A Lifetime of Planetary Cycles by Opeaus Blair
A New Year is upon us, and with it come new 'cycles', a seemingly unending revolution that drives everything (hu)man knows, everything we do, everything we are, revolving in a great 'spiral' since time immemorial. It is the great churning wheel(s) of the 'cosmos'; the spinning gods within our solar system, on a spiralling journey through 'Time', with its mirror within each of us. Stories of (hu)man's existence, passed down to us through myriad tales from antiquity, always speak of (hu)men seeking guidance by looked up to the stars in order to gain some understanding, and attribute 'meaning' to their lives. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the hermetic phrase - "As above, So below".
Linguistically speaking, these words were originally sourced from the 'Emerald Tablets of Thoth’ and are an important alchemical 'maxim' and astrological philosophy ('observation'). They refer to a correspondence of the different planes of existence (physical and non-physical, what is often referred to as spiritual), and the relationship between the 'macro-cosmos' - the Universe (or for the purposes of this story today, our solar system), and the 'micro-cosmos' - (hu)man as the universe of an ‘Individual’ (manifested here on 'Earth'). Understanding of which brings to mind another phrase that you may have heard before - "The Ages of Man".
In literary works these words were introduced to the 'consciousness' of (hu)man (at least the earliest written example), by Claudius Ptolemy in his 2nd Century work entitled: 'Tetrabiblos'. This phrase 'summarises' how the ages of the 'individual' are characterised by the 'planets'. In essence (according to the words of Ptolemy - espoused by many others since), each of the spheres of the seven planets (Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto were yet to be ‘discovered’), rule a number of set years from the birth till death of (hu)man. To paraphrase Ptolemy:
Firstly, the Moon was said to rule the 'pliable' infant and toddler (ages 0-3), Mercury then takes over and rules the 'flexible' mind of the young school child (ages 4-13), before passing to Venus who rules the 'passionate' pubescent young adult (14-21). The Sun then rules the prime of 'life' (22-40), with Mars taking rulership of the crisis of passing one’s 'prime' (41-55). Jupiter then rules the 'wise' years of renunciation, rest, and reward (56-67), followed lastly by Saturn ruling the declining years of bodily 'breakdown' (68-death).
Earnest readers will recognise this accounting of life in the words of William Shakespeare, within his comedy play: 'As You Like It' (Act II, Scene VII), wherein the division of (hu)man's 'life-cycle' are placed into seven stages through the: "All the world's a stage..." monologue. It is thanks to Ptolemy, that we have much of Modern Astrology, but these simple (although relevant 'observations') obscure a much more 'enlightening' accounting. Observation of the revolutions, 'correspondence' and cycles between the planets (macro-cosmos) and the cycle of consistency, ‘growth’, and succession within the life of (hu)man (micro-cosmos) is more beautiful, and intricate than the 'structure' expounded by Ptolemy and Shakespeare.
These phrases ("As above, So below" and "The Ages of Man"), along with the 'philosophy' that underpin them, provide the inquisitive mind with a fresh light to 'shine' on the planets relationship with (hu)man's endeavours, development, and 'purpose' (through life). Many have walked this 'path' before, as we shall see in the telling of the tale. One such was the 'renowned' occultist, alchemist, and physician known as Paracelsus, who wrote some five centuries ago:
"To understand correctly the meaning of the worlds alchemy and astrology, it is necessary to understand and realize the intimate relationship and the identity of the Microcosm and Macrocosm and their mutual interaction. All the powers of the universe are potentially contained in man and man’s physical body, and all his organs are nothing else but products and representatives of the power of Nature... If I have "manna" in my constitution, I can attract "manna" from heaven. "Saturn" is not only in the sky, but also deep in the earth and in the ocean. What is "Venus" but the "Artemisia" that grows in your garden? What is "iron" but "Mars"? That is to say, Venus and Artemisia are both products of the same essence, and Mars and iron are both the manifestations of the same cause. What is the human body but a constellation of the same powers that formed the stars in the sky? He who knows what iron is knows the attributes of Mars. He who knows Mars knows the qualities of iron. What would become of your heart if there were no Sun in the Universe? What would be the use of your "vasa spermatica" if there were no Venus?"
