#151.21 - The Zodiac, Sacred Geometry and Elements

The Zodiac

The story of the zodiac comes to us from many different sources. The zodiac I use is the one which is used by Western astrology/astronomy. There are Chinese, Australian Aboriginal, Indian etc zodiacs. As long as human beings have been able to look into the skies, they have found patterns to everything, and nothing made prettier and more meaningful patterns than the stars.

Most of our Western zodiac originates in the Middle East - and India. Under those clear desert skies, the stars glittered like they were alive. And there were so many of them. However, the brightest, most charismatic made gigantic shapes into which stories about gods and animals could be stitched.

So the stars which we have these famous names - like Aldeberan (Taurus) and Hamel (Aries) have names which originate with Middle Eastern astronomers. These names then were carried to the Greeks and eventually found its way into Medieval texts and then to us. 

Of course the first thing people think about when they think about these zodiacs is the future - the ability to predict what happens. As we live in three dimensions, we cannot see beyond this point in time. This isn't disconcerting for us, but our ancestors also found it very annoying. So, as soon as they were able to write, they began to record everything. And when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. Zillions (only a slight exaggeration) of cuneiform tablets have everything from receipts and tabs, to what was gathered during the harvest and the types of floods which occurred that year. 

Time passed - and when I say time passed I mean decades - and people began to notice a pattern, or thought that they did. When the stars were in this alignment and this planet was in conjunction with that one, then disease and pestilence broke out, or war took place, or something terrible occurred with the succession. I suppose doing this gave people a sense of control and should the bad thing not take place, at least they were prepared. 

So for the longest time astronomy and astrology were the same - to be an astronomer you would observe the movements of the planets and stars, you'd have a good grasp of mathematics, and you would have to be able to read and write. Essentially you had to be a priest. The Magi - who appear in the Christmas story - were such men. They keep being called kings, but really they were Priests. The word Magician comes from Magi, incidentally.

I love astrology AND astronomy. Both hold a fascination for me. The zodiac, which means the Animals (zoo), are the constellations in which the sun rises each month. Over time though the precession of the equinox, this wobble which the Earth has, has made the sun rise slightly differently and therefore the astrological zodiac is no longer accurate. However we have kept these months and I have also kept them because everyone still uses them.

The constellations are found on each page. I have not only worked them into the drawing, but I have also used their Greek letters. Each star is named in order of brightness. The Greek letters are as follows:

My hope is that not only would you be able to know what zodiac operates during which month, but that you will also be able to spot the constellations. It is quite annoying that the lines are there in the skies - instead you must draw them yourselves with your imagination.

Every zodiac in the horoscope (when used for divination and personality traits) has a certain characteristic. I have departed from this when assigning the months with qualities for mediation - but instead have drawn on the animal - mythological or otherwise - itself and the time of the year we find ourselves. It does have some of the qualities associated with the horoscope, but by and large I have not allowed that to bother me too much.

Finally, I have also incorporated the planet of the zodiac. It is often hidden in the design, but it is there, always. 

The Planets

There is some value to pattern recognition. You can indeed predict the future if you know the pattern. It must have been very satisfying for the first astronomers to be able to predict the retrogression or the return of a planet. Planets in particular are great fun. Planets are also known as the 'wanderers'. This is because where stars are fixed, planets seem to have a life of their own. To be able to tell when a planet was going to reappear or what it would be doing was a kind of witchcraft I suppose. And it is unsurprising planets were also thought to be divine beings - and name after divine beings.

Mercury in retrograde

People often laugh at people who shudder at an impending Mercurial retrogression. However, after thinking about this for a long time, I have decided that there might be something in it after all. All objects have their own fields of gravity. The larger the object, the stronger the field. This is why the moon affects the tides. Why the Sun is at the centre of our Solar System. It is the largest thing going. Mercury is our closest planet. It could well have some effect on us - and if it is going in an opposite direction relative to the position of the Earth, who knows what happens? I mean, really who knows?

When Mercury goes into retrograde we are told not to make plans, do not travel, expect phones to go on the fritz and most importantly communication can come unstuck. Does this really happen? I don't know. However when Mercury is in retrograde I respect this possibility. And Mercury goes into retrograde three times a year for six weeks. During this time I take the time to take the time. 

Meaning, I give myself space to breathe. I mark it into my calendar and make these pause points during the year. I try and go 'inside' myself during this time, I try my hardest to me more patient with myself and other people and don't lose the rag when things don't go according to plan. In fact I try not to make plans. It is pretty cool I think. The blare of the schedule is muted and I give myself permission to go dark, to have a little eclipse. 

My scientific friends laugh at me, but I DON'T CARE. I quite like having this strange superstition. Taboos in the past prevented people from overreaching. They safeguarded land, made certain animals off limits, gave people breaks, gave the land a break. Now we live in a world where the lights are constantly turned on and glaring at everything. Everything is supposed to be demystified, everything is supposed to be the same, unless you declare it not to be the same. 

No, for me Mercury in Retrograde is a time of relief and most importantly, it does no harm. It does no harm and gives us a respite from the everyday insistence. Mercury was of course the Trickster God - the Roman Hermes. Hermes was the psychopomp, the god who could travel everywhere, even into Death. He loved deception and upsetting the apple cart. I love that. A little bit of devilment and trickery in our lives. 

So I am cool with Mercury in Retrograde.

Sacred Geometry

Geometry is everywhere. It is the ultimate manifestation of the pattern. When it manifests in the building blocks of life like the Flower of Life, it is known as Sacred Geometry.

One you start looking for it, you see it in everything. The ying-yang symbol depicts the two. The triangle is the two made three - it is the first object that can stand on its own. Then there if four, etc. For each month I will explain what the corresponding Sacred Geometry is and suggest exercises you can do to experience it yourself. Sacred geometry is a deeply meditative exercise - and it is easy to do. And once you start doing it you find that it can be as simple or as complicated as you would like it to be.

Elements and the Elementals

There are four elements according to the ancient Greeks - the four building blocks of life. In some cultures there are five - the Aether, the ineffable. Most people know these elements are Earth, Water, Air and Fire. Each elements as its own qualities and its own spirit being - elemental. Think of them as the unseen consciousness which govern the qualities of the elements. Science is now showing us that there is no such thing as the obejctive observer. We are always affecting the thing we look at an observe. We are shaping reality around us. 99% of matter is not there. According to physics, the world we know should not be possible - and yet it is. We are co-creators in our universe. That is a very powerful idea - thought is a real thing. When we behold - truly behold the world around us - we are party to its being. And the unseen consciousness - the elementals - are also part of that.

The most important thing I do with that knowledge is that I tread respectfully. I acknowledge that I am not the sole agent in an action - that around me there are other beings which take part in each venture and therefore the environment is not just a place where we live, but a place which actually lives.