Filename: RC4018.TXT

[PAGE 307]

                 ROSICRUCIAN CHRISTIANITY ASTROLOGY COURSE:

                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 24:

Dear Friend:

   In commencing this course of instruction in the method of reading a horo-
scope from the spiritual point of view, it is necessary to give some general
advice regarding the attitude of mind which students must cultivate in order
to achieve success; namely, Compassion.

   It is an excellent practice for young students to study their OWN  figure
and those of their nearest friends,  because that gives them a good idea  of
how celestial aspects are the precursors of terrestrial events,  with  which
they are already familiar.   Thus they gain valuable knowledge and a  confi-
dence  not to be obtained by mere book study,  and all is well if they  soon
branch out and become interested in the horoscopes of OTHERS to such an  ex-
tent that they almost forget their own.

   Right  at this point in their path,  however,  there is a death-trap  and
many,  alas,  all too many, fall by the wayside and allow personal interests
to rule.  They pore over their own figure every spare minute;  They tabulate
aspects  daily;  they  cast a honorary figure for every move,  even  to  the
smallest affairs of life.  Thus they prostitute the most sublime science ex-
tant, and nip in the bud what might have become a wonderful factor in devel-
oping soul power; namely, the faculty of SPIRITUAL delineation.   I hope and
pray that you may escape that dreadful quagmire.  Always remember your prom-
ise TO HELP OTHERS according to your ability.

   Another  serious responsibility will confront you and require great  dis-
cretion when you see illness or trouble ahead of a client.   Never under any
circumstances  tell him bluntly or impending trouble or ill health,  for  he
will  surely  lose his stamina by brooding, and the blow will  be  twice  as
heavy owing to your indiscretion.   You must first learn discrimination;  to
many people even a hint of trouble is disastrous although that class usually
question the Astrologer very closely,  and profess profound ability to  pre-
serve perfect equanimity,  even in the face of impending death.   Be careful
as to what you tell them, for you will be held accountable.   Neither should
you  mind if your ability is questioned when events come to pass  which  you
have seen in a life and kept silent about rather than discourage a soul that
is weak or heavy-laden.

   Once,  jealous of my beloved science,  I told a mother that if  we  could
only  get  her sick daughter past a certain day,  she  would  recover.   The
mother repeated my words to her daughter.   She died on the day  designated,
and  I  have  always felt responsible.  On another occasion  a  lady  asked:
"Would you advise divorce?"  I saw her husband's death was iminent, but kept

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her silent.   I magnified her faults and his good points, and prevailed upon
her to bear and forbear for a while longer.   When a fatal accident  severed
the time, she had no self-reproach; she blessed me for my advice, though she
might not have regarded by ability to predict very highly.

   In  the  one case I have the prediction that I might be able to  say,  "I
withheld information and earned blessings.  The lesson is obvious:

   USE 99 Per cent DISCRETION to 1 Per cent BLUNT TRUTH,  and always ENCOUR-
AGE.

   In  the  next lesson we shall commence reading a horoscope.   That  is  a
study of absorbing interest,  but remember, do not love it for the knowledge
or the power it will give you; love it for the good you can do with it,  and
your treasure will be great in heaven.  May God bless your efforts.

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

[PAGE 309]

                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 25:

Dear Friend:

   To read a horoscope correctly,  it is essential to know whether  material
or  spiritual advancement is intended for the soul during  this  embodiment,
and tow hat extend one phase is expected to predominate.  This is denoted by
the progression of the angels.  When the Midheaven moves faster,  opportuni-
ties  for intellectual and spiritual endeavor present themselves  and  bring
success, if grasped.  When the Ascendant moves faster, material affairs will
claim expression.

   Were  this  understood and acted upon, there would be fewer  failures  in
life, for the right Opportunity knocks at every door.  Satisfaction and suc-
cess always result if we embrace it.   If we miss our chance,  there will be
an undercurrent of regret despite any seeming success; the Soul feel the re-
sulting lack.

   The greatest danger of mission our chance is by a preconceived,  mistaken
idea of what constitutes opportunity, and an astrologer ignorant of this in-
ner teaching may be a dangerous guide.  Suppose he be asked to indicate  the
life  work of a young man with Mars elevated in Scorpio.   In the  light  of
common knowledge he can say that the young man will excel in surgery.  pass-
ing years may bring him fame and fortune;  Apparent success may seem to jus-
tify the astrologer beyond cavil.   Yet,  had he known that the young  man's
Ascendant  progressed much faster than his Midheaven and stamped him as  too
materialistic  to make a good doctor (for the first qualification of a  good
doctor  is a heart too big for his body),  he might have realized  that  the
world had lost a good ironworker and become afflicted with a friend who rev-
eled  in the bloody work of surgery for scientific satisfaction and who  did
not waste a thought of pity on his hapless victims.

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   Therefore  it  behooves the spiritual astrologer to first  ascertain  and
relative progression of the angles,  and make all delineations subsidiary to
that cardinal point.

