THINKING AND DESTINY

Harold W. Percival

CHAPTER XIII

THE CIRCLE OR ZODIAC

Section 3

The zodiac related to the human body; to the Triune Self; to the Intelligence.

The zodiacal figure shows that man in his physical body is the microcosm of the macrocosm, that is, of the Universe or sphere of fire and of all that is in it.

The parts of a human body are related to and connected with the signs of the zodiac, it being always understood that the points are meant and not the constellations on the ecliptic.

The head is related to aries, (Fig. VII-A). Aries, Consciousness, contains all, in the sense that it is throughout all. Language is inadequate to express this idea, because language is made to express thoughts that deal with the kind of matter that is at most one-dimensional or surface matter of the physical world. The head or sphere or circle is one, and it contains all. Out of it all things in the body come. The head represents the manifested and the unmanifested. The unmanifested signs capricorn, aquarius, pisces, aries, taurus, gemini and cancer are in the upper half, while the manifested signs cancer, leo, virgo, libra, scorpio, sagittary and capricorn are represented in the lower half by the seven openings in the head. By emanation or extension, in the torso, the chest shows the upper, unmanifested, half of the circle, while the pelvis shows the lower half.

The head is represented throughout the torso and in it are the types from which the torso is built in its three sections. The brain is represented in the thorax by the lungs and heart; in the abdominal section by the kidneys and adrenals, and in the pelvic region by the prostate and the womb, and the male organ and the vagina. All specialized organs in the head have their counterparts in the thorax, abdomen and pelvis. Everything starts from the head: the food that is eaten and maintains the body, the things that are seen, heard, tasted and smelled and so act on the body, breathing and voluntary muscular actions—everything starts from the head.

The neck or throat is related to taurus. It is the first departure from the head. Through it come the impulses that cause the movements of the body.

The shoulders and arms are related to gemini. They have no internal organs, take no part in the internal action of the body, but when they act, their potential power and duality, as represented by the hands, work civilization into being.

The breasts are related to cancer. Because of the breath all elements can come into the body. Breath starts life; by it all things are sustained and kept in activity.

The heart is related to leo. Through the heart the blood which is the life carrier, is sent forth, to build new tissue and cause life and growth.

The womb and prostate are the representatives of virgo. They mold the seeds of life into form.

The parts of the body where the sex openings are, are related to libra. There the gender is apparent, there the male and female unite. There is the center of human interest. There is the gate through which breath, life and form pass down and out into the temporal human world, or along which they pass on and up into the spine to eternal life. The male organ and the clitoris are the representatives of virgo and scorpio. They are acted on by, and react to, the pull of nature to procreate.

The terminal filament is related to sagittary. At present it is not used by the doer as the path of desire to the thinker.

The spinal cord opposite the heart is related to capricorn. At present it is not used for the purposes of the Triune Self.

The spinal cord between the shoulders is related to aquarius. At present it is not used for purposes of the Triune Self.

The spinal cord at the cervical vertebrae is related to pisces. At present it is not used for the purposes of the Triune Self.

Thus all the twelve points, the manifested as well as the unmanifested, are represented in a human body, which is thus a Universe in miniature or model universe.

The Triune Self also is constituted as the pattern of the zodiac, but the manifested signs only are notably represented in the make-up of the Triune Self and its servants, and in the Universe in which it lives. The signs are cancer, represented by the sense of sight; leo, by the sense of hearing; virgo, by the sense of taste; and libra, by the sense of smell. All of these are on the nature-side, but are also servants of the Triune Self: scorpio is represented by the doer; sagittary, by the thinker; and capricorn, by the knower. The matter of which these four senses and the three parts of the Triune Self are, is more directly in contact with the points for which the zodiacal signs stand, than is the transient matter in the bodily parts.

The unit which is the sense of sight, is a fire, cancer, unit, and is the channel through which all fire or cancer matter of varying degrees, flows into and out of the generative system and through that into the body. The sense of sight, cancer, is by its nature directly related to the cancer sides of the light or cancer-capricorn planes of the four worlds, and particularly to the matter of the light or cancer world. So it is with the other three senses which are similar channels and are respectively related to the leo side of the leo-sagittary planes and to the leo world, or to the virgo side of the virgo-scorpio planes and to the virgo world or to the libra point of the libra planes and to the libra world.

