Last month we talked about the Tibetan tradition, where it is taught that forms manifest from the formless realm through the elements in a specific order: that as consciousness arises from the pure wisdom realm it creates movement or wind (air), this gives rise to heat (fire), which condenses into water and finally creates earth.

So from this spiritual perspective we can see that planets, are formed from consciousness itself, and therefore must by nature contain the consciousness that they emerged from. Each planet is therefore a formation of energy that holds a unique field of consciousness. Planets are embodied consciousness: holding a specific vibration, frequency, or field of awareness.

What, How, and Where

When we have astrological connections with certain planets, and especially if we can make a conscious connection with that planet, they become important spaceholders for our journey of awakening, because of their capacity to hold a specific vibration, experience, or field of consciousness, for us to experience.

This is why when we first learn astrology, we say that the planets represent "what". For example the Moon represents emotions, so what we're talking about when we look at the Moon in your chart, is some aspect of your emotional energy. The zodiac sign describes how that energy expresses itself, and the house describes where (in terms of which area of your life is involved). 

For example, take a Moon in Leo in the 2nd house: the Moon is what, Leo is how and the 2nd house is where. Leo is the sign of creativity and the 2nd house is the area of your inner resources and finances, so with a Leo Moon in the 2nd house you could gain emotional security and satisfaction by creatively drawing upon your own inner resources to generate income.

It is said of Pythagoras that he could "hear the music of the spheres". This means he had the capacity to connect with the frequency of each planet. You can not develop this capacity, merely by reading about it - because holding mental concepts and ideas in your mind, keeps you tuned in to the frequency of intellect and actually blocks your capacity to perceive higher frequencies. 

To connect to the planetary frequencies in the way that Pythagoras could, you need to develop a daily practice whereby you clear your mind of everyday thoughts and concerns and allow yourself to experience what the Tibetans call the mind of clear light: the pure, clear, light of awareness that is beyond thinking. This is why your daily meditation practice is so vitally important on your journey of spiritual awakening through self-exploration.

The Two Truths

In Tibetan Buddhism there is the concept of the two truths: conventional truth, which we can all see and hear and agree upon... it is true by convention and labelling - for example I am sitting on a chair. If you could see me you would agree that is true.

Ultimate truth refers to the truth of our ultimate reality. So even though conventionally I am sitting on a chair, quantum physicists could go deeper and deeper and declare there is no chair there at all, only empty space and atoms, while Mahayana buddhists could go deeper and deeper into self-exploration and declare there is no "I" there either. Not even a trace! So even though conventionally I am sitting on a chair, ultimately nobody is sitting on anything!

In order to be able to understand the planetary energies like Pythagoras did, we have to first be familiar with both the conventional understanding of the planets and then move towards ultimate truth through our own experiential knowledge (knowledge and understanding gained from our own experience). Each planet supports us in our journey of awakening, by facilitating a shift from a conventional expression of our nature to a higher spiritual quality that is more in alignment with ultimate truth.

A Spectrum of Conventional and Ultimate Characteristics of The Planets:

The Sun - from ego to radiance
Moon - from emotional attachment to receptivity
Mercury - from mental concepts to pure intelligence
Venus - from romantic attachment to Divine Love
Mars - from aggression to Divine Will
Jupiter - from greed to generosity
Saturn - from limitation to authenticity
Uranus - from disruption to awakening
Neptune - from addiction to compassion
Pluto - from destruction to emptiness

The Evolution of Human Consciousness

In Esoteric Astrology, The Tibetan Master DK taught that as a collective, humanity is evolving from instinct to intellect, from intellect to intuition; and from intuition to illumination. This not only describes the evolution of human consciousness, but it also describes our individual path of spiritual awakening because as we awaken individually, we will each experience these unfolding 'stages' of consciousness. Indeed it is the awakening of individuals that is at the spearhead, driving the collective evolution of consciousness.

As we look at each of these stages in turn, and their planetary associations, remember that we are talking about the evolution of human consciousness AND your individual path of spiritual awakening at the same time: for they are one and the same. I would also like to add one final stage: emptiness.
So our complete path is as follows:

What do I mean by 'emptiness'? Emptiness is pure presence, awake awareness, without mental concepts. There is an important distinction between illumination and emptiness. In illumination we become full of light. We can experience great bliss and have an experience similar to nirvana, yet we can still be in duality. When we arrive at 'emptiness' we have pure, non-dual awareness. In the Tibetan tradition the highest wisdom of all is the wisdom realizing emptiness. I will explain more about that later in this series.

Now let's look at the planets as spaceholders and how they relate to each of the evolutionary stages above. First of all, what do we really mean by the term 'rulership' as it is used astrologically? Rulership is a very old term from the days back when the king or 'ruler' was the custodian of his land and his people. Rulership doesn’t seem like a good thing to us in our modern era where we see the effects of malevolent 'rulership', dictators, war and power games every day in the news, but this is not what is meant in the astrological sense.

Rulership is not something or someone that has power over us, but rather something that contributes to the conditions that support us in our growth - much like a loving gardener who knows exactly what conditions are necessary not only for plants to survive but to thrive and reach their highest potential. So in this sense the planetary 'ruler' is more like a guardian, or custodian, creating the conditions that support our Soul’s growth.