   To illustrate how the angles are progressed,  take the test horoscope for
Sept.  15, 1911, 9:20 p.m. Chicago.  We will progress this for 45 years,  as
that will give a good guage.  The rule is:

   The birthday represents the birth year, and each DAY after
   birth (in the ephemeris), is as one YEAR of life.

   Counting 45 days from Sept.  15th gives Oct.  30th.   We use the S.T.  on
that day to find the houses,  but proceed otherwise as taught on page 33  of
Simplified Scientific Astrology.

   S.T. Greenwich on noon previous to
         (progressed) birth                                  14 30 00
   Correction for West Long.                                     0 59
   Interval from previous noon (Oct. 30)
         to progressed birth (true local time)                9 28 00
   Correction for Interval                                       1 34
                                                             --------
                                                             24 00 33
   Deducting 24 hours gives S.T. of progressed birth          0 00 33
   Nearest S.T. in Tables                                     0  0  0
   Our Table of Houses for Lat. 42 gives the corresponding
         progressed Ascendant:    -Cancer 19.43  Midheaven Aries 0  0
   Subtract the positions at birth:-Gemini 8.13                  13
                                          -----                  ----
   Travel during 45 years                 41.30                  47.0

   Thus we see that the Asc.  and M.C. have kept fairly even pace.   This is
therefore a comfortable "middle of the road" life,  in which the spirit does
not strenuously strive with the recaciltrant flesh, though opportunities for
slight spiritual advancement will be given.

   To  show that you understand  the principle here taught,  please  cast  a
horoscope for Sept.  12, 1911, 12:50 a.m. Seatlle.   Progress the angles for
45 years and tell me what you think thereof.

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

[PAGE 311]

                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 26:

Dear Friend:

   In  the last letter you set up a horoscope and progressed the angles  for
45 years.  You then found that the M.C. had moved three degrees to every two
traveled  by the Asc.   This shows that opportunities for soul  growth  will
abound, irrespective of whether the person profits by them or not, and judg-
ment  of this figure should point out how the finer faculties may be  culti-
vated,  put to maximum use,  and made to yield abundant treasure in  heaven.
Had the Asc.  moved more rapidly than the M.C.  it would indicate that  that
soul requires a material life work during this embodiment.  Hints to promote
proper  material pursuits would then be most helpful and indirectly  produc-
tive of soul growth.

   To  justify  this rule it is not required that the person whose  M.C.  is
speedier than his Asc. become a great spiritual light.  He may even commit a
crime  and  languish in prison through years of sorrow  and  suffering;  but
whatever the circumstances,  his experiences will produce great soul growth.
The soul never blooms until watered abundantly with tears.  As Goethe says:

         "Who never ate his bread in sorrow,
         Who never spend the midnight hours,
         Weeping, watching for the morrow,
         He knows ye not, ye heavenly powers."

   The  rose  does not yield its full fragrance till its  petals  have  been
crushed;  the well of true sympathy springs only from a broken  heart.   All
who really advance spiritually are men of sorrow and acquainted with  grief.
Paul  mentions  as the principal qualification of Christ Jesus that  He  had
suffered as we suffer,  hence is able to feel for all who are weak and heavy
laden as no one could feel who had not thus suffered.

   What a pathos lies in the words of Faust!  What an anguish of soul is re-
vealed when he says:

         "Two souls, alas!  are houses within my breast,
         And struggle there for undivided reign;
         One, to the earth with passionate desire,
         And closely clinging organs still adheres;
         Above the mists the other doth aspire
         With sacred ardor unto purer spheres."

   Also,  in  our  horoscope is foreshown a bitter war  between  the  higher
nature and lower appetites.  Saturn  in elevation, sextile Neptune,  on  the
Asc., trine Sun & Uranus, will  give  such  wonderful  perception  in mystic
matters that it will isolate this soul from his fellow man because his ideas 

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will be beyond  their comprehension.   That will be a trial and  will  cause 
regret.  Saturn  in  Taurus, the  sign  which  rules  the  tongue,  gives  a 
thoughtful,  sometimes stubborn disposition. He will be  slow of speech  and  
because Saturn is in the 11th house it tends to limit friendships.   Mars in 
Gemini gives a keen, active and alert mentality, but in the 11th house tends 
to friction in friendship through bluntness  of  speech.  Though  Saturn  in
Taurus  denies  vocal  expression,  Sun,  Venus, and Mercury in Virgo   will
give unusual facility for writing in a most beautiful manner.

   Misunderstood and criticized, denied the companionship of others, he will
be driven back upon his own devices for enjoyment.  He may become a glutton,
for the  Moon, ruler of the Asc., is in Taurus, which has dominion over  the
palate, and serious illness would follow gastronomic excess.

   The astrologer sees these tendencies, but is,  of course,  too tactful to
tell.   He will not name disease,  but rather seek to prescribe a preventive
or a remedy.

