Just randomly opened an Alice Bailey book to a page, and got a burst of confirmation about an idea/concept that I’ve been spending time with, which I’ve also previously brought forth with a different post:

“This astral body has in it the counterparts of the etheric or lays centres, and through them stream the forces and energies, earlier dealt with, into the etheric body. These centres carry energies from the seven planets and from the sun to every part of the astral organism, thus putting man en rapport with all parts of the solar system. This results in the fixation of a man’s life destiny, until such a time as the man awakens to his immortal heritage and so becomes sensitive to forces that are as yet—for the many—unrecognized. These emanate from the form. This is the reason why a horoscope is frequently quite accurate in its delineation for the unevolved and for the unawakened, but is quite in error and at fault in the case of the highly evolved man. Man is, en masse, what his desire body makes him. Later, “as a man thinketh so is he”. The astral body, with its longings, appetites, moods, feelings, and cravings moulds the physical body through the attractive forces which flow through it, and so guides the man on unerringly to the fulfillment of his desires. If the cravings of the sentient nature are dominantly animals in their objective we shall have the man with strong appetites, living a life given over to the effort to satisfy them. If the craving is for comfort and foe happiness, we shall have the man with a sensuous, beauty-loving and pleasure-loving disposition, governed practically entirely by selfish effort. So it is through all the many grades of desire, good, bad, and ordinary, until that re-orientation takes place which so reinforces the astral energies that they are turned in a different direction. Desire becomes aspiration. Thus liberation from the wheel of birth is brought about and a man is freed from the necessity to reincarnate. Then the horoscope as now understood proves futile, untrue and useless as the term sometimes used, ‘the horoscope of the ego or the soul’ means nothing. The soul has no individual destiny, but is submerged into the One. Its destiny is the destiny of the group, and the Whole; its desire is the working out of the great Plan, and its will is the glorification of the incarnated Logos.”

This is soooooo revealing! While it may seem problematic and unpopular for an astrology-enthusiast such as myself to “co-sign” on the idea that the “rules” of astrology may not always apply to (all) people, I DO get that very much…HOWEVER, you nor I, nor anyone I know, is probably really “there” yet…at least not fully. Most of what an astrological focus deals with for the majority of people is THEIR work, THEIR relationships, THEIR health, THEIR money, and basically THEIR ego/personality. And well, it does give a lot of insight into those areas, but it remains focused on one’s “small life.” At a mundane level, the placement of the planets describes the “energy signature” molding our form life experience, and to the degree that an individual life with personal desires and ambitions is operating, that “signature” will be noticed in expression. (Curiously, if one considers how the actual stellar constellations have shifted, through the precession of the equinoxes, and that the signs are not where they once were, it is interesting to note how that does AND doesn’t matter. The signs have been built, over much time, into conscious thought forms that behave when, where, and as expected because of the collectively conscious “weight” accumulated concerning them. Also though, energies from actual star constellations can still factor into someone’s mix, while now also participating in the archetype of a different sign that was not originally the host of that constellation. All layers are latently applicable upon consideration—observation is participation...)

However, the more consciously awakened one becomes, and the less important one’s small self, ego, and personality is considered, with less attention focused on personal desires and ambitions, the more the soul comes into primary operation instead of the personality. At such a point, instead of “being governed” by the stars and planets, one starts to “govern” their own stars. In such a way, instead of receiving their effects, and being impressionably driven by them, one is more able to tune into them to work with their symphonic flow to express the best potentialities for the collective. The personality is still “active,” but it is in service to the soul instead serving itself. It would be these people for whom a traditional astrology chart wouldn’t be seen to apply as much. An esoteric lens becomes needed, focusing on esoteric rulerships, and the chart’s design is then not viewed as an individual’s destiny and path but as one’s purpose and role within the Whole. The symbolic energies of astrology are still applicable, but their motivation is somewhat different.

