The Moon may be related to the past, the Sun to the present and the rising sign to the future developemnt of the individual. Modern interpretations fail to emphasize the importance of the rising sign (the ascendant) and this has been due to the fact that few have been ready to function as souls.
It is necessary to regard the sun sign into which a man is born, as indicative of his personality trends, and as embodying the characteristics which he has inherited from the past, but to regard the rising sign as holding within it the indications of the way that a man's soul would have him go.
The rising sign indicates the remoter possibilities, and the spiritual goal and purpose of the immediate incarnation and of the immediate succeeding incarnations. This sign concerns itself with the struggle of the spiritual man "to carry on" from the point achieved so that when the life energy is temporarily exhausted and the "death of the personality" takes place, the man finds himself "nearer the centre of his life, closer to the centre of his group and approaching the centre of divine life," as the Ageless Wisdom expresses it.
In connection with the sun sign, the rising sign and the effect of the thought-form relating to the moon, the position of esoteric astrology is as follows:
1. The moon.—This type of force (coming from certain planets and not from the moon) indicates that which is past. It, therefore, summarizes limitation and the present handicaps. It governs the physical body and shows where the prison of the soul is to be found.
2. The sun sign. This sign indicates the present problem of the man; it sets the pace or the established tempo of his personality life; it is related to quality, temperament, and the life tendencies which are seeking expression during this particular incarnation, and it is suggestive of the rajasic or the activity aspect of the innate man. Fundamentally, the forces here found are indicative of the line of least resistance.
3. The ascendant or rising sign indicates the intended life or immediate soul purpose for this incarnation. It holds the secret of the future and presents the force which, rightly used, will lead the man to success. It represents the sattvic or harmony aspect of life and can produce right relationship between soul and personality in any one incarnation. It thus points the way to the recognition of the force of the soul.
It might be useful here to comment in a wide and general way, and with many necessary reservations, upon the broad sweep of some of these statements:
1. Undeveloped humanity is primarily conditioned in its life and circumstances by the influence of the lesser zodiac and thus by the position of the planets in the twelve houses.
2. Average intelligent humanity and those nearing the Path of Discipleship and upon the Probationary Path respond consciously to
a. The planets, affecting their personalities.
b. The Sun sign, as indicating life trends which are already established and which constitute the line of least resistance.
c. The rising sign in a small measure. This indicates the life goal for that particular life cycle or else over a period of seven lives. The last two constitute the Greater Zodiac.
3. Disciples and initiates can begin consciously to respond to all the above influences, handling them constructively, plus other potent yet infinitely subtle forces which pour into our solar system. In the early stages, the response is in the subtler bodies and the brain fails to register them, but after the third initiation, there is recognition of them upon the physical plane.
I would point out that the twelve planets, governing the twelve houses, concern primarily the physical plane expression of the man; they affect potently the personality aspect; their influence, plus inherited karmic conditions, produces those environing states and those circumstances which give opportunity for the development and eventually the control of the form side of life.
Secondly, the twelve constellations are concerned primarily with the stimulation of the soul within the form, producing subjective activity which, in its turn, causes changes in the outer expression, through the fusion of the energy of the constellation with the energy of the planets. The effect produced falls into two stages:
1. The first stage wherein the sun sign dominates the man and he is gradually fitted to respond to the soul. His latent possibilities for this life are unfolded. The effect of the sun sign is sometimes called "the potency of the Sun of Probability."
2. The second stage wherein there is increasing response to the energies, concealed by the rising sign. They evoke the unexpected and produce the hastening of the evolutionary process and the unfoldment of the inner life. The rising sign is termed in the language of esotericism "the Sun of Possibility."
A right understanding of the effect of the various energies and forces will make it apparent that, when the conditioning planetary forces, the expanding energies of the sun sign and the driving energy of the rising sign are all being controlled and directed by the illumined spiritual man, you will then have a soul upon the very verge of liberation:
1. Upon the physical plane (cancer/capricorn) we find the merging of the dense and the etheric (gemini/sagittarius) forces. This is consummated upon the Path of Purification.
2. Upon the astral/emotional plane (taurus/scorpio) there must come the resolution of the pairs of opposites. This is consummated upon the Path of Discipleship.
