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Fixed Stars in Esoteric Astrology Temple Richmond

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Fixed Stars in Esoteric Astrology Temple Richmond Winter 2005 Fixed Stars in Esoteric Astrology Temple Richmond Summary The dominant characteristic of energies flow- ing forth from this level is uniformly benign, This essay concerns the nature of psychospiri- according to the Alice Bailey writings. There tual influence stemming from star life in far we read that “…the will-to-good is the primary distant space. The discussion is based upon quality of the energies and forces coming forth the esoteric astrological doctrine articulated by from the great Lives in which all that exist live the Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul via Alice A. and move and have their being.”1 The will-to- Bailey, his amanuensis. good pours through space, where it is received All astrological influence arises from great and distributed throughout creation by star life. cosmic lives containing many individual stars. As is evident to anyone who has a good view These individual stars have been designated by of the night sky, the celestial sphere is filled conventional astrology with the term “fixed with stars. However, most astrological analy- stars,” for the fact that stars at great distances sis concerns itself with the influences of a from Earth appear to evidence little or no ap- small band of the sky called the ecliptic. The preciable movement. This and the prevailing ecliptic is literally the plane of our solar sys- perception of fixed-star influence in main- tem as seen from our planet. In the night sky, stream or exoteric astrology are contrasted the ecliptic is that part of sky through which with the exalted and sublime nature of star life the Moon and visible planets are seen to travel. according to the esoteric doctrine. This band of the sky contains the star group- Included is a discussion of complexities sur- ings (or constellations) for which the zodiac of rounding the use of the term “eighth sphere,” astrological signs was originally named— 2 which term in certain bodies of literature refers Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and so on. But there to the realm of the fixed stars, while in the are other constellations all over the sky, such works of Alice Bailey, it refers to something as prominent Orion, the Great Bear, and quite other. Draco, to name a very few. It is star groupings like these last named with which the esoteric The essay ends with an explanation of the lad- astrological system begins its analysis of im- der of astrological influence upon which the pinging energies. spiritual aspirant ascends, according to the eso- teric doctrine, culminating with monadic Because such constellations are away from the awareness in concert with receptivity to the zodiac of the ecliptic, they can be called non- influence of the distant “fixed stars.” zodiacal constellations. The Bailey writings refer to such non-ecliptic star groupings as Introduction The esoteric astrological hypothesis holds that the origin of all astrological influence ulti- About the Author mately can be traced to great cosmic lives whose emanations sweep through star-strewn M. Temple Richmond is an internationally recog- space, the robe of Deity. In other words, astro- nized authority on esoteric astrology and author of the ground-breaking book Sirius. Recent articles logical influence results from the spiritual liv- include an esoteric analysis of the Harry Potter ingness of immense beings whose bodies of books, published in The Beacon. Her website is manifestation are constituted of grouped star www.templerichmond.org. lives. Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2005. 23 The Esoteric Quarterly “extra-zodiacal constellations,” meaning con- other Solar Logoi, their onward spiritual ad- stellations outside the ecliptical or zodiacal vancement facilitated by interchange with op- region. For ease of comprehension, the term positely charged units of their own type. From non-zodiacal constellations will be used here. this perspective can be gleaned the notion that a constellation is a purposeful, integrated or- All these non-zodiacal constellations, just like ganism made of highly conscious and evolving the zodiacal ones, are composed of what have star life, quite a departure from the widely em- been traditionally referred to by astrologers as braced belief that constellations are nothing “fixed stars,” which are simply stars so named more than imaginative, convenient, and man- because they appear to remain utterly mo- made ways to identify the parts of the complex tionless, in stark contrast to the obvious pere- celestial sphere. Thus, it is well to remember grinations of the Moon and planets. However, that within the esoteric astrological system, all stars are in motion through space, for they constellations or star groupings are considered orbit the center of the galaxy much the same as to be the embodiments of specific Great Be- the planets in the solar system travel around