Although George Bush in a crotch harnass has completely ruined the phrase Mission Accomplished for me—forever—that is the major message of today’s Sabian Symbol at Aquarius 20°: A Large White Dove Bearing A Message, the answer of spiritual agencies to thorough, sustained and victorious individual efforts. The first thing that comes to mind are the myriad jubilant live or social media expressions of sobriety I see friends or “friends” celebrating because they all carry the message of miraculous payoff, one way or another. (Though the sign of Cancer has naught to do with this image, it and its astrological fourth house are steeped in flood myths—where that dove makes a final appearance—which I have always posited were symbolic of recovery, promise and deliverance.) I think the word sustained in the keynote, yes, along with thorough is what equals the victory; and though it’s easy to deride ourselves for where we haven’t been thorough or sustained, any one of us falling off of some wagon or other all the time no matter what wagons we remain on, it is more challenging to see that very wagon we consistently ride. So today is a good day to ask yourself: What have you been vigilant about—not hyper-vigilant mind you, because that typically ends in tears—and wherefore have you signalled to the Universe that you’re doing your part and, at least, meeting it 50/50 so it can then reach out a hand to you (cue Dove)?

Typically, it is out of crisis, a crux, or crossroads (Gemini duality) that we take a turn toward some kind of recovery (the following sign of Cancer), that’s just one of the metaphysical truths expressed by one tiny slice of circular patterning found int he unfathomably wise Zodiac—it really is a system, more on that later.* While, in a twelve-fold system of which, as you may know I’m a strong enforcer, this Aquarian oracle would be ruled by Scorpio. Let’s mediatate on that (think fast, Quinn); aha! I’ve got it: Just as the previous Libra-ruled Aquarian symbol showed the need for Libran equipoise in meeting the challenge of karmic effects in the form of fires ranging out of control, drawing upon body, mind and spirit to meet what might be the greatest, but perhaps last vestiges, of karmic challenges, putting said fires out with calm and grace and total acceptance, whilst drawing on full metaphysical and indeed archetypal strength: we may have indeed arrived and a place of balanced karma—the Scales of Libra being a measurement thereof—with nothing now blocking us, energetically, from the receipt of divine assistance and acknowledgement. We have done our (conscious) work and met the Universe half way, open to receive and accept. Scorpio (subconsious) which represents the mysterious, occult realm can therefore send us a sign, a message, that a certain connection is being made in the profound innerworld for which it stands. As above so below: such that the dove bearing it’s message—of peace? olive branch?—is coming from deep inside ourselves for is that not where the soul resides, just as it does so, most macrocosmically, with the divine collective? Is that pathway to the Aquarian mass spiritual consciousness not had through some internal inside-out wormhole within our selves where inner and outer space are indistinguishable? We are delivered in the Cancerian flood-myth model of the Dove; but here we take it up (or down) a notch. The olive branch or message the Dove carries is that of inner peace, of accord, or reconciliation within ourselves, the coming together of those heretofore conflicted, in crisis, parts of ourselves.

In the previous image the parts of ourselves are united, Unity being an energetic expression of the Venus-ruled sign of Libra. Today the parts of ourselves fuse into one, unified, Merger being the cosmic energy of Scorpio whose eighth-house rule of such notions as sex, death and other people’s money all express ways in which we combine with another individual, with the infinite, or into a shared resource, respectively. The two main mottos of Scorpio are “I desire” and “We have”, and we are really employing the spiritually royal We here. We are not seeking to balance our physical or mental self with our spiritual self; the dove signifies that all these elements of self have merged not only together but, as a result with the infinite. Scorpio is the 8th sign ruling the 8th house and the figure 8, called the lemniscate is a symbol of infinity. We have arrived. Mission Accomplished indeed. We’ve just gotten word from that flying columbine that the connection has been made and it reads: “peace be with you.”

Dane Rudhyar labels this image Certification. And it reminds me of the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion (all symbols of our metaphyscial levels of being) all being awarded certificate commemorations for the workings of their mind, heart and nerve/muscle; as every step we taking in our spiritual journey really is a recovery, a victory over “forces of inertia or destruction.” Wherever we overcome, the divine presence makes itself known. And it tells us that we are seen and that we are not alone. The true desire of Scorpio is that of the divine presence yearning for itself in us and in removing karmic blocks to that true yearning our desire can merge, becoming one with our destiny.

