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LEGEND

the Key & 4th Fundamental

The Seven Ray Cycles

Occult Cosmology

Science of the Antahkarana & Ray Words of Power

Esoteric Astrology
Superimposition

Libra

On the Ordinary Wheel

September 21st to October 21st

And the Word said:
Let choice be made

Decanates

First decan         Mercury            September 21st to October 1st

Second decan      Saturn             October 1st to 11th

Third decan         Jupiter             October 11th to 21st

 

Please read the prefatory material before investigating your own Decanate Stage, as proper assignment is required. i.e., your birth date does not indicate the stage of development, rather, you must employ a subjective recognition of the state of consciousness (point of advance along the Path of Initiation) which you, or another, has achieved.

See this note on determining the decanate.

 

Step One: Physical Man

September 21st to October 1st

Mercury

The sign of Libra on the Ordinary Wheel is entered from right to left in the clockwise direction via Mercury in the first decan, Saturn in the second and Jupiter in the third.

The rulership of the physical decan of Libra is the reverse of that in Virgo wherein Mercury is the orthodox ruler of the sign but Venus rules the first decan. In the case of Libra, Venus is the orthodox ruler of the sign but Mercury rules the physical mechanism.

It should come as no surprise that it is this dualistic influence of Mercury which contributes to the accentuated extremes, the lack of moderation or temperance of the Libran character and appearance.

Mercury is a dual planet and Libra is a dual sign, so the inherent dichotomies produce great extremes from mannish women to effeminate men. In the best cases Mercury produces a well-formed, refined, pleasing and balanced body with admirable proportions possessing something of a long, elegant delicacy. Most people are instinctively attracted to the fine poise and plastic beauty of the Libran.

Under this influence the soul is aided in its capacity to create and maintain a well-formed, equipped and balanced physical vehicle. Even when the physical body is large and strong the characteristic smallness of features is retained under the sign of the Scales, with small, well-molded limbs, hands and feet.

It is the stimulation of Mercury which contributes to the inherent Libran urge and struggle to attain beauty, balance and harmony. Although the Libran vacillates, often unnoticeably, it is never truly for long, for they are actually well equipped for the eventual balancing of the internal forces and this is in fact their task in this sign.

In this decan a strong sense of rhythm produces movements which are lithe and graceful. Mercury's rule here produces an unruffled activity which is not at all like the nervous restlessness it produces through its rulership of the physical decan of Gemini. True to its influence, there is great physical vitality, but the body and nervous system suffer greatly under undue strain as the general constitution is good but lacks robustness.

Excess indulgence, intemperance and lack of moderation of any type cause the Libran to lose equilibrium and health problems rapidly result in the physical mechanism. These disturbances to physical health necessitate continual adjustments in order to re-establish a balance. This is an important point to grasp about the physical constitution of the Libran type. A varied multitude of physical health problems minor and major are the general norm for the imbalanced, ill-tempered physical sign type.

Negatively polarized, sheep-like and blind, young souls in Libra follow the herd instinct in sexual and social relations and traditional customs. Their rudimentary state of consciousness is indecisive, bewildered and confused, especially when called to order and asked to speed up or to make a decision.

In the early stages of physical growth sexual relationships are pursued in a chaotic, confused and unintelligent manner. Misdirected sexual habits such as prostitution or homosexuality often constitute a real problem. The primitive Libran chooses the lowest path of desire and takes the line of least resistance to satisfy the dominating and controlling urges of the inherent physical appetites and sexual cravings instinctually and unconsciously operating within and through their undeveloped animal bodies. During the stage of physical polarization this is only natural.

Mercury subjects the physically polarized Libran to a continual state of crisis resulting from the unbalanced use, mishandling and misunderstanding of the physical forces of sex, law and money. Their love of pleasure may lead them into extravagance. Libran men can degenerate into reckless gamblers and Libran women can be extravagant, jealous and careless about money, sometimes squandering their wealth and talents in their over-enthusiasm for causes that they espouse. Both sexes can be great gossipers, as a characteristic of the unevolved Mercurial type is an insatiable curiosity for tabloid sensationalism that tempts them to enquire into every social scandal in their circle.

It is easy to understand how at the rudimentary physical stage the characteristic Libran type expresses many of the negative or recessive traits of Mercury. We can also better grasp why the unevolved soul expresses itself without refinement in an excessively harsh, rude, coarse and often vulgar manner.

The truly primitive Libran is best known for a false, showy outer materialistic life; for bigotry, prejudice, untruthful expression, fickleness, intrigue; for rapid and constant variability. Insincerity, excessive conformity and moral cowardice are the norm since the incarnated soul has not yet awakened to the nature of reality or recognized the illusion of form existence.

