Sorrow, like Purgatory, may be said to be the process of becoming conscious of the futility of unnecessary earthly desires and activities. What we are, what we have, all our good qualities, are the result of our own actions in the past. What we lack in physical, moral, or mental excellence, may yet be ours in the future; and, too, whatever trials, tribulations, and sorrows that we may have to contend with in this life, be assured that they can be canceled and erased from the scroll of future lives, to a great extent, by the way and manner in which we live our daily lives.

   All of us have our troubles, our worries, our sorrows; all of us have heavy burdens to bear, no matter what external appearances may indicate to the contrary. Indeed, it is excellent for us that we sometimes have troubles and sorrows, for they bring us back to realities; they foster humility; they defend us from vainglory. Then, too, afflictions and adversities make us understand better the great need we have of God, without whom we can do nothing that is good.

   We advance much more rapidly in the University of Life through sorrows and adversities, because we then struggle and exert ourselves to "Overcome" our defects, and strive to improve our conditions and environment; whereas, with too much affluence we are so apt to become lazy, indolent, and waste our lives in pleasure, selfishness, and ease.

   Whatever we do that is wrong is life must in some way be brought to our attention. Sorrow and pain have been the taskmasters that have guided us aright in the past, and in order that we may continue to do right, we have the Law of Cause and Effect.

   There is in each one of us a spiritual power that has become latent during the time we have been making the pilgrimage through matter, and it is for us to awaken this power. It is now latent because humanity has not fitted itself to receive it. We are too selfish, and we must cultivate unselfishness before we shall be trusted to wield this wonderful force. And, if we continue to travel and travel, take rebirth after rebirth, and do not at some time learn to obey the voice of God, hold His commands holy, and live the good life, we cannot expect to reach the City of Peace, but must be content to remain in the land of sorrow and suffering.

   All of us have this spiritual power within that will bring us into this City of Peace, and enable us to make progress on the Path of God. But the question instantly arises — how are we to unfold our latent spiritual power? How are we to reach God? What must we do to travel that long, arduous road to perfection? We must make the start sometime — so why not now?

   Assuredly, the first step is purification, for without a pure life there can be no spiritual advancement. "Ye can not serve God and mammon," it is said. But mammon is usually interpreted to mean the gold of the world. Yet a man may remain in his business and take care of it for the good of all, not only striving for his own interests, but endeavoring to do everything possible for others. In consequence, he will not be serving mammon.

   We may love only a few around us, but there is a higher love that flows out to those not in our own circle which must be observed. Every duty must be fulfilled that we may thereby take advantage of the higher opportunities that are ever opening up before us.

   And so we must learn our lessons in service: service to humanity, service to our younger brothers, service to animals, service everywhere. This, and this alone will bring us out of the "wilderness." It is said that those who were highest in the Temple in the Wilderness were those who served; and the Christ said, "He who would be the greatest among you, let him be the servant of all."

   Let us all strive to render service. Let us all endeavor to be helpful, cheerful, valiant, and courageous, always lending a helping hand to those in sorrow and distress — and then our own troubles will gradually fade into oblivion as the dawn of new understanding begins to light the way to the unbelievable glories of our Father God.

   Shown chiefly by the 11th house, planets therein, and the ruler of the sign on the cusp.

   Indicated by the 12th house, planets therein, and the ruler of the sign on the cusp.

Signified by the 4th house, planets located therein, and the ruler of the sign on the cusp.

   Indicated by the 8th house, planets deposited there, and the ruler of the sign on the cusp.

   A planet deposited in a house is to be considered first. If no planet is there, consider the ruler of the sign on the cusp. In detailed delineation both are taken into consideration.

   In order not to involve the student in too much of a labyrinth of intricate configurations and possibilities, we are simplifying the following questions, and wish them to be answered in the same manner.

   Simplicity, as we have before remarked, in analyzing the prominent points of a horoscope, is an absolutely necessary accomplishment before the detailed delineation is undertaken.

  (You are welcome to e-mail your answers and/or comments to us. Please be sure to include the course name and self-study module number in your e-mail to us. Or, you are also welcome to use the answer form below. You will find the answers to the questions below in the next Astrology Independent Study Module.)