Wow, today’s writing felt good and flowy. Namaste.

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A Forest Fire Is Being Subdued By The Use Of Water, Chemicals And Sheer Muscular Energy sounds like the thin plot of porn to me; but it’s the Sabian Symbol at 19° Aquarius. Like Smokey says, most forest fires are caused by we careless humans. And as someone who feels like he’s always putting out fires I get it when Dane Rudhyar, I’m sorry “the Rudh”, says that every individual, at least once in his lifetime, if not repeatedly (hi!), may perhaps have to face spectacular reactions to seemingly insignificant acts. I think I need to check my Moon placement because I think it must be at this degree. [Hang on I’ll be right back] Okay, nope. I have my Moon at around 2° Aquarius. I don’t know my exact time of birth because my parents didn’t give much of a flying fig. Sad but true. It made me realize I never checked the Sun Sign for my Sabian Symbol (how self-effacing am I? Jesus!) Libra 4° and it sounds very much like me. But I digress.

Careless actions causing spectacular circumstance. You’ve heard that tune before, no? The road to perdition is paved with them—I had to look up perdition after typing that to make sure I wasn’t just writing a word that sounded like what I meant but it turns out it was if not spot on then close enough. We, the fire-putter-outers, are the grown-ups here. We are the ones whose faith is tested, but we are the ones who exude Grace (I told you this was an Aquarian word!) under pressure. A nod to my Sun Sign, this symbol is ruled by Libra in a twelve-fold sequence and the sign of the Scales is all about balance, equipoise, and plain old poise. We can’t be freaked out when facing a fire; we have to calmly put it out. Would that we didn’t have to but we do. Not to say I’m not also a fire-starter—I’d be the first to admit that. We are all both except those who aren’t. The keynote of this symbol is the skill and courage necessary to bring under control the destructive potential of carelessness of karmic “visitations”. Suddenly I see Edina from Absoultely Fabulous muttering, inaudibly, what are these? (air quotes) what do you mean? (air quotes)…

“Visitations”. Well, let’s deconstruct that one shall we. Aquarius is under Uranus rule which is the planet of sudden and extreme circumstance and change. People of the sign, men especially, do seem like they are from a galaxy far away—in Sextrology the male Aquarius sign is called The Visitor; and they are an unpredictable lot who can act suddenly extreme. The love you one minute and they are nowhere to be found the next. Fickle? No that’s not the right word. They are extreme and swing like a pendulum, now you see them now you don’t. Typically they are seeking to preserve an image of themselves in other people’s eyes and when intimacy sets in, you see, they fear that others will see deeper into, if not through, them, so they often nip would-be close relationships in the bud for fear of some kind of soul exposure. But again I’m off on a tangent here….

As is typical, I point to people of a certain sun sign as illustrations of the energy of that sign—people are the most poignant example, expression (personification) of the energy of the sun. And so the sudden switches an Aquarian might make illustrate the unexpected change and mutations of the Uranian Aquarian. But to look upon sudden change, in the sense that this symbol is wont to express it, as a karmic correction, more sweeping and spectacular an effect than the cause might seem to warrant, and, moreover, as a visitation really animates, literally gives life to, the karmic retribution. What we write off as careless comes back to visit a thousand fold. While today’s oracle is really how we cope with that phenomenon.

And thus this is an oracle of “Indomitability” a wonderful word that combines the the detached, unemotional energy of Aquarius with the talent and delicacy of Libra to create that perfect state of grace, in the lower-cased sense, whereby body, mind and spirit are mobilized as a metaphysical team that makes for superheroism. This requires a combined faith in self and in those superior powers we’ve been courting all along, connecting self with Self.