3. Upon the mental plane (aries/libra) the Angel of the Presence and the Dweller on the Threshold are brought face to face. Their synthesis is brought about upon the Path of Initiation.
In Leo, the self-centered man becomes eventually the soul in life expression and focused on the achievement of the spiritual goal of selflessness. In this sign, he undergoes preparation for the first initiation and takes it also in this sign, or under this sign when it is the rising sign, becoming "the Lion who seeks his prey," that is the personality who becomes the captive of the soul.
The new astrologer will, as I have hinted before, lay the emphasis upon:
1. The Science of Triangles, as the result of the growth of the initiate understanding. (Ånd, sjel, legeme, 3 herskere, 3 kors, 3 dekanater, 3 viljesaspekter, se utlevert oversikt over 3 enighet og NB Solen jobber i årshoroskopene systematisk på de tre kors!!!)
2. The rising sign, as it indicates the way of the soul.
3. The place of the three Crosses (1. Cardinal Cross, 2. Fixed Cross and 3. Mutable Cross) in the life of the soul. This will eventually supersede the houses in the horoscope and the 12 arms of the three crosses will take the place of the 12 houses when casting the horoscope of the soul.
4. The influence of the rising sign which is held by the esoteric astrologer to indicate soul possibility and direction, versus the personality opportunity, offered by the nature of the vehicle of response. (Sun & Moon etc.)
5. Ordinary humanity is ruled by the exoteric planets; advanced humanity, disciples and initiates by the esoteric planets.
6. The Sun sign—with the exoteric planetary rulers—rules the personality, indicates inheritance and equipment and is a summation of that which has been, thus providing the background.
7. The rising sign, with the esoteric planetary rulers, indicates soul purpose and points the way to the future, offering opportunity.
8. The horoscope, built around the Sun sign, is adequate for ordinary humanity. The exoteric planets rule and the man lives within the limitations of the twelve houses.
9. The horoscope built up around the rising sign, with the esoteric planets ruling, will convey the destiny of the disciple. As I told you, the disciple will later be responding to the influences of the twelve arms of the three Crosses as they pour their influences through the esoteric planetary rulers via the twelve houses.
10. The Sun sign, governed by the ruling esoteric planets and the rising sign governed also by the esoteric planets, can both be used in casting the horoscope of the initiate; when superimposed upon each other, the outer life of the initiate in the three worlds and the inner life of subjective realization will appear. This mode of super-imposition will be a feature of the new astrology.
11. When the Sun sign, with the exoteric rulers, is worked out in a chart, the rising sign with the esoteric rulers is also worked out and the two are superimposed upon each other, the problem of the disciple in any one incarnation will appear.
* Arguing as one ever must from the universal to the particular, it is essential that humanity relates its own mechanism to the greater mechanism through which the planetary Life functions and views his soul as an infinitesimal part of the world soul. It is necessary for him, therefore, to relate his Sun sign to his rising sign and his soul to his personality, viewing both as aspects and integral parts of the human family. This will be increasingly the case.
Astrologers concern themselves primarily with three types of energy:
a. The moon which governs his form aspect, and particularly the physical form.
b. The energy of the constellation in which the Sun is posited at the time of birth.
c. The rising sign to which the man should respond.
Moon: In the moon influence, we have indicated the native's past. It summarizes the limitations and handicaps under which he must work, and therefore might be regarded as embodying the tamasic aspect of matter, or that which "holds back" and which—if permitted to influence unduly—will produce inertia. In the body with which man is equipped lies hid the secret of past experience, and every lunar form through which we have to arrive at due expression is in itself the product or synthesis of all the past. Let me see if I can put the present truth about astrology in such simple guise that they who know naught of this intricate science may understand.
The influence of the moon is primarily physical. The prison of the soul is thus indicated. The handicaps to be met are thus secured; the type of body or of bodies through which the force of the native's sign and the quality of the energy which will bring him to his goal are thus defined. Through the medium of the lunar lords and what they have given him as the result of past experience down the ages must he express himself upon the physical plane. Question: How are your soul held back from release?