   Lack of time precludes the reading of lengthy letters,  but write me IN A
FEW WORDS what advice you would give the parents of this body.   Please also
progress the angles for the 20th,  30th, and 40th years,  and tell me if his
opportunities will be the best from childhood to 20, from 20 to 30,  or from
30 to 40.

                                                        Yours in fellowship,
    
                                                                 Max Heindel

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                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 27:

Dear Friend:

   By progressing the angles of our horoscope for 20, 30,  and 40 years,  we
found that the M.C. did not gain over the Asc. more than one degree in three
during any epoch.  Thus opportunities for spiritual growth will be about the
same in all divisions of life; but, mark this:   they will be more likely to
bring  results when the progressed Midheaven aspects a radical planet.   The
nature  and character of the experience will depend upon the nature  of  the
planet aspected,  the character of the aspect (sextile,  square,  or trine),
and the house where the aspected planet is located.  The same rule would ap-
ply in regard to the influence of the Ascendant upon material affairs.   Its
aspects by progression promote changes which affect our physical  existence.
The  effects of its aspects are not invalidated even though the tendency  of
the life is towards the spiritual;  and in a life where the speed of the As-
cendant foreshadows the preponderance of material activities,  an  spiritual
to the progressed Midheaven may wake the slumbering soul and a beginning  of
spiritual activity may be inaugurated.

   Right  here is one of the most important and fruitful  opportunities  for
service  which the spiritual astrologer can find,  and although  this  whole
subject of "progression"  should FOLLOW instruction on reading of the  natal
figure instead of preceding it,  I feel that knowledge of the effect of pro-
gression of the Ascendant and Midheaven is of such vast practical value that
I have decided to violate that precendent and stay with this subject till it
has been made as clear as I can make it.  Then you will be able to help oth-
ers  at crises in their lives which may have been unsuspected even by  those
most anxious to aid.

   Have you ever met a mother anxiously seeking advice concerning a  wayward
girl or a drunken son?  Would they mend?  How could she best help them?   Or
was  it a wife with a flock of little ones,  suffering through  the  neglect
husband or father?  Alas!  The world is full of such cases, and any spiritu-
ally minded astrologer actuated by compassion for all concerned,  must often
have  sorrowed  when he searched vainly for an aspect of  the  planets  that
would give a ray of hope.   Had he known the elevating potency of aspects to
the  radical and from the progressed Midheaven,  had he known how these  as-
pects  produce  opportunities to retrieve mistakes and make a new  start  in
life,  he might have pointed out the auspicious time when judicious  persua-
sion  would  have been the most effective in turning the  wayward  child  or
weaning the father from the curse of drink; a time when they would have been
more  amenable  to reason than usual.  Opportunities must be caught  on  the
wing or they are lost, and lack of astrological knowledge has wrecked many a
life.

   Therefore,  students are advised to always look carefully for aspects  of
the progressed Midheaven to radical planets, or of progressed planets to the

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radical Midheaven.   Aspects of Sun, Jupiter, and Venus to the Midheaven are
of  course most powerful,  but good aspects of Saturn  sometimes  accomplish
identical results by appeal to the delinquent's manhood and self-respect.

   Look at the horoscope we are judging:  The Midheaven is Aries 1.  When it
has progressed to Aries 23, it will be square to Neptune,  which is in 23 of
Cancer.  Turn to our Table of Houses and count the liens from Aries 1 to Ar-
ies 23.  Each line counts as approximately one year of life.   Then progress
the angles by the method used in Lesson No.  2 for the same number of  years
as  there  are  lines  between Aries 1 and  Aries  23.   If  the  progressed
Midheaven  is Aries 23,  the number of years used will be the age  when  the
square to Neptune culminates.   If the progressed Midheaven is more or  less
than Aries 23, Then please tell be the boy's age when this square culminates
and what you think will result.

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

Remember to progress the Midheaven as taught in previous lessons.

[PAGE 315]

                          ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 28:

   I  have waited before writing till a representative of answers to  No.  4
have been received, in order to find out how students would solve that prob-
lem,  as knowledge of their difficulties would aid me in explaining and giv-
ing  them  just the needed information.   All have solved  the  mathematical
part;  a  large majority of those who have answered to date have  also  made
creditable attempts to outline the effect of the aspect, and a few have done
excellent work;  but a few others have been peevish, said they came to learn
and should not be expected to judge.   As similar methods will be  persuaded
right along,  it may be well to explain that the plan of teaching which con-
tinually  feeds the student's mind with facts pertaining to a certain  study
without  attempting  to draw from him MORE than given is apt to  render  the
mind sluggish instead of sharp.

   A system of teaching,  to be adequate, must stimulate individual ideas by
questions somewhat in advance of the pupil's knowledge.   It is not easy for
the  pupil;  nothing worth while comes without struggle,  but by  trying  to
achieve  or  attain we develop latent powers,  and each new  problem  solved
makes work on the next one lighter.  Therefore I shall continue to ask  such
questions,  and sometimes I may take the liberty of making a mistake in  the
hope of being caught by the whole class.