  Sum up, in one short paragraph, the significance of:
  Pisces on the cusp of the 11th house, Neptune ruler thereof.
  Neptune sextile Venus and the Sun.
  Neptune square Mars.

  Synthesize in one short paragraph:
  Uranus in Aries in the 12th house.
  Uranus square the Moon.
  Uranus trine Jupiter.

   From the planets and their aspects which are deposited in the 4th house, state the conditions of the boy's later years.

    (a) What sort of death is indicated when the time for it arrives?
    (b) What are the possibilities of leading the regenerate life?

1. (a) Gemini rules the arms, hands, lungs, shoulders, thymus gland and the upper ribs.

    (b) Gemini is a common sign, and when it is on the Ascendant it it very often signifies a person who is quite careless of his health and habits, and on this account we find more tubercular patients among Gemini people than among those of any one of the other eleven signs.

    (c) A person with Gemini rising is subject to nervous troubles, but with the slightest help he can throw off most illnesses. Afflictions in this sign indicate pulmonary troubles, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, pleurisy, consumption and every sort of nervous ailment and disorder.

2. (a) Mars in Gemini on the Ascendant gives energy, a strong constitution, excellent recuperative powers, and much vitality. It has some adverse effects, however, and as it is co-ruler of the 6th house it shows certain tendencies: pneumonia, bronchitis, wounds or fractures of hands, arms, or collar bone; and by reflex action in Sagittarius, fractured femur, sciatica.

    (b) Mars trine Saturn sustains the physical body of the boy, gives him great vitality, and promises general good health for long periods.

    (c) Mars square Neptune implies potential nervous troubles from impulsive and sensual excesses, fevers, and danger from poisons.

3. Mars rules the iron in the blood, red coloring matter in the blood, genitals, motor nerves, left cerebral hemisphere, muscular movements, motor segment of the spinal cord, rectum, and the Desire Body.

4. (a) Venus in Cancer, co-ruler of the 6th house, shows a proclivity to distended stomach, gastric tumor, and nausea.

    (b) Venus parallel Saturn is an adverse configuration as regards health. It denotes trouble with the opposite sex, and obstruction of the venous circulation.

5. (a) Saturn in Aquarius gives a tendency to weak ankles, easily sprained, and, by reflex action in Leo, curvature of the spine, sclerosis, and afflictions of the heart, back, and arteries. The opposition of Mercury increases these tendencies.

    (b) Uranus in Aries reacts upon the head, producing headaches, neuralgia, and diseases of the brain and cerebral hemisphere.

    (c) Neptune in Virgo shows a predisposition to hypochondria, and nervous disorders originating in the abdominal region and the large and small intestines. Cholera, appendicitis, and intestinal troubles are indicated by the above placement.

6. Mars on the Ascendant, in the 1st house, in Gemini, strengthens the boy's constitution and gives him much energy and vitality. There is a weakness, however, with regard to bronchial inflammation, pleurisy, and pneumonia, and the weakness is the more pronounced because of Mars square Neptune. This tends to cause trouble through poisons and fevers in the intestines (Neptune in Virgo). Saturn in Aquarius shows varicose veins, and by reflex to Leo, heart trouble. Saturn opposition Mercury not only increases this tendency, but also suggests a nervous condition. Mars trine Saturn and Mars sextile Mercury, however, will offset these tendencies to a great degree. The Sun, Moon, and Venus in Cancer indicate strong desires for rich and sweet foods, and their consumption to excess will cause a congested digestive system and various sorts of digestive disorders. The Moon square Uranus assists in making the native indiscreet in his choice of foods, hence headaches, a clogged system, and stomach complaint. Later in life there might possibly be a rheumatic condition, but with a normal amount of common sense and care the boy will escape many proclivities imposed by past-life indulgences.

Note: It is not intended to be implied by the above that the configurations noted will produce all of the afflictions and diseases cited. The configurations merely show the tendencies which may materialize in one or more afflictions; or these may be largely avoided by "ruling one's stars."