The unit which is the Triune Self is a capricorn One of the light or cancer world of the earth sphere, and is intelligent-matter. The doer of the Triune Self is in the form or virgo world of the earth sphere and is scorpio matter. The thinker is in the life or leo world and is sagittary matter, and the knower is in the light or cancer world and is capricorn matter.

The knower or capricorn part of the Triune Self is the channel through which clear Light coming from the Intelligence and ultimately from the abstract point which, if named, would be the presence symbolized by capricorn, flows into the noetic or capricorn atmosphere and thence goes into nature, libra; and through which Light that is reclaimed from nature returns to the Intelligence, whose Light it is, and thence to the point which, if named, would be symbolized by capricorn. The knower is by its nature directly related to the capricorn sides of the light or cancer-capricorn planes of the four worlds. The thinker or sagittary part is the channel through which diffused Light in contact with the abstract point which, if designated, would be symbolized by sagittary, flows into the mental or sagittary atmosphere under the presence of the abstract point and thereby through thinking goes into nature, libra; and through which reclaimed Light goes into the mental atmosphere under the nameless point designated as sagittary. The doer or scorpio part is the channel through which desire from the presence of the abstract point which, if designated, would be symbolized by scorpio, flows into the psychic or scorpio atmosphere, and thence, when mixed with Light, goes into nature; and through which desire returns to its source in the abstract point which, if named, would be the scorpio point of the abstract circle. The thinker and doer are respectively related to the sagittary and scorpio sides of the leo-sagittary and virgo-scorpio planes and to the life and form worlds.

The four cancer, leo, virgo and libra senses act through the four systems, the cancer, leo, virgo and libra systems, by means of which they circulate nature-matter, each sense focusing from and into its respective sign in the planes and worlds. Correspondingly, the doer, thinker and knower, scorpio, sagittary and capricorn, act through the scorpio, sagittary and capricorn atmospheres which are in the psychic atmosphere of the human, each part focusing respectively scorpio, sagittary and capricorn matter from and into the respective sign on the intelligent-side of the planes and in the worlds. The four, or cancer, leo, virgo and libra, systems in the body correspond to the four atmospheres. This is so notwithstanding that there are only three parts and three atmospheres of the Triune Self. The Triune Self is related to nature by the aia, by means of the breath-form. The breath-form is the last and most progressed unit of nature, the living form or “living soul” of the body. The breath of the breath-form, its active side, is that which relates the aia with the Triune Self and with nature. The breath-form is the active point or line from the aia, from aries to libra in the physical or libra world, which divides as well as connects nature and the Triune Self. The breath-form as breath is the fourfold physical breath, and through that flow the scorpio, sagittary and capricorn breaths which are the active sides of the three atmospheres of the Triune Self, which are through the psychic atmosphere. The sense of smell is also the physical or libra breath in breathing. One does not smell without breathing. The generative or cancer, the respiratory or leo, and the circulatory or virgo breaths of the libra breath, all have to connect with the digestive or earth breath of the libra breath, to reach the receptivity or form aspect of the breath-form, and thence to reach the doer. The correspondence between the senses of sight, cancer, hearing, leo, and tasting, virgo, on the one side, and the knower, capricorn, the thinker, sagittary, and the doer, scorpio, on the other side of the same planes is obvious, and the correspondence of the sense of smell with the breath of the breath-form is equally obvious as both are in libra. The four cancer, leo, virgo and libra systems on the nature-side correspond to the capricorn, sagittary, scorpio and libra atmospheres on the intelligent-side.

The zodiacal figure shows other relations, those of the active and passive sides of the three parts of the Triune Self; the knower, itself capricorn, has two sides, I-ness, cancer, and selfness, capricorn; the thinker, itself sagittary, has the sides of rightness, leo, and reason, sagittary; and the doer, itself scorpio, has a passive side, feeling, virgo, and an active side, desire, scorpio. These passive sides, cancer, leo and virgo, of the parts of the Triune Self, capricorn, sagittary and scorpio, are related to the active sides, capricorn, sagittary and scorpio, of the respective senses, cancer, leo and virgo; and the active sides, capricorn, sagittary and scorpio, of the parts of the Triune Self, capricorn, sagittary and scorpio, are related to the passive sides, cancer, leo and virgo, of the senses, cancer, leo and virgo, through those parts of their atmospheres which are in the psychic atmosphere. Each atmosphere of the Triune Self may be symbolized by a zodiacal figure and has twelve aspects which it manifests through the part to which it belongs.