   Now,   about  our  question,  "What  is  the  effect  of  the  progressed
Midheaven square  Neptune?"  We  will consider  this  thoroughly,  as,  once  
understood,  the method  of  solution may be applied to the judgment of  all  
configurations. The effect is compound and consists of:
         (1)  A GENERAL EFFECT,  applicable to all horoscopes without regard
to whether Neptune is placed in the 7th or 12th house.
         (2)   A  more specific effect based also upon HOUSE  POSITION,  and
different  from the present case,  of course,  when the 7th house holds  the
planet.
         (3)  A further distinction on account of SIGN and other aspects  of
the planet.  This would be altogether individual.
         (4)  It is a fact that we learn more by adversity than by  prosper-
ity,  that  when an affliction is past and time has healed our  bruises  and
mellowed recollections,  we profit by the lessons contained in painful expe-
riences; we  bless the rod that smote  us.   Therefore  the square and other
so-called  evil aspects produce more soul growth than  good  configurations;
ecstasy of joy may fill out hearts under the latter;  we may seem to soar to
the  very throne of heaven,  and lave in an ocean of celestial delight;  but
when   the  stirring  influence  has  left,  when  we  wake  to  the   cold,
matter-of-fact conditions  of the world, how dull and drear is the contrast,

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how we shrink from the contact.   Evil aspects,  on the other hand,  may bow
down our soul to the very depths of hell;  a little while it may seem as  if
there were no hope,  no succor;  but when the scale has swung and we  behold
the silver lining of the cloud, the pain that seared our soul with an indel-
ible mark will bring out by contrast the beauties of God's plan and spur  on
to greater efforts in His service.

   We  may therefore conclude a painful experience is in store for  the  boy
when the square culminates,  but it contains a needed lesson,  the nature of
which  we shall endeavor to unravel.   Please tell me whether you think  the
effect  of a planet in the 12th house is different when near the  Asc.  from
its influence when located near the 12th cusp.

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

[PAGE 317]

                          ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 29:

Dear Friend:

   When a planet is located in the upper part of the 12th house,  it  influ-
ence is confined entirely to that department of life,  but when close to the
Ascendant,  it acquired dominion also over the physical body, for the Ascen-
dant is the degree which held the moon at conception and serves as an avenue
of  ingress for the life forces until the severance of the  unbilical  cord.
The planets in aspect to that degree during the 9 months immediately preced-
ing birth each had a share in forming the organic constitution of the child.
This is particularly true of the planets which formed a conjunction with the
Ascendant during the pre-natal period.  After birth, health is influenced by
aspects to the Ascendant and conditions of 6th house;  but the organic  con-
stitution  which was determined by the prenatal aspects mentioned  above  is
almost unchangeable for these aspects are the ripe vintage of our past which
must be drunk to the dregs no matter how we squirm, though proper care, par-
ticularly if applied in childhood, may considerably decrease suffering  from
that source.

   Neptune really signifies what we may call "the gods," commencing with the
supernormal beings we know as Elder Brothers, and compassing the innumerable
hosts of spiritual entities, good, bad, and indifferent, which influence our
evolution.   Its position and aspects denote our relation to them,  if  any;
malefic  aspects  attract  agencies of a nature  inimical  to  our  welfare,
benefic configurations draw upon the good forces. Thus, if Neptune is placed 
in the 10th house, trine to the Ascendant, the person involved will have the
opportunity  to  become a leader or prominent in a movement  along  mystical
lines  as  denoted  by the exalted position of Neptune. His body will be ca-
pable of receiving the finer vibrations and coming into touch with the  spi-
ritual world,  as denoted by the trine of the Ascendant.   On the other hand,
when Neptune is placed in the 12th house,  whose nature is passive and  pro-
ductive of suffering,  it  indicates  that  at some time,  perhaps  under  a 
square from  the Midheaven  such  as  we  are considering,  the evil  forces
among  whom are spirit-controls will be drawn to that person and endeavor to
obtain possession of the body. The conjunction of Neptune with the Ascendant 
will make the body  sensitive  and  usable for spiritual purposes as well as
the  trine. Given  the  opportunity  afforded by the first aspect mentioned, 
the man  may become  a pupil of a Mystery School and a factor for great good
in the uplift of mankind;  placed under the affliction of the second aspect, 
he may become a helpless tool of spirit-controls, an irresponsible medium.

   But there is one factor which is never shown in the horoscope,  and  that
is the will of the man.   He is bound at some time in life to meet with  the
experiences  denoted  by   his   horoscope,   and  the  opportunities  there

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indicated  will  be placed before him by one in orderly succession,  as  the
clock of destiny marks the appropriate time, but how he,  the free and inde-
pendent spirit,  meets those fated experiences, no one can determine before-
hand.   The man in whose horoscope the first mentioned benefic configuration
occurs may not be sufficiently awake to the great opportunity before him  to
catch  it  on the wing,  it may have flown before he realizes  that  it  was
there.  Yes, he may even never become aware of the fact.  On the other hand,
the  person in whose life the square  indicates  the  assault  by  spiritual
forces mentioned,  may  develop  his  spiritual  muscle by resisting the on-
slaught  and become  a  victor  instead of being vanquished.   Forewarned is
forearmed;  if the  parents  of the  boy  whose horoscope we are considering 
understand  the gravity  of the situation and foster the  spirit of indepen-
dence in him  from childhood  up,  they may lay up great treasure in  heaven
by saving him  from the deplorable fate of mediumship.