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These hundred-year-old Sabian Symbols are surely preinternet, so it’s important to think from that head at Aquarius 18° with A Man’s Secret Motives Are Being Publicially Unmasked because we didn’t have the power of hacking, or checking the history on, this man’s computer. Still the diviners of these oracles knew that it would become increasingly difficult for modern wo/man to keep secret his privacy, past or profound motivations. From our modern perspective we know that the struggle between societal power and the rights of the individual typically see the former win out. Even before there was a CIA, government or other powerful agencies had the means of dredging up damaging details on just about anybody. The Rudh connects this to modern psychiatry being able to otherwise unearth what lies beneath an individual’s conscious through analysis. Well, that brings us to the fact that this oracle is ruled by Virgo, the analytical sign, in a twelve-fold sequence.

And we are back to the Dr. Faustus-like adept, that figure being a well-worn archetype of the Virgo man in my book (literally my book Sextrology). The adept can likewise penetrate the secrets of life through analysis and any number of techniques requiring “altering substances” a nod to Virgo’s mutable-earth status. Yes we might be talking drugs here, while certainly the response of the muscles and nerves. The adept must function in secret, you see. That is the meaning of the word occult: hidden. He needs the protection (of that watchdog in the previous image) and also some psychic protection via his so-called elementals. And yet what we are seeing here is an unmasking which is the only way any of us would know about any adept or alchemist roaming the earth. I hope to meet another one one of these fine days. It’s beeen awhile. Hello, can you hear me? I’m down for a coffee.

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A Watchdog Stands Guard, Protecting His Master And His Possessions is what awaits us at Aquarius 17°; just when we thought these Aquarian images were going to get all sorts of crunchy granola, we are finding them to be all business and gated-community-like. Admittedly, this symbol being ruled by the sign of Leo makes sense, as that sign is all about the establishment of ones castle and his keep and the autonomy one provides oneself and the protection one can then offer others. This is a symbol of backlash, I believe, showing the need to counterbalance the communal energy, not to mention property and living, associated with Aquarius. Leo is, afterall, the opposite sign of Aquarius. Something will have to be off limits and auntonomous, even if we are speaking metaphorically here. Nomatter how touchy-feely liberal we get we will still want to vouchsafe our privacy, no? Of course we come up against this time and again, both individually and societally. It’s a matter of the liberal versus the libertarian, both seeking to throw of the yoke of something, mainly, oppression by plutocratic and governmental forces, respectively, both of which fall under the heading of society—that old chestnut.

The purest communism the world has ever seen was, ironically, in America in the 1960s via, well, communes. But they, and communism in general, does not work. It seems that in trying to eschew totalitarianism it only flips around again. Remember the pigs in Orwells Animal Farm. I’m always struck by the fact that both Uranus and Saturn rule Aquarius, the planets of the avant and old guard. Though Uranus is the primary ruler, there is always that anchoring of Saturn—he’s like the watchdog in this image, or the big business man in the previous one. Why? Because Uranus’ energy alone is so radically ideological that it might not be effectual. It is arguably the Bernie Sanders of the Zodiac. Ohhh, grrr. Did you just say that. Yes I did dammit. I find Trump and Sanders (not to be confused with French and Saunders) to be so polarized as to be parodoxically the same in that they are preaching to audiences who want to hear the words they utter; while neither of the two have actual plans to execute what they propose. The right doesn’t want the Bern to take their toys away; and the left doesn’t want the Trump to screw them out of their due either. And so we need a watchdog either way you see.

Okay let’s go deeper; because Dane Rudhyar has more to say on this subject in that he sees an occult reading of this symbol as well. Cool, right? You’re down for some occult action, yeah? Me too: The watchdog is thus in place to keep out any psychic intrusions or even those of dark magic. Now, as we journey toward this end of the Zodiac, in case you haven’t noticed, we are dealing with more non-material and etheric forces on a grand scale, whether it be personal revelation or a whole upper-case Book of them. So as we wax more supernatural we need that much more protection. The Rudh (that’s my new nickname for him)….the Rudh speaks of subhuman entities or “elementals” that the adept employs to protect him as ventures furter out into inner space—”far out” is such an Aquarian expression—but this just makes me think of creepy o’l Dr. Faustus, although he was courting actual demons. Elementals. Okay. I think we mean more like genies and spirits of fires and wee beings that Shakespeare would have loved to entertain. The Rudh likens these beings to guardian angels but, jeez, I dunno if I would call Clarence an elemental per se. (If you don’t know who Clarence is we have nothing further to discuss.)