From a zodiacal figure can be seen the relation of the atmospheres of the Triune Self to the worlds in which they are, (Fig. V-B). The psychic atmosphere, scorpio, is in the form or virgo world; the mental atmosphere, sagittary, is in the life or leo world; and the noetic atmosphere, capricorn, is in the light or cancer world, by the portions of these atmospheres which are in the psychic atmosphere. An atmosphere and the world in which it is, are related. For instance, the feelings and desires of a psychic atmosphere and the elementals in the form world, are similar, because they have the same tendencies, namely for sensation and emotion; that which puts them into relation is the similarity of the tendencies. So, generally, that which relates is the similarity between the things in the world and the qualities of the atmosphere. Because of their relation the three atmospheres and the three worlds are in touch and affect each other, and they do this by means of the breath-form.

The atmospheres may, according to their fineness and power, interpenetrate any part of their worlds. A psychic atmosphere may be in, may affect or may be affected by, any part of the form world. A psychic atmosphere may reach a very limited or a considerable part of the form world or it may reach or fill the whole of it. The terms reaching and filling are figurative, because the Triune Self is of a matter to which the terms and laws of nature-matter cannot apply. So it is with the other atmospheres in regard to their worlds. Let it be understood that when it is stated that the atmospheres of the Triune Self work on the worlds and that the worlds work on the atmospheres of the Triune Self, these do not act on each other directly. The parts of the noetic and mental atmospheres which are in and related to the psychic atmosphere only, can work on or in the corresponding light and life worlds by means of the psychic atmosphere and form world, and this through the physical world by means of the breath of the breath-form and physical body. No part or atmosphere of the Triune Self can act directly on any world. To reach any of the worlds, the thinker and knower and their atmospheres must act through the doer and its atmosphere, and the doer and its atmosphere act through the breath-form and thence through the physical body into any of the worlds.

A zodiacal figure shows this relation. The psychic atmosphere is represented by scorpio in the zodiac of the noetic atmosphere, and the form world by virgo in the zodiac of the light world. The zodiac, that is, the symbol, of the form world is also the zodiac for the psychic atmosphere. In other words, the one zodiac of the form world and of the psychic atmosphere particularizes and shows the relation of the two signs virgo and scorpio of the light world and of the noetic atmosphere. In this zodiac the nature-side works upon the intelligent-side and the intelligent-side upon the nature-side, according to the positiveness or negativeness of these sides to each other. The interaction goes back and forth between corresponding signs, as cancer with capricorn, leo with sagittary and virgo with scorpio, but by way of and passing through libra.

The zodiac shows that in each world are only the signs cancer, leo, virgo and libra, that they are the only signs that indicate the essential qualities of the matter of that world and that all that matter is nature-matter.

The zodiac shows that in each atmosphere are only the signs libra, scorpio, sagittary and capricorn, that they are the only signs that characterize the matter of the atmospheres and that all the matter of the atmospheres is intelligent-matter. The matter of the cancer, leo, virgo and libra types makes up the worlds, and the matter having the scorpio, sagittary and capricorn traits penetrates and, on lines shown by the planes, interacts with the corresponding nature-matter. The zodiac shows that each world is made up of the four elements, and that they are more and more modified as they come towards the physical plane, and that in these elements is intelligent-matter, which gives to the fire, air, water and earth matter the traits of light, life, form and sex; and that the aries-libra line of union and division is the physical body of man and is the breath-form through which the penetration takes place.

The cancer, leo, virgo and libra matter of nature is energized from the corresponding signs on the intelligent-side. When this matter is energized it is made active and acts as force. Applied to the physical plane of the physical world, this means that a pyrogen unit is energized through its potential capricorn point, that an aerogen unit is energized through its potential sagittary point, that a fluogen unit is energized through its potential scorpio point and that a geogen unit is energized through its libra point.

The zodiac presents a means of lining up and so of checking up conceptions; thereby metaphors can be distinguished from the realities which they indicate. So the zodiac shows the relation of the noetic world, which is only a name, to the light world. The noetic world is a capricorn world, that is, the essential qualities are those of capricorn knowers, and it is in the light or cancer world of nature. It is made up of the sum of knowledge of the noetic atmospheres of all knowers. It is not a world in the sense in which the light and the other nature worlds are. A similar relation obtains with regard to the mental world of thought, a sagittary world, and the life or leo world, and the psychic world of desire, a scorpio world, and the form or virgo world.