   What  do you think would have been the effect if Neptune had been in  the 
7th house.  Squared by Progressed Midheaven?

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

[PAGE 319]

                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 30:

Dear Friend:

   Let  me reiterate that though we are now considering the facts of a  cer-
tain planet, Neptune,  the  method  of  judgment  is identical for the other
planets, and that when we know now to combine the effects of aspect,  house,
and intrinsic nature of one planet,  we may readily apply the same system of
combination  to the other planets.   To convey in one word all that  is  in-
cluded in the sphere of influence of a planet is difficult;  but if you will
meditate upon the keywords given in this lesson,  you will receive more  il-
lumination  concerning the inherent nature of planetary vibrations that  you
can  ever obtain by reading of other people's ideas,  for the  divine  spark
which is YOU,  by this earnest striving after spiritual understanding  draws
directly from the fountainhead of information, namely,  the planetary Spirit
of the particular heavenly body upon whose nature you are meditating.

   In order to impress upon the student's mind how perfectly reasonable this
idea is and to give a better understanding of the method whereby this  inner
illumination may be obtained,  let us illustrate:  In a machinery hall giant
wheel are revolving; the friction of the belts, humming of electric dynamos,
etc.,  blend  in a noise which is deafening and confusing to  the  inexperi-
enced; a chaos of sound.  But to the trained ear of the engineer there is no
chaos;  he hears a variety of well ordered sounds,  each bringing to him in-
telligence regarding the condition and work of the particular machine whence
it emanates.  Each variation from the standard sound has its meaning,  which
the  trained man comprehends as readily as if the engine were  endowed  with
speech.   Study of the internal construction of each machine has  given  him
his  knowledge and the ability to act quickly in emergencies to avert  immi-
nent  disaster before the uninitiated would have realized that anything  un-
usual was taking place.

   Similarly,  we are living in a world flooded with sound;  the Harmony  of
the  Spheres is about our ears through we hear it not,  and  each  vibration
carries with it certain intelligence.   If our ears are deaf we are the los-
ers,  as are the blind who miss the beauty of the flower,  the glory of  the
sunset.   But if we train ourselves to understand the heavenly symphony  re-
corded  upon the page of the horoscope, we shall know things that must  ever
remain secret from the unlearned, and thus we may become co-workers with God
in a mast intimate matter.

   After  years of close study and meditation I use the  following  keywords
for the intrinsic nature of the planets:

SUN: LIFE             MERCURY: REASON          MARS: DYNAMIC ENERGY
MOON: FECUNDATION     VENUS: ATTRACTION        NEPTUNE: DIVINITY
URANUS: ALTRUISM      SATURN: OBSTRUCTION      JUPITER: IDEATION

   If you meditate on each planet by itself  or  with  its  opposite or with

[PAGE 320]

its affinities for a few days or weeks at the time you devote to this study,
you  will gain a wonderful insight into their natures and effects;  for  in-
stance: The Sun is  LIFE  absolute,   manifest   or   unmanifest;   but Mars
represents  the  DYNAMIC  ENERGY  which is  manifestation  of  life.   This,
Saturn seeks to OBSTRUCT, and when he succeeds death ensures; the Sun  gives
the germ of LIFE,  the  Moon  furthers  FECUNDATION,  and  thus  a  body  is
produced;   Jupiter  gives  the  germinal  IDEA,  Mercury   fecundates   the
mind so that ideas take definite form as THOUGHT,  and the DYNAMIC ENERGY of
Mars brings them into manifestation so that thoughts become things.

   What is the connection between Venus and Uranus?

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

[PAGE 321]

                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 31:

Dear Friend:

   "Love"  is a much hackneyed word,  and the emotion thus miscalled is usu-
ally  so  tainted  with passion and desire that it is  Martian  rather  than
Venusian in character.  Coalition suggests a most intimate union, a blending
of the very souls of two or more people who compose a family;  but altruism,
the keyword of  Uranus,  hints  at  such  an  all-embracing love as our Sav-
ior  felt when He wept over Jerusalem and applied that wonderful  simile  of
the  hen  which  fathers  its  brood under its wings.   Thus Uranus  is  the
octave  of Venus,  and  anyone  ready  to  enter  the  Path  of  Preparation
which  leads  to the Way of Initiation must gradually learn to  outgrow  the
Venus  love  which makes the immediate family all in all and begin to culti-
vate the all-embracing Uranus altruism. The  aspects of Mercury and  Neptune
to Uranus   bring  the  tests which further our development, if passed,  and
delay us when we fail.   The goal is high, and those who aim high often fall
low. When  we essay to transcend the Venus love  and  cultivate  the  Uranus
altruism we are in great danger,  and the most promising lives are sometimes
wrecked  by the pernicious theory of soul mates,  clandestine love  affairs,
and perversion of the creative function.

