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Elbert Benjamine

Judging Progressed Aspects, part 2

Factors Influencing Specific Events

DW Sutton

Edited from original article by Elbert Benjamine

StudentYou have explained how outer-world environmental factors permit certain events, such as farm sales, to only occur at definite times; and how conditioning or rallying forces may influence the event mapped by a major progressed aspect to occur earlier or later than the aspect's peak date. Could you please illustrate these factors in such a way that I can visualize them?

Elbert Benjamine:  With ample proof at hand that both your behavior and the events that come into your life can be made far more fortunate, through the intelligent application of effort, than they otherwise would have been, there immediately arises an urgent demand for information of two kinds: (1) information that will enable you to fore know, within as narrow limits as practicable, the events, one or more of which is most likely to happen during each period of your life if no steps are taken to alter it; and (2) information as to what precautionary actions should be taken to alter it so it will be more fortunate than had such actions not been taken.

In reference to the first type of information I have presented a method of starting with the possible events which possess the planetary characteristics and house rulership of the planets involved in a progressed aspect and gradually eliminating, step at a time, and in a definite sequence, less probable events until only a few remain, or perhaps only one most likely specific event.

But to make such elimination yield the desired results there must be a sound foundation of knowledge of what events more frequently take place which provide expression for both the planetary characteristics and house rulership constants of Step I, when given planets are involved in the progressed aspect, or when they rule certain birthchart houses. Before starting to eliminate events improbable because of special factors to the given birthchart - special to the conditioning, special to the other progressed aspects present, or special because of peculiarities in the environment - there should be as comprehensive information as possible present as to what similar progressed aspects have usually brought into the lives of other people.

For this information the practicing astrologer in the past had to rely on personal experience with the events attracted into the lives of clients, family members and friends. But the time and resources that the ordinary practicing astrologer, or the ordinary astrological student, can spend in such research work are sadly limited. And the quality of the information thus acquire is therefore less extensive than desirable. Church of Light Research has tried to address this problem.

The aim of this research has been to present the constants of 20 different events, and to provide a complete system of assessment — a basis for correct judgement, and correct precautionary actions, relative to all events excepting disease. It should be noted that one of the three dictionary definitions of precaution is: 'A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or success.' Thus precautionary actions may be for the purpose of gaining still further advantage from conditions that probably would be beneficial, as well as for the purpose of preventing some event that would otherwise be unfortunate.

To explain certain matters I have referred to the Astro-Physical Interaction Diagram. This shows how either conditioning (B) or environment (E) may, and often does, influence the importance, the fortune, or the exact time of the event. It also shows how accessory progressed aspects may, and often do, influence the exact time of the event. Here, therefore, through using our imaginations let us try to understand still more of the details by which the nature of the specific event; and the exact date it happens, are determined during the time a progressed aspect is operative. And for this purpose, instead of birthchart houses, let us imagine you own a resort complex containing twelve different bungalows. Each bungalow, however, has several rooms, each room representing one specific event relating to that department of life. Thus one room of the ninth bungalow, or house, relates to teaching, one to publishing, one to advertising, one to lecturing, one to long journeys, one to religion and one to the court. Or if we consider the third bungalow, or house, one room relates to brethren, one to private thoughts, studies and education, one to neighbors, one to writing, including correspondence, and one to short journeys.

Astro-Physical Interaction Diagram

Now let us imagine that a pipe runs through all the rooms of each bungalow, and that this pipe contains one or both of two fluids under pressure. The fluid representing the energy of harmonious aspects is water; the fluid representing the energy of discordant aspects is gas. The pressure for all the rooms in any one bungalow, as representing the activity of the thought-cells mapped by any house before they are conditioned by events after birth, is the same. But the normal pressure of the fluid in the pipes feeding different bungalows varies widely. The pipes through those bungalows representing highly active birthchart houses may be under twice the pressure of the pipes in bungalows representing inactive birthchart houses.

Let us imagine that when a progressed aspect occurs in your birthchart that the pressure is gradually increased by an equal amount in the pipes feeding those bungalows corresponding to the houses where the planets not directly involved in the aspect are located; and is increased even a bit more in those bungalows corresponding to the birthchart houses where the planets directly involved in the aspect are located at the time the aspect is complete. The pressure is thus raised by pumps which force additional water, or gas, as the aspect is harmonious or discordant, into these pipes.