Whatever the metaphysical level this oracle exists on, we are seeing a need for protection and security so that we might be able to exact an agenda that, hopefully, is beneficial to others. Any dimestore new-agey buddh-ish has heard the phrase “I dedicate my actions to the benefit of all sentient beings”—oh, it was a phrase that used to get thrown around a lot trust me. Anywig, sometimes it might be easier to do the right thing when you know you’ve got your own literal or figurative fido watching the door. I mean, the greater the adept or even the creative the more protection they might require. I know some very famous friends that learned that lesson the hard way. Then of course, Madonna has body guards, too, and she doesn’t do much for me or really anybody I know. But I don’t know that many people.

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With this following symbol scholar of all things Sabian, Dane Rudhyar puts forth the concept of “organation” as opposed to “organization.” That, here in the sign of egalitarian Aquarius, at 16° A Big Businessman At His Desk suggest the ability to organize the many aspects of an enterprise invlving a large group of human beings in a new(-age) way. For, on the surface, this is an image of the single, probably white, individual scion of the patriarchy making unilateral decisions that affect the masses. The evolved notion is that this same figure might be making a merger, mobilizing troops or sending a mission to Mars in a way that doesn’t profit the few, but the many. How this could be a Cancer ruled image (in a rolling twelve-fold sequence): is in the viewing of humanity as a single organism, thus the wholistic organing, not the mere organization, theme, here. And not just mankind as a separate organ, but one that is working in concert with the myraid other flora and fauna and mineral organs on earth to make a single earthly organism or, why not go further, a single universal organism.

Cancer, ruled by the Moon, the Mother Principle, sees all of creation, earthy or cosmic, as female. The man at the desk in this symbol thus strikes me as the animus of all feminine being, the masculine purpose-driven dot of yang within this yin universe, the mind of the Mother. That big daddy at his desk isn’t out for domination in this model; rather he is seeking to use the power of the collective in a way that is harmonious to the welfare of the whole of which we are parts. Considering this has never been achieved, as Rudhyar points out, and rarely attempted, this mode of operation still mainly resides in our future visions of a world that has evolved out of human ego and greed and all that goes with it. Aquarius is all about evolution and here we see the specific development of the understanding that the only true beneficial moves to be made are those which positively impact everybody and everything. The old model of the man at his desk calling the shots and making personal gain to the detriment and dearth of others will have shown that, in the end, he doesn’t benefit either. Such systems based on greed will be dismantled or overthrown. It is only a matter of Time.

We might have to nearly destroy ourselves via revolution to get down to the level of the few “seed-people” who will be part of a new order, doing things in this wholistic manner. Still we shall draw on existing models of management and systems analysis even as we move forward in our evolution. In simple terms, the greedy maneuvers and mercenary moves of the past can still be mined for their strengths in our future endeavors of full-humanity benefit. The lovebirds of the previous image signaled that we could come to a place where our lower-case and upper-case Selves could work in concert, not conflict—once we get to that place we must no longer go back into division. One would think that those who act from ego-selfishness would indeed feel divided or torn; words that describe being other ripped back in two. Sadly, some people don’t seem to own a conscience that could be in conflict. (Like so many Republicans.) There are few things scarier to me than that thought.

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Two Lovebirds Sitting On A Fence And Singing Happily couldn’t fall more aptly under any sign other than that of Gemini which rules this Aquarius 15° symbol in a twelve-fold sequence. Gemini is steeped in bird and flight imagery, ruled by Mercury named for the winged god, and the sign governs courtship, rituals of which are a particularly birdy biz. The duality of Gemini is not only expressed in the pair of birds but also in the fence which is separating one field (of experience) from another. The birds might very well signify the mortal and divine, just as the twins of the Gemini, Castor and Pollux were immortal and divine, respectively.