In the characteristic facial expression of the recessive type an untruthfulness can be glimpsed in the eyes which appear scheming, untrustworthy, unscrupulous, sly and secretive. Libran physical types are apt to leave many false impressions and speak with the intention to deceive. They do not know a straightforward path and they will prevaricate, temporize or hedge in the most annoying way. Everything, it seems, will be done to avoid commitment.

Early in life many different pursuits will invariably be taken up only to be thrown aside in favor of something else. This is interesting because initially, the all-rounded tendencies of the Mercurial temperament seem to handicap instead of help the career of the struggling soul.

The influence of Mercury accounts for the expression of fickleness, variability, imbalance, bias, prejudice, intrigue and dull stupidity. At the early stage the absence of a critical faculty leads to unfortunate material circumstance fraught with perils. Dominated by materialistic attitudes and expressing a theatrically false outer persona, the Libran during the physical stage is characterized by a condition or state of "static unresponsiveness". (EA, p.227)

As Mercury is a dual planet, its rulership here indicates that the unevolved soul is unconsciously trapped and submerged by the essential dualism that underlies all manifestation. The primitive type is a long way away from being a center of quiet contentment, happiness, peace and love. The dualities interact: pleasure and pain, wealth and poverty, love and hate, heat and cold, good and evil, light and darkness.

Through this illusory panorama. the young Libran cannot intelligently make his way or find the clue or thread of meaning which will lead out of the maze. This first step is therefore marked by undue distress and premature interpretation, as the soul cannot as yet distinguish truth from glamour.

Mercury indicates the complete control of maya, glamour and illusion around the material and personality side of life. Never glimpsing any reality beyond the physical plane, they easily fall into disharmony, lose physical balance and are temporarily sidetracked, lost or simply go wandering. They cannot help but give way to physical desire and temptation and are ever inclined to head off in hazardous or foolish directions.

Symbolically, a scale is easily tipped, and likewise the Libran is easily pleased, compliant and yielding. There is a guilelessness, innocence and an inability to say 'no'. False steps are fatally easy and the erring recessive physical type is repeatedly dragged down, pushed, shoved and kicked along the downward path.

The negative Mercurial character in this sign exhibits frivolity, flirtatiousness and shallowness. They are ever changeable and indecisive, impatient of routine, colorlessly conventional and timid, easy-going to the point of inertia, seldom angry when circumstances demand a show of annoyance at least; and yet also paradoxically Librans can shock everyone around them with sudden storms of rage.

Mercury accounts for the unbalanced, unbridled, fiery passion of the Libran in this decan. It is the potency of individual desire which causes constant changes and shifts in balance because a coherent sense of ethics, standards or values has not yet been developed. All actions produce results, and the undeveloped Libran has yet to learn to weigh cause and effect correctly.

Yet the process of the first decan eventually enables him to attain a fluent and facile agility, stability and balance on the physical plane. This will one day be accomplished through correctly weighing and bringing to a point of balance the opposite extremes in his own self.

The advanced physical type has a good instinct for the health of the physical body and generally manages to keep the balance and avoid serious breakdowns of any kind. When devitalized or below par in any way, the best cure for the Mercurial physical mechanism is proper rest along with careful diet.

 

Step Two: Emotional Man

October 1st to 11th

Saturn

Saturn, subjectively speaking, provides obstacles making choice between the polar opposites necessary and inevitable. The golden Mercurial coloring of the Libran personality is now enhanced with the superimposition of the cool emerald green of Saturn.

This indicates that the unconsciously emotionally polarized Libran must ultimately learn to climb freely, choose and become self-directed in conduct and in attitude. Initially this urge to develop a sense of self-direction will lead through all of the fields of lower selfish desire. After due reflection and the balancing of the various inclinations and possibilities, they do what seems fit; but it is predominantly selfish desires which are the deciding factor and tip the balance. The weight of desire turns the soul downwards towards physical pleasures, material acquisitions and selfish ends.

The nature of the battleground on the emotional plane is not yet practically understood, but under Saturn there is the hard work of building the emotional body and fulfilling selfish desires, all the while attempting to preserve some semblance of balance, temperance, moderation, control and equilibrium. However in the interim period of emotional growth the Libran is famous for prevaricating and hedging most annoyingly when a simple straightforward path is actually what is required.

Under the auspices of Saturn the creative and adaptive intelligence is embryonically gestated which will one day eventually enable the man or woman under this sign to work intelligently with other people. In the interim period however, psychological disorder and chaos mark the second step, as the unevolved emotional type in Libra is manipulative, absentminded, vague, uncouth, distasteful, undefined, devious, deceitful and untruthful.