ings, with definite purposes and raisons d’etre the Sun.3 of their own. These are some of the Great Though these distant suns travel around the Lives in the bodies of which lesser lives find galactic center, their motions are not discern- place. able by the naked eye. Ancient astronomers Again according to the Tibetan, the non- and astrologers therefore labeled them “fixed zodiacal constellations visible to the human stars.” It is these fixed stars and their group- eye are just some of the Great Lives active at ings into non-zodiacal constellations which this level. Indeed, he stated that there are other first bring divine emanation down into the cre- such great constellational lives invisible to ated sphere, and so the esoteric astrological human sight at the stage of development cur- system begins here. rently attained by that sense.5 Some of these Constellations as Coherent invisible and unknown constellations are 6 Life Expressions etheric in nature, and therefore do not register in the physical sight of humanity. The Tibetan Master Djwhal Khul who dictated As is characteristic with the Tibetan’s teach- the Alice Bailey writings defined a star group- ing, here the subjective influence of star life is ing or constellation in an intriguing way. Em- emphasized. This distinguishes his perspective phasizing the unseen or occult dimension of rather dramatically from that of both exoteric star life, the Tibetan stated that a constellation astrology and contemporary astronomy, for the consists of two or more solar systems and that one emphasizes the putative effects of fixed “…these systems are held together as a coher- stars in human character and destiny, while the ent whole by the powerful interrelation of the other surveys the stars for knowledge of their suns, whose magnetic rapport is so balanced physical properties only. However, the Ti- that ‘occultly’ they tread the Path together betan’s mention of invisible constellations within the radius of each other’s power….”4 does tally remarkably well with the results of On the physical level, the path such suns or modern astronomy’s astounding inventory of stars tread is an orbital path through the heav- space, which has revealed many celestial struc- ens as they circle the galactic center together. tures visible only through the medium of ad- On the spiritual level, the path they tread to- vanced technology. In this, modern astronomy gether is another matter, an occult mystery per- and the esoteric astrological doctrine may be taining to the higher evolution of those entities seen to converge. manifesting as star beings, or Solar Logoi as the Tibetan called them, in their progress to- The Night Sky: Region ward the status of Cosmic Being and beyond. of the Sublime Clearly, the Tibetan meant to indicate that So- Whether admired as today, through telescope lar Logoi (or stars) evolve in association with and astronomical photography, or as yester- 24 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2005 Winter 2005 year, via unaided sight under the night sky, the literally created by exaggerated intellectual or field of space strewn with star life seems al- mental development to the exclusion of spiri- ways to have offered inspiration for the human tuality.15 The inherently pernicious nature of mind. such a dimension or state of mind is apparent. The ancient world referred to the night sky, or This fact is made plain in A Treatise on Cos- the region of the fixed stars, as the eighth mic Fire, for there the Tibetan equated the sphere, meaning the region of space encoun- “eighth sphere” with what the Theosophists tered beyond the seven celestial bodies then referred to as “Avitchi.”16 According to a recognized as constituting our solar system. footnote appended to the text in A Treatise on The phrase “eighth sphere” was used by early Cosmic Fire, “Avitchi” is a hellish state of Greek astronomers and astrologers,7 Christian consciousness which can supervene either dur- Gnostics,8 and Neo-Platonic philosophers,9 all ing embodiment or in between incarnations.17 of whom referred to the region of the fixed In The Mahatma Letters, a Theosophical clas- stars as the eighth sphere. This terminology sic first printed in December 1923,18 “Avitchi” was still in use during the lifetime of Tycho and the “eighth sphere” are described in much Brahe,10 the trailblazing 16th century European the same light. The Letters equate the “eighth astronomer, and it sphere” with “Avitchi” and even appeared in Though these distant suns define the latter term as a Masonic literature place of retribution for travel around the galactic 19 of the nineteenth wayward deeds, a region century.11 The center, their motions are not of despair encountered in eighth sphere was discernable by the naked consequence of intemperate universally concep- and indulgent behavior,20 tualized by these eye… It is these fixed stars and a world of woe in stark traditions as the and their groupings into non- contrast to Devachan, a region in which the zodiacal constellations which world of bliss.
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