When the pressure becomes great enough some spot in the pipe will break, and the water or gas, or both water and gas, will spurt into the particular room where the break occurs. Or in terms of life, a specific event will take place which is ruled by one of these birthchart houses. That is, the event will be characteristic of the planets involved and their house rulership, in conformity to Step I.
Now if the environment of the pipes had in the past had no influence upon their structure, and the present environment had no influence upon their structure, you could expect them to break in the house where the pressure — due to the sum of the normal (birthchart) pressure plus the additional progressed aspect pressure — is greatest. And if one of the birthchart houses affected by the progressed aspect is normally much more active than the others affected, even though the planets at the time the progressed aspect is complete are not in this house, it would indicate where the pressure is greatest, and you could expect the pipe to break in this house. That is, other houses could be ruled out in the process of, eliminating events improbable to the birthchart, in conformity to Step 2.

Unfortunately for such an easy disposal of wide categories of events, life is a very complicated affair, and you are always forced to consider not merely the pressure within the pipes (thought-cell activity), but how these pipes have been affected in the past, and how they are affected in the present, by their environment (E).

For this purpose let us imagine that the atmospheric condition of each room through which the pipes run exerts a chemical action upon the substance of which the pipe is composed. And, even as the environmental relation to the whole department of life mapped by a birthchart house alters, and the environmental relation to each specific event belonging to any department of life continuously changes, let us imagine that not only the chemical atmosphere of each bungalow, but also the chemical atmosphere of each room is constantly changing.

Aside from such chemical action, past or present, upon the pipes, you could expect the break which represents an event to occur in the bungalow where the pressure would be greatest. But even so, you still would be in no position to judge in which of its rooms (what specific event of the several that belong to each department of life mapped by a birthchart house) the break would occur.

Both at birth and after birth you have a tendency to be attracted to environmental conditions which correspond in their broad features to the planet positions and aspects shown in your birthchart. In other words, the environment by which you are conditioned (B), in its less specific features, is determined by the thought-cell activity mapped in your birthchart. But the particular features of the environment which influence the conditioning in the direction of specific events are not shown.

These special features of the environment are represented in our imaginary bungalows by the changing chemical composition of the various rooms. Now let us imagine a condition in the life of a woman, not uncommon, in which during her infancy and youth powerful chemicals were present in only one room of bungalow number 3. Let us suppose in her life that there were no brothers or sisters or other relatives than father and mother in her early environment. Let us suppose that there was no opportunity to travel, and that the opportunities for writing were severely curtailed. Let us suppose that all through her early life she had been surrounded by books and magazines, that her parents had set her an example of studiousness, and that she had been encouraged to study. Under these circumstances the chemical atmosphere of the third bungalow would so greatly have lowered the resistance of the pipe passing through it that whenever pressure reached it from a progressed aspect it would break; but only in one room of the house — in the one representing study.

Furthermore — as the time when the break would occur in the pipe depends not merely upon the pressure, but on the relation of the pressure to the strength or weakness of the pipe — conditioning (B) toward or away from the event may shift the time of the event forward or backward. So it may take less or more pressure to cause the pipe to break. And when it does break the amount of gas and water the break permits to escape — the importance of the event — is also influenced by the strength of the pipe. If it has been broken and mended often in the same place (event), the break will tend to be larger, and the event more important.

In reference to these imaginary pipes feeding the twelve bungalows, let us suppose that each time, from the date of the first construction (birth), a break (event) occurs in them that the hole is mended with a piece of adhesive tape. And let us suppose that this adhesive tape which is used to mend each break which occurs under pressure is weaker than the pipe itself, and that each time the break occurs in a spot so weakened — just as the resistance to the habit of the thought-cells expressing in a specific event or given type of behavior is weakened with each repetition — on mending, that particular spot is still further enfeebled.

In the individual's life we are considering, due to her early environment there would be repeated breaks and mendings in the room of study of the third bungalow. Each subsequent break, and each new taping, would have made the pipe in that particular room of bungalow number 3 still weaker.

Now let us suppose after she has reached maturity that a progressed aspect takes place between the birthchart rulers of the third and ninth houses. Unless the environment at the time provided exceptionally powerful chemical action against the pipe in some room of bungalow 9, or on the pipe in bungalow 3 in the room of short trips, the room of writing, the room of relatives, or the room of neighbors, it could confidently be expected that the pipe would once more break in the room of study in bungalow 3, and that the event could relate to her studies.