   From an esoteric standpoint, as we usually use the word, "communicate" means a process by which knowledge or information is transmitted from one mind to another. However, a study and synthesis of its derivative roots reveals its esoteric meaning which makes it possible for us more truthfully to understand the real significance and right use of this function of sensory, intellectual, and spiritual transmission. Its direct derivation is from the Latin word communicare which means to share. In it are found two basic root-words: "com" referring to "with" or "together," and "un" referring to "one-ness" or "unity." Thus we see that "communication" is a means by which diversity of minds and consciousness are, in degree, unified through the process of sharing. This sharing is a polarized process: the positive pole is revealed in actions of radiation, expressing, informing, telling, writing, projective telepathy, and inspirational projection; the negative pole is revealed in actions of perception, reaction to vibratory stimuli, all sense-perception, learning, understanding, and realization. All that is established in divine mind can be transmitted to — or shared with — diversified, individualized mind or consciousness. The over-all evolutionary goal is the realized unity of diversified minds with the One Mind of our Creator.

   Before undertaking a consideration of the esoteric, karmic, and evolutionary significances of communication between humans, we must first consider the basic or primordial or absolute communication between Divine Consciousness and human consciousness — the "creative sharing of Light." Divine Mind makes Itself known to us — "speaks to us" — by manifesting Itself as infinitely varying states of objectified vibration — the natural, physical world. It has also creatively provided us with centers and organs of sense-perception in the development and exercise of which we may learn of our source by observation of manifestation. Through sight, we perceive and know God's manifestation as color; through hearing, we perceive and know God's manifestation as tone; through touch, we perceive and know God's manifestation as texture and density; through taste, we perceive and know God's manifestation as chemical mixture; through smell, we perceive and know God's manifestation as invisible and silent chemical emanation or radiation. Extended, "transcendental" forms of sense-perception are included in clairvoyance, intuition, clairaudience, claircognition, telepathy, and inspiration. By these faculties, Man's internal apperceptions are revealed in realms that transcend the "limitations of Time-Space." All of these sensory and super-sensory faculties and powers make possible the many variations of communicative action and rapport between the Divine and Its sub-human, human, and super-human microcosms as well as between humans amongst each other and their sub-human and super-human "brothers and sisters." He who knows more (has evolved more conscious-ness) shares with him who knows less (is less evolved in consciousness and knowledge); he who knows less (is less evolved in consciousness and knowledge) receives from, and learns from, him who knows more and is more evolved in consciousness. The magnetic attraction of relative differences in consciousness and similarity of cosmic urge to realize unity is the communicative relationship between all living things. Communication is fraternity in action; Truth-full, constructive, and serviceable communication is fraternal love in action. Now, to astrology:

   Before a human can express to another mind in a communicative way, he must go through a "process inside himself" by which he formulates that which he desires to convey. In a subtle but imperishable way, this formulation is an inter-action of the subconscious mind with the conscious perceptions. Before any fact or realization can be conveyed, it has first to be learned and the particular faculty for learning was exercised prior to the present moment. It is the subconscious mind — symbolized astrologically by the Moon-which acts as the storehouse of memories — which are residual impressions established by past exercises of consciousness. It is the conscious mind — symbolized astrologically by Mercury — which cognizes and expresses according to the present need. By the adhesive, retentive quality of the subconscious mind, Man remains linked to that which he has been and has expressed in the past and his cognitions and interpretations of his present are established on what he recalls as memory or feeling-memory of his past. Therefore, we see that an individual always communicates within himself before he transmits or expresses his consciousness to another. A simple example: someone asks you what time it is — he needs that factor of information; before you can answer him, you have to "receive communication — by visual means — from what your watch tells you." Formulating a cognition, you are then able to transmit that fact as a communicative action to the other person. But, even before that, you had to learn how to read a watch to tell time; your subconscious mind retained memory of your having learned to read the watch from some time in the past. So — you "drew on your past" to fulfill the present communicative need for your friend. And so it goes, eternally: the past is the "pabulum" upon which the present draws to build the future. In the individual horoscope, the correlation of Moon and Mercury shows the alchemical "mixture" of feeling-memory, established by exercises of consciousness in the past, with perception by sense and intellect being exercised by the consciousness in the present. Also, the correlation of Moon-Mercury with Jupiter shows the alchemical process by which the individual is distilling apperception of truth — a cognition of fact which is above, and cleared from, all personal subconscious biases of interpretation by pain, pleasure, prejudice, antipathy, or favoritism. The correlation of Moon-Mercury with Uranus shows the alchemical evolution of such faculties as intuition and prevision; with Neptune, it shows the "gestation" of clairvoyant and clairaudient faculties (the evidence of things unseen and unheard) as well as the evolutionary establishment of the power of faith and the power to communicate by prayer.

