Character Insight from Spiritual Astrology...
Thomas Jefferson
The Third Decanate of Aries: Aries/Sagittarius, April 11-21
Constellation: Perseus.
Keyword:PROPAGANDA (Advocacy)
Spiritual Text Paraphrased: Each soul is its own redeemer — arriving burdened by ancestral inheritance and environmental conditioning, yet fully responsible for working out its own liberation.
Perseus, in Search of Truth & Righteousness
The Knight Errant —
Anciently, Errant refers to “one who travels in search of adventure.” Those born under this decanate are distinguished by a spontaneous enthusiasm for ideas, and a remarkable gift for igniting that same enthusiasm in others. Their calling is not merely to hold a vision, but to share it — to organize, articulate, and transmit a set of principles in ways that take root far beyond themselves.
The ancient keyword for this decanate is Propaganda, drawn from the Latin propagare — to spread, to cultivate, to cause to take root in new soil. In its original sense, it meant simply: the organized dissemination of a doctrine or system of principles. The word has since fallen into disrepute because of its association with misinformation. Better concepts for today's world might be Advocacy or Dissemination.
Thomas Jefferson
April 13, 1743; 12 NOON LMT
Shadwell, Virginia -78W'45; 38N00'46. His recorded date was adjusted from 4/2/1743 to the Gregorian Calendar, adopted by Britain and the colonies in 1752, which also aligns with modern ephemerides' planetary positions.
Chart generated by Horoscope Program; Source: Astro-Databank; Rodden Rating X (date with no time calculated for Noon.)
Celebrating 250 Years of Experimentation
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Thomas Jefferson: The Advocate — Government Of, By and For the People.
Thomas Jefferson, born under this decanate, embodied its energy with striking precision. Shaped by the Sagittarian influence of both his Sun's decanate (Aries-Sagittarius) and Moon, he was a man compelled not merely to act, but to articulate — to systematize Enlightenment philosophy into founding documents, legislation, institutions, and correspondence designed to outlast the moment. The Declaration of Independence, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and the University of Virginia were not simply political achievements. They were acts of deliberate transmission — the work of a soul convinced that the right ideas, clearly organized and widely disseminated, could reshape the world.
The shadow side of this decanate is equally instructive. Jefferson’s profound blind spots — most notably his ownership of over 600 enslaved people while simultaneously calling slavery a “hideous blot” and a threat to the nation’s survival — remind us that the gift of advocacy carries serious moral responsibility. Principles disseminated without full integrity become contradictions that history will not overlook.
The deeper spiritual teaching of this decanate is that no one can walk your path for you. We arrive carrying the weight of lineage and circumstance we did not choose. But the work of becoming free — and of helping others understand they too can be free — belongs to each soul individually. That is both the burden and the calling of Perseus: the knight who travels in search of adventure, armed with ideas, and unafraid to share them.
For greater insight into the decanates of spiritual astrology, click here for more about Aries and the PROPOGANDA (Advocacy) decanate in Course VII or here for “The First Eighteen Decanates Analyzed” in Course X-1.
Aries: The 1st Sign of the Zodiac
March 21 thru April 21
I AM
Around the world, Spring is the season for celebrating fertility, new life, and survival. Ramadan, Lent, Easter, Vaisakhi, Purim, Naw Ruz, Vesak Day, Holi, and Passover mark some aspects of this celebratory period.
At its heart, this season is the story of passing over to the summer half of the year, from the dreary months of winter darkness and oppression. When we think of the privation endured by primitive people as their stored supplies became exhausted at the end of the season of snow and cold, we can have no surprise that they universally celebrated the passing of the Sun over the celestial equator from south to north, heralding the commencement of the growing period with its new supply of food and its relief from the icy blasts that make demands for special clothes and shelter.
Why a ram to mark the leader of the celestial procession? If one has ever watched an old ram lead his flock, using the Ram to head the procession of constellations will call for no further explanation. Aries was given the Key phrase, I Am. Those born under this influence, more than other people, tend to view things from the standpoint of Individual survival and expression. They are pioneers who venture into new lands.
The Vernal Equinox, or 0 degrees Aries, was selected by ancient astronomers to mark this transition. Not only does the timing represent the spirit of this season, but the constellated stories they told in the sky mark it as well. A new year or Cycle of Life begins when the Sun has circled the zodiac and passed over the Vernal Equinox into Aries. To many ancient people, this symbolized the transition from the physical world to the spiritual plane of life.
The spiritual text is:
“There is no death! What seems so is transition:
This life of mortal breath
Is but a suburb of the life Elysian
Whose portal we call death .”