In a manner similar to the imaginary pipe, every time specific events, or events ruled by a given house enter your life, they break a channel which more easily can be followed by the ensuing thought-cell energy when it seeks to express. The thought-cells find it easier to satisfy their broader desires through the same specific behavior or specific event. And as the specific event through which they form the habit of thus satisfying their planetary type of desires is subject to selection through intelligent conditioning, within the boundaries of appropriate house rulership, this affords by far the most effective method of improving, not only your behavior and fortune, but also the quality and fortune of the human race.

In the case of the individual we are considering, as she had acquired a habit-system of study, she would probably take up some new study under a progressed aspect from the ruler of the third to the ruler of the ninth in spite of almost any obstacle offered by the physical environment. But to take a short trip, to write much, to have experiences involving relatives or neighbors under the same progressed aspect, or to make a long journey or have some other ninth house experience, the physical environment at the time would have to be exceptionally favorable

Many people have had so little contact with the public, with opposition from other individuals, and with partnerships, that there is no conditioning (B) toward events related to these rooms of the seventh house. Even should physical environment (E) markedly favor public contacts or a lawsuit later in life at a time when there is a progressed aspect to the ruler of the seventh house, no events of consequence are attracted relative to any of these things.

Instead, because their early home life conditioned them to consider matrimony highly desirable, the thought-cells struggle energetically to realize some desire relative to it under all progressed aspects to the ruler of the seventh house. It may be marriage, or divorce, or disagreement with the partner, or some other event involving the marital relations. Even though the pressure of the water and gas in the pipe extending through all six rooms of the seventh house is the same, and even though the pressure added by the progressed aspect is greater in other houses because the planets making the aspect actually occupy them, there have been so many previous breaks and mendings in this one room, called matrimony, of bungalow number 7, that the pipe breaks there. In spite of the temporary chemical atmosphere (environment) of the room, that is the weakest place in the pipes under pressure from the progressed aspect. Other seventh house events, or other events when the seventh house is affected by the progressed aspect, can usually be ruled out in the process of, eliminating events improbable to conditioning, in conformity to Step 3.

Up to the present point we have been discussing how to ascertain the most probable event when only one major progressed aspect is operating. But more often than not more than one progressed aspect is less than one degree from perfect and thus exerting some pressure upon the life. Such influences very definitely do not cancel out. Aside from Rallying Forces, which we are now ready to consider, each progressed aspect adds energy to and increases the activity of the thought-cells within the finer body mapped by the houses the planets involved rule.

These thought-cells then work, with the energy they thus acquire in addition to that mapped by the birthchart, to bring into the life the events they desire. Unless interfered with by Rallying Forces each progressed aspect tends to work out in an event or events characteristic of the planets making the aspect and the houses they rule. Even so, it is too often forgotten by those who appraise progressed aspects that events are of four different orders. A new mental state or point of view is an event. A change in the emotional condition is an event. And a different moral attitude is an event. Thus are there mental events, emotional events and spiritual events, as well as physical events.

We have all observed people who periodically become highly enthused over something, but never do anything about it. They have conditioned their thought-cells to satisfy their desires through emotional events rather than physical action. Others with a scholarly bent have conditioned their thought-cells largely to satisfy their desires through mental events. To these people the few important physical happenings in their lives attain significance because they give, or take away, opportunity for outstanding mental experiences. And those devoted almost exclusively to religion, especially those who take the vow of poverty and chastity, have so conditioned themselves that their thought-cells are chiefly satisfied with what they believe to be spiritual events. The physical events that are attracted to them are important only in so far as they test their ability to live what they believe to be a religious life.

Other people in less degree have their lives affected by mental events, emotional events, and spiritual events. Not infrequently, for instance, a sub-major progressed Moon aspect will bring no event into the life that can be discerned except by close associates, who will notice that the individual during the period near its peak is happier, and more contented, or is more irritable or more easily upset, than is commonly the case. Also, even where physical conditions are involved, an increase of work under an aspect to Saturn that one person would resent, to a person conditioned to take what came and not complain would hardly be noticed.

But in reference to how Rallying Forces operate, let us imagine that the pipes in the different bungalows are connected by a common pipe, but that when Rallying Forces are not present gate valves prevent the flow of water or gas or both from one bungalow to another. These gate valves are electrically operated. Even when the electrical circuit is closed, only those gate valves open which give access to bungalows in which the pipes are under pressure from a progressed aspect.