Indeed what could be more fulfilling than to have our terrestrial actions marry perfectly with our spiritual aims or, moreover, spiritual blessing—for our earthly conduct to be in accord with divine mind or soul. And it works the other way as well, perhaps: The spiritually fulfilled soul mightn’t be able to take anything but right action in this world. The point being that we are living in harmony (singing) with ourselves, whatever dualities and dichotomies working in accord, the opposite of inner conflict being inner concert, pun so very much intended. This, my friends, is bliss. In the previous oracle we followed it through a tunnel that speeded us through a mountain of obstacles, now we have achieved a sense of it. The proverbial we is sitting on a fence, poised between two gardens of our own being, perched on the happy middle way.

Following that bliss, we get to blessed These are love birds. And the love is of a higher (winged) spiritual kind. What we have here is supreme blessing or beatitude. Inner happiness is the reward for having made a valuable contribution to the world and mankind.

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At Aquarius 14° we board A Train Entering A Tunnel which symbolizes the ability to short-cut the process of natural evolution by the exercise of will, mental skill and physical self-discipline. If one is inspire by a vision of what is possible to achieve (see the oracle from three days ago) and then organizes the steps necessary (see the oracle of two days ago) to take toward the successful fulfillment of the vision and then find just the right time and climate for beginning the new work (yesterday’s oracle), one can speed the trip of their evolutionary process. I’m almost directly paraphrasing from Dane Rudhyar who says this evolution can happen on either the psychobiological level (that of yoga and other simiar disciplines) or at the social level at which civilization proceeds.

This symbol is ruled by Taurus in a twelve-fold sequence and that sign is packed with super-achievers with tunnel vision—the shadow side of which can be myopia. Indeed, tunnels do fast-track us to our destination, sometimes by any means possible. Not to judge but sometimes certain people will do anything (and step on anyone) to fast-track their desires; whilst this can also send us into a dark place akin to a rabbit hole or labyrinth of their own making. Let’s not forget the myth of the bull/man Minotaur, who lived in the center of a labyrinth, in effect, a prison of his own desires.

Still the positive aspect of this oracle should be accentuated. When you have all the right elements in place, as suggested above, than you might speed through a wormhole, transporting through, and transcending time and space, toward whatever might be so singular a goal that you have blinders on to all other distractions.

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A Barometer.

Yeah that’s all we have to go on for Aquarius 13°, ruled by Aries in a twelve fold sequence. What does a barometer do? Well it gauges the climate, which we can speak of metaphorically. And helps us to plan in advance with actions and activities. Since, in the previous symbols, we have become newly inspired in a fresh direction and took inventory of where we were on the escalator of evolution, both personally, biologically and in terms of our social context—knowing where we stand—I suppose it follows that we should get a read on the external climate to see how to best approach this new direction.

Astrology is itself a barometer, as it let’s us know the changes in cosmic energies just as that instrument of weather allows us to predict what will happen based on changed in air temperature. We’ve seen the problem of having expectations projected out onto our experience or onto other people. Here, instead, we are taking the temperature. We are seeing whether their is any demand for what it is we are thinking to supply with our new directionality.

How fitting this is considering its Groundhog day! The clairvoyant who divined these symbols didn’t know what day they were being assigned to as the date was written on the back of a blank card being held up to her and, to boot, she was blind (as many great seers are). Thus we see that the groundhog is the barometer. And we might personify that instrumentation ourselves. We need to be sensitive to our enviroment, to be sure that it serves our goals; just as we need to know our audience. Glad to say our furry friend this year did not see his shadow. Anyway, it already feels like Spring.

Short and sweet today.

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On A Vast Staircase Stand People Of Different Types, Graduated Upwards is the symbol at Aquarius 12° ruled by Pisces in a twelve-fold sequence. The staircase is likely a spiral one, the upward path of the zodiac itself. The zodiac, spiraling through time, is like a double-helix strand of spiritual DNA. Just as DNA shows physical evolution, had via (Aquarian-ruled) mutations, the Zodiac is a portrayal of how we are spiritual evolving We are all of us on the same path, but we will be found at different points along it. Pisces, is the sign of compassion (which the diversity of Aquarius has given rise to, just as John the Baptist, Waterbearer, paves the way for the Jesus Fish of Pisces). In recognizing our diversity it can breed compassion; and we must especially have compassion for lesser evolved beings whom, in a moment of weakness, we might be temped to lable brutes.

