The struggle for release
The equilibrium achieved in Libra prepares the seeker for points of crisis and “moments of reorientation” in Scorpio. Midway between Libra and Sagittarius, two signs of balance, Scorpio initiates a point of transition and reorientation. The inner Christ principle which was hidden in Virgo must be subjected to repeated testing in Scorpio in order to achieve manifestation. “Battle” is not too dramatic a word to describe the experience in Scorpio, for its keynote is Warrior I am and from the battle I emerge triumphant. Initially, the impetus for approaching the path of spiritual development might be a search for peace, for inner tranquility to counteract the noise of outer life. In actual practice, however, it becomes clear that spiritual growth entails struggle, rigorous self-discipline, and courage in the face of repeated failure. Is this inevitable, and if so, why? We find some understanding in the realization that all spiritual growth is attained only through repeated testing. Motives may seem pure, but remembering that we are tested in our virtues as well as our vices, only consistent, persistent effort, submitted to repeated evaluation, can determine when the foundation for advancement has been well anchored.
The arduousness of the testing is depicted in the symbol of the nine-headed hydra encountered in the labor of Hercules in Scorpio. His battle with this serpent was an exercise in futility until finally he lifted the hydra high overhead where it collapsed in the light of the higher mind and pure reason. The hydra is an apt metaphor for the challenges of spiritual development, for the hydra lives in a bog, hidden in the dark recesses of the mind and emotions, until it bursts forth when confronted by the fires of aspiration. This is one reason why aspirants for spiritual training are asked if they have counted the cost. Presenting oneself at the altar of spiritual dedication inevitably evokes the backlash of everything within the personality that would resist transmutation and submergence through the soul’s mastery.
Just so, the hydra is an apt symbol for the present times. The new age that we’re entering demands that we confront past wrongs, lingering guilt and resentment, unrecognized desires and thoughtforms that cloud our perception of reality. Hercules succeeded in vanquishing the hydra only when he finally, with great effort, lifted it high overhead where it died in the glare of revealing light. This ancient myth is echoed in Einstein’s perception that no problem can be solved on its own level; only by approaching it from a higher level is the solution discovered. In a similar way, the crises caused by delusional beliefs, fostered by misinformation and outright lies, can only be resolved by the higher mind—by reason and, still higher, by the intuition. This is “the great dispelling agency”, in the words of Alice Bailey, for it expresses as love, understanding and inclusiveness. Nothing so releases the intuition as a deep love of humanity, she wrote: humanity in all its gradations and variations, perceived with synthetic loving understanding.
Crisis is connected with the struggle for release leading to an expanded vision, we’re told, and when a human crisis and a hierarchical crisis coincide simultaneously, a major decision point emerges. Today, according to esoteric teaching, not only is humanity at a point of crisis; humanity collectively is a point of crisis now, which has ramifications for the planet as a whole—every kingdom in nature is experiencing the effects of humanity’s crisis. Depending on humanity’s choices, this moment holds the potential for a powerful forward movement into a new age, a new civilization, and a new culture which will benefit all the lives that share our planet. The crystallisation of forms and the dissolution of old worn-out ideas and ideals are necessary, under the divine Plan, because all progress is a series of releases, leading to a point of emergence. This is the promise of Scorpio’s keynote: Warrior I am and from the battle I emerge triumphant.
