by Robin Armstrong
Using degree symbols to gain insight about oneself canbe challenging at times, but on the whole it is a rewarding and insightfulprocess. Using the degree symbols for astrological prediction can beprecarious. Symbolic degrees enhance and can assist subjective understanding,but are not a valid replacement for sound astrological deduction. Withoutdiscriminating astrological expertise great vulnerabilities arise. Caution isneeded around the unconditional use of degree symbols.
Tuningin to one’s psyche can be enlightening. That is a very different matter thangetting an reliable time perspective on one’s life. Using the degree symbolsshould not replace transits or progressions. There are very well establishedastrological criteria for determining when a time is propitious or not.Prediction by degree interpretation alone is dangerous.
Thefollowing article is a press release used to promote a major spiritualhappening in 1973. It gives an idea of how an astrologer using the SabianSymbols justified the time that the event should be held.
The event was considered by devotees to be “Millennium 1973”! This event would usher in the beginning of an era of 1,000 years of peace. It was billed as “the most holy and significant event in human history”.
Thespiritual teacher was Guru Maharaj Ji, known as the baby or boy guru because ofhis youth. He was considered by his followers to be the divine incarnation ofGod. The event was planned and the date chosen with the advice of astrologers.
Guru Maharaj Ji rented the Houston Astrodome for three full days to hold the event, November 8 to 10, 1973. He chartered planes from major cities around the world, anticipating an excess of 100,000 attendees.
Unfortunatelythe attendance was less than 20,000 (a generous estimate at best). The eventwas a colossal disaster. It was said that over 2.5 million dollars were lost.This was a huge amount of money. It would have cost less to elect a new pope ortake over a television network for a week.
Inthe following press release you will see how astrologers used Rudhyar’s SabianSymbols to convince themselves and their Guru that this was the best time andplace for the event.
Unfortunatelythere are good and bad in all professions. A little knowledge and a lot offaith is not adequate qualification for professional astrological predictions!
Somewherehere is a very important message!
THEPRESS RELEASE!
MILLENNIUM ’73: ASTROLOGICALPREDICTIONS by R. G.
OnOctober 25, thousands of devotees of Guru Maharaj Ji will gather at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, to deliverthe call to Millennium.“Coincidentally”, on that day comes the new moon, always atime of new beginnings. By November 7, when Guru Maharaj Ji fliesinto Houston to be greeted by at least50,000 people, the moon will have set up a grand cross in the sky. This is a square formed by fourplanets, the most dynamic and rare ofthe astrological configurations. In cardinal (action-type) signs, it signifies an attempt to do the infinite,to accomplish the impossible. Thisparticular grand cross is close to an exact square, which intensifies the effect and increases the energy. One of the key planets in the cross is Pluto,the most intense and deeply-affecting ofthe planets, dealing with rebirths and greattransformations and deeply-rooted changes. An interesting comment on this position ofPluto is found in Dane Rudhyar’s AnAstrological Mandala. Rudhyar, prominent author and lecturer, has been the key figure in modernhumanistic astrology whose work TheAstrology of Personality is a widely read and highlyrespected treatise on the psychologicalimplications of astrology. He devotes anentire book to the Sabian symbols, a highly evolved system ofsymbols or images for each of the 360degrees of the zodiac. This fall, Plutofirst spends a month in the degree (5° Libra)which, according to Rudhyar, corresponds to “A man revealing tohis students the foundation of an innerknowledge upon which a new world could be built” – an uncannily accuratedescription of Guru Maharaj Ji’smission. From there, Pluto moves into the degree where “A manwatches his ideals taking a concreteform before his inner vision,” at the timeof the festival. Conflicting withthis vision of a “new world”, at another corner of the grand cross, is Saturn (limitation,pragmatism, society). this indicates theneed to be sensitive to the direction and values of the country, and to reaffirm what is good, ratherthan place oneself in conflict, thedownfall of many reformers. This Pluto-Saturn conflict, a long-term aspect which will continuethrough Millennium, is also responsiblefor the sense of insecurity plaguing this nation and others. Stability, tradition, and respectedinstitutions such as the Presidency ofthe United States, are all suffering. The grand cross of November 7 will throw this insecurity into higherfocus. Most remarkable of all, at the momentthe grand cross forms on November 7, thesun moves into 15° Scorpio, one of the “four gateways for the release of the power of the Avatar ordivine incarnation,” according toRudhyar. This is an incredible coincidence.The only available channels for the tremendous pent-up energy of the cross will be Jupiter and Neptune, thetwo planets of religious truth andspirituality, which are also in very close aspect, as exact as the cross itself. And Neptune(spirituality, idealism, and Oneness) atthis same moment, will be rising in the East in Sagittarius (religion, search for the truth), on the exactdegree of the horizon. Neptune is the ruler of the Age of Pisces, begun withJesus Christ, now coming to completion, and its position in Sagittarius since1970 has been responsible for theresurgence of religious movements, Any planetthat is rising in a chart becomes very significant, and this third event happening simultaneously strainscredibility. It is roughly equivalent inprobability to three planes crashing together in the sky.When Millennium ’73 officially begins on November 8, a number of key planets are in significant degrees, Jupiter (5° Aquarius), the planet of religion and the search for the truth,indicates that “A council ofancestors is seen implementing the efforts of a young leader,”again emphasizing the ability of theleader to draw on and bring to fruitionthe traditions and ideals of the community. And again like Pluto, it follows the degree where, Rudhyar says,“A Hindu Yogi demonstrates hishealing powers,” indicating the use of inner knowledge to endsuffering. By contrast, the degreesbefore and after show “A deserter from the
Navy,” and “A masked figureperforms ritualistic acts in a mysteryplay,” which are comparatively insignificant.