We are all at different points of development.

The egalatarianism of Aquarius must be tempered by the Pisces notion that heirarchy of levels is a fact of nature. And, as far as we humans go, it is important to know on which step of the stair we stand. One way or another. We might consider that some of us fancy ourselves more evolved than we actually are; while others squander their gifts and pollute themselves and bring themselves down. Either way we are not honoring our divine place in the heirarchy. The rainbow of Aquarius, Salome’s dance of seven veils, are all invitations to ascend, ascend, ascend. And we can do so. But, still, it is important to know where we are.

(I suddenly flash to a dream I had last night where I climbed thousands of tiny stairs to reach a great height; but when it came to to descend vertigo got the better of me and I couldn’t go down. It was very similar to climing a ladder to a great height which is far easier, looking up, than it is to then swing one’s body back over that same ladder for the descent. Not sure what that means but I’m sure some analyst out there will tell me.)

We should indeed look up for inspiration and shining (stars) examples to emulate; but at the same time we might help human beings below us to likewise rise up and reach a next level. The ones who will slip and slide and trip, stumble and fall are those who take access pride in the heights to which they’ve ascended and do no reaching out behind them. This is the give-and-take of spiritual evolution, symbolized by the opposite facing fish of Pisces, one pointing up and one pointing down, like a double-mudra, one hand facing up and one down. Beside our spiritual evolution, individual and collective, and the “progression of the biological species”, we are also speaking on a socio-cultural level of evolution here as well.

Yes we might experience revelation that points us in a direction, but even (especially!) that revelation is fleeting. We might have had a momentary rise in our conscious experience, but when we “come down” from that epiphany, we realize that we must go through our paces, reaching higher and higher consiousness, step by step. We get that glimpse which is incredibly inspiring, but then the real work begins. Of course the Zodiac itself is an outlining of a system of that never ending rising in conscious evolution. It is in fact “the original twelve-step program.” The Zodiac embodies the natural progression of states of consciousness which, taken together, might add up to a sustainable state of what I like to call practical enlightenment.

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At Aquarius 11°, ruled by that sign in a twelve-fold sequence, we come to the following Sabian symbol: During A Silent Hour A Man Receives A New Inspiration Which May Change His Life. The receipt of “new inspiration” is the exact kind of revelation that is associated with Aquarius, bent on ushering in a new personal age. We will have (hopefully) successfully come to terms with the gap between our former (popular) incarnation and any kind of slump or downslide we perceived ourself in—that slide should have taken us down into the inner life of our selfhood from whence we might derive said inspiration—the so-called “silent hour.” And it works the other way too, we might not receive inspiration unless we take the time out, detaching from our experience.

The previous image might have suggested a dark night of the soul where we might have lamented and, indeed, needed to grieve the past to come to terms with where we are in the present. Dane Rudhyar says that “what is implied here is the essential value of keeping open to the descent of spiritual or Soul forces, especially when a new period of individual activity is about to begin.” This is a perfect iteration of what those descending goddesses of the Aquarian experience—Eos, Iris, Hebe—or their literate counterparts, Tennessee Williams’ Stella, Dickens’ Estelle (though ironically in this case) provide. And we see Aquarian women playing this role in life, even as talk show hosts like Ellen and Oprah arguably providing upliftment. One might make the case that Eos, Iris and Hebe were on some level seeking attention from mortals that they didn’t quite receive from their divine superior on Olympus. That they were going where the love is.

But let us circle back to the inspiration. Those goddesses might represent divine intervention but of an internal nature. Indeed creative power and inspiration comes from within. And we will come up short of we depend mainly on outer circumstances and sources and, especially on what was traditionally outwardly inspiring (whether in our personal experience or on a societal, collectedly formulated, level), as such well-springs naturally run dry. Our inner power is nonetheless transcendent. And we can’t tap it as much as we must allow it to flow into our brain consciousness. To do that we need a transition, a period of stepping away, so that we can be open to receive. We are being reborn in a new direction, the result of the water that the Waterbearer is bearing.

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