We speak of planetary 'rulers' (or spaceholders) on many levels in astrology. You will have your overall chart ruler, this is the planet which usually has the most power and influence throughout your lifetime (see my earlier newsletter on tracking your chart ruler) by providing the conditions for your Souls growth. In addition to your chart ruler each house in your chart will have a planetary ruler: we take into account the natural ruler (for example Mars is the natural ruler of the first house) and we take into account the actual ruler. For example if you have Libra on the 5th house cusp then Venus (as the ruler of Libra) would be the planetary ruler of your 5th house. I don't want to get sidetracked with specific house rulerships here, I just wanted to present the idea that all the planets are spaceholders in your life, not just your ruling planet.

In terms of the evolution of human consciousness, and your individual path of spiritual awakening, the planets are creating conditions for you that support definite stages:

Instinct: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus Mars.

Intellect: Jupiter, Saturn.

Intuition: Uranus

Illumination: Neptune

Emptiness: Pluto

These stages are not rigid, but serve as a general guide. You will often experience overlap, for example when you experience transits of Neptune you will be having experiences that can ultimately lead to greater illumination. You could also be experiencing a powerful transit of Mars at the same time. In this case the 'illumination' of Neptune can support you in transforming the instinctive aggression of Mars into conscious assertiveness. Below you can see how the interplay of planetary energies create the perfect conditions to support you in your journey of spiritual awakening.

The Planetary Spaceholders:

The Sun creates the conditions for life itself to exist. We live in a solar system, and the consciousness of the Sun is the major 'spaceholder' (see last week) for the perfect conditions for life to exist. At the physiological level the Sun is prana: the very life force that animates and breathes 'life' into physical forms. (read more)

The Moon creates the conditions for life to take shape and form. The Moon is said to be the 'Mother of all forms', and influences the shaping of form in physical matter. We might say that the Moon provides the magnetic attachments (emotional and otherwise) that hold forms together. This links us closely with Karma, as our magnetic impulses (instincts) propel us from one life to the next. (read more)

Mercury creates the conditions for the development of mind, mental processing, and communication appropriate to our group and species. At the physiological level Mercury governs the nervous system and cellular communication. (read more)

Venus creates the conditions for us to recognize and attract what we need for the continued survival of the species. Through Venus we recognize beauty, harmony, and cultivate personal magnetism. (read more)

Mars creates the conditions for us to assert ourselves as an individual and to move forward into the world to get what we need. Physiologically Mars rules the blood, sexual activity and your body's inflammatory responses. At the instinctual level Mars is all about protect and survive. (read more)

Jupiter creates the conditions for us to expand our minds beyond our immediate self-consciousness. Through Jupiter we expand our learning, give and receive education, and distribute knowledge. Through the conditioning influence of Jupiter we are able to reach out to our fellow human brothers and sisters and connect with them, not as adversaries, but as our larger human family. (read more)

Saturn creates the conditions for us to build structure and organize systems. As we become part of larger groups and societies, some kind of structure and organisation becomes a necessity if we are to succeed. Through the conditioning influence of Saturn that we realize that life simply does not expand continuously, and that in our evolution we also need to embrace limitation and death. (read more)

Uranus brings freedom from oppression, so we are free to explore our individuality. Then through exploring our individuality we discover our intuition and prepare ourselves for the illumination stage of our development. (read more)

Neptune 'spiritualises' through a three-step process of illusion, disillusion, and finally illumination. Before we arrive at the exalted state of spiritual illumination and bliss, we have to navigate a long unfolding process of illusion and disillusion. (read more)

Pluto is the great revealer. Pluto reveals that which is hidden, lurking beneath the surface, the darker side of our own nature. In this way Pluto show us what we have to change if we are to transform darkness into light. (read more)

By studying the deeper meaning of the planets in your own horoscope you will understand how the interplay of planetary energies have created the perfect conditions to support you in your journey of spiritual awakening.

Optional Fieldwork for those wanting to go deeper:

• Download and read Your Essential Guide to Soul Astrology (if you haven't read it for a while, read it again to refresh your memory). 
  
• Get two notebooks. Use one for your study notes (what you are learning about astrology); and use the other as a reflective journal where you write your deeper insights, self-observations and realisations about YOU that arise from your study, observations of your zodiac signs, and meditation.
  
• Deeper Self-observation. Take out your own horoscope (natal chart) and in your Soul Astrology journal -make a note of what sign and house each planet is in. If you didn't do so already begin your daily meditation practice. In your meditation begin attuning to the energy of each planet. Take your time, you can spend a week or more on each planet. Take as long as you need to, to build a strong connection. Write your experiences in your journal.
• The Planets Suite. Composer Gustav Holst had an interest in astrology. He composed the Planets suite to try and capture the essence of each planet, as he experienced it. (It isn't known why he never composed movements for the Sun and Moon, and Pluto was not yet discovered at the time of his composition). Following your own meditations you may wish to listen to the movements composed by Holst. How do they compare with your experience? Ultimately, as you fine-tune your intuition, it is important to trust your own experience and not be influenced by anyone else's impression.
• YouTube links for The Planets movements: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
• Further Reading: In your copy of Soul Astrology study and meditate on Chapter 5: The Planetary Spaceholders