Inferred by Paracelsus' words is the eternal truth that (hu)man is, at this manifest level, an ‘organised’ system of activities, just as the solar system is, and that these two systems exist in a "harmonic" relationship with one another - As above, So below..., therefore becomes more than just a maxim, it becomes our reality. So, let's commence with the planet we are all most familiar with – ‘Earth’. It is only from our vantage point on Earth that observation(s) (and thus knowledge and understanding) can be made, and it is the micro-cosmos of (hu)man's ‘existence’ within Earth where our tale inevitably starts. Once thought to be the centre of the universe, it is from our planet that we are able to ‘perceive’ the other planets, and thus their rotational cycles around the Sun (and Earth).
Morning's dawn today (as the Sun rose above the horizon here on Earth), heralded a new ‘birth’, a new life, within the 365-day ‘solar’ cycle marking (hu)man's solar year. The Sun has always been considered by astrology (and alchemy), as the most important of the planets, it is the Sun that is the representation of the life of (hu)man ‘him-self’. The Sun is the axle of our cosmic wheel, and it is currently considered the primary force in our cosmic system (at least that is the case as we view our Sun ‘today’ from the vantage point of Earth).
Essentially, it is the spiralling, spinning journey of our Earth around the Sun that provides (hu)man's lifecycle with days and nights, the seasons, and the years. The Sun is said to represent (hu)man's ‘Ego’, ruling the heart and spine (as well as being the ‘blood’ of (hu)man), and it is symbolically represented as a circle with a dot in the centre - the circle symbolising the soul (or spirit in some cases), and the dot representing the divine spark (the 'I'). The Sun, therefore, astrologically personifies the ‘eternal’ self, you that has no beginning or end, you as boundless and infinite, you as the very core of your being, the Sun is the ‘essence’ of who we are, the essence that carries over/through from one life to the next. The basis of (hu)man as promulgated by Rudolf Steiner:
"Ego and Sun are the inner and the outer aspects of the same being. What orbits out there through space as the sun is the cosmic I. What lives within me is the human I."
Our Sun and Moon are Earth's celestial ‘duality’ that provide the succession of day and night, with each ruling over part of each ‘cycle’, they encapsulate the male/female ‘duality’, rising and setting in place of each other as ‘Time’ (perceived on Earth). Moon represents the subliminal realm of the ‘subconscious’ (unconscious), contrasting with the light of the solar ‘conscious’ mind. The Moon is the Mother, whilst the Sun is the Father of (hu)man. The Sun provides the spark, whilst the Moon is the receptive/passive ‘reflection’ of the experience of life; our emotions, instinctual reactions/feelings, and ultimately, our most basic/essential needs and survival instincts. If the Sun is the Ego of (hu)man, then the Moon is (hu)man's ‘Memory’.
From the Moon we observe the passage of the ‘months’. In a tale about cycles, the Moon has the fastest of all, taking 27 and a half days to transit through all twelve Zodiac signs, during which time it has a profound impact on our emotions and decisions. As well as planetary revolutions around the sun, we should also focus on what are termed – ‘Returns’. The solar return occurs once every 365 days. This Sun return (on our birthday) produces a ‘recharge’ of our life (soul) purpose and (its placement within the Zodiac) suggests the kind of events that lie ahead over the next year of our lives. A lunar return occurs on average 13 times a year, they should be considered our monthly birthday's (if only we had 13 calendar months), and just as with the Sun, the Moon return shows/unveils each of our ‘emotional’ states during that month, along with how we might respond (emotionally) to upcoming events. (Hu)man is therefore deeply connected to the Moon, and in addition to marking the months, it also has its own ‘progressed’ lunation cycle operating within (hu)man. In the words of Dane Rudhyar:
"These cycles and their most characteristic phases (New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter, and Balsamic Moon), when properly analysed and evaluated, help us to know what time it is on the clock of our inner life. Within such a frame of reference, the positions of the "progressed planets" find their most meaningful places. But this clock of our inner life is very different from the physical clocks we are used to, and which are attuned to the rhythm of the earth's rotation around its axis and, in more complicated clocks, also to the rhythm of the seasons and the apparent yearly path of the Sun along the zodiac. It does not strike inevitable hours. It does not refer to inevitable events. Let me stress here that the planets' transits in the sky day after day, year after year are not to be confused with the progressions. The former deal with objective time, the latter with subjective time. The transits of Uranus over a particular degree of Virgo affect every human being born with the Sun on that degree; they are indisputable "facts of life." But a person's response to these facts depends primarily on his natal chart (the blueprints of his individual nature) and secondarily on his progressions — i.e., on the subjective time it is in his inner life."