   In  a  horoscope  such as we are considering,  where  the  progressed  MC
squares, Neptune in the 12th house, Neptune at the same time opposing Uranus
on the cusp of the 7th, we have one of the most dangerous combinations,  for
the  aspect to Neptune  tends  to  attract  spirit controls.   These  despi-
cable  entities  have a knack of beguiling their  unsuspecting  victims,  by
plausible platitudes,  into the most adominable practices,  as indicated  by
the aspects of Uranus and Neptune. The double square to  the MC, which rules 
honor  and  social standing, would indicate that a public scandal is inevit-
able-IF-

   Yes, thank God there is always that "if," for in the final analysis there
is the man with this Godlike faculty of reason to be reckoned with.  Experi-
ence  has taught us the unwisdom of depending upon the appearance of an  ap-
plicant for a position of trust;  we demand credentials as to character  and
antecedents.  Ought we not to be much more careful with "spirit voices" from
the Invisible?  Paul exhorted his followers to "try the spirits."   They are
known by their fruits.  Love, Joy, Peace, Forbearance,  Kindness,  Goodness,
Fidelity,  Meekness and Self-Control are mentioned as "fruits of  the  godly
spirit."   Paul exhorts his followers particularly not to use their  liberty
for  "an  occasion of the flesh,"  licentiousness being mentioned  as  prime
"fruit of the flesh."

   Paul  was speaking to people upon the Path of Preparation and  allow  who
have  qualified to receive these lessons are there also,  though at  varying

[PAGE 322]

stages. They feel the Uranian vibrations urging them to love beyond the con-
fines  of the family circle.  May God bless their efforts.

   But remember this:  Altruism does not require return of the love bestowed
upon others;  it has absolutely no concern with sex;  it will not LESSEN the
love for our family,  but they, being nearest to us,  will feel the increase
of  our love to a greater degree than those farther away.   Unless our  love
brings forth such fruits, it is not Uranian, nor even Venusian;  it will not
further  us  upon  the  Path  of Attainment.  When Neptune is on the Asc. in
Pisces or the 12th house,  spirit voices are the tempters; in the 9th house,
one's own mind; in the 7th, an associate, etc.

    "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple."

    What do you think is the connection between Mercury and Neptune?
 
                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

[PAGE 323]

                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 32:

Dear Friend:

   Mercury  is  usually  associated  with reason and intelligence; to him is
ascribed  rule over the nervous system, which is the medium of  transmission
between   the   embodied   spirit  and  the   world   without.    Thus,   as
Neptune  signifies  the  subhuman  and superhuman intelligences who live and 
move in the spiritual  realms  of  the  universe,  but  who  work  with  and
upon  us,  so Mercury indicates  the  human intelligence  focused  upon  the
terrestrial,  physical world where  we live from birth to death.   Therefore
it may be said  that Neptune is the octave of Mercury, but there is a deeper 
sense than this:

   Reference  to a textbook of anatomy or physiology will show that  length-
wise  fissures in the spinal cord divide it into three parts which  together
enclose a hollow tube.  Each of these columns is ruled by one of the Hierar-
chies in closest touch with us; the lunar,  martial,  and mercurial;  one or
another predominating according to the stage of evolution of the individual.
In  the  spinal   canal  the rays of Neptune  kindle   the   spiritual  fire
whereby the human spirit is enabled to pierce the veil of flesh and  contact
the worlds beyond.   The resulting vision is colored according to the column
of the cord most actively excited.

   In  the childhood days of mankind the creative force which is now  turned
outwards to build ships,  houses, railways, telephones,  etc.,  was used in-
wardly  to  build the organs of the body,  and as the  surrounding  physical
world is photographed upon the table of a camera obscure,  so the  spiritual
world was reflected in the spinal canal.   There man first beheld the  lunar
God,  Jehovah,  whose angels were then his tutors.   Later,  angels who  had
fallen behind the standard of their compeers and whose evolutionary require-
ments were therefore different,  forced entrance to the spinal cord of  man.
The spiritual inner vision of mankind faded when "their eyes were opened and
they say that they were naked";  then they lost touch with the higher  self,
they saw only the person, and the docile creature of Jehovah was soon trans-
formed  to a savage and a brute under the impulses of the  Lucifer  spirits,
the Hierarchy of Mars.  But by their promptings man learned to conquer mate-
rial obstacles, to build outwardly and become architect of the world.

   To counteract the unmitigated selfishness bred by the Martian angels  and
to make mankind humane,  our Elder Brothers from Mercury,   human like  our-
selves, whose which state of evolution required the high vibration generated
and  prevailing in close proximity to the sun,  were required to invest  the
spinal cord of mankind also, and through their labors civilization has taken
on a different form.  Mankind is again  beginning  to  look inward, and when

[PAGE 324]

the mercurial ray meets the ray of Neptune  in  the  spinal canal, man finds
again his higher self:  the Christ is born within.