Uranus(25° Libra), the ruler of the Age of Aquarius, is where “the sight of an autumn leaf brings to apilgrim the sudden revelation of themystery of life and death,” dealing with “the ability todiscover in every experience atranscendent or cosmic meaning. The mind…pierces through appearances and perceives the great rhythms ofuniversal life.” This is the thirdreference to the birth of a new awareness.And at the very end of the festival, Uranus moves on to the degreewhere “An eagle and a white dovechange swiftly into each other.”
Theposition of the sun (17° Scorpio), the light of all the planets, emphasizes “a total reliance upon thedictates of the God-within…thesurrender of the ego to a transcendent Force which can create throughthe person vivid manifestations of theWill of God,” says Rudhyar. Neptune(7° Sagittarius) shows “Cupid knocking at the door of a human heart; a stirring of individuallongings for romantic love.” WithNeptune in this position, this would be spiritual, ideal love, a unity with everything. Perhaps the most outstanding point in thechart for November 8 is the position ofthe nodes of the moon. The south node is at thefirst degree of Cancer (the sign of the soul), indicating a whole new sense of the soul or Self, symbolized by“On a ship the sailors lower an oldflag and raise a new one: a radical change of allegiance exteriorized in a symbolical act: a point ofno return.” The north node, at 1°Capricorn (the sign of the collective),is symbolized thusly: “An Indian chief claims power from the assembled tribe,” indicating oncemore that “the religious ideal…has now materialized or crystallized into sheer power – the powerto lead the community and to ensure itswelfare or even its physicalsurvival.” It involves a whole new sense of society and thecollective purpose And finally, on November 9 and 10, the lasttwo days of the festival, comes the fullmoon, which brings to a climax whatever hasbegun on the new moon. This means the movement begun on October 25 will grow for two weeks to a peak of energyon these days. And at the peak of thefull moon on the morning of the tenth, Mercury will pass directly over the face of the sun – aunion of mind (Mercury) and heart (sun).This is the only time this will occur before 1986. Throughout this event, starting on November6, the gigantic Kohoutek comet will bevisible Its astrological effect is impossibleto predict, but it will be very powerful, particularly when it reachesa size of 30° of the sky – an entiresign of the zodiac. Its influence will be felt this fall and winter,particularly in the aftermath of theMillennium festival. So withthese aspects, we see the possibility of a resolution of the intense changes and upheavals broughtabout since the extremely rareconjunction of Uranus and Pluto in June, 1966 – which occurred in very close aspect to Maharaj Ji’s SagittarianSun and Saturn. Within one month of thatdate, He had become Satguru at the age of eight.
Addenda For Astrologers:
The above article is geared for the layman, withsimplified terminology and omission of certain details. Here are someadditional comments.
1. Saturn, already beset with the heavy Pluto square,and having moved into its detriment, Cancer, will soon go retrograde, so itwill be the weakest point of the cross.
2. Note the close Moon sextile Jupiter sextile Neptunesextile Pluto, set off simultaneously with the cross.
3. One astrologer felt that the T-cross left in theMoon’s wake would be the really dynamic aspect, focussing on Aries, newbeginnings, and on Pluto, the seed of rebirth. He also felt that Venus’position in esoteric astrology, was significant. Venus will move to make theT-cross more exact during the festival.
4. Close aspects fall into three groups: The grandcross plus Jupiter and Neptune; the Mars-Uranus opposition (which the Moon hitsafter the November 8,1973 program); and the exact Sun-Mercury conjunction onthe third day. Other aspects are less strong.
End Of Press Release
Summary: It does not take long to recognize thedisaster in this chart. It is not the correct time to hold a special, popular,financially successful event. There is no substitute for competent astrologicaladvice. When degrees are used for prediction they should enhance and notreplace sound astrological deduction.
Itis one thing to find relevance in degree meanings, but it is another thingentirely to use personal relevance instead of responsible practice. The degreeswere encouraging, but the grand cross and other factors were not! Properperspective was missing. Even in such a cult like scenario, astrology couldhave been the voice of reason and helped both the Guru and his followers avoidsuch an embarrassment. Astrology could have found a better time and perhaps amore moderate plan.
Great action based on little knowledge will seldomescape disaster.
Editor’s note: Incidentally the I Ching Hexagram for 15 to 18 degrees of Scorpio is “Standstill, Stagnation.”
