Character Insight from Spiritual Astrology...Abraham Lincoln
The 3rd Decanate of Aquarius is pictured in the sky as the Constellation, Cetus, the Sea Monster. Its rulership spans from February 10 to February 20.
Keyword:REPRESSION
Spiritual Text:The true monster that devours the brightest promise of a generation arises in the quiet erosion of love—when harmony gives way to discord.
Cetus
Urania's Mirror, public domain
In Course VII, C. C. Zain teaches that among the attributes of evil, none is more far-reaching than DISCORD. To symbolize this force, the ancients chose the constellation Cetus, the Sea Monster, because of its association with water—the universal symbol of emotion.
The word discord comes from the Latin discordia, formed from dis (apart) and cordia (heart). Literally, it means “hearts apart.” The heart, as the seat of emotion, becomes divided when inner truth and outer action move in opposing directions.
When thought and action are aligned in service to what is most constructive, the heart is in harmony. Stellarians measure this alignment using the Universal Moral Code: “Contribute Your Utmost to Universal Welfare.”
Zain illustrates the Cetus decanate through the biblical story of Jonah and the Whale. Jonah is called by God to set aside his personal hatred and travel to Nineveh to teach mercy and repentance. Although Jonah loved God and wished to obey, his resentment toward the people of Nineveh was stronger. Unable to reconcile these opposing emotions, he repressed his higher duty and fled in the opposite direction.
This inner division manifested outwardly as a violent storm at sea, threatening everyone aboard the ship. Only when Jonah accepted responsibility for his true calling did the storm subside and calm return. Harmony was restored when repression gave way to conscious alignment with duty.
Abraham Lincoln, 2/12/1809,2:10 AM, Time rectified in CS10-1,
Location: Sinking Springs Farm Memorial - 85W44'24; 37N31'48 . Chart generated by Horoscope Program; Source: Course 10-1, Delineating the Horoscope
Abraham Lincoln's presidency inherited a nation with a similarly divided heart. This discord originated in what has been called America’s “original sin”—the contradiction embedded in the founding documents. The Constitution declared that “all men are created equal,” yet protected the institution of slavery through evasive language and compromise. This act of repression allowed the nation to form, but at the cost of unresolved moral conflict—one that continues to echo through the American psyche.
Lincoln ran for president to halt the expansion of slavery. To states whose economies and identities were built upon it, his election represented an existential threat. Secession followed swiftly, plunging the nation into a deeply emotional civil war in which brother fought brother.
Thrust into this storm, Lincoln faced profound fear, anxiety, and depression, often questioning his own readiness for the task before him. Yet, amid the raging seas of conflict and emotion, he remained anchored to his sense of duty: preserving the Union and its future as a sovereign nation.
Like Jonah, Lincoln chose what he believed served the greatest good, even when the cost was immense. He stayed at the helm, offering steadiness through both word and deed. He understood that America was—and remains—a work in progress, requiring continual recommitment to shared purpose.
This understanding is powerfully expressed in the closing words of “The Gettysburg Address,” where Lincoln affirms that unity is not inherited, but chosen—again and again:
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
In the symbolism of Cetus, Lincoln’s life reflects the triumph of conscious alignment over repression—and the enduring challenge of transforming discord into collective purpose.
For greater insight into the decanates of spiritual astrology, click here for more about Aquarius and the REPRESSION decanate in Course VII or here for “The Second Eighteen Decanates Analyzed” in Course X-1.
To purchase, Click here for Course VII, Spiritual Astrology or here for Course X-1, Delineating the Horoscope.
Aquarius: The 11th Sign of the Zodiac
January 19 through February 18
Best Quality: Altruism Worst Quality: Argumentation
Key Phrase: I Know
The Aquarian Age Platinum Rule:
“Do and Think Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do and Think Unto You.”
In the Age of Aquarius...