The important factor, as it can be controlled within limits, is the closing of the electrical circuit which permits the water and gas in the pipe under highest pressure to have free access through the gate valves thus opened, to the pipes in all those bungalows where some pressure already exists due to another progressed aspect. Thus when these gate valves are opened, all the rooms in all the bungalows whose pipes are under pressure — but not those representing houses whose rulers at the time are not members of a progressed aspect — acquire the same additional pressure and the same additional volume of water and gas. Thus the most powerful progressed aspect is able to feed its water or gas, according to whether it is harmonious or discordant, into all the rooms thus reached, and because of its power dominate with its water or gas the water or gas in all the bungalow pipes it thus reaches.

However, as I have previously indicated, this does not lessen the pressure in any of these pipes. The influence of one progressed aspect does not cancel the power of another progressed aspect of opposite harmony or discord. Neither does it result in a pressure equal to the sum of the various several pressures of the progressed aspects operative.

During 1939 we gave this problem to several mathematically minded young men. They found that every additional aspect a planet has in the birthchart indicates an increase in the thought-cell activity it maps, and that every additional progressed aspect operative while Rallying Forces are present adds to the thought-cell activity mapped by all the houses thus reached. They concluded that a planet having numerous birthchart aspects, or forming a progressed aspect while Rallying Forces are operative, not only has more power than the average, but more power than is indicated by the strongest single aspect involved. This increased power, however, is not expressed by the sum of the aspects, but by a much smaller number. It is expressed by a figure which can be found through a logarithmic function of their sum. Which devoid of mathematics means that while two progressed aspects represent more power than the stronger of the two, and six progressed aspects, represent more power than two, the events attracted by six simultaneously operating progressed aspects would probably be less than twice as important as the events attracted by the strongest single progressed aspect of the six.

As to when our imaginary pipes will break is determined by the sum of the pressure in them and their weaknesses at the feeblest point. This means that the exact date of the break (event) may be influenced by either of these factors. The pressure exerted by a progressed aspect begins when the aspect enters the one degree orb limit; and the environment (E), near the start date, might offer special facilities that favour the event occurring then even though the aspect only has half its peak power. Experience reveals that, more often than not, a major event will occur within a couple of months of the aspect's peak date when it has more power. On the other hand, as the aspect wanes in power, the environment might favour the event occurring when the aspect is at its outer orb limit and near its finish date. Rallying forces may also shift the event — backward or forward in time — somewhat from the date it otherwise could be expected.

Now what causes the electrical circuit to be closed which opens the gate valves to all the houses whose rulers are at the time making a progressed aspect? Nerve currents are electric currents, and when the nervous system is tuned to a particular planetary vibration, or state of harmony or discord, the electrical currents become ready conductors of that particular energy. Thus when an individual responds markedly in thought and feeling to some powerful progressed aspect, the electromagnetic frequencies generated by their nervous system permit that planetary energy to flow to all the compartments of the astral body which at the time are reached by any progressed aspect. Or, in terms of our imaginary bungalows, the circuit is closed to all the gate valves the pipes of which at the time are under pressure from a progressed aspect.

With these electrically operated gate valves thus open, the high pressure of the gas or water represented by the most powerful progressed aspect causes it to be forced into, and mixed with, the gas or water in the pipes influenced by the less powerful progressed aspects. These pipes, due to cumulative planetary action, then come under higher pressure than is indicated by either the weaker progressed aspect or the more powerful, heavy progressed aspect. And the chief event which then takes place will then be determined as to its specific nature by the previous breaks (conditioning) and mendings in all the pipes and bungalows and rooms thus reached, in relation to the chemical action (environment) at the time on the pipes in the rooms of the various bungalows.

Where the previous conditioning (B) has prepared an easy channel, and at the same time there are facilities in the environment (E), is the spot where the thought-cell activity will break through. And wherever it does break through, the water or the gas, or the combination of them which is indicated by the nature of the heavy progressed aspect acting upon the thought-cells, will be apparent. That is, if the heavy progressed aspect is markedly discordant, even though its energy breaks through in a house whose ruler receives a weaker harmonious progressed aspect, the event which relates to one of the several rooms of this house will be discordant. Or if the heavy progressed aspect is markedly harmonious, even though the event relates to a house whose ruler at the time is receiving a weaker discordant progressed aspect, it will be harmonious.