Continuing with development, even identification with a particularized soul aspect (defined by consideration of an esoterically considered chart) can be shed so that a person is totally liberated and unbound by the configurations of external energies whatsoever. (Think Jesus or Buddha maybe….) The astrological “blueprint,” as a cosmic, “karmic contract” IS indeed a sort of “locked box” we exist and operate from within…until we don’t. It is a karmically generated “path of least resistance” for our soul to continue development. For some, that implies the satiation of desires. For others, that is balancing out prior “transgressions” where one sinned/erred and “missed the mark”. There is also embedded the opportunity for spiritual growth while opening, closing, and transferring various “karmic accounts”. The karmic “locked box” can be thought of akin to “fate” in many ways. By letting people just drift through the stream as external forces act upon them, a fated destiny “script” can more or less be observed to be followed. The more we consciously “wake-up,” we begin to activate our “free will” more and more to express the energies found in our signature instead having them expressed upon us. This is a shift from victim mentality (“Why do these things happen TO me?”) to taking responsible ownership (“What am I making happen THROUGH me?”). This is also a step between people who can’t get their physical (health, money, relationships, work) “stuff” together and organized and those who can successfully aim an intention towards a desired goal and fulfill it. (A sloppy personality which cannot function in service to self is not a personality that can effectively function in service to others/All…) As such, making this first shift allows a person to, via their individual personality, chase their desires. This ambition usually continues until “burned out,” and then true desires of the soul’s aspiration are increasingly pursued. The more self-involvement is dissolved, with less and less self-desire, the more one’s personal will is empowered because it is not selfishly operating for the self solely, but it is operating for the Self’s soul, and it is empowered through greater and greater collaboration with Source/All and the collective it is both a part of and in service to/as. Eventually, one’s will could become totally unrestricted when “I and the Father are One,” and the personal will directly aligns with the collective Will. Then, any separating restrictions (indicated by planets and signs and whatnot) are null and void (eventually even the esoterically considered ones), as one is One and ALL are operating and at disposal simultaneously, when, where, and as necessary without traditional “obediences.” It is as if a person is slowly becoming (or rather knowing themselves to be) their OWN “star”. We move from having greater/larger/higher forces act upon us, to acting in cooperation with greater/larger/higher forces, to moving the greater/larger/higher forces through us, to emanating these greater/larger/higher forces as we access our larger/Higher Self and recognize them to be part OF us. And so on…

Now, before anyone says, “Oh, I’m already awakened and enlightened, so the stars, planets, and condition of my astrology chart don’t affect me; I’m beyond it,” let me make something clear…You cannot simply “wish” your way out…You cannot simply say “I release all my personal desires!” and have it be so. One must have reached a point of sincere abstinence from such self-involvement for that place of detachment to truly be operable. Otherwise, it is like a bad diet, where one “swears off” carbs for a week, only to be craving and indulging in them twice as much the following. We, as humans, must “burn off” certain desires through their fulfillment; in this way, we “fulfill” the necessary “karma” from our “contract,” to the extent it is present and must be dealt with, but even these logistics can be more malleably negotiated with conscious consideration and action. Life is, even with its “mandates,” a rather open-ended proposition, provided our conscious participation and growth is continued. (In fact, part of the whole divine creation and incarnation experience is about Source exploring and experimenting with all the possibilities that it can engage with. Fulfilling desire IS the original “name of the game!”...When the sole/soul desire is to relinquish physicality, and continual incarnation, then THAT will be the “desire” aimed at, but not before…Of course, before totally re-orienting in such a way, there may be some time going “back and forth” while the personality is released and the soul is “enthroned.”) Therefore, fulfill the desires you have (as long as no harm is done), but continue to question the “why” behind the desires. Slowly but surely, like eating too much cake, we will get sick and tired of physical pleasures and sense-based satiation or worldly power, all of which is ephemeral. That is when we ask, “What more to life is there?” and we begin to aspire towards such. It is NOT generally an instant type of occurrence, although pivotal transitions may have an “instant” quality to them.

In closing, I could ramble forever about this topic and how the “operating system” behind astrology appears to be at play. For any that would discount it on the basis that it can eventually be “worn out” and not applicable, I would offer this. It’s like saying that Newtonian physics isn’t useful since we now have proved things different through quantum physics and the like….Well, no, Newtonian physics is still seen operating, and we still learn about it before the more advanced material. Newtonian physics can be the easier route to understanding and making sense of less complicated phenomenon, while higher physics is needed to know why there can be discrepancies and other things at play. So it is with astrology and spiritual “sciences.” Similarly, calculus still comes after algebra. Good authors bend the rules of grammar AFTER demonstrating them in effect. Likewise, the ABC’s of understanding the astrological symbols is still pertinent to understanding the design of bigger archetypal patterns, and the more one is willing to explore the “why” and “how” behind the way things work and the reason they are configured to mean what they do, the easier it is for someone to see and understand the way to assimilate and transcend those “pieces” as the “boundaries” start to loosen up…

Overall though, one could quite truly state,
Through the Will is the Way to negate undue Fate ;)

“I used to be above it! Now I’m down in it…”—Nine Inch Nails