Progressed lunation cycles occur every 27-28 years (and last for three and a half years, hence the common perception that such occur at the age of 30), and it is at this age, that a crucial emotional ‘change’ occurs in (hu)man. It is usually at this stage in our ‘lifecycle’ that we have (an often uncomfortable/unfortunate) encounter with our destiny/fate. It is of no coincidence that so many famous musicians and actors depart our manifest world at this point in their lifecycles. This progressed lunation cycle, occurring at the age of 27/28, again at 54/55, and then at 81/82, marks the beginning(s) of new ‘instinctual’ cycle(s) (the Moon rules the reproductive organs, and therefore these are also the stages when the female biological clock chimes. The first chime is if no child has been born by then, with the second chime marking the last chance warning before the closing down of the reproductive function, as for the last – this is beyond ‘comprehension’). The progressed Sun and Moon perform a dance every 30 years or so, the timing of such is ‘dependent’ upon our personal birth charts (the most essential tool for our understanding of ‘self’).
Looking beyond our immediate circumstances on Earth, beyond the revolutions of our Sun and Moon, we find what are termed the inner (‘personal’) planets - Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Mercury is the closest to our Sun and takes (on average) 116 days to complete a (‘synodic’) revolution (with each synodic cycle lasting from 105 to 130 days, averaging 116). This Mercury cycle is aligned with sacred ‘geometry’, as there are 3.14 synodic cycles a solar year (the mathematical constant of Pi is thus outlined in the heavens by the dance of Mercury as it travels around our Sun and through the Zodiac). Mercury is the planet of mind and ‘breath’, influencing ideas, as well as what underpins them, their source, and motivation. Mercury is (hu)man's ‘mediator’ between the astral elements of infinite ‘possibilities’, and connection with the rhythm of (hu)man through ‘ideas’ and movement (Mercury is all about ‘movement’). Ruling the chest (lungs) and nerves of (hu)man, Mercury governs our mental and automatic body functions (breathing, blinking). As such, when the annual Mercury return occurs, it focuses on our ‘expressive’ functions, processes and patterns; Mercury highlights where the ‘opportunities’ to gain knowledge during the next cycle are (essentially showing us where to spend our ‘mental’ energy for the cycle to come).
A relationship exists between Mercury and our next planet – Venus, which takes 584 days to complete a synodic cycle (or 224 days to complete a revolution of our Sun). Viewed from Earth, Venus' movement produces an astonishing ‘pattern’ in the sky. It is described as a five-petalled ‘rose’, a cycle/dance which completes every eight years (13 Venusian years) and conforms to the geometry of the ‘Fibonacci’ sequence. Venus rules the sensory organs and glands, and if the Sun (in conjunction with Earth) is considered to be the source of our ‘physical body’, then Venus provides our ‘etheric body’. A Venus return occurs once a year, signifying new opportunities for ‘relationships’ (romantic and platonic), as well as presenting a period of change in our love lives. The seven-year itch comes to mind with Venus cycles, which can be seen to play out in sequence throughout (hu)man's relationships with each other.
Not to be outdone by the geometric dance of the Sun and Mercury, any time we calculate a solar return for a year which has a ‘factor’ of eight, Venus will align (almost exactly) where it was at birth. On these years Venus informs us that we are fully ‘attuned’ to our romantic needs and inner ‘values’ (these are auspicious years to be aware of: 8, 16, 24, 32, and so on). Hu(man)'s greatest year for romance is actually at the age of 32, when Venus returns exactly to its birth position at the same time as Mars does (providing ‘harmony’ with our inner drives and values, and the solar return at the age of 32 in conjunction with Venus and Mars is a powerful ‘realisation’ point within our lifecycle). Venus, Mercury, and the Moon are also known as the ‘destiny-determining’ planets. Mercury and the Moon are considered to be the ‘modulators’, imposing a pattern, turning the cosmic energy into something ‘understandable’ to (hu)man. Mercury gives the raw energy of the Sun perceivable ‘order’, the Moon then turns Earth's ‘reception’ of those energies into a form perceivable to (hu)man, Venus then provides relationship to/with this energy within us, and fulfils another function, as part of the 'I-Thou' dichotomy of Venus-Mars - one expounded upon by Lactantius (advisor to Roman Emperor Constantine I):
“Mars, when guilty of homicide, and set free from the charge of murder by the Athenians through favour, lest he should appear to be too fierce and savage, committed adultery with Venus.”