   The foregoing must be understood to be a general basic survey of the nature of communication. Now, for practical astro-psychological purposes, we will concentrate on the basic arch-symbol of communication and communicative faculty — the planet Mercury, ruler of Gemini and Virgo.

   Create a copy of the "Gemini mandala:" the zodiacal sequence placed around a circle with Gemini as Ascendant-sign. Note that Taurus-Scorpio, the diameter of desire-power and generative power, forms the diameter of the twelfth and sixth cusps. Taurus refers to the throat-center, the mechanism by which vocal creatures create tone; remember that everything which we hear is perceived as an aspect of tonal vibration. Scorpio refers to that faculty for generating, or "evoking," material for another physical body. Through Taurus, we generate or "evoke" tonal material for the embodiment, the perceptible manifestation, of ideas, thoughts, feelings, emotions, knowledge, understanding, and realization; on the plane of physical sense-perception it is the power and faculty to generate tone that "overshadows" (twelfth house relationship to Ascendant) all communicative action. It is the Mercury-power to formulate tones as spoken words or sung words by the interaction of breath from the lungs and the mobility of tongue and lips; it is also the Mercury-power to use the hands to write and draw symbolic picture-imitations of the spoken word as written words or diagrams, and of tones as musical notation. In the Gemini mandala the Moon- sign, Cancer, is on the second cusp. Herein is seen that Man's consciousness of nationality "stewards" the evolution of his faculty to express and communicate by language. crystallized adherence to one nationality provokes limited knowledge and use of systematized language — such a person can communicate, in speech and writing (or reading) only with those who know his particular language. But on the plane of present use of the intellect, that adherence can be decrystallized by the learning of another language, or of other languages. By such decrystallizing extension, the person can communicate with a correspondingly greater number of people, his "field of human rapport" is enlarged, his appreciation of the thought and way-of-life of others is deepened and, consequently, on the plane of spiritual recognitions he finds himself experiencing a greater degree of at-one- ment with other humans. The differences of languages provide communicative barriers only to those who do not step out of the crystallizing adherences to one language; to those who do "step out," the barriers disintegrate in degree. In this we see, again, a concrete illustration of the fact that communication is fraternity expressed; to the degree that more and more means of communication are learned will the spiritualization of fraternal rapport and sympathy be realized, enjoyed, and expressed.

   In this age which witnesses the appearance of radio, television, supersonic aircraft, and all such mechanisms by which the limitations of time-space are being scientifically transcended, a parallel is seen in the field of human spiritual endeavors. Many people, of all nations around the world, are also seeking to explore the causations of impediments in individual human functioning. These are people who are giving a powerful regenerative impetus to human evolution by dedicated service to humane measures, redeeming much negative karma built in their individual past lives and devoting themselves to "helping other people to help themselves" out of states of karmic abnormality, subnormality, and deflection from normal healthy functions. In keeping with this subject of communication, it is hoped that the following observations will serve to further a deeper "inner" understanding of the karmic causations which undermine communicative faculties in the human body; the first point to be considered is epigenesis:

   Epigenesis refers to the faculty of the human to build the quality of his vehicle in correspondence to the quality and states of his consciousness. ("Epi-gene-sis" comes from two root-words which mean "to build upon.") It is the one creative faculty possessed and — unconsciously or consciously — exercised by all humans from the dawn of their evolutionary procedure as humans. By epigenesis, Man reveals his creative likeness to his own Creator; it is the "root" which underlies the flowering, in ages to come, of his true creative activity as God-consciousness. The principle, or law, of cause and effect operating on the faculty of epigenesis in humans explains all conditioned quality of physical, emotional, and mental manifestation in the human vehicle — congested, deflected, crippled, or harmonized, potent, and efficient. In the present consideration of communicative faculty and purpose, we find that the Gemini mandala has much to tell us about the karmic causation of speech defects and impediments which register in the bodies of humans at birth or which "appear" during the incarnation as a result of a congested vibratory potential being stimulated by the action of timing. Such conditions as congenital muteness, cleft palate, abnormally thick tongue, stuttering and stammering, traumatic conditions which injure the vocal mechanism, tongue or lips, etc., are the principal ones which outwardly reveal that the afflicted persons caused communication to be impeded in the past. The subconscious retained memory of the destructive or congestive action influences, and the present physical body reproduces, by epigenesis, the negative potential as "karmic return" so that the person may explore the negative aspect of consciousness from "the other side of the fence" and so learn a little more about the truths of communicative faculty and their right usage for future development and evolution. Many, many kinds of action and influence in the past may cause communicative defect in the present life, but the Gemini mandala gives us the basic esoteric clues to the causation of most of these defective conditions — and painful experiences:

   The position of the Taurus-Scorpio diameter, coinciding as it does with the cusps of the twelfth and sixth houses, is the first point to consider. This is the diameter of consciousness of power as "desire" or, to put it another way, the individualized consciousness of desire. Keeping in mind that desire is a potency of consciousness that can range, in quality, from the most inhumane lusts, greeds and retaliations to the most sublime forms of spiritualized aspirations, we realize that the right use of this potency — as shown in this mandala — is a form of contributive service (Scorpio on cusp of sixth house) and a builder of the consciousness of health. One such example is the expression of mutual love through exercise of the sexual mechanism; another is the disciplined conservation of vital and magnetic energies for use in constructive endeavors and work. So much for Scorpio at the sixth cusp; its higher polarization in the physical is the opposite sign Taurus, at the twelfth cusp of this mandala, which is the symbol of the creativity of tones released through the spoken word — the audible embodiment of feelings, thoughts, ideas, opinions, and realizations.

   Think about this: one small word — a "yes" or a "no" — spoken in a certain tone of voice, communicating to another a specific decision or feeling or realization or recognition, can change the course of a human life if the person to whom the communication is made reacts to what he hears in the word. One small word, pronounced as a judgment to affect another's life or destiny, may be spoken in such a way that the subconscious mind of the speaker "grasps and holds" an impression of malice or destructiveness to so strong a degree that the karmic return from that expression may objectify in painful experience several lives later. Through fear a needed word may be withheld; the power inherent in the unspoken word will be retained as a potential for blockage at a later time; the content of pain attending the needed subsequent decrystallization will be proportionate to the good that could have resulted if the original good word had been spoken.

   In order to unfold realizations or cognitions of karmic causes to communication difficulties or impediments, we have to be willing to elasticize our viewpoint and recognize that causation of these effects, manifested in the present by epigenesis, may have been long established in the sufferer's subconscious. To use the creative power of the spoken word to give channeling to forces of destructive and untruthful consciousness is to insure future experience with communicative impediment. In much repetition of extreme forms, the mental vehicle is disintegrated to a degree and in such wise that conditions identified as "imbecility" and "idiocy" result as karmic return, especially when deliberate cruelty has been the original emotional motivation. The present experience of many such sufferers is being helped by the power of love expressed in the care and consideration given by those who are seeking to assist them — and this love is also a karmic return, established from actions of good intent and kindliness in the past. So, in these times, we see — by observation of the fact that humans are seeking to help and rehabilitate even the most tragic cases of darkness, impediment, and relative disintegration — that the only barriers to communication are those which man himself sets up; the Creator has endowed us with potentials of mind and spirit and faculty to insure our eventual communicativeness with all planes of life. In the universal or absolute sense, there are no barriers to communication. All individualized minds function under law and by releasement and refinement of potentials within the inclusive scope of the one mind — which is the one light, the one consciousness — the ever-unfolding lines of communication of "each with all and of all with the One" are perpetually and perfectly held. By the right usages of our Mercury-factors, we reproduce the ever-open-ness of our lines of communication with fellow-humans on this plane.

— Supplemental Student Material Reference: Studies in Astrology, Elman Bacher

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