Their lives are examples of disorientation, self-doubt, futility and lack of accomplishment. Demonstrating an amoral materialism, they exhibit wasted motion—they seem to be always busy or in a constant rush, they lack patience and appear distracted or preoccupied. Generally they are careless, inaccurate, restless, scattered and 'spread themselves too thinly'. They have a 'happy-go-lucky' attitude, disinclined to worry. They are almost totally lacking in the ability to discern, judge and evaluate with any sense of real integrity.

In the early stages the lower aspect of Saturn produces the host of Libran dilettantes who do not possess any real understanding of subjective artistic values and lack aesthetic sensitivity, but who nevertheless critique, parade around and masquerade as if they do. At this stage of evolution they have a bubbly social effervescence, but like foam or froth they sit lightly on the surface without any real depth.

While feeling free to impose upon other people, the Libran does not like to be imposed upon and will resist with a display of authority. They are exceedingly impatient of any restraint. The Saturnian type lacks flexibility and seeks to imprint or stamp their convictions with a stern psychic mold upon other people—their children, marriage partner, family relations or associates. Saturn stimulates the urge for control and power over others.

This decan therefore, produces the ignorant tyrant in home or business who is ever ready to keep everyone in a "nursery regime". (EA, p.236) They punish infringement, drastically penalize, restrain and restrict the freedom of others. They are psychologically coercive, manipulative, uncongenial, abusive, unscrupulous, opportunistic, untrusting, apathetic, cold, indifferent, intractable and recalcitrant.

Librans suffer from loneliness but are incapable of appreciating why they lack friends and admirers. Their tendency to apathy often degenerates into indolence and so they must work with industry to establish the emotional stability to persevere steadily through a task. Inwardly they suffer greatly and take pains to forward their plans. Not trusting the inherent goodness of other people, they are ready to turn all circumstance and relations to their own ends. They are infamous for expressing a high degree of self-interest, accordingly distorting the true design inherent in the unfolding pattern of their personal relationships.

Saturn brings to an end unguided, unplanned and undirected activity and the circumvention of natural laws. The antidote for the misguided enthusiast is restraint and a redirecting of activity. Ritual, ceremony or even militarism are helpful at the stage of emotional growth because as they develop a sense of life's rhythm and timing, the power to create, order, plan and organize unfolds. These qualities enable the evolving soul to renovate, transform, build, adequately manifest and work effectively on the physical plane.

Mature Librans have developed and unfolded great emotional reserve and patience. Life is for them, far more subdued, quiet and serene. Disturbance or any form of discord or disagreement is displeasing, so they learn to develop a real finesse in handling difficult emotional matters. So much of their general health is contingent on other people that emotional dependency is indicated. Librans love being noticed and appreciated. Although they develop elegance, charm, pleasing manners, high standards and social aptitude in later life, the emotional disposition is bound to rigid routine, subservient to habit, over-worked, over-concerned with rules and regulations, crystallized, rigid and intolerant of the individuality or originality of others.

Initially Saturn does not produce a bold, enterprising or venturesome type, but rather one who is conventional and entrapped in the past. Unevolved emotional types are so perplexed and confused that they are afraid to move forward without retracing their steps.

Conservatism marks this temperament along with superficial emotional and social values. Unevolved Librans insist on excessive conformity, leaning heavily on rank, status, respect and privilege. They are highly sensitive to the status, actions and mannerisms of others, and perceptive of etiquette, dress code and so on. As a rule they are bigoted, sectarian and intolerant of anything new. It would be anathema to them to lose their social status due to false ambition or failure to satisfy their many commitments.

Although a Saturnian facility for fluid evasion makes it easy for them to hide the truth, in the final analysis they cannot escape, avoid or evade their task and eventually are forced to develop real sensitivity through difficult material circumstances and personal relations involving great pain, suffering and hardship.

Saturn grants the incarnated soul the power to define, shape, mold, form, clarify and express. A highly developed ability to distinctively render, shape and mold desires is a Libran trademark, as they are ever searching for the ideal form. Definition is indispensable at the emotional stage when they must begin to emerge from the forest of confusion and error.

At the apex of emotional development the Libran begins to stop mistaking one thing for another, overcomes the tendency to indecisiveness and no longer blindly struggles in a dark, confused, bewildering and inchoate world. Thus they acquire an emotional agility, tact, flexibility, fluidity and versatility, culminating when fully developed, in real social propriety, suave approach and diplomatic virtuosity.

Enjoying companionship, popularity, good reputation and social acceptance, emotionally mature Librans have evolved an innate ability to understand the emotions of others. They have developed reliability and seek enduring, long-lasting harmonious bonding and relationship.

 

Step Three: Mental Man

October 11th to 21st

Jupiter

In the third decan Jupiter governs the mentally polarized Libran personality. Under this influence the comprehension and capacity of the mind is greatly expanded. What is finally produced at the apex of the mental stage is an intellectually focused personality, self-consciously aware and integrated.