Click here for more of this meditation and a companion exercise.
For use at times when strife, haste, and waste of energy, harshness, temper, or violence enter our life.
Constructive Aggressive Urges express as Initiative in the use of energies for constructive work and action, building up instead of tearing down.
“O Thou Eternal Spirit, in Whom I live, move, breathe and have my Being! Temper my aggressive activity with gentleness in all that I do and say. Direct my love into channels of care and protection for others. Let the chief interest of my life be constructive service to the weak and helpless.”
Arcanum XIII: The Reaper— the ever turning wheel of time.
In Elbert Benjamine's classic series, he explains the astrological significance of the sign Aries and its relationship to Arcanum XIII, The Reaper tarot card.
The Reaper card expresses:
In the spiritual world—that creation, destruction, and renewal are in constant motion.
In the mental world—that spirit ascends to higher, divine dimensions.
In the physical world—that death is simply a transition—the soul shedding its physical form to exist in the astral world.
ADMONITION paraphrased from The Sacred Tarot:
Remember this, child of the earth: all things in the material world are temporary. Even the greatest powers fade, like grass cut from the field. If Arcanum XIII appears in your horoscope, it may signal an ending—perhaps sooner than expected. But do not fear. Death is not an end; it is the birth of a new existence.
The universe continually reabsorbs all that has not yet been spiritualized. But when we choose to rise above material instincts and align our souls with the greater cosmic flow, we awaken something greater within us—a higher self, a spiritual being. This is the beginning of true immortality.
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The Brotherhood of Light Lessons and the Aquarian Age
A new spiritual dispensation is at hand, where the love and compassion of the Piscean Age are enhanced by the wisdom that comes from a deeper understanding of the Nature of Reality brought by the new Aquarian Age and thus Religion is wed to Science. Our Brotherhood of Light lessons are the bridge that caries us into this New Age by combining the best of the Ancient Teachings with the wonders of our new discoveries. Nothing stays the same we must all adapt to the flood of new information.
Why Astrology and the Tarot are so important to understanding Traditional Knowledge
The word Kabala signifies traditional knowledge. It thus refers to the Oral Law, as handed down from antiquity; and embraces the occult traditions of all lands and all peoples. Often it is used merely as referring to the esoteric doctrines of the Jews; but in its broader sense it includes also the secret doctrine of other races. This secret doctrine, common to many lands, was jealously guarded from the profane, and was never permitted to pass into writing except in such ambiguous terms as to baffle the uninitiated as to its true purport. In this sense the sacred books of the world, including the Avesta, the Vedas and the Bible are largely kabalistical; for they set forth traditions that are capable of an inner, or esoteric, interpretation. In fact, there are usually several interpretations possible, each more inner version revealing a deeper truth to those who have advanced along the path far enough to comprehend it.
And this seems the proper place to point out that the unwritten kabala, like the written kabala, is set forth in symbolical language, with purposeful blinds and subterfuges to confuse the uninitiated; so that of the few who undoubtedly exist at the present day who have received it, most remain in as much ignorance of its true interpretation as the majority of students do after studying the more accessible written kabala. This unwritten kabala has been transmitted only through certain secret schools. Those receiving it well merit what is given to them. They are left to their own devices in the matter of interpretation. And because the real keys to its interpretation—astrology and the tarot—have been largely ignored, or distorted, they have floundered sadly in arriving at its meaning. Whether written or unwritten, the kabala is a philosophy correlated to esoteric astrology as exemplified by the tarot; and it can only be comprehended fully by those who perceive the true relation between astrological energies and their pictured tarot exemplification.
Excerpts from The Sacred Tarot by C. C. Zain
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Astrology of World Affairs by Hermetician Dennis Sutton
ancient wisdom — modern science
Sharing knowledge of Hermetic astrology, the birth chart, astrodynes and global astrology
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What does the Holographic Theory of the Universe and Quantum Theory have to do with our Hermetic teachings?
In this article we will attempt to present aspects that pertain to the Hermetic Teachings of the Church of Light. We also encourage you to investigate these theories for yourself...
The Brotherhood of Light lessons encourage us to study the Book of Nature...
Nature manifests through Diversity.
Diversity is the key to survival..mastering its many facets is the means by which we thrive.
Fear of the unknown and that which is different from self manifests throughout nature.
Through Cooperation we express the Will of Deity,
gain the freedom that results from transformation,
and achieve a sense of personal fulfillment, harmony, balance ... spirituality.
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