From the zodiacal signs can be seen that which no words can tell, the relation of the Intelligence to its Triune Self, something about the faculties of an Intelligence and something about the three orders of Intelligences.

As to the relation of an Intelligence to its Triune Self, the Triune Self never leaves the sphere of the Intelligence under whose Light it is. As long as it is a Triune Self it is related to that Intelligence by characteristics which are in a measure the same as those of the Intelligence, that is to say, that the qualities and powers of a Triune Self are potentially akin to those of its Intelligence. The figure of the circle with twelve points shows the connections which the knower has through all the capricorn signs, which the thinker has through all the sagittary signs and which the doer has through all the scorpio signs. Each of the three parts is so connected with the Intelligence by a number of identical signs. For instance, the doer, itself a scorpio part of the Triune Self, is connected through the scorpio points of the mental and noetic atmospheres and of the water and air spheres with the scorpio point of the fire sphere.

The first circle, that of the fire sphere, is the zodiac of the Intelligence; the fifth circle, that of the light world, is that of the Triune Self, and the eighth circle, that of the physical world, is the zodiac of the physical body and of its breath-form. The fourth circle is that of the earth sphere, which stands in a similar relation to the four worlds in it as the abstract circle stands to the four spheres. The first, second and third zodiacs stand for the Intelligence with its three degrees of capricorn, sagittary and scorpio Intelligence; and the fifth, sixth and seventh zodiacs stand for the Triune Self with its three atmospheres of capricorn, sagittary and scorpio.

Both the Intelligence and the Triune Self are capricorn entities, but they are in different zodiacs. The Triune Self is a capricorn unit of the scorpio sign of the zodiac of the Intelligence, which is a capricorn unit of the fire sphere.

The zodiac shows the relation of the Intelligence and its Triune Self to nature. The cancer part of the Intelligence is related to the I-ness, cancer, of the knower, and by means of that to the cancer or passive side of the sense of sight and by means of that to the passive fire element in nature. The capricorn part of the Intelligence is related to the selfness, capricorn, of the knower, and by means of that to the capricorn or active side of the sense of sight and by means of that to the active fire element in nature. The leo part of the Intelligence is related to rightness, leo, of the thinker, and by means of that to the leo or passive side of the sense of hearing and by means of that to the passive side of the air element of nature. The sagittary part of the Intelligence is related to reason, sagittary, of the thinker and by means of that to the sagittary or active side of the sense of hearing and by means of that to the active side of the air element in nature. The virgo part of the Intelligence is related to feeling, virgo, of the doer and by means of that to the virgo or passive side of the sense of taste and by means of that to the passive side of the water element of nature. The scorpio part of the Intelligence is related to the desire, scorpio, of the doer and by means of that to the scorpio or active side of the sense of taste and by means of that to the active side of the water element of nature. The libra part of the Intelligence is the focus of the other six parts or faculties of the Intelligence and is related to the libra aspect or breath-form of the Triune Self and by means of that to the libra aspect, or sense of smell, of nature in a human body.

A zodiacal figure shows how these relations of the Intelligence with nature are maintained. All are maintained by way of the libra point, (Fig. VII-B). So the cancer part of the Intelligence which is related to the I-ness of the knower and by means of that to the cancer side of the sense of sight and by means of that to the passive fire element in nature, cannot get across or communicate on the cancer to capricorn line, but must, when crossing from the intelligent-side to the nature-side, from the knower to the sense of sight, go by way of libra. So it is with all the actions and reactions between the Intelligence and nature. If the action starts in the fire sphere, it cannot reach the sphere of the Intelligence, unless it goes across the libra point in a physical body and across that in the breath-form. Or to give another illustration. If the action starts on the physical plane of the physical world, when an orange is seen the action cannot reach feeling, unless it goes with the generative, cancer; the respiratory, leo; the circulatory, virgo; the digestive, libra, breaths and so with the breath-form to the feeling, virgo, of the doer, scorpio.