By not permitting their thoughts and emotions to be dominated by the thought-cell activity stimulated by any one progressed aspect people can experience several events coincident with several progressed aspects each bearing the harmony or discord of the progressed aspect leading into the house ruling it. But it is far more common for people to be dominated in their thoughts and feelings by a heavy progressed aspect to such an extent during the period it strongly operates, that the chief event or events, even though not ruled by the houses signified by the heavy progressed aspect, is fortunate or unfortunate, as the heavy dominant progressed aspect at the time is harmonious or discordant.

This does not mean that the influence of the less powerful progressed aspects do not afford incidents or less important circumstances of their own harmony or discord during intervals when they become free from domination. And it does not mean that such domination by a heavy progressed aspect is necessary if the individual will make the effort to tune in on the planetary energy of some less powerful progressed aspect then operative. But it does mean that it is possible, and often occurs, that the energy of a more powerful progressed aspect finds its way to the thought-cells mapped by a weaker progressed aspect and gives them energy of the planetary type and harmony or discord of the powerful progressed aspect.

Thus it is that under heavy progressed afflictions, people die when the only progressed aspects to the ruler of the first and eighth houses are relatively weaker harmonious ones. And people often gain money when there is a weakly discordant progressed aspect to the ruler of the second house, while at the same time there is some other more powerful harmonious progressed aspect between planets neither of which rules the second. Thus wide categories of events can often be eliminated through, appraising other progressed aspects as influencing the importance and fortune of the event, in conformity to Step 4.

Now the strength or weakness of the pipe in any room of our twelve imaginary bungalows is not determined solely by the number of times it has broken and been mended. The chemical condition of the atmosphere at the time there is pressure from a progressed aspect also may have a powerful influence This environmental (E) condition at the time may quickly weaken the pipe in any of the rooms of any of the bungalows to a point where it requires no great pressure to cause the pipe to break there and the event to be of the specific kind denoted by that room.

At the time this is being written (1942) the United States is in the process of building up an armed force of ten million men, and of diverting the balance of the manpower of the nation into the production and distribution of materials that will assist the war effort. Under these environmental (E) conditions it takes very little pressure from a progressed aspect involving the ruler of the tenth house to affect most people's jobs. Where at least half the population is concerned the room called employment in bungalow number 10 has an atmosphere that has worn its pipe excessively thin. Just a little pressure reaching the pipe of bungalow 10 commonly causes a break in this room, with some change in the job.

Furthermore, as a rule, the event relative to the job is far more important than would be expected from the same progressed aspect in normal times, and it may be shifted forward or backward, within certain limits, from the time of high pressure, by such environmental conditions as the calling by the Government on certain dates of those within definite age brackets and definite freedom from deferment because of dependents or present occupation in essential war industries. Government needs on certain dates may cause the pipe to break on those exact dates, rather than the exact dates when the thought-cell pressure is greatest; and the break may be far more important because the Government needs so many persons for important positions, and is sending them to the far corners of the globe to carry out important functions.

Furthermore, because those called to war often must sacrifice whatever business they are in, and war priorities are closing due to a lack of goods so many businesses not essential to the war effort, the pipe through the tenth house room called business is about equally thin, and when it breaks the event commonly is far more unfortunate than under the same progressed aspect in normal times. But to those hundreds of thousands eligible to work in the war industries, a progressed aspect even slightly favoring the second house usually brings the highly fortunate event that they get more wages than ever before in their lives.

At the same time the pipe running through the third house room called short journeys has been powerfully strengthened by its chemical atmosphere in so far as the civilian population is concerned. The use of rubber tires is restricted and gasoline is rationed, so that for a civilian to take a short trip that would have much significance, there would need to be present other unusual environmental factors, or exceptional thought-cell activity relative to such travel. Thus, due to the absence of environmental factors which the planets involved in the aspect must employ to bring certain events to pass it becomes possible to eliminate most of the remaining events as not probable in the given environment, in conformity to Step 5.

Different Methods of Applying Precautionary Actions

StudentCould you explain the different methods of applying precautionary actions?

Elbert Benjamine:  We have seen that whatever events are attracted into the life are the product of thought-cell activities directed by their desires and the facilities of the environment for affording such events. This indicates that there are three ways by which, if proper action is taken before hand, the probable event can be changed, even as Nature applies the same three methods in determining the event that more commonly happens. One way is to change the intensity of the thought-cell activity, one way is to change the desires of the thought-cells, and the other way is to change the facilities afforded by the environment for the otherwise anticipated event. 

