SIMPLY NOW 3

The Composition of a Human Life “The Name of the Game is Astrology” A century ago, the main value of Astrology consisted of describing the chief events of a life, so that they may have been known beforehand. This is the ‘fatalistic’ approach. Alter-natively, the ‘free-will’ approach is based on the motto: “Man know thyself” (mainly as an individual). The rule here is based upon the idea that: ‘the stars and the planets only incline, they do not compel’. Nowadays, it would seem that the truth lies somewhere between these two alternatives. More than one hundred years ago, Alan Leo prefaced all his interpretations of ‘directions’; sent to clients by:- “You will greatly assist our scientific work, and enable us to check inaccuracies, if you will inform us, at the end of the period for which ‘directions’ have been calculated, of the actual result of your experiences (if any), when the events predicted do (or not) coincide with the ‘directions’ given”. Today, we could use such an approach, which is an example of “backwards” astrology (see later). As a result of the responses obtained, Leo adopted the system involving the “Progressed Horoscope” as the centre for determining the successive events of life, i.e. ‘prediction’, but admitted that this system, although simply the most satisfactory available, was not ideal. He limited his approach to those who were neither too young, nor too old, i.e. either not mature, or not flexible, enough. Additionally, some persons were more capable of responding to, or were more sensitive to, ‘heavenly influences’, than others. He asked the question: “Why are lives so strongly different?” Some seemed to be fated to be born rich and happy, while others became poor and miserable; some possessing stable humour and clear intellect, while others were fools and idiots. And again: “Was life merely a matter of chance?” The question of Fate versus Free-Will has exercised the minds of many seekers of truth throughout the ages. “As ye sow, so shall ye reap” is an axiom followed by many people. However, there is no real evidence to suggest that any actions in the past affect our futures, unless we allow this to happen consciously. There is the principle of the mind being superior to nature, through which we are capable of surpassing the order and system (fate) of the World [Iamblicus]. By exercising the spiritual faculties of his mind, man can at any, and at all times, lift himself above the ever changing plane of the planets. This is the true making of one’s own future, and the solution to the problem of fatalism. Alan Leo believed that Astrology alone could provide clear and definite answers to his questions. He concluded that Environment, Heredity and Character comprised the three great factors in human destiny, the understanding of which clarified the problem of fate, and provided us with ways to escape from its bondage. We all needed to find out not merely the ‘How of life, but also the Why!’ In addition, none of us has any choice over our early environments, perhaps they are prepared for us (or we for them?) and so environment becomes our destiny; but also many of us alter and shape our environment, and so are no longer ruled by it. ‘Character’ is different in all human beings. Some seem to born ‘bad’, and no amount of moral, or mental, training alters, or improves, them. They tend to go from ‘bad’ to ‘worse’, cursed from birth by poor heredity, wretched environment and everything conducing, apparently, to draw out the very worst, and the most evil, part of their natures. Leo asked: “What explanation do we get from our moral and religious teachers regarding these disparate characters?” “Why is one person pure, and another the opposite?” Astrology throws some light on the answer to this latter question. It points to the planets (stars?) as the cause for the events of life, which follow after human birth. The three factors, namely, Environment, Heredity and Character seem to exercise their influence as follows:- 1) Environment provides conditions for expression of the latent qualities inherent in a person. 2) Heredity supplies the vessel – the functional, or faculty, according to that person’s ancestry, and 3) Character, which is the inherent quality of that person, which is brought with that person, and is ‘the root of merit’, which is either susceptible to its environment, or rises above, dominates and changes it. In this particular sense ‘Character becomes Destiny’. For example, in the growth of young children, certain traits of character, not wholly accounted for by heredity, or environment, arise as they develop. Many children of the same family, even when all have become distinguished, have become famous/notorious, for their great differences in character. Nevertheless, it would seem that, as the main factor contributing to destiny, character plays the prominent part. Everyone is either strong or weak, good or evil, pronounced or indifferent. Within every character there is a ‘will’ that may be weak or strong, according to ‘temperament’. Those who study human nature become aware of the complicated nature of character. We could say that human beings manifest themselves through a) temperament, b) feelings and emotions, c) mental expressions and d) through phases of thought. Our own physical bodies are of a certain temperament, upon which character is mainly dependent. Thus, a person possessing a vital temperament will not fit easily into a hard environment because he/she will love and desire ease. Through this temperament the feelings and emotions affect destiny. Those of the mental temperament, living in the mind, will be affected more by ‘mental’ rather than ‘material’ conditions. However, those with the motive temperament incline towards power, organisation and force. Hence each temperament can affect its surroundings according to the strength of character, or will, that lies behind it. Also, apparently, each of us is surrounded by an ‘aura’ that is composed, at least in part, of his/her thoughts, feelings and emotions, and this is a part of that person from the moment of birth onwards. We can conclude that character seems very complicated, and so destiny will be a difficult matter to interpret. Matter is fated to assume shape and form, but the life within that form is destined to control it, sooner or later. Yet we can claim self-evidently that all living creatures are basically identical in spirit and in essence (a part of Simply Now?) Yet they differ in manifestation, according to the matter in which they are clothed, and in their attitude towards their own being. All the different ways of manifestation can be described through the charts of Epoch and Birth constructed from the interpretations of the positions of the Sun, Moon, Morin Point and planets within them, as well as finally, from ‘Directions’.