Each of the planets in our story so far orbit within the circuit of Earth, they move around our Sun ‘quicker’ than Earth does. Mars is the first planet that rotates ‘outside’ of the sphere of Earth, and thus its energies are of a ‘different’ nature. Mars takes 687 days to complete a revolution of the Sun, and as such a Mars return occurs nearly every two years, and with it come(s) guidance on where (hu)man’s ‘passions’ (motivation/driving force) will be over the coming cycle (and explains why after roughly two years of the same thing, boredom sets in). As the planet of ‘action’ and spontaneity, Mars rules the ‘voice/speaking’ of (hu)man, as well as our animal instincts for aggression, anger, and survival. With Venus, these two planets are known as the ‘relationship’ planets, and they have a dance of their own. Venus and Mars meet up in a ‘conjunction’ once every two years (or so), and this cosmic ‘lovers’ dance is one between ‘polarities’, Venus represents the ‘feminine’ energy, with Mars the symbol for ‘masculine’ energy, like the opposing poles of a magnet (unlike the duality within Sun and Moon). They attract each other, and as a result something ‘new’ comes into our lives (their cycle get our ‘creative’ juices flowing). Mars is ‘Iron’, whilst Venus is ‘Copper’, as such together they conduct power and ‘electricity’, creating energy and ‘motion’ (hence why their conjunctions are said to be where an act of ‘creation’ begins).
The desire for ‘independence’ and autonomy (Mars) and the need for love and ‘relationship’ (Venus) exist within the ‘soul’ of every (hu)man. Their cosmic choreography mirrors an internal journey within us all, the quest of the ‘hero’. These two planets therefore have a natural tendency to ‘challenge’ one another, the intensity of their interaction gives our lives ‘motion’, although it should be noted that their ‘electro-magnetism’ is a force of nature, and so ‘difficult’ times often associate such ‘aspects’. These roughly two-yearly conjunctions are also part of a larger series of conjunctions that recur every 32 years, and teach us a great deal about ‘ourselves’. They are incredibly powerful, with the capacity to create (or destroy), foster love/hatred (and not just in relationships), and ultimately serve the purpose of stirring (hu)man’s ‘passions’ at every level.
All of the planets discussed so far ‘influence’ the inner nature of (hu)man, their cycles are relatively quick (in relation to Earth’s orbit around the Sun), and we measure ‘multiple’ births and deaths of their ‘cycles’ throughout even a short period of life (due primarily to them being measurable in days). Our next planet – Jupiter – the first of the ‘social’ planets, takes 11.6 years to complete a revolution of the Sun, and its counterpart – Saturn – takes even longer, at 29.5 years. It is the transit(s) of these two planets that much of the wider ‘discussion’ on the effects of the planetary cycles within (hu)man derives, and the source of much discussion about the Universe and (hu)man, as noted by Aleister Crowley:
“Anything which throws light upon the Universe, anything which reveals us to ourselves, should be welcome in this world of riddles.”
Revolving beyond the asteroid belt that ‘cages’ Earth and the inner planets, Jupiter provides (hu)man with a major cycle of growth that is readily ‘felt’ within every life. This Jupiter return (occurring roughly every 12 years) brings with it major ‘milestones’ in (hu)man’s life, it births whole new phases of ‘growth’ and development. Jupiter is the planet of abundance and ‘meaning’, therefore everything it touches appears to grow ‘bigger’. It rules the liver, kidneys, phlegm, and arterial/growth system(s), as well as (hu)man's 'thinking'. We experience our Jupiter return(s) at the ages of 11/12, 23/24, 35/36, 47/48, 59/60, 71/72, and 83/84, with each cycle opening a whole new ‘learning’ period within our lives. It is not uncommon for us to experience a period of general dissatisfaction, ‘boredom’, and a general need for new direction/challenges during the last year or two of the Jupiter cycle (think of this (and all cycles) in the same manner as the Moon’s waxing and waning stages – energy ‘increases’ from the New Moon till its peak at the Full Moon, before waning back to the New Moon with an increasing need for new ventures – this is the undulating ‘rhythm’ of our planetary lives).