It is because of these connections of the Triune Self with the senses, their organs in the body and their elements in outside nature, that one who knows of the alignment shown by the zodiac and who has control of his senses, can create or destroy. No supernatural feat would be impossible to him. Without instruments he could do or have whatever he wanted. He could condense and guide starlight so that the entire heavens would be fire, or be filled with shooting bolts of lightning, or send a rain of lightning to the earth. He could melt mountains into rivers of lava or dissipate them. He could crumble or consume a stronghold as well as a hut. He could by precipitating build a wall or a house, he could produce metals and fabrics. But he would also have the knowledge not to use his powers for foolish ends.

A zodiacal figure shows something about the faculties of an Intelligence, (Fig. V-C). It shows that an Intelligence has a faculty for every sign that is in the manifested side of the zodiac. The light faculty is of cancer, the time faculty of leo, the image faculty of virgo, the focus faculty of libra, the dark faculty of scorpio, the motive faculty of sagittary and the I-am faculty of capricorn. The light faculty acts and reacts with the I-am faculty, the time faculty with the motive faculty, the image faculty with the dark faculty and the focus faculty puts all these faculties into relation with each other and with everything in the Universe.

A zodiac shows the relation of the faculties of an Intelligence to the three parts of its Triune Self. It shows a present potential relation which will become actual when the Triune Self becomes an Intelligence. Then the three parts will become six faculties. Selfness and I-ness, the active and passive sides of the knower, will become the I-am and the light faculties; reason and rightness of the thinker will become the motive and time faculties, and desire and feeling of the doer will be the dark and image faculties and the aia will become the Triune Self or focus faculty.

The zodiacal figure shows the relation of the faculties of an Intelligence to nature, that is, to the four great elements, which are the four spheres of nature. The light, cancer, and I-am, capricorn, faculties are related to the fire sphere; the time, leo, and motive, sagittary, faculties to the air sphere; the image, virgo, and the dark, scorpio, faculties to the water sphere; and the focus, libra, faculty to the earth sphere. These relations are established and maintained below through the Triune Self of the Intelligence and the aia, and above through the Supreme Intelligence of the fire sphere.

The zodiac shows the three orders of Intelligences and their characteristics. They are scorpio Intelligences, sagittary Intelligences, and capricorn Intelligences. These three orders are designated Desirers, Thinkers and Knowers, (Fig. V-C). The dominating faculty of the Desirers are the image, virgo, and the dark, scorpio, faculties and their field of action is the sphere of water, scorpio. The Thinkers are Intelligences of the sphere of air, sagittary; and the time, leo, and the motive, sagittary, faculties dominate in them. The Knowers act in the sphere of fire, capricorn, and their light, cancer, and I-am, capricorn, faculties are dominant in them. The spheres, scorpio, sagittary, capricorn, of an Intelligence are above analogous to the atmospheres, scorpio, sagittary, capricorn, of a Triune Self below, and must not be confused with the spheres, cancer, leo and virgo, on the nature-side. The relation between the spheres of an Intelligence and the spheres of nature is like that of the atmospheres of a Triune Self and the worlds in which they are.

The zodiacal figure shows that from libra extend lines to all parts of nature and of Intelligence, (Fig. VII-B). This means that a human body is so constituted that through it all things in the Universe may be reached and affected and that it is the microcosm through which the changing macrocosm is kept in circulation. From libra extend lines through every sign in every one of the eight zodiacs. On the line from libra to any sign of the zodiac of the fire sphere, which is the macrocosm, are all the signs of the same name. So on the line from libra to cancer of the macrocosm are the cancer signs of the zodiacs of the solid state of matter, of the fluid state of matter, of the airy state of matter, and of the radiant state of matter of the physical plane of the physical world, and of the zodiacs of the three other planes of the physical world and of the zodiacs of the form world, the life world, the light world, the earth sphere, the water sphere, the air sphere and the fire sphere. The correspondences on all planes in all worlds and in all spheres are perfect. The action and interaction of the entities characterized by the respective signs of the zodiac go on by passing through the physical body, libra. The beings which carry on the actions of the manifested Universe are capricorn beings. These beings in the spheres are Intelligences, in the worlds they are Triune Selves. All Triune Selves and the Intelligences with which they are connected work on nature of the man and woman world through a human body, and are affected by nature through a human body. Libra is the center and the fulcrum for the action and the relation between all Triune Selves and nature.

These are some of the topics upon which the symbol of the circle with the twelve points conveys information which is more accurate than any that language can impart.