius representing the cusp of the twelfth house--place the symbol for Pisces at the cusp-point. Connect the Pisces and Aries radii by a straight line with an arrowhead pointing downward and touching the Aries cusp. This is the simplest way we have, in astrology, of picturing the emanation of the past into the present. Since every radius of an astrological wheel is an emanation of the one radius, this shows that the "I AM" of now is an emanation of the "I AM" of the past. The cusp of the second house would, in relationship to that of the first, symbolize the "I AM" of the future, the emanation from the present. Hence the dynamic essence of the Aries radius--the "I AM NOW"--symbolizes the potential, the impulsion and the necessity for putting into action in this incarnation the sum totals of our "I AM's" from the past. This means action as expression of ignorance of principles as well as of understanding of principles; such action, from either level, emanates effects for the future.

   Now, to speak of the question on the minds of most people these days, how long are we, individually and collectively, going to continue to set in action causes that will have warfare as their objectified effects? How much longer is it going to take us--individually and collectively--to recognize that certain actions--causes--objectify in warfare, crime, suffering and disintegration? This question--and its answer--has nothing whatever to do with any particular nation, political ideology, or form of government. This question is asked, sooner or later, by every human being. Its answer, and its understanding, are derived by each individual as a result of his evolutionary unfoldment. Change the quality of causes by learning from experience and go into action from the basis of new wisdom.

   Since every radius in the horoscopical wheel is one factor of a twofold polarity pattern, let us now extend the Pisces radius in the above mandala to make a complete diameter; extend the line to the opposite point and form the diameter of Pisces-Virgo--cusps of the twelfth and sixth houses. A diameter is the unfolded picture of the potentials of a radius since it shows both polarities. Thus with the Pisces-Virgo diameter we have the feminine signs of the mutable cross. Virgo (Earth) is male; Pisces (Water) is female. With reference to our subject, these two signs symbolically portray the two types of people who engage in military service. (1) Those who enlist-- serve voluntarily--express a service consciousness from the dynamic--or generically male--level; this quality is pictured by Virgo which, in essence, is love-service. (2) Those who are drafted--serve under compulsion-- are moved into military service by external forces; in other words, they are acted upon by karmic forces which are objectified by the representatives of governmental and military authority. This type of experience represents the generically female polarity of the service diameter; it is not only passive but the lack of self-direction implied makes this kind of experience a possible source of great suffering to the individual unless--repeat unless--he makes an adjustment to the situation in his consciousness and agrees to it within himself, moves with the karmic forces and fulfills his responsibilities to the utmost every step of the way. Let us consider a proof of this pattern as it has objectified in recent experiences of many persons:

   The draft action of the recent war was a "mutation point" in the life of everyone who was affected by it; just as, on a more universal scale, those who incarnate under the vibrations of certain major planetary aspects "tie in" with evolutionary turning points. Since mankind basically tends to inertia--preferring adherence to that which is established as a symbol of security--most people need to be moved by karmic forces in order to elasticize their approaches to experience and to open up new levels of consciousness of qualities and capacities. The authorities in charge of the last draft organization did much to try to determine the qualifications of individuals for suitable service. The fact that many men were assigned to lines of work that were entirely new to them was the outpicturing of karmic agencies at work on their lives. Their deep inner needs for elasticization of consciousness magnetized them to specific organizations, specific branches of service, and specific localities to fulfill responsibility patterns that may have been, from a time standpoint, ages old. One thing is certain: the draft- service opportunity that came to each man was the direct effect of default- causes which he himself set in motion in the past. To be incarnate implies the assumption, voluntary or otherwise, to serve life by improving the quality of vibrational output and response; we can never improve anything unless we gain a clearer and greater understanding of our realities. One of our basic realities is to attain mastery of individual destiny; this is proven in our possessing the faculty of choice. We can choose to make any experience a "mutation point" of up-turning or down-turning depending on the quality of our reaction to and action upon a given situation. We can learn how to make better choices to the degree that we become unemotionally aware of the quality of effects.

   If we have failed--and we all have--to serve according to principle in the past, then we recognize that life, through consciousness, provides the opportunity to redeem the quality of deficient service by at-tunement with group experience so that the combined consciousness of the group may add power to the regenerative effort, and each person who is constructively conditioned then serves all others who are similarly conditioned to the furtherance of progress. Military service is one of the most conspicuous examples, in time of "global stress," by which life makes this opportunity possible, and each person is thereby placed where and with whom his karma (self-generated destiny) decrees.

   Your horoscope is a variation of the Great Mandala, but your twelfth and sixth houses are in the same place as those of everyone else. Study the signs on the cusps of your Mutable Houses--third to ninth, sixth to twelfth--as the vibratory cross that, in your chart, corresponds to the Mutable Cross of the Great Mandala. Focus your attention on the planetary rulers--their placements, aspects, and generic quality--of two houses: 12th and 6th. Study with great care all squares and oppositions involving your twelfth house and its ruler. The ruler of your twelfth house gives you the key to your at-tunement with karmic forces; its regenerate aspects will picture your deep superconscious spiritual strengths to meet and transcend the "tough experiences" represented by its unregenerate aspects. In such an experience you will "tangle" with much that represents the negative astral in human consciousness--your negative twelfth house vibratory conditions picture your magnetization to the people thus represented who will serve as challenges to your deep desire for redemptive action and expression. Inform yourself of the principle of this planet and the principle of every planet that aspects it; you will--because you need it--be tested mightily at that point. Know that "Planets are People." Your chart, in every respect, will be out-pictured beautifully or otherwise by the people you will have to associate with in this period of "redemptive service."

   In time of planetary conflict the individual can take one of four choices: (1) an uncompromising abstinence from participation in any form; (2) abstinence from combat but willingness to serve in another way; (3) voluntary enlistment as a "self-propelled" gesture of service; (4) letting oneself be drafted and taking what is dished out. Of these four, the last requires the maximum of adjustability to the directives of karmic forces, since it is symbolized by the Pisces-point of the Pisces-Virgo diameter. Conscientious fulfillment of "everything that is dished out" is the keyword to keep in mind to neutralize resistances and resentments--because in that attitude of fulfillment, the service will be done--and that is the purpose behind the whole thing. By an expansive exercise of intelligence and expression of abilities as they are required will the person find himself growing in an amazing way because he will be called upon to consider many problems and situations that he never dealt with before. The Pisces vibration symbolizes the need and necessity of the drafted man to keep himself at-tuned to his own and everyone else's best; he must "alert" his ideality and seek to perceive the best potentials of all and recognize every opportunity to project his best; to encourage and hearten when it is needed; to elasticize his appreciation of the value of each factor in the experience as an opportunity to learn.

   Students--it is worse than futile to congest on resentment if this experience comes to you. Your life goes on through it-- though in ways which you may never have consciously planned or expected. No one can make you waste your time if you utilize your time-material. No one can make you waste your talents if you exercise your abilities and let yourself become aware of deeper resources of physical, mental, and spiritual strength.

   The whys and wherefores of this experience are pictured in your horoscope. In ways which you may not even imagine, you can, if you must and will, become more aware of who and what you really are for the improvement of your entire incarnation and for your relationships with people in the future.

  



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