Increasing Thought-Cell Activity:  If the thought-cell activity is made greater, the probability of some event of consequence being attracted is greater, and if the thought-cell activity is diminished the probability is that the event attracted will be less important. And as the thought-cells involved in attracting an event depend for the intensity of their activity upon the volume of energy they acquire, there are three ways by which the thought-cell activity mapped by a progressed aspect can be increased and the event bearing the characteristics of the planets involved made more important than it otherwise would have been. 

Close association with names, numbers, tones, colors and objects ruled by a planet, by its zodiacal sign, or by the zodiacal sign it occupies in the chart, permits the astral vibrations of these things to reach and energize, through the principle of resonance, the thought-cells of similar vibratory rate mapped by this planet and these signs in the finer body. If the thought-cells are harmonious, this is an advantage, as it will enable them to increase the importance of the favorable event attracted. But if the thought-cells, as indicated by the birthchart and progressed aspects of the planet, are discordant, such associations will enable them to attract an unfortunate event of greater importance.

As thought-cells are built and given power to act by thoughts charged with feeling, the activity of a thought-cell group mapped by any planet can be pronouncedly increased by thoughts and emotions characteristic of the planet. And the thought-cells mapped by any house of the birthchart can be given greater activity by thoughts and emotions associated with the department of life that house maps.

The thought-cells are also given energy with which to become more active by progressed aspects. And the amount of activity of a group of thought-cells mapped by a planet involved in a progressed aspect can be increased by tuning in through intense feeling on the energy of this planet. Furthermore, in this deliberate use of Rallying Forces, if the intense feeling thus developed is maintained, it keeps the person so completely tuned to the specific wavelengths of this one planet that the wavelengths of other planets are not strong enough to make their influence felt. In other words, all the thought-cells reached by progressed aspects, and to a very much less degree all the thought-cells reached even by birthchart aspects, receive this planetary energy as the dominant influence. These thought-cells not ruled by the Rallying Force planet, while thus given greater activity, are less able to express their own desires and their own type of energy.

Changing Thought-Cell Desires:

While the importance of the event is pronouncedly influenced by the degree of thought-cell activity the fortune or misfortune of the event, and its specific nature, are largely determined by the desires of the active thought-cells. Their desires can be markedly changed in three different ways. One way has just been indicated. By tuning your nervous system to pick up, radio fashion, intense feeling of a selected type, you can, so long as you maintain the proper mood, feed all the thought-cells reached by progressed aspects at the time, the planetary energy and its harmony or discord, of your own choice.

Even as Rallying Forces not consciously selected often change the desires of the thought-cells and cause them to bring events into the life of a fortune or misfortune not indicated by the progressed aspect directly reaching them, so Rallying Forces also can be deliberately utilized to change thought-cell desires, and the consequent event, in the direction selected.

The thought-elements of which a group of thought-cells mapped by a given planet are composed are not all of one planetary family. Other thought-elements enter into their composition in minor degree as indicated by the aspects of the planet mapping them. But they are predominately of the planetary family of the planet mapping them, and associated strongly with the departments of life mapped by the houses this planet rules.

Their desires in general, and where these departments of life are concerned in particular, are due to their experiences in the past. These desires are temporarily given a more harmonious or more discordant trend by the harmony or discord of any progressed aspect whose energy reaches them. But in spite of the discordant quality of the progressed energy, if their fundamental desires are powerfully harmonious, the events they work for will be more fortunate than otherwise.

As the feeling of pleasure or pain at the time these thought-cells were formed is entirely responsible for their desires before they are given unusual activity through the energy fed into them by a progressed aspect, their desires can be altered in the direction of harmony by adding pleasant feeling energy to them in as much intensity and volume as possible. This process does not add thought-elements of a different planetary family to the thought-cells, but it does rearrange in a more harmonious compound the thought-elements of which they are already composed.

Such conversion of a thought-compound so that the thought-cells embracing it will work as desired follows the same general principles as that used by psychologists in what they call the sublimation of unruly desires. The first step is to recognize both the destructive and the constructive thoughts that belong to the thought-elements within the compound to be converted. For instance, if Saturn is involved in the upcoming progressed aspect, it should be recognized that the Saturn thought-cells may influence thoughts of fear, greed, selfishness and worry, or thoughts of comparison, system, order and persistence.

