Soul Astrology is based on Esoteric Astrology and, as we discussed last month, it is all about our inner journey. Going within, and being able to understand ourselves by directly watching the workings of our own mind. It is always important to remember this as the foundation of Soul Astrology before going further.

This might sound very exciting to anyone with a Sagittarian type mind, who loves philosophy and exploring the deeper meaning of life. But in practice, it can actually be quite challenging.

Zodiac signs, by nature, are of two energetic types: magnetic or electric, as the cycles of life naturally unfold. It is like breathing in and breathing out. As we progress around the Zodiac, signs are alternately electric, meaning their energy emanates or projects outward, or magnetic, meaning their energy draws inwards. So Aries is electric, Taurus magnetic, Gemini electric, Cancer magnetic and so forth, until we arrive at Sagittarius: electric.

So in exploring, Sagittarius' nature is to seek outside of oneself. Yet according to sages, philosophers mystics, saints and yogi's who have deeply explored the nature of mind and Soul, the answers to everything can ONLY be found by going within.

The Origin of Esoteric Astrology

In order to see how this could even be possible we need to clarify what we mean by mind, and Soul. First, let's remind ourselves about the origin of Esoteric Astrology. Esoteric Astrology was a telepathic transmission to Alice Bailey, by someone who originally simply called himself "The Tibetan" and said he was the Abbot of a monastery in Tibet. Alice Bailey once referred to a friend of hers who traveled to Shigatse in Tibet and met the Tibetan in person. In Shigatse there is one large well-known monastery, and that is Tashi Lhunpo.

The Buddhist Connection

Tashi Lhunpo has been a Buddhist monastery since it was founded by the first Dalai Lama in 1447. So it was certainly Buddhist at the time of the telepathic communication between Alice Bailey and The Tibetan in the 1930's and 1940's.

This is important because the origin of The Tibetan's wisdom, would almost certainly lie in the esoteric levels of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and practice. We can learn much by understanding who the Tibetan was and what he was trying to convey. It's not about becoming "A Buddhist" - but rather about trying to understand the wisdom of the Buddha:

What were Buddha's core insights about the nature of reality, that the Tibetan felt were so important, so significant, that it was essential to preserve them by transferring them telepathically to Alice Bailey?

The Nature of Mind

One of the core insights that the Buddha taught was on the nature of mind itself. There are some important differences between the Buddhist view on mind and the Western psychological view. The Buddhist view is that mind includes the totality of our being: all our thoughts and feelings, and that mind has 'gross' or obvious layers, and more subtle layers that we are unaware of.

The Nature of Soul

Buddha never used the word Soul because at the time he lived in a Hindu culture, and many of his debates centered on whether the Atman, or Hindu view of Soul, was accurate. According to Hinduism the Atman was said to be permanent, and Buddha disagreed because his view was that nothing that comes into existence can be permanent.

However, this has often led people to suggest that the Buddha said Soul doesn't exist. The Buddha acknowledged extremely subtle levels of our being, that have a continuity from lifetime to lifetime. This is what some people would refer to as our Soul. Buddha simply preferred to say it is all mind, just at different levels of subtlety.

I highly recommend this six-part YouTube series by Buddhist Nun Ven. Robina Courtin to get a thorough understanding of the Buddhist model of mind:

How The Mind Works

The above link is to Part 1 in a playlist - it should automatically roll into the following parts.

Within the Buddhist model of mind it might be easier to understand what The Tibetan meant when he referred to Soul and it's journey through the twelve Zodiac signs. Perfect to contemplate during Sagittarius season!

The above post is an excerpt from "Soul Sign Explorations: deeper expeditions into Soul Astrology from Life's Greatest Adventure"