   Thus  you  see  the  connection between  the Moon,  Mercury, and Neptune.
Those   who   come   in   touch   with   Neptune  through  the Moon   become
irresponsible  mediums,  victims  of obsession, etc., but where  Mercury  is
the gate, reason and understanding guide the aspiring spirit.   An afflicted
Mercury may  sometimes tempt seekers to enter by the wrong door,  and mental
trouble may result. If aware of the danger, however, continual care and per-
sistence usually  unlock  the door of the Temple, for the good forces are in
ascendancy now and grow stronger as time passes.

   In the horoscope we are considering,  which of the two gates do you think
the boy is likely to choose?  The Moon or Mercury.  Why?

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

[PAGE 325]

                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 33:

Dear Friend:

   In  the  majority  of  horoscopes  Saturn    appears  as  afflicted,  and
through him come most of our heartaches.  His position in  Taurus    and the
house  of friends is unfortunate in the respects indicated in Letter No. 26,
but   his  elevation  and  powerfully  good   aspect   to  the  Sun,  Venus,
and  Uranus  bring  out  the  best  qualities   of   this   planet.  Mercury
is  in  Virgo,  the sign of its exaltation,  in conjunction  with  the  Sun,
and  SEPARATING  from  a  trine  of  Saturn.   When  a  planet having a cer-
tain  orbital velocity comes into aspect with another heavenly body that  is
slower  and  more ponderous,  the swifter planet is said to "apply"  to  the
trine,  square,  or other aspect as the case may be,  from the time it comes
within "orb"  until the aspect is exact.   Then it begins to "separate"  and
though  it is in aspect while within the orb of six degrees or a little  me,
its influence is not nearly so strong as white it is applying.   Take as  an
illustration  the  relation  of  Saturn  and  Mercury   in the present horo-
scope.  Saturn   is  in   Taurus   20:9,   and   Mercury  in  Virgo   13:13,
retrograde.  As  Mercury   travels   around   the   Sun  in   88  days,  and
Saturn  requires  more  than  29  years  to  complete  its   circle,  it  is
obvious  that  Mercury  makes  and  breaks  every  aspect  with Saturn  (and
indeed with all the other planets except the  Moon), repeatedly.

    Mercury  is  getting  nearly  beyond  orb  of  a  trine  to  Saturn   in
this horoscope.  It is "separating" due to its retrograde motion, but never-
theless  its force will be noticeable in the boy's make-up.   It  will  give
persistence  and balance to the mind which may save him from the  affliction
of  Neptune.    Mercury    also   goes   BEFORE  the  Sun.   The  revolution
revolution  of  the earth upon its axis makes the planets seem to  rise  and
set,  and  a  planet  in   Virgo  13  (as   Mercury)  naturally rises before
another  in    Virgo  18  (as   the   Sun).    In   that  position  Mercury,
the  mystic  "lightbearer" of the Gods, goes ahead of the spirit,  signified
by  the   Sun,  with  the  lamp  of  reason  and  intelligence.   This is  a
position much to be preferred to that where the  Sun rises first and Mercury
FOLLOWS,  for there the mystic light is behind the spirit and it requires  a
greater struggle to attain illumination than where  Mercury  precedes.

   The  sextile  of  Mercury    to  Jupiter,  the  planet of  "benevolence,"
further attests the inherent nobility of mind and strengthens the  influence
of Mercury in the horoscope.

   The  Moon  is  in  the  highest  elevation  and  in   Taurus,  the   sign
of  its  exaltation,  but  it is applying to an opposition of  Jupiter.  Its
influence  in  the  horoscope  is  therefore  less  than  that  of  Mercury;
hence  there is every reason to expect that this boy will escape the  snares
of mediumship and some day knock at the door of the Temple.

   I would like to make sure that you understand the principle of  "applica-
tion"  and  "separation"  of planets as explained; also about Mercury   pre-
ceding   and   following  the   Sun.    Please   answer   this:  Is   Saturn
applying  to  a  trine  to Uranus   or is he separating,  in our  horoscope?
When   the  Sun   is  in  Cancer  28   and  Mercury   is  in  Leo  25,  does
Mercury   rise before or after the Sun?

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

[PAGE 326]

                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 34:

Dear Friend:

   For  some time I have suspected that many students receiving  the  Senior
Lessons know little of aspects, Standard Time,  retrogradation,  and kindred
matters.   Those who are well versed in these subjects are not caught in the
trap  which has snared so many Senior students attempting to  answer  Senior
Lesson No.  10.  I would advise those not well grounded in the beginnings of
science  to review the lessons of the Junior Course.   If you start  system-
atically from the beginning,  you will lay a sure foundation,  and will  not
overlook  the  important  points  involved  in  retrogradation  of  planets.
Saturn and Uranus  are  retrograde  and a curious case results.  To make the
matter  clear  I refer to Junior Lesson No. 8.  When you have studied retro-
gradation  there,  you  will see by examination of the  positions  given  in
the ephermeris for the 12th,   13th,   and  14th  of  September  that   both
Saturn and Uranus are  retrograding  at the rate of one minute per day; thus
they  maintain  the  same  distance from each other,  and therefore they are
neither applying nor separating.