Aquarius, the eleventh sign of the zodiac, presides over the house of friends and embodies humanity’s collective consciousness. In ancient symbolism, Aquarius is portrayed as a Man whose receptive left hand measures the influences of the heavens, while his executive right hand pours distilled wisdom upon the Earth. This image reveals Aquarius‘s sacred function: not merely to acquire knowledge, but to circulate it for the benefit of all.
The Aquarian key phrase, “I Know,” takes on deeper meaning when knowledge is understood not as something to possess, but as a living current—a bridge between spirit and matter, the individual and the collective. From this perspective, a natural question arises: Do humanity’s spiritual needs still require religion as it has traditionally been defined?
C. C. Zain reminds us that the word religion derives from the Latin re-ligare, meaning “to bind back.” Its original purpose was to preserve essential truths and assist the soul in reconnecting with its divine source. Yet when spiritual traditions harden into inflexible forms and fail to evolve alongside human consciousness, they can shift from instruments of illumination into barriers to growth.
The Aquarian Age, marked by humanitarian ideals and scientific advancement, calls for the integration of ancient wisdom with modern understanding of Nature’s Laws. Rather than standing in opposition, spirituality and science become complementary paths—each refining and enriching the other as we seek to understand existence.
This integration is the teaching of Arcanum IX, The Sage: true wisdom arises when the Divine and the Material are consciously united. By honoring both realms, we awaken our higher faculties, align with our moral compass, and move forward as conscious participants in the unfolding purpose of the Aquarian Age.
Click here for more of this meditation and a companion exercise.
Aquarius is a Dual Rulership Sign—Uranus, the upper octave or Mercury, and Saturn
Harmonizing Uranus' Individualistic Urges
For use at times when thought is disturbed and difficult; when we are restless and apt to be extreme in our viewpoint and action; or, when there are drastic changes in our lives.
Constructive Individualistic Urges inspire Originality and best express through moderate viewpoints, tolerance and avoidance of extremes in all things.
O Thou Eternal Spirit, in Whom I live, move, breathe and have my Being! I rely upon Thy Power to bring to a successful conclusion those matters through which I cannot clearly see the way and in which I have done my best. Bring to me the realization that happiness and benevolence, confidence and trust in Thee, will cause all things to work out for my ultimate good. Inspire me to see only good in others. Amen
Harmonizing Saturn's Safety Urges
For use at times of work, responsibility, loss, worry or undue self interest.
Constructive Safety Urges express as System and Order in life and habits. They are also associated with economy, elimination of waste and efficiency of effort.
O Thou Eternal Spirit, in Whom I live, move, breathe and have my Being! Awaken in me the knowledge that joy and mirth, love and music, beauty and art are good. Help me to express more of the gaiety in life. Give me courage in difficulties, let me smile in adversity and above all bring to my heart the realization that the interest of all is more important than the interest of self. So Shall It Be!
In this classic series, Elbert Benjamine explains the astrological significance of the sign Aquarius and its relationship to Arcanum IX, The Sage tarot card...to be a Sage is to know how to acquire Wisdom.
The Sage card expresses:
In the spiritual world—unlimited understanding.
In the mental world—good judgment as the director of the Will.
In the physical world—careful consideration of consequences.
ADMONITION paraphrased from The Sacred Tarot:
Remember, then, child of Earth, that wisdom is protected by the shield of prudence. Caution allows us to navigate life’s challenges, avoid pitfalls, and recognize potential betrayals. Let it guide your choices, even in the smallest matters, for nothing in life is insignificant—a single pebble can topple the mightiest chariot. If Arcanum IX appears in your horoscope, remember the value of thoughtful restraint: while speech may hold power, silence often carries greater strength.
light.org is an internet resource for those searching for true esoteric insight that can only come from combining the best of the past with the promise of the future. Here we try to avoid the dogma of material science, “new age” thought, or fundamentalist religious concepts, while adhering to the old axiom “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
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...
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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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