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The Festival of the Law
The Full Moon in Aries is the Full Moon period for Libra, because the Full Moon is always in the opposite sign to where the Sun is placed on that day. Libra is said to be the most powerful of the signs from the standpoint of being able to manifest things. As the result of our choices we set manifold possible futures in motion as a result, and the most likely outcomes are decided by the greater Angels, which we know as the Lords of Karma. Saturn is exalted in Libra, the sign of Justice, and represents the letter of the law. To the Angels, Saturn is the Supreme Architect and Teacher. Malvin Artley, himself a Libran, discusses the effects of the current Lunation and the associated planetary cycles. Malvin also publishes a regular astrological newsletter, to which you can subscribe by clicking the link at the end of this article.
Now that I have had my short break and birthday celebrations it is time once again for the monthly full moon missive. This marks the commencement of the full moon period for Libra, which I have called "The Festival of the Law" in the past reports. The full moon occurs on the 10th of October at 5:30 PM, AEST. It will be a very interesting festival in many respects and will see a strong impetus toward proper choices around international law put forward (from the inner planes) and around the laws that govern our own individual worlds, if we can become aware if those laws. Further, it will not be the easiest of lunar festivals, but a good deal of insight can come of it if we apply ourselves to the tasks at hand, whatever those may be for us individually. Last year at this time we were watching the ramping up of rhetoric in the prelude to the 2nd Gulf War, and now we are watching the results of that conflict and of the many ill-conceived notions that formed the basis for it. We will see what the Law brings for us in that regard over the next twelve months. As all of us know, Libra is the sign par excellence that governs choice. The glyph for the sign is the Scales of Justice, which shows the judicious working out of the effects in the present from causes set in motion by our choices in the past. Two of the rulers of this sign-Venus and Saturn-are both implicated strongly in the working out of karmic circumstances and the new relations that are built therefrom. In this full moon figure we find Saturn in one corner of a Great Cross, with the Sun, Moon and Chiron at the other corners. Even if we do not use Chiron, there is still the T-square of the Sun and Moon with Saturn at the apex. In many ways, Saturn drives this full moon figure. The main upshot of this Great Cross is that old wounds are brought into sharp relief and are seeking resolution. Further, these wounds have their basis much farther in the past than we might surmise, and they involve many groups and nations throughout the world. We have only to look at the increasing isolation of the governments of the Gulf War alliance and the increasing calls on the world stage for justice and right relations to be implemented by those nations--for a clearing of the slate and for the truth to be told, as it surely will. Those of you familiar with the more esoteric side of astrology will recognize that Saturn is the Hierarchical ruler of Libra. Every sign has such a ruler and they suggest much with respect to the essential purpose behind each of the zodiacal signs. Each sign is also associated with one of the great Creative Hierarchies in nature. The Hierarchy, or class of lives, associated with Libra is a group called "The Lesser Builders". These lesser builders are a class of deva or angelic life. From the last two letters regarding Virgo we examined the life of the deva realms somewhat and their associated and paralleling evolution with ours. The lesser builders have correspondences throughout all kingdoms in Nature, but their primary function is to confer the subtle (etheric) matrices upon which the dense forms of all in existence are built. In fact, it is said that this class of beings "confers form"--i.e., makes manifested life possible--and does so through the power of mind, whether it is the Mind of God or some lesser mind. In orthodox modern astrology Saturn is said to do this very thing--to provide structure--which is another way of saying "conferring form". If we can come to understand a little more about the mechanism of this concept of form and why Saturn is seen to be such a limiting influence, then we may also come to see Saturn as a beneficent influence, and not a retributive, demonic force. To begin this process of understanding, we must always remember that every angelic being creates forms and bodies only in response to and in perfect accord with the type of being seeking to either build or occupy a form. Devas always obey the letter of the Law. Theirs is the path of acquiescence and obeisance, whereas ours is the path of rebellion. The lesser builders take their orders from the greater Builders, associated with Virgo, and create according to the type of vibration set out by the overseeing greater Builder. As I stated in the last letter, the entire Angelic realm is a grand hierarchy of Being which operates strictly in accordance with divine Law. ![]() The Letter of the Law?Saturn, as we know, represents the letter of the law. Every time we come under its influence we are taught certain aspects of divine Law and right timing around our actions. Since we are like little children and abhor any type of limitation, we see this as a negative influence. But, there is another side to this equation as well, which many people do not realize. To the occultist, all bodies limit consciousness. What the angels so willingly and graciously provide for us also limits our greater awareness. So long as we are in our bodies we are limited by the parameters of those bodies. We only see the smallest part of our potential and being as a result because we have chosen to be born into human form. And, this can be a very frustrating thing, indeed. Bodies, though, allow us to experience life in the lower worlds and to work in material realms. It is a divine gift to us that allows us to progress, to serve others and the rest of nature and to learn to finally master the material worlds, enabling us to achieve liberation from them. Thus, Saturn is a gift to us, rather than a curse.Any time I have a client undergoing a particularly difficult Saturnian "learning", I always put the following example to them: If a person gets locked away in prison, what is the first thing they set about doing? They immediately set about figuring out a means of escape--of liberation. This is the primary means whereby Saturn confers mind to us and teaches us about material concerns. It also invokes personal will power as a result of this urge to liberation. Paradoxically, then, Saturn is both jailer and liberator to humanity. It almost gives one the impression of a wizened old teacher who purposely sets obstacles in the student's way and then stands back, patiently waiting for the student to do the necessary work and to make the needed adjustments in their thought processes before the exam can be passed. Saturn also, again paradoxically, teaches us how to be adaptable as a result of this same process. In Part Two of this article, Malvin continues his discussion the effects of the current Lunation and the associated planetary cycles. He looks at the energies of the Lords of Karma and the essential role of Saturn, the Supreme Architect and Teacher. Read part 2 of The Festival of the Law ![]() |
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