Yielding with the cycle of Jupiter (in a symbolic and ‘complementary’ whole) is the cycle of Saturn. This planet of structure and ‘contraction’ shapes the life of (hu)man by setting ‘limits’ (no maturation or growth from Jupiter can take place, without the contrasting energies from Saturn, with both having to operate in ‘balance’ within our lives). Saturn rules our bone structure, and bodily acids, and ultimately provides for the posture/stature of (hu)man. The Saturn return occurs every 29.5 years, and it is rightfully ‘feared’ by all who are aware of it, because it represents a new phase in our aging process, in our ‘maturity’, our responsibilities; and usually it brings with it difficult ‘acceptance’ and tough lessons (the phrase – “that which does not kill us makes us stronger” should be applied to Saturn returns). The first of these “stop and take stock” returns occurs when (hu)man starts to take serious the coming of ‘adulthood’, the second (in the very late 50’s) occurs during what is usually termed a ‘mid-life’ crisis, with the third occurring towards the end of life at 88.5 years old.
Coupled with the individual cycles of Jupiter and Saturn, is the dance they perform together. No pair of planets are more ‘opposite’ to each other than these two planets. Jupiter is ‘expansive’ (full of opportunities, generosity, and good fortune), whilst Saturn ‘contracts’ (bringing obstacles, structure, and sorrow). Jupiter points (hu)man towards the ‘future’, whilst Saturn grounds us within the ‘past’. Together they are termed the ‘social’ planets, and thus they also represent (hu)man’s society and wider world (combined with Mars, these three planets are known as the 'liberating' planets - and interesting term, the tale of which is another story). Their cyclic dance produces a ‘conjunction’ every 20 years, indicating a ‘social’ shift, both internally within our own social circles, and externally within our wider ‘culture’ (society/civilisation). Whatever Jupiter and Saturn ‘discover’ during their dance ‘around’ our Earth, eventually ‘becomes’ our world. As such, we all need to understand this 20-year dance and use the energies/influence at these times as a ‘springboard’ to reach our highest ‘potential’ (otherwise the influence will work as a ‘barrier’ holding us back); this is due to the fact that Saturn and Jupiter are the ‘architects’ of the existence of (hu)man within Earth.
Year 84 in (hu)man’s lifecycle is when the first of the ‘transcendental’ or ‘outer’ planets – Uranus – has its return. Uranus the planet of revolution, innovation, and progress, rules the nervous system within (hu)man (on both an individual and societal scale), as well as playing an electrical role within our respiratory function. Taking 84 years to complete one revolution of our Sun, this cycle can be divided into twelve 7-year periods, or seven 12-year periods (aligned with Jupiter). Just like the lunation and Jupiter cycles discussed above, these represent important ‘milestones’ in our lives – 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and so on. Each of these ‘turning’ points indicate a revolution/innovation within (hu)man’s lifecycle, and also neatly describe the ‘growth’ of (hu)man from birth, through childhood, adolescence, and into adulthood, then onwards through to middle age and beyond into death. Uranus also works its own dance with both Jupiter and Saturn. Each Jupiter-Uranus cycle recurs every 14 years, and each ‘alignment’ within the cycle lasts for about 14 months, with their alignments producing exciting times of innovation and meaning in our lives. The Saturn-Uranus cycle recurs every 45 years (roughly) with each alignment within the cycle lasting for about two years. During these alignments we experience a ‘collision’ between the old and the new – these are times of massive, ‘unavoidable’ change in the lives of (hu)man – both within and without. This power of the planets within us has been known for some time, as evidenced by the words of D. H. Lawrence:
“…the moon, the planets, the great stars. They are either our makers or our unmaker’s. There is no escape. We and the cosmos are one. The cosmos is a vast living body, of which we are still parts. The sun is a great heart whose tremors run through our smallest veins. The moon is a great gleaming nerve-center from which we quiver forever. Who knows the power that Saturn has over us, or Venus? But it is a vital power, rippling exquisitely through us all the time. And if we deny Aldebaran, Aldebaran will pierce us with infinite dagger-trusts.”