   As I believe homeopathic doses are best for beginners,  I did not explain
to the Junior Class that because of retrogradation a slow-moving planet  may
apply  to  one  which  is  more  swift.   Thus  in  the  present  case,  had
Saturn been direct and Uranus retrograde both would have been applying. When
that is the case their rays are most powerfully focused, and the mind effect
is greatest.  It is well worth while to keep these points in mind, and to be
sure, when inserting the planets in a horoscope, to designate with appropri-
ate  marks those that are retrograde, for when not thus marked,  astrologers
assume that all are direct, and a reading based on such a misconception must
necessarily be misleading.

   In  the present case,  for instance,  the UNIFORM retrogradation of  BOTH
planets  weakens their influence for good,  and increases  so-called  "evil"
tendencies.   Saturn  in  the 11th  house  obstructs  the  boy's  hopes  and
wishes;  his  friends fail him, and the retrogradation of  Uranus   makes it
difficult for him to guard against these mishaps, although the trine between
Saturn and Uranus will mitigate this to a considerable  extent.   Were  both
Saturn  and  Uranus  direct, Saturn   would  apply  to  the trine of Uranus,
and  the  intuitive  faculty of the latter planet would impart  more  wisdom
and forestall to a greater degree the saturnine tendencies.  During a period
in  any horoscope when  Saturn  is  direct  and  meets  a retrograde  Uranus
by progression IN A GOOD ASPECT they bring out the very highest of their re-
spective virtues potential in the native;  but if they meet thus in an  evil
configuration, they inevitably force any hidden evil to the surface, for re-
member,  the planets inaugurate neither good not ill,  they only  stir  into
activity tendencies which are latent within.

   You  will  notice  that  during boyhood Mercury is R,  but later  becomes
direct,  and about nineteen years after birth it forms a trine  with Saturn.
Tell  me  what  will  be the result,  but briefly,  please,  for as  an  as-
trologer you should cultivate conciseness.   Too many words are confusing to
those for whom you read.

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

[PAGE 327]

                           ASTROLOGY LESSON NO. 35:

Dear Friend:

   Having  considered the spiritual phase of our horoscope and the rocks  to
be  avoided,  let us see what weak points in the physical  casement  require
care that health may be preserved.

   Saturn  is  the  planet  of  obstruction,   no  matter  how   he  may  be
aspected.   The point where his ray falls is always weak, susceptible in re-
spect to cold,  and consequently liable to contraction.   In our  horoscope,
Saturn is  placed  in a fixed sign, Taurus;  his elevation gives  him  great
power,  and we may judge that the boy will be liable to colds, also that the
throat will at times seem to contract and produce a sense of  strangulation.
As a planet exercises a subsidiary effect in the opposite sign from that  in
which  it  is  placed,  we  may  judge  that Jupiter  in  Scorpio  will also
exert an influence in the throat.   The general nature of this planet  tends
to produce portliness wherever it has dominion, and we may look for enlarge-
ment of the tonsils from this configuration.

   You know the sympathetic connection between the organs of sex and speech,
how the boy's voice changes at puberty, and you will readily realize what is
likely  to happen to this boy.   At that age the throat is naturally  sensi-
tive,   and  when   Jupiter  expands  the  tonsils  and   Saturn   contracts
the orifice of the throat, a painful condition will probably result.   With-
out the knowledge of Astrology the majority cannot judge the passing  nature
of this condition,  and those who are ignorant of occult danger if  removing
the tonsils usually proceed to have the operation performed.

   Puberty   occurs   about  the  time  when  the  Moon passes in opposition
to  its  natal place.   In  this  horoscope  there  are  16 degrees  between
the  radical  Moon  and  Saturn.   The   usual   motion   of   the  Moon  is
about  one  degree  per  month.   During the 16 months while she  passes  in
opposition to her  radical  place,   the conjucntion to Jupiter,   and   the
opposition to Saturn the  above  mentioned  condition  of the throat will be
worse. Once the critical period is past, relief will come naturally  without
aid from the knife.

   Regarding   the  effect  of  removing  tonsils:    these  are  ruled   by
Taurus,  one of the signs of Venus.   There  is great sympathy between signs
ruled by the same planet. Libra, the other  Venus  sign,  rules the kidneys.
Removal of tonsils from the  Taurus region affects secretion of urine in the
Libra  region.  Therefore when we remove the tonsils from a  child we create
a tendency to gout and  rheumatism  in  later years.

   This is an important point of great value to parents and astro-health ad-
justers which we hope will save the coming generation much suffering.

                                                        Yours in fellowship,

                                                                 Max Heindel

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