With the completion of the annual zodiacal cycle in Pisces, a new cycle of renewal and regeneration begins in Aries. The esoteric foundation of astrology is an ancient science which relates the constellations and our solar system within the vastness of space, viewed as an entity in itself. The solar system, of which our Sun serves as the center, is an integral part of a still greater life comprised, according to esoteric teaching, of seven solar systems. The life of this entity, and the united effect of its influences, radiations and emanations on our planetary life, constitutes the basis of esoteric astrology, according to the writings of Alice Bailey.
Within the annual cycle, Aries initiates the cycle of manifestation which leads to incarnation by serving as the place where the initial idea to begin activity takes form. Its keynote is I come forth and from the plane of mind, I rule. Thus, Aries is called “the birthplace of ideas, and a true idea is in reality a spiritual impulse taking form”, we’re told. That this birth isn’t easy for the soul to achieve is expressed in Some Thoughts on the Gita:
“Manas [mind] is the pivot of the human structure, or the centre on which the spiritual and material parts of man are made to turn….Manas is therefore the battleground of forces.… The stage of evolution which we have reached is the very starting point of the great struggle.”
Aries forces the soul onto the burning ground and subjects it to a process of purification during incarnation, the books of Alice Bailey tell us, and today the searing, cleansing, light-bearing power of this “burning ground” is visible throughout the world. We can see it not only in the wildfires and volcanic activity of nature, but in the scorching quality of human conflicts working out (mostly but not entirely) on the mental plane through the clash of ideas. Cleavages are opening up to reveal chasms of difference in values, political views, and fundamental assumptions about society. The conflict being generated is distressing to observe, but ultimately, the esoteric teaching assures us, it will clarify the distinction between good and evil and between spirit and matter. The balance is slowly swinging over to the spirit side of the duality, we’re assured, but not yet completely, for the issues in question must become still clearer in human minds in order to throw the weight of public opinion onto the side of spiritual values. “The time [for this] is not yet”, Alice Bailey wrote, “but a great awakening is in process.” We must try to hold this long-range perspective in mind and heart to offset the negativity, cynicism and despair which characterize the view of many in the present time.
A more positive effect of the fiery, propelling energy of Aries as it makes impact on human minds can be seen in the urge to break through limitations and to conquer the unknown. This spirit of inquiry has driven the urge to explore unknown regions of the Earth, from uncharted continents to the highest summits and the depths of the ocean, and beyond Earth to the vastness of space. When the mind is receptive to true ideas formed by the intuition, it can register new approaches to the healing of disease and create new patterns for organizing social, political, and economic structures. This spirit of inquiry, the quest for knowledge, might well be the most powerful force in human evolution, for the drive to know, to experience, is the propelling spiritual power that serves as the alpha or initiating point which culminates finally in the birth of the world Saviour, the omega point of human achievement.
Who can foresee the possibilities which man, manas, the thinking entity, might create through the directing, organizing power of the mind? This creative capacity can rebuild the world, a realization which makes group meditation rich with possibilities for world renewal. Let us strive towards this goal by pondering on our keynote, I come forth and from the plane of mind, I rule.