Cycles (successive ones) build on the events/experience of the last and develop ‘patterns’ over time. One innovation/change leads to another, with ‘energies’ (from the planets) cross-fertilising and inspiring/influencing each other (both individually within each of us, and globally across the Earth). These cycles overlap and work with and against each other during the lifecycle of (hu)man. Our story today has focused on those planets within our solar system that revolve around the Sun within the ‘span’ of (hu)man’s life. In order to experience a Neptunian return we would have to live to see our 165th birthday, our Pluto return would not come until we reached 248 years of age. Both of these are beyond the ‘current’ lifespan of (hu)man, but that does not mean that these ‘outer’ planets do not affect each of us here on Earth. Instead of experiencing a return, we do experience (as with all planets) the progression from their position(s) at the time of our birth. At the first ‘square’ angle (aged 41/42 for Neptune, and 62 for Pluto) we gain ‘illumination’ about ourselves from Neptune, and then ‘transformation’ of our life from Pluto. At the age of 82/83 we get to experience half of the Neptune synodic cycle, which occurs the year after our (presumably) last progressed lunation cycle, and the year before the completion of both the Jupiter and Uranus cycles with (hu)man, indicating that these years bring a massive ‘understanding’ of ourselves and what life is. In fact, every 14 years (not a coincidence) the orbit of Neptune makes a 30-degree aspect to its natal position which strips away illusions (if we have not been paying attention to Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus these periods often lead us into dark places). Similarly, every 21 years (on average) Pluto aspects our natal charts (if we have refused to listen to Saturn and Uranus during our lives, these aspects enforce change – (hu)man has no choice at these points if they fail to head the choices offered by the planets).
Looking at all of these cycles together we are able to paint a picture of the lifecycle of (hu)man, and how our ‘lifetime’ is structured, with regular ‘intervals’ of change/meaning, development/learning, as well as forming/destruction of all ‘aspects’ within our lives. The cycles described through our story today do not exist in isolation, separate from one another; they lead on from each other, marking our past and future, and it is not uncommon for the issues and/or lessons from one cycle to disappear, only to reappear in a much later cycle. We live within a spiralling wheels, within wheels structure (‘above’ and ‘below’). We also live within multiple ‘timelines’ at once, the different time-lines we live within, all the time. We live within the ‘individual’ time/cycles of the planetary bodies, as they move inexorably onwards, relentlessly rotating around our Sun, as well as in what Dane Rudhyar refers to as ‘subjective’ time. The moment of our birth provides the positioning of all the planets, and it is their progressed ‘cycles’ in relation to that point in time, that provide ‘individual’ meaning and understanding to our planetary life. Therefore, in order to track the coherent undulation that distinctly marks our lives, we have to ‘observe’ multiple timelines simultaneously (and thus live within separate times – including our flawed calendar system).
Examining the cycles within our ‘individual’ lives produces a map of the lifecycle of (hu)man. We all undergo specific planetary guidance/direction at set points in our lives, individual years are set aside (from birth) for certain ‘developments’, and even if we fail to initially follow their guidance, the planets mark specific years when ‘change’ will happen (whether we like it or not). Excluding the annual Sun, Mercury, and Venus returns, as well as the monthly Moon cycles; and focusing solely on ‘turning-points’ and ‘milestone’ years within our lifecycle we have the following map to our lives: 0, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11/12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23/24, 26, 27/28, 29.5, 30, 32, 34, 35/36, 38, 40, 41/42, 44, 45, 46, 47/48, 49, 50, 52, 54/55, 56, 58, 59/60, 62, 63, 64, 66, 68, 70, 71/72, 74, 76, 77, 78, 80, 81/82, 82/83, 83/84, 86, 88, 88.5, and 90 (A surprising amount of a life).
So, the ‘Ages of Man’ can be seen to conform to a number of planetary cycles. Our solar system, as the macro-cosmos of our own inner micro-cosmos, is a living, breathing being, that has incredible ‘beauty’ in its movement(s). By gaining knowledge of these movements (cycles) within ourselves, can ensure a genuine ‘soul’ growth, and improved understanding of what it (really) ‘means’ to be (hu)man. Living the cycles, being conscious of the cycles to come, and learning through them. That is what your 'soul' purpose demands, as it pulls your spirit, mind, body, and community forward, ever onward, traversing the wheel of life, the cycles of the planets, around and around, until...
References:
'The Emerald Tablets' (purported to have been authored by Hermes Trismegistus) is a foundational text for Hermeticism.
See: https://symbolsage.com/the-emerald-tablet-of-thoth/
Tetrabiblos by Claudius Ptolemy, Book IV, Chapter 10: 'Of the Division of Times'.
See: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Ptolemy/Tetrabiblos/4C*.html#10
William Shakespeare's Comedy Play 'As You Like It'.
See (apologies for the utilisation of the deeply flawed Wikipedia, but it does sometimes have its uses): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_You_Like_It
Paracelsus quote taken from Author Franz Hartmann's book: 'Life and the Doctrine of Philippus Theophrastus Bombast of Hohenheim known as Paracelsus', published by Kessinger Publishing 1992, pages 287-288.