Sun: The energy of the particular constellation or sign in which a man is born is more deeply significant than has ever yet been suggested. It embodies or indicates his present problem, sets the pace or tempo of his life, and is related to the quality of his personality. It governs, if I may so express it, the rajasic or activity aspect of his life during incarnation. Question: Which level of your Sun sign do you express, as revealed also by the three rulers?
Ascendant: The ascendant or rising sign indicates the line along which his energy as a whole can flow if he is to fulfill the purpose of any incarnation. This, of course, if rightly handled. It holds the secret of his future, and in its symbolism and understanding he can find the clue to his life problem and an indication of what he can be and achieve! It presents to him the type of force which will enable him to succeed. This, when duly consummated, might be regarded as producing the sattvic, or harmony aspect of his life, for when it plays its part and is utilized, it produces harmony with the will of the soul during any particular incarnation.
The rising sign, should wax in strength during the incarnation, for it indicates the nature of the soul force that the incarnated son of God is seeking to wield through the medium of a particular personality, possessing certain characteristics. Question: What are the purpose of your life & the secret of your future?
First House = ASC: Exoteric meaning to the left & Esoteric meaning to the right:
Physical body or form = The causal body of the soul.
Appearance or manifestation = The emergence of the soul.
The head. Brain = The head centre.
Personal activity = Soul expression.
Mannerisms, etc = Ray types and qualities. (EA 511)
Ascendanten er kanskje det viktigste punkt i horoskopet og for å regne det ut trengs riktig klokkeslett for fødselen. Det punkt i zodiaken eller 'solbanen' som stiger opp i den østlige horisont når vi fødes, definerer ascendanten. Som vi har sett går en teori ut på at månen beskriver fortiden eller det ubevisste, solen nåtiden eller vår personlige bevissthet og ascendanten fremtiden eller sjelsbevissthet. Med andre en utvikling fra mørke til lys, materie til ånd, slik natt blir til dag når solen stiger opp i øst. Ascendanten er ofte beskrevet som en maske vi bærer og da må vi spørre hva som ligger bak masken? Ascendere betyr også å stige opp, så vi må spørre hva vi stiger opp fra? Det korte svaret på disse to spørsmål er at vi etterhvert som vår personlighet utvikles blir mer og mer mottakelige for sjelens kvaliteter, inspirasjon og hensikt med våre liv. Nøyaktig hvilket tema dette er, beskrives av det tegn ascendanten står i.
Reincarnation: The birth month indicates the day of opportunity. The door stands open. The particular month in which a soul comes into incarnation is indicated to that soul by the month in which it passed out of incarnation in a previous life cycle. If it, for instance, died in the month governed by the sign Leo, it will return into incarnation in the same sign, picking up the thread of experience where it left it, and starting with the same type of energy and the peculiar equipment with which it passed away from earth life, plus the gain of thought and conscious on-looking. The quality of the energy and the nature of the forces to be manipulated during life are indicated to the soul in this way.
Reincarnation: The birth month indicates the day of opportunity. The door stands open. The particular month in which a soul comes into incarnation is indicated to that soul by the month in which it passed out of incarnation in a previous life cycle. If it, for instance, died in the month governed by the sign Leo, it will return into incarnation in the same sign, picking up the thread of experience where it left it, and starting with the same type of energy and the peculiar equipment with which it passed away from earth life, plus the gain of thought and conscious on-looking. The quality of the energy and the nature of the forces to be manipulated during life are indicated to the soul in this way.
* Forget not that the soul of the people is represented by those who react to the influence of the soul ray and of the sign which is affecting it (its ascendant, one might say), whilst the masses are conditioned by the personality ray and therefore by the sun sign of the specified nation.
It would also be interesting to make an analysis of those particular incarnations and their horoscopes wherein the polar opposites both appear in relation to each other—one as the sun sign and the other as the ascendant, (for example, Gemini rising and sun in Sagittarius.) for these lives usually express some degree of either equilibrium or of consummation; they will not in any case be negative lives or lacking in direction, event or purpose. This is particularly the case upon the Fixed Cross of the heavens.
Summary fra Alice Bailey, Esoterisk Astrologi