In the interim period of mental evolution, the Libran now begins to emerge from out of the unconsciously astrally polarized mass of humanity. Initially of course, the unevolved mental type follows blind social custom and as a consequence is passively conditioned by prevailing rites, rules and social instincts.

The recessive Jupiterian type is shallow, prone to degradation to the lowest depths, exhibits bigotry and is far too ready to comply with easily held conventional ideas. They are willing to compromise anyone or anything in order to gain sought after approbation. Agreeing with others, they gain popularity and acceptance.

They have great need of companionship and so their typical activities bring them into contact with the public in many professions. Consequently it is not difficult to imagine how this decan produces the myriad orthodox exponents of scientific, educational, religious, military, industrial, artistic, economic, political and philosophical schools of thought, ever ready to make moral decisions for others and annex those of inferior mental capacity.

In all fairness however, in time Librans become excellent in all fields requiring leadership, counseling, arbitration, negotiating or public relations. The more advanced type develops a good critical faculty and is able to take an objective stand in matters which call for impartial judgment. But they do not tolerate argument from anyone who challenges their opinions, for once they have reached a conclusion its truth seems to them self-evident. Among their faults is an impatience of criticism and a greed for approval.

Eventually Jupiter's beneficent influence leads to the formation of a judicious and non-biased attitude. A strong concern for honesty, justice, love and fair play in relationships, partnerships and marriages is shown as the mentally developed and integrated type attempts to cooperate and contribute in a positive manner to the greater prevailing social order.

The mind of an accomplished Libran possesses a great capacity for brilliant oratory, a love of literature, poetry, history and music. They love learning and work hard to acquire knowledge, proficiency and expertise. The judicial mind after due reflection and balancing, weighs cause and effect more correctly than any other mental type. (EA, p.234)

The evolved Libran has learned through experience that the first false step taken can easily be fatal. Jupiter fosters the development of correct social attitudes, right relations, the ability to demonstrate self-control and unselfishness.

The advanced mental type is known for premeditated and self-conscious attitudes. There may be real literary talent, and although somewhat tame, the writing is charming, magnetic and persuasive. They possess the marvellous ability to acquire the sympathy of other people for their own point of view. Jupiter bestows a good sense of judgment and an enthusiastic expression of wisdom. Conduct is straight-forward and reflects a secure and settled position. Realizing the outcome of desire and the result of the selfish use of the forces of matter, mental questioning as to the nature of the interplay of the opposites is now significantly increasing.

A friendly outgoing manner is acquired, while honesty and sincerity become highly developed. There is a firm and courageous desire to attain peace and harmony under the rules of appropriate conduct, law and order.

The Libran now truly begins to rise above petty personal pride, bickering, jealousies, sectarian persecutions, religious narrowness and the useless wrangling of politicians, economists or theologians. The mind is clear and lucid, capable of building and expressing well-constructed thoughts free of obscurities and eccentricities.

The evolved type cannot tolerate injustice or unfairness and dislikes anything that is ill proportioned, discordant or ugly in life. They have a natural disdain for undue exaggeration, strained feelings or any extreme emotional expression.

At first only vaguely recognized, the first few faint flashes of the intuition begin to be sensed. At the high water mark of mental growth, the ever-increasing glimmers of the intuitive mind are knowingly evidenced and registered. This produces a consequent 'tipping of the scales' in the higher direction, weighing the balance upwards towards spiritual decision.

In other words, desire becomes refocused into spiritual aspiration. The scales tip back and forth, swinging the advanced Libran thinker between the pairs of opposites. Through further experience and experimentation the higher adjustments proceed apace.

Eventually the first real vision of the razor-edged Path appears, and the goal towards which the Libran must ultimately direct his steps. The period known as the 'Probationary Path' now commences and duality is truly experienced and known. When the development of a true sense of values and the power to utilize the balancing analytical faculty of the mind are sufficiently present, the Path can be safely trodden. The die has been cast, the Libran has separated himself like the "sheep from the goats" (EA, p.229) from the mass of humanity and the place of judgment has been reached.

Then the reversal of the Wheel takes place and the beginning of the new orientation upon the Path of Return. The soul now organizes itself for battle with renewed effort, and for this the outer personality knowingly awaits; moreover Self and not-Self directly confront, face and recognize each other. Rung by rung of the ladder, step by step, stage by stage under law and through the method of gained experience in active manifestation, the creative plan and the soul immanent emerges into the forefront of the subjective consciousness.

The goal is now to become a conscious cooperator in the great creative process and purpose, balancing material and spiritual law as a wise legislator. To do so a point of equilibrium must be attained between material personal desire and intelligent spiritual Love.