See (unfortunately unable to provide a direct link to the page in reference, as this was taken from a hardcopy, but here is a link to obtaining this interesting work for yourself): https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564591859/khaldea
Rudolf Stenier quote taken from the book: 'Astronomy and Astrology: Finding a Relationship to the Cosmos', published by Rudolf Steiner Press 2009, page 101.
Dane Rudhyar quote originally from his book: 'The Lunation Cycle: A Key to the Understanding of Personality', although this particular quote is sources from: 'The Clock of Your Inner Life', first published in Horoscope Magazine, August 1967.
See: http://khaldea.com/rudhyar/astroarticles/clockofyourinnerlife.php
Further reading on the 'Progressed Lunation Cycle' (much has been written about this subject, and there are countless websites with information to absorb).
See (Astro.com has a handy database of articles and reference pages on all aspects of Astrology): https://www.astro.com/astrology/in_progmoon_e.htm
Explanation of Synodic Cycles.
See: https://www.astro.com/astrowiki/en/Synodic
Pi and Fibonacci Sequence reference(s).
See (again apologies for linking Wikipedia, but these are actually good explanations and a handy resource): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pi (Pi reference) and (Fibonacci Sequence) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number
Lactantius quote taken from: 'The Sacred Writings of Lactantius' (Annotated Edition), published by Jazzybee Verlag, 2012, page 40.
See (Another personal copy of a hard to find book, follow this link for information): https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Sacred_Writings_of_Lactantius_Annota.html?id=WAQJhedNhzQC&redir_esc=y
Aleister Crowley quote taken from: 'Magick in Theory and Practice', published by Lulu Press, 1992, page 70.
See (Another hardcopy in the private library, but follow this link to obtain): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magick-Theory-Practice-Aleister-Crowley/dp/1555217664
Further reading on Uranus and the Saturn-Uranus cycle.
See “The Astrological Significance of Uranus” by Opeaus Blair published through ‘The Human: Jack, Orage & friends’: https://jackheart2014.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-astrological-significance-of-uranus.html (alternatively follow the recommendations link from this Substack page to Jack Heart Esoteric Evolution for access to a number of highly recommended articles).
Reference to Further reading on Uranus...
See (Dane Rudhyar: 'One is Never Too Old, To Begin Again', first published in Horoscope Magazine, July 1967): http://www.khaldea.com/rudhyar/astroarticles/nevertooold.php
D. H. Lawrence quote taken from his book: 'Apocalypse', published by Viking Press, 1932, page 124.
See (Taken from another hardcopy in the private library, but follow this link to obtain): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Apocalypse-Writings-Revelation-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140187812/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=1179776875723639&hvadid=73736256871932&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=69155&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-73736192337429%3Aloc-188&hydadcr=11905_2290941&keywords=d+h+lawrence+apocalypse&qid=1672920181&sr=8-1
Explanation of Square alignments.
See: https://www.astro.com/astrowiki/en/Square
Brief explanation(s) of the significance of 30 degrees in Astrology.
See: https://www.astro.com/astrowiki/en/Ecliptic and https://www.astro.com/astrowiki/en/Arcdegree and https://www.astro.com/astrowiki/en/Semi-Sextile
I admit I struggle with Astrology and the Solar System, Planets etc but I do believe that the things that run this place, place their bets on it. I sumise that the Sun is local.. no way no how its 93 million miles away. IF it was at that distance it would be a constant size or dot in the sky. We have all seen a HUGE sunset in our lives when the Sun is rather quite large...Are our eyes even designed to see something 93 million miles away? Stars are basically in the same place every year so again cant wrap my head around we are hurtling through space, spinning at the same time observation tells me otherwise. Again FOR SURE I feel there is something to it.. just at this time in my life it evades me.
"Essentially, it is the spiralling, spinning journey of our Earth around the Sun that provides (hu)man's lifecycle with days and nights, the seasons, and the years"
Thank you Jack.
I now know what you are talking about with regards nefarious substack activity...
The stats don't add up, and likes appear then disappear, gotta love technology and its controllers...
I'm not in anyway attributing myself to him, or advocating him, but to quote Benjamin Disraeli:
"Nothing can withstand the power of the human will if it is willing to stake its very existence to the extent of its purpose".