Then whenever thoughts of fear, greed, selfishness or worry start to enter the mind, they should be immediately displaced with thoughts of comparison, system, order and persistence. Through associating these constructive thoughts ruled by Saturn, and especially as these affect the departments of life ruled by the houses Saturn influences, with as many other constructive desires and pleasant thoughts as possible, it is not too difficult to learn to take pleasure in thoughts and actions which benefit others as well as oneself in which comparison, system, order and persistence are employed.

Through this process of conversion not only are the desires of the thought-cells conditioned to be more fortunate, but while the process is being applied as well as after the conversion has been accomplished, the energy of the thought-cells thus diverted into constructive activities is used up sufficiently that much less is left for them with which to work to bring unfortunate events into the life.

The third way of changing thought-cell desires is through the use of mental antidotes. When two planets which are mental antidotes do not heavily afflict each other in the birthchart, it is usually easier to substitute thoughts and feelings ruled by the antidote planet, than merely to think constructive thoughts and have constructive feelings ruled by the planet whose thought-cells are to be made more harmonious. When thinking and experiences of the nature of the antidote are substituted for the old type of habitual thinking and feeling, there is apt to be less resistance to developing pleasant thoughts. If Saturn is heavily afflicted at birth, for instance, it may be difficult to think of the department of life it rules in terms of comparison, system, order and persistence without at the same time thinking of the distress which has been experienced in the past relative to the events and conditions of this department of life. It may be easier, and more effective to harmoniously recondition the Saturn thought-cells by substituting thoughts of fear, greed, selfishness and worry, with their mental antidote, constructive thoughts and feelings ruled by Venus — affection, friendship, appreciation of beauty and mirth.

The Sun needs no mental antidote, and any constructive thoughts of the other planetary families added harmonious to its thought-cells are beneficial to them.

The thoughts influenced by the Moon or Pluto and those influenced by Mars are the mental antidotes of each other.

The thoughts influenced by Mercury and Uranus and those influenced by Jupiter are the mental antidotes of each other.

The thoughts influenced by Venus and Neptune and those influenced by Saturn are the mental antidotes of each other.

In applying mental antidotes, as in conversion, only the constructive thoughts and feelings ruled by the mental antidote should be used. And they should be substituted, as well as at other times, whenever thoughts arise of the planetary family to be reconditioned, and whenever there are thoughts about the departments of life which this planet rules, or which is apt to be affected by its progressed aspects.

The most important factor in their application is to give these new thoughts, that are substituting those that are undesirable, as high a harmonious emotional content as possible. And to do this it may be necessary at the start to associate them with as many other pleasant desires as possible. While artificially conditioned in the beginning by association, it won’t be long before these new thoughts develop a highly pleasant content of their own.

Changing Environmental Facilities:  People are not injured by firearms unless firearms are present, nor do they gain favors from friends if they remain aloof from people. In so far as physical events are concerned these are dependent upon given facilities in the environment. Furthermore, each planet makes use only of the environmental factors ruled by it in bringing an event to pass. The more common environmental factors have already been presented.

If the event made probable by a progressed aspect tends to be unfortunate, the environmental factors ruled by the planets involved in the progressed aspect should be avoided as much as practical and particular care should be used when their presence in the life is unavoidable.

Under a progressed affliction to Mercury it may be impractical to avoid writing letters, signing papers or taking a journey. But as a progressed aspect to Mercury affects the accuracy of expression exceptional care can be exercised that what is written cannot be used to disadvantage, and that papers are thoroughly understood before signing. And if a journey is necessary, more then usual care can be used to prevent difficulties arising while taking it.

Or under a harmonious progressed aspect to Uranus, instead of merely waiting with hands folded for some fine fortune to suddenly come along, an effort can be made to contact new and unusual things and ideas, and to contact new people. Whatever the event, it will arrive through a human agency. Therefore facilities should be afforded for this agency to operate, as well as for inventions, automobiles, astrologers etc., to bring something favorable into the life.

Furthermore, whatever the house involved that seems most likely to rule the department of life affected, if the probable event is a misfortune, that department of life should be avoided as much as possible and the thoughts and efforts directed toward some harmonious department of life at the time. But if the event indicated is favorable, exceptional effort should be put forth to associate with the things mapped by the house ruling the probable event. Thus if the fore shown favorable event is ruled by the tenth house, special effort may be used to get employment, to get a promotion, to increase the business, or to attain some honour, and to associate with the environmental factors ruled by the planets involved in the progressed aspect, as these will be the instruments through which the good fortune will be gained.

Published December 20, 2012

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